Chapter 47 – He Ku’s Love Language

“Ah, don’t cry with my face…”

It wasn’t until He Huan’s fingers touched the corner of his eye that He Ku realized he was actually shedding tears. He thought to himself, ‘Clearly, it’s you that’s crying.’ Looking at the person who was still forcing a smile, he instead huffed, “This has nothing to do with me, it’s Bu Qingyun who’s crying.”

As if a key had been turned and something was unlocked, the smile on the man in red gradually disappeared. He closed his eyes and responded gently, “Yes, Bu Qingyun should be very heartbroken.”

He Huan, as a cultivator in the Calamity Crossing Stage, couldn’t be defeated by anyone, but Bu Qingyun no longer had any status, so he could afford to be sad. Even though the two of them were stubborn and knew that they were both Bu Qingyun, they wouldn’t admit it.

Gently holding his hand, He Ku looked down and saw that tear drop slowly fall towards that fair palm. Bu QingYun and He Huan were both so strong, they were able to endure all kinds of hardship without shedding a single tear. Yet when it got to himself, he couldn’t help but cry after He Huan got captured, and in such an ugly way no less.

Suddenly, he understood why He Huan wanted him to think carefully. If he really wanted to be with He Huan, he would not be able to be a bystander anymore. He would no longer be able to remain detached from the past anymore. Bu Yaolian was not ruthless nor decisive enough in his actions. There would be more real villains setting countless traps ahead of them in the future, and when that time came he would experience all the suffering he did just now again.

He Huan wasn’t afraid that He Ku would regret being with him, because if He Ku did, He Huan could take full responsibility for tempting him and let the young man leave with a clean slate. What he feared was that the young man couldn’t bear the pain of being with him, that once they were together, he would no longer be able to live as happily and carefreely as he had before.

The closer they became, the more their emotions intertwined, and the more easily they infected each other. He Huan’s life was ultimately filled with more pain than joy, and he couldn’t bear to give half of that hundred years of pain to He Ku. His young self was like a full moon in the sky, so clear, so gentle. As long as he was with him, he could stop worrying about the ups and downs of the Jianghu. It was as if even he himself had become pure. A single tear had already made him heartbroken, how could he bear to let him throw himself into the sea of blood again?

In just the moment their hands intertwined, He Ku understood He Huan’s thoughts. This was a gift that only he possessed in the world, and only he could see through this person’s perfect disguise and see his true heart.

In actuality, He Ku was exactly the same as Bu Qingyun when he first arrived. Someone who was full of emotion, easily moved and saddened, and filled with a sense of justice unique to young people. He was not always so strong at the beginning, it was the martial world that gradually molded Bu Qingyun into the current He Huan. And now, it is He Huan who has slowly polished him into the present He Ku.

He Ku’s heart wasn’t big, there was no room for it to contain the world when it was already filled by someone who only thought of the world. When he entered the Nascent Soul Stage, he swore to himself with the heavenly dao that when He Huan guarded the world, he would be the one to guard He Huan. Only in this way can true peace be attained.

A gentle breeze, as if it had always been that way, brushed over the ethereal Fallen Immortal Lake. In the faint reflection, a white-clad youth lowered his head and gently kissed the palm of the person in red. The bitter tears in his eyes instantly evaporated in the warmth of his lips, leaving only the warmth of his affection to penetrate his skin and spread throughout his body, dispelling all the chill left by time. The youth did not speak, because he knew that his determination had been conveyed to the other person’s heart.

Ever since they reunited, their spiritual connection has never been wrong. And as he expected, He Huan really understood.

He suddenly remembered that he had once told He Ku that Bu Qingyun had hoped someone could tell him what to do when he was lost, that there was someone to say everything he did was worth it, and someone that could offer him reprieve and let him sleep peacefully away from all the right and wrongs… He also said that Bu Qingyun did not have such a person, but he would be that person for He Ku.

How had He Ku responded at that time?

Right, the youth asked him, “Can’t I be that someone for you?”

He shouldn’t have underestimated himself. When he was young, he was truly the most powerful person in the world. He always did what he said he would do, and now he has truly done it.

At this moment, everything from the past no longer matters. Bu Yaolian has walked out from it, and so has Bu Qingyun. He was no longer the Bu Qingyun who needed Bu Yaolian to follow behind him and clean up everything for him. The person beside him will always know when he is sad or happy. There’s no need to guess or doubt because they were of the same body once and are closer than any other relationship in the world.

The soft touch of lips on his palm dissipated all the pent-up emotions in his heart. He no longer needed to keep up the facade of a smile, and simply pulled the youth into his embrace. Their identical height allowed them to fit perfectly together, feeling each other’s heartbeat with all their heart. This was the body that He Huan was most familiar with in the world, and the only one that could make him feel at ease. So only when he was embraced by him did he allow himself to show a hint of vulnerability, which was something he only allowed Bu Qingyun to see.

They held each other for a long time, as if deliberately pausing time to allow themselves to heal. The world finally quieted down, with no one to disturb them. There were only the two of them, supporting each other, comforting each other, and then, smoothing over all the wounds and pain. When they let go of each other’s hands, everything from the past seemed light and breezy, and was no longer mentioned.

The person holding them silently felt their emotions gradually calming down. Knowing that their companion’s mood had returned to normal, they asked the current question, “How do you plan to deal with shifu’s situation?”

Speaking of Qing XuZi, He Huan’s head began to hurt again. After all, he was the one who planned this whole thing, but during the execution, he changed his mind, causing trouble for himself and almost getting himself killed. He kept Qing XuZi in the dark from beginning to end, nearly executing his own disciple by hand. Now that Qingxu Zi knows the truth, it’s impossible for him not to be angry. He truly committed the crime of deceiving his master and annihilating his sect, and this time it wasn’t unjust.

However, in the past, no matter how much trouble he caused, Qing XuZi never lost his temper. So, he couldn’t accurately gauge the extent of his master’s anger at the moment, he could only sigh helplessly and say, “Bu Yaolian’s temperament would lead him to resign from Qing XuZi. There’s nothing that can be kept hidden from him anyway. If shifu asks, then I’ll tell him the truth.”

Silently imagining the situation of He Huan’s usual nature clashing with the old Daoist’s frankness, He Ku was certain that He Huan would shoulder all the responsibility in an effort to assuage his master of any feelings of guilt or hurt. But this would in turn anger the old master so much he’d rather stab He Huan.

They were not invincible either. Dealing with Bu Yaolian had already taken a toll on them, and if they were to sever ties with Qing XuZi as well… He Ku could already feel a stomachache just thinking about it. In that moment, he cowered and suggested, “How about… we elope?”

It’s not like He Huan actually liked to hurt himself, so naturally he wasn’t willing to deliver himself to trouble’s front door. Yet, looking at his body, he could only sigh. “My soul was cut off by our master’s divine sword intent. As long as he doesn’t retract the sword intent, I am unable to return to my body.”

However, it was at this moment that He Ku realized that in the long time they had been reunited, He Huan was unable to return to his physical body, as if something were blocking him from doing so. When their spiritual forms were outside, they became something akin to a Nascent Soul, but were also susceptible to being swallowed and assimilated by others. If He Huan, a Nascent Soul in the Calamity Crossing stage, were to just walk on the streets and had little combat power due to being unable to enter his body… Just the thought of this scenario made him realize how many people would covet him like a precious treasure. It was clear that venturing into the outside world was the worst choice at the moment.

As these thoughts crossed He Ku’s mind, he couldn’t help but feel fortunate that Qing XuZi and Bu YaoLian were the ones responsible for guarding He Huan. If it were any other sect, he wouldn’t be having this dilemma about inviting his own death, they would have eagerly swallowed his precious Nascent Soul without hesitation. However, upon further reflection, He Ku realized that if his opponents weren’t from the Xuanmen Righteous Sect, he wouldn’t have been caught so easily either. In conclusion, they just had ill fate.

Unable to escape, He Ku knew he had to endure. He understood Qing XuZi’s temperament well and immediately understood He Huan’s helplessness. He sighed and said, “It seems we can only await our fate.”

“Shizun has a gentle temperament. The likelihood of him killing us is low.”

He Huan’s statement was truthful. During his time imprisoned in the Fallen Immortal Lake, he had desperately sought death and used every means possible. However, Qing XuZi remained unmoved, refusing to assimilate him to enhance his own cultivation. Eventually, he became so annoyed by He Huan’s constant pestering that he left Bu YaoLian to guard him, out of sight and out of mind.

He Huan naturally had no desire to say a word to Bu YaoLian. He could only admire his master’s integrity, as even with the Nascent Soul of a Calamity Crossing stage cultivator right in front of him, he remained unmoved. However, now that he recalled his own behavior at that time, he couldn’t help but feel a slight chill down his spine.

Serves you right for being reckless. Now you know what it feels like to be scared!

This chill was also felt by He Ku, who cast a disapproving glance at the visibly panicked individual pretending to be calm. He didn’t expose him and simply responded, “But the likelihood of him prohibiting you from courting yourself is one hundred percent.”

Upon hearing this, He Huan fell silent again and continued to sigh. “Well, saying it out loud is quite shocking, after all.”

If it was just being a cut-sleeve, it was likely that Qing XuZi would just feel disgusted for a bit before becoming accustomed to it. After all, he had heard many of such things over the years. The problem was that the target for his affections was himself, there had been no such precedent before him. He Huan had dwelled in the realm of romance for several decades, never once entertaining such thoughts. Even when such inclinations emerged later on, he dismissed them as fleeting fantasies born out of pent-up frustration and promptly scorned himself. If the notorious playboy himself felt this way, one could only imagine the derogatory comments that would arise if such news spread among the orthodox sects.

Sigh, to be moved to the point of desire by one’s own emotions… This is probably the pinnacle of lecherousness. His reputation as the most perverted demon lord in the Jianghu is now well-deserved. Of course, He Ku is a pure and upright young man who would hesitate for a long time even before accepting a kiss. He would never be so twisted. It’s just that He Huan has twisted people’s perceptions due to his own distortions.

He Ku was unaware that in the blink of an eye, he had involuntarily shouldered another burden of blame. He thought to himself that being bothered about it was pointless, so it would be better to discuss something important. He directly asked, “We’re both facing certain death anyway. Can you tell me what you didn’t finish saying earlier?”

See? He Ku has once again taken on the blame without hesitation. If it were He Ku in his place, discussing such a topic would require a warm pot of wine. They would lean against each other under the influence of alcohol, their feelings intertwined in a dance of half resistance and half surrender, naturally leading to a perfect moment… Well, it’s better not to jump to conclusions hastily.

Suppressing his own wanton thoughts just in time, He Huan regained his composure. He looked at the young man, who appeared open and as if they were discussing life ideals, and the thoughts of romance faded away. He simply patted his head and smiled subtly, saying, “He Ku, a person will always love oneself the most, and you are me.”

He Ku had been eagerly anticipating what he was going to say for a long time, but he didn’t expect that to be all there was. After pondering for a while, he finally understood the meaning and couldn’t help but protest, “Do you really need to beat around the bush with your confession? Is that how you used to sweet talk people before?”

You, with your righteous appearance, holding a sword as if about to descend the mountain to vanquish evil and uphold justice in the next second, and yet, have no hint of shyness. So, all this waiting was actually for sweet words?

Bu Qingyun had never been in a romantic relationship with anyone when he was on the righteous path, and He Huan didn’t expect his expression of love during his youth to be so different. He could only humbly inquire, “Then, how should one go about expressing such romantic words?”

He Ku was bursting with affection, and the question held him back. Without considering any other options, he pointed at He Huan and declared loudly, “He Huan, I like you! It’s a unique kind of liking in the whole world! I only allow you to share my sleeping quarters!”

His tone was genuinely open and honest. If he had chosen to express it directly by saying that he would protect the world and achieve the great path, it wouldn’t have been out of place. However, it was precisely this straightforward and unadorned confession that left He Huan’s rationality dumbfounded, and his thoughts became a swirling mist with no solid ground to hold onto.

Suddenly, he understood that for a youth, being liked by someone is something they can proudly and confidently declare to anyone. He Ku was indeed a person of integrity, and as long as he believed in his heart that it was right, even if their love was frowned upon by the world, he would express it openly and honestly.

To be loved by someone like him is truly a blessing for a lifetime.

All his worries were cut off by the young man’s determination. He no longer hesitated and embraced him, his face filled with a smile as warm as spring. “Good, I will share my sleeping quarters with you.”

“What about the ‘only you’ part? Did you eat it?”

He Ku enjoyed being held by him. Whether it was embracing each other or leaning against his chest, it gave him a sense of security where he didn’t have to fear anything. Although he still tried to maintain a tough facade, his heart instantly softened. However, at that moment, a gentle voice reached his ears, instantly turning his heart into a pool of spring water. He said, “Only with you, for a lifetime.”

He Ku appreciated the way He Huan spoke with him. It may not be seductive or capable of captivating one’s emotions, but every word was a sincere expression of his true feelings. This was his way of love, simple and straightforward, requiring no guesswork or speculation. Everything was guided by their hearts.

I want to be in a relationship with you.

Good, I want to be with you too.

Love doesn’t require so many twists and turns. From the very beginning, all they needed were these two sentences.