The slap was fierce - Xue Mingyuan's left cheek visibly swelled and reddened, the skin burning with pain.
After slapping him, Yu Yi didn't even spare him a glance before turning back into her room and firmly locking the door. The light from her Green Bamboo Sword rippled between the doors and windows, establishing a barrier that acted like a newly rebuilt fortress, once again full of defenses.
All just to keep him out.
When Xue Mingyuan tried to step forward, before his toe could even touch the ground, a sword light immediately swept out, cutting his neck and slicing off a strand of his hair.
He lowered his gaze to watch that strand of hair flutter down to the ground, withdrawing his suspended foot and stepping back several paces.
The System had never expected things to turn so drastically south, with Xue Mingyuan actually getting slapped. It cried out tearfully, "Ahhh Master, quickly explain to the female lead! You didn't really mean to hurt her, right?"
The System hadn't detected any malice in his heart, nor had it found any threat towards the female lead - he truly hadn't intended to harm her!
Yu Yi heard the System's outcry outside, but she felt no need for his explanations.
She hadn't wanted to get involved in the brothers' conflict, yet someone insisted on dragging her into it.
Regardless of Xue Mingyuan's intentions in drawing her into the dream - whether to use her against Xue Chenjing or to use her to wear down his demonic heart - was she just meant to be a tool to be used? Unworthy of respect or consultation?
Whether or not Xue Mingyuan truly meant to harm her, she could not forgive his actions.
Indeed, she had been too careless, too unguarded with them, forgetting they had approached her with ulterior motives.
The sword light barrier remained tightly sealed around the room, unwavering.
Xue Mingyuan stood outside for a moment. When he turned his head, a tear rolled from the corner of his eye. He raised his hand to touch the teartrack on his face, rubbing it gently between his fingers.
These must be his brother's tears - the fear of losing his master had already reduced him to tears in the depths of his heart. Their parents' spiritual restraints were weakening, and Xue Chenjing's emotions were now able to affect him.
He was right - their parents' spiritual bonds couldn't hold him for long.
Xue Mingyuan slowly exhaled, bent down to pick up the fallen strand of hair, and returned to his room.
The System anxiously called in his ear, "Master, aren't you going to explain? I suggest you quickly explain everything to the female lead, otherwise the misunderstanding between you will only deepen with time, until it becomes impossible to remedy."
Xue Mingyuan asked helplessly, "How can I explain when I can't even get near her?"
The System was momentarily speechless. He was right - now that the female lead had set up the sword light barrier outside her room, he couldn't get anywhere near her, and she likely wouldn't listen to his explanations anytime soon.
Xue Mingyuan sat back down by the window, gazing through the banana leaves at the light in another window.
His face stung, and the blood from his neck had soaked a patch of his clothes, but he didn't want to do anything now. His mind was blank, temporarily void of other thoughts.
Only Xue Chenjing's suppressed sobbing occasionally transmitted from the depths of his heart, and thanks to him, his own eyes were uncontrollably producing tears.
After a long while, Xue Mingyuan finally stirred, raising his sleeve to wipe his endlessly crying eyes, and asked, "System, what's the favorability rating now?"
The System was silent for a moment before reluctantly responding, "Current target's favorability is at seventy-two percent."
After seeing such memories, the favorability had increased rather than decreased?
Xue Mingyuan's eyebrows twitched slightly, suddenly understanding something. But before the thought could fully form in his mind, he deliberately buried it beneath other thoughts.
Had this shared dream been unnecessary? It could even be said to have backfired.
Xue Mingyuan recalled the guidance from the tutorial.
[When you've successfully become an "indispensable" existence in your target's heart, the next step is to leave them, letting them deeply experience the despair and pain of losing you.]
He had inadvertently facilitated this step.
Xue Mingyuan placed his hand over his heart, feeling the heartbeat beneath his palm. If this was the case, it would be very difficult to suppress the rise in favorability unless this heart stopped beating.
But even that would be futile - they would still walk the same path in their next life.
At least in this life, there was still her, still Yu Yi as a variable.
Xue Mingyuan sat by the window, watching the opposite room until the thick clouds could no longer hide the dawn, and the courtyard gradually brightened.
Finally, there was movement from the opposite room. Yu Yi removed the barrier and opened the door.
Today she wore a water-green gauze dress, a fresh and elegant color, with scattered gold spots printed on the hem that made her look like a moving landscape painting with dancing golden light. Her hair was neatly arranged in a bun, with the back length half-loose, but she wore no ornaments or jewelry.
She would be going to the Immortal Ascension Platform today, where cumbersome accessories would be a hindrance.
Yu Yi's expression was calm, showing no anger or resentment, and she didn't even glance in his direction. She calmly closed the door behind her, holding her miniaturized crane senior in her arms as she walked out.
The little bird hopped from her arm to her shoulder, and seeing her heading straight for the courtyard exit, raised its head to look at the western wing before turning back to chirp twice.
Yu Yi shook her head and said softly, "You're coming with me."
Xue Mingyuan knew that once she left, she would never return. But he still didn't move, only watching her intently as she left the courtyard without looking back. The last image in his vision was her gold-speckled dress hem.
The System couldn't detect his current thoughts at all, only sensing the suffocating sadness in his heart, as if this was truly a final farewell, his last glimpse of her.
The System couldn't sit still, searching through its task tree hoping to issue him a suitable temporary task while urging, "Master, go after her! Explain everything clearly!"
If this continued, its CP would truly end badly! Why? Xue Chenjing was one thing, but why was Xue Mingyuan like this too? This male lead was truly hopeless.
Meanwhile, after leaving the guest courtyard, Yu Yi didn't immediately leave the estate.
She carefully selected three suitable sword manuals from her storage pouch and personally delivered them to the estate steward, asking him to pass them to the main family, along with some gold and silver currency and protective talismans to thank everyone in the estate for their hospitality these past few days.
The steward couldn't refuse and respectfully accepted, asking in surprise, "Immortal Lady, are you leaving already? The thunderstorm hasn't passed yet, and Liang Province's gates are closed. Why not stay a few more days?"
Yu Yi politely declined, "Something urgent came up, I'm not going to Liang Province anymore."
The steward looked behind her, and seeing no sign of her companion, hesitantly asked, "What about the immortal gentleman who came with you? Is he leaving today as well?"
Yu Yi apologetically replied, "I'm not sure of his plans. Steward Qi can send someone to ask him."
After brief pleasantries, Yu Yi took her leave. Steward Qi didn't know what had happened between them - they had arrived together but were now parting ways, acting so distant.
Just as he was about to go to the guest courtyard himself, he saw the other person walking towards him. Steward Qi quickly said, "Immortal Sir, you've come at the right time. That Immortal Lady just bid farewell and left. Did something..."
Xue Mingyuan smiled gently, clasping his hands in greeting, "I've also come to bid farewell to Steward Qi. Thank you for your hospitality these past days."
He took out a prepared introductory Daoist scripture to give him, and like Yu Yi, had also prepared some money to distribute among the estate staff.
Steward Qi repeatedly waved his hands, "I just received money from the Immortal Lady, and her silver alone was more than enough to cover both your expenses these past days. I couldn't possibly accept more from you, please keep it."
Xue Mingyuan paused for a moment, and seeing his insistence, had no choice but to take back the money, leaving only the handwritten scripture.
When he came out of the courtyard, Yu Yi was nowhere to be seen. A moment later, a figure appeared beside him out of thin air. Xue Mingyuan returned the bag of silver to him, saying, "Thank you, but it seems I won't be needing it after all."
Yi Heng stared at the bag of silver, unsure whether to take it or not. "I traveled quite far to exchange this silver for you."
After all, he only had spirit stones on him and no regular silver currency that mortals used. He had to pawn a jade pendant at a loss to exchange for this bag of silver.
Yi Heng had been sent by his mother to follow them, and he caught up with his reincarnated young uncle that very night. He had been hiding in the courtyard these past two days. He had personally delivered the Dream Butterfly as well.
Xue Mingyuan apologetically said, "I'm sorry for making you waste your effort."
"Ah, it wasn't much trouble." Yi Heng didn't dare say more. Though he couldn't bring himself to address him as such, this was still his uncle. He reached out to take the silver and tossed it into his storage pouch. "Would you like me to have someone keep an eye on that female cultivator?"
Xue Mingyuan frowned, a flash of displeasure crossing his features before quickly disappearing. He refused, "No need. She wouldn't like being monitored."
"Alright." Yi Heng nodded. Though Xue Mingyuan said this, he still thought it best to have someone watch over that female cultivator. He wasn't sure what Xue Mingyuan had done with the Dream Butterfly, but it seemed he had truly developed feelings.
Yi Heng stroked his chin, thinking to himself how wonderful youth was.
Xue Mingyuan paid no attention to his scrutiny and said, "Please take me to the Carefree Sect. I want to see my elder sister."
Yi Heng was overjoyed - this was excellent news. He glanced at Xue Mingyuan's still-swollen face and the sword wound on his neck. The illusion spell could only fool the mortal from earlier, preventing him from seeing the injuries, but it wouldn't deceive Lady Lotus.
Yi Heng said, "Before seeing my mother, we should treat your injuries first."
Xue Mingyuan touched the sword wound on his neck. Compared to the handprint on his face, the neck wound was more severe, with thunder-fire sword energy still lingering in the wound, causing a burning pain.
"No need to trouble yourself." Xue Mingyuan covered the wound with his palm. When he removed his hand moments later, the sword wound on his neck had healed, and the handprint on his face had faded. This body possessed remarkable self-healing abilities.
The restraints in his sea of consciousness were growing weaker and weaker. He needed to hurry.
