BTTH : The Fallen Genius

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Chapter 68: Memories

Dusk had passed, and night had fallen.

By the roadside, a bonfire blazed brightly. Sitting on opposite sides of the fire were a young man and a young woman—Xiao Yan and Yun Zhi, who was actually Yun Yun in disguise.

Faced with this Dou Huang (Battle/Dou Emperor) senior sister, Xiao Yan, a mere Dou Zhe (Battle/Dou Practitioner), couldn't shake her off nor dared to drive her away. With no other choice, he embarked on this journey with Yun Zhi.

Xiao Yan took the roasted meat from the fire, sprinkled some seasoning on it, and handed it to Yun Zhi.

"Sister Yun Zhi, here. Be careful, it's hot."

Even though she had insisted on following him, Xiao Yan was not the kind of person to be rude. Naturally, he wouldn't eat alone while making Yun Zhi watch.

Of course, aside from his personality, Xiao Yan was also mindful that if he upset her and she decided to strike him, he wouldn't be able to withstand even a casual wave of a Dou Huang's hand.

"Thank you."

Yun Zhi responded with a calm thanks, reaching out with her delicate hand to take the roasted meat. She opened her lips slightly, tearing off a piece and chewing it slowly.

Compared to Yun Zhi's elegant eating habits, Xiao Yan appeared much rougher. He gnawed on his meat while observing Yun Zhi, secretly thinking to himself:

(She's really beautiful... If I hadn't already gotten used to senior Yao Chen's otherworldly beauty, I might have been completely captivated by sister Yun Zhi's looks.)

But now, after being "baptized" by Yao Chen's presence, even such a stunning beauty in the eyes of ordinary people no longer stirred Xiao Yan's heart too much.

Perhaps all the women in the world would pale in comparison to Yao Chen.

As this thought crossed his mind, Xiao Yan began contemplating Yun Zhi's identity.

Indeed, she must have come from some powerful sect. Even eating roasted meat in the wild, she remained so refined.

But as far as he knew, there was no Dou Huang named Yun Zhi in the Jia Ma Empire.

There was, however, a Yun Yun—the teacher of Nalan Yanran and the current sect leader of the Yun Lan Sect.

Though Xiao Yan had never met Yun Yun, he reasoned that a Dou Huang of her caliber wouldn't need to use a false name when dealing with a mere Dou Practitioner like him. Moreover, given that he was still Nalan Yanran's nominal fiancé, there was no reason for her to hide her identity.

Therefore, Xiao Yan speculated that Yun Zhi must be from a hidden sect in the Jia Ma Empire—or perhaps she wasn't even from the empire at all.

And why did he think so?

Xiao Yan's gaze shifted to the pile of charred, rock-hard pieces of meat by the bonfire, his eyes filled with helplessness.

These were all Yun Zhi's "masterpieces."

Earlier, when Xiao Yan had taken out some pre-prepared skewers from his storage ring to roast, Yun Zhi had curiously volunteered to try cooking herself. The result? Completely inedible chunks of charcoal-like meat. Even Yun Zhi herself felt embarrassed by her failure.

Clearly, Yun Zhi couldn't possibly be Yun Yun.

After all, Yun Yun was the sect leader of the Yun Lan Sect. She must have gone on numerous training excursions over the years—how could she not even know how to roast meat?

This was obviously someone who had spent her entire life in a secluded sect, only recently allowed to venture out.

With that thought, a trace of sympathy appeared in Xiao Yan's gaze as he looked at Yun Zhi.

She possessed the power of a Dou Huang, yet knew nothing about the outside world. Her life must have been nothing but cultivation—how dull and lonely it must have been.

"Hmm?"

Noticing Xiao Yan's gaze, Yun Zhi raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Clearly, she didn't recognize that look as sympathy.

She then turned her attention to the failed pieces of roasted meat she had made, her eyes flashing with a hint of frustration.

With her status and strength, she was always attended to whenever she traveled. Food and drink were never a concern, and at worst, she could always find a restaurant in a nearby town.

But now, while traveling alone with Xiao Yan, her lack of basic survival skills was embarrassingly exposed. She couldn't even roast meat properly, losing out to a mere sixteen-year-old boy.

What a disgrace!

Yun Zhi silently cursed, then took out her frustration on the meat in her hands, biting into it with much less elegance than before.

Seeing this, Xiao Yan felt even more certain of his judgment.

Those hidden sects focused on cultivating discipline and refinement. Their diets were likely light and delicate—why would they ever let their disciples eat simple roadside roasted meat?

With that thought, Xiao Yan's sympathy for Yun Zhi deepened. At the same time, he became more certain of his belief—

The law of the jungle should not exist in this world.

It wasn't just the weak who suffered under this ideology. Even the strong were forced into a life where they had no choice but to pursue power endlessly.

They spent their entire lives striving for strength, never having the time to experience the true joys of life. Some never even figured out what they truly wanted.

Their world was empty—nothing but training, training, and more training.

How hollow. How monotonous.

Was such a life truly meaningful?

Feeling his mood sinking, Xiao Yan shook his head abruptly. Noticing that Yun Zhi had nearly finished her meat, he picked up another freshly roasted piece and handed it to her, smiling gently.

"Sister Yun Zhi, take your time. There's plenty more."

Yun Zhi, who had been venting her frustrations on the food, paused when she heard his words. Her gaze shifted from the roasted meat to Xiao Yan's face.

Under the flickering firelight, his sincere eyes and warm smile reminded her of something she hadn't felt in a long time.

It was a gaze filled with genuine care, free from ulterior motives.

Yun Zhi's thoughts drifted back to her childhood.

The young man before her overlapped with a figure from her memories—her teacher and father figure, Yun Shan, before he had aged.

Back then, when she was just a small Dou Practitioner, Yun Shan had taken her on a journey and handed her roasted meat with the same gentle smile.

That moment had been the happiest of her life.

So happy that her young heart had naively believed she was born into this world just for that instant.

No distractions. No ambitions. The roasted meat wasn't luxurious, but it had been the warmest meal she ever had.

That warmth, which she had cherished for so long, had not graced her in over a decade.

No one had given her that feeling again—not even Yun Shan, the one who had once provided it.

It wasn't just because Yun Shan had gone into seclusion. Even before that, he had started feeling distant, unfamiliar, and cold.

Yun Zhi couldn't pinpoint exactly when it had happened, but she had a gut feeling—

Her teacher had changed.

That once cherished memory had become nothing more than the past, seemingly impossible to relive.

Yet now, it was being revived by this young man before her.

Slowly coming back to her senses, Yun Zhi gently accepted the roasted meat from Xiao Yan's hands.

"Thank you…"

Under Xiao Yan's slightly puzzled gaze, she smiled faintly and added, "Truly… thank you."

Raising an eyebrow slightly, Xiao Yan had a strange feeling—

It seemed like Yun Zhi wasn't just thanking him for the roasted meat.

But… perhaps it was just his imagination.

Shaking off unnecessary thoughts, Xiao Yan smiled and responded.

"You're welcome~"

(End of Chapter)

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