Chapter 118: The Long, Endless Night—Sleepless and Restless

After days of arduous struggle, everyone was exhausted, dragging their weary bodies back to their respective rooms to rest. Night gradually descended, whether it was because the noise of the entire day had become tiring, or because this was simply another marvelous aspect of the night itself. Everything seemed exceptionally quiet and serene; not even the sound of a gentle breeze could be heard. All things were rendered by this silence and fell into a deep slumber, save for Yu Shang, who tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

No matter how hard Yu Shang forced himself to close his eyes, he felt not a hint of drowsiness; instead, he grew increasingly clear-headed. Yet, when he opened his eyes to gaze at the ceiling, fragmented images resurfaced in his mind. Helpless, he had no choice but to stand up and slowly walk to the window, opening the paper screen that had long been covered in dust. He stared out into the distance, appearing deeply focused, though his mind was lost in thought.

For some reason, the night sky tonight seemed exceptionally monotonous. Apart from a dim, crescent moon, there was nothing else. The stars, which usually shimmered with unparalleled brilliance, had disappeared without a trace. Even the sky had changed from its usual mysterious, unfathomable black to a hazy, gray tone. This color made Yu Shang feel even more oppressed, as if he himself were draped in a thin veil.

Yu Shang looked up again at the dim crescent moon, ripples of sorrow stirring in his heart. The discomfort unsettled him, and he could not help but raise a hand to his chest. Unintentionally, he felt a foreign object tucked into his robe. Gently pulling it out, he discovered it was a black veil. Gazing at it, Yu Shang let out a soft, wry laugh and a sigh, as memories of the past flooded his mind.

The veil fluttered slowly in Yu Shang’s hand, releasing a captivating fragrance—charming yet noble, elegant yet full of allure, rich yet delicately serene. This intoxicating scent made Yu Shang swoon, and, lost in emotion, he brought the veil closer to his nose, greedily inhaling its essence. This scent, strange yet vaguely familiar, reminded him of the person buried deep within his heart.

Yu Shang had once assumed that after being purified by the mysterious barriers within his body, he would become colder and more heartless than before, his heart hardening into stone. Yet, unexpectedly, while he had indeed become more indifferent to others, his yearning for that woman in his heart had only grown. Later, the sincerity of his companions changed him once more, allowing him to break through the defenses he had built and regain his trust in them.

Perhaps even the coldest glacier cannot withstand the warmth of true emotion; even if frozen for ten thousand years, it would melt into water for such a bond. Like Yu Shang—though he remained guarded against many, he had at least accepted those who stayed by his side. He learned to respond to them with his heart, just as he had with that woman—without regrets, even if it meant betrayal in the end. He simply found it impossible to truly resent or hate her.

"I never imagined that the supposedly sharp-witted and highly cultivated Yu Shang would have such a hobby, sniffing a woman's belongings incessantly." Suddenly, a voice tinged with slight contempt reached Yu Shang's ears. The tone was provocative, yet contained a hint of coldness. However, anyone capable of appearing beside Yu Shang so silently was likely no ordinary person. He had to be on guard, though for now, he could only take it one step at a time.

Hearing this, Yu Shang did not rush to find the speaker. Instead, he smiled unhurriedly and said, "Rumors are merely absurd tales that shouldn't be fully believed. I am but an ordinary man, and having some ordinary habits is hardly strange. But you, appearing under someone else's eaves in the dead of night—what is your intention? This is hardly the act of a man of integrity!"

"I was merely passing by and happened to see someone standing at the window, clutching a veil and wallowing in self-pity, looking quite miserable. Driven by curiosity, I couldn't help but stop and watch." With that, the speaker stepped slowly from the shadows. The hazy moonlight fell upon him, creating a peculiar and striking sight, making the scorpion tattoo on his face look even more daunting, as if it were shimmering with silver light.

"I never expected that the one so curious about me would be none other than the renowned 'Ye Wangchen' of the Night Sha clan. I don't know if this should be considered my good fortune, to have piqued the interest of such a formidable figure!" Yu Shang chuckled and teased the uninvited guest. In truth, he had a decent impression of the man; he was a strong opponent, and his intuition told him they might become good friends.

Even after learning of the many wicked deeds the man had committed, Yu Shang still could not truly feel disgust toward him. He had always believed there were unsolvable misunderstandings. He had witnessed this man’s decisiveness and cruelty when facing enemies. If Yan Xuesu truly held a blood feud against him—if he had truly wanted to annihilate her entire clan to satisfy his hatred—given his nature, he would have finished her off with a single blade rather than leaving such a source of future trouble.

Yet, he had risked her revenge to keep her alive. Though, on the surface, he let her suffer and toyed with her, if a person truly hated another, they would not leave them a path to live. And when Yan Xuesu was rescued by others, why did this man not intervene or let the matter be? There were too many doubts in this affair that left Yu Shang puzzled, but ultimately, it was another’s private business.

He had no right to interfere, nor was it his place to stop it. He only hoped Yan Xuesu would heed that woman's advice and thoroughly investigate the matter, leaving no stone unturned. Behind every mystery lay a potential earth-shattering secret; unraveling one brought him closer to the truth, while leaving one behind meant burying a potential fact. He remained convinced that while this man was cold-blooded, he was not truly malicious.

"You don't need to be so sarcastic; there is no deep hatred between us. Though, in a few days on the competition grounds, that might change!" At this, a flicker of excitement crossed Ye Wangchen’s eyes, as if he were eagerly anticipating a life-or-death duel with Yu Shang, wishing he could fight him right now. What Yu Shang had not expected was that this man would be so talkative, so different from the cold and heartless figure he had seen on the field that day.

"Between you and me, one could say there is no bad blood, but you and my friend have a deep-seated enmity. In such an awkward position, what would you have me do?" Yu Shang looked at the man with a mischievous smile. Since he couldn't get any information out of Yan Xuesu, he would look for cracks in this man's armor. He wanted to see if his deductions were correct, and whether the man before him was righteous or evil.

"She... is she well lately?" Ye Wangchen asked softly after taking a deep breath. Those few words alone betrayed his heart. Yu Shang chuckled to himself; as he had suspected, things were not that simple. There was surely an incredible truth hidden within. Yu Shang was perhaps the best person to understand the meaning behind those words; at the very least, he was now certain that what was buried there was love, not hate.

While Yu Shang couldn't claim to see through affairs of the heart, he had experienced his share of setbacks. Based on that single sentence, he could conclude that Yan Xuesu held significant weight in this man’s heart. That "significance" was not built on hatred, but forged from deep longing and love. It seemed the situation was becoming increasingly interesting, drawing even someone like Yu Shang into its web.

"Yan Xuesu is living quite well now. Or rather, she is living off everything you caused, relying on hatred to get by. But there is someone by her side who cares for her deeply. One might call it a blessing in disguise—losing familial love only to gain romantic love in its place. Hearing this now, do you feel any remorse?" Yu Shang leaned toward the frowning Ye Wangchen, asking deliberately. He wanted to see how this young man would react.

"Why would I feel remorse? Everything I did was not a betrayal of anyone. If she insists on hating me, I welcome her to seek revenge, but then she shouldn't blame me for being heartless!" Clearly, Ye Wangchen did not answer directly, instead shifting the perspective and using words that contradicted his own heart to brush him off. But he forgot that Yu Shang was an expert at reading people; how could he miss such a change?

"You are truly cold-blooded to have wiped out her clan so cruelly, yet you have the audacity to say you didn't wrong her. In your eyes, what does 'wronging' someone mean? Is it the physical punishment you inflicted upon her, or the torture of her soul?" Tonight, Yu Shang had deviated from his usual self, showing such keen interest in another's business. Ordinarily, if any truth stood in his way, he would simply make it disappear.

"You really are at ease, having the leisure to concern yourself with others' affairs. Are you so confident that you can defeat me in one fell swoop?" Ye Wangchen sneered provokingly at Yu Shang, though his intent was clearly to deflect the topic. This Yu Shang was indeed as formidable as the rumors suggested; he had almost fallen into his trap. Fortunately, he had recovered in time, or he might have said something he shouldn't have.

"Before criticizing others, shouldn't you reflect on yourself? You can sneak under someone's eaves in the middle of the night to spy, but I cannot open a window to admire the moon and chat? Furthermore, I am destined to win that match. With me here, you have no chance of achieving final victory." Seeing Ye Wangchen refuse to cooperate and change the subject, Yu Shang deliberately uttered harsh words, hoping to challenge his psychological limits.

"Indeed, rumors are as you say—not to be trusted. You are truly different from the Yu Shang others speak of. You have no innate humility but possess a domineering pride; you have no indifference born of setbacks but a passion for seeking the truth. What kind of person are you, and when will I be able to see you clearly?" Ye Wangchen kept studying Yu Shang, as if trying to see right through him, before finally asking in a low voice.

"Do not be so curious about me; it gives me the illusion that you might have developed some interest in me. Although I have been hurt by a woman, it does not mean I am interested in men, so you should abandon this foolish fantasy!" For some reason, being with Ye Wangchen felt effortless, as if he were facing another Xiao Yin, allowing him to fully release a different version of himself.

"It seems I must re-evaluate you. While I have no doubts about your cultivation, I cannot fathom your personality. I am even beginning to doubt if you are the same Yu Shang I saw on the competition field, or if the version of you presented to others during the day is not the real you." Ye Wangchen suddenly looked up at the sky and spoke these seemingly aimless words, causing Yu Shang to pause slightly.