Dark Blue Frost - Chapter 13
Chapter 13: A Gentleman’s Promise
When Bai Lian sharply questioned them, everyone present maintained silence.
The stillness held an unspeakable sense of weirdness and coldness, broken only by the intermittent sound of burning flames coming from the entrance to the Hellfire.
Qingxuan, who had been engrossed in his own thoughts, seemed startled awake by Bai Lian’s shout.
Looking at Gu Huiniang and Qi Ziru kneeling on the ground, he suddenly felt uneasy.
If it were any other man, perhaps even for the sake of reputation, he would have agreed to substitute for his woman.
Yet, Qi Ziru’s face was deathly pale.
The look of terror on his refined face revealed a powerless cowardice.
He trembled, lowering his eyes, and after a long while, he started repeatedly knocking his head on the ground like a pounding pestle, wailing pitifully.
He only begged for mercy and did not answer the question: “Great Lord Yama, spare my life, spare my life…”
At this moment, surprisingly, Gu Huiniang suddenly stood up.
She looked up at Bai Lian without any fear, her eyes shining with a firm resolve.
“Lord Yama, let me take the punishment,” she said slowly and powerfully, every word crystal clear.
“One must take responsibility for one’s own actions.”
She was not unaware of the kind of man she had fallen in love with.
Qi Ziru had been steeped in the classics of the sages since childhood.
He was rigid in everything he did, inevitably displaying a pedantic side, always overthinking things, hesitant, and lacking in assertiveness.
When lightning struck and they secretly consummated their relationship, she had used that to force him to elope with her.
Although he hesitated for a few days, he finally abandoned everything to run away with her.
However, he was restless and anxious during their escape, and his words often revealed regret.
Later, he hid her in the Zhao residence, but he disappeared like a kite with a broken string, leaving her to endure Zhao Fugui’s abuse and subsequently suffer a mysterious, tragic death.
She had suspected that Qi Ziru was involved, otherwise, how could he vanish without a trace?
That was why, after her death, her resentment soared.
She only hoped to find him and get an explanation from his own mouth.
But now, knowing that he had suffered a cruel fate before her and that was why he couldn’t come for her, how could she harbor any resentment toward him?
“Huiniang!” Qi Ziru also looked up, watching her in panic.
However, the hidden emotion in his eyes was a touch of relief, a touch of gratitude.
It was as if he had long hoped that she would bear her own sins alone.
“Huiniang!”
Gu Huiniang glanced at Qi Ziru.
Although she knew the severity of the torture she was about to face, she smiled lightly, her eyes flashing with some indescribable light.
Upon closer inspection, it was a look of satisfaction.
“Ziru, take care!”
After her final words, she walked step by step toward the entrance of the Hellfire, with a sense of lightness, showing no hesitation.
Bai Lian watched her indifferently as she reached the entrance of the Hellfire, just about to leap in.
He spoke in time to stop her, ending this malicious test.
“Enough!”
He waved his hand, seemingly impatient.
A faint gloom flashed in his black eyes, and a cold sneer blossomed on his lips, conveying a detached air.
Even his tone was somewhat icy.
“Miaoguang, lock this Gu Huiniang in the City of the Unjustly Dead.”
Unexpectedly faced with such a turn of events, Qingxuan turned to look at Bai Lian, then at Qianse.
He saw that Qianse looked composed, as if she was not surprised by the sudden change.
At this moment, he suddenly seemed to understand something and turned his gaze back to Bai Lian.
As Gu Huiniang was led away toward the City of the Unjustly Dead by the ghost officers, Bai Lian stared at the stunned Qi Ziru kneeling on the ground.
His black eyes sharpened, and a trace of impatience burst forth.
His gaze became colder and more frigid, and his resolute words were heartbreakingly merciless.
“As for the cowardly, weak, and ungrateful man, send him to be reincarnated immediately.”
He paused, as if to emphasize, squeezing five highly shocking words through his lips.
“Into the Animal Realm!”
Qi Ziru instantly collapsed onto the ground.
Dragged by his feet by two ghost officers, he was hauled away wailing pitifully.
“Senior Brother, why did you have to go so far?”
After Qi Ziru was dragged out, Bai Lian finally wore a satisfied expression of vented anger.
Qianse knew he must have been thinking of the love hatred entanglement between her and Feng Jin, inevitably feeling indignation on her behalf, and thus finding ways to express his emotions.
“Even if Qi Ziru was unwilling to take the punishment for Gu Huiniang, Gu Huiniang wouldn’t have minded.”
“The foolish woman is still unaware, even when this man has shamelessly shirked responsibility to this extent,” Bai Lian scoffed softly, glancing at Qianse.
His dark, severe eyes slowly swept over her striking red robe and skirt, his gaze so intimidating it almost choked the breath out of people.
“Truly a blockheaded idiot!”
Qianse looked calmly at Bai Lian.
Her lowered voice showed a slight hoarseness, but no emotion was revealed, only a flat indifference.
“In this world, the depth of affection cannot be measured by the amount of sacrifice.”
Hearing her say this, Bai Lian was instantly annoyed.
His eyelids fluttered slightly, and the repressed mockery in his eyes silently surfaced, brewing into a storm.
A few strands of stray hair fell across his forehead, casting an extremely faint shadow.
“You are also an unaware fool!”
There was an implied sense of disappointment that she was not meeting his expectations.
Upon hearing this, Qianse seemed unfazed.
She simply bowed slightly with a calm expression.
“Senior Brother, I have intruded for too long. It is time for Qianse to take her leave.”
Bai Lian ground his teeth in frustration.
He wanted to speak to ask her to stay, but he could only suppress the words.
“Forget it, forget it. Come when you want, leave when you want. You girl have always been one to chase away the monk after the scriptures have been read!”
He scoffed coldly and looked away, his heart feeling reluctant, yet he could only stifle all his feelings unspoken in his throat.
Only when the striking red robe and skirt disappeared outside the palace gate did he dare to let out a lonely sigh.
He rose and walked to the corner of the great hall, staring blankly at the luminous pearl on the lamp stand, his heart filled with mixed emotions, an indescribable feeling.
“Lord, fine wine and delicacies have been prepared in the back hall.”
Wei Ling rushed up to the hall, intending to catch up with Qianse.
Instead, he only saw Bai Lian alone in the corner of the great hall, looking dejected toward the luminous pearl.
“Oh, where is the Immortal Venerable?”
He did not immediately comprehend, looking around and scratching his ears in confusion.
“She left!”
Bai Lian snapped back irritably, forcefully flicking his sleeve, which sent out a gust of cold, sharp breeze.
A hint of danger accompanied the air current.
Never mind.
Tonight, he would continue to drink alone in silence.
Although he truly wanted to raise a cup with her again and talk about the strange and wondrous tales of the Six Realms, seeing her current state, he was certain he would only drink the wine more gloomily and bitterly.
Even though she was still clad in that vibrant red dress, the woman who had once been as passionate and proud as fire now concealed her emotions flawlessly.
Burying herself on Mount Yan for all these years, engaging in secluded cultivation, had she truly attained some enlightenment? Or was she still as unruly and headstrong as she had been before?
Why did he wish so much for her to change, yet at the same time, he could not bear for her to truly change?
Was this what they called “better left unseen than seen”?
…
It was still the same path shrouded in thick fog.
The dreamlike, illusionary singing mixed with the sound of the wind still lingered in his ears, yet it was ethereal, as if it were a hundred thousand miles away.
The road to the Netherworld had always been a one way journey, and Qingxuan was perhaps the first person to walk this road in the flesh and return safely.
However, now, he was devoid of the panic and caution he felt upon his first arrival.
He simply followed silently behind Qianse with his head down, seeming to be deep in thought.
After a very long time, he finally looked up, appearing to have something to say.
Yet, for a moment, he was at a loss, unsure where to begin.
After stammering for a while, he finally called out:
“Master.”
“Hmm?”
Qianse simply replied faintly, her steps unbroken.
“Actually, I overheard some of the conversation between Qi Ziru and Zhao Fugui.”
Qingxuan began somewhat sadly, his voice low, but finally speaking the words he had been forced to hold inside since earlier.
“That Qi Ziru regretted running away with Gu Huiniang soon after they eloped, simply because the Gu family was quite respectable. After eloping, he had gained a reputation for seducing a decent woman and corrupting his teaching morals, meaning he could no longer take the imperial exams. Later, when he learned that Zhao Fugui had defiled Gu Huiniang, he quietly sought out Zhao Fugui and repeatedly demanded money from him. Zhao Fugui grew tired of it, and that’s why…”
He paused here, feeling an uncontrollable chill, even his voice trembling uncontrollably as he spoke.
“I know I shouldn’t hide the truth, but if Gu Huiniang knew, I don’t know how heartbroken she would be…”
Qianse was not surprised by this.
She had long known about the matters concerning Qi Ziru, and the reason Bai Lian had Qi Ziru reincarnated into the Animal Realm was to punish his ingratitude and heartlessness.
She would not deny that this had the suspicion of deceiving Gu Huiniang.
However, Gu Huiniang’s wish was only to see Qi Ziru one last time, and Qianse’s sole purpose was to use this to help Qingxuan achieve an immortal body.
She did not wish to meddle or speak much about other matters.
“Qingxuan, there is no such thing as the long lasting, perfect affection that people imagine in this world.”
She stopped walking, but she did not turn around.
Her words carried a sense of worldly disillusionment and slight desolation.
“More often than not, it is merely self righteous obsession.”
Hearing the hint of melancholy in her words, Qingxuan suddenly recalled Feng Jin’s deception and slander against her.
He felt a faint ache in his chest, a feeling of indescribable powerlessness.
At that moment, he found courage from somewhere and blurted out words that were quite inappropriate: “Master, if I were to love someone, I would never be like that Qi Ziru. I would protect her for life, and I would never betray her!”
Perhaps he himself had not expected to say such a thing.
After reflecting on it, he lowered his head awkwardly, his face flushed scarlet.
It felt as if something cold was slowly sliding against his heart, sending ripple after ripple across his heart’s lake.
He could only wait anxiously for Qianse’s reaction.
“Mm,” Qianse replied lightly, her stopped feet beginning to move forward again.
She did not seem overly moved by the statement.
Qingxuan was stunned.
A little unwilling, he took a few steps forward to walk side by side with Qianse.
Even his probing words carried an unconscious impatience.
“Why? Does Master not believe Qingxuan’s words?”
“I believe you.”
A trace of loneliness seemed to briefly cross her brow.
Qianse finally spoke calmly, her eyes flashing with a meaningful light, her tone slightly raised.
“Your Uncle master must have taken you to see the Stone of Three Lives after keeping you back.”
Seeing Qingxuan nod, her dark black eyes then looked straight into his, carrying a faint, self deprecating smile.
“Back then, what you did for that Peony flower demon was quite thorough.”
Qingxuan’s face alternated between red and white.
His steps, which had been in line with hers, involuntarily slowed down and finally stopped.
After much hesitation, he spoke softly, full of apology, “But I unintentionally caused Master to…”
“I never cared much for those superficial reputations,” Qianse interrupted him and continued to walk forward.
After several steps, she realized he had not followed, so she turned back.
Seeing his constrained and uneasy appearance, her gaze showed a hard to grasp bewilderment, as if veiled by a layer of captivating mist.
A comforting smile played on her lips, as if she was looking at him, yet not quite looking at him.
“Qingxuan, you were simply treating someone with sincerity, but were unfortunately used. I haven’t taken it to heart, so you don’t need to dwell on it.”
Qingxuan felt a stinging in his nose.
He looked up at Qianse, feeling that she was not only beautiful when she smiled but a thousand times more beautiful than all other women even when she did not.
“Master is truly a good person… Ah, no, a good immortal… That’s not right either…”
He seemed momentarily lost for words, unable to articulate what he wanted to say.
Only after a long moment did he manage to clearly express himself: “Master has such a kind heart…”
Seeing him almost teary eyed with emotion, like a little white rabbit, Qianse frowned helplessly.
“Didn’t your Uncle Masters tell you? I raised you to use you as a tonic.”
“If you truly meant to use me as a tonic, why would Master transfer centuries of cultivation to me to help me achieve an immortal body?”
Having seemingly been brainwashed by Bai Lian, Qingxuan did not doubt her intentions and readily pointed out the inconsistency, a hint of pride hidden in his words.
Qianse intentionally maintained a poker face and shattered Qingxuan’s confidence with a single sentence.
“Wouldn’t it be even more effective to help you achieve an immortal body first and then engage in dual cultivation with you?”
“Ah!?”
Completely unprepared for such a possibility, Qingxuan was dumbfounded.
Watching his stunned expression, Qianse raised an eyebrow and slowly asked him again, “Now, do you still say I have a kind heart?”
To be honest, at that moment, Qingxuan got goosebumps all over his arms.
This was also the first time his Master had openly admitted to the idea of using him as a tonic.
If it had been before, Qingxuan would definitely have run away, preferring to bite his tongue off than submit.
But now, having learned the entire sequence of events and adhering to the principle of “repaying a drop of kindness with a gushing spring,” he surprisingly felt that being his Master’s “tonic” was not too bad a thing.
Moreover, though young, he considered himself a proper man.
It was Feng Jin who had exploited his innocence and infatuation to frame his Master, so Feng Jin was his Master’s enemy and his enemy.
Although he was currently incapable of properly punishing Feng Jin and getting revenge for his Master, he had decided that no matter what, he must become stronger.
Only then could he properly protect his Master and prevent her from being bullied again!
Thinking this, his face suddenly flushed again.
Embarrassed, he lowered his eyes, not daring to look at Qianse, only mumbling nervously, “If Master truly wants to use me as a tonic, then… I am willing to be Master’s tonic too…”
Seeing that he had taken her earlier teasing seriously, Qianse was torn between laughing and crying, unsure whether she should feel fortunate or scold him for being too clever for his age.
“What exactly is going on inside that head of yours?!”
For the first time, she reached out and patted his flushed face, only to realize with a shock that he was now slightly taller than her.
She felt a sense of relief.
“Let’s go. The matter with the Zhao family is not over yet.”
