Sitting there, the two of them couldn't find anything to talk about for a while.
Lu Yan stared at Jiang Ci's quietly lowered head. His mind spun as he searched for something to say. After a long while, he decided to just bring up the most important matter at hand and explain the solution for her heart clearly.
“I need to tell you something important. It's about your heart. I went to the Molten Heart Tower to look into it—specifically with the Duantian Artifact Sect. I'm telling you now in case you're unfamiliar with the place.”
Fearing Jiang Ci wouldn't understand the names of those sects and territories, Lu Yan added an extra explanation. His fingers unconsciously plucked at the hem of his robe, and his tone was calm.
“Your heart wasn't congenitally defective, so you can't hold out for much longer. I was wondering if we could forge an artificial heart out of metal for you. The method is feasible, but there are quite a few unavoidable troubles in the process. First of all, the forging materials will take a lot of time to slowly gather.”
When saying this, Lu Yan spoke very quickly, pouring it all out in one breath. He was sweating bullets, terrified that Jiang Ci would immediately ask how many spirit stones this process would cost, write this expense down in her little “debt notebook” and feel even more indebted to him.
He paused, deliberately avoiding the topic of money, and changed the subject to the unavoidable side effects of replacing her heart with a metal one.
Her five organs would suffer continuous damage, her remaining lifespan would shrink drastically, and over the years, even her mind and emotions would slowly be worn away by the mechanical metal.
Fearing she wouldn't understand the obscure cultivation jargon, Lu Yan broke it down, explaining it simply and clearly. He laid out all the pros and cons before her, letting her weigh them and decide whether she wanted to take this path.
Having painstakingly explained all the advantages and disadvantages, Lu Yan looked up at Jiang Ci, who was sitting opposite him, dazed and silent for a long time. He softened his tone.
“If you really can't accept this method, I'll think of another way. There's bound to be a solution.”
Jiang Ci lowered her eyes and sat quietly for a long time. The only sound in the room was the occasional crackle of the candle flame. After a long while, she slowly raised her head. Her next words, spoken softly, left Lu Yan utterly speechless and nearly depressed.
“How many spirit stones does it cost to forge a metal heart?”
Lu Yan was instantly speechless. He muttered to himself: Why is it always about money? What kind of hardships did this girl go through? Why is her first reaction always to calculate the cost and debt whenever I do something for her? Could it be that her former sect treated her terribly?
Logically, that shouldn't be the case. She was, after all, the highly renowned Sword Heir of her sect... But on second thought, seeing how she was now plagued with injuries and acting so cautiously, her title of Sword Heir was probably just an empty shell. Her life might not have been comfortable at all, and it couldn't compare to his own past as a glorious Holy Son.
But since she had already asked, should he honestly reveal the astronomical figure and add another burden to her heart? Lu Yan hatched a little plan in his mind, and a faint smile played on his lips.
He waved his hand, acting exceptionally generous. “You don't have to worry about the spirit stones at all. You don't need to pay back a single cent. You just need to ask yourself if you can accept having a forged metal heart inside your body.”
Hearing this, Jiang Ci's brow furrowed slightly. His deliberate avoidance of the price only meant the cost was terrifyingly high. With her broken body, she wasn't worth so many spirit stones. There was no need for Lu Yan to waste his family wealth on her.
Forget it, she should just give up on this path.
It wasn't that she didn't want to live. Who would willingly end their life early? It was just that the scales in her heart had always been skewed. Deep down, she felt her life was far less valuable than a mountain of spirit stones, and she couldn't drag Lu Yan down for nothing.
After thinking it over, she shook her head gently, actively pushing away this hard-won chance of survival.
Lu Yan had long expected this outcome. He knew perfectly well that Jiang Ci would most likely refuse directly out of concern for the cost, so he had already prepared a backup plan.
Putting on a confident front, he spoke unhurriedly, “Since you don't want a metal heart, I'll head to the Central Continent Alliance and find a way to recover your sword heart. As long as you haven't suffered damage at the Void Refinement realm, you'll be able to live peacefully once we find your sword heart. The risk is much lower.”
As he spoke, a calculating smile hid in his eyes as he waited for Jiang Ci's reaction. Sure enough, Jiang Ci instantly panicked. She grew anxious, her voice trembling slightly.
“You're leaving?”
“Yes, I plan to go to the Central Continent. Actually, I came here tonight specifically to say goodbye.”
“Why do you have to go?”
Jiang Ci held back a question she didn't dare to ask: Is it because of me? The words stuck in her throat, ultimately unsaid. Saying it would make her seem far too self-indulgent.
Lu Yan looked at the redness at the corners of her eyes, deliberately adopting his usual teasing tone to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
“Why else? Of course it's to find a sword heart for a certain white-haired little dummy. And while I'm at it, I can do some tasks in the Central Continent to earn some spirit stones to cover expenses. I'm leaving first thing tomorrow morning. Speaking of which, I didn't expect to get a parting kiss before I left. That was a pleasant surprise.”
At these words, Jiang Ci's eyes instantly turned red, and her nose tingled. She reached out to gently tug at his sleeve, her voice soft.
“I don't want any sword heart or metal heart anymore. Can you please not go to the Central Continent? If that won't work, can you take me with you?”
She lowered her head. “Don't leave me here alone...”
Gazing into her watery eyes filled with anxiety, Lu Yan instantly lost himself, a soft spot in his heart aching fiercely.
For a moment, he almost nodded and agreed to take her along, never to be parted again.
But the practical difficulties loomed large before him. The situation in the Central Continent was perilous, and the journey was fraught with danger. He simply couldn't protect the frail Jiang Ci along the way. He couldn't do it.
Suppressing the surging reluctance in his heart, he pulled out a pitch-black compass from his storage bag, gripped it tightly with both hands, and snapped it hard.
Crack—
The compass split in two on the spot. He took one half and gently pressed it into Jiang Ci's palm, his fingers wrapping around her cold hand as he explained in detail.
“This is the Ten Thousand Formations Compass. It represents my entire livelihood. Now I'm giving half to you. Make sure to keep it safe. I'll come back to retrieve it from you once I've finished my business.”
“If you ever run into danger you can't handle, just pour spiritual energy into this half of the compass. Pour as much as you can. It will automatically trigger a protective formation to keep you safe.”
Holding her hand, Lu Yan took the remaining half of the Ten Thousand Formations Compass and patiently taught her how to activate the formation and channel spiritual energy step-by-step, deliberately diverting her attention to make her temporarily forget his impending departure.
While Jiang Ci had her head lowered, fully focused on studying the half compass in her hand, Lu Yan quietly channeled a gentle spiritual energy. He let it brush past her brow, slowly soothing her tense mind, coaxing her into a deep sleep. Her consciousness gradually blurred, and she lost all awareness.
He didn't dare say another word to her. If they kept talking, his reluctance would only grow, and he feared he would never find the heart to leave. He had to make her sleep.
Lu Yan stared at her peaceful, sleeping face and let out a silent, bitter laugh. He had originally planned to set off tomorrow morning, but now he could only travel through the night and leave immediately.
He quietly pushed open the door and walked down the stairs. Just as he reached the entrance, he saw a solitary figure standing at the bottom of the steps. It was the one-armed Yao Wu.
Yao Wu glanced at the other half of the Ten Thousand Formations Compass gripped in his hand and said with a touch of amusement, “Breaking the Ten Thousand Formations Compass in half to leave for her... that's quite a grand gesture.”
Caught red-handed, Lu Yan's hair stood on end, and he complained in a lowered voice, “Were you eavesdropping on us?”
Yao Wu waved his hand dismissively, not taking the accusation to heart. “I don't have the spare time to eavesdrop on you. That half of the compass in your hand is reflecting light so brightly it's practically blinding. Even if I only have one arm left, I'm not blind.”
Embarrassed, Lu Yan slipped the half compass back into his storage bag and coughed twice to change the subject. “What are you blocking the door for?”
“I came specifically to see off my eldest son. I figured I'd be the only one coming to see you off.”
Yao Wu chuckled and tossed a storage bag. It drew an arc in the air and landed steadily in Lu Yan's arms. “Inside are the remaining healing pills. Don't forget what you promised me. You must come back in one piece.”
Lu Yan gripped the heavy storage bag, pursed his dry lips, and whispered, “When I get back, I'll return every single pill to you.”
“Good.”
“When you return, I'll buy you a... smoke!”
“Just say drinks.”
“Fine, drinks it is then, hahaha.”
Under the withered yellow leaves, Lu Yan stepped onto the golden light of the night, walking toward his path of survival. He did not see that after he left...
The window upstairs suddenly opened.
“I'll wait for you to come back...”
Her voice was swept away by the wind, drifting into the broken night.
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