Chapter 682: Chapter 112: Naming ’Yanyan
Mu Qingyan turned her head to look at Zhou Yan again, her beautiful face bearing a hint of inexplicable doubt as she gently opened her lips and said, "Why do I feel like you’re intentionally causing trouble for the Beixue Heavenly Palace? Did they offend you before?"
Hearing Mu Qingyan’s words, Zhou Yan immediately responded very seriously, "Goddess, you can’t talk nonsense like that. Think about it, what is my identity as Wei Li Zhou Yan, and what is theirs? Would I need to target them like that? Look, in the True Void Battlefield, I helped you so much, yet you instead reprimanded me and even harbored the intention to kill. I haven’t made things difficult for you, have I?"
Zhou Yan’s retort left Mu Qingyan feeling somewhat embarrassed.
A charming hint of redness spread across her pretty face, and in such a state, Mu Qingyan was undoubtedly the most beautiful woman in the world, without exception.
And such beauty was, at the moment, for Zhou Yan’s eyes alone to feast upon.
Zhou Yan looked at Mu Qingyan so directly that even she herself began to feel overwhelmed by his intense gaze.
A mysterious energy seemed to emanate slightly from her, concealing all her mystique. At the same time, the vanished light purple veil reappeared on her face, and her overall allure seemed to sharply decline, becoming much more plain and ordinary.
At the same time, she composed her complex emotions and said apologetically, "Sorry, I hadn’t thought about those things, it was just an instinctive feeling. Also, Mr. Zhou, I hope that everything that happened in the True Void Battlefield stays between us, of course, except for the Heavenly Venerate Level power behind you."
"The True Void Battlefield? What happened there?"
Zhou Yan said with a smile not quite reaching his eyes, a hint of teasing in his voice.
Seeing Mu Qingyan’s previously slightly flushed and stunningly beautiful face, his heart warmed significantly, and thus his behavior became somewhat unrestrained.
Mu Qingyan’s face turned colder, but she remained silent for a moment then said, "Indeed, nothing happened, it’s better if you don’t remember."
Seeing Mu Qingyan’s face turn cold, Zhou Yan found her even more charming. The breath and facial contours she presented at that moment were somehow reminiscent of Yanyan, causing Zhou Yan’s heart to chill and he instinctively asked, "Before you lost your memory, did you really have a daughter? Can you remember her name? Or... if you were to have a daughter, what name would you choose for her?"
This sudden question sounded like a broken promise that had transformed into a hint of threat.
Having just said he did not remember anything about the True Void Battlefield, Zhou Yan then quickly asked these questions, as if deliberately teasing Mu Qingyan.
As soon as Zhou Yan asked the question, he felt something was amiss. It had been an instinctive inquiry, even with the potential risk of exposing his identity.
But Mu Qingyan just stood there in a daze for quite a while, her beautiful eyes beneath the veil looking incredibly lost.
"Name... name... shying away, avoiding reality, I am actually very weak, so if I have to choose a name, I hope she can face everything courageously, with a personality as fiery as flames. Daring to love, daring to hate, and brave enough to face everything... Then, I would name her ’Yanyan.’ Following my surname, her name would be... Mu Yanyan—"
Mu Qingyan murmured to herself, seemingly completely oblivious to Zhou Yan’s presence.
"You, are you probing my secrets? Causing me to fall into a state of confusion?!"
Suddenly snapping back to reality, Mu Qingyan’s face showed a mix of sorrow, but also anger and killing intent.
"Do I look like that kind of person to you? I just... hope you experience less pain. It was just an unconscious inquiry, pretend you didn’t hear it."
Zhou Yan’s voice carried a tinge of melancholy.
Actually, he had already guessed some of the answers, but he still asked the questions. Yet upon receiving the answers, he felt immense heartache.
No matter how well he hid it, the sorrow in his eyes could not escape Mu Qingyan’s gaze.
But seeing this scene, Mu Qingyan did not feel any comfort or relief but instead, her face grew even colder.
Mu Qingyan reined in all her aura, distancing herself from Zhou Yan, her attitude becoming unapproachable, and her expression extremely serious, "You know that I am an ominous woman, having made many mistakes. And since I am Lei Yan King’s woman, you should not think too much about it. You are a fine young man and will surely find a better Daoist couple to accompany you. Don’t waste your time on me, and no more trifling with, sympathizing with, or consoling me.
I am weary and no longer wish to engage in any emotional matters, and I hope you can respect that!"
Mu Qingyan softly spoke these words, appearing very proud, but if Zhou Yan were to set aside his own identity as Lei Yan King, then for Mu Qingyan, it indeed seemed like turning people away a thousand miles.
If Zhou Yan had heard such words from another woman, he might have simply laughed it off, considering the woman to be self-righteous and arrogant. But Mu Qingyan’s words came out precisely because of Zhou Yan, because of Lei Yan King.
This showed that deep down, the woman was still loyal.
And there he was, revealing such a gaze when the other party was unaware of his identity, how could it not make Mu Qingyan misunderstand the depth of his feelings for her?
Zhou Yan suddenly didn’t know what to say.
Indeed, in the True Void Battlefield, he had indeed helped Mu Qingyan a lot, but similarly, she had also helped him several times.
And though their interactions truly resonated with the spirit and occasionally had a hint of flirtatiousness, now that Mu Qingyan acted like this, Zhou Yan could say nothing.
Zhou Yan knew that his charm was nearly irresistible to anyone, even the likes of Yilan and Song Xiaoxiao would mostly feel their hearts flutter at first sight, otherwise, they wouldn’t have asked if ’they had seen him’ and such.
But precisely because of this, any woman who would reject him to his face after the Sword Soul reached Great Success was someone Zhou Yan had never encountered before.
This Mu Qingyan could be considered the first, to reject him even when he had some attraction to her and after he had shown her many ’favours.’
Zhou Yan’s lips moved, but he could no longer utter those flippant or comforting words, although in truth, Zhou Yan harbored no ill intentions. But those teasings, those heartfelt words of comfort, encouragement, and pained expressions were too complex, complicated enough for Mu Qingyan to misunderstand.
Zhou Yan had an impulse for a split second to clarify his identity and reveal the secret, but it was like a fishbone stuck in his throat, unable to be voiced.
Mu Qingyan’s attitude, which kept people at a thousand miles’ distance, was too obvious, and that icy temperament exuded such chilliness that it made him feel cold inside and filled him with sympathy.
Suddenly, he felt that Mu Qingyan was actually quite pitiable.
She was a traditional, sacred, beautiful, yet gentle woman who thought she had found true love and entrusted everything to the Lei Yan King, even giving up all to bear his child.
But some behaviors of the Lei Yan King seemed to have led her to some misunderstanding, which resulted in discord and ultimately a tragic end.
The deeper the love, the deeper the hatred.
It was precisely because her love was so deep that her hatred was fervent, leading to her daughter doing terrible things unbeknownst to her.
All of this was sadness.
With the Lei Yan King enduring such a rocky and tormented life, how could the finally enlightened and clear-minded Mu Qingyan go on living? Wouldn’t that be even more painful?
"If I were the Lei Yan King and all of this happened in this way, then I would have certainly suppressed all her memories, giving her a fresh new start."
"There is a kind of love called letting go. If you cannot give her happiness, then let her go, let her find her own happiness, let her forget everything about the past without a worry and start anew."
"Happiness is happiness because you can smile seeing the person you care about happy. Her happiness is my happiness. Her joy is my joy."
...
Zhou Yan suddenly thought of many things, thought of how Yanyan had always been guarding his growth, and suddenly felt that the Lei Yan King had endured a life of pain, Mu Qingyan had lived a life of pain, and even Yanyan had spent her life in suffering and inner turmoil.
To change all of this, one must brace up, one must allow the Lei Yan King to rise again, and allow all suffering relatives and friends to be resurrected, making everything come to a perfect end.
If Yanyan could see the person she killed living a better life in the next reincarnation;
If Mu Qingyan, after regaining her memory, saw the Lei Yan King living a better life and that all the tragedies had not really happened;
If Mu Qingyan saw her daughter Yanyan growing up happy and fortunate, not becoming twisted from being steeped in utter hatred from a young age...
Then everything would truly be happiness.
Then one would need to strive to change everything.
Time cannot turn in cycles, nor can it trace back to the past.
But to give friends and family who have died yet left an essence blood inheritance a better next life, a happier re-existence, that is not impossible.
As long as one is powerful enough! As long as one is strong enough, it can definitely be done!
With enough strength, one can live as long as heaven and earth, shine with the sun and the moon, exist with the universe.
Sword Saints may not achieve it, but that doesn’t mean Sword Gods cannot meet the requirement.
If even a Sword God cannot accomplish it, a Sword Venerate might already be able to.
If the Sword Venerate, above the Nine Heavens, still cannot do it, then step onto the immortal path, search for the origins of time, exist with heaven, earth, and the universe, and alongside the river of planes, make everything come full circle.
...
A silent passion suddenly rose in Zhou Yan’s heart.
He then looked at Mu Qingyan with sincere eyes, but spoke in a gentle voice, "I apologize, I was presumptuous. However, Goddess, rest assured, the Lei Yan King is the existence I respect the most, and I would never harbor any ill thoughts. This, you will definitely know someday."
Zhou Yan said earnestly.
He had never been so serious, and his words were resounding with conviction.
Mu Qingyan’s delicate body trembled, and at that moment, she suddenly felt as if the figure of Wei Li Zhou Yan, who spoke with such certainty, overlapped with someone from her memories.
But those memories, she couldn’t recall at all.
She tried hard to remember but could not recall anything.
Therefore, she shook her head, driving away those complex thoughts, and said softly, "It’s alright, it’s good that you understand."
Zhou Yan nodded silently and sighed softly, "I understand, and you should also take things easier. In fact, many things may not be as bad as you think."
Mu Qingyan paused for a moment as if his words touched a nerve, but she didn’t continue the topic and instead said softly, "Mr. Zhou, let’s not talk about this anymore. Please wait here for a moment while I bring the people from the Beixue Heavenly Palace to you. I will fulfill all your requests."
"Okay, go ahead."
Zhou Yan nodded his head and watched Mu Qingyan turn into a streak of light and leave.