Suo Qingjun Chapter 16

Frost on the Crane Peak: Breaking the Cage Through Feigned Death

The spiritual mist on Qihe Peak grew increasingly heavy, the sticky moisture carrying the chill of late autumn as it soaked into every corner of the courtyard. Qing Feng’an’s internal power had begun to improve under days of secret circulation. He had figured out most of the flaws in the sinister acupoint-sealing technique, but Jin Xianling’s supervision remained strict. During the day, he never left his side; at night, they slept in each other’s arms. Even the slight movement of turning over could be instantly detected. Finding an opportunity to escape was as difficult as reaching the heavens.

The change occurred on a night of torrential rain.

Violent winds whipped the rain against the window frames, making a rhythmic clattering sound. The spiritual mist was mostly washed away, revealing an inky night sky and faint flashes of lightning. Recently, Qing Feng’an had deliberately feigned a backlash of his internal power. His face grew paler by the day, and he could hardly swallow even ordinary rice porridge. Jin Xianling was frantic, inviting famous doctors from all over the martial world, but none could find the root of the problem. He could only keep watch by the bed every day, his eyes a mix of obsession and anxiety that almost burned.

“Master, just hold on a little longer. I’ve already sent people to find the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus. As long as we get it, your body will surely recover.” Jin Xianling held Qing Feng’an’s ice-cold hand, his voice trembling imperceptibly. His usual madness and ferocity had long been replaced by panic. “Nothing can happen to you, absolutely nothing. If you leave, what will I do?”

Qing Feng’an leaned against the headboard, his breath weak and his eyelids half-drooped, concealing the clarity in his eyes. He slowly looked up at Jin Xianling, his voice as faint as a candle flickering in the wind. “Xianling, there’s no need… to waste your efforts. My meridians… are severed. There is no cure.”

“Impossible!” Jin Xianling shook his head violently, bloodshot streaks instantly flooding his eyes as his crazed expression resurfaced. “Master, you’re lying to me! You are so powerful, how could your meridians be severed? It must be those incompetent doctors. I’ll kill them right now!”

He moved to stand up but was gently pulled back by the hem of his robe. Qing Feng’an’s fingertips were icy and his strength was weak, yet it made Jin Xianling freeze in his tracks. “Don’t…” Qing Feng’an shook his head, a trace of feigned melancholy flashing in his eyes. “It was my own… cultivation going awry. It has nothing to do with others.”

This was the explanation he had prepared long ago. During these days, he had deliberately shown flaws while practicing his sword, pretending his internal power was in chaos, all to make Jin Xianling believe his body was deteriorating day by day.

The torrential rain grew heavier, and rolling thunder illuminated Jin Xianling’s deathly pale face. He threw himself by the bedside, gripping Qing Feng’an’s hand so hard his knuckles turned white. His voice carried a sob. “Master, nothing will happen to you. I won’t allow it! You promised me you would stay with me for a lifetime. You cannot break your word!”

Looking at the despair and pain in the other’s eyes, a complex emotion flickered through Qing Feng’an’s heart, passing too quickly for him to grasp. He gently withdrew his hand and slowly closed his eyes, his breathing becoming increasingly faint. “Xianling, from now on… live well. Stop obsessing over… things that don’t belong to you.”

After saying this, his head tilted slightly, the rise and fall of his chest abruptly stopped, and his entire body instantly became cold.

“Master?” Jin Xianling called out tentatively, but received no response. He reached out with a trembling hand toward Qing Feng’an’s nose. All his fingertips touched was an icy chill; there was not the slightest breath.

“No—!”

A shrill howl pierced the rainy night. Jin Xianling suddenly pulled Qing Feng’an’s cold body into his arms, shaking him like a madman. “Master! Wake up! Open your eyes and look at me! I won’t let you die! Wake up!”

His voice was hoarse and broken. Tears mixed with rainwater slid down his cheeks, dripping onto Qing Feng’an’s collar and spreading into dark wet patches. His former obsession and desire for control had vanished, leaving only pure despair and agony. Holding Qing Feng’an, he called “Master” over and over again, his voice echoing in the empty room with heart-wrenching pain.

Qing Feng’an kept his eyes tightly shut, letting himself be held. He used the special Turtle Breathing Technique to suppress his aura to the absolute limit. His pulse and breathing had both stopped, making him no different from a dead man. He had learned this technique from an ancient book in his early years; it was extremely secretive, and unless someone’s cultivation far surpassed his own, it was nearly impossible to detect any flaws. He had calculated that Jin Xianling would be in a state of mental chaos and extreme obsession, and would certainly not check closely.

Jin Xianling held Qing Feng’an and cried for a long time. It wasn’t until the rain gradually subsided and dawn was approaching that he slowly calmed down. However, those eyes had long lost their former luster, leaving only dead silence and emptiness. He carefully wiped Qing Feng’an’s cheeks clean and tidied his messy clothes, his movements as gentle as if he were handling a rare treasure.

“Master, you said the sea of clouds at Qihe Peak is the most beautiful.” Jin Xianling’s voice was low and raspy, thick with sobbing. “I’ll take you to see the sea of clouds, alright? Just like before.”

He picked up Qing Feng’an’s “corpse” and walked out the door with staggering steps. The spiritual mist had already dispersed, and a sliver of white appeared on the horizon. The distant mountains loomed in the morning light. Carrying Qing Feng’an, Jin Xianling walked step by step toward the edge of the cliff at Qihe Peak, the best spot to view the sea of clouds.

The wind at the cliff’s edge was strong, whipping his black robes and Qing Feng’an’s moon-white sword robes into a loud flutter. Standing at the edge, Jin Xianling looked down at Qing Feng’an’s pale face in his arms. The dead silence in his eyes was gradually replaced by madness. “Master, since you refuse to stay with me for a lifetime, then I will go with you.”

As he spoke, he prepared to leap off the cliff.

At that moment, Qing Feng’an suddenly opened his eyes. His internal power erupted, instantly shattering the remaining restrictions Jin Xianling had placed on him! He raised a hand and struck Jin Xianling’s chest. The force wasn’t great, but it was enough to make Jin Xianling’s body stiffen. Seizing this split-second gap, Qing Feng’an tore himself from the embrace, his figure leaping backward like a startled swan and landing steadily several yards away.

Jin Xianling was stunned by the sudden turn of events. A dull pain came from his chest as he stared blankly at Qing Feng’an standing not far away. Seeing the clarity and coldness in his eyes, and the color gradually returning to his cheeks, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

“Ma… Master?” His voice trembled, looking at the person before him in disbelief. “You… you’re not dead?”

Qing Feng’an stood in the morning light, his moon-white sword robes fluttering in the wind. His aura was steady, without a trace of his previous deterioration. He looked at Jin Xianling’s shocked and pained face, his eyes devoid of any ripples, containing only an icy calm. “Jin Xianling, I never intended to kill you. Today’s events were my only way to escape.”

He paused, his voice as cold as the winter wind at the cliff’s edge. “Our relationship as master and disciple ends here. From now on, all ties are severed. We have nothing more to do with each other.”

Having said his piece, Qing Feng’an turned. With a tap of his toes, his figure turned into an afterimage, racing down from Qihe Peak. He knew Jin Xianling would not give up easily; he had to get far away as quickly as possible and return to his own sect.

Jin Xianling stood frozen for a long time, watching that resolute back. It wasn’t until Qing Feng’an’s figure completely disappeared among the mountains that he suddenly reacted. A massive sense of betrayal and the pain of being abandoned swept over him. The shock in his eyes turned into a towering, crazed ferocity, more intense than ever before.

“Master…” he murmured, his lips curling into a twisted and mad smile. Bloodshot veins filled the whites of his eyes. “You lied to me… you lied to me again…”

“All ties severed? Nothing more to do with each other?” He suddenly looked up and roared toward the direction Qing Feng’an had left, his voice hoarse and insane. “Impossible! Master, don’t even think about escaping! Even if you run to the ends of the earth, I will find you and bring you back!”

“This time, I won’t give you another chance to leave me!”

The wind at the cliff’s edge remained strong, carrying his roars to echo through the valley. Jin Xianling stood at the edge, his body radiating a violent and mad aura. His eyes were fixed on the direction Qing Feng’an had gone, like a predator locking onto its prey with a determined obsession. The morning light of Qihe Peak pierced through the clouds, illuminating his crazed face and the unquenchable possessiveness in his eyes. This game of chase and imprisonment was clearly far from over.