Chapter 64: Four People
Luo Hongyu was the person most closely connected to Luohe in this world.
This was beyond question.
Once, she thought this connection was blood relationship, which made her feel disgusted but helpless.
Now, she knew what this connection was.
But this made her feel even more disgusted and powerless.
They were like two sides of a coin, the yin and yang poles of heaven and earth.
When one appeared, the other would inevitably fall into darkness.
This was undoubtedly pathological, abnormal.
So Luohe chose to end it all first, telling her that now they had no connection, they were even.
The remnant of resentment in his soul fragment said he didn’t hate her.
At first, she couldn’t understand why.
Later, she understood.
Luohe was like a person tied to a cross being punished.
He would hate the one who tied him there, hate the punisher.
But he wouldn’t hate the cross.
And she, Luo Hongyu, was that cross.
She was the instrument of Luohe’s torture.
His spilled blood would nourish her, but she was unaware of this.
You see, how was she any different from that speechless, unconscious cross?
She had clarified many things.
Why Luohe had always followed her, why Gu Jing had behaved that way, why she had those feelings toward Luohe.
All of this put Luo Hongyu in a dilemma.
That is, she found herself unable to accept this world after Luohe’s death.
Everything she had was false, bloody, overturning her understanding of herself from the past twenty-some years.
The truth came too suddenly, too fiercely, too naked, striking her senseless.
All those negative emotions and thoughts she once had toward Luohe became traitors, fiercely turning back on herself.
She felt broken, desperate, wanting to clutch her head and cry, to weep over this heartbreaking truth.
But to whom could she do this, and what right did she have to do so?
Why couldn’t she be a thoroughly evil person, standing there for people to despise and scorn?
But even that, she couldn’t do.
The confusing dream helped her see her own weakness, and she finally admitted her weakness.
Luo Hongyu was a weak girl.
Reason helped her clarify all the facts.
Now, what she couldn’t sort out were the emotions that had crushed her.
Her emotions toward Luohe were like a tidal wave, like a destructive storm.
She couldn’t distinguish what was in them—some kind of hysterical guilt, some kind of mutual dependence and attachment…
Or perhaps, the hint of gentleness he showed her in the dream, perhaps the only clear-minded part…
Bringing her a hope filled with irony.
But these emotions had no meaning at all.
Why?
Because that person was dead, wasn’t he?
The words she wanted to say couldn’t be delivered.
The things she wanted to do, no one could witness.
She wanted to vent, to shout, to cry out, but as mentioned above, she had no right.
This world should have been fluid.
But from the moment Luohe died, one end of Luo Hongyu’s world closed.
These emotions hit a wall and came rushing back.
Engulfing her, destroying her.
Completely crushing and tearing apart everything Luo Hongyu had.
She had been staring at a person—a naive, ignorant little girl wearing a white fox mask.
Looking at her, Luo Hongyu suddenly realized that she was no different from this girl back then.
He said the pain she gave him, he had returned.
Yes, he had succeeded.
“…”
“Luohe, will you forgive me?”
On Zhishui Peak, it was endless midsummer and daylight, tender grape vines and a small garden, identical to the dream from the confusing heart.
Luo Hongyu still lay on Luohe’s lap, reaching up to tug at his hair, asking idly:
“Forgive you?”
“Hmm… from my perspective, I have no position to forgive you, and you don’t need my forgiveness.”
“Haven’t you already figured this out? After all, the relationship between us is so strange and cold.”
“Besides, I’m just your imagination.”
Luohe’s voice came from above, very gentle, very clear.
Like a mild and elegant younger brother.
“I suppose so.”
Luo Hongyu smiled.
“I had already given up, because Luo Hongyu and Luohe have that kind of relationship, you know—bound in life and death.”
“…”
“Luohe?”
“But now, something seems not quite right.”
“You should wake up now.”
The daytime on Zhishui Peak ended, and what Luo Hongyu now saw was not Luohe, but her three-year-old self wearing a white fox mask.
She said to Luo Hongyu:
“You said it yourself.”
“Luo Hongyu and Luohe, bound in life and death.”
“Even without that red jade, it’s the same.”
…
Vaguely, she could hear the sounds of insects and birds.
Outside, there seemed to be people talking.
Luo Hongyu raised her head.
This was a small wooden cabin, Luohe’s residence on Zhishui Peak, also the place where Luo Hongyu had lifted Luohe’s mask.
She knew she had been here for six years.
She was clear-minded, but also disturbed.
Or you could say she had split personalities, but now she was better.
She tried to stand up but nearly stumbled and fell.
She looked at her legs in confusion; years of sitting had made her body extremely stiff.
After a long time, she finally regained control of her body.
She touched the mask on her face, barely remembering when she had put it on.
But that was fine; this was how Luo Hongyu should look.
Thinking about it carefully now, the origin of this mask must be extraordinary, since it had survived that overwhelming heavenly tribulation.
Otherwise, now…
Luo Hongyu sensed that from the fingertip touching the mask, a connection extended from the mask toward a certain direction.
This connection was the hand that pulled her out of the quagmire of self. More specifically, it was a piece of information.
Very important, very important information.
Important enough that Luo Hongyu could continue living because of it.
So she opened the door and walked out of the cabin.
Her thoughts now were simple.
Someone blocked her; she looked at them… she knew this person.
Someone wanted to touch her mask; she knew this person too.
Until Yan Yan stood in front of her, she finally remembered what the situation was.
Yes, six years had passed.
So she looked at Yan Yan and asked:
“As long as I become the sect leader, I can stay here, right?”
Yan Yan was distracted by her sect’s young mistress’s first words after coming out for the first time in six years. She fell silent for a moment before nodding hesitantly.
“In principle, that’s correct…”
“Then from now on, I am the sect leader of Tianzhen Sword Sect.”
After saying this, Luo Hongyu thought for a moment, then walked back into the wooden cabin on Zhishui Peak.
Leaving Yan Yan standing there with the Tianming Sword, not knowing what to do, along with a group of elders who didn’t dare to breathe.
Then, a massive presence swept across the entire sect.
Countless disciples looked toward the towering main peak as falling leaves brought the news.
Luo Hongyu had taken control of the Zhishui Seal, becoming the new sect leader of Tianzhen Sword Sect.
…