Cuilu spread her wings all the way to Liu Feixu’s room. He happened to not be there. Cuilu looked around left and right, then boldly flew into the room. Her feet hooked onto the cabinet door specifically for storing medicine bottles and pulled. The cabinet door opened. Before she could do anything, she heard voices outside the door. Cuilu quickly closed the cabinet door and tried to fly out, but before reaching the window, she was grabbed by someone.

“I wondered what it was,” Liu Feixu pinched her and looked down with a smile. “Turns out it’s just a bird.”

Cuilu didn’t dare move. Looking at Liu Feixu’s enormous face, she couldn’t help but tremble.

Liu Feixu smiled as he looked at it, gradually applying more pressure with his hand.

“This bird is trembling.” Liu Feixu tilted his head. “It knows fear too?”

Of course!

Who wouldn’t be afraid when about to be crushed to death?

In that moment, Cuilu even wanted to use her great strength to resist, but thinking that no matter how strong she was, she was still just a bird before a cultivator, she instantly calmed down.

She had to use her wits. How could she get Liu Feixu to spare her?

Cuilu’s mind raced. She suddenly thought of her most popular fellow species—parrots.

Humans always liked small animals that could interact with them. At this moment, in Liu Feixu’s eyes, she was just a common bird—a common bird that could please him might catch his eye a bit more.

Cuilu pondered, slowly opened her beak, and began chirping a song.

This was a folk tune praising people. She was tone-deaf and sang terribly, but vaguely one could still make out what she was singing.

“Oh, this bird can sing.” A maidservant beside them laughed. “Is it a spirit bird?”

“There’s not a trace of spiritual energy on it,” Liu Feixu looked down at it, but his hand relaxed. “Just an ordinary bird.”

As he spoke, Liu Feixu placed it on the table: “If you dare run, I’ll kill you.”

Hearing this, Cuilu lowered her head, looking well-behaved.

Liu Feixu finally grew happier: “Oh, it understands human nature?”

Understands your damn human nature—I’m already transformed into human form!

Cuilu gritted her teeth, but for survival, she still endured.

After a moment, Liu Feixu took a bracelet and held it before her: “Can you jump through hoops?”

Cuilu froze. Liu Feixu smiled: “If you can’t, go die.”

Hearing this, Cuilu jumped through without hesitation. Seeing this chubby little bird so nimble, Liu Feixu immediately became interested. He had a maidservant bring many small fire hoops and directed Cuilu: “Come, jump. Jump through several more.”

Cuilu was forced to jump through fire hoops. After finishing the fire hoops, she began performing dances, using dance to praise Liu Feixu and flatter him.

A thousand attempts may fail, but flattery never does. Even a bird’s flattery made Liu Feixu very happy.

Seeing everyone relax, Cuilu performed even harder, beginning to show everyone a bird spinning jade bracelets with its waist.

Spinning jade bracelets with the waist was rather boring. After watching for a while, Liu Feixu tired of it and had someone put her in a birdcage. He looked at the time: “It’s nearly evening. Come, let’s go see those four idiots.”

As he spoke, Liu Feixu passed by Cuilu. Seeing Liu Feixu glance over, Cuilu quickly spun the jade bracelet faster.

Liu Feixu’s gaze swept past indifferently as he led people away. After everyone left, Cuilu immediately rushed to the birdcage, used her wings to lift the small wooden stick locking the cage, flew out, rushed to the medicine cabinet, and used her beak to pry open medicine bottles, searching through them one by one.

After searching for a moment, she sniffed out the antidote. She plunged her head in and took a deep breath. Medicine powder covered her face. Feeling her spiritual power return, she quickly pulled her head out, plugged the bottle back, shrunk the medicine bottle, held it in her beak, and quickly flew back.

As she rushed toward the woodshed, Liu Feixu also arrived at the woodshed.

From far away, Luo Xingzhou and the others heard Liu Feixu coming. The three exchanged glances. Luo Xingzhou panicked first: “We’re done for. Once he sees Cuilu isn’t here, he’ll definitely kill us.”

“We’re definitely dying today.”

Liu Feishuang looked up blankly at Luo Xingzhou: “Luo Xingzhou, I never thought I’d die together with you.”

“Feishuang,” Luo Xingzhou looked into her eyes, full of deep affection, “I have no regrets.”

“Exchanging sweet nothings?”

Liu Feixu kicked open the door. Just about to speak, his expression changed drastically: “Where’s Cuilu?”

“She…” Before Liu Yuehua could speak, she heard a thunderous shout: “This lady is here!!”

As the words fell, Liu Feixu felt a fire hoop fly directly from the window!

Liu Feixu swiftly retreated from the woodshed. Cuilu flew in through the window, transforming from bird to human form. Light flashed in her hands as the ropes binding three people instantly broke. Cuilu threw the medicine bottle to Liu Yuehua, glaring at Liu Feixu through gritted teeth: “Jump through fire hoops, huh? Spin jade bracelets, huh? Sing, huh? Dance, huh? Watch this lady perform for you!”

With those words, Cuilu chased Liu Feixu out, raising her hand in a wave. Countless fire hoops flew toward Liu Feixu while she cursed loudly: “Jump! Jump for this lady! This lady’s feathers are nearly all burned off! You rotten butterfly, you better dance gracefully for this lady!”

Liu Feixu, bombarded dizzy by so many fire hoops, raised his hand in a wave. Butterflies swept up fierce wind in the air, forming a defense. After deflecting the fire hoops with clanging sounds, he spoke through gritted teeth: “Ungrateful wretch!”

With that, Liu Feixu shouted: “Come, all of you! Kill them!”

Over a hundred cultivators heard Liu Feixu’s voice and immediately rushed toward the inner courtyard. After Liu Yuehua, Luo Xingzhou, and Liu Feishuang smelled the antidote, just before the guards could strike, Liu Yuehua raised her hand. A spell knocked down someone nearby. She turned to Luo Xingzhou: “Xingzhou, take Feishuang and rescue the other Liu family members. Cuilu and I will hold off Liu Feixu!”

As she spoke, Liu Yuehua cleared a path for them, then rushed toward Liu Feixu together with Cuilu.

“Good, very good,” seeing Liu Yuehua charge out, Liu Feixu’s expression turned cold. “Liu Yuehua, you actually help an outsider against me. Do you know who I am?”

“I don’t care who you are,” Liu Yuehua said coldly. “You schemed against Feishuang—you’re my enemy! Trusting you was my blind mistake. Surrender your life!”

As she spoke, Liu Yuehua summoned a magical artifact. Gripping a long whip, she lashed it at Liu Feixu.

Liu Feixu’s face showed disdain. He raised his hand and blasted Liu Yuehua away. Liu Yuehua was struck to the ground by his single hit. Liu Feixu glanced at her indifferently: “These years you’ve been distracted by worldly matters. Not to mention you’ve only recovered half your cultivation now—even at full strength, you’d be useless. For the Liu clan to produce a descendant like you is truly disgraceful.”

“You…” Liu Yuehua gasped, looking up at her. “Who exactly are you?”

“Me?”

Liu Feixu laughed loudly: “I am your elder, the Liu clan’s eldest daughter—”

As Liu Feixu spoke, he flew into the sky. Raising his hand, countless butterflies flew toward Cuilu as he shouted: “Liu Yiyi!”

As he spoke, butterflies entangled around Cuilu’s body. Cuilu raised her fist wreathed in flames, fiercely smashing into the circle formed by the butterflies.

Butterfly scales fell on Cuilu. Cuilu’s flames burned through the butterflies as she punched and kicked toward Liu Feixu.

Each of her punches brought heavenly fire descending. For a time, fires burned throughout the Liu residence. Liu Feixu fought intensely with her. Cuilu, wreathed in firelight, mustered all her strength, landing one painful hit on Liu Feixu. Then punch after punch landed on flesh. In an instant, she threw over a hundred punches. Finally, one kick sent Liu Feixu straight into the sky. She flipped and landed, kneeling on one knee on the ground, gasping heavily.

Kneeling on the ground, she saw faint lines on her fists—seemingly the edges of butterfly scales, or like fine threads winding around her entire body.

“You’re quite good at fighting, aren’t you?”

Liu Feixu’s voice appeared behind Cuilu. Cuilu turned with a punch but hit only an illusion. Liu Feixu’s voice came from the side: “Have you heard that what the Liu clan truly excels at is sealing techniques?”

Cuilu turned with a spell shooting directly toward Liu Feixu’s direction. This time her movements were noticeably slower, as if something was pulling at her entire body.

“You haven’t seen it,” Liu Feixu’s voice appeared above her head. This time she saw that in the eight directions around her and above her head, Liu Feixu stood everywhere.

He raised his hand, gently placing it on his lips: “Let me show you what true sealing techniques are.”

As the words fell, countless golden threads lit up on Cuilu. The golden threads suddenly tightened. Liu Yuehua shouted: “Wait!”

Cuilu’s expression changed drastically. Tremendous spiritual power exploded from her body, the golden threads contending with her spiritual power.

At this critical moment, a distant human voice came from overhead: “Ahhh slow down slow down don’t charge ahhh!”

Everyone instinctively looked up to see a sword dragon appear from nowhere in the sky, sword light illuminating heaven and earth, falling like a meteor!

Qin Wanwan clutched Jian Xingzhi’s waist tightly, diving down together with him. The speed was so fast she couldn’t adjust her movements. Just moments ago they were hundreds of miles away. In an instant, with a thunderous “boom,” tens of thousands of swords fell on the Liu residence together. Sword spirits following the evil aura swept in all directions. Liu Yuehua raised her hand to block the tremendous impact. When the dust settled, she lowered her sleeve and stared blankly with Cuilu at the three people who had suddenly appeared.

All three had disheveled hair and tattered clothes, looking like refugees from some war-torn region.

Jian Xingzhi stood before Qin Wanwan, gripping his sword, coldly looking at the bloody and dazed Cuilu. His voice was cold: “Where’s Liu Feixu?!”

“I…”

Liu Feixu’s voice came from the ground. Jian Xingzhi grabbed Qin Wanwan, and together with Xie Gutang, they urgently leaped backward. They saw a man with a back full of swords struggling to climb up from the ground.

“Jian Xingzhi…”

Liu Feixu, covered in swords on his back and dirt on his face, shakily stood up.

He stared at Jian Xingzhi, revealing a bizarre smile: “You finally… came back…”

Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi flourished his sword and turned to instruct Qin Wanwan: “You handle the demon seeds. Xie Gutang, save people.”

Qin Wanwan nodded. Jian Xingzhi turned to look at Liu Feixu.

He raised his hand, wiping across the sword blade. Leaping high into the air, as he spun, blood droplets splattered out, falling on all the Liu clan members present.

“Going or staying is my decision, life or death is Heaven’s.”

As the words fell, green light shot skyward from different cultivators. Their bodies became transparent in the green light, demon seeds spinning and glowing in their chests. Qin Wanwan drew her sword without hesitation. Sword light pierced between the demon seeds. Using the sword’s life force, while protecting lives, she exploded the demon seeds.

Liu Feixu’s expression changed drastically. His whole body shook as swords flew from his body, rushing toward Jian Xingzhi.

Jian Xingzhi’s cold gaze swept over his movements. His sword slashed back horizontally, sweeping through the butterflies released from Liu Feixu’s fingertips.

“If it’s a fight, let’s fight,” Jian Xingzhi’s sword energy swept across his throat. Liu Feixu hastily dodged, hearing his disdainful words: “Fancy tricks.”

Hearing this, Liu Feixu’s face flushed red. He barely avoided Jian Xingzhi’s sword tip, only to see Jian Xingzhi sweep his sword horizontally again and again.

His sword held no hesitation, carrying tremendous spiritual power. Compared to when he left, he had advanced considerably.

Liu Feixu had already been worn down by Cuilu, Liu Yuehua, and others. Now facing Jian Xingzhi head-on, within a hundred moves he was pinned against a wall by Jian Xingzhi’s sword.

He clenched his fist, looking angrily at Jian Xingzhi: “If you want to kill, then kill. It’s not the first time you’ve wanted to kill me anyway.”

“You talk as if I knew you before.”

Jian Xingzhi raised an eyebrow. Liu Feixu froze. In that instant, Jian Xingzhi’s sword edge slid down, piercing through his primordial spirit in one thrust.

Liu Feixu stared blankly at him, disbelieving: “You actually dare…”

Before the words finished, Jian Xingzhi directly used spiritual power to seal around his primordial spirit, preventing him from self-destructing and harming others.

He raised his hand to Liu Feixu’s forehead, speaking coldly: “I ask, you answer. If you don’t answer, don’t blame me for soul searching and destroying your sea of consciousness. The humiliation is yours, not mine.”

“Soul searching is such a vicious technique,” Liu Feixu gritted his teeth. “I don’t believe you’d use it.”

“Oh.” Jian Xingzhi without hesitation channeled his divine consciousness toward Liu Feixu. Liu Feixu’s eyes immediately widened as he shouted: “I’ll talk!”

“That’s better.”

Jian Xingzhi withdrew his sword, raised his hand to bind the person with immortal-locking rope, and turned to look at Qin Wanwan.

Qin Wanwan had also finished handling things. She was healing Cuilu when she turned to look at Jian Xingzhi: “I’m done here.”

“We’re done, we’re done,” Luo Xingzhou and Liu Feishuang charged in with people. “We’ve rescued everyone.”

“Mother!”

Following Luo Xingzhou in, Liu Feishuang saw Xie Gutang helping Liu Yuehua stand. She quickly rushed over, supporting Liu Yuehua, urgently saying: “Mother, are you alright? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.”

Liu Yuehua shook her head, turning to look at the disciples who had followed Luo Xingzhou in. She instructed: “Quickly put out the fires.”

As she spoke, she turned to look at Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan, expressing thanks: “Thank you for rushing back…”

“Heal first.”

Jian Xingzhi led Liu Feixu with the immortal-binding rope: “We’ll discuss everything once things are settled.”

“No.” Liu Yuehua gasped, turning to look at Liu Feixu. “I want to interrogate him tonight.”

Liu Feixu looked coldly at Liu Yuehua, speaking indifferently: “Fine.”

“Then let’s go.”

Seeing his arrogance, Jian Xingzhi yanked his rope hard. Liu Feixu stumbled, shouting furiously: “Jian Xingzhi!”

Jian Xingzhi couldn’t be bothered with him. Seeing Liu Yuehua order people to clear out a great hall, he beckoned Xie Gutang over to guard Liu Feixu, walked to Qin Wanwan’s side, and scanned her up and down. Seeing she was unharmed, he still asked: “Are you alright?”

Qin Wanwan shook her head: “I’m fine.”

“Let’s go then,” Jian Xingzhi pulled her along. “Let’s see what demon or monster this is.”

Liu Yuehua quickly organized the Liu family and brought everyone to the great hall.

Everyone took their seats in turn. Qin Wanwan released Nanfeng from her spirit beast pouch, gently shaking it: “Nanfeng? Nanfeng?”

Nanfeng was still unconscious. Jian Xingzhi simply took Nanfeng away, raising his hand to poke its head: “Wake up.”

Poked awake by Jian Xingzhi, Nanfeng opened its eyes in confusion. Seeing Jian Xingzhi, it spoke bewilderedly: “Daojun?”

“You sure pick your moments to sleep,” Jian Xingzhi held it up to eye level. “Everyone’s finished fighting already.”

“I… I followed everyone to find Master,” Nanfeng said aggrievedly. “Suddenly Mei Suihan slapped my head and I lost consciousness.”

“Got it,” Jian Xingzhi placed it on his lap, took a candy from the side and stuffed it in its mouth, rather disdainfully. “I wasn’t even blaming you. Just stop sleeping and come watch the excitement.”

Hearing Jian Xingzhi’s words, Nanfeng lay bewildered on his lap. It watched everyone gradually take their seats. After a moment, Liu Feixu was brought up under guard.

Liu Yuehua looked at him coldly, shouting: “Kneel!”

“You know who I am and still make me kneel?” Liu Feixu sneered. “Is there reason for elders to kneel before juniors?”

“Who are you?”

Hearing this, Qin Wanwan was rather curious. Liu Feixu turned his head, his face cold: “You must have heard from Bai Wei.”

As he spoke, Liu Feixu stated a name: “Liu Yiyi.”

Hearing this name, Qin Wanwan’s expression didn’t change. She maintained her smile and nodded.

“Good.”

Seeing her reaction, Liu Feixu frowned: “What do you mean?”

“Since you’re Liu Yiyi, you must know everything from a hundred years ago.” Qin Wanwan’s expression was gentle. “I’ll ask you one question. If you answer me, I’ll release you. How about that?”

Liu Feixu didn’t speak, but faced with a way out, anyone would be tempted.

He pondered for a long while before finally saying: “What do you want to ask?”

“A hundred years ago, two immortals came to this world. Where did they go? Do you know?”

Hearing this, Liu Feixu was somewhat puzzled: “You’re asking about this?”

“What else did you think I would ask?” Qin Wanwan was curious.

“I thought you’d ask why I wanted to kill Lin Yanzhi.”

“If you want to tell,” Qin Wanwan’s expression was calm, “I wouldn’t mind listening.”

Qin Wanwan’s indifferent attitude made Liu Feixu somewhat angry. She looked hatefully at Jian Xingzhi, gritting her teeth: “Don’t think he treats you so well. Back then, he treated me just as well!”

Qin Wanwan’s expression remained calm. Liu Feixu’s face showed some confusion: “Back then… I was still a young girl. I was being hunted. He descended from the heavens to save me. He gave me butterflies, sent me home. He was so gentle, truly so good to me.”

Hearing this, Qin Wanwan looked at Jian Xingzhi meaningfully.

Jian Xingzhi instantly sat up straight, not saying a word.

Liu Feixu’s expression was dazed: “He was so good, so handsome, so powerful, so gentle. But I discovered he wasn’t like this only to me—he was the same with everyone. He never belonged to me. Until one day, he was locked in the Liu clan’s secret chamber. He couldn’t see others. He was only with me. He only heard my voice, only saw me. He called my name. He said, ‘Yiyi, let me look at you.'”

Liu Feixu—or rather, Liu Yiyi—spoke, revealing a smile: “I heard his voice and thought it was heavenly music. I removed the seal covering his eyes. I saw his eyes, more brilliant than starlight. So beautiful. In his eyes was only me. He looked at me and told me that Lin Yanzhi could marry me, love me, accompany me forever. As long as I didn’t seal his resentment, his desires.”

“He said Lin Yanzhi was human,” Liu Yiyi looked at Jian Xingzhi. “He would hate, he would resent. No one is purely good, so I shouldn’t seal him. He said Lin Yanzhi loved me, but his divine nature didn’t allow him to love anyone. I knew he was tempting me, so I resisted this temptation. I helped my clan seal him, purify him. I watched Lin Yanzhi return. I watched my Lin Yanzhi disappear. I couldn’t help it, so I asked him—”

Liu Yiyi stared at Jian Xingzhi: “I asked him, could he love me, marry me, accompany me?”

“He was stunned,” Liu Yiyi smiled, tears in her eyes. “He actually was stunned! He told me he’d never thought of it that way. How could that be? He must love me—it’s just his divine nature won’t allow it. My Lin Yanzhi, how could he not even be moved? So I killed him.”

Liu Yiyi’s expression was calm: “I wanted to gouge out his eyes so he couldn’t see anyone; I wanted to destroy his cultivation so he couldn’t resist me; I wanted to sever his limbs so he couldn’t leave me… I wanted him to belong to me forever and ever, exclusively.”

“So what if he’s an evil god?” Liu Yiyi smiled. “I want him to belong to me. Even if he’s an evil god, even if he’s deceiving me, it doesn’t matter!”

“Did he end up belonging to you?”

Qin Wanwan interrupted her delusion. Liu Yiyi froze. She looked coldly at Qin Wanwan.

“I hate you.”

She suddenly spoke. Qin Wanwan’s expression didn’t move. Liu Yiyi gritted her teeth: “Su Tanyin, I hate you. Why did you leave that strand of divine consciousness! Why did you make him leave! Don’t you know he almost, almost belonged to me! The evil god promised me—as long as he could completely devour Lin Yanzhi’s soul and possess his body, he would be mine!”

“Yanzhi,” she seemed to suddenly fall into some kind of madness, suddenly looking at Jian Xingzhi. “I love you. No one loves you more than I do. Give me the Exquisite Jade. We’ll ascend together. I’ll belong to you forever.”

“I don’t need anyone to belong to me.”

Jian Xingzhi spoke calmly: “And I’m not Lin Yanzhi.”

Liu Yiyi stared blankly at him: “Why are you so heartless, whether in past or present life?”

“Where did those two immortals go?”

Jian Xingzhi continued questioning. Liu Yiyi fell silent. After a moment, she spoke: “Come here. I’ll tell you.”

“Don’t…”

Qin Wanwan instinctively moved to stop him, but Jian Xingzhi raised his hand to press her down. He stood and walked before Liu Yiyi. Liu Yiyi looked up at him, only asking: “I’ll ask you one last time—”

“You can ask ten thousand times—it’s all the same,” Jian Xingzhi spoke indifferently. “I’m not Lin Yanzhi. I never saved you, never treated you well. And I’ll also advise you—do you actually like Lin Yanzhi, or the phantom in your heart? You say you like him, but besides saying he saved you, he’s handsome, he’s powerful, he treats you well—what else? Do you know his personality? Do you know his flaws? Do you know what he likes to say, eat, play with, what he does when bored? Have you ever understood him?”

Liu Yiyi froze. Jian Xingzhi raised his hand to her forehead: “I know you called me over because you’ve broken free of my restrictions and want to self-destruct right now to perish together with me. But Liu Yiyi, ask yourself—is it worth spending a lifetime to perish together with a phantom?”

“Phantom…” Liu Yiyi murmured. Jian Xingzhi responded.

“What you love is yourself, a god you created yourself, not Lin Yanzhi.”

“A god I created myself?”

Hearing this, Liu Yiyi laughed until tears came: “You’re right… but…” she raised her head, “in this lifetime, I can no longer turn back.”

“Lin Yanzhi,” she stared at him, “whether you’re phantom or real, I want to—”

As she spoke, in that instant, Liu Yiyi’s primordial spirit suddenly exploded. Jian Xingzhi closed his eyes, hearing her final words: “Die together.”

“My apologies.”

In that instant he opened a barrier, locking all the impact from the exploding primordial spirit inside. Everyone only felt the ground shake violently as the barrier filled with firelight. Qin Wanwan’s eyes widened as she rushed forward. Cuilu grabbed her: “Don’t go over!”

Inside the barrier, firelight exploded several times. Jian Xingzhi’s fingertip touched Liu Yiyi’s primordial spirit. His divine consciousness searched through her sea of consciousness, clearly seeing the love and hate from over a hundred years ago.

The deal she made with the evil god;

How she killed Lin Yanzhi;

Su Tanyin’s strand of divine consciousness appeared. Shangsui and Taiheng appeared together. Shangsui grabbed Lin Yanzhi, speaking through gritted teeth: “You promised me you’d use your merit to save Wanwan. She can’t live past three hundred years—she can’t wait for another you!”

Lin Yanzhi slowly opened his eyes. Gasping, his eyes alternated between bloodred and calm.

“I can kill him,” he spoke. “You take this half of my divine soul away. I can save Qin Wanwan.”

…

Countless images flashed before Jian Xingzhi’s eyes. He stood frozen in place. The primordial spirit exploded before him. After a long while, the dust finally settled.

Beneath the dust, the white-robed Daojun stood in place, finger on Liu Yiyi’s forehead, expression calm, just as at the beginning.

Liu Yiyi knelt on the ground, looking up at him blankly. After a long while, she fell backward, crashing heavily to the ground, closing her eyes.

Jian Xingzhi calmly turned back to look at Qin Wanwan, rather helpless: “Knowing I’d still have to soul search, I should have just done it directly.”

Qin Wanwan looked at him, her legs too weak to stand.

Liu Yuehua looked at all this in shock. A Divine Transformation stage primordial spirit self-destructing—with Jian Xingzhi, it was as if nothing had happened.

This was too shocking. Liu Yuehua looked at Jian Xingzhi, her eyes completely serene.

Jian Xingzhi walked before Qin Wanwan, raising his hand to pull her up. His tone was relaxed: “Let’s go. I know everything I need to know. Let’s return to our room.”

Qin Wanwan let him pull her up. The two walked out the door together. Just outside, Jian Xingzhi stumbled forward, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Qin Wanwan grabbed him, speaking through gritted teeth: “I knew it!”

A Divine Transformation stage primordial spirit self-destructing—sealing her at such close range—how could there be no consequences?

“Less talk,” Jian Xingzhi leaned on her shoulder, gasping. “Quickly take me somewhere safe. I know where your parents are.”

“Knowing she was going to self-destruct, why did you step forward!” Qin Wanwan supported him. Her form shifted, appearing in a guest room. She placed him on the bed. Jian Xingzhi’s lungs, viscera, and meridians were all shattered. He vomited blood leaning on the headboard.

Qin Wanwan set up a barrier, helped him lean against the wall, raised her hand to send spiritual power into his body, guiding him to circulate Spring Life.

Spring Life first stabilized his internal organs so he stopped vomiting blood. After a pause, he spoke hoarsely: “I still had to soul search. Otherwise, once she died, where would we find your parents?”

Moreover, she was right beside him—how could he retreat?

Qin Wanwan raised her eyes to glare at him: “Soul searching is vicious. Aren’t you afraid of losing heavenly lifespan!”

“Just once,” Jian Xingzhi swallowed blood, impatiently. “What harm can it do?”

“Stubborn king, that’s you,” Qin Wanwan spoke sarcastically. “So amazing—then don’t get injured.”

These words left Jian Xingzhi speechless. Knowing he was in the wrong, he turned his head away awkwardly without speaking.

Qin Wanwan led him to repair his shattered meridians. Before long, she smelled a strange fragrance spreading on the bed.

Jian Xingzhi felt somewhat uncomfortable, involuntarily retreating toward the wall.

Smelling the scent, Qin Wanwan slowly opened her eyes, speaking coldly: “Allure Gu?”

Jian Xingzhi felt somewhat embarrassed, his face reddening. He turned to look aside, responding: “Mm.”

Qin Wanwan scoffed. She leaned close to him. Jian Xingzhi instinctively leaned back, then felt this made him seem weak, so he relaxed again.

Qin Wanwan watched him move back and forth like this, turned his face toward her, and kissed his lips.

During the kiss, she bit her lip as usual, letting blood drip into his mouth.

Jian Xingzhi received her blood. The restlessness calmed. He chased after her kiss for a long while before the two finally separated in the bed curtains.

Qin Wanwan gasped roughly, staring at him: “Tell me the truth.”

“You also answer me one question.”

“This Allure Gu,” Qin Wanwan’s eyes held some laughter, full of understanding. “You really can’t do anything about it?”

“Of course I can.” Hearing her question, Jian Xingzhi smiled. “After Nascent Soul, there are plenty of methods.”

“Then why don’t you remove it?”

Qin Wanwan asked this knowing full well the answer. Both knew it was a rhetorical question.

Some things need not be spoken—everyone understood.

“What do you want to ask?” Qin Wanwan raised her hand behind his head, her gaze falling on his water-colored lips.

Jian Xingzhi looked at her eyes, clear yet carrying some gentleness. He recalled the scene he’d seen in Liu Yiyi’s mind.

“You promised me you’d use your merit to save Wanwan. She can’t live past three hundred years—she can’t wait for another you!”

He raised his hand to her soft hair, his tone gentle: “Lady of Jishan, may I ask your age?”

“Think I’m old?” Qin Wanwan looked up with a smile, but still answered him. “Two hundred and eight.”

Two hundred and eight. From three hundred years, only ninety-two remained.

He still had ninety-two years to work hard.

“That’s good.”

He nodded. Qin Wanwan found it strange: “Good what?”

“Wanwan,” he pulled her waist close, leaning forward, pressing his forehead against hers. “I make a wish.”

“Mm.”

Qin Wanwan lowered her eyes, inexplicably feeling somewhat embarrassed to speak.

“I wish that Lady Qin Wanwan of Jishan will be safe and sound, happy and joyful, with lifespan equal to heaven.”

Hearing these words, Qin Wanwan raised her eyes to look at him. His clear eyes were full of seriousness.

She didn’t dare respond. She clearly knew that in the immortal realm, her three-hundred-year lifespan could be called short-lived.

She didn’t want to tell Jian Xingzhi at this moment. She only pressed her face close to kiss him: “I know. Thank you.”

Jian Xingzhi let her kiss his face, looking at her, smiling without speaking.

He knew Qin Wanwan was placating him, but he clearly knew.

Every promise Daojun Suiheng made was a vow on his life.

He wanted Qin Wanwan’s lifespan to equal heaven. Then this person’s life—even Heaven’s way could not contend with him for it.

Lin Yanzhi sought his whole life but never obtained. But he, Jian Xingzhi, would seek and surely obtain.

—

**Author’s Notes:**

**[Mini Theater]**

Cuilu: “You made me jump through fire hoops—I’ll make you jump into a fire pit!”