Chapter 83: Do Whatever You Want - I Forged Them in Darkness, and They Buried Me in It

Chapter 83: Do Whatever You Want Chu Qingli settled into the valley under the pretense of recuperating. Chen An did not object. Or rather, he was naturally accommodating and generally easygoing. The next day, the fox demon remained in slumber. Chu Qingli got up and found the man idly daydreaming atop the mountain. On one side of the valley, a towering peak reached into the clouds. At the summit, a small platform provided a place to sit and rest. From there, one could gaze down upon the breathtaking vista below. Whenever Chen An felt bored, he would ascend to this spot, daydream, and enjoy the breeze. As the system had advised him, he didn’t need to do much, simply wait patiently for the end. "What are you looking at?" A clear voice rang out as Chen An turned to see Chu Qingli's figure. Her long, black hair danced in the wind, her dress rustling with the breeze. Her lithe silhouette was both delicate and revealing. As her skirt billowed, glimpses of her alabaster calves could be seen. "The view." Chen An replied simply. Chu Qingli approached and sat beside him. She bent her knees slightly and hugged them with her arms. Then, resting her head on them, she silently accompanied Chen An in watching the wind. She didn’t speak, and Chen An wasn’t particularly talkative either. And so, they sat together from dawn until dusk. The sun rose in the east and set in the west, painting a vast expanse of soothing orange and deep red. Suddenly, Chu Qingli spoke: "Do you think I did the right thing?" Chen An wasn’t sure what she meant, "What do you mean, right or wrong?" Chu Qingli shifted her head to face Chen An directly, her previous gaze at the heavens now filled with uncertainty. "Saving someone—or something, saving a demon." Chen An appeared indifferent. He waved his hand dismissively, "Right or wrong is just a matter of perspective." "Perspective?" Chu Qingli pressed on; she was aware of her own naivety and wasn’t too proud to seek clarification when confused. "Yes, perspective." Chen An chuckled, "Many things in this world aren’t clearly right or wrong." On this point, Chu Qingli disagreed. She shook her head, firmly stating: "Demons that harm beings and oppress people are definitely wrong." Chen An glanced at her, "Didn’t the fox demon take lives too?" At this, Chu Qingli was momentarily at a loss, her lips quivering with a retort she couldn’t articulate. "You see, that's perspective." "But really, there’s no need to fuss over these things. Just do what you want." Chen An didn’t press further but shifted the subject: "You’ve already done it. Rather than worry about it, why not think about what to have for dinner?" Chu Qingli blinked at him. Her gaze drifted over Chen An's face before she looked away. "So what are we eating?" "It’s what I'm eating, not you." "So what are you eating?" This question stumped Chen An. He furrowed his brows, "I’m not sure. At our cultivation level, there's no hunger. Whenever I feel like eating, I just..." He was cut off mid-sentence. For a tender, daring touch had suddenly pressed against him. Chen An was caught off guard. Then, he heard a barely audible whisper near his ear. "It’s like you said—do what you want." "No blame on me." … … "By the way, where’s your disciple?" Back in the valley, Chu Qingli nonchalantly inquired. She wanted to mask the awkwardness from the mountaintop, and she was indeed curious. She distinctly remembered how the girl clung to her master, yet she hadn’t seen her in almost a day and night. Chen An found a lounge chair, lightly rocking his body with it. He casually replied, "Went down the mountain to wander and learn." Chu Qingli wasn’t particularly surprised by this answer, merely nodding in agreement: "I was around that age when I left my sect to experience the world alone." "Looking back, that time was indeed meaningful..." Chen An squinted, not responding. … Meanwhile, Su Chichi was still 'experiencing the world.' The scheme proposed by the leader of the demonic path was simple. Since Su Chichi had an immortal backing her, why not misbehave recklessly? Stir up trouble with the Four Great Sects—Kunlun Sect, Zhenqing Sect, Shenji Sect, Taishi Sect, provoke them thoroughly. Capture or kill their outstanding young disciples, draw the ire of the Four Sects, then redirect the trouble back to the mountain. Given how her master indulges her, surrendering her was out of the question. When that time comes and her master is besieged by top cultivators, she can make her move—there’s no reason it wouldn’t succeed. Upon hearing this, Su Chichi swung a sword backwards, forcing the so-called demonic leader to dodge frantically. She maintained a stony face, refusing to agree or reject, merely leaving silently. It was only in the fifth year that she finally set foot on the path back to the mountain. That day, almost as if anticipated, the man awaited her outside the valley early on. Beside him stood a similarly tall figure. Long hair tied high with a sky-blue ribbon, her features as exquisite as a painting. The girl gazed at her. It had been a long time since they met, and time hadn’t marred her face, if anything adding a touch of allure. Chu Qingli and Su Chichi locked eyes, and Chu Qingli soon smiled. "Long time no see." For some reason, those words stirred an unusual feeling in Su Chichi's heart. Hard to describe. But it wasn’t a pleasant sensation. She averted her gaze, instead looking at the man— The master who raised her all these years. Both a mentor and a father. His eyes remained as captivating as ever. But recalling the fleeting images from the memory stone, Su Chichi couldn’t help but tremble. It couldn’t be wrong... It couldn’t be mistaken... She composed herself, stepping toward the man. Seeing the girl approach, Chen An smiled. "Long time no see, how was the time below the mountain?" Su Chichi pressed her lips together, meeting his clear and direct gaze. Her master always handled matters calmly, his eyes typically emotionless. Yet, perhaps due to seeing his long-absent disciple, there was a trace of joy in his eyes. To mask her unease, Su Chichi proactively took her master’s hand. Her eyes curved slightly, she softly replied. Chen An noticed nothing odd, and even if he did, he likely wouldn’t mind. "As long as you return safely." "The wind outside the valley is strong, let's head inside." Chen An said, not letting go of her hand, turning to walk into the valley. The atmosphere between master and disciple seemed harmonious, absent of any dramatic reunions. Understandably, for cultivators, a separation of a few years is hardly bittersweet. But Su Chichi stood still. Naturally, their hands drifted apart. She watched her master’s retreating figure, suddenly asking, "Master, where did you find me?"