Chapter 16: Melodramatic Immortal Romance

After returning from the cabin, He Nanwan found her freedom to come and go was now restricted.

During this time, she had been deeply reflecting, wondering if her past actions were too excessive, leading to A-Yue's increasingly extreme personality.

Knowing his cold and paranoid nature, she pondered if a gentler approach initially would have prevented so many troubles.

Thinking of this, He Nanwan felt torn inside. Should she still ask her senior brother to help her leave this place?

She had already burdened many, especially her senior brother. The words of Nan Yan that day kept echoing in her mind. Did she truly have no feelings for A-Yue?

No, that wasn't true. She did like him, or she wouldn't have spent so much time pursuing him. It took her ages to win his trust and enter his heart, and she was certain that Chu Liyue would not fancy any other woman but her.

But his recent indifference had left her anxious and unsure about the depth of his feelings for her.

After all, she could feel pain too. Chu Liyue was the only man she had ever been moved by in this world, yet their relationship was never clearly defined, not even when marrying as his bride.

She wasn't that magnanimous. Deep down, she did care. How could she not mind her beloved marrying another woman?

However, all of this was just self-inflicted trouble.

She didn’t want to be with him too soon, yet couldn't bear to completely give him up, thus dragging on and causing mutual pain.

What she really wanted to know was, if A-Yue truly loved her, why couldn’t he give up everything to become the Demon Lord for her?

She thought she had shown enough sincerity, lowering her pride, but he still wouldn’t compromise, and she couldn’t even see his face.

She had requested more than once to meet Chu Liyue and clarify things, but he always refused her with various excuses. It seemed he no longer wanted to give her a chance, and his refusals felt like merciless slaps, shattering her dignity.

This made her feel humiliated.

Over time, even the attitudes of the maids towards her grew colder.

He Nanwan had never been treated like this before. She realized that her A-Yue had truly changed, no longer the devoted and compliant person he used to be. The current A-Yue was clearly not a suitable partner, not even as considerate as her senior brother.

With these thoughts, He Nanwan suddenly felt a pang of sadness in her heart, but she had made up her mind to leave this place with her senior brother.

……

Meanwhile, Ye Qingsang seemed to have discovered some secret on the other side.

Soon after Nan Yan left that day, an unexpected visitor appeared in his room - a demon cultivator in a black robe, proposing a deal.

Ye Qingsang was filled with suspicion and alarm. Generally, the righteous and demonic paths were sworn enemies, showing no mercy in conflict. Yet, this person bore him no malice.

It was all because Chu Liyue had made too many enemies after rising to power. The enemy of an enemy is a friend, indeed.

The demon in the black robe introduced himself as the former ruler of Youdu, bearing an irreconcilable hatred towards Chu Liyue. He had come to seek an alliance with Ye Qingsang to confront Chu Liyue.

The following words from the demon changed Ye Qingsang's expression instantly, "Do you mean my dantian can actually be repaired?"

Ye Qingsang looked coldly at the demon in black, clinging to a sliver of hope despite knowing it was unlikely. He desperately wanted to heal his dantian.

The demon laughed darkly, his voice coarse and hoarse, "Don't misunderstand, Fellow Daoist Ye. With your dantian ruined, traditional cultivation methods offer no hope."

"However, if you cultivate using a demonic core, perhaps you can regain your peak strength."

This made Ye Qingsang pause, then he understood, "You want me to abandon the righteous path for demonic cultivation."

The demon laughed loudly, sensing his reluctance. His tone turned eerily soothing, "You're seeing things too narrowly. The righteous and demonic paths complement each other. Switching to demonic cultivation isn’t necessarily bad for you."

"Think about it. The former Youdu ruler also switched from the righteous to the demonic path. Chu Liyue stole your beloved and crippled your cultivation. This deep grudge is irreconcilable. Can you, Ye Qingsang, really bear to endure it?"

With each word, Ye Qingsang’s expression darkened. He couldn’t tolerate such deep hatred, but abandoning his sect and path for demonic cultivation was a grave decision.

Such a choice was indeed difficult.

Ye Qingsang struggled internally, torn between his commitment to the righteous path and the opportunity to regain his cultivation...

He remembered the darkest time of his life, falling from the high pedestal into the mud. Unwilling to be mediocre or disabled, he yearned for revenge and to make Chu Liyue experience his past sufferings.

After much struggle, Ye Qingsang finally agreed.

Regardless of whether the demon’s words were true or false, he was willing to try if there was even the slightest hope.

Frowning for a long time, Ye Qingsang ultimately made his decision.

His expression icy, Ye Qingsang stared at the black-robed demon cultivator. "Fine, if you provide me with a demonic core, I'll join you in confronting Chu Liyue."

With these words, a mutual understanding was reached between the two as they exchanged glances.

……

It was undeniable that with the aid of the demonic core, his cultivation recovered remarkably fast. Realizing this, Ye Qingsang wanted nothing more than to share the news with Nan Yan immediately.

It seemed like a long time since he last saw her.

Strangely, Ye Qingsang found that whenever he had a moment to himself, his mind was filled with memories of her, inevitably stirring a tender emotion in his heart.

Sometimes he would amusingly wonder if she would be shocked by this news, considering how harsh she had been when taking care of him in the past, often leaving him exasperated to the point of spitting blood.

Perhaps she might even admit her mistakes...

The thought made him chuckle, finding himself petty for holding a grudge against a woman.

Just as Ye Qingsang hesitated about whether to go see her, he suddenly sensed an unfamiliar presence approaching his location.

His brows furrowed slightly, Ye Qingsang was about to extend his divine sense to investigate when he heard a helpless and anxious voice, "Senior brother, please help me..."

It took a moment for Ye Qingsang to recognize the newcomer.

Having not seen her for a few days, their reunion felt like a lifetime had passed. He was taken aback by Nan Wan's haggard appearance and immediately frowned, "What happened? Why do you look like this?"

He Nanwan shook her head, her pale face evoking sympathy.

Ye Qingsang, though helpless, still patiently asked again, "What exactly happened?"

Perhaps it was his gentle tone that touched a soft spot in He Nanwan's heart, causing her to throw herself into Ye Qingsang's arms, clutching tightly at his robe like a helpless creature.

"A-Yue refuses to see me, and somehow, he has sealed my cultivation. I'm now no different from an ordinary person. I'm at my wit's end."

"Senior brother, I know this is a lot to ask, but I can't endure this cold treatment anymore. Please take me away from here... Can you?"

Unaccustomed as he was, Ye Qingsang's initial instinct was to pull away when she embraced him.

But when he looked down and saw He Nanwan's pale face, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to push her away.

After all, she was his junior sister whom he had cherished for over a decade. Their close bond within the sect had made caring for her a habit.

Ye Qingsang couldn't help but think, but in the end, he couldn't bear to leave her alone or see her in distress. After a long silence, he finally spoke to comfort her.

"Hmm... I will help you."

But even so, eloping from Youdu City was no easy feat. He had already thought about it earlier. To escape unnoticed without alerting Chu Liyue, he would inevitably need help from someone else.

After hesitating, he decided to approach He Nanyan.

Even after he outlined his entire plan, Nanyan remained silent, her gaze on the man before her tinged with a hint of disappointment.

"So, you came to me just for this?"

Nanyan's face was pale, her initial surprise giving way to calmness, and eventually, not even a hint of astonishment remained in her eyes.

The look she gave him was devoid of the closeness and trust that used to be there.

Ye Qingsang felt a sudden unease seeing Nanyan's expression. He even started to regret and feel guilty. Was this really the right thing to do? He had already hurt her once; was it right to use her again?

She never owed him anything; rather, it was he who had been indebted to her many times.

Ye Qingsang hesitated but then thought of He Nanwan's pale face and her unprecedented tears in front of him. He couldn't just ignore her, and he planned to return for Nanyan after He Nanwan's departure.

His voice was hoarse and unpleasant as he spoke, "Just this once... I'll take you away before he finds out."

This was his plan all along. On the day before the wedding, he would send He Nanwan away early, then release the news of her elopement on the wedding day itself, exploiting the interval of Chu Liyue's search to come back for Nanyan.

The plan was feasible, but it hinged on not alarming Chu Liyue too soon, as he was meticulous and would notice any irregularities.

Therefore, he needed someone to disguise as He Nanwan after her departure to stabilize the situation, as this would lower their guard.

And the most suitable person for this was Nanyan, who bore an identical appearance to He Nanwan...

He thought this in his mind, but for some reason, the calmer Nanyan appeared, the more uneasy he felt.

He even wished she would angrily accuse him, infuriating him as usual - anything but this cold and calm demeanor.

This left him feeling an unprecedented panic...

After hearing his entire plan, Nanyan was silent for a moment before showing a faint, indifferent smile, "So, from beginning to end, your thoughts were all about your beloved..."

She looked up, her eyes somber, "Have you ever considered what would happen if my identity was discovered? Aren't you worried... that Chu Liyue might kill me?"

Ye Qingsang instinctively grasped her hand, assuring her, "I won't let anyone hurt you. Trust me."

His eyes were fixed intently on Nanyan. He was no fool and even began to realize what the strange emotions in his heart meant.

He noticed that He Nanwan's appearances in his heart were diminishing, replaced by the woman before him. Despite their identical appearances, he never mistook one for the other.

He loved her smile, the words she spoke that kept him going, and even her infuriating him... He cherished every aspect of Nanyan.

He had always been clumsy in matters of the heart, planning to confess to her once they left together...

To reveal his true feelings, ask for her forgiveness, and agree to whatever she would say...

But before that, he had to rescue He Nanwan. After more than a decade as fellow disciples, he viewed her as family. Even if his affection had faded, the bond remained, and he couldn't abandon her.

"This is the last time, okay?"

Nanyan glanced at their intertwined hands and slowly withdrew hers. "What if I refuse?"

As Ye Qingsang watched her withdrawing hand, he suddenly felt a fear of losing her grip, "Why?"

"Why, indeed?"

"Why should I live in her shadow as her sister, be her substitute forever? Why should I marry in her place just because she's unwilling? You are exalted immortals, her life is precious, but does that mean I deserve to be used and hurt by you?"

Hearing this, a sharp pain clenched Ye Qingsang's heart.

He clenched his fingers tightly to suppress the discomfort welling up inside. "It's not like that, not exploitation, but a plea... I know you hate me, but back then, she really didn't know..."

Nanyan smiled, but her eyes lacked any warmth.

She looked at him, "So, being unaware justifies enjoying all this without a care? Knowing her relationship with Chu Liyue, that he wouldn't hurt her, why meddle unnecessarily? Why can't you let go?"

Ye Qingsang lowered his head, "I'm sorry, I can’t... neglect her."

On hearing this, Nanyan's eyes seemed to dim, the light in them extinguishing in a moment, and her tone became very bland, "What about me?"

"I thought... we were friends."

Nanyan smiled faintly, her long eyelashes slightly drooping, revealing a tender emotion in her eyes, "If you had to choose between He Nanwan and me, whom would you take with you?"

Her tone was too serious, unsettlingly so.

Panicked, Ye Qingsang reached out, trying to grasp something, but caught nothing. He looked at her, pale-faced, "Please don’t force me to make such a decision. I won’t leave you behind..."

Nanyan understood his choice from his words.

She paused, then showed a faint, resigned smile, "That's true, she is your beloved, after all. How could I ever compare to her?"

She was smiling, but Ye Qingsang saw a hint of desolation and melancholy in her eyes.

He wanted to say it wasn't like that, not at all...

But the words wouldn't come, as if his throat was blocked...

While he was still stunned, she chuckled lightly, "I agree to your request. But from now on, let this be the end of whatever is between us."

Her expression was unprecedentedly calm and... pale.

Ye Qingsang suddenly froze.

His heart felt as if it was being tightly clenched by an invisible hand, pulling at it, causing a vague ache.

As if he had lost something vitally important.

……