During the Wulin General Assembly Dongfang Bubai had killed countless people to rescue Yang Lianting.
Like an arrow at the end of its flight,[3] he had exhausted all his strength, strived to support and endure. Covered entirely in fresh red blood, he staggeringly and stumblingly placed the one he had carried on his back on the flat ground. Only after confirming the safety of their surroundings, did he breathe a sigh of relief.
Yet along with the sigh of relief, he had loosened up and was unable to restrain the metallic taste in his throat. He spurted out a large mouthful of blood. A face that had been as pale as paper, now looked nearly translucent.
Dongfang Bubai did not seem to feel any pain.
After resting in place momentarily, he tightly held onto Yang Lianting’s hand. The internal energy he had taken great pains to accumulate over years flowed into Yang Lianting’s body as if he did not want his own life. He desperately lost all his energy just to keep Yang Lianting alive. Like throwing a stone and seeing it sink into the depths of the sea without a trace, all his actions were of now use.[4]
Dongfang Bubai trembled violently from head to foot, but he gritted his teeth unwilling to let go of his hand. Tears welled up in the rims of his eyes and large teardrops rolled down his cheeks at an astonishing speed, as if he were shedding blood out of two open wounds. He stared at Yang Lianting, uncontrollably crying and whimpering like a small beast.
“Lian di, quickly get up, get up–”
“You said you wanted to accompany me for a lifetime!”
“You promised me, so how can you die? How can you die–”
When had the Invincible East ever been this weak?
Tears flowed down his wan cheeks, his whole body trembled violently, and he felt cold as ice all over. Despair and panic were uncontrollably surging from deep within his heart.
“Love, this word, brings harm, ah.”
Not knowing when Monk Huiming had appeared next to him, the monk stood still and lightly stroked his long beard. He sighed softly, his usual shrewd and unscrupulous expression had faded. Looking at Dongfang Bubai and Yang Lianting with a vague and obscured glance, he deeply sighed with rue.
Dongfang Bubai turned around and stood up in an instant, his first reaction was to grab Monk Huiming’s neck. Before he could reach out his hand, Monk Huiming took a step back and avoided his grip. Looking at him, he calmly said, “Benefactor Dongfang, this Poor Monk has no malicious intent.”
“Yang Lianting will not die.”
Dongfang Bubai froze.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward with difficulty and collected himself. The expression of vulnerability that had faced Yang Lianting faded and was replaced with the usual remote and aloof expression of the cult master, who held power over the life and death, the reward and punishment of others. He stared at the monk in front of him and questioned, “Who are you?”
“The one who ferried you across.”[5]
Monk Huiming looked at Dongfang Bubai and then glanced at Yang Lianting, who was lying unconscious on the ground. He sighed lightly and could not help but say, “Both of you have been entangled for two lifetimes now, why bother to repeat the past?”
Two lifetimes.
Hearing him speak, Dongfang Bubai fiercely frowned.
“Benefactor Dongfang, you and Brother Yang sincerely love each other till death do you part?”[6]
“Naturally.”
“But what if, in your past life, you were constrained by him, were fatally implicated by him, were killed because of him, and died without a whole body?”
“Monk, this Seat dislikes listening to your nonsense.”
Dongfang Bubai’s expression was cold and detached, utterly disregarding Monk Huiming. Not sparing him even a glance.
Monk Huiming smiled, “In this life you think he is gentle and considerate but do you know why he is so gentle and considerate to you, know why he cherishes you to the utmost?”
“In your past life he coveted riches and honor, was indecisive and irresolute, felt burdened by your infatuation and wary of you until your miserable deaths.” Monk Huiming paused and knit his brows, “In truth, Benefactor Dongfang, monks mustn’t intervene in…[7] but money complicates matters.” He chuckled, “Earlier this Poor Monk received tens of thousands of silver tales from Yang Lianting and you. Naturally, he doesn’t have the heart to see him die like this and as for you–”
Monk Huiming’s expression eased faintly, “This Poor Monk warned you long ago not to kill and commit evil in excess. Both of you being together isn’t tolerated by heaven and earth to begin with, if you continue like this it’s very likely you both won’t end well. Why must you repeat your past life’s mistakes in this life?”
“Why bother to follow in the tracks of an overturned cart?”[8]
Past life–
Dongfang Bubai looked bewildered for an instant. Eyes wide, brows furrowed, his originally pale and wan face looking weaker than before. He slowly turned his head and his gaze fell upon the man lying unconscious on the ground. Gazing at Yang Lianting, he stood up straight and softly smiled.
“Monk.”
“Those words of yours, I won’t remember a single one.”
“Even if Lian di constrained me, injured me, harmed me, and ultimately caused me to die without a whole body in our past life. It makes no difference to me.” Dongfang Bubai lowered his eyes slightly and slowly stated, “In this life, I’ll give him everything I possess without resistance. It doesn’t matter to me at all, in this life I’ll give him everything he wants. Let alone in my past life.”
“Leave.” Dongfang Bubai glanced at Monk Huiming, lightly saying, “I want to treat Lian di’s injuries and dislike listening to your strange supernatural nonsense.”
Monk Huiming bowed lightly, “Buddha is merciful, this Poor Monk has never seen two people with a fate like yours since he attained the Path.”[9]
“Even though it clearly indicates that you mustn’t be allowed a good end, there remains a silver lining.[10] If you can resolve your past life’s entangled gratitude and grudges in this life, maybe the both of you can avert the fated certain death.”
“Benefactor Dongfang divulging heaven’s will shall result in heaven’s retribution, this Poor Monk stated as much as possible. Please, comprehend–”
Having spoken, Monk Huiming placed his hands together in an upright position and saluted Dongfang Bubai. He slowly said, “It must be fate bringing me and you together, both of you have also kindly offered my Buddha joss sticks. This Poor Monk shall offer you a word of advice. Please, don’t restore the cycle of evil. In all things, part the clouds and fog to see the light.”[11]
Monk Huiming then slowly turned his mala beads and turned around to leave. Seeing him leave, Dongfang Bubai’s blood and qi surged without knowing why. Uncontrollably staggering back and forth, he spurted out another large mouthful of blood.
Pffft–
He endured the pain and sat down with difficulty beside Yang Lianting. Holding onto Yang Lianting’s hand, his long eyelashes cast fan-shaped shadows over his hollow cheeks. He still ferried energy to him as before.
One hand ferried energy, the other entwined their fingers. He quietly listened to Yang Lianting’s weak breaths. Smiling softly, he sunk into a deep silence. Despite his awful injuries, he looked joyous and softly said, “Lian di, did you hear? We were together in our past life.”
“Past life–”
“No wonder, I always think I’ve known you for a long time.”
Dongfang Bubai’s voice became lighter and lighter, until he could not keep his eyes open any longer. Slowly closing his eyes, he fainted by Yang Lianting’s side.
Running continuously for several days, without drinking nor eating nor sleeping. Rescuing Yang Lianting during the General Assembly from amongst the many martial arts experts, without giving in to pain nor threat. He felt utterly exhausted after he had run all this way, so once Monk Huiming said that Yang Lianting would not die he breathed a sigh of relief.
Dongfang Bubai dreamt a long, long dream.
He dreamt of his past life, dreamt of the days he spent as Ren Woxing’s subordinate, dreamt of wielding that blade to castrate himself to cultivate the Sunflower Manual, dreamt of ascending the cult master’s throne while thousands of people congratulated him as if the mountains overturned the seas, and dreamt of Yang Lianting.
The Yang Lianting in his dream was not as considerate to him as he was in this life. He saw the dream’s Dongfang Bubai lower himself and fall into despair little by little, saw the dream’s Yang Lianting alienatingly sever the feelings tying them together, saw him smile smugly while attended to by a retinue[12] at his beck and call and by gentle and charming women in his embrace. He saw himself patiently wait for him in a small house day by day.
In the end, he saw himself die together with Yang Lianting.
The dream was very long and very painful.
Once Dongfang Bubai woke up, he spasmed from head to toe in pain, shrank together and gripped his chest. Unable to restrain the large tears welling up and streaming down his cheeks.
“It turns out, we were really together in our past life.”
Dongfang Bubai slowly sat up, those hidden memories of his past life violently surged and nearly drowned him. He hesitantly lowered his head, his gaze falling upon Yang Lianting’s face.
Such a familiar face.
In his past and present life, he had looked at his face for two lifetimes.
“Lian di, do you know, do you remember? In a previous life we were together from beginning to end–”
In an instant Dongfang Bubai felt enlightened as if ghee were anointed on his head.[13] He recalled all the details of his and Yang Lianting’s usual interactions in this life. Pitch-black eyes that hid guilt and shame, hid complex memories that had passed through hundreds and thousands of years. That man used his terrifyingly accurate intimate understanding of him to make up for all of his past life’s regrets, he treated him well, he was tender to him, and he disdained power in this life.
In that instant Yang Lianting’s face of their past life matched up with his face in this life. Dongfang Bubai felt all his strength drain, he could neither control his laughter nor control his tears.
Supporting the still unconscious Yang Lianting with his arm, he slowly stood up and walked towards Blackwood Cliff step by step. He had been seriously injured before and was not in a better condition than the unconscious man he carried on his thin back, yet he still walked onwards step by step as if he did not want his own life.
I want to return to Blackwood Cliff.
I want to save Yang Lianting.
In his past life, he had failed to defeat Ren Woxing and rescue Yang Lianting. In this life, how could he bear to watch as he died?
Monk Huiming said that a lifetime ago his Lian di had injured him, constrained him, harmed him until their fatal end.
However–
Dongfang Bubai’s complexion looked awfully pale and wan, yet he still contentedly smiled.
I’ve always been willing to die for Yang Lianting.
Let alone in this life.
The flickering red candles of their wedding night appeared in his mind. He slowly shook his head, the corners of his eyes deep red. Using his past life’s loneliness and despair to exchange for Yang Lianting’s heartfelt love in this life–