Chapter 19: That Kiss from That Year, That Month—Brighter Than Fireworks

Su Xiruo entered the forbidden zone once more. As he neared the library, he hesitated, lips pressed tightly together, gathering courage in his heart. It took him a long while to muster enough resolve, then he dashed all the way to stand outside the library doors. His delicate hands clenched, he stood at the threshold, closed his eyes, and called out loudly, “I’ve come to ask for your help. When I was young, I suffered from a rare illness. My uncle says you may have a way to cure it. I hope you’ll lend your aid. I… I will repay you well… I… I…”

He managed to voice his plea, but received no response for a long time. Su Xiruo’s heart chilled instantly. His head dropped, long hair veiling his face as he sobbed, “Please, help me just this once. My uncle is Shadowless, the vice dean of the academy. He’ll reward you generously… If I recover, I can cultivate, and I’ll strive to repay you as well. I beg you…”

His voice was plaintive, growing softer and finer as he ceased trying to restrain himself, lacking entirely in masculine strength, seeming more like a frail maiden. His shoulders trembled, his helpless posture evoking pity from anyone who might see.

Yet, there was still no answer.

Su Xiruo’s heart shattered, despair once more crushing what hope remained. He staggered, nearly falling, choking out, “I’m a child with neither father nor mother, unable to avenge my great grievance. I desperately want to escape this plight, to walk the path of cultivation… This torment has haunted me for thirty years—the pain… I believe you are a good person. Please, help me. I’ll do anything you ask…”

He lifted his head, opened his tear-filled eyes, gazing hopefully toward the library, longing for a voice of consent, and then—

He froze.

Inside, the library was empty; only scattered beast pelts and toppled bookshelves remained, blanketed by a thick layer of dust.

“So he’s not here… I thought he was refusing me…” Su Xiruo patted his chest, his whole body relaxing as he slumped against the doorway. Suddenly, he let out a clear, low cry.

The pleasing sound came as his hands flailed to cover his chest, his face flushed, glancing hurriedly around. Seeing no one about, he quickly straightened himself—his clothes were disheveled, exposing a patch of fair skin, and two shyly rounded curves peeking forth.

“Never mind, I’ll tidy up here first, lighten his burden a bit. Maybe if he’s pleased, he’ll agree to help me right away.” Once composed, he gracefully swept his hair behind his ears and, stepping lightly, walked to the rows of bookshelves.

…

“I can’t take it anymore… I’m about to collapse… Let’s go, see him at once… He’s mine…” The Chief Dean clutched his chest, gasping for breath, desperate to plunge through the water curtain. His body leaned forward, his waist taut, bottom raised high, sweat pouring like rain.

“What’s the rush, what’s the rush? In every important matter, remain calm and don’t lose your grip,” Shadowless scolded, mouth dry, but he was equally agitated. His next words betrayed his true intentions, face fierce as he growled, “He’s in the academy—he belongs to us, the two of us. He can’t escape.”

“Then let’s go, catch him and lock him up… No, better yet, worship him.” The Chief Dean spun around in a frenzy, gripping Shadowless’s shoulders in incoherent excitement.

“Alright!” Shadowless could no longer restrain himself, agreeing as he moved toward the door. Forgetting his own strength as a Xiang practitioner, he let his aura burst forth, and the door exploded open.

Boom—crash—

Both the Chief Dean and Shadowless paused, regaining some composure. They exchanged glances in silence until Shadowless sighed, “No, we still have to wait for Xiruo to ask for help. Don’t interfere… Ah, such torment…”

The Chief Dean squatted in a most undignified manner, wailing, “Exactly, I’m losing my mind…”

“Where has that child gone, why hasn’t he appeared?” Shadowless turned back to the water curtain, searching anxiously. At last, unable to endure it, he slapped his forehead and cursed his own stupidity. With a wave, another water curtain floated before them, displaying the library where Su Xiruo was bustling about, nearly half finished, clean and orderly, starkly contrasting the other side. “Hm, busy indeed. He’s earning some recognition and gratitude. Unexpected—he’s even scheming a bit… Heh…”

“Why don’t you hurry it along? How long are we going to wait? Settle the matter quickly so we can deal with bigger things.” The Chief Dean pressed close to the water curtain, his gaze burning as he stared at Du Gu Bieli, muttering reminders.

Shadowless nodded and, facing the water curtain, moved his mouth, transmitting a message across the distance.

In the library, as Su Xiruo worked, he suddenly paused, listening intently. After a moment, he bit his lower lip, nodded solemnly, put down a folded beast pelt, and left the library, heading for the storage room.

The door stood open, soft light suffusing the interior. When he descended underground, he saw Du Gu Bieli standing motionless, arms spread wide. Around his body floated several clusters radiating black light, drifting freely like lively spirits, testing proximity, separating, then drawing near again, each trying to penetrate the other’s territory, indistinguishable from one another.

“Sword practitioners are gentlemen among soldiers, upright yet unyielding…” In his mind, Du Gu Bieli savored the sword’s true essence, using his spirit as a medium to direct the refined ore. After repeated experiments, he finally melded it into a single mass.

The lump of essence was the size of a fist, soft as a bubble, sometimes bulging, sometimes shrinking, sometimes thickening, sometimes elongating—its shape constantly changing until it stretched into a strip.

“This is the sword’s embryonic form. If I carefully carve it, infuse my understanding of the sword’s true meaning, and activate the Dao of Weapon Refinement, I can forge a true soldier.” Du Gu Bieli focused utterly, unaware that behind him, a petite figure was tiptoeing, peering curiously.

“Come, my spirit is exhausted. Let’s forge it quickly and rest.” Du Gu Bieli felt his fatigue—the constant exertion had drained his spirit, so he decided to accelerate the process.

Boom!

Unexpectedly, he drove his spirit too forcefully, and the sword embryo exploded, ore essence scattering like rain, igniting like fireworks. Each speck of essence, as it collided with the air, sparkled, resembling a meteor shower, every "star" trailing a long filament of brilliant, colorful light.

“Ah…” Su Xiruo, not far away, was startled by the explosion, letting out a clear cry. Then he was entranced by the strange, unexpected spectacle. His mouth parted slightly, eyes filled only with that fleeting beauty, transcending time, lingering in his gaze.

Du Gu Bieli was not startled by the blast, but by the cry. He spun around swiftly, reaching out instinctively, his large hand sweeping out in self-defense.

Pop—

At the moment his hand struck, he felt his palm touch something soft, and at the same time, his lips met Su Xiruo’s—an intimate exchange!

Du Gu Bieli was stunned, forgetting even to maintain his battle force, his mind blank. In his vision were two large eyes, long lashes fluttering, stirring two gentle, airy threads between their gazes.

Time seemed to stop in that instant.

The storage room was chillingly silent, like the deep accumulation of unspoken years.

No sky, no earth—nothing but void.

Only two wildly contrasting heartbeats, urgent and rapid, passed through their joined lips, communicating silently.

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