Fear Of The Past

Jianyu, in the midst of his monotonous cultivation, heard a knock at his door, followed by Lei Qiang's voice from the other side.

"Young master, Miss Suyin and Xin Guang have requested to meet with you."

"..."

After a brief pause, Jianyu decided to meet with them to prevent any potential misunderstandings, "Let them in."

Moreover, he would have to give them instructions for the future as he wouldn't be able to guide them from now on.

A few moments later, the door to Jianyu's room opened, revealing Mo Suyin and Xin Guang, both of them appearing quite anxious.

"Senior brother! Are you doing okay?" Mo Suyin asked, concern etched across her face.

Mo Suyin took a cautious step toward Jianyu but stopped at arm's length, concerned about aggravating his injuries. Xin Guang, on the other hand, remained frozen in place, shocked by Jianyu's condition.

Jianyu displayed visible signs of distress, with faint bruises dotting his body. His once-healthy complexion now a sickly shade akin to freshly fallen snow, highlighting the dark circles under his eyes, making him appear fatigued and weak.

His smile, while an attempt to reassure them, seemed strained and hollow, which only deepened their worries.

"No need to be that concerned, both of you," Jianyu said, attempting to downplay the situation. "I'm completely fine~"

However, seeing that his words weren't convincing them, Jianyu sighed and continued.

"Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to join you for our daily training sessions, as I'll be busy consolidating my cultivation base."

"..." Mo Suyin and Xin Guang exchanged silent glances, their concerns unspoken but evident.

"I've also asked Lei Qiang to bring an Immortal chef to the Lunar-frost peak to cook for you in my absence." Jianyu continued in a light-hearted manner, his hollow smile still the same, completely ignoring their unspoken worries.

"Senior brother, you—" Mo Suyin began, but Jianyu cut her off.

"Now go and focus on your own cultivation, there's no need to worry about me." he said, his demeanor now more insistent, signaling his desire for them to leave.

"...yes."

Reluctantly, Mo Suyin and Xin Guang nodded and left Jianyu's room. Despite Jianyu's reassurances, they couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. Concern for their senior brother weighed on their minds as they headed off, leaving Jianyu alone to continue his cultivation.

...

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...

After Suyin and Xin Guang left, Jianyu's smile disappeared as he returned to his cultivation, consolidating and refining his Yin-yang chaos refinement formation to hasten the absorption of the chaos qi, however, soon after he heard yet another knock on his door.

"Young master, Lady Xifeng has come to visit you."

Jianyu frowned and spoke in an annoyed tone, "Tell her that I am recuperating and can't—"

However, a moment of contemplation led him to change his mind.

'No... It's better to meet her.' Initially, he wanted to decline the visit, hoping to continue his recuperation in peace, but a second thought overcame him.

Changing his mind, he addressed Lei Qiang, "On second thought, let her come."

"...Yes young master." Lei Qiang acknowledged his request and soon returned with Yin Xifeng in tow.

Soon after, the door was knocked again.

"Young master, I've brought lady Xifeng."

"Come in."

...

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...

In the past few days, Xifeng had observed that Dongyang was unusually quiet. Even during their lessons, he seemed unusually gloomy, normally he was a chatterbox always ready to tell her fun tales about the past. Some of which even involved her grandmother, other family members and Jianyu.

However, when he returned to the Stellar flame peak two days ago his demeanor had completely changed, he always looked lost and randomly sighed while looking off into the distance with a melancholic atmosphere around him.

Xifeng had attempted to inquire about the cause of this change, but Xin Dongyang had evaded her questions with vague excuses, leaving her feeling increasingly concerned.

This transformation was too dramatic to be a mere coincidence, and Xifeng had made up her mind to take a more direct approach in order to uncover the truth behind this change.

"Has something happened with Jianyu?" She asked, her words laced with concern.

Xin Dongyang's reaction was immediate, and his surprise was palpable as his eyes widened, "—!"

Seeing Xin Dongyang's sudden reaction, Xifeng decided to seize the moment.

"Grandpa, please, you must tell me what's going on."

Xin Dongyang hesitated, "This...", but Xifeng was determined to uncover the truth as it involved Jianyu.

"As someone who will eventually be part of the Xin family, I believe I have a right to know about the well-being of my fiance!"

After a contemplative pause, Xin Dongyang finally relented, "...Jianyu has suffered some injuries from an untimely tribulation."

...

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...

Xifeng had hurried to visit Jianyu as soon as circumstances allowed. However, her initial attempt to see him had been met with discouraging news.

"Young master is currently in seclusion for recovery. Please return for today," Lei Qiang, her fiance's bodyguard that had served him since his childhood asked her to leave.

If it were anyone other than Lei Qiang, Xifeng might have pressed further for answers. However, her long-standing acquaintance with Lei Qiang had given her an understanding that if she was saying this, the situation must be grave, but under control and that realization was enough for her to not pry any further and leave for now.

The next day, she found herself back at the entrance to Jianyu's room, she had also brought some medicines and elixirs that might help him. On her way, she had crossed paths with Xin Guang and Mo Suyin, both of whom shared some unsettling news about Jianyu's condition.

Standing by the door, Xifeng was gripped by a gnawing worry that had grown since her last visit. As the door creaked open, her anxiety escalated into full-blown 'fear'.

"So... you've arrived..."

The voice that greeted her was chilling, devoid of emotion, and laced with an unspoken intent that sent shivers down Yin Xifeng's spine.

Those dulled eyes, lacking any warmth, locked onto her, seemingly evaluating her very existence.

In the presence of those unwelcoming eyes, Xifeng couldn't felt an overwhelming sense of dread that she hadn't felt in years.

Those eyes made her recall the countless memories of the past, memories that she had pushed aside and chosen to ignore until this very moment.

The cold, emotionless voice echoed hauntingly, just as it did back then.

It was as if she had returned to her past life...