Immortality Starts With Generosity

Chen Haoran thought he had heard wrong. “What did you say?”

“There is no investigation,” Song Yuelin repeated.

“Do you expect me to believe that?” he laughed. Inside though he was feeling sick with emotion. All the stress and negativity was bundling up into an angry core that Chen Haoran struggled to keep down.

“I understand why you would think so but it is the truth Young Master Chen.”

“Manager Lin reported me to the Chen family,” Chen Haoran said, shaking his head. “I know he did, it’s why you came here. It’s why you were so obsessed with staying by my side.”

“Manager Lin did send a report,” Song Yuelin said, nodding. “I was the only one who read it.”

The ball of feelings that had been building up in Chen Haoran sputtered and fizzled out. “What?”

“I was the only one who saw the report.”

“Are you telling me this whole time the Chen family has had no idea what’s been going on?”

“That is correct.”

Chen Haoran took a step back, then another. “What are you doing here?”

“As I told the City Lord, I came here on my own accord.”

“Am I supposed to believe that from my father’s personal assassin?”

“Even dogs are allowed to rest, Young Master Chen.”

“You’re avoiding the question.” He took another step back.

Song Yuelin sighed. “What is there to avoid? I came here on a whim because I thought you were doing something interesting.” He humorlessly smiled. “And I was right.”

A storm whirled in his mind. Was Song Yuelin here for the source of his changes? Did he desire it? He hadn’t wanted to be alone with Song Yuelin but he didn’t think he’d be so quick to turn on him. Chen Haoran stepped back again and breathed. His paranoia was threatening to overwhelm him. He’d already made so many misjudgments because of ignorance, he couldn’t rush into another because of panic.

Song Yuelin was still not telling him everything, that much could be seen. He doubted he would get a straight answer out of the man. Did he want one though? What would he do with it? What would it change?

Nothing.

The thought sprung like clear water through his murky mind. Nothing would change. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. He looked around the mountains. Were they always this big? The air was damp, the foliage around them a lush green, high above them obscured by a blanket of clouds were towering peaks. His ears pricked, sweet bird song and the distant roars of beasts filled the air. Underneath it all was a low, constant rumbling.

“Did you have fun?” Chen Haoran asked.

“Excuse me?”

He smiled. “Fucking around with me. I asked if you enjoyed it.”

“Young Master Chen-”

Chen Haoran spun on his foot and raced off.

Song Yuelin was by his side in an instant. “Why are you running Young Master Chen?”

“Because fuck you that’s why.” He cycled qi to his legs and accelerated faster than when he had been following Song Yuelin. The forest around him was a blur of green. He focused on his qi and sped it to the limits his meridians would allow.

Song Yuelin crossed his arms behind his back and effortlessly matched Chen Haoran’s top speed. Looking as if he were taking an idle stroll instead. “You know you can’t outrun me Young Master Chen. Let’s just talk.”

“Now you want to talk,” he huffed, he didn’t stop running.

Now, when he finally had enough of his bullshit. As if he would actually feel safe if they started talking now. As if it would be enough to trust Song Yuelin after all this.

“It will be more effective than whatever this is,” Song Yuelin said, as if he was the reasonable one in this situation.

“I hated myself for thinking you were my friend.”

“What?” Song Yuelin faltered and Chen Haoran pulled ahead for a brief moment until he recovered and quickly caught up.

“Surprised,” Chen Haoran viciously smiled. “You really almost had me. Even with all the stress you put me through.

Even when he thought the Chen family would find out he was a fake and drop the hammer on him he thought kindly of Song Yuelin. The qi pool, the training, the jokes, even now when Shen Jianyu appeared in the city. He was becoming friends with the man who would kill him.

Except he wasn’t because Song Yuelin had apparently come here to just screw around.

The rumbling in the distance grew louder.

Everything had changed since Song Yuelin appeared. If it weren’t for him he would have never gotten involved in Lan Fen’s revenge. She had a plan to deal with her family, all he had to do was sit back and watch her do her work. He didn’t need to fight or expose himself, but with the threat Song Yuelin represented he needed the guarantee of safety her pocket space provided.

He wanted his peace of mind back. He wanted to take back all the stress and worry. The looking over his back and the second-guessing. He wanted to take back exposing himself to the city and the Lan family. He wanted everything he had before Song Yuelin arrived, back.

Something white-hot started burning in his chest. “This is all your fault,” whispered.

If he left with Song Yuelin he wouldn’t get anything.

Chen Haoran broke through the trees and stopped. In front of him was a raging waterfall larger than the skyscrapers of his old life. Its white water thundered down into a deep valley cut into the mountain. He looked over the edge and saw the river plunge further into the valley before going out of sight. There was nowhere to go.

“Oh look, a dead end.” Song Yuelin shook his head. “The perils of running forward blindly.”

Chen Haoran madly grinned. “I for one think Lady Luck is smiling at me.”

“Will you cease this childishness now? I understand you are angry but I am willing to sit and discuss this with you.”

“You make that sound like a privilege you’re giving me,” Chen Haoran snorted.

“There aren’t many who would give you this much face Young Master Chen.”

“Let’s talk then.” Chen Haoran reached into his storage bag and brushed his hand against smooth, cold metal. A pulse of qi left his fingers and sank into it, when Chen Haoran pulled his hand out of the storage bag it was followed by multiple blue-gray metal pieces floating under a strange power. He waved his hand and the metal wrapped around him, unerringly fitting together and locking into place. The helmet was last, opening up like a flower in bloom and closing around his head seamlessly.

“I’ve never seen you use that before,” Song Yuelin said.

“I bought it before I met you,” Chen Haoran replied, clenching his hands and testing the feel of the Wintersteel Essence Plate Armor. It fit snugly and surrounded him in a pleasantly cool sensation. He had only played around with it once after he purchased it from the auction and never used it again out of fear after Song Yuelin arrived. He stretched his arms and legs and, satisfied with the range of motion, pulled out his sword in one flowing move. “Shall we dance?”

Song Yuelin sighed. “Will you be satisfied after chopping me to pieces?”

“You think I could?” His sword glowed blue.

“Then why do you insist on continuing with this farce?”

Canyon Carving Sword

Blue sword energy cut like a river through the air. Liquid shadow spilled from Song Yuelin’s sleeve and the sword energy disappeared in its depths.

“Would you even be hurt if that hit you?” Chen Haoran asked while cycling qi to his legs and rocketing forward.

“I would live,” Song Yuelin answered, covering his hand in liquid shadow and batting away Chen Haoran’s blade. “If you were to reach my level then you wouldn’t have a scratch.” He sidestepped an overhead slash and slapped the side of Chen Haoran’s helmet. “Did your hardiness come from a spirit herb? I know you came into contact with a powerful one.”

His Profound-rank armor proved its worth and absorbed the stunning blow, he fell with the force and stabbed at Song Yuelin’s leg. “You even found out about that?” He rolled out of the way as Song Yuelin jumped over his sword and brought his leg down where his head used to be, his foot sinking into the earth.

“The whole training ground stank of it, I spent the whole night cleaning its traces” Song Yuelin yanked his foot out of the ground.

“So that’s what you were doing in the outer training ground.” That cleared up another mystery at least. He paced backward until he felt the back of his heel hit open air. “I thought it would air out on its own.”

“You can’t be careless with resources of that magnitude,” Song Yuelin chided. “Are we done now?”

Chen Haoran balanced on the edge of the drop, the waterfall rumbled behind him. “I don’t really want to go anywhere with you. I’m tired of walking on eggshells and I don’t need whatever crap the Chen family will give me.”

“It won’t be that bad Young Master Chen.” Song Yuelin casually approached.

“I’ll fall if you take another step,” Chen Haoran warned him.

“What did I say about bluffing?” Song Yuelin shook his head.

Chen Haoran tipped over the edge and felt the brief thrill of freefall. Song Yuelin instantly arrived and grasped him by his sword arm, halting his fall.

“Some of the stuff you’ve done makes some more sense now,” Chen Haoran mused.

“For what it’s worth Young Master Chen I enjoyed our time together as well.” Song Yuelin almost looked sad as he said it.

“This sucks,” Chen Haoran sighed.

“Are you finished?”

“Not until I see you squirm.”

“You shouldn’t ask for the impossible, Young Master Chen.”

Chen Haoran madly grinned and placed his hand on Song Yuelin’s chest. “Everything about me is impossible.”

Ever since he came to this world he’d been constantly lacking in both power and knowledge. When it came to money, however, he had more than he knew what to do with.

In a space far too small to hold it bloomed the golden glint of 100 million gold taels. It erupted into existence as if from some invisible geyser. Song Yuelin could scarcely look down in shock before he was swept away in the avalanche of metal. The rush of gold carried Chen Haoran off the edge and down into the river below.

Wind whistled in his ears and he laughed as he fell. His sword glowed blue. Above him, liquid shadow erupted and swept away the rain of taels. Song Yuelin hurtled out of its curtain like a diving falcon.

Right into a volleyball-sized brown core that radiated power. The Liquid Meridian realm bear core that Song Yuelin had given him, improved a hundred times over. Song Yuelin’s eyes widened.

Canyon Carving Sword

A river of sword energy arced up and split the core. A light flashed and Chen Haoran closed his eyes and braced for impact. The shockwave was hot on his back as he hit the water.

Liquid darkness claimed him.