Chapter 96: Cultivation (Part 9)
"Duning's reincarnation?" Just as Qi An was left momentarily stunned by Zhang Zhaoqi's words, someone burst into the assembly hall. The person looked extremely disheveled, his clothes stained with various colors, as if he hadn't changed or washed them in a long time.
His long hair wasn't tied up either, just scattered messily around. The thick, rough beard obscured most of his lower face. One could barely make out that this was a young man.
"Did he reincarnate? Where? Where is he, where is he?" The young man's voice rose several degrees higher as he rushed to the inner disciple's side. He placed his hands on the inner disciple's shoulders and began shaking him violently.
"Who are you?" The inner disciple was caught off guard by this sudden situation. The moment the young man lunged at him, he instinctively tried to resist. But it was useless—the inner disciple could clearly sense just how vast the gap was between his spiritual power and the other person's.
He couldn't break free from the young man's grip at all. The inner disciple could only cast a plea for help toward the elders seated in the high seats.
The elders remained silent for a long time, their expressions careful and wary, as if afraid to provoke this clearly unstable young man. Just as the inner disciple felt like he was about to be shaken unconscious, the Sect Master seated in the main seat seemed to sigh. "Senior Brother, surely you've heard—we truly don't know who Duning's reincarnation is."
"Don't know…" The young man who had been full of vigor just moments ago froze mid-movement. He murmured the words in a daze, his beautiful eyes revealing nothing but emptiness. "I have to find him. I have to find his reincarnation. I have to make him forgive me… You all know, I've been searching for him this whole time…"
"Who is he?" Hearing the young man's bewildered tone, Qi An's heart grew even more complicated. This young man's behavior suggested that this Duning person was especially important to him in a past life. However, Qi An couldn't for the moment figure out who this young man was.
"Kong Yue." Zhang Zhaoqi's gaze brushed lightly over the young man, his words cold as ice.
So… it's him?
Upon hearing this, the black-haired, black-eyed young man studied the young man's appearance more closely, finally finding a trace of familiarity within his current state. "Why did he end up like this? Is it… because of me?"
"Yes." Zhang Zhaoqi merely regarded Qi An with his eyes, and after a long while, he gave a slight nod. "After you died, Kong Yue went mad."
"Senior Brother, what brings you here today?" The Sect Master glanced at the elders around him who dared not move an inch, his expression one of visible helplessness.
"I came to… to challenge Lian Ruoyu." The young man's expression was clearly not right. After the Sect Master finished speaking, his attention shifted elsewhere. "I came to challenge him. I must take the title of the strongest cultivator in the realm from him. Why should he… Why does he have the right to erase the connection between Duning and me?"
"Even if, even if I wronged Duning… that's between me and Duning. What right does he have to do this? Now everyone in the cultivation world knows he likes Duning, but what about me? I was clearly the one… Duning liked…"
The young man stumbled toward the door, his words becoming increasingly incoherent. "It's been a thousand years. This time I will definitely defeat him…"
The young man's footsteps suddenly halted as he was about to step out of the palace gates. He stiffly turned his head. "You will help me find Duning's reincarnation. Otherwise… I will kill all of you. You must help me find him!"
"Sect Master, over these thousand years, Kong Yue has challenged Lian Ruoyu many, many times. He fails every time. And every battle between them destroys countless things in our sect. We've already consumed considerable resources and wealth because of this." After Kong Yue left, one elder waved a hand to dismiss the inner disciple. "Shouldn't you persuade him? The Spirit Artifact Pavilion and the Treasure Pavilion have already been ransacked by Dark Pavilion. If this continues, Xuantian Alliance truly cannot sustain this."
"Can you persuade him?" The Sect Master rubbed his temples. "He's already mad. For this to end, it can only happen when he succeeds in the challenge."
"But won't this go on forever? Lian Ruoyu has been the strongest cultivator in the realm for a very long time. Kong Yue…" The elder who had spoken continued.
The Sect Master shook his head. He looked up toward the window and, after a moment, spoke softly. "It's not impossible. One person who has stopped progressing, one person who keeps advancing—the gap between them will grow smaller and smaller. Perhaps one day, Kong Yue really can defeat Lian Ruoyu."
"Stopped progressing? You mean…?" The elder's voice shifted.
"Someone cultivating the无情道 (path of no emotions) who has fallen in love—how could his cultivation possibly advance any further?" The Sect Master caught the hidden meaning in the elder's tone, but he didn't give a definite answer. Instead, he seemed to say something else entirely. "Send word to the other sects. Ask them to come to our sect tomorrow. We must find Duning's reincarnation."
"Yes." The elder's reply to the Sect Master sounded somewhat distant.
"Wait, I remember that Snow Pavilion has a treasure of the sect—the Twin Flowers. It's said one can see a person's past and present life through it, correct? If that item wasn't taken by Dark Pavilion, tell the Pavilion Master—she must bring it here!" As if having just thought of something, the Sect Master, who had looked exhausted moments ago, suddenly brightened.
With that, the assembly came to an end. The sect's high-ranking members left the magnificent palace one by one. The palace fell silent and empty once more.
"Is the reason we came to this world related to you?" Qi An's expression grew strange. His long lashes cast dark shadows across his face.
"…Yes." For the first time, a hint of struggle appeared on Zhang Zhaoqi's face, but under Qi An's gaze, he still nodded.
"What do you want me to see from all this?" Qi An's voice suddenly turned cold. Although he and Zhang Zhaoqi were sitting close together, it felt as if the two of them existed in different dimensions.
This world was very special to him.
Because the mission could never be judged as successful, because this world kept resetting. So, to complete the mission in this world, he had no choice but to use a method.
He had sealed away all his previous memories.
Like a newborn facing the world anew. Qi An hated this deeply, but he had no alternative. Because only this way could he fulfill that special requirement of the mission.
To treat this world with a sincere heart.
"I want to… tell you something." Zhang Zhaoqi was silent for a moment, then suddenly cupped one of Qi An's hands in his own. "When you treat the world gently, the world will treat you gently in return. You are truly, truly good. You deserve to be loved by everyone."
"No matter how they misunderstood you before, they will eventually see your true character. You… are truly good."
"You deserve others' love, and you deserve my… love." Zhang Zhaoqi's voice became very gentle. "So, can you give me another chance? My… fiancée."