Chapter 90

What is this man happy about?

And what is he proud of?

Upon thinking, he wouldn't be deliberately showing it to me, would he?

Childish.

I reached out and deliberately poked the wound hard, asking him: "Does it hurt?"

Liu Junyan nodded: "It hurts."

"Have you applied medicine?"

"No."

I said irritably: "The wound is so deep and you haven't applied medicine; you deserve to hurt."

While saying that, I had already turned around the counter and went to the room to get the medicine box.

Liu Junyan also followed over and sat by the table waiting.

Recently I keep getting injured; Li Qingying got me a lot of good medicine, so handling the wound comes easily to me.

It was fixed in a moment; I tidied the medicine box, just about to put it back, when Liu Junyan's hand wrapped around my waist and pulled me back onto his lap.

I struggled to get up, but Liu Junyan held me tight, his chin resting on my shoulder, saying: "Don't move, the wound might tear open, Xiao Jiu, let me hold you a while."

I had no choice but to stay still, letting him hold me.

These past two days, my mood has indeed been terrible.

The appearance of that girl and my mother dealt me a double blow, leaving me momentarily unsure how to respond.

I appear strong on the surface, but I am actually very sensitive.

Whether it's familial love, romantic love, or friendship, once I have it, I want to hold on tightly, fearing I might lose it.

Once I lose it, I find it hard to muster the courage to grasp it again.

So regarding the matter of Ah Li, I would rather shrink back and not ask, so I won't lose it.

But Liu Junyan obviously doesn't think that way: "Xiao Jiu, are you still angry with me?"

I immediately said: "No."

"Why aren't you angry?" Liu Junyan turned the tables: "Someone openly came to steal your husband, and you're not angry? Xiao Jiu, do you even have me in your heart?"

I was utterly shocked!

This person… is twisting logic!

I instantly flared up, turned sideways to stare at him, and demanded: "Then how do you want me to ask? Your secret codes matched!"

"Why can't you ask?" Liu Junyan said: "I am your man; no matter when, in front of me you can keep your back straight."

"As for the secret code, how do you know it? It's not a secret between you and me."

I was stunned: "Our secret?"

"That's the crux of the doubt." Liu Junyan said solemnly: "I agreed to Hu Yulin's invitation precisely to see where that girl claiming to be Ah Li gets the audacity to deceive us, and how she managed to deceive Hu Yulin."

So that's how it is.

"Hu Yulin has nearly a thousand years of cultivation; he wouldn't easily misjudge. This puzzles me greatly; only by seeing it myself can I reach a conclusion."

I hurriedly asked: "Then did you notice any clues?"

Liu Junyan nodded: "She has a Feather mark on her brow, which is the symbol of Ah Li's identity, and the weapon she now uses is very similar to your Feng Wu."

"Not at all, not even a little." I objected: "Although she also uses a longbow made of paulownia wood, she draws it with true qi, not with the fire shot from her own natal magic artifact."

"Yes, this is a doubt you can spot at a glance, but Hu Yulin is blinded by his own perspective." Liu Junyan said: "Ah Li has been missing for too long, long enough that a few words can cover up the truth. Her drawing the bow with true qi and not shooting flames can be explained as her rebirth returning with insufficient Xiūwéi; also as a failed Nirvana causing damage to her spirit bones requiring recovery. In short, Hu Yulin just wants a plausible explanation; he's willing to believe his Ah Li has returned, and that's enough."

Therefore, Liu Junyan initially was so certain the other party was fake.

Hence came the saying "It's easy to paint a tiger's skin but hard to paint its bones."

"But later, your secret codes matched successfully!"

The reason it can be called a "secret code" is that only Liu Junyan and Ah Li know it.

Upon hearing the phrase "Cangwu plucking willows, Ling water surging," Liu Junyan was clearly moved.

Even now, when I raise this doubt, his gaze changes just the same.

I inexplicably feel a little afraid and again want to escape from his lap.

The next moment, he pressed me back down: "What are you running for? The point is right here."

I inexplicably felt a little scared, and again wanted to escape from his leg.

"Xiao Jiu, you have returned through reincarnation, but something is missing from your body." Liu Junyan's large hand gently stroked my shoulder blade: "When I saw the Feather mark on that girl's brow, I was certain that back then, it must have been her who harmed you."

"But it's okay; I will eventually help you get it back. However, when she uttered that …… sentence, I too was stunned."

Liu Junyan's pupils were full of sorrow: "That sentence …… was Ah Li's farewell to me."

As he spoke, he held me tighter: "In our youth, the person we admired was like a celestial being; we dared not touch, nor even slightly defile. We met repeatedly, parted repeatedly, always feeling there would be more time."

"But one day I suddenly realized that my understanding of her was truly pitifully little; I had never truly seen the face beneath her mask, and when I tried to probe deeper, she harshly pushed me away."

Liu Junyan was wholly enveloped in sorrow, making me unable to help but wrap my arms around his neck, letting him lean on my shoulder.

I remained silent, not disturbing him, waiting for him to gradually calm his emotions.

Until he spoke again: "Cangwu plucking willows, Cangwu Mountain stores Nirvana fire—where would the willows come from? Ling water surging, the vast Linghai waves can never reach Cangwu Mountain, nor could they ever extinguish the Nirvana fire within it. When Ah Li spoke those words, she completely rejected me."

The following line "Not even reaching the Yellow Springs, we shall not meet again," Liu Junyan didn't say, but I already understood.

Until the day both step into the Yellow Springs, Ah Li and Liu Junyan will never be able to meet again.

The latter phrase 'Unless we reach the Yellow Springs, we will not meet,' although Liu Junyan didn't say it, but I already understood.

What exactly happened to Ah Li back then that caused her to say such words to Liu Junyan?

What kind of resolve is this!

Back then, what exactly happened to Ali that caused her to say such words to Liu Junyan?

No wonder that, over a hundred years later, when Liu Junyan heard these words again, his reaction would be so strong.

Hiss—

I suddenly sucked in a breath of cold air, and my head began to throb again.

The feeling I had before fainting in the teahouse that day seemed to be returning.

Liu Junyan sensed it instantly; his big hand immediately covered the back of my head, warm true qi flowed in, and then I felt much better.

"Don't think about it, Xiao Jiu." Liu Junyan said, "She not only stole the most important thing from you, but also took part of your memory. I haven't yet figured out a countermeasure, but you must remember: if you encounter her again, don't confront her head-on, and don't let her words bewitch you; she is very dangerous."

I pressed my temples and asked, "Is she really that formidable?"

"I only met her briefly, I don't know much about her." Liu Junyan said, "But from the Qìchǎng emanating from her whole body, she may not possess such heaven-defying abilities; behind her, there should be another formidable person pulling the strings..."