Chapter 1414: Returning to the Sect
Though his mouth denied it, Yun Che's heart was pounding wildly.
What's going on?
How is this possible?! How did she recognize him? Impossible, there's no way!
Was it a wild guess? No! Even a wild guess would need some basis. His appearance, voice, tone, and name had all been changed. The profound energy he released only carried lightning aura. Moreover, there was the widely known premise in the God Realm that "Yun Che is dead."
Even Huo Poyun, who had more contact with him and whose profound strength and divine sense reached the Divine Lord Realm, had completely failed to identify him. How could Mu Feixue blurt out the three words "Senior Brother Yun"!?
Mu Feixue did not get angry or doubt herself because of his words. Her icy eyes gazed gently into his... In the past, she would never have looked at Yun Che with such a gaze. Instead, she would have averted her eyes as soon as they met his.
But in this world, few things moved one more than "eternal loss" and "finding what was eternally lost again"...
"I know it's you," she said softly, her ethereal voice as if from a dream.
Yun Che's mouth twisted, and he was about to deny it... But when he met her gaze, he suddenly couldn't bring himself to say the rest. Then, even his eyes involuntarily looked away.
Mu Feixue not only recognized him but was also incredibly certain!
Damn it! Where had he slipped up?
And the way she looked at him...
Sigh... Could it be...? No way!!
"Why did you call me 'Senior Brother Yun'?" Yun Che asked in a low voice.
His evasive gaze and notably weaker tone were almost an admission. Mu Feixue said, "In the past few years, Master has often spoken to me about you. She said that you once left the sect to train in a star realm called Heiya Realm. During that time, you changed your name to 'Ling Yun.'"
Yun Che's eyes widened. He was even more dumbfounded. "Just... just because of that?"
When Yun Che used a pseudonym outside, he always chose "Ling Yun." It was not because he had any improper feelings for Ling Yun, the young master of Tian Jian Villa. It was simply because the name was common, easy to say, and unremarkable—nothing more.
As for what he did when he fled to Heiya Realm, Mu Xuanyin could easily find out and learned that he used the alias "Ling Yun"—that was perfectly normal. But it was such a generic name! In any minor star realm, you could find thousands of people with it. Mu Feixue linked it to him based on this!?
That's utter nonsense!!
Even a ghost wouldn't believe that!
"That name made me even more certain," Mu Feixue's gaze remained fixed. "The moment I saw you... even though your appearance, voice, and aura were all different, I immediately thought of you."
Yun Che: "...???"
"Because..." she looked into his eyes, which kept unconsciously avoiding hers. "I remember your eyes and your scent."
"..." Yun Che stood there, momentarily at a loss.
He was not like Huo Poyun, who was relatively inexperienced with matters of the heart. He understood all too well what Mu Feixue's words meant.
Eyes... scent... and recognizing him despite his perfect disguise—the only possibility was that his shadow was deeply imprinted in her heart, down to the very depths of her soul.
"..." Yun Che couldn't speak for a long time, because he simply couldn't believe it.
In his life, he had encountered many outstanding women and had abundant experience in romantic matters. He could easily sense which woman was interested in him. But Mu Feixue... their only direct interaction was when Mu Xuanyin "set him up" and he pounced on her, taking advantage of her, then forcibly stopped himself by self-detonating. After that, they had barely seen each other a few times.
On the rare occasions they did meet, he always felt only coldness and rejection from her. Given Mu Feixue's temperament and what he had done to her, he should have been the person she despised most in this world.
Now, facing her gaze and hearing her say "I remember your eyes and your scent," Yun Che was completely stunned.
What is this? When did this happen? It shouldn't be... There's no reason... Impossible!
"Are you still going to deny it?" she asked softly.
"You... aren't you afraid of being mistaken? After all, after all..." Yun Che was practically incoherent.
"Some stirrings in the heart come only once in a lifetime, only for one person." She still looked at him, refusing to look away. "So, it cannot be wrong."
"..." What Mu Feixue said was strikingly similar to what Huo Poyun had told him earlier.
Right, Huo Poyun...
Yun Che's head began to ache.
Back then, after he became Mu Xuanyin's personal disciple, his status in the Bing Huang God Sect became unmatched. He also knew that many of the sect's female disciples admired him... but he was absolutely certain that even if all the women in the sect liked him, one person would surely look down on him.
That was Mu Feixue.
But today... at this moment, amidst his prolonged daze, he suddenly realized that he still didn't understand women.
Taking a deep breath, Yun Che released his spiritual sense and quickly swept the surroundings. After confirming there was no one else nearby, he said with a complicated expression, "Fine, I admit it. I am Yun Che... the living Yun Che."
As he spoke, he reached out his hand. In his palm, a flash of ice light flickered and vanished, carrying a fleeting aura of the Ice Phoenix, then he raised his hand and casually wiped it across his face, revealing his true appearance.
"..." Mu Feixue's cherry lips moved slightly. Faced with his face so close, her icy eyes trembled, and the gaze that had been fixed on him suddenly panicked and averted. Her breathing also became noticeably disordered.
He wiped his face again, and within a few breaths, his features returned to the "Ling Yun" state. He sighed inwardly... His perfect disguise! So fragile in the face of a woman!
Eyes? Scent? How was he supposed to disguise those!?
After panicking and averting her eyes, Mu Feixue suddenly turned around. Her chest heaved for a while before her breathing steadied. Her voice was both soft and cold, "If Master knew you were still alive, she would be very happy."
"Don't tell anyone that I'm still alive for now," Yun Che said.
"I know." Mu Feixue did not ask why he was still alive, nor where he had been these past few years or why he had returned. "Come back to the sect with me. I'll take you to see Master."
"Alright." Yun Che nodded.
The Xuan Beast riot in Huanyan City had been quelled, and even the deeply hidden greatest threat had been eliminated. Even if there were beast tides attacking the city in the future, Huanyan City should be able to hold.
Mu Feixue's injuries were temporarily not life-threatening. The Bing Huang disciples greeted the city lord of Huanyan and boarded the Mysterious Ark to return to the sect. Yun Che followed, under the pretense of visiting the Yinxue Realm King.
The ice boat carved through the snow and wind, heading toward the Bing Huang realm where the sect was located. Standing at the front of the ice boat, Yun Che watched the boundless pale world, his heart surging violently.
He was finally going back to the sect, finally able to see Master and Ice Cloud Palace Master again.
He wondered what their reactions would be when they saw him... In the years after his "death," they must have worried about him.
"Why isn't Young Sect Master Huo here?" Yun Che asked. When they left Huanyan City, he was surprised not to see Huo Poyun.
Mu Hanyan said, "Oh! I almost forgot. Young Sect Master Huo seemed to have received a sudden transmission from his sect and left in a hurry. Before leaving, he asked me to convey his farewell to Senior Ling and Senior Sister Feixue."
"I see." Yun Che nodded. He vaguely felt something was slightly off but didn't think much of it.
"Senior Ling," Mu Hanyan hesitated a bit, "you should have heard that the Sect Master has a cold temperament and doesn't like to be disturbed. Although you have the great kindness of saving Senior Sister Feixue's life and are personally introduced by her, still... it's better if Senior doesn't hold too high expectations."
"I understand." Yun Che looked relaxed and carefree. "If I can meet her, it will be my good fortune. If not, that's only to be expected. I'm afraid my sudden impulse was a bit too abrupt."
Mu Hanyan quickly bowed, feeling slightly relieved.
Mu Feixue walked over. She stood at the front of the ice boat, beside Yun Che, gazing into the distance together. Neither made eye contact nor spoke.
Their silence made the world seem exceptionally quiet. Mu Hanyan, standing there, suddenly felt that he might be a bit superfluous. He opened his mouth but didn't say anything and quietly stepped away.
"Hey..." With no outsiders, Yun Che finally couldn't help but speak, "Why don't you ask me why I'm still alive?"
Mu Feixue had no reaction.
"Huo Poyun, he..." Yun Che paused, then said, "You must be able to tell. He has his eye on you."
From the reactions of Mu Hanyan and the others, this was no longer a secret. Indeed, as a newly ascended Divine Lord, Huo Poyun had absolute confidence in front of any woman. At the same time, he was also quite proactive. In the past year, he had clearly come to Yin Xue Realm many times... for Mu Feixue alone.
"What does that have to do with me?" she replied without expression.
Yun Che's gaze shifted sideways. Thick-skinned, he asked, "You recognized me, a 'dead man,' just by my scent and eyes. Could it be... you have a secret crush on me?"
"...What does that have to do with you?" Her answer remained cold, as if she had returned to her state from those years.
"..." Yun Che was momentarily speechless.
Huo Poyun liked Mu Feixue for three thousand years without giving up. And Mu Feixue clearly... Yun Che reached up and scratched his head. Headache... headache.
His unconscious gesture made the frosty light in Mu Feixue's eyes dim slightly. She suddenly spoke coldly, "How he feels is his business. How I feel is mine. Neither has anything to do with you. Don't trouble yourself over it."
With that, she turned coldly and left without a sound.
Yun Che turned around, watching her distant back, and let out a long breath. If only it were that simple.
How strange. Why did she come to like me?
Even now, Yun Che couldn't understand why Mu Feixue had developed feelings for him. He couldn't think of a single sign or reason.
As the ice boat flew, his released divine sense finally detected the aura of the Bing Huang realm. It made his heart stir even more. Mu Xuanyin's face and figure became clearer in his mind.
Four years...
I wonder if I still exist in her world... or if I've already been erased from her memory.
The ice boat passed through the Bing Huang realm and then descended rapidly. The Bing Huang God Sect, as he remembered it, drew closer in his sight.
As he was lost in thought, Mu Feixue appeared at his side. "Let's go directly to the Sacred Hall."
Her voice was still in his ears as Mu Feixue flew down. Yun Che calmed his heart and followed closely.
In the sect's Sacred Hall area, besides Mu Xuanyin, only Mu Bingyun and Mu Feixue could freely enter and exit. Being brought in by Mu Feixue was undoubtedly the best choice. Although the Bing Huang disciples felt a little strange seeing Mu Feixue bring "Ling Yun," none of them said anything.
Bing Huang Sacred Hall, flying snow like rainbows. As his feet once again stepped onto this ancient snow-covered sacred domain, Yun Che's steps unconsciously became lighter. Imperceptibly, he moved from behind Mu Feixue to her side.
He removed the disguise from his face, and his aura also turned into the unique cold air of the Ice Phoenix God-Sealing Canon.
In front of the Sacred Hall, Mu Feixue knelt down. "Feixue greets Master..."
Before she could finish, an extremely cold voice came from within the Sacred Hall. "Let him roll in here alone!"