Chapter 296: She Broke Her Promise
Chapter 296: She Broke Her Promise
As the gentle night breeze blew, Chen An brought Mu Sanniang back to the cave mansion. He walked to the side of the futon and carefully placed the girl from his back down. The girl’s eyes were closed, and she had fallen asleep at some point. Her sleeping face was peaceful. Chen An watched for a while, then smiled silently. He then used his spiritual energy to bring over a basin of hot water. Next, he immersed the girl’s hair, which was covered in bloodstains, into the basin. Mu Sanniang’s eyelashes trembled slightly, perhaps sensing something, but she did not open her eyes. Chen An’s movements were as gentle as possible as he cleaned the dirt from the girl’s hair. His expression was focused, and his slender, fair fingers moved through her dark hair, washing it meticulously. The light in the cave mansion was dim, with only the candlelight casting a little brightness. It illuminated the young man’s serious face.
…
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The time the siblings spent together peacefully did not last long. After a few days of rest, Mu Sanniang resolutely challenged You Prison again. Chen An tried to dissuade her, but the girl was now solely focused on becoming stronger and would not listen to anything else. She thought that since her younger brother had already reached Foundation Establishment, she at least had to Condense Foundation Establishment first. Otherwise, Mu Sanniang did not want to relax before that. She was afraid that if she fell back into those warm moments with her brother, she would never be able to escape that warm embrace again.
On Shang Xuan Peak, standing not far from the entrance of You Prison, the girl’s skirt fluttered in the wind. She was not wearing her usual green dress today, but a snow-white one. In this barren, desolate land, it made the girl’s pure beauty even more striking. Chen An stood beside her, nagging her as usual with a long list of advice, and then took out many strange Magic treasures. He didn’t care if they were useful or not, and regardless of the girl’s objections, he forced them into her arms. As the two were talking in hushed tones, a violent cough suddenly came from behind them. The sound was hoarse, as if suppressing much pain. Chen An looked back and saw that the person who had come was Feng Xiang Song, the second Senior Brother from Shang Xuan Peak whom he had met at the entrance last time. The man was hunched over, and the uniform that symbolized the disciples of Shang Xuan Peak was even more tattered this time, barely covering his body. His hair was also messy, as if it hadn’t been tidied for who knows how long, looking like a bird’s nest. He lowered his head, his expression unclear, and limped over. As he passed Chen An and Mu Sanniang, the man paused but did not look up. He merely activated his life tablet and quickly disappeared into the entrance. Chen An frowned. He always felt that this second Senior Brother’s behavior was a bit strange. In fact, Chen An had been puzzled when they met last time. He hadn’t heard that this person was a cripple? Then why did he always limp when he walked… At first, Chen An guessed that the other party had been accidentally injured while honing his sword intent in You Prison. But upon meeting him a second time, it didn’t seem to be the case. Compared to the meticulous Chen An, Mu Sanniang was much more silent. She didn’t even glance at the man, but stood silently beside him, waiting for her brother to finish his nagging. Chen An quickly collected his thoughts and smiled at his sister. Although the smile was a little forced. “By the way, Older sister, remember not to overexert yourself, and don’t make yourself so tired, okay?” Even though he knew such advice would not be of much use, Chen An still insisted on saying it several times. Mu Sanniang hummed and answered obediently. Chen An continued to speak for a while, then seemed to suddenly realize something and sighed. “Forget it, why am I saying so many useless things.” Mu Sanniang shook her head upon hearing this, stepped forward, and hugged him. Her pale blue eyes quietly looked at the young man and she retorted in a low voice, “It’s not like that, Younger brother, it’s not useless at all.”
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Mu Sanniang’s intention to cultivate in You Prison was not hidden from Chen An. Tai Xuan Sect had been established for so many years, and there was no shortage of ruthless individuals who did the same. You Prison was built by the Ancestor himself, and it was originally used to suppress evil spirits by borrowing that wisp of Nine Yin Qi from the depths of the earth. It was only later, as time went by, that it gradually evolved into a place for disciples within the sect to challenge and undergo trials. This was not only because the high-pressure environment could greatly improve cultivation speed and combat experience. There was also a crucial reason: although the Nine Yin Qi was intensely cold and difficult for ordinary cultivators to endure, it also had a certain spirit-gathering effect. The spiritual energy in You Prison was always abundant. Those who could endure it naturally benefited greatly. However, too much of anything is bad. If one stayed for too long, they would inevitably be harmed by the Nine Yin Qi. If their foundation was damaged as a result, it would be a loss that outweighed the gain. Mu Sanniang’s plan was to stay in You Prison for a long time. However, the specific duration of each stay had to be discussed and decided by the two of them. Initially, it was set for seven days. Later, it gradually became ten days, fifteen days, and even a month. Although they agreed to come on a certain day, every evening, the young man’s slender figure could always be seen at the entrance of this gloomy cave. Chen An knew this was foolish, but he did it anyway. Just like Mu Sanniang knew that the Fierce beasts lurking in You Prison were far more dangerous than imagined, but she still went. Many times it was like this; everyone had their own stubbornness. Fortunately, Chen An had extraordinary talent and was favored by the Heavenly Dao. Even with this inconsistent effort, his cultivation did not fall behind at all, and even continued to steadily increase. Gradually, as the years passed, the young man appeared on Shang Xuan Peak more and more often. It even became a remarkable event within the Inner Sect. Chen An also got to know many elders and disciples of Shang Xuan Peak because of this. This even included some people who came specifically to get a glimpse of this talented young man. Chen An’s reputation in the Inner Sect had actually always been not low. However, in the past, he either cultivated in his cave mansion or went to the Outer Sect to be with Mu Sanniang, so not many people had seen him. Perhaps the number of times the Outer Sect’s handyman disciples had seen Chen An was more than that of these Inner Sect Senior Brothers and Sisters. Occasionally, someone could not resist their curiosity and would ask the young man questions. They would ask him why he wasn’t diligently cultivating and what he was doing every day in this broken place. Chen An would usually just smile and pass by, not explaining. Gradually, as the initial fervor died down, the number of people asking questions every day decreased significantly. Perhaps only those who had been secretly paying attention to Mu Sanniang would know the meaning of the young man’s actions.
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The summer in South Mountain, perhaps due to the lush forests, was not excessively hot. Around August and September, the temperature would gradually begin to cool. During this period, it often rained lightly. The young man would then carry an oil-paper umbrella and arrive at the entrance of You Prison punctually every evening. In fact, when he missed her too much, Chen An also had the impulse to follow her into You Prison and investigate. But as soon as he thought that he might miss his sister, he gave up the idea. Their way of interacting like this continued until that winter. On this day, South Mountain experienced a heavy snowfall. Chen An, as usual, went to the entrance of You Prison to wait, as per their agreement. The young man’s plain clothes were clean, and his posture was slender. He held his paper umbrella and stared blankly at the sky, at the goose-feather snow falling from all directions. Snowflakes landed on his paper umbrella and on the palm of his outstretched hand. Chen An suddenly realized that he hadn’t seen such heavy snow for a long time. He stood quietly until nightfall. The night wind grew colder. The young man tightened his clothes. He thought that the agreement, which had lasted for more than half a year, was finally broken today. She had broken her promise. (End of this chapter)
