Chapter 182

Chapter 182

"Yes."

Facing Xie Yinxue's questioning, the old butler firmly replied, "Because that was your master's wish."

Xie Yinxue was stunned.

Outside the tent, the snowfall intensified, seemingly dividing the inside and outside into two distinct realms.

The roaring wind and snow couldn't penetrate the tent's sanctuary, but the butler's words chilled Xie Yinxue to the bone, "Yinxue, you should know, if it wasn't your master's wish, who in the Shen family would dare to keep this from you, especially for so many years?"

Indeed, who would dare to deceive him?

Chen Yuqing and his entire team are the lifeblood of the Shen family. They carry the weight of the entire Shen lineage, progressing through the annals of history. Due to the sacrifices they've made for the sake of this immense responsibility, there are aspects of their lives they've forsaken. Thus, the Shen family will fulfill any of their requests, always treating them with utmost respect.

After all the sacrifices he's made for the Shen family, who would dare to keep such a lie from him, knowing it could eventually be exposed?

Only Chen Yuqing would dare.

"Now, the secret can't be kept anymore..."

Xie Yinxue, hunched over and appearing even more aged than the silver-haired old butler, pleaded softly and desperately, "Please, tell me, will you?"

Shen Qiu Jian couldn't bear it any longer. He was about to speak when the old butler intervened, "Let me say it."

He continued, "Yinxue, having learned directly from Yuqing, you should be aware of the many methods within the arcane arts that prolong life. However, life and death are destined, and one cannot easily change it through human effort. Every method of extending life comes with a significant cost."

Just as one must pay for taking a life, if you wish to extend your lifespan beyond what is naturally given, you must pay an equivalent price.

——Trading a life for a life is the simplest and most direct method.

Cultivators with profound abilities can forcibly seize another's lifespan for their own. However, this act goes against moral principles. The lifespan one can steal this way ranges from mere days to, at most, a few months. It's rare to gain years.

Everything in this world has its inherent value, and lifespan is no exception.

While some might obtain it through force, others might willingly sell or gift theirs for the right price.

"That year when you were gravely ill and beyond the help of medicine, we purchased several children and took them to Mingyue Cliff, hoping to extend your life," the old butler gently draped a cloak over Xie Yinxue, being careful not to touch him. "We had agreements with their parents, but Chen Yuqing didn't approve."

"You think that's settled?" Xie Yinxue laughed heartily at the absurdity, "Their parents aren't them. How can they decide on their behalf?"

The old butler replied calmly, "True. Your father and the others anticipated Chen Yuqing's refusal."

They brought those children to Mingyue Cliff, to Chen Yuqing, solely to coerce him into sacrificing himself.

Because initially, Chen Yuqing wanted to set Xie Yinxue free.

Those children were personally escorted to Mingyue Cliff by the butler, Shen Jiang Cai. He still remembers the day when Xie Yinxue's father, Shen Huaishen, along with Chen Yuqing's brother, Shen Huaien, and sister, Shen Huai Mei, knelt before Chen Yuqing, who was furious.

Clutching his chest, his eyes blazing red with anger, he nearly spat blood in rage, "All my life, I, Chen Yuqing, have been righteous and virtuous, saving countless lives, always priding myself on a clear conscience! Now, you want me to kill these children to prolong Yinxue's life? How dare you! How could you even ask such a thing?!"

Shen Huaishen lowered his eyes, remaining silent.

Shen Huaien said, "They volunteered. If you don't act, Yinxue will die."

"Then let him die!"

Tears finally spilled from Chen Yuqing's eyes as he turned away from Shen Huaien and the others, staggering backward and leaning on the table, sobbing, "I can still live... I have decades left... Can't we let him go?"

"You personally read the signs when you accepted Xie Yinxue. You said he has unparalleled talent, possessing unparalleled abilities. Have you forgotten all of that?" Shen Huimei asked, "He's only twelve. He's never left Mingyue Cliff. The vast world, its mountains, and rivers... would you let him depart without seeing any of it?"

Chen Yuqing shook his head, adamant, "He will see them. He'll never see them if he stays at Mingyue Cliff. He has to leave to witness them. Forget everything I said before, assume I'm reneging on it all."

Finally, Shen Huaishen spoke, "Ask for his opinion then."

Chen Yuqing looked towards Shen Huaishen.

Shen Huaishen continued, "You should remember, before we sent him to Mingyue Cliff, I asked him if he wanted to come. He said 'yes'."

"He didn't mean it! I could tell he said 'yes' out of fear of upsetting you," Chen Yuqing said hoarsely. "On the journey up the mountain, he didn't even want to let go of your hand. How could he truly want this?"

Shen Huaishen closed his eyes, "Yes. You recognized his lie, so ask him. He won't lie to you."

At those words, Chen Yuqing sat down in stunned silence. Although he didn't give a direct answer, everyone understood — he would ask Xie Yinxue.

Chen Yuqing originally wanted to delay the inquiry, but fate didn't wait. Xie Yinxue's condition worsened rapidly.

Yet, surprisingly, two days after the severe illness, Xie Yinxue miraculously recovered, able to leave his bed.

That day, pear blossoms covered the rear mountain of Mingyue Cliff, appearing like a sheet of snow from a distance, seemingly a good omen.

Only Chen Yuqing realized that this was the calm before the storm for his disciple.

From inside the room, he saw the young boy return a withering pear blossom to its branch, whispering, "Bloom for a few more days, don't be like me."

At that moment, all the words Chen Yuqing had prepared for days were stuck in his throat.

So, in the end, he only asked the boy one thing, "Yinxue, do you want to witness a real snowfall?"

The boy replied, "Yes, I do."

Xie Yinxue didn't lie. Chen Yuqing could tell. He simply and genuinely wanted to see the snow.

However, the boy was near the end. If he wanted to see that snowfall, he'd have to survive until winter.

That evening, when Chen Yuqing returned to his room, hot tears streamed down his face as he leaned against the door. He realized he had become as despicable as Shen Huaishen. Shen knew that Xie Yinxue was lying, yet he chose to believe it. Meanwhile, Chen, aware of Xie Yinxue's honesty, wilfully twisted the boy's true intentions.

The only amends he could make was to have everyone who knew the truth bury this memory, so that Xie Yinxue might live with a little less pain.

"You've drawn this woman. When I bought her, she wasn't named Su nor was she called Xunlan. But I remember her face. I remember the faces of all the children," said the old butler, Shen Jiangcai, as he folded the portrait and burned it in a small furnace. "None of them died for you. Still, we fulfilled our agreement and paid their parents. What happened after that, we never interfered. It wasn't our place."

Finally, he asked Xie Yinxue, "Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

Xie Yinxue, wrapped in his cloak, looked up at the sky from within the warm pavilion. His view was obstructed by layers of barriers. At that moment, he felt a pang of envy for Thirteen, wondering how liberating it must have felt for him to die under the blazing sun at the Qingshan Mental Hospital.

"There's nothing else," Xie Yinxue stood up and said, "My master's last words to me were 'I'm sorry.'"

"He was apologizing to me. Such a good man, and yet he felt he owed me an apology."

Xie Yinxue's visit to the Shen family mansion wasn't about uncovering past connections between Su Xunlan and himself. From the beginning, he wanted clarity on just one thing—

"Now I understand why he apologized to me."

Xie Yinxue pushed aside the curtain of the pavilion and stepped into the blizzard. The harsh cold hit his face. The three small steps down from the pavilion felt like climbing a mountain, reminiscent of Chen Yuqing's last words to him:

"Ah Xue, I'm sorry. I can only protect you up to this point. The journey ahead is hard. You must walk it alone."

The journey was indeed unbearably hard.

Xie Yinxue felt he could hardly move.

He tumbled from the steps, landing face-first into the snow, his warm cloak drifting over him, reminiscent of a shroud.

Liu Buhua, initially waiting in the car, tried to rush out to help, but for some reason, he couldn't open the door, even with the keys in hand. He felt helpless as he watched the scene unfold.

The Shen family members standing in front of the mansion watched, yet not one of them moved to help Xie Yinxue.

The old butler seemed inclined to help, but Shen Qiu Jian also had the same intention, so he held him back, suggesting, "Let me help. Sir, please stay here."

"Uncle Qi looks so hurt! How can I just stand by?!"

Shen Qiu Jian's youth and vigor overpowered the old butler's frailty, easily breaking free.

As he rushed toward Xie Yinxue, before he could even touch him, he was blinded by the cloak thrown over his head. "Don't touch me!"

The young man's voice was raspy and full of defiance.

When Shen Qiu Jian removed his cloak, he saw the young man already sitting up, pristine without a speck of snow on him. Snowflakes fell ceaselessly around, resting on his shoulders and hair, but never touching him.

Shen Qiu Jian crouched down, looking Xie Yinxue in the eyes, offering, "Let me help you up, Uncle Qi."

"Shen Qiu Jian," the young man chuckled, a twinkle in his eyes, "How old are you this year?"

Shen Qiu Jian replied, "Twenty-seven."

Xie Yinxue's laughter turned into a cough, clutching his chest, "So young and naive. Do you know how many years of your life you'd lose by touching me?"

"Do you know why Shen Huaishen, Shen Huai'en, and Shen Huaimei died so early?"

"Do you know why I never step foot in the Shen mansion, and why no one from the Shen family visits me at the Bright Moon Cliff?"

"Even Shen Huai Shen doesn't dare to visit me. How could you assist me, touch me?" Xie Yin Xue raised his hand, lightly tracing the contours of Shen Qiu Jian's face. "So naive. Who ever thought you'd make a fitting family head?"

"Uncle Da and Aunt Mei agreed," replied Shen Qiu Jian.

Shen Qiu Jian earnestly answered Xie Yin Xue's question, "I wanted to help you up, Uncle Qi. You've been through so much. I've always wanted to tell you, let us go. Do what you want and don’t worry about us. I promise to take care of everyone in the Shen family."

Xie Yin Xue gazed quietly at Shen Qiu Jian, not comforted by the young man's promise, only thinking how Shen Huai Shen really knew him well, always having the last laugh even in death.

Shen Qiu Jian, sincere and caring, always looked out for every family member. His kind nature, his inability to weigh pros and cons, made him unfit to lead. Yet, why did Shen Huai Shen choose him?

Because Shen Qiu Jian was naive enough to believe that without their unique lineage, the Shen family could still prosper.

No, once everyone from the Shen lineage perished, the entire Shen family would face doom in that generation, none meeting a peaceful end.

At that moment, Shen Qiu Jian, who deeply cared for his family and believed he could protect them, would be forced to watch all of this unfold. Seeing their tragic demise and realizing all his struggles were in vain, he'd face torment worse than death itself.

And what of the Shen family members standing in front of the old house? Just like Shen Qiu Jian, none sought shelter from the cold winter night, their figures covered in falling snow. None contradicted Shen Qiu Jian when he urged Xie Yin Xue to follow his heart.

They trusted their family head, Shen Qiu Jian, and also appreciated the sacrifices Xie Yin Xue made for the Shen family.

Even if Xie Yin Xue no longer bore the surname "Shen," they were still bound by blood. They cherished every family member deeply, and whether it was Shen Qiu Jian or Xie Yin Xue making a decision, they would abide by it.

Shen Huai Shen understood Xie Yin Xue. He knew that no matter how much Xie Yin Xue pretended or deceived himself, he could never truly become detached or indifferent, incapable of watching the Shen family perish. That's why Shen Huai Shen chose the 27-year-old Shen Qiu Jian as the head of the Shen family—knowing Xie Yin Xue would cradle Shen Qiu Jian's fragile hopes and dreams, unwilling to let them shatter.

"How wonderful..."

Xie Yin Xue stared at the old Shen mansion, observing every inch of its walls, each corner, reminiscing about the place he once called home.

He once again rejected the arm of the old butler and Shen Qiu Jian, who tried to help him up. Struggling to his feet on the cold, hard floor tiles, he took one last glance at the ancestral home and every family member within it. Turning, he left without looking back, "Such a wonderful home... but it's no longer mine."