Chapter 527 - 262: The Affectionate Are Always Wronged by the Unaffectionate (Part 2)

Chapter 527: Chapter 262: The Affectionate Are Always Wronged by the Unaffectionate (Part 2)

Since not even a single hairpin was left behind, hanging this painting in the cave dwelling seems somewhat superfluous.

"I heard it was something the Grandmaster instructed before she passed. Her cave dwelling should be sealed off and no one should live in it; as for this painting, it should hang here, as if she were still around."

Chu Xuan listened with a slight tightening of his eyes, and even Ji Mingyu couldn’t help but speculate, "As if she were still around? Is she waiting for someone?"

As she spoke, her gaze toward Chu Xuan became somewhat hostile, as if to say: Look at you, you heartless playboy, making someone remember you for a lifetime.

Chu Xuan’s brow furrowed even more severely. He took down the scroll, looked at it again and again, flipping it over repeatedly.

However, there was no hidden mystery within the painting; although considered a Magical Artifact, it wouldn’t easily decay with time, but that’s all it was.

In this process, Chu Xuan found it increasingly familiar. He and Li Qiuyue must have met before, her appearance and temperament belonged to the type he appreciated, but why couldn’t he remember her at all??

Lady Baihua quietly accompanied them, while "Xiaoxue" felt somewhat bored and leaned casually against the stone wall, then turned around with some surprise, "This stone wall has been refined, it’s not naturally formed."

Chu Xuan’s attention also shifted; he probed with his Divine Sense, only to find the stone wall seemingly ordinary, with no hidden passageways or compartments behind it.

But he knew the person before him had an unusual perspective; if she said it had been refined, there must be something off about it.

Chu Xuan carefully explored it, soon pulling out the Cang Mountain Snow Sweeping Sword, starting from the edges and corners of the stone wall, completely dismantling it.

The three of them were stunned simultaneously, seeing that behind the stone wall was another natural stone wall, covered with slightly yellowed, old sheets of paper, each depicting a portrait.

Though the angles and postures differed, with occasional changes of attire, the portraits all featured the same man’s figure.

His stern appearance, his smiling face, his serious contemplative demeanor, his drinking pose, his talking stance, his gaze from a high vantage point, his reaching out to someone...

The wall was covered with countless drawings, the strokes evolving from naive to mature, clearly showing the artist’s gradual improvement over time.

Moreover, every drawing, whether sloppy or detailed, was infused with intense emotion, making the depicted person seem almost alive.

The most striking feature was a note stuck in the center, with seven large characters written in a single, forceful stroke, exuding an irrepressible obsession:

Too much feeling is always mistaken.

The three were collectively stunned, unable to speak for a long time.

Lady Baihua was the first to react, turning her head in amazement towards Chu Xuan, for the person depicted on the wall was him! All of them were of him.

Ji Mingyu was also shocked by this woman’s deep affection for Chu Xuan, slightly retracting her previous disdainful attitude, though...what did the characters on the wall mean? Were they suggesting that Chu Xuan was fickle and had abandoned her??

Ming Yu couldn’t help but turn her head towards the man.

Chu Xuan initially had a face of daze, surprise, and confusion, then a hint of pain appeared in his eyes.

"Qiuyue, Li Qiuyue..." He murmured lowly in a dreamlike voice.

After a long while, Chu Xuan pressed his head painfully, using a hoarse, lonely tone, "I remember it all, I remember everything."

Whether it was Ji Mingyu, Lady Baihua, or even Xiaoxue, and even the "standby" beauty head, all cast curious glances toward Chu Xuan.

However, he did not speak, only looking at the scroll in his hands with a complex expression.

...

Years ago, in order to compile the Demon Heart Sowing Dao Technique, Chu Xuan sought out ancient cultivation techniques everywhere, both to expand his horizons and for reference.

When he heard that the Wuyou Valley of Zhao Kong Mountain inherited the legacy of an ancient rogue immortal, he went there in search.

But to Chu Xuan’s disappointment, the Wuyou Valley had twice suffered calamities, the lineage long broken, and not even one practitioner of the Worry-Free Heart Sutra could be found, let alone borrowing the original text of the cultivation technique.

At that time, the Wuyou Valley was so desolate that it lacked even a Mountain Protection Array, and with Chu Xuan’s cultivation, he could come and go as he pleased.

Soon he found the rear cave of Wuyou Peak and was surprised to discover a mysterious mural suspected to be left by an ancient rogue immortal, completely intact.

So Chu Xuan was entranced, deeply contemplating it, standing there for over a month, fully immersed, forgetting the passage of time, and even everything outside himself.

When he finally regained awareness, he saw a beautiful girl in a light green dress holding a sword pointed at him, her expression stern, "Where did this thief come from, surrender quickly!"

Chu Xuan was quite taken aback but maintained his icy demeanor due to his current role as "Leng Yubing," speaking coldly, "Miss, you’ve misunderstood."

The girl was stunned instead, as she had practiced this encounter countless times and was surprised that this man had a reaction, even slightly startled.

She herself didn’t know why she didn’t call her sect fellows to capture this seemingly extraordinary mysterious man, instead visiting daily to see if he had awakened...

The girl bit her lip, clearly lacking confidence inside, but outwardly stubbornly said, "I am Li Qiuyue, one of the six wanderers of Wuyou Valley."

"Quickly state your name, I won’t kill nameless people under my sword." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

Hearing the slight tremor in her voice, Chu Xuan finally couldn’t help but smile.

"Don’t be nervous, I’m not a bad person. I just have some interest in your sect’s Worry-Free Heart Sutra and wanted to borrow it for a look."

"It’s a pity that Wuyou Valley has suffered repeated calamities, there’s no path."

"Fortunately, I’ve comprehended this cultivation technique from this mural, indeed profound and amazing, I’ll commit it to memory and give it to you then, as compensation for my unauthorized entry here and comprehension of your sects’ Secret Technique."

Saying this, Chu Xuan ignored Li Qiuyue’s astonished gaze, simply took out a blank jade slip, placed it on his forehead, and inscribed the scripture within using his Divine Sense.

Shortly after, he opened his eyes and tossed the jade slip casually.

Li Qiuyue hurriedly caught it with a flurry of movements, her face remaining vigilant, "You, you aren’t just speaking nonsense, who can comprehend a cultivation technique from this mural?"

"Although I’ve been focused on cultivation for many years, rarely venturing out, I’m not a gullible girl."

Chu Xuan resumed his icy demeanor, raising one hand behind him, making a "please" gesture.

Only then did Li Qiuyue, half believing and half doubting, probe her Divine Sense into the jade slip to check, and the result left her astonished.

Though the lineage was broken, the various cultivation techniques and spells of Wuyou Valley were indeed of the same lineage. With just a brief look, she knew it was genuine.

Even the technique she practiced could only be considered a lower substitute for this Worry-Free Heart Sutra, its profundity far inferior to this book.

Looking up again at the mysterious man, Li Qiuyue couldn’t help but show a bit of shock in her eyes, murmuring, "Who exactly are you?"

"Leng Yubing," Chu Xuan stated calmly.

Li Qiuyue mulled over these three words, silently remembering them in her heart.

Before she could ask more, Chu Xuan stepped outside.

"You, what are you doing?" Li Qiuyue nervously clutched her sword and circled around him.

Actually, her cultivation was not weak, reaching the fifth realm level, otherwise, she wouldn’t have been a wanderer.

But it was evident she was indeed a cultivated practitioner with little contact with outsiders, making her words and actions appear as innocent and pure as a young girl.

"Leaving."

Watching the mysterious man exit the cave, Li Qiuyue couldn’t help but follow him step by step.

Just as Chu Xuan was rising into the sky with Sword Control, the girl finally couldn’t hold back and shouted, "Will you return?!"

However, "Leng Yubing" did not respond, leaving Li Qiuyue somewhat disappointed.

It wasn’t until his figure was about to disappear on the horizon that a sentence drifted to her ears with the breeze, "Depending on my mood."

Li Qiuyue’s eyes lit up, and then she joyfully took the jade slip back to the cave dwelling to retreat and comprehend.