Genius Beast Tamer

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"Is he deliberately making things difficult for me?" Han Wuxie's eyes were filled with anger.

The voice remained calm, "If you can't even handle this little bit of hardship, how can you call yourself a disciple here?" He seemed to realize he had spoken out of turn, sighed, and said, "If you can't wait any longer, then leave."

Han Wuxie was slightly taken aback, then smiled beautifully. Although her appearance was disguised as extremely ordinary, her pearly white teeth revealed a touch of elegance. "Thank you."

The voice coughed a few times, sounding somewhat embarrassed, before falling silent.

……

The man wearing a silver mask walked into the depths of the hidden door, stopped in front of another door, and politely knocked.

"Come in." A calm and collected voice came from inside the door.

Upon opening the door, a man sitting at the table appeared to have the exact same appearance as the man in the silver mask. The only difference was the small mole near the corner of his mouth, which this man did not have.

The man sitting at the table looked up and smiled slightly at the newcomer, then lowered his head to write again, saying, "Xiaoyun, I've thought of another really good piece of music. Wait a minute, you know, inspiration comes and goes in an instant."

The man in the silver mask nodded slightly. The room was a mess, with papers and books scattered everywhere. He searched for a long time before finding a relatively clean chair to sit down.

An hour passed...

The man finally let out a long sigh, put down his pen, looked at the sheet music he had written with satisfaction, and smiled, "Xiaoyun, look, not bad, right?"

"Hmm." The man in the silver mask nodded, looking at the other man with some envy. This had always been his brother's forte; he was born with an exceptional hearing, and his talent for music was innate. Yet, despite his excellence, he still thought he was inferior to him—how ridiculous. A hint of helplessness and bitterness flashed in the silver mask man's eyes.

The man pressed his hand on the armrest of the chair, and several iron wheels appeared from the chair legs. The chair turned and headed towards the man in the silver mask, as if it were the man's legs.

"I'll just walk over here." The man in the silver mask stood up.

The man quickly waved his hand and said, "I also want to move around more; I haven't used this thing much before."

The man in the silver mask had no choice but to sit back down, and the chair the man was sitting in led him to the man in the silver mask.

"Xiaoyun, as the leader, shouldn't you be very busy? Why do you have time to come see me? What happened?" The man smiled and looked very gentle.

The man in the silver mask was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Brother, I don't want to be the leader of any sect. I can't manage the Sound Killing Sect well; I'll make a mess of it. I'd better return the position to you."

"Xiao Yun." The man frowned slightly, looking down at his legs. "Do you think a cripple can be a cult leader?"

"But Master passed the leadership to you!" The silver-masked man's voice grew agitated. "Don't always use that as an excuse to shirk your responsibilities!"

The man held the sheet music he had written earlier, and the more he looked at it, the more satisfied he seemed with his own creation. He raised a shy smile and said, "You know, this is all I can write. I can't do anything else. You are more suitable to be the leader of a sect than I am."

"Brother, are you really going to hide here forever?" The man in the silver mask looked up at the walls of the room, which seemed to be completely dark and moldy.

The man sighed softly and said, "Xiaoyun, let your crippled brother have some freedom. Wasn't becoming the leader your childhood dream? Why do you hate it now? Don't always be like this, wanting things only when you're interested and not wanting them when you're not. And shouldn't you change your attitude towards women? Find a decent woman to marry."

"You really are something!" the silver-masked man said with a wry smile, "Just like my father!"

"Isn't the eldest brother like a father?" The man smiled brightly, his smile gentle and handsome.

The man in the silver mask was silent for a moment, then asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "Because of that, from childhood to adulthood, you've given me everything I wanted, including this position as sect leader? But why can't you let go of that woman?"

The man's gaze froze, and his hands trembled slightly. He tried to calm himself down, looked up and stared into the eyes of the man in the silver mask, and smiled, "What Xiaoyun wants, your brother will never take from her. This is a promise your brother made before Mother passed away."

"Aren't you afraid this will spoil me?" The silver-masked man's eyes held a hint of resentment as he stubbornly declared, "If you don't compete with me for things, I'll find it meaningless. Even if I get them, it won't feel interesting anymore!"

"Xiaoyun..." The man lowered his head with some guilt and said softly, "I don't know how to make you happy. I tried my best to make you happy, but I didn't expect to make you angry instead."

"Why! Why are you always like this? Where did your past self go?!" The silver-masked man stood up agitatedly and accused, "The current you makes me feel so fake! You know, you're so hypocritical, so annoying, it disgusts me! You're clearly not a humble person, yet you act like this, it really disgusts me! Xue Chengfeng, you hypocritical bastard!" In his agitation, he couldn't control his emotions and punched the man hard in the face.

Xue Chengfeng did not dodge, but let the fist land on his face. The skin at the corner of his mouth was thin, and a few drops of blood flowed out.

The silver-masked man's fist had grazed the other man's teeth from hitting him. He withdrew his fist, looked at Xue Chengfeng with disappointment, and said in a low voice, "Even this, you can endure it?"

Xue Chengfeng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and smiled calmly, "Xiaoyun, I'm not the same person I used to be. You should know that. Even if I compete with you, it will only prove my defeat, won't it?" He looked down at his legs and said with a bitter smile, "I'm just a cripple. Don't even mention you, any able-bodied person could beat me, couldn't they?"

"Crippled, crippled, crippled! I think it's your heart that's truly crippled!" The silver-masked man removed his mask and threw it to the ground. He forcefully ripped off the vermilion heart-shaped mole, instantly transforming his face into a scorched, disfigured one. He looked at Xue Chengfeng with a mocking smile. "How can I be any better than you? If you're crippled, then what am I? Worse than a cripple?"

Xue Chengfeng looked at his face with guilt and said hoarsely, "You know perfectly well why I feel guilty, so why do you keep reminding me, reminding me of the sins I've committed!"

"Do you feel guilty because of this face?" Xue Chengyun sneered. "Because she fell in love with me, who looks just like her, she ruined everything I had. But in the end, you still didn't get her! It's always been like this since we were little. You like competing with me, don't you? Only when what we're fighting for is ruined, and neither of us gets it, will you finally give up! She's been dead for so many years, aren't you still not at peace? She's just a woman!"

"Shut up!" Xue Chengfeng glared at him angrily and growled, "It's because in your heart she's just an ordinary woman that I hate you so much. If you cherished her, I wouldn't have interfered!"

Xue Chengyun leaned back in his chair, squinting as he said, "What's the point of your interference? In the end, who's the one who will harm her?"

"Enough!" Xue Chengfeng slammed his hand on the armrest of the chair, causing it to spin. He turned his back to Xue Chengyun and said in a low voice, "If you're here to humiliate me because of this, then don't bother me again. I don't want to think about anything else right now. I just want to focus on writing the score."

"You're running away," Xue Chengyun said coldly. "Running away from the responsibilities you should bear. This position as sect leader was given to you by your master, and I'm tired of it now. If you don't want to continue, I won't either. Let this Sound Killing Sect be wiped out!"

"Xue Chengyun!" He swung his chair around abruptly, turning to glare at him fiercely. "Since you demanded the position of sect leader from me back then, you'd better sit there properly!"

"I'm not interested anymore," Xue Chengyun said coldly. "Just like that woman, don't you like picking up things I've grown tired of? Isn't wearing my worn-out shoes your pleasure, Xue Chengfeng?"

"Xue Chengyun, get out of here and never come back!" Xue Chengfeng roared.

Xue Chengyun stood up, glanced at him indifferently, and squinted, saying, "Xue Chengfeng, whether you want to be the sect leader or not, from today onwards I will no longer concern myself with matters here." Before turning away, he added with a hint of amusement, "By the way, it seems an interesting young girl has arrived today, somewhat similar to her from back then."

Xue Chengyun pushed open the door and left. As he walked out of the hidden door, he murmured softly, "It's time for you to step out of that shadow. That little girl should be able to help you out of that shadow." He gently stroked his burned and disfigured face, sighed, and said, "You really can do this for a woman. But I stopped blaming you a long time ago. Why hide away and blame yourself? No matter what woman she is, no one can compare to you, my brother, in my heart."

With your extremely keen sense of sound, you should be able to hear it, right? Xue Chengyun smiled knowingly, and with a flicker of his figure, he vanished like a ghost.

Just as Xue Chengyun had guessed, Xue Chengfeng, who was in the dark room, had clearly heard the words he had deliberately murmured earlier.

Xue Chengfeng manipulated a chair and emerged from the hidden room. His gaze swept over the woman on the ground, and he couldn't help but smile bitterly, "Being a cult leader isn't just about knowing how to kill."

He pushed his chair to the crystal mirror, looked at his reflection, and the scar on his brother's face flashed through his mind. He couldn't help but sigh bitterly, "I'm sorry, I thought she only loved your face, but I was wrong. She loved the free and generous you, not a dull and petty guy like me."

Xue Chengfeng was slightly lost in thought, his mind drifting back to ten years ago...

Xue Chengfeng and his younger brother Xue Chengyun were the most favored disciples of the leader of the Sound Killing Sect. At that time, the leader took in a disciple who was an ordinary-looking boy. Xue Chengfeng accidentally discovered that she was a girl with outstanding appearance.

I don't know why, but after I found out she was a woman, my feelings for her seemed to slowly change. What started as concern for my junior brother gradually turned into something else, and I seemed to have unknowingly fallen in love.

But on the day she came of age, she confessed her feelings to her younger brother Xue Chengyun, shattering all her fantasies. The feelings she had been suppressing, which she had intended to express on her coming-of-age day, turned out to be unrequited; she had confessed to her brother before she could even do so.

He knew his younger brother better than anyone. He already had countless female confidantes. He never wanted to be hung up on one person because his mother was his father's concubine. His brother had always said he wanted to be as charming as his father since he was a child. How could the woman he loved become as miserable as his mother? He hated his father because of his mother's life. How could he let the woman he loved become like his mother?

Despite having the same face, she foolishly thought that she, like those other women, liked her brother because of his face, forgetting that she herself had the same face.

The flames trapped her younger brother in the room. She could have rescued him in time without him getting hurt, but she hesitated and watched him until his face was completely disfigured before finally rescuing him.

It was only then that I realized how despicable and shameless I could be. I realized that I, who always thought I was upright and honest, also had such a dark side. Because I couldn't win her heart, I hurt the younger brother that the woman loved. Little did I know that the younger brother had already rejected the woman. It was just that this clever younger brother knew all along that he liked the woman and wanted to give her to him. But love is not something that will fall into your lap just because he withdrew. Even if he withdrew, the woman still had no interest in him.

Later I realized how ridiculous I was. My master always said that the most touching melodies are those that move the player. People who have never experienced love cannot play melodies that express love, and people who have never been heartbroken can hardly reach that peak.

It turns out that the woman's reason for liking the younger brother was simply to be hurt, to reach the peak her master spoke of. She liked a carefree and hurtful younger brother, wanting to be deeply hurt by him and create that heartbreaking melody. But in the end, this foolish woman became too immersed in the role, having already placed her heart truly on the younger brother. She was so foolish as to attempt suicide. What a rude and foolish woman! But she herself seemed even more foolish. In an attempt to stop her from jumping off the cliff, she fell down with her. She only lost her legs, but the younger brother lost his life. She left behind only half an unfinished piece of music.

When I saw that half of the piece, I realized that I had never truly fallen in love with her, because I was simply incapable of completing it.

Because I didn't mean to hurt her to that extent?

Xue Chengfeng sighed deeply, pulling his thoughts back to reality, only to find that his reflection in the mirror was covered in tears.

Why can't I forget that ridiculous, silly woman?

Can I really get out of that shadow?

Xue Chengyun, you clearly want to dump this mess on me, but you still have to pretend to be so great!

……

Inside the Sound Killing Sect's mountain gate, a man sat in a chair resembling a wheelchair, heading towards Han Wuxie's direction.

Han Wuxie looked at the newcomer with curiosity. Suddenly, a person completely covered in black cloth, with only his eyes showing, appeared and politely greeted the man sitting in what looked like a wheelchair, "Master."

Upon hearing this, Xue Chengfeng smiled wryly and said, "Black Shadow, you're really smart. You knew that guy would dump this mess on me."

The shadowy figure retreated without saying another word.

Xue Chengfeng sighed, walked up to Han Wuxie, and scrutinized him for a long time.

Is this the little girl?

Do you look a lot like her?

Aside from the fact that they are both women disguised as men, they don't seem quite alike!

Xue Chengyun, you really haven't cared about her at all. How could such a stubborn little girl be similar to her, who is sentimental about everything?

"Are you the leader of the Sound Killing Cult?" Han Wuxie asked politely.

Xue Chengfeng smiled calmly and said, "Now, let's call it a day."

"I want to study here. Can you accept me?" Han Wuxie asked somewhat nervously.

Xue Chengfeng looked behind him and said in a low voice, "Shadow, follow the procedure my master used to follow when accepting disciples."

"Yes." The person wrapped in black cloth reappeared, like a ghost, coming and going silently.

Xue Chengfeng glanced at Han Wuxie indifferently and said in a low voice, "If you pass the test, you can naturally stay."

"What kind of test is it?" Han Wuxie asked.

Xue Chengfeng pointed at the dark figure and said, "Ask him. I've already handed it over to him."

Han Wuxie nodded knowingly. It was indeed a trivial matter of accepting disciples, and the sect leader did not need to do it personally.

Xue Chengfeng rested his chin on his hand, signaling the shadowy figure to do his job, looking on with an air of anticipation.

The shadowy figure took out a sheet of music, handed it to Han Wuxie, and said calmly, "No matter what instrument you use, just present it."

Han Wuxie nodded slightly and took out a seven-stringed zither from her small cloth bag. It was given to her by Hua Qianye before she left.

"Huh?" The shadowy figure was slightly surprised.

A hint of doubt flashed in Xue Chengfeng's eyes.

They had never seen such a bag before; it was small, yet it could hold a zither.

Han Wuxie frowned. His unintentional action had caused quite a stir. It seemed he would have to be more careful in the future.

Han Wuxie sat cross-legged, placed the zither on his knees, took a deep breath, and with just a quick glance at the score, memorized the entire piece.

With a gentle touch on the strings and skillful gestures, it was as if he had practiced the piece countless times, rather than playing it for the first time.

The pleasant melody gradually turned desolate, with a somber bass note that brought out a touch of bitterness. The deep sound resonated with the eardrums and even the depths of the soul, a sense of melancholy and bitterness mixed with a thousand kinds of reluctance, like a lotus root still attached to its roots, yet also like a resolute determination. The entanglement and distress made the player feel pain as well.

What's going on? Why is this piece like this? It seems impossible to escape the composer's emotions!

Who composed this piece? It's amazing!

As Han Wuxie's fingers fell to the last note, tears involuntarily streamed down his face. It was as if this song had witnessed an epic love story, but the ending was tragic and heartbreaking.

"Who wrote this score? I want to see this person! I want to learn from this person!" Han Wuxie looked excitedly at the two people in front of him.

Xue Chengfeng and the shadowy figure exchanged a glance and noticed that both of them had tears in their eyes. They were both moved and saddened by the music. The fact that Han Wuxie could play the piece to such a high level was incredibly impressive to them.

Xue Chengfeng calmed himself down slightly and said with a wry smile, "This is a piece left by my master. The person who wrote the score was the founder of the sect. This is a piece used by the Sound Killing Sect to test whether one is qualified to become a disciple. If one can play it completely, one is qualified to become a disciple of the Sound Killing Sect. However, your playing level is better than mine. No one in our Sound Killing Sect can teach you anything. The only one who can teach you is probably my master, but my master has passed away. Alas."

Han Wuxie paused, then frowned and asked, "So, do you have any other pieces like this here?"

Xue Chengfeng was a person who appreciated talent, which is why his master wanted to give him the position of sect leader. Only those who appreciate talent can find better disciples for the Sound Killing Sect, and only outstanding disciples can make the Sound Killing Sect flourish.

Xue Chengfeng hesitated for a moment, then said cheerfully, "This is just a test of whether a disciple is qualified to enter the Sound Killing Sect. It's the most basic piece. There are naturally many better pieces in the Hidden Music Pavilion, mostly left by the founder of the sect. If you want to become a disciple of the Sound Killing Sect, you can naturally enter it to learn."

Han Wuxie smiled brightly, cupped his hands, and said, "Sect Leader, please allow me to join the Sound Killing Sect!"

"Even I wouldn't dare accept a disciple like you," Xue Chengfeng said with a calm smile. "I will accept you on behalf of my master. My master cherished talent above all else. If he were still alive, he would definitely have accepted you."

"Then thank you very much, Senior Brother." Han Wuxie was very quick-witted and smiled politely.

……

After Han Wuxie joined the Sound Killing Sect, he immediately immersed himself in the Hidden Music Pavilion. Melodies would occasionally emanate from the pavilion, which made Xue Chengfeng, who lived nearby, sincerely admire Han Wuxie's playing skills.

Xue Chengyun, who had been observing Han Wuxie and Xue Chengfeng from the shadows, looked at them with exasperation and cursed inwardly: If you admire this girl so much, why don't you go closer!

Xue Chengyun looked at Xue Chengfeng's residence, a sly smile curving his lips.

His face behind the silver mask should have been ruined, but he used a magical technique to restore his original appearance, except that he now had a small heart-shaped mole on the corner of his mouth.

The door to the Cangqu Pavilion was pushed open, and a smiling man sat in a chair resembling a wheelchair and entered.

Han Wuxie stopped playing and stepped forward politely, saying, "Master, what is it?" Her gaze lingered with a hint of doubt on the heart-shaped mole that had appeared on the man's face.

"Wu Xie," he suddenly called out affectionately.

"Uh?" Han Wuxie was taken aback, then gave an awkward smile. "Does the sect leader need my help?"

"Wu Xie." His voice was slightly intoxicated as he squinted seductively, "Your musical skills are something I greatly admire."

Han Wuxie smiled modestly, then frowned in confusion.

"I know Wu Xie is a girl!" He raised an eyebrow, his gaze somewhat frivolous.

Han Wuxie subconsciously took a step back and said in a low voice, "The sect leader has misunderstood."

"Is there a misunderstanding? How about Wuxie and I go take a bath together?" He smiled slyly. "Since you're my junior brother, it shouldn't be a problem for you to take a bath together and then go to a brothel, right?"

Han Wuxie's face darkened as he said, "I don't like bathing with other people, nor do I like those kinds of places. I'm allergic to the perfumes and powders worn by brothel girls."

"Is that so?" A chair resembling a wheelchair approached Han Wuxie.

Han Wuxie frowned in displeasure and said in a low voice, "Please show some respect, Master!"

"Self-respect?" He sneered, "Don't women all like men to take the initiative? Is pretending to be reluctant what every woman finds fulfilling? Why are all women like this? They clearly want it so badly, yet they pretend to hate it! They're clearly women, but they act like men! You're probably a hypocrite, aren't you? You tell me to have self-respect, but deep down you want me to have no self-respect, right?"

Han Wuxie stared intently at the mole on his face for a long time, then suddenly frowned and said in a deep voice, "You're not the sect leader, so who are you?"

Xue Chengyun pursed his lips, touched the small mole on his face, and said with a wry smile, "If I hadn't been disfigured, it probably wouldn't have been noticed, right?"

"Who exactly are you?" Han Wuxie suddenly unleashed the martial power of a Martial Emperor.

"Martial Emperor?" Xue Chengyun's eyes lit up, and he said with a playful smile, "Little girl, you really surprise me. How many secrets do you have? Why did you join our Sound Killing Sect? That muddle-headed brother didn't ask any questions and just took you in because you play music well. He's really irresponsible!"

"Brother? You're the sect leader's younger brother?" Han Wuxie frowned and said, "No wonder you look so alike. I'm just here to learn the music, I have no other purpose. I just heard that you can transform musical notes into sword energy here, which I find amazing, and I want to try to understand it."

"What's my brother like?" he asked, squinting.

"He's a good person," Han Wuxie replied earnestly.

"You've been here for a while now, and he's been keeping a close eye on you," Xue Chengyun said with a touch of gossip. "How about it? Consider my brother? He plays the flute quite well; you two would be a perfect match!"

"You're overthinking it." Han Wuxie rolled his eyes. He couldn't quite tell whether he disliked this guy he was meeting for the first time or felt a strange sense of familiarity. He simply started flipping through his book and left him standing there.

"I didn't think much of it, he just likes your style." Xue Chengyun said with a bitter smile and a hint of resentment, "He just likes women who dress as men and are two-faced. Back then, he even hurt his own brother for a woman like that. He's truly a man who values ​​women over his brother!"

Han Wuxie was slightly curious, but pretended to ignore Xue Chengyun and continued reading.

Xue Chengyun said to himself, "Ten years ago, a woman he had his eye on confessed her feelings to me."

Han Wuxie paused slightly, glanced at him sideways, and seeing that he didn't seem to be lying, asked casually, "And then?"

"Then I refused the woman and wanted to give it to her, but she really didn't want what was right in front of her and insisted on pestering me."

"Are you showing off how popular you are?" Han Wuxie glared at him unhappily.

He sighed, somewhat annoyed, and said, "I wanted my brother to be happy, and I wanted that woman to give up on me, preferably to hate me. I said some very harsh things to that woman."

"You must be heartbroken to hear someone you like say something so powerful, right?" Han Wuxie glared at Xue Chengyun with a hint of hatred.

Xue Chengyun shrank back awkwardly when she glared at him angrily. He found it amusing. Why would I be afraid of a little girl? Is it because I have done too many things to wrong women, and because I owe women too much, I am afraid of a little girl as well?

Xue Chengyun touched his face and smiled helplessly, "Other sects came knocking on our door. In the eyes of the martial arts world, our Sound Killing Sect is a heretical sect, so we have many enemies. Those people joined forces to poison the water we drink and set a big fire here."

"That's despicable." Han Wuxie curled his lip and scolded, "Seeing that you're still alive and well, you obviously didn't die in the fire."

"You little brat, you really have a foul mouth!"

"I'm not going to give you a pleasant look for disturbing your good mood while playing the zither in the middle of the night." Han Wuxie snorted coldly, displeased. "I still remember the time you impersonated the sect leader and tricked me."

"You take revenge instantly, that's quite a good personality, and it suits my taste. If I weren't saving you for my brother, I would have tried you myself first!" Xue Chengyun licked his lower lip, looking hungry and grinning mischievously.

Han Wuxie kicked out, but Xue Chengyun nimbly dodged and stood up.

Han Wuxie narrowed his eyes, scoffing and threatening, "Looks like you're perfectly healthy, but does a healthy person sitting in a wheelchair want to become crippled? How about I help you and cripple you?"

"Alright, let's call a truce! This little girl is really ruthless! Just imagining having a sister-in-law like you in the future is a bit scary. My brother is the kind of person who values ​​women more than his brothers. If you become my woman, I'll probably be in big trouble, won't I?"

"Shut up, stop spouting nonsense!"

Xue Chengyun returned to the main point, his face darkening as he said seriously, "I was not spared from that fire."

"No one escaped unscathed?" Han Wuxie scrutinized him, frowning. "You seem fine."

Xue Chengyun removed the small mole from her face, and her appearance instantly changed, revealing a large burn scar on her face.

Han Wuxie gasped and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I overreacted. Please don't mind. I didn't dislike your appearance; I just didn't react in time."

"It's alright, this kind of reaction is normal." He smiled calmly and said, "Actually, my brother could have saved me, I shouldn't have been burned, but he didn't help in time. It should be because of his resentment towards me, because I said something hurtful to that woman and angered him. Later, my brother felt very guilty, and that woman also blamed my brother for not helping me. She didn't abandon me because of my disfigurement, but instead followed me even more frantically."

"She doesn't look down on you, so she must really love you." Han Wuxie sighed and said, "Actually, you shouldn't hurt her because of your brother. If you like her, you can accept her; if you don't, you can be frank and say so. You don't need to torture her like that. Even if you withdraw from this relationship, she still won't like your brother just because you withdraw. She won't accept your brother just because you withdraw."

"If only I had been as clear-headed as you are now back then!"

Xue Chengyun gave a sorrowful laugh, "Because of the disfigurement, I was in a bad mood. Plus, because of her, my brother and I had a falling out, and he even refused to help me. I vented all my resentment on her, feeling that without her, my relationship with my brother wouldn't have been ruined. It was all because of her that things turned out this way. I was furious and said even worse things to her, even cursing her and telling her to die. And then…" Xue Chengyun closed her eyes, seemingly recalling the painful memory, her voice choked with emotion, "That woman asked me if, if she really died, my brother and I would go back to how we were before, because without her, would our brotherly bond return?"

"How will you answer?" Han Wuxie felt a sudden tightness in his chest.

Xue Chengyun gazed wistfully into the distance and murmured, "I was angry at the time, so of course I spoke without thinking. I didn't mean anything by it, but the listener took it to heart. Just because I answered with a single word, she withered away in the prime of her life."

"She..." Han Wuxie stammered, "...dead?"

Xue Chengyun said hoarsely, "I thought that she would hide in my brother's arms after being injured, but that woman chose to commit suicide, making a choice that my brother and I will regret for the rest of our lives. Because of her choice, the rift between my brother and me can never be repaired. Even if I forgive my brother for not saving me, I can never forgive myself for the hurtful words I said to the woman my brother loved."

Han Wuxie didn't know how to comfort him, so he just patted his back gently and sighed.

"Your appearance seems to be able to change everything!" He suddenly opened his eyes wide, looking at Han Wuxie hopefully, and smiled, "Because you and she are so alike, so brother can definitely get out of that shadow because of you. I don't pray that my relationship with brother can be restored, but I hope brother won't give up on himself. You can change him, please, go love him! Fall in love with him, okay?"

Han Wuxie was stunned for a moment, his face instantly darkening, and he said in an extremely serious voice, "Don't you understand? Even though that woman is dead, you still don't understand!"

"Understand what?" Xue Chengyun looked at Han Wuxie with a puzzled expression.

Han Wuxie coldly replied, "Love is not something others can interfere with!"

"I..." Xue Chengyun lowered his head and said with a bitter smile, "Given his current condition, if I don't step in to help, he has no chance of getting out of this situation on his own."

"It's all because of your meddling that that woman died so mysteriously!" Han Wuxie seemed a little angry, and said in a low voice, "If you didn't like her, you should have rejected her on the spot, without saying those hurtful things. After that woman was heartbroken, she would have forgotten about it. Even if she didn't like your brother, she would have made new choices. There wouldn't have been any conflict between you and your brother, and everything wouldn't have turned out like this! It's because you meddled and insisted on bringing your brother and her together that things turned out like this, isn't it? Now you want to force me and your brother together again. Do you want the tragedy to repeat itself?"

Xue Chengyun's tone lacked confidence as she weakly said, "You don't like me. You're different from that woman."

"I have someone I like!" Han Wuxie said with utmost seriousness.

"How old are you? You already have someone you like?" Xue Chengyun thought Han Wuxie was deliberately making excuses to deceive her.

"I have someone I like!" Han Wuxie nodded seriously. "I probably liked someone when I was five years old, but I only recently realized that I have fallen in love with him. I am willing to pay any price and take on many difficult challenges for him."

Xue Chengyun was stunned. These words and that look didn't seem like a lie.

"No matter what you think, I think what you're doing is very wrong! If your brother really liked me, then it would be fine for you to try and match them up, but you don't even know what your brother feels, and yet you're doing this. I think that's very inappropriate." Han Wuxie sighed, "I sympathize with your brother, but sympathy doesn't mean I should help him by falling in love with him! Now, just pray that your brother doesn't really like me. If he does, he'll probably get hurt again. As for the person I've fallen in love with, I will absolutely not change my mind!"

Xue Chengyun's mind flashed back to the words of that woman from years ago: "My feelings for you will never change!"

"You really do resemble her." Xue Chengyun smiled wryly, and without lingering, silently turned and left.

Watching his departing figure, Han Wuxie pursed her lips. She had considered perhaps helping that cult leader, but then she thought again that she was only here to learn and shouldn't get involved in such matters. Sometimes, going too far in helping could lead to trouble. Regardless of whether she resembled that woman or not, it was better to keep a distance from that cult leader in the future to avoid being used as a substitute. If he really fell in love with her, that would be a real problem. She didn't want to be a sinner. That poor guy would probably break down if rejected again, wouldn't he?

Xue Chengyun had just left Cangqu Pavilion when he heard the sound of wheels. Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw Xue Chengfeng sitting in a chair, heading in his direction.

"I heard everything." Xue Chengfeng shook his head with a wry smile and said, "Because that little girl plays the piano very well, I listen very carefully to her room. I heard everything you said."

Xue Chengyun's eyes darkened slightly, and he said in a low voice, "Do you really like that girl? Are you so concerned about the sounds coming from her room because you've already fallen in love?" He said in a slightly hoarse voice, "But what can we do? They're so alike, and neither of them is the type to change their minds. You're going to get hurt again, brother." He raised his head, his eyes filled with a hint of pity.

"Don't look at me like that." Xue Chengfeng said, somewhat annoyed. "Xue Chengyun, when will you stop being so self-righteous? I only paid attention to this girl because I suspected she possessed the ancient talent my master spoke of! I had absolutely no feelings for that girl, and..." He hesitated slightly, but still sighed, "After she died, she left behind half a musical score, but I was never able to complete the second half. It was then that I realized that my feelings for her were only because we had lived together for a long time, and I couldn't bear to see her like a bastard like you who played around with women. I wanted to prevent her from getting hurt, and I mistook pity for love."

"What do you mean by a bastard who messes around with women!" Xue Chengyun glared at Xue Chengfeng unhappily.

"I'm talking about you, kid! Haven't you slept with enough women already?" Xue Chengfeng glared back.

"I was just playing along. I used to be too handsome, and women would throw themselves at me. What could I do? Besides, I'm still a virgin!" His voice became a little shy.

"A virgin!" Upon hearing this, Xue Chengfeng burst into laughter. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so heartily.

Seeing her brother's smile return, Xue Chengyun slightly raised the corners of her mouth, but pretended to be angry and rushed forward, saying angrily, "What are you laughing at! I've been so chaste, you should be praising me, brother!"

"Hahaha..." Xue Chengfeng chuckled mischievously, "You don't have something wrong with yourself, do you? I don't think you're the kind of person who can hold back!"

"You're the one who's no good! Your leg is broken, but is that part broken too? Let me check!" Xue Chengyun pounced over and forcibly pulled down Xue Chengfeng's pants.

Xue Chengfeng struggled to pull up his pants, and the two of them wrestled around until they were exhausted. Finally, Xue Chengyun gave up, and the two looked at each other and burst into laughter.

---Aside---

One more update~

I've been trying to write 10,000 words a day for many days, but by the time I finish writing it, it's already very late. I'm sure everyone is getting impatient. It's just that it's hard to write 10,000 words a day early.