Chapter 27: He Is Merely a Tribulation in This Lord’s Path

Chapter 27: He's Just a Tribulation in My Path

But no matter how he tried to grab hold, Yan Huaixuan only left him with his back.

Shen Lian had seen too many backs.

That day seemed to be right after school let out. He saw his usually silent mother suddenly smile at him and even made him a chicken leg over rice.

She gently caressed his cheek.

At that moment, he felt nothing but bliss. It had been so long since he'd last eaten meat—only that man in the house could have meat, and he and his mother could only have it once every month or two.

After finishing, he began to fear—fear that his father would find out.

But his mother told him, "Don't be scared, sweetie. I won't tell him."

Shen Lian happily wolfed down the entire chicken leg, and his mother said she would go get him some juice.

Shen Lian sat on the sofa, waiting and waiting.

But he waited for a long, long time, and his mother never came back.

The next thing he knew, his drunk father came storming in, grabbed his arm, and smashed him into the wall. He fought back but couldn't get loose, screaming for his mom to save him.

But instead, the man grew even more frenzied. "Your mom ran away! That fucking bitch! She took my money and skipped town! And before she left, she even bought you, you little shit, a chicken leg. You think you deserve to eat it? Puke it up!"

Shen Lian was stunned. Even when he was beaten and forced to throw up, he had no reaction at all. How could his mom just leave?

Abandon him.

Leave him all alone in this hell.

He couldn't stop thinking—when his mom said she'd get the juice, why were her shoulders shaking as she walked out?

Then, it was that man's back again.

"No money. Don't even think about going up there."

"Shen Lian, get back here. I can't afford you. You've got your little brother and sister to raise, and you owe me for my medical bills too!"

He'd tried to fight back, hiding out at school, but the man stormed onto campus and made a scene.

The school politely told him to leave and not cause trouble for them.

Right. It was just a shitty school anyway, and he wasn't even a good student. Who the hell would stick their neck out for him?

But who ever bothered to ask why his grades were so bad? All these years, if he hadn't worked while going to school, he wouldn't even have made it to high school.

But even then, that man wouldn't let him go. Whenever he was in a bad mood at the hospital, he'd call and drag Shen Lian out of class.

And now Yan Huaixuan was leaving too.

Shen Lian forgot all about the mission, about everything. He lunged forward, grabbing Yan Huaixuan's hand with all his strength.

"Yan Huaixuan, listen—I didn't mean to steal your chance. My—"

Before he could finish, his mouth opened but nothing came out. Wave after wave of stabbing pain flooded his head, threatening to drown him.

The system gritted its teeth. "Shen Lian! Don't you dare say anything."

Shen Lian was drenched, like he'd just been pulled out of water.

He raised his head with difficulty, his lips trembling as he stared at Yan Huaixuan's face, but he couldn't see his face clearly. All he could feel was Yan Huaixuan's face growing colder and colder.

And the air around him turning cold too.

Then Yan Huaixuan spoke. "You can't explain, can you?"

Shen Lian's lips trembled. "Yan Huaixuan..."

The moment the words left his mouth, the fabric in his palm vanished.

Yan Huaixuan's figure vanished completely from Shen Lian's sight, and in his place, a single pure white jasmine fluttered down.

Shen Lian collapsed to the floor, staring at the jasmine.

He didn't pick it up. Only one thought was left in his head—it's over. Everything's over.

He clawed the floor until his fingers bled.

Why did every pain in this world have to be dumped on him? Was he really that cheap?

To be humiliated like this, over and over.

Shen Lian almost laughed.

The system tried to push him again, but Shen Lian just laughed. "Fine, go ahead. Fry me if you dare. Worst case, we both die. You heard it too—even without that sword, Yan Huaixuan can still start his cultivation path."

"You!" The system's eyes nearly popped out of its head with rage.

It gritted its teeth, then blurted out, "Shen Lian! Are you in love with Yan Huaixuan?"

Shen Lian's smile dimmed a little, his lips pressed tight.

The system took a deep breath. "He's a Heartless Dao sacred body, the fated Sword Dao supreme. And you're just a plain mortal. Even if he takes you to the cultivation world, the gap between you two is way too big. There's no way you could be together."

Shen Lian let out an "oh." "None of your fucking business, you piece of shit."

The system: "?"

But seeing its energy almost gone, it gritted its teeth. "Shen Lian, you've already formed a blood bond with Ling Yun. If you can cultivate and keep Yan Huaixuan here, wouldn't he stay with you forever?"

The system's voice was full of temptation.

And Shen Lian's gaze slowly moved, inch by inch, until it landed on the Lingyun Sword.

The system's words suddenly sparked an idea.

Shen Lian suddenly lunged forward and hugged the sword to his chest, joy slowly creeping into his eyes.

Since he'd already made Ling Yun acknowledge him as master, he might as well cultivate—and then give the cultivation method to Yan Huaixuan.

He couldn't explain the system right now, but once he cultivated, he could bring it out.

Then Yan Huaixuan would know the truth.

A smile unconsciously curled at the corner of Shen Lian's mouth.

He wouldn't suspect Shen Lian of trying to seize his opportunity anymore.

They could go back to how things were before.

Shen Lian's gaze shifted as he gave the system a cold look. "Then why didn't you say so earlier?"

The system ground its teeth. "Who was the one who said they hadn't fallen for Yan Huaixuan?"

Shen Lian paid it no mind, fixing his gaze on the sword in his hand.

Strange—in the original plot, after the blood recognition ritual, shouldn't this sword have awakened and spoken?

Why wasn't it reacting at all?

Just as he was puzzling over it.

Ling Yun watched Yan Huaixuan, who had been sitting alone in the great hall since his return. His expression was utterly blank.

His cool, clear eyes dropped to the steps below.

Around Yan Huaixuan hung an ancient stillness and aloofness, as if only darkness remained.

It wrapped tightly around Yan Huaixuan.

Ling Yun couldn't stand to see him like this and spoke up softly to comfort him. "Master, this is all that fiend Shen Lian's doing! Who would have thought he wasn't following you to ascend, but rather to steal your chance! Now that you've seen Shen Lian's true colors, it's actually good for you, Master—better to sever ties early."

Yan Huaixuan's lashes trembled. "Ling Yun, no need to be so impatient."

Ling Yun blinked in surprise. "Master, aren't you sad right now?"

Yan Huaixuan's tone was indifferent. "These past few days together were just to confirm something."

Ling Yun: "What?"

"Do you remember when I saved Piao Guazi? He did a reading for me and predicted I'd face a love tribulation within ten years."

Ling Yun's breath hitched. "But Master cultivates the Heartless Dao—how could a love tribulation arise?"

"I was just as confused as you back then. But now, having been reborn, I met Shen Lian."

Ling Yun's eyes brightened. "So Master means this random person who appeared out of nowhere is your love tribulation?"

Yan Huaixuan nodded slightly. "Yes."

A hint of contemplation flickered in his frost-colored eyes. "In my past life, I was just one step away from attaining the Great Dao, yet the breakthrough never came. Now that I think about it, it was probably because when I cultivated back then, I only cut off family and friendship ties, but left out romantic love."

"Maybe this is why I got another chance."

Ling Yun let out a relieved sigh. "That's good then—Master has passed the love tribulation."

But he still asked, "So Master, all this time, was it all just an act?"

Yan Huaixuan's lashes trembled, and he gave a slight nod.