Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
When Yan Zheke finished listening to Lou Cheng’s account, she was going to question herself if her tone really was as proud and as happy when she brought up her boyfriend as her mother claimed, and to sigh that the empress truly was a skilled veteran who couldn’t be compared by the likes of common people such as them. However, the last question made her fall silent instead.
Beneath the illumination of the street lamps, she looked past the hair on the temples sideways while her arms were propped on top of Lou Cheng’s shoulders. As she watched half of his face from an angle that was different from norm, and sensed the restless footsteps transmitting from the steady body beneath her, she pursed her lips and said,
“My biggest dream is of course to make up for the deficiency of my body and tread the path of martial arts for as long as I can. Even if this path may be short, every step forwards will make me very, very happy. However, this is impossible with the current level of medical science, and it has been more than ten years already. I’ve already accepted this, and it doesn’t affect my daily life any longer.
“What my mum mentioned is another matter. In the past, I’ve always thought that I had a talent in math and logic, and was capable of seeing through the pattern of things right away. Humph, don’t laugh at me; back then I was such an innocent and guileless girl and now I’ve been led astray by you! Anyway, because of this I always told my mum that I would inherit her firm properly in the future. It was a piece of cake after all. However, I dislike interacting with strangers, fighting and scheming against others, and being constantly on the move all over the place. Therefore, I want to learn maths, economics, business, and finance. I wish to become a professional who wields a strategic advantage, plans strategies and works from behind the scenes!”
“Back then, the first reason I took the exam for Songcheng University was to watch over my brother from a close distance and prevent any trouble from befalling him, and the second reason is that our university and America’s Evans University had a cooperative education plan. If I succeeded in the exam during the fourth year, I’d be able to attend Evans University and learn from the greatest scholars in the entire globe. This process will take between three to five years...”
The night wind was pleasant, and the girl’s voice softly entered Lou Cheng’s ears and caused a brief moment of absentmindedness.
Was this the test of time and distance?
Student Little Ming’s cross-province love was difficult enough to maintain already, much less a cross-country love?
He inhaled and said anxiously and solemnly,
“Will you be coming back then?”
Yan Zheke broke into a short laugh and said firmly,
“I will definitely come back. My relatives and friends are here, the culture and history that penetrated deep into my bones are here, all of the delicacies I love are here, and the, the boy that I like is here too...”
At the end, her voice turned as soft as a mosquito, but she still spoke out her heart firmly while feeling thankful on the inside:
Thank goodness she was sitting behind Cheng’s back and didn’t need to face him directly. Otherwise, he would see the incredibly embarrassed look on her face.
“The boy that I like is here too, she says...” A smile appeared on Lou Cheng’s face, and he exhaled deeply and said, “Then go. Go pursue your dreams, and show me a brighter and more beautiful you!”
“Pu! Cheng, are you stunned silly by my mum or something? Even your words sound cultured now!” Yan Zheke laughed softly and circled both arms across his shoulders, holding them in front of his body. She said with an uncertain tone, “Aren’t you worried?”
“I’m worried.” Lou Cheng answered honestly, “My little fairy is so beautiful, cute, intelligent and wonderful. God knows how many men are scheming over her heart.”
Yan Zheke immediately pursed her lips into a smile, gave it a thought and said,
“I’m pretty confident in myself. There’re plenty of excellent boys who pursued me in the past, but have I not turned them all down cruelly and coldly in the past? I know what you’re thinking, but the fact is I’d persevere until today and will continue to do so in the future. You can call me rational, or you can call me callous. On the other hand, Cheng, humph! You have so many fans now already. When you step into Dan stage in the future and enter the circle of professional martial arts, there’ll definitely be even more girls who like you and even go as far as to seduce you. I have no idea if you can turn them all down without me around!”
“My mum often said that there aren’t many men at all who can withstand a trial like this.”
Lou Cheng didn’t turn around. He smiled faintly and said, “I’m confident in myself. If I can persist in training every day, then I can persist in maintaining a distance with the other girls every day. I’m a man who’ll become an invulnerable physical expert in the future. How can I possibly achieve that if I don’t have a bit of willpower that exceeds the common people?”
“Cheng, your words remind me of a term in novels.” Yan Zheke went quiet for a few seconds before laughing. “Ascetic type boys!”
“Pu, what the hell is that term?” Lou Cheng didn’t think deeply into this term and allowed his thoughts to wonder, “Cross-country love is no biggie, actually. We’re in the internet era right now, and communication is a piece of cake. As long as we coordinate our time properly, we can chat every day we want as usual. Moreover, I should have become a stronger Dan stage fighter by then. A monthly flight is completely within my limits. I’m just slightly worried that you wouldn’t be able to find someone to help you with many things when you’re alone out there.”
His words moved Yan Zheke so much that her eyes were sparkling with hidden radiance. She replied smilingly, “I’d be a proper masculine of Professional Ninth Pin by then; what’s there that I can’t solve on my own? Mm, when I go there, I’d pay attention to my studies, wear a pair of large black framed spectacles on my face and dress like a nun. I’ll not participate in any parties, keep myself immune to all harassment and strive to return in 3 years.”
“That’ll make you a nun killer, wouldn’t it?” Lou Cheng experienced a pang of secret delight before he added worriedly, “You absolutely must watch out for those men who try to get close to you by claiming they’re a classmate, from the same hometown or country though!”
Yan Zheke immediately laughed so hard that her chin was lifted.
“Are you talking about yourself?”
“We must learn from our mistakes!” Lou Cheng said in half seriousness and self-deprecation.
His optimism infected yan Zheke, and the little sadness in her heart melted into a smile. While looking at the back of his head, she suddenly recalled a line,
“We were young, not knowing the mercilessness of time or the cruelty of distance.”
The reason I didn’t tell that about going abroad is that I’m a little afraid and hesitant after I started dating him. I cannot look back as easily as before any longer, and I have seriously considered whether I should give up on my dream.
But when I thought about doing things that I dislike in the future, or having only Cheng as the central core of my life, I cannot help but feel that a life like that is too pitiful. If I don’t pursue my dreams while I’m still young and driven, I’ll definitely be left with many, many regrets in the future...
Sigh, a hero is conflicted when they’re in love, and I’m that hero...
Yan Zheke’s arms clinging around Lou Cheng’s neck tightened slightly, and she pressed her body closer and sighed beside his ears.
“Oh, you femme fatale...”
“Ah?” Lou Cheng wore a dumbfounded look on his face. What on earth did she mean by that?
Yan Zheke thought for a moment seriously before repeating,
“Oh, you homme fatale!”
It was only then Lou Cheng finally understood and broke into an involuntary laugh. He said,
“Ke, even the Queen Mother had given me her tacit approval. Should we not date each other openly from now on?”
“No way~ You’ve only won my mother’s approval. There’re still my dad, my maternal grandma, my grandpa, my grandma and so many others’ approval that you need to win. The revolution hasn’t succeeded yet, so you still need to work harder, comrade~!
“What, I thought the Queen Mother was the most difficult of them all...”
“Who gave you that misperception? I’ve always thought that my mum is the most accepting of them all~”
...
While their cheerful talk fluttered across the wind and scattered all over the night’s path, Lou Cheng had finally reached the bus station with the girl behind his back. He put her down a little reluctantly and thought that he would’ve liked to walk on like this forever.
They still had three years. They’d worry about it when it happens!
...
The next day, in the early morning, Lou Cheng seemed to grow a little more mature than he was before. He stood on the spot and calmly comprehended the two visualization diagrams.
This was the only capital he possessed that would allow him to settle down, get on with his pursuit and protect his relationship!
A moment later, he closed his eyes, gathered unto himself, cleared his mind and sketched the Frozen Ground Diagram in his head bit by bit. It was no different from what he did every day.
During this process, he had gradually put together the frost concept and ‘brushwork’ of the Jindan that was inscribed into his heart. He made it so that every snowflake seemed to have a life of its own, injecting a distinct iciness into the empty world.
One snowflake, two snowflakes, three snowflakes... The world slowly turned white, and a chilliness that threatened to freeze everything and bury all life threatened to emerge.
Lou Cheng’s mind was already weary, but he suddenly experienced a bout of enlightenment and understood that he had reached the edge of success after a few days of accumulation and appreciation of experience!
He forcefully endured the sense of fatigue and drew the final ‘stroke’.
With a rumble, the ‘drawn’ Frozen Ground Diagram abruptly expanded and filled every corner of his mind. The bone-chilling cold came into existence and froze both life and the world itself.
A subtle change occurred inside Lou Cheng’s body. Parts of his muscles were either tensing or trembling, his tendons and vessels were either relaxing or contracting, and the corresponding five viscera and six bowels were either wriggling or undulating...
Normally speaking, every action of the human body would have a fluctuation of their own no matter how small it might be. It was just that they were so weak that they would disappear in the next instant. However, at this moment, these fluctuations had ingeniously compounded upon themselves and transformed into a cold aura even normal people could sense that spread towards the surroundings!
At the side, the leisurely-looking Geezer Shi suddenly froze as he looked over and muttered in astonishment,
“He succeeded in his visualization already?”
Lou Cheng’s spirit was finally at its limits. He could no longer maintain the ‘Remain in One’ state and broke out of the trance. He opened his eyes and answered his master’s question with joy,
“Mm, I’ve finally done it.”
“Finally?” Geezer Shi was startled for a moment before he let out a sudden chuckle.
“Very good. You have slightly caught up with the paragon that your master is. Let’s stop today. You’ll hurt your mind if you force yourself to try any longer. Alright, you may practice on your own now.”
“Master is so great that even with the Jindan’s support I cannot compare to him, I see...” Lou Cheng felt a shiver on the inside and withdrew the pride and joy he felt for finally succeeding in his visualization. He started to jog seriously.
It was only until he went far away when Geezer Shi swore inwardly.
“Goddammit, and here I thought I defied nature for having succeeded in my visualization in just a month back then!”
“Could it be that Longhu Immortal’s remnants are beneficial in helping him learn the frost concept? But there is no such precedence...”