Chapter 728: Chapter 501: The Real Lu Qingxue?
At 4 oâclock in the morning, Mu Fan jolted awake from his bed and looked out at the pitch-black darkness outside the window.
Mu Fan felt as if he were in a dream, he hadnât experienced this kind of life for ten days, but it had already become an instinct ingrained in his brain.
When he lay back down on the familiar bed, this instinctive reaction was naturally activated.
âMorning training.â
After a quick wash, Mu Fan gently pushed open the door to his room, inside the empty living room, only the scattered chairs and tables showed what his crazy companions had been up to last night.
With the first step on the moist stone road, his bodyâs functions began to rapidly activate and revive.
A steaming power began to awaken within him.
On the deserted road, the only figure appeared, running against the night.
That familiar boulder, that winding and lengthy mountain path.
With a shout, when Mu Fan felt the heavy boulder on his back again, he grinned.
This was a rare tranquility, this was his life.
He liked everything here.
Ha, ah, ha, ahâŠ
That power-filled voice, carried farther and farther by the chilly mountain wind.
The path of physical cultivation is valued for its persistence.
And Mu Fan had never once forgotten the dream in his heart.
He would shine in the darkness, and eventually, his dream would come true.
âŠ
The massive rock undulated inexplicably with Mu Fan, from the base of the mountain to its peak.
The summit of Little Green Mountain was still that platform made of rocks.
With a thud, as Mu Fan landed heavily on it, the echo carried far.
Dripping sweat steamed, Mu Fan gently set down the boulder from his back and wiped away his sweat.
The moment he lifted his eyelids, he saw a cold, Snow Lotus-like figure reflected in his eyes.
Skin white as snow, dressed in black bow clothes.
A stark contrast to her daytime attire, yet it made her personal temperament even more distinct.
Admiration began to appear in Mu Fanâs eyes.
Lu Qingxue was true to her word, coming here every day, no matter the weather!
Perhaps there was a sense of anticipation in his heart when he came here by instinct?
Compared to formally finding the Swordsmanship Club during the day, Mu Fan preferred to communicate in this quiet environment.
âItâs been a while.â
Lu Qingxue gazed straightforwardly at the rock lying across in front of her, her body poised to shoot an arrow without the slightest tremor.
Mu Fanâs eyes brightened, Lu Qingxueâs words circumvented the scene of his return to the biological medical center that early morning.
âYou were looking for me yesterday⊠was there anything you needed?â
Mu Fan thought for a moment, then asked.
âYeah, your name has been posted on the assassin union, with a bounty of 15 million.â
Those chilly words made Mu Fanâs eyes widen, he couldnât have imagined they would come from the ice-like Lu Qingxue.
âThe identity of the person who posted it is anonymous, but you should know who it is.â
Lu Qingxueâs face remained devoid of any fluctuation, but her words shocked Mu Fan. If he listened to just those few sentences, he might even think that Lu Qingxue had been watching the whole incident unfold that day.
However, Lu Qingxueâs few words had also served as an exchange of secrets, telling Mu Fan about her secrets in another way.
Since Senior Sister Lu didnât want to spell it out and he didnât want to reveal more, they both tacitly agreed to this way of exchanging information.
Thinking of this, Mu Fanâs mentality was no longer as tense as at the beginning, he simply said flatly,
âItâs nothing more than the Tang familyâs old Dog.â
Mu Fan didnât see it, but when Lu Qingxue heard his words, her beautiful brow twitched slightly, her eyes filled with some surprise.
âYouâre not worried? Not afraid?â
A rare interrogative sentence.
âI donât care, why should I be afraid? Itâs just a crazed old dog.â
When Mu Fan uttered these words, a flash of blood in his eyes passed by unconsciously, but it caused a nearly imperceptible flutter in Lu Qingxueâs breathing.
All of this happened inadvertently; Mu Fan had not paid any attention to it, nor had he noticed the fleeting expression of surprise in the icy Senior Sister Luâs eyes.
âYouâve changed a lot in the past ten days, so much that itâs far beyond my imagination,â Lu Qingxueâs cool voice said, pleasing to the ear.
âIâve experienced a lot, thought a lot, and been guided by dreams.â Mu Fan was now gradually shedding the greenness of his early days at the academy.
âWho did you learn your Mecha Skill from?â
Lu Qingxue paused for a moment, still not turning her head, and gazed forward as she asked.
âIâm self-taught.â
âDid you think about life or death when Solomonâs mecha hit you?â As she spoke these words, Lu Qingxueâs three fingers lightly twisted the bowstring.
Mu Fan hadnât noticed her right hand, which was out of his line of sight; he saw that the jade-like bracelet that had been on her left wrist was gone.
âI didnât think about it; I enjoy the feeling of combat,â Mu Fan retracted his gaze and looked determinedly into the distance, piercing through the layers of night to the farther horizon, and then he calmly continued.
âTo live is to press on. To die is to return to the vast ocean of stars.â
The wind was quiet at that moment, and then her cold voice came with the first rays of sunrise from ahead:
âSo this is your path? To defy authority, to not fear death, to hold dreams close, and to never stop until death?â
Finally, Lu Qingxue lowered her bow, her bright eyes fixed on Mu Fan.
Under Mu Fanâs exceptional night vision, her skin appeared as smooth as snow, flawless, with eyebrows like distant mountains, and eyes like painted dots, now looking directly at him.
In her eyes, there was a kind of inquiry resembling faith.
For Mu Fan, those sixteen words seemed to capture precisely what he desired to achieve, and it was the first time he had observed Lu Qingxueâs face so closely.
She seemed as tranquil and pure as a Snow Lotus, untouched by dust.
This was a beauty that transcended worldly concerns.
âThis is my path, for my goal⊠relentless and unstoppable!â Mu Fan spoke with conviction.
After finishing his words, Mu Fan looked seriously at Lu Qingxue:
âWhat about you, Senior Sister Lu? Youâre very strong and know a lot, but youâve never mentioned what you want to do.â
âWhat I want to do?â
At that moment, Lu Qingxueâs gaze was like that of a pure and naĂŻve young girl, her eyes filled with bewilderment and perplexity as she looked back at Mu Fan.
âFor the mission of the family, I will spare no effort.â
Family, mission?
This was the first time Mu Fan had heard these words from Lu Qingxue, words that seemed too distant.
âIsnât this living for others, and losing yourself for the sake of a family? Is it worth it? Arenât you cultivating the Swordsmanship Heart, which values relentless pursuit the most?â Mu Fan frowned, the mystery of Lu Qingxue dissipating in his eyes.
No one would have expected that the Swordsmanship Club president, seemingly invincible in swordsmanship and icy as a mountain, would have such a pure heart beneath her exterior.
Could this be the real face of Lu Qingxue?
Mu Fan had no idea that he had unwittingly guessed an answer close to the truth.
âI will be the sharpest sword in the family.â
After finishing her words, Lu Qingxue shook her head slightly with a bit of embarrassment, âThatâs something I shouldnât have said; youâre the first to hear it.â
âWhy me?â
Lu Qingxueâs cool eyes studied Mu Fan intently, and she earnestly said, âBecause thereâs something very special about you, a kind of special, real existence, not at all unpleasant⊠aura.â
No one knew that what Lu Qingxue actually wanted to say wasnât ânot at all unpleasant,â but rather âinviting⊠aura.â Just that at the moment of speaking, she quietly switched the words.
She didnât know why she did that.
Mu Fan had never imagined the answer would be like this; he didnât even know he had such an aura about him.
âWell, itâs just a suggestion, to live as the person you want to be.â
Here, Mu Fanâs face suddenly looked a bit embarrassed, and his voice lost the determination of earlier.
âSenior Sister Lu, may I discuss something with you?â