Chapter 334: 334: The Ending of Qiao Zhichuan
A person’s trace cannot be erased. Even if he changes his face, it is impossible to change all the hair on his body. As long as Mu Qiuniang has a single strand of his hair, she can find him.
When Mu Qiuniang used an "Advanced Tracking Technique" to find him, he was sitting under a peach blossom tree, drinking wine. Though the peach blossom season had long passed, such a small issue to a cultivator was nothing more than a small problem solvable with a spell.
He was dressed in white, his long hair tied at the waist, and he had changed to a handsome face. Sitting cross-legged under the tree, a low tea table was in front of him with wine and a plate of peach blossom cakes.
"You’ve arrived!" He didn’t lift his head, wearing a calm expression.
When he saw that the one who landed before him was Mu Qiuniang, he was somewhat surprised, yet it seemed reasonable.
"So, it was you. I said to myself, why did Little Bai suddenly refuse me." He smiled, somewhat relieved.
"No, Little Bai refused you not because of me, but because she cannot cultivate." Mu Qiuniang, not in a hurry to strike, sat opposite him and poured herself a glass of wine. She sniffed and said, "Is it peach blossom wine?"
"Yes!"
Mu Qiuniang tasted it: "It’s last year’s peach blossoms, isn’t it? Nicely done." Then, she set the wine cup down.
"It’s truly an honor to receive your praise. I think Little Bai must respect you immensely. No matter what she does, she always refers to you as great-aunt-grandmother and great-uncle-grandfather, being an obedient little girl."
"She is indeed a good child, inherently kind-hearted."
"Just slightly spoiled, unaware of life’s dangers, easily deceived. As long as someone treats her a bit kindly, she tends to genuinely care for that person."
"Did you deceive her too?" Mu Qiuniang asked.
Qiao Zhichuan chuckled: "What do you think, great-aunt-grandmother?"
Mu Qiuniang did not reply but said, "Actually, Little Bai really likes you, but unfortunately, destiny is unpredictable. Life is like this, filled with regrets."
"But these regrets, some people can escape, some cannot."
"And you?"
"Perhaps, I am the one most tightly bound, not even willing to struggle anymore. In fact, dying like this might not be so bad. At least, when you die, knowing there’s still someone in this world who misses you."
"Have you not thought of choosing a better path?"
"I have thought, but great-aunt-grandmother, as you said, life sometimes is full of regrets. And my regret is that I cannot choose my own life. I have reached this point, with no way back, and can only go on like this."
"If Little Bai knew, she would be very sad."
"Then let her be sad once!" Qiao Zhichuan spoke with a hint of hesitation, "At least let her know, I never deceived her." He initially picked up a peach blossom cake but, for some reason, put it down again.
"Why aren’t you eating?" Mu Qiuniang asked.
"Didn’t you already know, great-aunt-grandmother?" If she hadn’t known, she wouldn’t have taken just a sip of the wine and avoided touching the peach blossom cakes. This poison, as long as you drink only the peach blossom wine, there’s no problem, but if you eat the cakes...
The person would blossom like a peach flower, becoming more beautiful, and then die at the most beautiful moment.
"You seek death, it is not I who seeks death."
"Great-aunt-grandmother won’t even try to stop me?"
"You caused serious injury to two of my apprentices, and my great-niece also got hurt. Why should I stop an enemy from committing suicide?"
Her words were filled with murderous intent, yet her tone and demeanor were extremely relaxed, as if discussing "Isn’t the weather nice today?", "Yes, indeed it is."
Qiao Zhichuan laughed lightly: "Indeed, someone like me should be torn apart. You allowing me to choose my way to die is already generous."
"Good you know."
"You’re just like they say, a senior with a cold exterior and a warm heart. Had I met you back then, maybe I wouldn’t have turned out like this. Yet, unfortunately, I didn’t have the fortune of Zhan Jingshu and Murong."
"Even gods cannot save everyone. The only one who can save you is yourself."
"That’s why I said, I envy Zhan Jingshu and Murong. Your two disciples are adorable; one’s thoughts are meticulous yet young, given time, he could achieve great things; the other is adept at being endearing!" As Qiao Zhichuan spoke, his eyes were indeed full of admiration, that scheming look stripped away, leaving a clear admiration.
Mu Qiuniang remained silent. There was nothing to say about a meeting being merely a meeting, a non-meeting being a non-meeting; she couldn’t change it.
To be honest, before meeting Qiao Zhichuan, she had no good feelings for this person who plotted against her great-niece and wounded her disciples, truly unable to like him.
But upon actually meeting him, he wasn’t as bad as she had assumed. It’s just a pity they were not aligned, missing all conceivable fates.
"Little Bai always says she envies the love her great-aunt-grandmother and great-uncle-grandfather share, hoping to find it one day. Seeing you, I understand why she once looked at me with those eyes."
As if he could be that person in her heart.
Just like Mu Qiuniang and Jiang Nuo, no matter what happened, their hearts only held each other, accompanying through life, an immortal couple in every sense.
He truly wished he could be that person, but alas...
Qiao Zhichuan continued, "Maybe, I was once so close to becoming that person!"
It was precisely such a look that softened his heart, despite approaching her with calculations and undisclosed purposes, making him want to truly be with her.
He didn’t care that she was just an ordinary person who might become a burden, not asking for eternity in life and death, just hoping for once having had.
But unfortunately, though he was willing, she might not have been.
Thus, she stopped when she learned he was a cultivator. At such a moment, she was so rational, so rational that he was even more unwilling to let go.
Qiao Zhichuan asked Mu Qiuniang, "May I ask a question, great-aunt-grandmother? If Jiang Nuo, like Mu Bai, was just an ordinary person, would you as a cultivator still be with him?"
"We were already together when he was an ordinary person."
"Did he know you were a cultivator when you were together?"
Mu Qiuniang shook her head.
"Then, if at that time, you had told him you were a cultivator, would he have still stayed with you?"
Mu Qiuniang didn’t understand: "Why wouldn’t he?"
"Then why did Little Bai refuse me? Just because I’m a cultivator? Although I wasn’t sincere at first, indeed with a certain aim, I truly came to love her and wanted to be with her. But she refused, merely because I’m a cultivator. Great-aunt-grandmother, Jiang Nuo had the courage to be with you as an ordinary person, so why couldn’t Little Bai?"
"..." Indeed, why?
No, Jiang Nuo hadn’t known she was a cultivator when they got together.
And later, when he learned she was a cultivator, despite knowing his talents were lacking, risking failure, he still chose cultivation, just to be with her.
So if, like Little Bai, he couldn’t cultivate, would he have stayed with her?
Mu Qiuniang didn’t have an answer. But she didn’t plan to ask Jiang Nuo, for something that hadn’t happened, what was the point in asking?
No matter the outcome, in the end, it would only be an unnecessary burden to herself.