Watching Yu Lingâer and Elder Qingxue continue to cry, Ye Xuan couldnât help but secretly smile. However, he didnât show his happiness at this moment, for fear of being noticed by them.
Thinking for a moment, he said to Yu Lingâer and Elder Qingxue, âHey, if thatâs really me, Iâm quite pitiful, arenât I? Wronged and heartbroken by you two. How do you plan to compensate me?â
âBrother Ye Xuan⊠as long as you can forgive me, Iâll do anything,â Yu Lingâer quickly responded. Thinking about what she had done to Ye Xuan, she couldnât stop crying, âWuwu⊠I didnât mean it, Brother Ye Xuan, I feel so bad, really badâŠâ
Elder Qingxue also looked at Ye Xuan, seeing his clear (feigned) eyes that seemed to be comforting her. She paused for a moment, then said, âI owe you too much from our past life⊠even more than you think. Just watch the rest, and when youâre done, you can do as you please with me.â
At this moment, her heart was filled with despair. Even as an immortal, she couldnât stop her tears and had no desire for Ye Xuanâs consolation.
âââ
The scene shifted to Ye Xuan, who was also in tears. He sat alone in the courtyard, surrounded by empty bottles of alcohol. The once spirited young man now looked utterly defeated.
He fiercely grabbed a bottle and poured it into his mouth, âJiang Lingâer⊠Mo Qingxue, are you really so heartless? Wouldnât you even give me a chance to explain? Why, why!!! What did I do wrong?!!!â
As he spoke, he choked on the alcohol, coughing in sorrow, âCome back⊠please⊠come backâŠâ
âââ
If Elder Qingxue had seen Ye Xuan like this before, she probably would have spat in disgust. After all the wrongs he had done, how dare he be sad? How dare he accuse her of being heartless? Did he have no shame?!!!
However, now, Elder Qingxue understood the whole truth. She realized that it was Ye Xuan who had always been bearing injustice. He had done everything for her, but what about her?
After receiving all his kindness, she left with endless hatred and inflicted immeasurable pain upon him. No matter how he tried to explain, she just wouldnât listenâŠ
Ye Xuan, once so proud and spirited, now seemed decades older, utterly defeated. Mo Qingxue used to think that Ye Xuan never loved her, but now, Elder Qingxue understood.
She had always failed to see the love hidden deep in Ye Xuanâs heart. If only she had been patient a little longer, maybe things would have turned out differently.
Of course, if Mo Qingxue had been more patient, according to the script, she would have faced even more torment⊠But this truth, Elder Qingxue would never know.
âHow heartbroken must one be to change so drastically.â Watching Ye Xuanâs sorrowful demeanor in the scene, Yu Lingâer also couldnât help but weep.
As a young girl, she couldnât help but be curious. Who did Ye Xuan really love more, Jiang Lingâer or Mo Qingxue? Although Jiang Lingâer was the one Ye Xuan truly loved, Mo Qingxue had also spent a long time with Ye XuanâŠ
The scenes of their happy times together, even now, warmed Yu Lingâerâs heart. But those happy memories had shattered.
And now, with Elder Qingxue standing before Ye Xuan, intent on killing him, it indicated that in his past life, Ye Xuan probably ended up without any happy outcome with Elder Qingxue. That was too pitiful. It shouldnât have been his fateâŠ
He spent his life doing good, so why didnât he receive any good in return?!!
âââ
âMaster Ye, you canât drink anymore⊠Even if you drink more, the Madama and Miss Jiang wonât come backâŠâ A maid said to Ye Xuan, âDrinking harms the body.â
âDrinking harms the body⊠HeheâŠâ Ye Xuan replied, âSo what? At least⊠it doesnât hurt as much as when Iâm sober. To think, loving someone can be so heartbreaking! No, itâs loving two people and not being able to have either of themâŠâ
Seeing Ye Xuan like this, the maid sighed and then suggested, âMaster Ye, didnât you say you were cultivating? Why not focus on your cultivation? I heard that those who succeed in cultivation become immortals, omnipotent. Maybe then, you could find Miss Jiang and the Madam.â
ââ!!!â Her words sparked a light in Ye Xuanâs eyes. He mumbled to himself, âRight⊠Iâve been so caught up in my sadness that I forgot. If I attain success in cultivation, I can go anywhere in heaven and earth.â
âI refuse to believe I canât find them. Once I do, Iâll lock them up and explain everything. They wonât be allowed out until theyâve heard my whole explanation, hmphâ!!!â
âYes, Master Ye, thatâs the spirit! With your talents, why wallow in sorrowâ!!!â The maid encouraged him, âOnce youâve succeeded in cultivation, you can bring them back, lock them up, and slowly explain. Theyâll have to believe you thenâ!!!â
âPhewâ!!!â Ye Xuan sighed deeply, âIf so, today shall be my last day of sorrow. From tomorrow, no more wasting time⊠You may leave.â
âYes, Master Ye.â The maid left, sighing and shaking her head once out of Ye Xuanâs sight, âCultivation isnât that easy⊠Becoming an immortal, how is that even possible⊠Iâve never seen an immortal in my lifeâŠâ
Ye Xuan stood up and gazed at a tree in the courtyard, his eyes melancholic. He began reciting a poem:
âThe wind stops, the dust settles, the flowers are gone, I comb my hair no more in endless sorrow.
Things have changed, people are gone, itâs painful to be apart, I try to speak, but tears fall first.â
âThey say the scenery by the creek is still beautiful, but it only adds to the memories and pain in my heart. Where can my broken heart escape to? A single day feels like three autumns have passedâŠâ
He wasnât trying to show off, but the Former Dust Mirror didnât show inner thoughts. If he didnât express his sorrow, Mo Qingxue and Yu Lingâer wouldnât know his feelings while looking at the tree. They needed to deeply feel his âpainâ so they would regret itâŠ
Ye Xuanâs goal wasnât just to clear his name. He wanted to clear his name, earn rewards, and at the same time, take down these rebellious heroines. Yes, he was that despicableâŠ
Whatâs wrong with being a little despicable if it serves the purpose? Being a good person handed a villainâs script, if he played the villain honestly, heâd be killed by the heroines. That would be the real injusticeâ!!!
âââ
The Former Dust Mirror canât reveal the inner thoughts of those in the scenes, so at this moment, both Elder Qingxue and Yu Lingâer are experiencing a mix of sadness and joy.
They are saddened because Ye Xuan is so heartbroken. The grief weighs heavily on his heart, making each day feel like an eternity apartâŠ
Elder Qingxue even starts recalling the days when Ye Xuan taught her to read and write, how she used to think studying was useless.
Only now does she realize that not only could reading help her cultivate, but it also deepened her understanding of the extent of Ye Xuanâs love for her.
But theyâre also happy. Ye Xuan has finally decided to pull himself together. Thatâs greatâ!!! Honestly, watching Ye Xuan get sadder and more despondent day by day has been agonizing for them.
The guilt is like a knife cutting through their hearts, making them wish they could jump into the scene and slap their past selves.
âââ
âCultivation relies on oneâs spiritual roots, temperament, and insightâŠâ
In the scene, Ye Xuan is sitting cross-legged in his courtyard. Heâs meditating with a focused mind, and the spiritual qu of heaven and earth is rushing towards him at an incredible speed.
His absorption of spiritual Qi is so rapid that it causes a storm of spiritual Qi in the nearby area. However, since there are no real experts in Wuyuan Town, no one connects this storm to someone cultivating.
Eventually, Ye Xuan slowly opens his eyes: âI didnât expect⊠in just a few years, Iâve already reached the Dao Fusion Realm!â Looking up at the sky, his eyes show a hint of sorrow. âIs my tribulation approaching? Ah⊠I wonder if I can survive this ordeal.'â
(TL: If anyone has forgotten the cultivation realm levels here you go. Qi Gathering, Enlightment, Foundation Building, Object Manipulation, Spiritual Insight, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Divine Transformation, Void Refinement, Dao Fusion.)