Where is Our Agreement to be Each Other’s Arch-Rivals?

This morning’s first rays of dawn at the top of Yuqiong Peak were surrounded by mists and the temperature had dropped a little.

When Gu Feidi got up, he headed to the pharmacy to fetch Su Yang’s decoction. Then, he filled a small heater and placed it inside Su Yang’s quilt. Su Yang hadn’t yet awoken, but his face appeared rosy. It was no longer the pallid and weak look he previously sported.

Having completed the morning preparations, Gu Feidi changed into a workout outfit and went to the courtyard to practice swordsmanship.

He finished two rounds of sword exercises and had just wrapped up his moves when, all of a sudden, there was a burst of applause from the window of the room nearby.

Su Yang stood at the window bundled in the fox fur, smiling: “Such splendid swordsmanship.”

Gu Feidi smiled back, took his sword and walked into the room.

Su Yang took the bowl of medicine from the steamer, downed the decoction and leaned forward demanding Gu Feidi for a kiss.

Gu Feidi raised his hand to remove the wristband and place it on the rack beside the folding screen. Just then, his fingers paused and gaze lingered on one of the two wristbands. He was focused on the cut that had been repaired after being slashed by a sword; as if he recalled something.

“What’s wrong?” Su Yang couldn’t help asking when he noticed that Gu Feidi scrutiny was unusual.

“Do you still remember… ” Gu Feidi said as he brought the wristband over, unfurled the inner layer and pulled out a few pieces of paper that were hidden inside.

Of course Su Yang remembered what it was, but felt that he couldn’t string two words together at that moment.

He’d only transmigrated into this world not long ago and he still couldn’t accept that the people here really existed, so he’d only regarded them as characters in the storyline. As a result, he’d done a lot of stupid things. He assumed the other party couldn’t tell that these pieces of paper had been fake-burned. In fact, these pieces of paper that he’d used to clue-in Gu Feidi were part of his shady history.

……Consequently, Gu Feidi treasured them and even retained them as a memento!

Su Yang rolled his eyes and said, “Why do you take them out again?”

Gu Feidi didn’t reply.

His fingers moved carefully to flip out a sheet from the few pieces of paper. He held it up and his eyes instantly brightened.

“Flawed Phoenix Craft Fire…” As he mumbled, he spread out all the papers he was holding and caught the few key words written on them—

“Wanjuan Pavilion”,

“Top Floor”,

“Southeast Corner”,

“Flawed Phoenix Craft Fire”

Gu Feidi’s eyes were dazzling with radiance as he looked at Su Yang excitedly: “Lesser Jade House’s top floor of the Wanjuan Pavilion are all extremely Yang and blazing exercises, especially those on the bookshelf in the southeast corner…Initially, the Restoration Scripture’s Return to the Nest volume was hidden inside this Flawed Phoenix Craft Fire book. Now that I think about it, perhaps Shizun might have predicted early on that there must be something extraordinary in this book…”

Su Yang frowned and asked, “What do you mean??”

Gu Feidi held the piece of paper, “The extreme Yang methodology that can complement the Half Withered Red technique may be a lead. I’ll need to make a trip back to Lesser Jade House and borrow this Flawed Phoenix Craft Fire book from Wanjuan Pavilion……I just need to successfully practice this set of extremely Yang and blazing methodology. Then it will be more beneficial to you when I dual cultivate with you.”

“You’re crazy!” Su Yang was shocked, “Have you forgotten what the Divine Doctor said? You can’t dual cultivate with me, otherwise my extremely cold internal strength will hurt you.”

“The reason why the Elder said that is because my internal strength is still not enough to inhibit the Cold Pond Ice Spirit and Half Withered Red.” Gu Feidi smiled and shook his head. “But if I practice a Yang internal strength  method that can counter the Half Withered Red, I’ll be able to suppress the extreme cold internal strength in your body to a certain extent.”

This argument seemed to make a little sense, but Su Yang innately felt that there seemed to be a flaw somewhere. At that moment, he couldn’t think of any shortcomings, so he could only refuse it based on his instinct.

“No, I still believe this conjecture is fallible.” Su Yang said, “Besides, I still need to drink medicine and make use of the hot springs to recuperate through winter. If you leave for Lesser Jade House, then wouldn’t we have to separate?”

Gu Feidi gazed at Su Yang for a while and couldn’t help sighing: “I’ll ride at top speed overnight, transcribe a copy of the Flawed Phoenix Craft Fire and use the fastest way to come back to accompany you, alright?”

Su Yang didn’t want to be separated from Gu Feidi, especially… after having learnt of the curse on his back……

Perhaps, the time that they were able to be together wasn’t very long. Therefore, it would seem that every day was extremely precious.

Gu Feidi approached to hold Su Yang’s cheek and coaxed in a low voice: “I will hurry back quickly……When the time comes, if it’s beneficial to your body, we can be together for much longer, right? I also want to live together with you for many years. I don’t want to……lose you.”

Su Yang lowered his eyes, he was anxious and it was becoming more intense.

“What if that methodology can’t help me?” He pursed his lips and said under his breath, “What if, during your absence, I…… left?”

Gu Feidi was stunned.

Su Yang continued: “I do not want to be apart from you for even a day. If you insist on returning to Lesser Jade House, then……you have to take me with you. Our original plan was to return there after eliminating the Gu, right?”

Seeing the expression on Su Yang’s face, the emotion in Gu Feidi’s eyes couldn’t help but become gentler.

He pulled Su Yang into his arms and hugged him close. After some time, he said: “The snowy mountain roads are difficult to travel on. Now that winter has arrived, the snow on the roads will be thicker and it won’t be easy to descend the mountain. You are still fearful of the cold and it’s not convenient for you to follow.”

Rationally, Su Yang knew that he shouldn’t hold Gu Feidi back. After all, Gu Feidi wanted to go to Lesser Jade House to seek methodologies in order to be able to be with him longer and it was indeed inconvenient for him to leave the hot spring courtyard during winter.

But emotionally, he just didn’t want to let Gu Feidi leave at this time.

When he thought of the curse, thought of the Cold Pond Ice Spirit and triple cold techniques in the body, thought of the Devil Sect’s Young Saint’s storyline that would conclude this winter, Su Yang refused to act the pragmatic child anymore.

“I don’t want to be apart from you.” He said stubbornly, “You’re going to Lesser Jade House, then I will go with you.” 

Both of them bickered some more on this matter. Su Yang was determined not to concede and Gu Feidi couldn’t do anything about him for a while.

Just before noon, when Luo Yu came to check Su Yang’s pulse, Su Yang promptly raised the question about extreme Yang methodologies and whether or not they could inhibit the Cold Pond Ice Spirit and Half Withered Red in his body.

Luo Yu’s expression instantly darkened. He frowned and said to Gu Feidi: “Although you began by practicing the upright way of internal cultivation techniques and now body also possesses a Yang methodology, if you practice an extreme Yang methodology, your internal strength will become incredibly fierce. Extreme matters are harmful. There’s nothing in this world that doesn’t follow that principle. Extreme Yang and blazing internal strength would definitely be harmful to your body. I advise you not to risk trying it.”

Upon hearing Luo Yu’s words, Su Yang also finally recognised where the anxiousness that had been niggling in his heart had come from.

The fusion of Cold Pond Ice Spirit and Half Withered Red created a Yin and cold extremity. That’s how the internal strength that had been a great boon to him had transformed into something that slowly drained his vitality. In that case, how was it possible for an extreme Yang and extreme blazing methodology that was on equal footing as Half Withered Red not to impair one’s health?

What Luo Yu said wasn’t wrong; extreme matters were harmful and naturally, methodologies were no exception.

Gu Feidi said stubbornly: “Even if my internal strength is fierce, as long as I dual cultivate with my shixiong, the cold and heat would be reduced. Both of us won’t be affected.”

Luo Yu fumed, “Do you think that dual cultivation is addition and subtraction, then the sum will be averaged? Without a proper dual cultivation method to guide you, you will only deplete both your lives at the same time if you practice this way!”

Gu Feidi stared at Luo Yu and haltingly asked: “Then, requesting Elder to advise me on how I’m able to save him?”

“I don’t know how to save him and I can’t even find a way.” He gritted his teeth. “At the moment, I can only hold onto anything that I can. Even with the knowledge that it would be no different than drinking poison to quench my thirst*……as far as I’m concerned, as long as it can be somewhat beneficial to shixiong, I must give it a try.”

(*TN : employing a quick and temporary solution regardless of the ramifications)

As he spoke, he looked at Su Yang with an indescribably bitter smile: “I……already have nothing else……that I fear more.”

Su Yang suddenly didn’t know what to do after being stared at by Gu Feidi’s deep, love-filled yet bitter and hearing such words that were on the brink of despair.

He couldn’t forcibly stop Gu Feidi by saying ‘for-your-own-good’ and considered carefully. If both of them swapped places, he would definitely seize hold of every opportunity he could to save Gu Feidi. Similar to when he was in the pitch black room in the Devil Sect’s Forbidden Area and he recalled Di Ling shijie’s initial advice. Regardless, he’d still completed practicing Half Withered Red.

But he couldn’t just allow Gu Feidi to seek death because of this.

The advantage of knowing the storyline in advance, which he had when he’d transmigrated over, had already completely evaporated the moment he’d decided to allow himself to be with Gu Feidi.

Therefore, even if he possessed an elevated comprehension in this world, he couldn’t provide Gu Feidi any assistance here.

Luo Yu squabbled a few words with Gu Feidi, but Su Yang didn’t take any notice of it. All he knew was that, in the end, Luo Yu gave a cold snort and got up.

“I won’t let you go.” He maintained, “Your father handed over the jade pendant as a token of trust for me to take good care of you both. I can’t permit you to face that kind of danger.”

After that, he flung his sleeves and left, hitting the courtyard door on his way out.

Gu Feidi stared at the courtyard gate, he slowly frowned and his expression became solemn.

Su Yang sighed, reached out to hook Gu Feidi’s little finger and pulled him back from his thoughts.

“Have you thought it through?” Su Yang asked, “Your efforts may not have any effect. You may not be able to save me and would instead hurt yourself.”

Gu Feidi turned to Su Yang and whispered: “But if I do nothing,……I’ll surely hate myself in the future.”

Su Yang pondered for a while, “You don’t only have me. You still have your father, your friends and shixiongs from Tengyun Pavilion.”

Gu Feidi said, “But you’re the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

Su Yang was silent for a while, bit his lip and said, “……when you talk like that, your father will be heartbroken. You are his only son after all.”

Gu Feidi heaved a sigh: “Although filial piety if the most important of all virtues*……since I’m destined to have no descendants, I am willing to be judged as the villain and go to hell…… I can only repay what I owe Father in my next life.” 

(*TN : Chinese idiom)

For a long time, neither of them spoke.

Su Yang evaded Gu Feidi’s gaze and glanced out the door at the hot spring pool that was still calm and steaming. He looked at the snow-covered roofs of houses and rolling mountains.

Gu Feidi tugged Su Yang’s hand and stood quietly to the side. His eyes looked down and regarded Su Yang’s calm face.

“Alright…” Su Yang smiled at last, “I have but one request.”

Gu Feidi: “What is it?”

Su Yang stood up until he was in line with Gu Feidi’s gaze. He tilted his head and stared at him in all seriousness: “If you must go back to Lesser Jade House, take me with you.”

“But your body——” Gu Feidi was clearly unwilling.

“If one day I woke up to discover that you’d abandoned me and ran off by yourself ,” Su Yang narrowed his eyes, interrupted Gu Feidi and threatened, “I will head down to the snowy mountain by myself and chase after you. At that time, there won’t be a choice of whether or not I would use light footwork or internal strength….. If I suffer from cold symptoms midway, there’ll be no one to warm me up……Don’t think I’m kidding, I really do what I say.”

In the end, he added another sentence: “You also know that I’m not afraid of death.”

Gu Feidi was curbed and reduced to silence.

“Bring me along.” Su Yang smiled, “Or else no one goes.”