Chapter 298 - You Are Not Him
Feeding Cen Shuyin the Clear Jade Pill was different. After eating the Clear Jade Pill, Cen Shuyin still needed Mo Wuji to refine the effects of the pill. The Immeasurable Soul-prolonging Flower crystals melted away the moment they entered Cen Shuyin’s mouth, as if they were swallows returning to their nest.
Mo Wuji studied Cen Shuyin intently. In the time that it took to burn half a joss stick, Mo Wuji could distinctly feel that Cen Shuyin’s life was coming back to her.
Two hours pa.s.sed. Mo Wuji caught a hint of a pulse in Cen Shuyin.
Although Mo Wuji was still unsure if Cen Shuyin’s strength was restored, he was sure that she would survive.
A day pa.s.sed. Cen Shuyin’s breathing was steady. It was as if she had secretly adjusted her own condition. Mo Wuji didn’t sense Cen Shuyin absorbing any spiritual energy. Clearly, she wasn’t able to cultivate spiritual energy – she was merely regaining her vitality. He heaved a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Junior Mo," Cen Shuyin’s eyes fluttered open. Her voice was feeble.
"Senior Cen, all I did was wait for you to wake up. I didn’t save you. Instead, I could’ve caused you to remain comatose forever." Mo Wuji quickly replied.
Cen Shuyin knew what he meant. If she couldn’t cultivate spiritual energy when she regained consciousness, she would be no different from remaining comatose.
She remained silent. Lifting her eyes to gaze out of the Howling Wind Beast’s Cave, she didn"t even bother to ask how Mo Wuji got there. It was as if all of this did not matter to her anymore.
Mo Wuji, not knowing how to comfort Cen Shuyin, also remained quiet.
They remained this way for several minutes. Then, Cen Shuyin slowly turned around to face Mo Wuji. Weakly, she asked, "Junior Mo, you came over from the Lost Continent. You must have heard about Rogue Cultivator 2705. Is he alright?"
He replied, "I have heard. He’s doing very well. Actually…"
"You know, I was sent to him by Dean Feng. Although he wouldn’t admit it, I wasn’t planning on looking for another partner. When I was fighting off the Howling Wind Beast with all of my strength and might, the only person I wanted to see was him…." Cen Shuyin’s voice seemed to come from a distance. She was talking to herself, yet explaining to Mo Wuji at the same time.
"…" Mo Wuji never imagined that she would say that. Hearing her hurt voice, and seeing that she was lost in her own memories, Mo Wuji quickly said, "Since he wouldn’t admit it, then all of this shouldn’t matter. You shouldn’t take any of it to heart."
Cen Shuyin shook her head slightly. "You don’t understand. My heart was more at peace while I was his partner. I got him into this. When I was dying, I really wanted to tell him that I’m not a bad woman… and that I really didn"t mean to get him involved…"
Mo Wuji breathed in deeply. Gravely, he explained, "Senior Cen, listen to me. Actually, I am Rogue Cultivator 2705. I know you didn’t mean for Rogue Cultivator 2705 to get into trouble with Star King Mountain’s Xia clan. I don’t blame you at all. Instead, I’m worried because your injuries are not healing well, and…"
Cen Shuyin’s controlled her expression. Keeping her gaze outside of the cave, she gently replied, "You are Mo Wuji. You are not him. I’m sorry, Junior Mo. I can only have one partner in this life."
Mo Wuji was born intelligent, and after all that has happened, his EQ was not low either. Cen Shuyin emphasised twice that she could only have 1 partner in her life – Rogue Cultivator 2705. He understood.
Cen Shuyin had known from the beginning that he was Rogue Cultivator 2705. However, she either did not want a partner or she had some form of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Or, possibly, she was worried that he had only come to rescue her because he fancied her, so she was looking for an excuse – any excuse – to reject him.
Fortunately, Mo Wuji did not mind at all. He appreciated Cen Shuyin, but he rescued her not because he fancied her. He only did so because she was his benefactor.
Otherwise, he might have pitied her but he would never have come to Th.o.r.n.y Wind Gate. He, Mo Wuji, had reason for everything that he did. He wouldn’t simply do what others wanted him to.
It did not matter to him what Cen Shuyin thought, so he didn’t bother to ask how she knew that he was Rogue Cultivator 2705. It was best not to even discuss this topic.
In fact, other than the old Yan Er whom he still cherished in his heart, no woman moved Mo Wuji. Not even one as beautiful as Cen Shuyin.
The old Yan Er? When he thought of her, Mo Wuji suddenly began to empathise with Cen Shuyin. If his beloved Yan Er of old had met with any sort of danger, he would definitely have risked his life to rescue her. But could he really treat the present Yan Er the same way?
Maybe the man who Cen Shuyin couldn’t forget was the Rogue Cultivator 2705 who held her as she was dying.
Mo Wuji shook his head slightly. Just as he was about to change the topic, Cen Shuyin suddenly said, "Sister Suting said she has never seen a rogue cultivator in Channel Opening Stage partic.i.p.ating in the Five Elements Pill Compet.i.tion – much less use his mortal hands to concoct pills and earn entry into Five Elements Desolate Domain. She has also never seen a rogue cultivator in Channel Opening Stage, daring to search for the Immeasurable Soul-forging Crystal in Five Elements Desolate Domain alone, and succeeding. Even if this rogue cultivator hadn’t said a word, she could guess that he must have been through the hardest of times, and have come face-to-face with death countless times."
"Sister Suting?" Mo Wuji knew that Cen Shuyin was referring to him, but he had no idea who this Sister Suting was. Only Zhen Shaoke knew of all these things that he had experienced. Right, and that Linglong knew too.
After speaking for some time, Cen Shuyin was looking much better than before. She also seemed to have more energy than before. "Sister Suting is the head of the Heaven Seeking Palace, Bei Suting. We came to Zhen Mo Continent together. On the plane here, Sister Suting insisted that we refer to her as Senior and not Dean."
Sister Suting knows of all these things because Granny Linglong gave her a portion of the Immeasurable Soul-prolonging Flower, which helped her to regain her divine spirit. If not for the fact that Granny Linglong said, ‘Your path is yours to make,’ so that she wouldn’t bother you, Sister Suting would have looked for you long ago. Later, when Granny Linglong went missing, Sister Suting couldn’t find you despite her efforts."
Pausing for a while, Cen Shuyin continued, "Maybe n.o.body would have thought that you did all that you did because of a maid who used to be at your side. Maybe Sister Suting didn’t know that you lay your life on the line once again to save Yan Er in Thunder Fog Forest. I’m afraid there is none other like you in this entire universe. You’re willing to exchange your own life for that of a slave. Yan Er is one lucky woman, and you are one faithful man. I believe that one day, Yan Er will appreciate all that you have sacrificed for her."
Cen Shuyin’s voice became weaker as she slowly lowered her head.
She didn’t know why she said all of this, when in her heart she knew that Mo Wuji had similarly risked his life to enter Th.o.r.n.y Wind Gate. What remained of the clothes he wore were pieces of cloth, clinging on to his body. Scars from the whips of wind covered his exposed skin. She guessed that the torture that Mo Wuji had experienced here was comparable to hers. In fact, she probably could live only because he had risked his life to save her.
Maybe she had said so much so that she would stop thinking of these things. Yet, she couldn’t forget. In some ways, she was like Mo Wuji. She couldn’t forget the favours that others did for her, much less if the person saved her life.
"Senior Cen, now that you have exhausted your potential, can you still recover? Or at least cultivate your potential again?" Mo Wuji initiated the diversion in conversation, because he no longer wanted to discuss the topic.
Whether Cen Shuyin’s words served to remind him not to forget Yan Er, or to remind herself of something, Mo Wuji did not want to pry further. He didn"t even want to ask if Linglong wanted to obtain the Immeasurable Soul-prolonging Flower because of Bei Suting.
Cen Shuyin pulled her clothes tighter around herself, and her facial expression slowly became natural again.
"If not for your Immeasurable Soul-prolonging Flower, I wouldn’t have regained consciousness. I wouldn’t even be able to recover forever. Now, my divine spirit is slowly recuperating. In two months, I should be fully recovered," Cen Shuyin forced herself to suppress the immense grat.i.tude that she felt toward him. She couldn’t have a partner. At the same time, she believed that Yan Er would one day return to Mo Wuji.
Rejoicing, Mo Wuji said, "I was planning to train here for a few months too. Oh yes, this ring is for you. Let me take out its contents…"
When he was done, Mo Wuji took out a ring and handed it over to Cen Shuyin. A whole bunch of other things also landed on the ground in front of her. Spirit stones, medicinal pills, spiritual items, clothes…
Cen Shuyin stared, surprised, at the ring that Mo Wuji had handed to her, along with everything that lay in front of her. She couldn’t figure out how Mo Wuji could casually take out a storage ring.
Without waiting for her to speak, Mo Wuji got up and moved to the other side of the room. He began to practise.
Cen Shuyin stared dumbfounded at all the things she had just received. She began to shudder inwardly. What if, one day, she found out that she could never repay Mo Wuji for all that he has done for her?
After a long while, she slowly retrieved the exquisite flying car from the bunch of items.
In her head, she replayed what she had said to Mo Wuji, "If one day, you think of selling this flying car, please sell it back to me."
Now, he has returned the flying car to her. He had not sold it away, and he had not sold it to her – he had given it to her.
She felt a gust of spiritual energy stir like a whirlpool. Cen Shuyin lifted her head and was shocked to find that Mo Wuji cultivated spiritual energy at a speed that far exceeded hers.
Yet, she was in True Lake Stage…
The only explanation was that Mo Wuji, like herself, was in True Lake Stage too.
In that instant, she finally understood why Mo Wuji survived the journey to Zhen Mo Continent.
If the quality of Mo Wuji’s spiritual roots was considered poor, then no cultivator in this entire world could say that the quality of theirs was superior – not even Cen Shuyin herself.
Even in a cultivation haven like Zhen Mo Continent, and even if her spiritual roots were incomparably superior, if Cen Shuyin did not work hard, she would only be able to catch the back view of Mo Wuji after a while.