Chapter 15: “Ruomu Huating” Part Four

Chapter 15: "Ruomu Huating" Part Four

Shen Yuan emerged from his long reverie.

He thought to himself, So it was because I killed He Mengfang's family that he locked me here. Haha, perhaps it's better not to remember at all. Abandoned by my father and mother, cursed with blood, falsely accused and tormented before my death, then displayed daily in the Purification Pond after. Was I foolish back then? Why did I think that being kind to them would make them like me more?

As he pondered, Ju Lang seized Shen Yuan's wrist, lifting it above his head and pressing it firmly against the wall.

Lowering his head, he buried it deeply into Shen Yuan's neck, inhaling a faint woody fragrance mingled with the cold snow-laden air outside the realm.

Whispering into Shen Yuan's ear, he said, "I'm too late—"

Looking at Ju Lang now, he bore a striking resemblance to Wang Pan.

At this moment, the affection and regret he felt for Wang Pan surged uncontrollably. Unable to resist, Shen Yuan reached out, leaning in to kiss him once more.

Just as he was about to act, he paused, gently brushing his lips against Ju Lang's cheek instead.

The blood curse flared up, tormenting him alongside the entity within his abdomen. A metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, but he swallowed desperately, ensuring not a single trace of blood escaped.

Seventeen years in a daze, alone and tormented, with betrayal and false accusations weighing heavily upon him. The once burning desire to clear his name had long been worn down by time.

Now that the constraints of Ruomu Huating were lifted, he had managed to escape and seek out an artist, instructing him to find Dian Shan.

Although he didn't explicitly reveal his identity to the artist, the truth would inevitably surface during their journey together.

The artist was poor but proud, gifted with talent. How could he bear to live an ordinary life, crushed beneath the dust? Undoubtedly, he too would seek out Dian Shan in pursuit of wealth and fame.

Cursed with immortality, yet Dian Shan held the means to liberate Shen Yuan. Even if not, the artist would return with the means to dissolve the curse.

Freedom was within reach. Was it too much to indulge himself one last time before he was finally free?

Silently, Shen Yuan withdrew his hands from the wall, where they had been pinned by Ju Lang.

Ju Lang made no effort to stop him, allowing Shen Yuan's pale arms to slip easily from his grasp.

Standing up before Ju Lang, Shen Yuan turned around, positioning himself with his back to the wolf-man. With delicate hands, he began to undo the thin green robe he wore, sliding it slowly down to his waist.

His entire back was scarred from lashings.

Too much time had passed, and the wounds were all healed, but the scars remained. Black lines etched deep into his skin, resembling abandoned trenches dug and left behind without care.

Ju Lang's mind went blank, his ears ringing. It felt as if a blunt hammer was striking his chest, thudding... dull and painful.

He slowly stood up, his fingertips gently tracing those scars. They were not smooth. Suddenly, he withdrew his hand, wrapping his arms around Shen Yuan from behind.

Shen Yuan turned around, half-naked, nestling in Ju Lang's embrace. He lifted his gaze to meet Ju Lang's eyes, parting his lips softly, his casual yet detached seduction tinged with a hint of coldness: "Disgusted by these scars all over me? Unwilling to touch me?"

"How could I? No, that's not it." Ju Lang picked up Shen Yuan and walked towards their bedroom.

The two nestled into the bedding, with Ju Lang on top and Shen Yuan below.

Gazing around, the scene before his eyes was picturesque—Shen Yuan's white hair spread across half the bed.

"..."

Awakening in the morning, Shen Yuan awoke to abdominal pain, but fortunately, the blood curse had passed.

Lying in the covers, he pondered many things. He thought that no one in this world could resist the allure of fine clothes and sumptuous food; Fu You must have secretly sketched his portrait, recognizing the subject, and now, with the painting in hand, has led Dian Shan to their doorstep.

Gazing at the slumbering Ju Lang beside him, he pondered, How could I have allowed such an incident with someone I've never met before? Haha, it seems once one falls from grace, they deserve to die. I wonder how degraded I'll become if I survive this.

His body was still recovering from the exertions of the previous night. Lost in thought, he drifted back into sleep.

In the days prior, the temperature had plummeted abruptly, and snow fell persistently, accumulating on the ground in a thick layer. The landscape stretched out before him, a vast, snowy expanse blending earth and sky.

The courtyard was blanketed in snow, the light reflecting off its surface filling the room with a crisp, translucent glow.

Shen Yuan's sleep was restless. With his eyes closed, he sensed a veil of white light before him. His unease wasn't solely due to the snow, but more so the pain that wracked his body.

He opened his snow-like eyes to find Ju Lang delicately examining a strand of his silver hair that had wound around his finger. Upon noticing Shen Yuan's awakening, Ju Lang promptly withdrew his hand and turned to leave.

"Wait," Shen Yuan called out to him.

Struggling to sit up, he felt his abdomen convulse with the effort. Normally, he could endure the pain silently, but today it felt as if someone was gripping his organs with a knife. He lacked the strength to hold himself up and tumbled back onto the bedding with a thud.

Despite the visible veins pulsing on his forehead from the pain, he reassured the handsome youth before him, "I just woke up, I'm a bit disoriented."

Ju Lang had awoken after Shen Yuan fell back asleep. The first thing he saw was Shen Yuan curled up, his brows knitted in pain, and his breaths shallow. A veil of concern and sadness shrouded his heart, unwilling to dissipate.

"Does it hurt?" Ju Lang asked.

In that instant, a warm ray of sunshine passed through Shen Yuan's heart, but it couldn't change anything. The icy cold of winter wouldn't soften into a mild spring; instead, it fluctuated between warmth and chill, leaving one restless. He smiled bitterly, "You must think I'm ridiculous."

Ju Lang lowered his gaze, fixating on Shen Yuan. His expression was calm, but beneath his eyes, emotions swirled. "Come back with me."

Shen Yuan gazed at the snowy landscape outside the window, his look distant. He gave a faint smile, its meaning ambiguous. He lazily complained, "I'm so tired. I don't want to do anything; I just want to sleep well."

"If you're afraid that last night's encounter might hinder you, then I'll..." Shen Yuan intended to use the Memory Pearl to erase Ju Lang's recollection of that night. Thus, after their passionate night, he had struggled to maintain consciousness and retrieved the Memory Pearl that Ju Lang had used to recall their past.

He silently activated the pearl, saying, "I'll help you retrieve that memory from last night..."

"No! —" Ju Lang wailed.

Then, a blinding flash illuminated the lustrous jade window.

Ju Lang's eyes were tightly shut, as if he had fallen into a deep unconsciousness.

If not now, when would they leave to face their inevitable end?

Shen Yuan tidied the blankets over Ju Lang and straightened his clothes before getting out of bed and pushing open the door.

...

"Invoke the Divine North! Invoke the Divine North!..." Suddenly, a series of cries echoed outside Ruomu Huating.

Rong Rong had been standing motionless on the veranda all night. The gruesome scene before her only induced a sense of daze, not the heart-wrenching grief one would expect after losing both parents.

With a creak,

the sound of the main door opening pulled her back from her trance.

She saw Shen Yuan emerge, clad in a blood-stained robe. Amidst the falling snowflakes, he was draped in a snowy radiance, his shimmering silver hair like polished jade.

However, this was the man who had slaughtered his parents. Rong Rong didn't want to get too close and tried to retreat, but he softly said, "I'm sorry."

Rong Rong no longer avoided him. She was both fearful and puzzled by the gentleness and ethereal quality of his voice. It didn't match the rumors that described him as an evil man exiled here to guard the tombs.

"I know that saying sorry is not enough, and can't make up for what I've done," Shen Yuan looked around before his gaze settled on the Ifu tree. He gazed at it with tears welling in his eyes. As if making final arrangements, he instructed Rong Rong, "In the future, you can live in this courtyard. If there's anything you dislike, throw it away. But... but this tree must stay. At the bottom of Yu Yuan, Chi Zi'e gave me the seed of this tree, saying he would come find me when it grew tall. Even though I've forgotten everything, I still planted the seed when it fell from my pocket. Now the tree has grown tall, but he hasn't come... As long as this tree remains, he will eventually come... I'm afraid that if the tree disappears, Chi Zi'e won't be able to find me... If you ever see Chi Zi'e searching for me, tell him, 'I'm doing well, don't worry. I don't wish to remember the past.'"

"Okay, I'll remember," Rong Rong replied, her gaze fixed on Shen Yuan's silver hair, which seemed pure and untainted.

Then, he bent down, his bright almond-shaped eyes looking at Rong Rong as he cautiously asked, "Could you please destroy this pearl for me?"

Rong Rong was stunned by the clarity of his eyes that seemed to reflect her own image. Without hesitation, she nodded in agreement.

Shen Yuan placed the Shadow Pearl in Rong Rong's palm and said, "Just bury it under the tree in the courtyard. It will shatter on its own in a few days. Remember, don't let anyone know about this pearl."

Rong Rong snapped back to reality and suddenly thought of Ju Lang. "Not even the stern brother?"

Shen Yuan nodded. "It's my fault for bringing it up. I just fear that remembering certain things might cause him distress. It's better for him not to recall them."

Rong Rong spoke anxiously, "But he was so happy when he heard about you yesterday. I saw it with my own eyes."

"Hmm... So he knew me before?" Shen Yuan speculated. "If he wakes up and still remembers me, tell him that I'm not going back with him. He should find himself a wife." With that, he started walking towards the courtyard gate.

"I don't quite agree," Rong Rong clenched the Amber Shadow Bead, shimmering like a mesmerizing gem. "If love can bring such distress, then there must be other things that make life even more unbearable."

--------------------