Watching the Mountain

’Zhao Wuyang and Liu Yunge are like a couple straight out of a fairy tale.’

After the Little Witch, Ye Qingxue, had cut off the transmission, they hadn’t sent another message. Xu Ran had assumed they’d listened to her and gone back.

But to his surprise, just half a day later, word spread through the Sect that they had arrived at the same time.

The Sect members responsible for receiving them were stunned to see them together. Everyone knew the two were mortal enemies.

Previously, when the prodigies from various sects had come to test Yue Qingyu, it was these two who had clashed at a critical moment. They were severely injured right before their fight with Deceitful Blade Chen Chang’an, which was why they lost, allowing the Profound Pure Sect to avert a crisis.

Despite the shock of the Profound Pure Sect members, the two kept their distance from each other, exuding an unapproachable aura. With cold expressions, they said in unison, "Take me to see Fellow Daoist Qingxue."

Ultimately, however, they were too late. It was just as Ye Qingxue had said before: her Dao Foundation had crumbled, and the flame of her life had long been extinguished. She had only been holding on through sheer willpower, wanting one last chance to taste the food that Ye Shan used to eat.

When they saw their friend, who had already lost all signs of life, the sorrow in their eyes was undeniable. They stood there in silence for a long time.

After they paid their respects to Ye Qingxue, Xu Ran asked how they had managed to arrive so quickly.

Chen Chang’an was also there, having been summoned by Zhao Wuyang and Liu Yunge. He, too, was staring at them with a bewildered expression.

In response to Xu Ran’s question, Liu Yunge waved her hand and said, "We just rushed all the way here together, openly using the Cross-border Teleportation Array."

"Are you two insane? Weren’t you afraid of being seen?" Xu Ran asked, his expression one of pure shock.

To hide their relationship, the two of them never dared to so much as make eye contact in front of others. Yet now they had come to the Profound Pure Sect together. It was unbelievably audacious.

But the pair didn’t seem worried at all. Instead, they replied with complete confidence:

"We’ve thought it over, and it’s not as serious as you think. Fellow Daoist Qingxue was a prodigy of our generation. After her sudden passing, it’s only natural for us to temporarily set aside our duel and come to pay our respects. No one will think twice about it."

Zhao Wuyang nodded in agreement and added:

"That’s right. We discussed this as well. We used to be far too concerned about appearances, always trying to hide our relationship. Every time we met, we acted like it was a life-or-death struggle."

"But when you really think about it, we never needed to be so dramatic. If we just act like normal rivals, no one’s mind will go there. No one would ever suspect we’d fall in love with each other."

Xu Ran watched them and let out a soft sigh. It was true, and the logic made sense, but he knew one thing for certain: if not for what had happened to Ye Qingxue, they would never have found the courage to do this, even if they understood the reasoning.

They cared for and cherished each other too much to risk any mishap exposing their relationship. Yet, in the end, they had taken this step. The only thing that could have driven them to do so was their genuine concern for the Little Witch, Ye Qingxue.

As this thought crossed his mind, Xu Ran fell silent for a moment before he finally couldn’t resist asking the question that was on his mind:

"We’re very happy and feel fortunate that you two genuinely consider us friends. But there’s something I don’t understand. We’ve only known each other for a little over a month. Why do you value and cherish our friendship so much after such a short time?"

Hearing Xu Ran’s question, Zhao Wuyang and Liu Yunge paused, slightly taken aback. They exchanged a glance, and a smile touched their lips.

"Because when we’re with you, we feel at ease. We’re happy."

Xu Ran was taken aback. "That’s it?"

Seeing his reaction, the two of them smiled, and Zhao Wuyang spoke up:

"Is that not enough? Should a person make friends with those who bring them sorrow, pain, and suffering, rather than those who make them happy?"

Xu Ran waved his hand. "No, that’s not what I mean. If that’s the only reason, it didn’t necessarily have to be us, did it?"

Zhao Wuyang shook his head and looked at Xu Ran with a serious expression.

"Is that really true? Fellow Daoist Xu, I want you to think back carefully. Since you first stepped onto the path of cultivation, how many times have you experienced a period like the one we shared? A time where you could completely let your guard down, where you didn’t have to scheme or worry about a thing, where there was nothing but friendly banter and laughter?"

"I..." Xu Ran trailed off, falling silent. ’Perhaps I felt this happy with Little Xiyue,’ he thought, ’but that’s the warmth you feel with family.’

Seeing his reaction, Zhao Wuyang smiled faintly.

"Now do you understand, Fellow Daoist? Our first meeting was the result of accidents and circumstances that forced us to sit down and make meaningless small talk. But without a doubt, that was the most relaxing time we’ve had since we began our cultivation. We didn’t have to worry about a thing. We were just idly chatting, and yet, we were happier than ever."

"From the moment we set foot on the path of cultivation, certain things were destined to be beyond our control. This path is difficult, and none of us can know what fate awaits us in the next moment."

"And precisely because the road is so long and arduous, we must be all the more proactive in choosing and cherishing the people and things that bring us joy."