But in the end, Xie Liufeng decided to tell Chu Xinghui about his two names.

He thought for a moment and found an entry point: “You should know that I tried to leave the control of the Xie family before I entered the Beiyue Sword Sect, right?”

He deliberately glossed over his past hardships to avoid making Chu Xinghui sad.

Chu Xinghui remained silent, quietly holding his hand.

Xie Liufeng explained: “When I first came back to life, I had a period where my memories were chaotic. When my master dug me out of the grave, I couldn’t even remember my own name. But not having a name wasn’t convenient, so my master saw a token with my surname and gave me the name ‘Xie Qinghe’. After a while, my memories fully returned, but everyone had gotten used to my new name.”

Finally, he concluded: “So, theoretically, both names are fine. I’ll respond to whatever name you call me.”

Chu Xinghui listened to the whole story and felt rather indifferent: “That’s it?”

Yue Yao had made it sound so mysterious, but he thought it would be some earth-shattering secret.

Seeing his slightly disappointed expression, Xie Liufeng couldn’t help but laugh: “When my master gave me my name, no one knew about the fate book. It’s just two names, what kind of conspiracy could there be? I’m not one of those fanatics from Bihai Taohua Island.”

Chu Xinghui: “…”

Yue Yao’s methods of sowing discord were getting rougher. What was even the point of making a fuss over something like this?

Chu Xinghui thought back over the matter and suddenly recalled a question: “You said before that your cultivation method can make you die and come back to life, right?”

Xie Liufeng had a premonition that he was about to be interrogated. He straightened up and vaguely nodded: “Ah… something like that.”

As expected, Chu Xinghui directly asked him: “What’s the price?”

Xie Liufeng fell silent for a moment, took out a clean spiritual fruit, and asked Chu Xinghui: “Do you want to eat this?”

Chu Xinghui took it, took a bite, and after swallowing, he raised his head to continue asking: “You still haven’t answered me.”

Xie Liufeng studied him for a moment, looking confused: “That shouldn’t be…”

Chu Xinghui was also a bit puzzled: “What shouldn’t be?”

Xie Liufeng recalled: “I remember when I gave you something to eat before, you would focus entirely on eating and forget to speak.”

Chu Xinghui glanced at the fruit in his hand that he had just bitten and continued staring at Xie Liufeng: “…Don’t change the topic.”

People always grow, and he couldn’t be fooled so easily anymore.

Xie Liufeng squinted and gave a vague explanation: “Actually… you lose all of your cultivation and some of your lifespan, but once your cultivation comes back, it doesn’t really matter.”

For others, the price of this cultivation method might be steep, but for him, breaking through his cultivation was as easy as eating or drinking… so it wasn’t that important.

Chu Xinghui suddenly realized something: “So, five hundred years ago, you actually… lost all your cultivation?”

Xie Liufeng nodded: “Ah, yes, that’s right. This is the result after I re-cultivated.”

At that time, he was already a Sword Sovereign. Losing all of his cultivation as a Sword Sovereign had a slightly bigger impact, and the situation was rather chaotic, so in order to stabilize things, he went into seclusion and hid it.

Fortunately, when he came back to life, he didn’t forget too many important things.

Had Chu Xinghui not asked about it today, no one would have known. Anyway, when he emerged from seclusion, everything was as it had been.

Chu Xinghui: “…”

Even though his own cultivation speed was already insane, he still couldn’t fully understand Xie Liufeng’s speed.

Xie Liufeng rubbed his head, comforting him: “I’m quite experienced with re-cultivation, so it’s normal for the speed to be faster.”

Chu Xinghui didn’t want to ask any more questions.

Though Xie Liufeng spoke lightly now, Chu Xinghui knew that the nine lives-and-death experiences Xie Liufeng had gone through would never be mentioned.

Xie Liufeng noticed it was getting late and decided to take Chu Xinghui back: “Let’s go, we’re heading back. I’ve arranged for someone to look at your eyes once you’re back.”

Chu Xinghui extended his hand.

Xie Liufeng teased him: “Aren’t your eyes fine now? Do you still need me to hold your hand?”

Chu Xinghui didn’t respond, but continued to stretch out his hand.

Xie Liufeng smiled and took his hand: “Alright, let’s go.”

Chu Xinghui was satisfied and walked with him.

As the two of them were nearing the sect, Chu Xinghui suddenly called out Xie Liufeng’s name.

Xie Liufeng looked at him.

Chu Xinghui tightened his grip on his hand: “I don’t think… I’ve ever met your master.”

Xie Liufeng’s voice was calm as he explained: “He was injured in his youth and missed the great Dao. Five hundred years ago, not long after I went into seclusion, he passed away.”

“From what several senior brothers and sisters said, on the day he passed away, he was still strong and full of energy, muttering that once I emerged from seclusion, he would beat me up—though in the end, he couldn’t wait.”

He turned his head to look at Chu Xinghui, his eyes curved with a smile: “The seals we went to find last time were actually set by him.”

Talking about this, he felt a bit of regret for not being able to see his master one last time.

But life is precious, and seeking life when it’s not time to die, or calmly closing one’s eyes at the end of one’s lifespan, is part of life.

Life and death are ordinary things in the world.

So, this story was merely a regret, not a tragedy.

Once they returned to the sect, Xie Liufeng quickly became busy.

Chu Xinghui had originally planned to help, but Xie Liufeng forcibly made him stay home to rest for a few days. Only after his eyes had fully healed was he allowed to go out.

That night, after finishing most of his work, Xie Liufeng returned home and saw Chu Xinghui sitting outside, staring intently at the door.

The black bird still wouldn’t sleep when it should, running around Chu Xinghui’s feet, seemingly having mutated into a wingless dog.

Xie Liufeng casually tossed a few pills on the ground for the black bird and looked at Chu Xinghui curiously: “Why aren’t you in your room?”

Chu Xinghui’s expression was serious as he replied: “I’m waiting for you.”

Xie Liufeng thought something serious had happened and couldn’t help but become serious too. He walked over and sat across from Chu Xinghui.

Then he heard Chu Xinghui seriously ask: “Can I come into your room tonight?”

Xie Liufeng relaxed and smiled: “…What’s the reason tonight?”

Recently, Chu Xinghui had often found various excuses to sneak into his room, and sometimes even without any reason at all.

Although it didn’t fit the senior-junior relationship, well… it was too late to worry about that now. They had already gotten used to it.

Xie Liufeng fetched a teapot and a cup, using spiritual energy to heat the water before pouring a cup for Chu Xinghui. He waited for the reason he knew would be coming today.

If the reason was reasonable, he might consider allowing it.

Chu Xinghui held the cup, looking more serious than ever as he stared at Xie Liufeng: “I don’t have a reason today, but we should cultivate together.”

Xie Liufeng nearly spilled the hot water on himself, his hand trembling as he poured for himself.

Chu Xinghui continued to look at him, clearly not satisfied: “You’ve been stalling for a long time.”

Xie Liufeng paused for a moment, trying to delay further: “We haven’t confirmed if it will affect you yet…”

Chu Xinghui calmly pointed out: “How would we know if we don’t try? If there’s any negative impact, we can stop.”

While this logic wasn’t wrong, Xie Liufeng still wanted to be cautious: “But it’s better to wait until we become Dao companions…”

There had been too many things going on recently, and he hadn’t started preparing yet.

Chu Xinghui, slightly confused, asked: “So why can’t we become Dao companions right away?”

To him, their relationship already seemed quite similar to that of Dao companions.

But Xie Liufeng just wouldn’t give a direct answer.

Xie Liufeng, now slightly troubled, tried to explain: “But… I haven’t asked if you’re willing to be my Dao companion yet. We haven’t applied for the ceremony venue at the sect, we haven’t arranged for someone to host it, we haven’t sent out invitations, and we haven’t even decided on the banquet menu…”

Chu Xinghui, after hearing the first sentence, immediately seized the opportunity: “I agree.”

Though he didn’t know why Xie Liufeng had to ask him again, especially after he had expressed his desire to be Dao companions so many times, he figured it was done once he said yes.

Xie Liufeng, now thinking about invitation lists and seating arrangements, was pulled back to reality by Chu Xinghui’s statement, staring at him with a dazed expression.

Wait, had he just directly proposed to Chu Xinghui?

Chu Xinghui looked up at him and repeated: “I’m willing to be your Dao companion.”

Seeing that Xie Liufeng still hadn’t spoken, he politely asked: “Can we move on to the next step? It’s getting late. Tomorrow, we can apply for the venue at the sect.”

Xie Liufeng finally snapped out of it: “…This isn’t formal enough.”

He had just been mentioning examples. Who proposes to their Dao companion so casually?

Chu Xinghui, showing remarkable patience with his soon-to-be Dao companion, asked: “What else is needed?”

Xie Liufeng thought for a moment. Given that he didn’t have many friends with Dao companions, he could only guess from those he had seen before: “I think after confirming both parties’ feelings, you pick a significant date, then surprise them with a proposal when they least expect it. That would make it more memorable and formal.”

Chu Xinghui was a bit confused and gave a blunt evaluation: “That’s too complicated.”

He was more inclined to just go to Xie Liufeng’s bed tonight.

Xie Liufeng, though also feeling it was complicated, defended the traditional route: “But that’s how others do it when they propose to their Dao companions.”

Chu Xinghui pondered for a moment and asked: “But now that you’ve told me, what’s left for a surprise?”

Xie Liufeng suddenly realized: “…I haven’t even said I’m proposing to you yet.”

That was a close one—he almost got himself locked into a proposal on the spot.

Chu Xinghui, a bit regretful for not seizing the opportunity, said: “Then I’ll do it.”

After all, the result would be the same.

Xie Liufeng fell silent for a moment.

Finally, he sighed and reached out to ruffle Chu Xinghui’s head: “Alright… I’ll do it.”

Chu Xinghui blinked, pausing for a moment.

He cautiously looked at Xie Liufeng.

Then he finally understood what Xie Liufeng meant, looking at him again.

Xie Liufeng, feeling slightly embarrassed under his gaze, reached out and covered Chu Xinghui’s eyes: “Stop looking, why are you always staring at me?”

Chu Xinghui blinked his eyes in his palm, honestly saying: “Just wanted to see what my future husband looks like.”

Very good-looking, he was very satisfied.

If only he would let him into his room tonight, it would be perfect.

Xie Liufeng: “…”

He shoved Chu Xinghui back into his room.

 

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