Chapter 19: Friendship Is Not Always Easy

A small boat gracefully approached, with a man standing at its bow. He was extraordinarily handsome, and combined with the poetic scene, it was enough to make countless onlookers envious. Among them, there were only a few who could be called truly refined.

Before others could even begin to admire, a portion of the merchant caravan from the Eight Directions Pavilion widened their eyes in surprise. Soon, like a contagion spreading, everyone wore the same expression—silent for a long while.

Their foreheads seemed to be etched with disbelief, their jaws with incredulity. Together, they conveyed an overwhelming sense of astonishment, akin to discovering that your closest friend’s dream lover is actually yourself.

The portly shopkeeper, with his sharp eyesight unclouded by age, was equally stunned. He stared steadily at his second young lady, who had regained some composure, dumbfounded and speechless. The surge of boldness he’d seen moments before had vanished entirely.

“That’s right, he is Wu Yue,” the young lady smiled wryly, bitterness filling her expression. She had truly done a foolish thing this time, like buying a jewel but discarding the box. She glanced at Kyle encased in ice—lifelike and motionless—now even the box was gone, making the situation all the more tragic.

The portly shopkeeper struggled for breath, unable to believe it, nor willing to. What on earth had he been doing these past few days? How could he have gone to such lengths to chase away a legendary figure? Someone, please slap me twice to wake me up. Alas, no one did. The young lady murmured, “Killed two transcendent cultivators; such young practitioners are rare.”

As if snow on top of frost, the portly shopkeeper collapsed onto the ground. Though he had just been fearless earlier, now he was gripped by dread again. He kept muttering, “Survived the calamity, survived the calamity,” then began to strike himself fiercely. “You’re all talk and no skill, meeting a few cultivators and thinking you’re someone important.” As he hit himself, tears suddenly welled up.

From that day on, the portly shopkeeper changed completely. He became warm, friendly, sincerely kind, and generous—a mystery that remained unsolved in the Eight Directions Pavilion.

“Long time no see, Miss Ren. I hope all is well,” Wu Yue called out loudly.

“Old friends meeting again—why the grand spectacle?” Ren Ruyi stepped forward, now standing beside Wu Yue. They exchanged smiles, as if each sensed the other’s presence, though Wu Yue could not discern how Ren Ruyi had arrived.

“I am not well,” Ren Ruyi’s fleeting smile vanished quickly, replaced by a face of cold indifference.

Wu Yue gave an awkward smile. It was just a polite inquiry—why take it so seriously?

“Time apart makes the heart grow fonder,” Wu Yue laughed heartily.

“Yes,” she replied.

“My master died, my senior uncle died, my senior brother died. Even my junior sister is dead. Do you know, when I returned to Longxue Mountain, someone asked who I was? I told them my identity. My sect’s founder personally intervened, calling me a traitor. How could I be a traitor? But they wouldn’t believe me,” Ren Ruyi recounted softly, as if unburdening a deep grievance. She seemed to grow more fragile. The world’s suffering is many, but the loss of one’s master and friends at the end of a wandering path is the most bitter.

“That surely isn’t the whole story?” Wu Yue hesitated, unsure how to console her.

Regarding the people Ren Ruyi mentioned, Wu Yue only knew the junior sister—the child who loudly asked who had won at the Jade Bowl Feast, now dead. He finally understood why Ren Ruyi harbored such intense hatred.

“Of course it isn’t simple, but it all comes down to the sect leader of Longxue Mountain. The position has always passed through our lineage, but within Luoyang City, my sect suffered heavy casualties, innocent victims caught in the crossfire. Then it became straightforward: scheming for the leadership, colluding with outsiders, framing and slandering, eradicating all opposition. That’s how it went.” No matter how strong Ren Ruyi’s will was, she remained calm throughout.

“What can I do to help?” Wu Yue felt deep sympathy for Ren Ruyi but doubted his own ability.

“Help me kill,” she said simply.

“Why should I?” Wu Yue persisted.

“Because we are friends. Don’t you need friends? True friends, like-minded friends.” Ren Ruyi suddenly smiled brightly, like an ice lotus blooming atop a mountain peak, just like the first time they met—the voice calling “Brother Wu,” the lively white robes.

Friends? Wu Yue pondered this concept deeply. Did he need friends? On Earth, apart from fleeting episodes of madness, he had none, much less true friends. If he had friends, perhaps he wouldn’t have felt so lonely and helpless.

For the first time, in the Primordial Realm, he had someone akin to a friend: a little girl named Kui Huer. Then he met Liu Anxin—such a bond might be called friendship, but something more as well. Finally, here, he met Xue Xiaoyu, Bai Chengxue, Li Qing, Yu Fu, Chen Shujian, Bai Mo, Zhou Qilin, Zhao Suizhu, Wang De, Hong Xiu, Zhao Qingzhi…

A very good feeling. Having friends, true friends, was wonderful. Wu Yue cherished and enjoyed this feeling greatly. This life, he possessed it, so even in the darkest moments, he never felt as despairing as in his past life.

And from what he saw now, Ren Ruyi was a fine friend. They had no major conflicts, she was powerful, and a good person. But somehow, something felt amiss.

Wu Yue suddenly smiled bitterly. “I thought we already were friends.”

Ren Ruyi smiled faintly. “Then why did you run?”

Wu Yue looked up to the sky, silent—no words could explain, no excuse could justify, only a petty heart.

After a long time, he sighed softly. “But you didn’t have to make such a big show to welcome me.”

“Proper etiquette offends no one. It was just a coincidence,” Ren Ruyi chuckled lightly. Wu Yue looked at her smile and smiled as well. “Even if you want revenge, you don’t need to be so cold-faced every day.”

Ren Ruyi turned her head away, refusing to meet his gaze, then quietly exhaled. “Having someone to shoulder burdens with feels really good.” She hadn’t truly expected Wu Yue to agree.

She turned back, resuming her cold demeanor, and recited as if listing treasured possessions, “I can tell you about my enemies—there are many. The current sect leader of Longxue Mountain, the head of the Snowstorm Sect, some from the Great Abyss Alliance, and now those from Qin Kingdom. If you regret this, we can be strangers from now on.”

Wu Yue sighed helplessly. “Your enemies do sprawl across the world.”

Ren Ruyi’s face was expressionless. “That’s fine.”

Wu Yue adopted a serious expression. “I will try to help, but in Qin, I may not intervene for your enemies.”

“Because of that princess?” Ren Ruyi narrowed her eyes. Wu Yue nodded—indeed, she owed the princess a great debt.

“But thank you all the same.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I have news—perhaps you’ve guessed already.”

“I have lost all cultivation and must start from scratch.”

“Is the master all right?” A bearded man looked worried. “That woman seems not to be trifled with.”

Yu Fu rolled his eyes, hastily eating freshly baked bread. Zhao Qingzhi hesitated, uncertain. “Probably fine. Since they’re old acquaintances, at most they’ll just have tea and talk.”

The lowest-ranking boat captain whispered curiously, “What exactly is the relationship between that very beautiful woman and our Master Wu?”

Yu Fu swallowed his bite, lightly clapped his hands, glanced around, then spoke in a tone of familiarity and understanding, “Don’t worry. From my experience, in stories like these, when a man and a woman are involved—whether once lovers or sworn enemies—people don’t tend to come out unscathed. In fact, there might be one or two extra deaths.”