Selfish Decision
Cheng Yan and Qing Mei fell for each other at first sight. Neither of them wanted to let go of the other despite their different backgrounds, aware of what awaited them.
“Why are you going to Fallen City?” asked Qing Mei, clutching Cheng Yan’s hand.
Helpless, Cheng Yan smiled. “I have to go search for the elemental demons. I don’t know when I’ll be back. I can’t leave the mountain without Uncle An’s approval. When I have a chance to leave, I’ll have a pigeon deliver a message.”
“It’s been a year. I still remember meeting you on the street. You said you were finding lodging for your juniors. You set my heart aflutter, and my heart has been devoted to you ever since,” Qing Mei melancholically expressed before a pause. “I, sadly, can’t find the courage to tell my father. I know he won’t approve of our relationship. Why can’t you let my father know your true cultivation level? You have reached Golden Core Realm at your age and are on par with Senior Bai Lang. Father wouldn’t be against our relationship if he knew your true level.”
Cheng Yan embraced his world and apologetically expounded, “Shifu won’t let me thoughtless reveal my cultivation because he doesn’t want to draw attention.”
“Does your shifu not approve of our relationship?”
“He would be the one person who would approve. He is a kind elder. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to force him against his will for my sake.”
“I go to your place every month to meet you at the foot of the mountain nowadays, but I want to be with you forever and go public. After this ordeal with the elemental demons, I will inform my father of our relationship. Should he not allow us to be together, I will go to your place. Your shifu would be willing to accept me, right?”
Love was always genuine and more important than anything to youths.
“I don’t want you and your father to harm your relationship. I promise to make it up to you somehow.”
Cheng Yan ran his hands through Qing Mei’s hair. He could elope with her; perhaps leaving Moyun Mountains wouldn’t be a bad idea. Alas, he was too attached to certain things. He knew regret plagued his shifu after Lie Shang departed. He was worried his juniors would cause trouble once he left.
Nobody knew when their relationship blossomed. Despite being rational as he was, love got the better of Cheng Yan. The true danger of the relationship was Qing Mei’s indirect connection to the youth in red. Their relationship raised the risk of revealing Feng Haochen’s identity. The dilemma led to Mu Yu asking himself who he’d choose between Lan Ling’er and his shifu. He didn’t have an answer yet. For the meantime, he was more interested in Cheng Yan’s decision when the cruel question forced a decision from him. Forcing Cheng Yan to choose between them would be a selfish decision. It was hard to sacrifice his senior’s romance when his senior always had his back, but he made the decision to protect his shifu.
“Senior Brother, we should head back now,” remarked Mu Yu, standing next to a tree he emerged from.
It was understandable Qing Mei, who was at Foundation Establishment Realm’s Ninth Layer, to not detect Mu Yu’s presence, but Cheng Yan should’ve noticed, yet he didn’t.
The startled love birds released their hold on each other. Face glowing red, Cheng stuttered, “Wh-why are you here? W-we…”
“I’ll be waiting for you up ahead.” Mu Yu turned and left, fists clenched. He desired power more than ever, but would power solve the issue?
Cheng Yan assumed Mu Yu would make a scene out of the secret, but the latter didn’t look as though he was pranking him judging from the look on his face. Although Cheng Yan didn’t know what happened, he quickly gave chase and, with a helpless smile, inquired, “Did you see everything?”
“Let’s take this somewhere else.” Mu Yu sprang up and bolted to the foot of the mountain to leave Green Pine Sect’s territory.
“Junior Brother, where are you going? Wait up.”
The martial siblings stopped in the moonlight by a riverbank.
“Junior Brother, what did you run off for?”
“Senior Brother, do you really like her?” Mu Yu questioned with a stoic visage.
Cheng Yan could tell Mu Yu wasn’t himself. Usually, Mu Yu would’ve loved to make a big deal out of the discovery and beam it as loud as he could. “Do you believe in love at first sight?”
Mu Yu didn’t even know what love at first sight meant, let alone believe in it. He asserted, “You can’t be with her.”
Eyebrows furrowed, Cheng Yan replied, “Why? Do you dislike all of Green Pine Sect because of Xiaohu? She’s different to the others. I promise sh-”
“If you had to choose between Shifu’s life and your feelings for Qing Mei, which will you choose?”
“Why would I have to choose between the two specifically? Shifu wouldn’t be against our relationship.”
“Do you know who Sword Shadow Dust Gale is?”
Cheng Yan subtly juddered. “Where did you hear that from?”
“I should’ve figured you’d know.”
Cheng Yan minced his words before responding, “How much do you know about Sword Shadow Dust Gale?”
“Lan Ling’er told me Shifu is Sword Shadow Dust Gale, and the swordplay we learn is Celestial Sword Nine Guides.”
“How does Ling’er know?” questioned Cheng Yan, with a sigh. “Shifu told Uncle An and I about it when he brought us to Moyun Mountains. He’s no longer Sword Shadow Dust Gale. It’s been so long that I almost forgot about it.”
While Cheng Yan and Uncle An not being from Moyun Mountains was news to Mu Yu, there was no reason to be upset over it when everyone had their own secrets. Since Cheng Yan wasn’t from Moyun Mountains, Mu Yu speculated Cheng Yan knew what the name implied and possibly knew what would happen now that the youth in red had appeared.
“What were you implying when you mentioned Shifu’s life?”
“A mysterious individual from outside Moyun Mountains has come here in search of Sword Shadow Dust Gale. He’s after Shifu and, for all I know, might harm Shifu.”
“Impossible! Nobody knows Sword Shadow Dust Gale is at Moyun Mountains. Though I know lots of people are searching for Shifu after he went missing, how did you find out?”
“I don’t know who’s looking for him, but I know the individual in question is at Green Pine Sect, is manipulating Daoist Qing Song and is a Primordial Infant Realm cultivator. Shifu is at Green Pine Sect at the moment, and he’s not a match for someone with such advanced cultivation, is he?”
Blood drained from Cheng Yan’s face, and he fossilised. In spite of not being able to make heads or tails of the situation, he knew the dire consequences better than Mu Yu. Mu Yu wasn’t jesting, evident from the fact he mentioned Sword Shadow Dust Gale. It seemed that they couldn’t hide in the end.
“What did you mean when you said he is manipulating Daoist Qing Song?”
“He used a slave pill to control Daoist Qing Song. Daoist Qing Song can’t hold a candle to him.”
“Slave pills again? How did you find out?”
“I saw the entire scene, including Daoist Qing Song getting on his knees. I raced out after I overheard their conversation. That was when I bumped into you and Daoist Qing Song’s s daughter sitting on the tree.” Mu Yu could feel his spine turn cold merely recalling the individual’s spiritual energy.
“Understood. Let’s head back to Green Pine Sect right away. Shifu is still there.”
Cheng Yan gave Mu Yu a ride as the former was faster. He didn’t question how Mu Yu witnessed the event because he knew more than Mu Yu imagined.
“What about Qing Mei?”
“I know my priorities. I won’t let anyone harm Shifu.”
While Cheng Yan sounded as if it was an insignificant decision, Mu Yu felt apologetic towards Cheng Yan, so he expressed, “Sorry.”
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