Sick Beauty [Rebirth] CH 5

Chapter 5 Searching for flowers

Immortal Lord. Ye Yunlan chewed on the word.

For him, this title was a bit strange.

In his previous life, he was slandered for killing his fellow sect members. Everyone called him a traitor and said he was shameless. Later, he was made into a human furnace and sent to the demon sect. So the world also called him the demon lord’s lapdog, a scum of the immortal dao. It was only when his swordsmanship became successful that no one dared to point at his nose and say nasty slurs at him. But behind his back, these people would still secretly call him “Ghost Raksha.”

Raksha was an evil spirit. According to legend, a male Raksha was extremely ugly, liked to eat people, and was hated by the world.

No one had called him such a beautiful name such as “Immortal Lord”.

....no. Ye Yunlan suddenly remembered that there was one.

He was burnt by the divine fire in his previous life and used to wear black clothes to cover himself. However, the demon lord had always liked him wearing white. When he was teasing him, he often asked in a low voice, “Immortal Venerable, are you happy?”

However, the ambiguous love words within the bedspreads could not be counted after all.

Ye Yunlan stood in the room, looking down at the young man for a long while. Finally, he asked: “You sneaked into this place late at night to peep in front of my window. What do you want?”

“I have a question.” The young man seemed to seldom speak, his voice was very hoarse and he spoke very slowly, “I want..Immortal Lord to answer.”

Being able to bypass the restriction set by He Lanze without being touched, standing in front of his window in the middle of the night and peeping, just to ask him a question?

Ye Yunlan didn’t believe it and frowned, “You can ask.”

The young man raised his face to look at him. That face was clearly handsome with a tinge of maliciousness, but at this time, there seemed to be some pure expectation in his eyes. “Immortal Lord.. why did you save me before?”

Save him?

Ye Yunlan remembered that at the time the divine fire was out of control, he had rescued many people casually while trying to leave, so this teenager might be one of them.

He replied indifferently: “You don’t need a reason to save someone.”

The young man pursed his lips. He looked at him for a while, then said: “The Immortal Lord is lying.”

Ye Yunlan frowned. He listened to the young man’s sullen voice: “Where would you find a person who would casually save others.. while putting their own life at stake?” The young man paused and said in a hoarse voice, “When the blood of the Immortal Lord fell on me.. it was so hot.”

Ye Yunlan was startled, “..it’s you.”

He did save a lot of people in the secret realm, but was injured only for one.

It was the young man who happened to catch a glimpse of him when he was about to leave the secret realm.

He recalled the scene.

In the blazing fire, the young man had fallen into a pool of blood. He was obviously seriously injured, but was still crawling forward with his hands. His five fingers dug until they were dripping blood on the ground, while his dragged body left a blood stain behind.

As if sensing his gaze, the boy turned his head to look at him.

That face stained with blood and mud had eyes that were dark and silent. There was no hope or prayer, just the reflection of the bloody sky.

With that look, Ye Yunlan thought of himself in his previous life.

In the first half of his life, he had asked for help countless times

..but was deceived by lies again and again, and was abandoned again and again.

Later, he finally learned to be silent. Occasionally, he would also wonder whether everything that happened would be completely different if someone were willing to extend their hand to him in the first place.

He turned to save the young man who was struggling and crawling on the ground. It was as if he crossed a torrent that spanned hundreds of years and he was attempting to save the young him.

The Fire Phoenix transformed by the divine fire essence crashed into his body, and every inch of his meridians in his body were broken.

The blood couldn’t stop flowing from his lips, but he didn’t care.

Life and death, long ago, was no longer something he was attached to.

The boy standing by the window was still watching him stubbornly.

Ye Yunlan was silent for a moment, then said: “If you really want a reason, it’s probably because I think you’re a little similar to me.”

“Similar?” The boy blinked suspiciously.

Ye Yunlan didn’t want to explain too much: “I have answered your question, you should go.”

“No,” the boy shook his head, “I have another question.”

Ye Yunlan: “Speak.”

The boy seriously asked: “Immortal Lord, you saved me, so how can I..repay you?”

“..I don’t need your repayment.” Ye Yunlan showed his fatigue and indifference. He leaned over the window sill and wanted to reach out to close the window, “It’s my own business to save people, and it’s my own business to be injured. It has nothing to do with anyone. I don’t know how you got in, but I suggest you hurry up and leave before you get discovered.”

The sleeve of his shirt was suddenly grabbed by the boy.

“No one will find out.” The boy said, “Before I came in, I had already investigated carefully around this area. There is only the Immortal Lord.. alone.”

Ye Yunlan wanted to shake off the boy’s hand, but his eyes noticed the boy’s scarred fingers and twisted, broken nails.

Most of his wounds have scabbed, yet they still look hideous.

The boy pulled his sleeves. There was a coagulated blood stain on the plain white robe, leaving dark red marks.

It was like cinnabar crushed on rice paper.

Very obvious.

“Immortal Lord, tell me..what do you want?”

The boy asked him unyieldingly.

Because of their position, they were very close at this time. Ye Yunlan could even see each of the teenager’s gently trembling eyelashes.

“..What can you give me?” Ye Yunlan asked after a long time.

“Everything.” The boy spoke without hesitation.

A breeze blew by and the clouds were broken through by the moon.

The moonlight poured over the thin shoulders of the teenager. Those eyes became brighter under the moonlight.

He repeated earnestly: “I can give the Immortal Lord.. everything.”

Ye Yunlan’s voice was still cold: “Including your life?”

The boy nodded, “Including my life.”

“..What do I want your life for?” Ye Yunlan looked away.

He stood up straight and looked into the distance. His black hair flew as he gazed at the ice and snow on the distant mountains.

“If you want to repay me, please help me pick a branch of Xue Zhan flower and bring it over.”

The Xue Zhan flower grows in the ice and snow. If the temperature became higher, they would wither instantly.

Now that it’s early spring, Qingyun Mountain had a humid and warm climate. The ice and snow had melted early on, so, where could he find a branch of Xue Zhan flower? Even if it was found, it would not be brought to him in a perfect state.

Ye Yunlan saying this was to simply have the teenager get rid of his thoughts.

In this life, he no longer wanted to involve himself with people. If it were not for the severe injury, he would not have even wanted to deal with He Lanze, who kept him at his to recuperate. He just wanted to be alone. To find a remote place and spend his life peacefully.

However, to his surprise, the young man did not hesitate: “Okay.”

Ye Yunlan frowned, but saw the young man staring at him firmly: “Immortal Lord, wait for me.”

After that, the youth finally let go of his sleeves. He turned his head and left.

His figure was as vigorous as a wolf. He soon disappeared at the end of the courtyard wall.

Ye Yunlan looked down at his ruffled sleeves, which still had the dark red blood stain from the young man’s hands.

He was silent for a long time before closing the window.

The second day.

Ye Yunlan put down the scroll, blew out the light, and walked into the inner room. He took his queying sword and sat on the bed quietly to wipe it.

The windows were not closed tightly.

The moonlight came in and sprinkled over his body.

After wiping the sword, he looked sideways at the moonlight outside the window for a long time.

The boy did not come.

As he expected.

He got out of bed, closed the window, and closed his eyes while lying on the bed.

The wind continued to flow and throw chaos within his dreams, giving him a restless sleep as always.

..

A few more days passed.

Ye Yunlan was leaning on his bed and flipping through a book when he heard a knocking on the window.

That hand that flipped the page paused. He was silent for a moment, feeling a little surprised.

He originally thought that the young man had already given up, and would not come again.

Ye Yunlan got up and opened the window.

Just opening a gap, his hand was caught.

Because of his ice spirit roots, his body temperature was lower than that of an ordinary person, but the hand that grabbed him was even more frighteningly cold.

“Immortal Lord.” He heard the boy’s hoarse voice, “Xue Zhan flower ..I’ve brought it here.”

Ye Yunlan caught the other party’s wolf-like glistening eyes from the dark window. He was slightly startled. He quietly broke away from that hand, opened the window, and said: “Come in.”

The boy turned and jumped into the room.

He was still in the shabby clothes before, but water was dripping, drop by drop, at this time.

The water fell onto the ground, and cold mist dispersed.

Ye Yunlan watched the boy carefully take out a flower from his wet clothes and held it in front of him.

That flower was pure white. With a sparkling, translucent shape, it was extremely beautiful. There were twelve petals gathered into a cup shape, with each petal resembling ice and snow.

It was a Xue Zhan flower.

Ye Yunlan looked down for a moment, “You went to Wangyun Peak?”

According to the season at this time, there would be no snow on Qingyun Mountain, except for one place.

Wangyun Peak where the Sect Master of Sky Sect secludes.

Wangyun Peak was cold all year round and there were many restrictions inside. No disciple dared to approach it.

The teenager nodded.

Ye Yunlan was silent for a moment, “Xue Zhan flower would wither as soon as they leave the ice and snow, how did you bring it here?”

“The flowers I took in the first few days.. indeed all withered.” The boy answered, “Later..I thought of a way.”

“I heard.. there are cold springs on Qingya Peak; the water of the cold springs could even condense ice souls. Even under the scorching sun, the chill would not dissipate.”

“So before I fetch the flowers, I first soaked in the cold spring for a long time. Then hiding the flower in my arms, the flower would not wither in the middle of the journey back.”

The boy spoke and a smile appeared on his pale and handsome face. This smile seemed to diminish the malicious aura on the boy’s body by a lot. He appeared like a wet and furry little wolf pup seeking praise.

He said: “Immortal Lord, Xue Zhan flower..is it pretty?”

Ye Yunlan didn’t expect that the teenager would come up with such a method.

He took the snow-white flower and stroked one of the petals with his fingertips. The petals quivered slightly, then slowly turned into white flower juice, which flowed into the center of his palm.

After a while, the flower that the young man had so painstakingly fetched withered in the palm of his hand.

However, the young man’s face did not show the slightest loss. He didn’t even look at the flower, but looked up at him: “If the Immortal Lord wants to see the flower, I can.. help the Immortal Lord to get it again.”

The boy tugged at his sleeve, “So.. in the future, can I see the Immortal Lord again?”

Ye Yunlan was silent for a long time before finally raising his hand and touching the young boy’s head.

The boy’s hair was wet and cold, but it still felt a little soft.

Maybe it wasn’t soft, but he was soft (soft-hearted).

“What’s your name?” Ye Yunlan asked.

The youth: “Shen Shu.”

Shen Shu.

Ye Yunlan had no impression of this name in his previous life.

Probably because.. Shen Shu in his previous life was not rescued from the secret realm.

Shen Shu only survived because of himself.

Ye Yunlan thought of this, and the tip of his heart trembled slightly.

“The cold spring easily invades the bones, causing one to catch a cold. You should go back and change your clothes,” he said, “in the future, you don’t have to bring that flower over.”

The boy’s hand pulling at his sleeve tightened.

Ye Yunlan tilted his head. He pursed his lips, and continued: “..that flower is fragile and difficult to grow, it is very easy to wither. In fact, I don’t like it very much. If you come here in the future, please bring me some other flowers.”

—

When He Lanze entered the room with the medicinal soup, he smelt a very light floral scent.

He saw Ye Yunlan standing by the window with his back to him, seeming to be playing with something. His black hair fell down like a waterfall and his figure was thin. He was obviously not far away, but he appeared like a cloud of smoke, able to dissipate if one did not pay attention carefully.

He Lanze walked behind him and had the urge to hold that person tight.

He whispered softly: “Junior Brother Ye, it’s time to drink your medicine.”

Ye Yunlan responded faintly, “Senior Brother, please put it on the table, I’ll drink it later.”

Only then did He Lanze notice that Ye Yunlan was playing with a few sticks of plum blossoms in a bottle. The plum blossom was bright. In contrast, it made his hands as pale as snow.

His neck was slender and his eyelashes were like feathers.

The person and flower, both an exquisite scenery.

However, plum blossoms were not planted in the courtyard.

He Lanze frowned, “Did Junior Brother Rong come to see you again?”

Ye Yunlan didn’t answer. He looked down and carefully arranged the few plum blossoms.

Seeing that he did not respond, He Lanze decided his guess was correct. He was silent for a moment: “If Junior Brother Ye likes flowers, when Senior Brother comes to visit you in the future, Senior Brother could also bring some over. Junior brother has been resting here for a long time, if you are able to have some flowers to relieve your boredom, that would be good.”

Ye Yunlan shook his head, “No need to bother Senior Brother.”

His fingertips left the plum blossom and picked up the medicine bowl on the table. He returned to the cold jade bed and sat down to drink the medicine.

There was a faint fragrance floating between his swinging sleeves.

It resembled the fragrance of plum blossoms and the unique cold fragrance of his body. Mixed with the slightly bitter medicinal scent from the bowl and floating in the afternoon sun, there was a sense of intoxication.

He Lanze leaned against the outer wall, and did not follow Ye Yunlan into the inner room.

He lowered his head and took a few deep breaths.

He used to think that a beauty could teach one the concept of yearning, but he didn’t know that after getting along for a while, even a hint of fragrance can provoke longing and unwillingness in his heart.

He remembered what Rong Ran had said to him braggingly when he left. He slowly clenched his fists.

At this moment, a soft voice sounded outside the door, “Ah Lan, are you awake? Come and open the door for me.”

“I’ll take you to Master’s for healing.”