I Might Be a Big Shot — Chapter 65
In the beginning, there was only chaos, as if before a person is born — no memory, no past, merely an unconscious, mechanical execution of the array’s functions day after day, without awareness.
Until one day, a sharp sword aura entered the heart of the divine formation. Though it carried immense baleful energy, it did not attack. To see this person more clearly, Changkong Zhuoyu lifted his gaze for the first time in his existence, making his very first conscious movement.
Beautiful. That was his first impression.
Beautiful, and he couldn’t bear to let him disappear — his first emotion.
Beautiful, and he couldn’t bear to let him disappear, wishing instead that he could stay by his side — his first willful desire.
So, Changkong Zhuoyu did not attack this intruder. He allowed him to remain at the array’s heart. The man did not attack in return, simply living quietly within the formation, practicing swordplay and comprehending the Dao each day, every movement so graceful and striking.
The wind carried his outline to Changkong Zhuoyu. The divine formation watched him every day — that blood-colored figure dancing within the array, dazzling like the only splash of color upon Mount Kunlun.
The color of blood, the color of life — a color to be envied.
The formation watched for a long, long time, yearning to speak but unable to form words, envious of the man’s handsome features and brilliant bearing, gazing upon that radiant color. Wanting to communicate, to speak, to touch his hair, the wind lifted strands of Xue Qianjie’s hair, curling in his palm, and wrote the first words of his life — [Who are you?]
Thus came the first pleasant name he had ever heard — Xue Qianjie.
Xue Qianjie’s swordplay was beautiful and powerful, and each day Changkong Zhuoyu learned from it through the breeze. Xue Qianjie’s voice was pleasing, and Changkong Zhuoyu began to speak more, though writing was slow. Xue Qianjie was patient, always watching the slowly forming words in the wind with gentle eyes, and responding with the same gentleness.
Life in the array with Xue Qianjie was joyful. He was beautiful every day. The Kunlun divine formation liked this man very much — and Xue Qianjie seemed to like him in return. If only they could remain together until the spiritual energy was gone, until the Kunlun artifact’s mission ended.
But no. Xue Qianjie had to fight demons. He said he would free the Kunlun artifact, that it should not vanish forever for the sake of sealing the demon realm.
So Xue Qianjie left. He said the one he loved was him — but the Kunlun artifact was not human, and what was love?
When Xue Qianjie left, the Kunlun artifact felt the first negative emotion of its life — loneliness.
When the breeze could no longer stir that perfect form, when the sunset could no longer shine upon that beautiful red, the Kunlun artifact "looked" upon the empty array and understood the feeling called solitude.
He sent the wind down the mountain, listening to traveling merchants’ tales, to cultivators going up and down the mountain recounting legends, piecing together the story of Xue Qianjie with difficulty. One man and one sword had ascended Heaven-Shaking Peak alone, annihilating the old sect master’s faction, ultimately unifying the demonic path. After that, he restrained the demonic sect, stopping their conflict with the righteous, urging them to do good deeds, ushering in a rare age of peace for the mortal kingdoms.
The demon realm, deprived of excess resentment, grew calmer. The Kunlun artifact found itself with more spiritual energy and time, sending the wind farther and farther, wanting to hear more news of Xue Qianjie. What a legendary figure — possessing unmatched looks, power that ordinary cultivators could never withstand, and countless tales in the cultivation world.
He was one whom the artifact had nurtured, and that made the Kunlun artifact happy. He listened to stories of Xue Qianjie everywhere, and also to many mortal storybooks — interesting, but none as captivating as Xue Qianjie’s deeds.
Yet no matter how peaceful the world, as long as desire existed, demonic energy would be born. After a thousand years of suppression, it surged back. This time, the Twin Swords of Purple and Azure could not hold at Mount Shu. Would he be next?
The Kunlun artifact avoided drawing on spiritual veins as much as possible, using his own power to hold back the demonic energy. Just as he thought he could endure no longer, it was suddenly driven back by a great force.
A blood-colored figure drove an iron sword deep into the sword tomb. That sword alone suppressed the demonic energy, stabilizing Mount Shu’s formation. The three great sect formations regained their stability.
Across ten million li, the Kunlun artifact could still see that crimson form, standing atop the mountain, hand upon the sword hilt, murmuring, "Guard this mortal realm for me."
The sword guarded the realm for him — and what of himself? The Kunlun artifact, borrowing the power of the Twin Swords of Purple and Azure, gazed at Xue Qianjie far away at Mount Shu.
The man seemed to smile at him, then turned and leapt into the entrance to the demon realm.
The Kunlun artifact could not describe the feeling. If Xue Qianjie was not on Kunlun, he could still roam the cultivation world, listening to his legends. But if Xue Qianjie had entered the demon realm — where could he seek him?
In this mortal realm, there would no longer be anyone called Xue Qianjie.
The artifact quietly closed his eyes, the wind howling through the peaks as if in mourning.
He wished only to be an ordinary artifact, fulfilling the duty left by the ancient gods — resisting the demon realm’s invasion to the very end. Yet at that moment, he wished to become human, to see with his own eyes the realm Xue Qianjie had protected; to walk upon its mountains and rivers; to hear every story with his own ears.
He... wanted to be human.
Since Xue Qianjie entered the demon realm, for a thousand years the demonic energy had never struck again. The three divine artifacts were quiet for a millennium, the human realm given a respite, and the Kunlun artifact had time to calmly cultivate the art of transformation, striving to become human.
Yin Changkong sensed the Kunlun artifact’s wish and willingly aided him. When he finally transformed, due to insufficient spiritual energy, he sealed away his own memories.
All he remembered was to become more handsome than Xue Qianjie — and his mission as the divine formation. Even without memory, he guarded his duty, striving to save the mortal realm.
Alongside the disciple he had liked at first sight.
Changkong Zhuoyu stood in the array’s heart, letting the eternal wind brush against his face. His life-saving grace to Li Xinglun, his guidance into cultivation, and Xue Qianjie’s enlightenment toward him had long since balanced each other out.
The Time-Space Wheel... that word "wheel" was truly apt. Who had saved whom first — had he saved Li Xinglun first, or had Xue Qianjie enlightened him first? Whichever it was, their fate was already intertwined, drawn into a perfect circle by time, never to be broken.
For this thousand years, Xue Qianjie had been resisting the demon realm without rest. Because of him, he had a millennium’s respite to cultivate, ultimately becoming human.
That millennium was won for the mortal realm by Xue Qianjie; this human body was also won for him by Xue Qianjie.
Changkong Zhuoyu closed his empty hand, watching the breeze slip through his fingers.
When you reach out and there is no one left to take your hand — that feeling is called loneliness. When you open your arms and no one is there to embrace you — that feeling is called solitude. When you think of the one who could embrace you every moment — that feeling...
It turns out to be having fallen in love with him.
Which came first? Changkong Zhuoyu did not know. He only knew that, in this moment, the wind that had accompanied him for countless years atop Mount Kunlun felt so desolate, and the blood-red sunset so bleak.
Without you by my side, every single day is so very hard.
~ Chapter End ~
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