Little Skull saw Qin Jianglan and shouted, “Little Uncle, you came out! These bad people hurt Big Sister and killed many people.”

Little Skull had learned to tattle.

Su Zhuyi retained her memories. She clearly remembered what she had done and knew she should consider Qin Jianglan a friend, though she felt no deep emotions toward him. So why had she flirted with him so much back then? What was it all for?

It was inexplicable. She only felt that she had been inexplicable, as if her brain had been filled with water at that time.

However, for her, liking someone was inherently strange—not liking someone was normal. Perhaps she had once been moved by Qin Jianglan, but in a single thought, she stopped liking him. So now she simply felt no romantic love for him, yet she knew their previous relationship had been good, and she could ask him for help.

She just needed to know that Qin Jianglan liked her.

“Qin Jianglan!”

Su Zhuyi wanted to say that none of these people could be left alive, but before she could speak, she saw Qin Jianglan give her a deep look, then directly fly to Little Skull’s side. Without even blinking, he drew his sword.

Su Zhuyi currently only had late Golden Core cultivation, but Qin Jianglan seemed even more formidable than in his previous life. His sword was too fast—one strike sealed the throat, the blade unstained by blood. He continued slashing his way through like this, and as he killed, the Liuguang Mirror in his hand gleamed with cold light, directly absorbing the souls of those people that had not yet completely dissipated into heaven and earth.

When cultivators perished, their souls would dissipate. For those killed by a single sword strike like this, with no time to make any preparations, their souls would scatter into heaven and earth, and thereafter would never exist in the world again. However, it now appeared that the demonic artifact Liuguang Mirror could devour those souls about to dissipate.

Could this be considered competing with the Heavenly Dao for sustenance?

The Liuguang Mirror originally contained many undead spirits. At first, the dead spirits inside didn’t even know they were dead. Now it was absorbing souls again, meaning it had swallowed up all the souls that should have dissipated into heaven and earth. This was truly acting against heaven!

Su Zhuyi felt like she had touched upon something crucial, but for a moment, she couldn’t figure out what the problem was. If only she could see what the inside of the Liuguang Mirror looked like now.

She thought to herself.

She had just zoned out for a moment…

Qin Jianglan had finished killing everyone?

Su Zhuyi looked at the fallen demonic cultivators covering the ground and felt stunned. However, all those who died were demonic cultivators who had committed countless evil deeds—their deaths were well-deserved. Many of these people had also died under Qin Jianglan’s sword in a previous life.

Perhaps because Qin Jianglan’s swordsmanship was too shocking, the entire Luoxue Peak was now silent as death, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

He killed cleanly, his sword unstained by blood.

Then he sheathed his sword and turned around.

Step by step, he slowly walked toward Su Zhuyi.

Behind him were the dumbstruck Gujian Sect disciples.

Yi Lian wore a look of bewilderment, the Golden Sparrow on his shoulder had its beak agape for a long time without closing. Though it was such a tiny bird, you could fit a bird’s egg in its mouth.

Song Shangzhi had already pulled out the incense he carried with him from his storage treasure, lit it with a whoosh, and respectfully bowed toward Qin Jianglan’s retreating figure.

His action was so foolish that others couldn’t bear to watch. Peak Master Yun of Jie Peak was the first to react—she directly knelt: “Thank you, hero, for saving our Gujian Sect.”

Following her, the Gujian Sect disciples knelt one by one. Although Qin Jianglan didn’t turn around, they still respectfully kowtowed three times.

The Gujian Sect had nearly been annihilated, and he had saved the entire sect.

Days ago, the Gujian Sect disciples had all been worshipping this Sword Venerable, which had somewhat displeased Peak Master Yun. Now, however, she was completely convinced. Such swordsmanship was worthy of being called the world’s Sword Venerable. Only, there seemed to be something strange about him.

Unfortunately, she was severely injured and couldn’t tell what was odd about him for the moment. However, since he had saved the entire Gujian Sect, he certainly wouldn’t harm them. Probably not, right?

…

Qin Jianglan turned and walked toward Su Zhuyi.

Little Skull followed closely behind Qin Jianglan. When he moved, a little girl in the crowd also moved. The girl had two buns tied on her head, each with a red ribbon. She stood up from the crowd and squeezed out, puffing her cheeks as she followed behind Little Skull. When Little Skull noticed her, she timidly followed, saying quietly, “I, I dreamed of you.”

Little Skull didn’t know how to interact with other children.

He had never interacted with other children, especially girls.

He was a bit nervous.

After thinking, Little Skull pulled out a Straw Man from his little butterfly pouch. Feeling the Straw Man wasn’t bright enough, he found the red stone. The red stone was for Big Sister, so he continued searching, finding the pretty pebbles he had picked up on Luoxue Peak. At that time, he had sewn the pebbles into a pouch. The pouch was very thin and transparent, and the stones inside still sparkled.

Little Skull stuffed the pouch into the young girl’s hands. He wanted to make friends, but there were more pressing matters now.

Looking at the pouch of glittering stones in her hands, the girl was a bit dazed. She had just entered the sect and hadn’t learned much, but she could still sense that the stones in the pouch contained particularly rich spiritual energy.

What a cute and generous… skeleton? Looking at it this way, he didn’t seem scary at all. His bones were white like jade, he wasn’t a skeleton, was he? Was he made of jade?

Little Skull followed behind Qin Jianglan, originally wanting to follow Little Uncle to see Big Sister. Earlier, Big Sister had looked particularly pained and sad, but then she had driven him away, telling him to save others. Now that Little Uncle had solved the problem, he wanted to see if he could help. But as he got close to Big Sister, Little Skull felt that Little Uncle’s body was very cold and frightening, as if there was a damp, cold aura rising from underground, making his bones brittle and his whole body emit cold air.

He keenly sensed that Little Uncle didn’t want him following.

So he paused slightly, then ran toward Xiaoxiao. He had wrapped Xiaoxiao in spiritual energy—Xiaoxiao wasn’t in mortal danger now, but it hadn’t woken up either.

He had pieced together Xiaoxiao’s body that had been split in half and nourished it with spiritual energy, but it hadn’t healed yet. It was unconscious now and couldn’t heal itself. Little Skull thought for a moment, sat down cross-legged, and pulled out a needle and thread. He planned to sew Xiaoxiao’s two halves together…

He cried while sewing, occasionally stealing glances toward Big Sister.

But after watching for a short while, he felt that area had become shrouded in gray mist. He thought Little Uncle must not want him to see. Although he might still be able to see with his divine sense, he didn’t dare look anymore and continued earnestly treating Xiaoxiao.

…

Su Zhuyi saw Qin Jianglan walk up to her and stand there. The Songfeng Sword wasn’t in his hands—since it could disappear, that proved it had recognized him as master?

The Gujian Sect disciples outside had been making a commotion, but after Qin Jianglan approached, all those noisy sounds disappeared. She and he seemed to have entered a place isolated from the world, surrounded by silence and deadly stillness.

Had Qin Jianglan fallen into demonic cultivation?

But he didn’t have that fierce, murderous aura like Qinghe, though he was very cold, as if emanating an aura of death.

Yes, that was the feeling of deadly stillness.

At this moment, the dark clouds in the sky had dispersed, the rain and snow had stopped, and the sun still hung in the sky, shining on her. She could even see her own shadow, but couldn’t see Qin Jianglan’s shadow.

As if the sunlight couldn’t reach him.

He had once been the most powerful righteous cultivator, and now even his fall into demonic cultivation was so distinctive. She wondered if he still had feelings for her after falling into demonic cultivation.

While contemplating how to respond, she saw Qin Jianglan suddenly reach out. Her heart grew alert and she raised her hand to block, but found that his left hand easily caught hers while his right hand pressed on her shoulder. Then with a turn, he made her face away from him, her hand still twisted…

Her body was very weak now, and she couldn’t do anything about him.

Even if she were currently in high spirits with cultivation at her peak, she actually couldn’t do anything about him either.

“Old Dog Qin, long time no see.”

“Why are you getting handsy right from the start? Could it be…” She didn’t dare struggle and turned her head to wink at him with a seductive smile, “Could it be that you missed me too much? So impatient?”

Her clothes were tattered, and bloodstains were everywhere. Her arms and shoulders had been crushed by someone, and though they had been reconnected after nourishment with spiritual energy, they hadn’t healed yet.

Her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were swollen like walnuts.

She had truly cried.

And cried very sadly.

The sound of her heart-wrenching shouts echoed in his ears. She had called his name over and over again.

Qin Jianglan, Qin Jianglan, Qin Jianglan…

For a moment, his heart had felt dead as ash. He had nearly merged completely with the Liuguang Mirror.

But in the end, he had emerged.

Unable to give up, unafraid of becoming a demon, the resentment of countless undead spirits had broken through the Liuguang Mirror’s restraints, allowing him to control that mirror while also being devoured by the aura of death. Yet he remained unmoved.

“I’m sorry. When you were in danger, I wasn’t by your side,” he thought to himself.

She had been afflicted with a Qing Gu. However, the one who cast the curse wasn’t by her side now and hadn’t activated the curse insect, so she wouldn’t desperately love the one who cursed her. But she also wouldn’t love him anymore.

On the Wangtian Tree, she hadn’t loved him either.

He was used to it. As long as she still remembered him, that was enough.

As long as she was still that Su Zhuyi, that was enough.

After all, given her personality…

Thinking of this, Qin Jianglan suddenly smiled. Fortunately, the one he loved was a shameless demonic path demoness.

His palm pressed against her back, and spiritual energy flowed from where his palm and her back connected, surging into her body.

Su Zhuyi was startled, thinking, “Is Qin Jianglan trying to heal her?”

He truly cared about her.

Qin Jianglan was so powerful, and having fallen into demonic cultivation, if she could use him for her purposes…

She wondered if he could suppress Qinghe!

No wait, having fallen into demonic cultivation, was his consciousness occasionally clear or always clear? Would he go mad like Qinghe? While pondering, she suddenly felt some numbness and itching at her waist…

Qin Jianglan’s hand had already moved from her back to her waist…

His large palm gently pressed on the sword wound at her waist—the place where Qinghe had slashed her. Although she had nourished it with spiritual energy, the wound was still very deep and still bleeding slightly…

When his palm pressed down, Su Zhuyi frowned. She wasn’t afraid of pain—she had endured much worse—but now, that little bit of sharp pain made her somewhat unable to bear it. As if beyond her control, she sucked in a cold breath, making a hissing sound.

Spiritual energy wandered around the wound, nourishing it bit by bit, as if driving away all the evil energy from the wound. That hand roamed around her waist, gently pressing, making her feel an indescribable strangeness…

Old Dog Qin, what a righteous cultivator you were, and you’re still taking advantage of me under the pretense of healing!

Uh…

She almost forgot—he was no longer a righteous cultivator.