Farming to Cultivate Immortality – CH36

Chapter 36 – Meeting Cang Yi (Part 2)

Although Xia Yi appeared calm, his mind was racing with all sorts of melodramatic storylines.

Even though Cang Yi had mistaken him for someone else, this Zeyuan person must have been extremely important to him. From the few words he spoke, Xia Yi could deduce that this was a love triangle.

Zeyuan had probably put a green hat on Cang Yi by running off with that person named Wanglan, either traveling the world or living in seclusion.

Heartbroken by his lover’s departure, Cang Yi was deeply affected. He distanced himself from worldly affairs and the sect, living in solitude in the mountains for more than twenty years.

What a tragically sad and hopeless ending.

Xia Yi felt a pang of sympathy but didn’t know how to console people. After racking his brain, he finally recalled some motivational quotes he’d read in the past, so he cleared his throat and awkwardly said, “Immortal, please listen to me.”

“The past is a dark shadow that cannot be chased, but the future holds the promise of light.”

“Every day, the first thing you should do when you wake up is cheer yourself up.”

“There’s no hardship that cannot be overcome, only emotions that won’t let go.”

Cang Yi glanced at Xia Yi, noticing that he was scratching his head, struggling to think. Gradually, Cang Yi’s expression softened, and the corners of his lips lifted into the faintest hint of a smile before he turned his head toward the distance.

As the sadness faded, Cang Yi’s features grew more relaxed and peaceful, clear and composed.

Then, as if he remembered something, the brief smile vanished, and his gaze sharpened as he looked back at Xia Yi, with a hint of severity. “How did you get past the barrier I set up? In this world, aside from Zeyuan and—” he paused briefly, then continued, “no one else should be able to enter.”

“It wasn’t intentional. I was walking along, and suddenly the path disappeared, and your courtyard appeared in front of me. I was planning to sit outside the gate for the night, but then you came out.” Xia Yi, feeling the chill from Cang Yi’s icy stare, nervously explained.

Cang Yi didn’t press further. Instead, he seemed lost in thought, his brows furrowing slightly. Xia Yi, seeing this, didn’t dare make a sound.

“It seems that the barrier I set has its own awareness and, sensing my longing for Zeyuan, allowed you to enter.” Cang Yi thought of this and felt a stab of pain in his heart, closing his eyes.

Seeing Cang Yi standing there, lost in thought, with a lonely and desolate expression, Xia Yi remained silent, not daring to disturb him. He stood still, the atmosphere heavy with an oppressive silence.

“Immortal, do you know that the entire Qishan Sect has been searching for you?” After a long while, Xia Yi, seeing that Cang Yi was still in a daze, broke the silence by softly asking.

Though Cang Yi didn’t respond, he didn’t show any displeasure either, so Xia Yi continued cautiously, “The Qishan Sect has been quite troubled recently. The Sect Master Tianxuan and many disciples have been captured by the Demon Realm. The Qishan Sect tried several times to rescue them but failed.”

After saying this, Xia Yi noticed that Cang Yi still stood there, hands behind his back, face indifferent, as though the lives of those captured disciples had nothing to do with him.

Internally, Xia Yi couldn’t help but criticize him. The Qishan Sect has been searching for you for twenty years, showing you nothing but loyalty and dedication. But here you are, hiding in the back mountain, without a care for their well-being.

No wonder that Zeyuan left you.

This old man is sly and heartless.

After a long pause, Cang Yi suddenly spoke, his tone still calm, “Yue’er was captured by the Demon Realm?”

Yue’er? Who the hell is Yue’er now? First Wanglan, now Yue’er—how would I know who they are?

“Yue’er is Tianxuan, the Sect Master of the Qishan Sect,” Cang Yi explained, seemingly reading Xia Yi’s mind. “Tianxuan’s real name is Zhu Yue.”

His gaze was cold and piercing, as though it had physical weight, making Xia Yi shiver from within.

Cheng Ming, Meng Wanzi, and Liu Siqian were all older, so Tianxuan, as their senior brother, must be even older. Yet here Cang Yi was, calling them by such affectionate nicknames like “Little Ming” and “Yue’er.” Despite his youthful appearance, this man must have lived for quite some time.

“Yes, it’s been many days since they were captured,” Xia Yi responded respectfully.

Cang Yi nodded. “Yue’er is already in the Great Ascension stage, yet he was still captured by the Demon Realm. It seems that in the years I’ve been away, the Demon Realm has grown much stronger.”

“Alright, you may leave now. Although you unintentionally crossed the barrier, there is a deep connection between us.” Cang Yi paused, then added, “I will rescue the Qishan Sect disciples.”

“Alright, I’ll head down now.” Xia Yi was still fixated on Cang Yi’s mention of a “deep connection” with him and absentmindedly replied as he turned around to leave.

Without paying attention to where he was stepping, he took a careless step forward—and immediately fell off the cliff.

“Ah!” Two or three seconds into his fall, Xia Yi finally let out a belated scream.

His mind went blank, his soul practically leaving his body, as he flailed his hands helplessly.

I’m doomed! I’m doomed!

Mom! Brother Zhu!

With nothing but the sound of wind rushing past his ears, just when Xia Yi thought he would keep falling until he hit the bottom and became a splatter on the ground, a figure appeared beside him, standing on a flying sword, robe billowing gracefully.

Xia Yi felt a pair of hands steadily supporting his back. After falling for another two seconds, he finally stopped descending.

Heaven!

“You don’t know how to use a magic tool?” Cang Yi asked calmly as he flew upwards, holding Xia Yi. “What do you normally use to fly?”

Two cold tears slowly slid down the sides of Xia Yi’s face. His lips trembled, his teeth chattering, but he couldn’t say a word.

Seeing this, Cang Yi didn’t ask further, accelerating through the air and swiftly returning to the courtyard.

“If you can’t fly, how did you get to the top of the cliff?” Cang Yi attempted to set Xia Yi down, but his legs were too weak to stand. After several tries, he had to lean him against a tree.

Xia Yi took several deep breaths to calm his wildly beating heart, though his voice still trembled uncontrollably. “I didn’t even know this was a cliff top. I was just trying to reach the little pavilion halfway up the mountain.”

Damn cultivation world, is this some kind of interdimensional death trap? I came in fine, and suddenly there’s a bottomless abyss when I try to leave.

“So you didn’t even reach the boundary of my barrier, yet you still ended up here.” Cang Yi muttered to himself.

“Yes, I—” Xia Yi was about to ask if there was some sort of maze or formation in the mountain, making him lose his way like a ghost walking in circles, when he froze.

From this angle, he could clearly see behind Cang Yi’s ear.

There, just like on Gu Wenzhu, was a thumb-sized, light blue teardrop-shaped birthmark. The position and shape were exactly the same!

Xia Yi’s heart turned cold, but blood surged to his head, boiling. His whole body felt like it was on fire, yet also as if he had plunged into an icy cave.

If two people’s appearances could be explained as a coincidence, then how could these two, separated by miles, have identical birthmarks, down to the tiniest detail?

Cang Yi… he ‘is’ Gu Wenzhu. He must have used some cultivation magic to alter part of his appearance.

Otherwise, how could this blue teardrop birthmark be explained?

Xia Yi was so shocked by his conclusion that his scalp tingled. He couldn’t hear anything around him, only feeling dizzy and hearing a loud ringing in his ears.

Has Gu Wenzhu been lying to me all along? Liu Sixian said Cang Yi had been wandering outside for over twenty years, but what if he had never left the other world?

Why is he pretending not to know me now? And he’s doing such a good job of it—the unfamiliar gaze, the cold tone—it’s like watching an Oscar-worthy performance.

And what’s up with that Wan Lan and Ze Yuan? Xia Yi felt a lump rise in his throat. Had he unknowingly become the third party in someone else’s relationship?

Cang Yi—no, Gu Wenzhu—you heartless, lying jerk!

Cang Yi, who had now been downgraded to “jerk,” had no idea of the emotional storm raging inside Xia Yi. He turned back to face Xia Yi, hesitating as he asked, “You really haven’t seen Ze Yuan?”

Keep acting! Go ahead! You think I don’t know you’re a two-faced jerk? Pretending to be an immortal here while living in another world and fooling someone like me.

“You really have no news of Ze Yuan?” Cang Yi asked again, unaware of Xia Yi’s conflicted expression, his cold voice carrying a hint of probing.

Ze Yuan, my foot!

“Gu Wenzhu, I’ll kill you!” Xia Yi roared, eyes red with fury, throwing a heavy punch with all his strength at the stunned face in front of him.

Xia Yi wanted to go in for another kick, but the air around him suddenly thickened, becoming sticky like a solid substance. The scenery began to blur and spin.

Damn it, now of all times, I’m about to be transported again.

Cang Yi’s face, frozen in surprise, became more and more unclear. His mouth moved as if speaking, but no sound came out, and his figure gradually faded.

In the middle of the swirling landscape, Xia Yi managed to raise his hand and flip off the fading figure of Cang Yi before closing his eyes.

(Author’s Note: Xia Yi, you’re amazing. You even hit your father-in-law! That’s not a birthmark, but Xia Yi doesn’t know that yet. It will be explained later. Don’t worry; this is a sweet romance. Sweet, sweet love story.)