Chapter 296: Cannot Turn Back After Drawing the Sword
The stone door of the cave mansion opened, letting in a bit of light.
Compared to the afternoon, the sunlight was already dim, not dazzling, and very gentle.
As the young man walked out of the cave mansion, he subconsciously raised his hand, his expression a little dazed.
That vixen had probably really left.
Just thinking about the soft sensation when they parted made Chen An fall silent for a moment.
He didn’t know when it started, but his attitude had gradually become less resistant.
Actually, if he thought about it carefully, there was no romantic feeling between him and the red-dressed girl.
What existed was only for cultivation.
Just as she had said herself, she sought him out only to help her cultivate.
That was all.
They hadn’t done anything too excessive.
The so-called physical exhaustion was indeed because his cultivation couldn’t keep up with her progress, so he would easily be drained if he wasn’t careful.
Rather than some kind of disguised exercise.
Even his Master had explicitly stated that the matter was all benefit and no harm.
But this was not the ending Chen An wanted.
However, life is like a game of chess, and he was now just a pawn pushed by the big figures, with no other way but to let things be.
He hadn’t tried to resist.
If every act of resistance were successful, then there wouldn’t be so many regrets in the world.
Perhaps he had a limitless future, but for now, he was ultimately just a low-level cultivator who hadn’t even completed Foundation Establishment.
The sect gave him shelter and resources.
Correspondingly, with Dao Xuan Zhenren standing by and doing nothing, Chen An couldn’t find any reason to blame him.
It was like parents forcing you to do something you didn’t like for your own good.
You could protest, of course, but would your parents stop?
Perhaps they would, perhaps they wouldn’t.
He had no choice but to passively endure.
The mountain wind blew, lifting the young man’s plain robe.
He stood there, quietly looking into the distance.
Chen An thought that his requirements in this life were actually very simple.
The young man had no grand ambitions or dreams.
He just wanted enough capital to establish himself, then find a paradise with Sanniang, and from then on, he would no longer concern himself with worldly affairs, but simply enjoy himself.
As for those so-called systems and missions, they were long gone.
Since the system never made a sound, Chen An was happy to pretend it didn’t exist.
Even if the system suddenly came back to life, Chen An would probably just say, “Don’t come near me, I don’t know you.”
…
Summer days always lasted longer than other times.
When Chen An slowly arrived at the outer sect, there was still a hint of dim light hanging in the sky.
He followed the path he had walked since childhood and could see the small house from afar.
The young man slowed his steps.
Because the wooden door of the house, just like when he left, was still tightly closed, showing no sign of anyone returning.
Upon reaching the door, Chen An pushed it open and walked in.
The interior was simply furnished, but the person he expected to see was not there.
He frowned, looked up at the increasingly dim sky, and felt inexplicably heavy-hearted.
Even though he knew the girl should be fine, he couldn’t help but worry.
Chen An didn’t think he was being too sensitive; if he were to disappear suddenly like this, Mu Sanniang would probably have a meltdown on the spot.
He got lost in thought and began to wander around the house.
Chen An was very familiar with every detail in the house.
For example, the wooden basin placed under the cabinet was what he often used to wash his Older Sister’s feet.
For some reason, Mu Sanniang seemed particularly insistent on him helping her wash her feet.
Since Chen An didn’t mind and didn’t feel that washing his sister’s feet would damage his dignity, this matter gradually became a habit between the two of them.
Was it a symbol of sibling affection?
Seeing the wooden basin, Chen An couldn’t help but think of Mu Sanniang’s fair and tender bare feet.
They were small and smooth when he held them, with an excellent feel, like a clear spring, making one want to cup them in their hands and examine them in detail.
For some reason, Chen An suddenly thought of another red-dressed girl who liked to run around barefoot.
In contrast, the latter was much more slender.
She had a light and graceful feeling, like a quietly blooming lotus, making one want to hold her in their arms and play with her.
Wait.
The young man suddenly woke up and lightly patted his face.
What was he thinking?
He thought that the vixen was somewhat normal; after all, their relationship was indeed ambiguous, and they had recently interacted.
But Mu Sanniang was his Older Sister!
Chen An felt a little ashamed.
However, he quickly shook his head, thinking that he must have been ledAstray by the two of them when he was young, who knew they would always be running around barefoot in front of him…
He wasn’t even a foot fetishist…
The young man comforted himself like this, then cleared his throat guiltily, averting his gaze from the wooden basin.
He took a step forward and casually opened the cabinet door.
He had only done it casually, but upon seeing what was inside the cabinet, Chen An’s expression faltered.
There were no clothes or other things in the cabinet.
There were small bottles, one after another.
They were not all of the same model, and their colors varied.
However, they were neatly categorized by the owner, each placed intact, showing how much the owner cherished them.
The bottles were not covered in dust, indicating that someone took care of them regularly.
Chen An stared blankly for a while, then quietly closed the cabinet.
He then looked around, and there was nothing else worth mentioning.
So the young man walked to the bed, lay down on it, and slept.
The soft quilt emitted a faint, pleasant fragrance.
Chen An was very familiar with this scent.
This scent would become slightly stronger whenever he brought his cheek close to his sister’s skin.
It smelled good and made one feel refreshed and happy.
So the young man just lay there, not meditating or cultivating, but completely relaxing his body and mind.
He actually fell asleep like this.
As the sky darkened, the evening breeze blew against the window lattice, making a faint puffing sound.
It was unclear how much time had passed when a slender figure arrived, bathed in moonlight.
She saw the open door and her body instinctively paused.
Then, the girl’s steps slowed down considerably, and she entered noiselessly.
She walked all the way to the bedside and saw the young man sleeping peacefully on the bed.
The moonlight shone through the window, illuminating the young man’s clear and handsome features.
It was a handsome face that was no less than anyone else’s.
Mu Sanniang remained silent, standing quietly and watching for a long time.
In the afternoon by the stream, that old voice seemed to echo in her ears.
“You also have someone you want to protect your whole life, don’t you?”
Mu Sanniang could have turned and left long ago, but this sentence struck her heart with pinpoint accuracy.
She stood by the stream for a long time, and finally, she slowly lowered herself, until the stream water submerged her entire body.
It was clearly just a stream that looked bottomless, so why could it have such depth?
The girl didn’t think about these things.
She just stared blankly at the bottom of the stream.
There, a slender knife with a completely dark body was inserted.
The blade was like ink, a darkness that seemed to devour everything.
There was no trace of light or patterns.
It looked like an ordinary knife, just with a peculiar design.
She grasped the hilt.
In her mind, that ancient voice echoed once more.
However, there was also a hint of uncontrollable excitement in the voice.
“Have you thought it through?”
“Once the sword is drawn, there’s no turning back, just as the ending cannot be changed.”
The girl was speechless.
She simply drew the sword.
