Chapter 260: Linger
That name which entered his ears caused his heart to surge violently, uncontrollably conjuring the face and figure of a girl one after another.
Su Linger—a girl who carried the heaviest pain, the greatest regret, and the most heart-wrenching remorse of his present life. Her eyes were forever so melancholy, forever silently tending, waiting, giving, and waiting for him… yet all her efforts, until her fragrant soul dissipated, never received his turning back.
He knew she bore a blood-deep vendetta, but he never knew what her past was. She refused to tell him, even as she died in his arms, unwilling to reveal who had dealt the fatal blow… because she did not want him, already lost in hatred, to add another layer of vengeance. And the main reason was still himself… if he had cared for her more, insisted on knowing her past, her enemies, he would have found out long ago.
That bamboo grove, that crude little bamboo house, that stream which was always so clear, that girl who stayed there only to wait for him and keep vigil… these made up all the memories between him and Su Linger. She gave everything for him, unwavering in her devotion, while he had never done anything for her, not even the simplest promise. When he held her at the end, even as he wailed with his heart torn apart, smashing his head against stones in regret, he could never earn even a trace of chance to make amends.
Whenever memories of Su Linger resurfaced, his heartache would suffocate him.
He shifted his gaze to the little girl lying on the ground, about to fall into the hands of three black-clad men.
Her name was also Su Linger, the same surname and given name as the Linger he had lost. Yun Che stood up, facing this little girl who shared her name, and he could not stand idly by, for the name "Su Linger" always touched his most sensitive, most fragile nerve. If there was even the slightest chance to make amends, he would not hesitate even if it cost him half his life.
The black-clad man in the middle grabbed the little girl by the back collar of her shirt, lifting her small body directly into the air, and sneered, "Quite a stubborn little lass, to run this far… Heh, now that his daughter is in our hands, let's see if old Su Hengshan can still keep his mouth shut!"
"You… you bad people! Daddy will definitely come to save me, and then knock you all down!" The little girl's eyes were brimming with fear, but she did not cry, holding back tears as she struggled and shouted in the man's grip.
"Hahahaha!" The black-clad man laughed arrogantly. "That would be even better! I can't wait for him to come! Let's see if Su Hengshan…"
Before the black-clad man finished his sentence, a violent gust of wind suddenly struck from behind.
These three black-clad men were roughly at the mid-stage Spirit Xuan Realm, posing no threat to Yun Che. But to ensure the little girl's safety, Yun Che chose to approach stealthily, get close enough, then erupt like a hunting eagle pouncing on its prey. He crashed brutally into the caught-off-guard black-clad man holding Su Linger, snatched the little girl from his hand, and held her in his arms.
"Ah—" The startled little girl cried out, instinctively grabbing Yun Che's arm.
Yun Che quickly steadied himself, turned his back on the three black-clad men, gently set the little girl down, and said with a smile, "Little sister, don't be afraid. I'm here to save you. As long as I'm here, these bad guys won't take you away."
The little girl had been frightened repeatedly and was still shaken, but seeing Yun Che's warm eyes and kindest smile, the fear in her heart seemed carried away by a gentle breeze, fading greatly. Her gaze became watery. She looked at Yun Che, nodded very firmly, and grabbed the edge of Yun Che's clothes with both small hands, hiding behind him.
"Where did this wild brat come from, daring to meddle in our Heimu Castle's affairs? Looks like you've lived long enough!"
The black-clad man, having been silently approached and ambushed, was initially startled, thinking he had encountered a formidable enemy. But after sensing that Yun Che's profound strength was only at Spirit Xuan Realm Level 1, he completely relaxed, his voice low and sinister.
Yun Che grasped the little girl's hand, shielding her behind him, turned his face sideways, and sneered, "In front of a child, I don't want to see blood. I'll give you five breaths… get lost now!!"
Yun Che's words left the three black-clad men stunned, then as if hearing a hilarious joke, they all burst into wild laughter, bending over and back.
"He tells us to get lost! He actually tells us to get lost! Ahahahaha!"
"Oh! This kid is so young, already at Spirit Xuan Realm Level 1, no wonder he's so arrogant…"
"Natural talent is decent, but his brain is worse than an idiot's. At death's door, and he tells us to get lost, hahaha…"
The three mocked wantonly, looking at Yun Che as if he were a pitiable fool. And Yun Che's gaze at them was filled with nothing but disdain and pity.
The black-clad man on the left rubbed his hands, stepped forward, and kicked at Yun Che, his eyes full of contempt. "Come! Let your grandpa teach you how to behave!"
Yun Che narrowed his eyes, met the incoming kick with a lightning-fast punch.
Bang!!
The sound of the clash was so loud it completely exceeded the black-clad men's expectations. Then a crisp "Crack" came. The laughing black-clad man stopped, his face completely twisted, and his entire body flew far away like a tattered sack swept up by a hurricane, accompanied by a shrill, miserable scream that grew ever more distant…
Yun Che's arm strength was monstrous. If he hadn't held back, using more pushing force out of concern for the little girl behind him, the black-clad man's right leg would have been pulverized on the spot.
Seeing the fearsome black-clad man fly far away like a great bird, the little girl's mouth formed an "O" shape, and she involuntarily let out a "Whoa."
This single exchange made the other two black-clad men choke on their laughter. Their eyes bulged, faces pale with terror. Even if they were idiots, they could tell how terrifying Yun Che's strike was. This young man's strength was far, far greater than they imagined—someone they couldn't afford to provoke.
Their gazes toward Yun Che shifted from contempt to terror. They both began backing away, and when they saw Yun Che wasn't advancing, they didn't dare say another word, fleeing for their lives until they vanished from Yun Che's sight.
Yun Che had no idea who these people were, and naturally had no intention of wiping them out. Since they fled, he couldn't be bothered to chase. He turned around to look at this little girl who shared Su Linger's name, only to find her looking up at him with starry, sparkling eyes.
He was about to speak, but seeing her little face, the words died in his throat. He froze…
The little girl looked about ten years old, with snow-white, delicate features like carved jade, incredibly pretty and adorable. Her bright, sparkling eyes were like stars in the night sky. It was easy to foresee that when she grew up, she would be a breathtaking beauty.
What made Yun Che lose his composure was that this little girl's features were filled with… traces of Su Linger!
Her outline, brows, lashes, nose, lips, chin… all resembled his Su Linger very closely. Put together, it was like a miniature, younger version of Su Linger. Only the eyes were distinctly different. His Su Linger's eyes had always been dim, perpetually tinged with a heartbreaking melancholy, while this little girl's eyes were brighter than gems, more spirited than a flowing stream, as if they had gathered the purest spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
"Lin… ger…"
Su Linger's face appeared before him, slowly overlapping with the little girl's in his blurring vision. He reached out involuntarily, gently stroking the girl's soft cheek, his fingers and heart trembling. This action did not provoke resistance from the little girl. She looked at the strangely affected Yun Che, blinked, and said politely, "Big brother, thank you for saving me… Big brother, you're so amazing! You sent the bad guy flying into the sky just like that… just like Daddy!"
The little girl's words woke Yun Che from his daze. Realizing his impropriety, he quickly composed himself, smiled, and said, "No need to thank me. Bad guys always deserve punishment… Are you called… Su Linger, right?"
"Mm!" The little girl nodded. She was stronger than Yun Che expected. Her earlier fear seemed to have completely dissipated, and she didn't need his comfort. She tilted her head. "Big brother, how did you know my name?"
"I heard them calling you. So… little sister, how old are you this year?" Yun Che asked with a smile.
"Ten!" The little girl held up both hands, spreading all ten fingers with a grin. Apparently, turning ten was a big deal to her. She asked back, "Big brother, what's your name?"
"Me? I'm Yun Che." Yun Che answered directly without concealment.
"Yun… Che?" The little girl blinked, murmuring, "Such a strange name… Mm… why does it feel strange…"
After Yun Che said his name, the little girl suddenly fell into a puzzled state. She tapped her lips with a finger, tilted her head, and stared at Yun Che as if trying hard to recall something.
"What's wrong? Is my name that strange?" Yun Che laughed.
The little girl blinked again, then with three parts confusion and seven parts seriousness, asked, "Big brother, have we met before? Why do I suddenly feel like I've seen you somewhere… and even your name feels a little… familiar."
"Haha!" Yun Che laughed, unable to resist gently cupping her little face. "Me too! Little Linger not only shares the name of a very important person to me, but also looks a lot like her. This wonderful feeling is called fate. It means Little Linger and I are fated to meet, and we'll become very good friends."
"Fate?" The little girl chewed on the word seriously, then her slender brows curved into crescent moons. "Mm! As long as Big Brother doesn't dislike me, I'm willing to become very good friends with you!"
[In the original setting, Cang Yun Continent and Huan Yao Realm each had their own independent cultivation realm divisions, with major and minor realms corresponding to those of Tian Xuan Continent, only with different names—this was casually mentioned somewhere earlier… Later, to avoid confusion for everyone and myself (especially myself), I unified them! They are: Initial, Entry, True, Spirit, Earth, Heaven, King, Overlord, Sovereign, Divine, Saint!]