Untouchable Lovers

Chapter 70: Chapter 70: In the Racing Carriage (Add 12500)

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Rong Zhi was someone Chu Yu pulled along on a whim halfway through her journey, just as she and Tian Rujing stepped out of the East Upper Pavilion, intending to leave the Princess Mansion, it suddenly occurred to her that she had heard about Rong Zhi’s medical skills being the most exquisite within the mansion. Although she was unsure of how they compared to the Imperial Physicians in the palace, it was still better to resort to a dead horse as if it were a live horse doctor—bringing him along as a precaution.

Chu Yu herself felt somewhat suffocated for a while but slowly regained her composure. At this point, what’s done was done, and no amount of brooding would change the reality of the situation. As she calmed down, she began to pay attention to the two other people inside the carriage.

By now, Rong Zhi had withdrawn his gaze from Chu Yu and turned to look meticulously at Tian Rujing, who sat across from him in the carriage. His dissecting gaze seemed intent on splitting each strand of hair on the observed’s head, prompting Chu Yu to appreciate Tian Rujing’s composure. If she had been stared at like that, she certainly would have felt uncomfortable, yet Tian Rujing managed to maintain his calm as he locked eyes with Rong Zhi.

Chu Yu didn’t speak, Rong Zhi didn’t speak, Tian Rujing didn’t speak either.

An eerie silence filled the carriage, broken only by the sounds of the wheels and horses’ hooves.

Rong Zhi and Tian Rujing appeared to be of similar age and even shared a semblance in their temperaments—both were as smooth as jade and as elegant as clouds. However, upon closer inspection, they were as different as heaven and earth: one like a clear mirror in the skies, transparent and lucid; the other like a fathomless deep pool, profound and lingering.

With a slight, curious smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, Rong Zhi gazed at Tian Rujing and slowly said, “So you are the current Historian? I have heard much about you but this is my first time seeing you in person.”

Tian Rujing replied indifferently, “I know of you as well.”

The inside of the carriage wall was lined with snow-white, soft fur. Leaning against the fur, Rong Zhi’s white garments nearly blended into the background. A ripple of emotion surfaced in his deep black eyes, quickly vanishing into the endless depths as he inquired, “Did he mention me?” Before Tian Rujing could respond, Rong Zhi sighed softly and asked, “What was your relationship with him… with the previous Historian?”

The previous Historian?

Chu Yu suddenly remembered what Wang Yizhi had mentioned. The one who had suggested the rudimentary concept of chemical experimentation was the previous Historian. She had sought out Tian Rujing not only to utilize him for her own purposes but also to inquire about the whereabouts of his predecessor. Yet before she could ask, she was interrupted.

From the tone of Rong Zhi’s voice, it seemed he had been in contact with the previous Historian?

Tian Rujing answered calmly, “He was my teacher.”

Rong Zhi nodded and continued, “It’s been a tradition for several generations of Historians to be successors from your Yunjin Mountain lineage. I could have guessed your relationship with him, but without confirmation, there’s always unease. Now that you have inherited the position of Historian,” he said, his voice suddenly turning chillingly cold as if soaked in the snow waters of winter, “what about him…?”

This was an excellent question and one Chu Yu also wanted to know. Where exactly was the previous Historian?

“My teacher has died,” Tian Rujing said quietly, his expression remaining cold and detached as if speaking of someone not a close mentor but an unrelated passerby.

Gazing tenderly at Tian Rujing, Rong Zhi spoke slowly, “So he’s actually passed away… what a pity.” His voice was initially soft and leisurely, almost completely drowned out by the noise of the moving carriage; only a faint, delicate whisper floated in the air.

Chu Yu also wanted to say something along the lines of ‘my condolences’ as a nicety. Although Tian Rujing didn’t seem very grieved, since even Rong Zhi had mentioned it was a pity, it seemed the departed must have been a remarkable person, and she felt it appropriate to show some respect…

Before she could speak, she heard Rong Zhi’s languid voice again, “Such a bleak ending, dying like that… it really isn’t like him. However, since you are his successor, I will not doubt your words. The rightful successors of Yunjin Mountain never lie about such matters… Though it is the time to offer condolences, I must say that this is the best news I’ve heard in four years. His death pleases me more than words can express. The only regret I have is that I was not the one to end his life.”

His tone was as soft as falling snow, yet his words were venomous and biting.

Chu Yu then realized that Rong Zhi was not actually lamenting the death; he was disappointed that he had not been the one to kill Tian Rujing’s master. What kind of deep enmity did these two harbor that lingered even after death? Yet, even faced with such a verbal attack, Tian Rujing displayed no change in expression, not even a blink. Seeing him like this made Chu Yu start to doubt whether the deceased was truly his master. After a moment, Tian Rujing said, “Before my teacher’s death, he told me that everything in this world has its destiny, and what isn’t yours will never be yours, just as life and death are. His passing, like the birth and death of all things in this world, was fated. Every day, countless new lives begin and countless lives end; he was merely one among them. He told me that if I ever had the chance to meet you, I should relay a message: you were the most formidable enemy he ever encountered, and also the greatest. If there is a Netherworld after death, he will be waiting for you there.”

Since her first encounter with Tian Rujing until now, Chu Yu had never heard him speak such a lengthy statement. His enunciation was clear, each word crisply pronounced. Yet, the more he spoke, the more the odd sense of incongruity grew; it was as if he was merely reciting words from a paper without any personal emotion.@@novelbin@@

Upon hearing this, an inscrutable smile crossed Rong Zhi’s face. After a quiet chuckle, he whispered, “Indeed, your mentor was an extraordinary man, and the only defeat I’ve ever suffered in my life, to this day, three years and seven months ago. It’s a shame he’s dead, as I have lost the chance to redeem myself in my lifetime… If there is a Ghost Realm, I will seek him out.”

His voice was so low it was almost inaudible, and had Chu Yu not been sitting close and with the carriage noise reduced, she might have missed his words.

As Rong Zhi finished speaking, the carriage, which had slowed down, came to a halt.

They had arrived at the Imperial Palace.

Earlier, Chu Yu had been anxious to see Empress Dowager Wang, feeling that the carriage could not go fast enough. Now, she suddenly felt that it had been too quick, as with the carriage’s stop, the two men returned to the dead silence they started with, scarcely even glancing at each other anymore.

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I came back late today due to something~~ As a result, the update is late too~~ This is an additional release for reaching 12,500 points~~

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