"I don't care," the girl shook her head desperately, "He saved me, how can he not want me?"

"A chance encounter, a life-saving grace, not respecting or fearing, but instead resenting him for not wanting you. Lady Lu, you say you know how to read people, but does this seem like the behavior of a mortal girl? You also said that the journey over mountains and ridges was unbearably bitter, yet you still dreamed of it, which shows you were truly terrified of the moment he would abandon you."

"I'm determined to follow him."

"Then follow." The young master didn't seem angry either, "Go up and ask him where he's going and what he's going to do. If he answers that he's going to the Sword Tower in the northern lands to see someone, then it can prove that I am undoubtedly a person outside the dream."

The girl looked at him suspiciously for a moment without saying anything. She was somewhat in awe of that man and naturally didn't dare to ask.

However, Chen Weichen walked up to the man's side without any scruples.

He fearlessly tried to use his fan to lift the chin of the man with closed eyes, looking just like a dissolute son teasing a decent family's child. As expected, he received a cold look in return.

There is a saying about being imposing without showing anger, but no words could describe that one look.

Because it wasn't majesty.

It was a kind of indifference untainted by the mortal world, a lofty transcendence.

As if the sun and moon reversed, the heavens collapsed, the earth split open - in his eyes, it was nothing more than a speck of dust floating down, a small stream running dry.

"Forgetting emotions at the highest level, still and unmoving," the young master in splendid attire closed his fan, the corners of his mouth curled in a mysterious smile, "Emperor Yan, I've long admired your great name. I am Chen Weichen."

When setting out again, there was one more person - Chen Weichen.

That lofty figure naturally didn't concern himself with worldly affairs. All matters were handed over to Young Master Chen.

In the tailor shop at the foot of the snowy mountains, a red dress was made. Although the embroidery wasn't exquisite, it was done with care and looked very beautiful.

The young master smiled and used it to tease the girl: "Call me brother and the dress is yours."

The girl had already become much more familiar with him, but still turned away in anger: "I won't call you that."

"You still don't think well of me," Chen Weichen draped the clothes over her from behind, sighing in an exaggerated manner, "Reasonably speaking, this young master, in terms of looks and talent, is superior to your cold Emperor Yan, so why don't I see you showing both fear and love for me?"

The girl was at a disadvantage after all and just snorted: "He's naturally better than you."

Just then, they heard someone at the next table in the inn say: "Another hundred miles north is the territory of Sword Tower. That is the sect of immortals, a place mortals can hardly set foot in their entire lives!"

The girl suddenly fell silent.

She went back to her room alone for a while, her thoughts in a messy jumble. When she exited the inn's door, she saw the two men standing under the snow-covered tree with icicles at the entrance.

Chen Weichen held a jade-colored flute in his hand, playing an unknown tune.

The snowflakes drifted down from the sky, landing on Emperor Yan's black robe beside him.

A strange, indescribable sadness of unknown origin welled up in her heart.

Chen Weichen saw her coming over and stopped playing: "All packed?"

The girl let out an "Mm".

The young master nudged the person beside him with his elbow: "Emperor Yan, we've walked all this way, where are you going after all?"

"Sword Tower."

Chen Weichen raised an eyebrow at the girl.

The girl lowered her head and followed them without a word.

So they headed north all the way. In the illusion, time had no meaning. They passed countless difficulties and dangers, arriving at the foot of precipitous cliffs and snowy crags.

A long stairway ascended into the clouds, leading to the heavenly towers at the peak covered in eternal snow.

In the cold wind was a sharp sword intent, piercing straight into the sky. Six flying swords circled in the air above, a sight absolutely impossible to witness in the mortal realm.

This was Sword Tower, rising a thousand fathoms.

The most perilous of lands, the steepest of paths.

Two disciples in blue stood beside the stone steps and respectfully saluted Emperor Yan.

That man ascended the stairs step by step while the two of them were blocked outside.

Chen Weichen covered the girl's eyes with his hand: "Let's go, don't look anymore."

Tears fell onto his palm.

The girl's voice choked: "Chen Weichen, you lied to me."

"Where did I lie to you?"

"You said this is an illusion, that the things here are what I desire the most. So why did he still leave?"

With the word "leave", it was like a ripple spreading out. That figure disappeared into the vast snow, mist and clouds, never to be seen again.

Chen Weichen wiped away the tears on her face: "Because although you wanted to follow him all the way like this, you knew that in the end you couldn't make him stay, that he would leave after all."

He paused for a moment before continuing word by word: "Greed, ignorance, anger, delusion - you can deceive yourself but not the demon's illusory realm."

The girl let out a whimper. After a moment, the stubborn fire in her eyes ignited again: "So what?"

"Once I cultivate into an immortal, I'll charge up there and see if he spares me a proper glance!"

The surrounding blizzard suddenly intensified, the cliffs shook, illusory like a flower in a mirror, the moon in the water.

"When you finally cultivate the Great Dao, looking down upon all mountains as small, your sword able to shake Mount Kunlun," Chen Weichen's voice suddenly revealed a trace of coldness: "Where will he be?"

"He-" The girl shook her head in despair, taking a few steps back.

The illusion collapsed layer by layer.

"In our mortal world, we often sing a song that goes - you were born before me, and when I was born, you were already..." The young master in splendid clothes had a gentle smile in his eyes again, but in the girl's eyes, it was a chilling indifference.

"Stop talking!" The girl's voice was almost a scream.

"He seeks death, but someone refuses to let him die!" The girl's eyes were bloodshot: "This time, I'll traverse the fourteen continents, even if it means facing death ten times over!"

"Ten deaths," Chen Weichen repeated this phrase a few times, whispering in her ear: "Taking Kaiyang blood, obtaining the Annihilation Incense, using the Jinxiu Ashes, you two are going to..."

"A year from now, the qi of heaven and earth will reach its peak and then decline, decline to its lowest," the girl's voice trembled a bit, her figure suddenly growing taller, her face maturing, a golden mask covering her face, black hair unbound as if mad, the heavy sword in her hand, transforming into the appearance of the Lord Canlong: "Initiate the cycle of life..."

"So that's how it is." Chen Weichen lowered his eyes and chuckled softly. He took out the Mirror Flower and turned its back to face Lu Hongyan. The back of the mirror was inlaid with a gray-white eye stone, truly like a cold eye that had seen through the red dust of the world. "Since you've remembered, go back."

Mirror Flower, observing the heart, breaking illusions.

The girl froze for a moment as she faced that eye.

The collapse of the illusion suddenly accelerated, crumbling from all directions towards where the two were standing. After a few breaths, all that remained was an isolated island amidst the void.

She closed her eyes, murmuring those few words: "When I was born, you were already..."

Finally remembering the past, the corners of her mouth lifted into a smile that seemed both joyful and sorrowful. She leaned her head back and fell.

That red figure fluttered in the cold wind and snow, disappearing into the boundless void. The fog dispersed, returning to clarity.

"In the end, you didn't see through it." Chen Weichen muttered to himself. Looking around, he saw the cliffs and snowy crags again, with long steps leading into the clouds.

"If you can't see through it, then you can't." He said softly, "Didn't you also fail to see through it?"

He put away the Flower Mirror, and like the person before, followed the long stone steps upwards, walking into the misty air.

At the mountain peak stood a thousand-year-old snow pine, fresh snow covering its crown. Beneath it were a stone table and chairs, their texture smooth and jade-like.

On the table sat a pot of wine and a pair of cups.

He sat down, pouring and drinking by himself. After an unknown length of time, night fell, a few sparse stars at the edge of the sky, the bright moon shining.

Behind him, footsteps sounded. He turned his head and saw a white-robed figure treading through the snow, his robes fluttering in the cold wind under the silver moon.

For a moment, it was as if he was gazing upon an immortal from a painting.

"Sect Leader Ye," he greeted the person with a smile, "Have you come to bring me back?"

Ye Jiuya slightly furrowed his brows, "You haven't fallen into the illusion?"

"I have no heart demons, naturally I won't be deceived by illusions."

"You are clearly in an illusion."

Chen Weichen looked at him and answered irrelevantly, "Ye Jiuya, there is snow in your eyes."

"August 15th at Songfeng Terrace," Ye Jiuya closed his eyes, seeming to take a deep breath. Opening them again, his eyes held no sorrow or joy as he slowly said, "Chen Weichen, and you still say you're not him."

Chen Weichen filled the other cup with wine, gesturing for Ye Jiuya to join him for a drink. "Sect Leader Ye sees things so clearly, I truly have difficulty explaining."

"If I say I'm not him, you certainly won't believe it." He took a sip from his cup and lowered his head with a smile. "Then just take me as him."