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Ch107 - Floating Clouds and Empty Dreams




All was silent.
Chongjue’s fingers moved lightly. Two wisps of ghostly fire ignited the lanterns at Hanmang Garden’s entrance with a hiss, illuminating the small space.
Qi Jianyi stood five steps away. Seeing Chongjue emerge, his expression showed no surprise, as if he’d expected it: “So he told you everything.”
Indeed something Su Hansheng would do.
Mutual destruction rather than being controlled.
Chongjue stood beneath the lamp, his face illuminated warmly like jade. His first words weren’t an interrogation but spoken flatly: “Return Xiaoxiao’s betrothal card.”
This response made Qi Jianyi notice a trace of surprise, confirming even more that this person wasn’t the one who’d nearly scattered his soul with the demon-subduing staff in Infinite Hell.
The World-Honored One of Mount Sumeru was indeed compassionate.
“Just a betrothal card with birth dates written on it.” Qi Jianyi took out the bright red betrothal card from his storage ring. “I thought the World-Honored One would want to ask me other things.”
Or strike him dead on the spot without a word.
Chongjue didn’t speak, his gaze falling on the betrothal card.
Qi Jianyi spoke meaningfully: “For example, in Hansheng’s past life when he was suffering… where were you?”
Chongjue’s dark blue pupils moved slightly. He finally looked directly at Qi Jianyi, his Buddhist beads hanging down slightly as he spoke coldly: “You’re very bold.”
Qi Jianyi smiled: “I used his trauma to threaten him. Given Hansheng’s temperament, he’ll find every way to kill me. Either way I’m dead. I have nothing to fear now.”
Chongjue simply watched him, refusing to be led by this person’s words.
Qi Jianyi bowed to Chongjue, speaking lightly: “I only want to see Hansheng once. Even if I must die, it can only be at his hands—if the World-Honored One can be accommodating, I can tell you everything about his past life.”
This deal was a guaranteed profit. Qi Jianyi knew Chongjue wouldn’t refuse.
Chongjue stood beneath the lamp watching Qi Jianyi for a long time before suddenly saying without preamble: “Is exchanging things the only way you know to get what you want?”
Qi Jianyi froze.
Chongjue didn’t quite understand today’s young people’s temperament. He only felt this person’s conduct was extremely strange.
He wanted to register his household with Su Hansheng—instead of thinking how to make amends, he only thought to use Su Hansheng’s weaknesses as blackmail.
Now wanting to see Su Hansheng once, he still used the same method.
Qi Jianyi froze for a long while before lowering his eyes, speaking quietly: “Isn’t that how things have always been throughout the three realms?”
Hanshan Sect wanted to climb up to Yingxu Sect to become a prestigious clan, so they used his cold spiritual roots to trade, forcibly establishing a marriage contract to gain the Immortal Lord’s favor.
Qi Jianyi didn’t believe in benefits without reason—just like in his past life when he bore the marriage contract and completely didn’t believe he could truly fall in love with Su Hansheng.
…So after Su Hansheng fell into Infinite Hell and the marriage contract was forcibly broken, that intense regret and love belatedly occupied his clear consciousness. Only then did Qi Jianyi feel such pain.
Qi Jianyi didn’t want to recall those ten years from his past life. After steadying his emotions, he raised his head slightly: “World-Honored One, please…”
Before he finished speaking, Chongjue flatly interrupted him.
“I don’t want to know where I was in my past life.”
Qi Jianyi’s words stopped abruptly as he stared at him in shock.
Never mind the black-robed Chongjue who imprisoned Su Hansheng for years in the past life—just based on the World-Honored One’s current status alone, with rumors circulating of their forbidden, improper romance—whether it was true love or merely uncle-nephew affection, after learning of Su Hansheng’s past suffering, he absolutely wouldn’t be this unmoved.
“The past life is but floating clouds and empty dreams.” Chongjue looked at him indifferently. “Xiaoxiao was cast into Infinite Hell by you. I was either watching coldly from the sidelines or trapped in prison unable to help myself. Either way, it won’t affect any of my judgments or decisions in this life.”
Qi Jianyi’s eyes instantly darkened.
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Chongjue closed his eyes and recited a Buddhist verse, his brow and eyes cold as a deity: “You returned from your past life. Don’t you know the Heavenly Way has already weakened?”
Qi Jianyi’s face went pale: “You…”
The Infinite Hell array silently manifested scarlet light beneath their feet. Countless withered branch-like hands crawled out inch by inch, reaching toward Qi Jianyi’s body.
Qi Jianyi quickly retreated backward. All his earlier composure had vanished.
“I only wanted to see Hansheng once.”
Chongjue still stood beneath the lamp, his plain kasaya robes lifted slightly by the wind like night-blooming cereus slowly unfurling in the night sky.
He simply fingered his beads, speaking softly: “You’ll never see him again.”
An array summoned by a Mahayana stage cultivator was extraordinary. No matter how high Qi Jianyi’s cultivation, he couldn’t successfully escape. After the first grotesque skeletal hand grabbed his body, perhaps knowing there was no chance for reprieve, he suddenly raised his eyes coldly.
“Did Hansheng tell you that in his past life, you personally drove him to death?”
Chongjue’s head snapped up.
Seeing his reaction, Qi Jianyi couldn’t help but laugh, his eyes filled with undisguised disgust.
“What he probably told you was that I went to Infinite Hell to forcibly make him surrender his Phoenix Bone, and he had no choice but to self-destruct and transform into a tree.”
Chongjue looked at him coldly.
Su Hansheng had indeed said that.
“But that’s wrong.” Qi Jianyi stared at him directly, as if wanting this person to suffer the same pain before he’d give up. “It was your day-after-day imprisonment that drove him mad bit by bit. He bore the Phoenix Bone with heaven-reaching abilities. And at the critical moment, ‘you’ came to rescue him. Yet he still destroyed his own life force right in front of you. Don’t you wonder why?”
Chongjue’s hand gripping the beads tightened fiercely, his expression blank: “Past life matters have nothing to do with me…”
But Qi Jianyi wouldn’t listen to his excuses, continuing on his own: “What he wanted to escape wasn’t me, but you. You kept him confined in that Forbidden Palace like a plaything. The only way he could truly leave was through this self-destructive method. He hated you!”
How absurd—the one who completely drove Su Hansheng mad in the past life, Qi Jianyi, couldn’t even obtain Su Hansheng’s hatred.
He envied this person.
Envied him for receiving Su Hansheng’s hatred, envied that even in death, Su Hansheng thought of sending him back to the mortal world…
Chongjue’s eyes grew terrifyingly dark.
Countless hands grabbed Qi Jianyi’s body one after another, wrapping around him, about to drag him inch by inch into Infinite Hell.
Suddenly, the array dispersed with a thunderous crash.
After a sharp scream, the scarlet light exploded. Those grotesque skeletal hands also turned to powder, falling like rain.
Qi Jianyi’s soul had nearly been torn apart by the array. Suddenly regaining freedom, he gasped violently, looking coldly at the person before him.
Saying he didn’t care, yet still angered by a few casual words.
Chongjue’s hand lifted slightly. After forming the hand seal to disperse the Infinite Hell array, he didn’t withdraw it. Instead, his slender five fingers curled slightly, as if grasping something strange in the void.
Clang.
Familiar sounds seemed to ring in his ears—like metal colliding.
A white figure flashed before Qi Jianyi’s eyes. Before he could react, intense pain suddenly assaulted his mind from his inner core.
Chongjue had somehow appeared before him. The demon-subduing staff he hadn’t used in ages had developed crimson rust on top. Now its sharp point pierced straight through Qi Jianyi’s inner core.
Qi Jianyi’s whole body stiffened. Large mouthfuls of fresh blood gushed from his mouth.
Chongjue still wore that cold, indifferent expression, his body still emanating Buddhist tranquility. Just looking at him was like being in a solemn Buddhist hall—facing not slaughter, but myriad divine Buddhas.
Qi Jianyi’s inner core was instantly destroyed by the demon-subduing staff’s malice. Yet he felt no fear. Instead he laughed madly, saying intermittently: “You finally… hahaha you finally came out.”
A few heart-killing words forcibly brought out the black-robed Chongjue from the past life, finally giving Qi Jianyi the exhilaration of great vengeance achieved.
But Chongjue spoke softly: “I told you, past life matters have nothing to do with me.”
Qi Jianyi froze, staring at him in shock.
Chongjue remained the lofty World-Honored One of Mount Sumeru. Even filled with killing intent, he still resembled a Buddha statue. That terrifying malice wrapped in Buddhist tranquility appeared harmless on the surface, yet like thousand-year frost, cold intent pierced straight to the bone, making one’s hair stand on end.
On this day in the past life, Qi Jianyi destroyed Su Hansheng’s inner core and cast him into Infinite Hell.
In this life, the demon-subduing staff similarly pierced through Qi Jianyi’s inner core, completely abolishing all his cultivation, making him experience the same pain Su Hansheng suffered in his past life.
Chongjue raised one hand in a Buddhist gesture, his brow and eyes like Buddha’s, his dark blue eyes radiating warmth gentle as jade, gazing compassionately at the nearly obsessed Qi Jianyi.
“I’m not you. I won’t stubbornly wallow in the past life.”
Qi Jianyi was covered in blood. That pitying gaze made his eyes nearly split with rage. He struggled, trying to reach Hanmang Garden, wanting to use all his strength to see Su Hansheng one last time.
“Hansheng!”
“Su Hansheng!”
Inside Hanmang Garden, separated by a single wall.
Su Hansheng sat on the steps with his chin propped in his hands, looking up at the full moon, feeling thoroughly dispirited. He could only let his thoughts wander aimlessly.
Was it the World-Honored One or the evil one who just went out to set up the barrier?
Or had the virtuous one and evil one truly merged?
If the World-Honored One remembered those ten years in his past life spent mingling with him…
Su Hansheng stiffened, vaguely recalling all the games and lewd talk he and the evil one engaged in during those ten years. He somewhat doubted that if the World-Honored One knew, he might die of shame and indignation.
Su Hansheng’s toes had already begun curling in embarrassment, tugging at his hair, wishing he could bash his head and die.
Just then, Hanmang Garden’s door creaked open.
Su Hansheng looked up to see Chongjue still appeared as he had when leaving earlier, his brow and eyes gentle, carrying Buddhist tranquility that made one reluctant to defile.
“You…” Su Hansheng cleared his throat, throwing all the chaotic thoughts in his head to the winds, stammering: “How come you were gone so long? What about Qi Jianyi?”
Chongjue walked leisurely before Su Hansheng, handing over the bright red betrothal card, speaking warmly: “He won’t appear by your side anymore in the future. Don’t think about him.”
Su Hansheng: “?”
Where did I think about him?
Why does that sound so strange?
Su Hansheng took the betrothal card, examining it repeatedly, asking casually: “What did you do to him?”
Given the World-Honored One’s temperament, he probably wouldn’t resort to violence and bloodshed.
Chongjue sat beside Su Hansheng, lowering his gaze to watch Su Hansheng play with the card: “Nothing much—this betrothal card, aren’t you going to deal with it?”
Looking at Su Hansheng and Qi Jianyi’s names written side by side, that splash of red was increasingly glaring.
Su Hansheng said “Oh,” about to casually stuff it in his pocket.
Chongjue’s brow furrowed lightly. He reached out slightly to clasp Su Hansheng’s hand holding the card: “Qi Jianyi is already… no longer worthy of trust. Keeping this card serves no purpose.”
Su Hansheng looked at him in confusion: “This card looks quite well-made. I’ll keep it. If I need to register my household with someone else in the future, I can just change the name. How convenient.”
Chongjue: “…”
Chongjue suspected Su Hansheng was deliberately saying such things while wearing an innocent expression.
But looking carefully, Su Hansheng’s face was completely serious, as if he genuinely wanted to save that bit of money for making a betrothal card. How thrifty.
After speaking, Su Hansheng observed Chongjue’s expression and stuffed the card in his pocket. Standing up and dusting off his clothes, he said: “Well, since everything’s resolved, I’ll go back to sleep—good night, Uncle.”
Chongjue’s hand paused.
From the steps to the room was only a few paces. Su Hansheng walked slowly. From start to finish, there was no movement behind him. He simply lifted his foot over the threshold and raised his hand to shut the door heavily.
Just as the gap was about to close, a hand suddenly thrust diagonally, forcefully jamming into the gap.
The door slammed hard against that hand. The muffled thud sounded painful.
Su Hansheng was startled and quickly opened the door.
Chongjue stood at the entrance like a pillar, looking down at him.
Su Hansheng grabbed his hand, seeing the bright red mark on it. Unable to help himself, he boldly scolded: “Are you a masochist? Couldn’t you just say something? Why stick your hand in the door?”
Chongjue paid no mind to that slight pain. He stepped forward, entering the room.
The man’s tall frame was extremely imposing, forcing Su Hansheng to involuntarily step back twice, eyes widening as he stared.
“You… what do you want?”
Chongjue closed the door partway, one hand grasping Su Hansheng’s shoulder while the other silently slipped into Su Hansheng’s sleeve.
Su Hansheng’s whole body stiffened, almost thinking the evil one had emerged again.
But before he could kick anyone, he felt Chongjue’s fingers hook the bright red betrothal card from his sleeve, slowly pulling it out.
Only then did Su Hansheng understand this person only wanted that damn card. His tightly wound heart relaxed, yet he felt a strange sense of loss. He could only feign composure, glaring at him irritably.
The room had no lamps lit. Only candlelight from the courtyard spilled through gaps in the carved wooden door. Chongjue’s tall frame almost entirely enveloped Su Hansheng’s body in shadow.
All around was dim. Only their breathing echoed in each other’s ears.
Su Hansheng had never felt such intense oppression and possessiveness from the World-Honored One. Instinctively, he wanted to retreat.
But in the next instant, Chongjue grasped Su Hansheng’s hand, placing the betrothal card between his two fingers.
“Don’t move.”
Su Hansheng looked up at him, confused.
Chongjue’s eyes moved slightly.
The betrothal card suddenly burst into ghostly blue flames, instantly burning to powder between Su Hansheng’s fingers, falling like rain.
***
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