◎Then that’s victory◎

(Previous Chapter revision summary: When the female protagonist Li Guiyu fell into the mountain cliff, Li Guiyu planted a mother-child parasite in her to control her. In the previous chapter, Xie Heng “transferred” the mother-child parasite into his own body.)

After speaking, Xie Heng released her, reached up to pull off her blindfold, and stood up to leave.

Light gradually returned to Luo Wanqing’s eyes. She breathed heavily as she opened them, feeling the brightness slowly fill her vision. The first thing she saw was that person’s retreating figure.

His white undergarment flowed with moonlight’s radiance. He was no different from usual – still like the moon in the sky, snow on high mountains, jade standing on peaks, sleeves flowing with wind.

As if he were not the same person who had just pressed against her with obvious desire.

Luo Wanqing gritted her teeth and struggled to sit up, leaning against the tree and breathing shallowly. Her entire being was still immersed in disbelief, completely unable to organize her thoughts.

What was Xie Heng doing?

Why did he do these things to her, and in such a manner?

Her body trembled uncontrollably in the aftermath, her meridians feeling as if flooded by torrents, carrying an empty, destructive pain.

These were all traces left by Xie Heng’s domineering actions.

He had used the method of forcibly injecting true qi into her meridians to eliminate any possibility of her resistance, leaving her no room at all.

Why did he do this?

Did he have ulterior motives, or…

Luo Wanqing suddenly recalled the thought that flashed through her mind at the moment he kissed her—

Too similar to Cui Heng.

Although this matter was fundamentally indistinguishable, at that moment, she instinctively thought of Cui Heng.

This wasn’t the first time.

Since Xie Heng came to Jiangnan, she had repeatedly felt similarities between him and Cui Heng.

Moreover, from the moment she saw Xie Heng in Jiangnan, he had never once removed his gloves.

Luo Wanqing didn’t know why she kept noticing Xie Heng’s gloves, but she instinctively sensed that the timing of the gloves’ appearance was too mysterious.

Cui Heng had fed her blood at the music banquet, leaving a wound on his hand, and after that, Xie Heng began wearing gloves.

But at the Supervision Department, Xie Heng would occasionally remove them. Yet since coming to Jiangnan, Xie Heng had never once taken off his gloves.

And then there was the memorial…

Luo Wanqing closed her eyes. The more she thought, the more suspicious it seemed.

But now wasn’t the time to think about these things.

The urgent matter wasn’t pondering these miscellaneous thoughts. What was most important now was to rest well and prepare for tomorrow.

Besides, tomorrow she might not even survive.

At this thought, Luo Wanqing couldn’t help but smile.

The mother-child parasite was in Li Guiyu’s hands. Even if she had the Muscle-Paralyzing Powder to restrain Li Guiyu, it depended on how far Li Guiyu wanted to go.

If they were driven to a dead end where both jade and stone were destroyed, she wouldn’t need to think much more.

Luo Wanqing calmed down, leaned against the tree to rest for a while, and when her emotions completely settled, she stood up, straightened her clothing, and walked out of the forest.

But she had only taken a few steps when she saw Li Guiyu standing not far away.

She didn’t know how long he had been standing there. He looked at her with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, his eyes cold as if poisoned.

Luo Wanqing watched him warily and probed: “Third Prince?”

Li Guiyu said nothing.

Seeing that he didn’t respond, Luo Wanqing was unwilling to say more and walked forward directly.

But as she passed him, Li Guiyu suddenly reached out, grabbing her elbow and pulling her back, smiling: “Not even a word of explanation?”

“Why should I explain?”

Luo Wanqing’s meridians still ached terribly. Not wanting to fight with him, she said coldly: “Let go!”

Li Guiyu said nothing. He pulled her in front of him, reached out to touch the wound on her lip, his tone slow and leisurely: “I just saw Inspector Xie pass by. Hearing you were here, I waited for you. Look at this color – so beautiful.” Li Guiyu suppressed his emotions, lowered his head, and leaned forward, asking in a low voice: “He touched you?”

Luo Wanqing looked at him coldly without speaking.

Li Guiyu knew the answer. His entire being couldn’t help but carry a trace of violence. He raised his hand, using his fingertip to press and rub the wound repeatedly, as if trying to erase it.

But no matter how much force he used, the wound remained in that position, even seeping blood drops from his pulling.

Seeing the blood drops, Li Guiyu’s emotions became somewhat excited. He tried hard to control himself: “Where else did he touch besides here?”

“If you ask one more question,” Luo Wanqing raised her hand to press down on his hand touching her lip, staring into his eyes as she slowly pushed it away, “I’ll call for help.”

“Call whom?”

Hearing this, Li Guiyu couldn’t help but laugh, as if he found it absurd: “Xie Heng?”

Speaking thus, he couldn’t help but carry anger: “With me here, you want to call Xie Heng?!”

“The Third Prince shouldn’t want conflict at this time,” Luo Wanqing maintained her rationality throughout, calmly persuading: “If Young Master and Your Highness fight now, it would be bad for Young Master and disadvantageous for Your Highness as well. Wang Yunzhi – who knows where he’s gotten to.”

Li Guiyu listened to her threat, knowing she was right. He gripped her tightly but couldn’t let go.

Luo Wanqing knew he was struggling and waited calmly. After a long while, Li Guiyu stated with certainty: “He bullied you.”

Luo Wanqing glanced at him and denied indifferently: “No.”

“Then he seduced you!”

When these words came out, Luo Wanqing was somewhat surprised.

She hadn’t expected Li Guiyu to say such a thing and couldn’t help but find it amusing: “What’s the difference?”

Speaking thus, she thought carefully: “Why do you care about this? Didn’t you say it was all deception? Or have you lied so long that you’ve deceived yourself?”

Hearing this, Li Guiyu’s pupils contracted slightly.

Seeing this, Luo Wanqing knew he wouldn’t entangle further. She coldly brushed away his hand gripping her elbow and turned to walk out.

After a few steps, she heard Li Guiyu’s voice from behind: “I don’t care about you – I care about myself.”

Luo Wanqing was too lazy to listen to his explanations and said flatly: “As you wish.”

Her thoughts were too chaotic; she simply didn’t want to argue with him. She lifted her foot and returned to the fire, only to see Xie Heng had already leaped onto a tree and was resting with closed eyes.

Perhaps because the moonlight was stronger at height, his undergarment reflected the radiance, making his complexion appear paler than usual, his entire person showing a touch of desolation.

Seeing him, Luo Wanqing didn’t dare face him at all. She hurriedly lowered her head, not even remembering to bow, and directly found a spot by the fire to lie down without making another sound.

After a long while, Li Guiyu also returned.

He sat by the fire with his back to Luo Wanqing, carrying the scent of osmanthus flowers. They had indeed encountered an osmanthus grove when traveling today. Luo Wanqing hadn’t expected that he would actually… The three said nothing. Li Guiyu thought for a moment, then raised his hand to throw a calming incense into the fire, advising: “Sleep.”

After speaking, the fragrance of the calming incense spread around them. Though Luo Wanqing’s mind was clearly in turmoil, she still involuntarily felt drowsiness rising.

Before falling asleep, she unconsciously reached up to grasp the marriage tablet at her neck.

If only Cui Heng were here.

At the thought of that person, she felt like a fledgling returning to its nest, suddenly overwhelmed by uncontrollable grief, sorrow, and longing.

She closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep, but in her daze, she had a strange dream. In the dream, she seemed to return to that night at the music banquet. Cui Heng held her and pressed her against the bed, but the moment her back touched the bed, everything spun around and transformed into an old tree trunk.

The rough bark scraped against her smooth back. She wrapped around his waist, looking down from above at the youth in loose garments below her.

A silver-white mask covered the upper half of his face. His eyes were cold and restrained, yet seemed to carry seduction as he spoke: “Look at me.”

Speaking thus, he grasped her hand and guided it to his mask, slowly lifting it.

In the dream, her breathing couldn’t help but quicken, her heart racing. She watched the man beneath her chest look up at her, slowly revealing a face both cold and gorgeous.

She was shocked and instantly opened her eyes wide, but he suddenly transformed into a white python, fiercely coiling around her and completely devouring her trembling words.

“Young Master!”

Luo Wanqing suddenly opened her eyes, instinctively rolled over while gripping her blade, and when she knelt on one knee with her hand raised, she saw Xie Heng already blocking in front of her.

At this time, dawn was breaking. Blue smoke tinged the forest, birds flew in startled flocks, and the ground trembled with rumbling sounds – clearly, the forest formation had changed again.

Luo Wanqing put all her senses on high alert, sensing the changes around them. In a moment, the ground stopped shaking, and she heard Li Guiyu’s smiling voice from behind: “The yang formation has opened.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing paused, only then realizing it was now daylight.

She hesitantly stood up and looked back, seeing both Xie Heng and Li Guiyu were already dressed and ready – clearly they had risen early.

Luo Wanqing hurriedly went to pack up, when she heard Xie Heng say: “Get dressed, let’s go.”

Luo Wanqing glanced at Xie Heng and discovered he had already packed his bundle and carried it on his back. Luo Wanqing’s bundle had also been organized by someone and placed on the ground.

Luo Wanqing shouldered her bundle, picked up her outer garment to put on, fastening her belt while following Xie Heng and Li Guiyu.

When they reached the lakeside, they saw the azure-green lake surface shrouded in a thin mist under the morning light, with stones of various sizes scattered across the lake like scattered chess pieces.

Unlike last night’s deathly stillness, today’s lake was full of life – grass growing, birds flying, water rippling.

The far end of the lake was somewhat unclear. Though it wasn’t a very far distance, they just couldn’t see what it was. Vaguely, it seemed like grassland, possibly with some other things.

“This is the yang formation,” Li Guiyu acted as if nothing had happened last night, returning to his usual good-natured appearance as he explained: “In a while, we’ll walk across on these stones. As long as nothing goes wrong, we can safely cross the lake.”

“What if something does go wrong?”

Luo Wanqing didn’t believe he would do anything. Li Guiyu sat cross-legged on the ground, took a branch from nearby, and said nonchalantly: “Then we enter the life-death formation and fight to the death.”

Speaking thus, Li Guiyu raised his hand, his expression becoming more serious: “Don’t speak now. Be quiet for a moment while I calculate.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing knew this wasn’t the time to interrupt, so she stopped talking. Beside her, Xie Heng was silent for a moment, then spoke: “Liu Xiniang.”

Hearing Xie Heng speak first, Luo Wanqing immediately looked over, seeing Xie Heng turn and walk to one side, saying flatly: “Follow me.”

Luo Wanqing knew Xie Heng wouldn’t speak nonsense at this time. She glanced at Li Guiyu, who was still calculating on the ground, and followed Xie Heng at a distance.

The two walked into the shrubs. Xie Heng also sat cross-legged like Li Guiyu, took a branch, and began drawing in the dirt on the ground.

As he drew and calculated, he said in a low voice: “Lean your ear closer.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing crouched down, controlling the strange feelings in her heart as she approached Xie Heng.

Fortunately, Xie Heng did nothing else, only speaking in a voice both could hear clearly: “After passing the Mandarin Duck Life-Death Formation, we’ll see boats to Liufeng Island. Liufeng Island prepares two boats each year, each capable of holding at most ten people. The boats depart when full, but there’s one exception.”

Speaking thus, Xie Heng looked up: “If the first person to reach a boat requests immediate departure, then Liufeng Island will only accept one person that year.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing frowned, understanding Xie Heng’s purpose in telling her this: “You want me to stop him?”

“Liufeng Island’s location is hidden. Without someone to guide the way, it’s very difficult to find.” Xie Heng nodded. “Therefore, today you need to remember two things. First, if you and Li Guiyu have the chance to board first, you must board first. Second,” Xie Heng looked up, his eyes carrying seriousness, “unless it’s to save your life, you must not kill him.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing considered and said, “Yes.”

Xie Heng still didn’t want Li Guiyu to die. Li Guiyu’s dying here would be a big problem for him.

From not far away came Li Guiyu’s voice: “Miss, Inspector Xie, come follow me.”

Luo Wanqing and Xie Heng exchanged glances. Xie Heng looked at the calculation marks he’d made on the ground, thought for a moment, then stood up and followed Luo Wanqing toward Li Guiyu.

Li Guiyu stood before a stone, seemingly ready. Seeing the two approach, Li Guiyu pointed at the stone: “In a moment, I’ll enter the lake, and the stones on the lake surface will begin moving. But no matter how they move, you must watch the stones I step on. Whichever stone I step on, you two follow to that one. Never step wrong.”

Luo Wanqing and Xie Heng both nodded. Li Guiyu looked up at Xie Heng: “Shall I go first?”

“Please.”

Xie Heng raised his hand.

Li Guiyu acknowledged this, touched his toes lightly, and leaped to a stone one zhang away. As soon as he stepped on the stone, the stones on the lake surface began moving, creating ripples and startling birds into flight. Li Guiyu stared at the stones and immediately leaped to another stone half a zhang away.

When he jumped to the third stone, Li Guiyu looked back at Xie Heng and Luo Wanqing, testing: “Which of you will go first?”

“Me.”

Luo Wanqing immediately stepped forward, not giving Xie Heng a chance to answer. She stepped on the two stones Li Guiyu had used and followed Li Guiyu.

If the Mandarin Duck Life-Death Formation was activated, it would automatically divide people into life and death formations, with the side having more people becoming the death formation.

Though she didn’t know exactly how it divided people, it was most likely based on the distance between individuals. Once Li Guiyu made any move, she would immediately go to his side and drag him into the death formation.

So she had to be in the middle position – no need for Xie Heng’s instruction.

Li Guiyu seemed to have expected this result and smiled slightly upon seeing her approach.

Xie Heng’s face showed no joy or anger as he followed Luo Wanqing, stepping on the first stone Li Guiyu had used.

The three proceeded with Li Guiyu leading, while Luo Wanqing and Xie Heng memorized Li Guiyu’s route and followed step by step.

The stones in the lake kept moving, accompanied by ground-shaking sounds.

Luo Wanqing watched Li Guiyu intently. When they were in the middle of the lake, Li Guiyu had just landed on a stone when birds suddenly cried out in alarm from the shrubs.

Li Guiyu turned to look, as if finally waiting for something. His eyes suddenly brightened, and throwing knives shot from his sleeves, striking a nearby tree while he touched his toes and swiftly retreated.

Luo Wanqing had been ready. The instant his expression changed, she drew her blade like a swift hawk and charged upward!

Li Guiyu was fast, but she was faster. In just a moment, she had appeared before Li Guiyu.

She came too swiftly. Li Guiyu was forced to draw his sword, pressing down fiercely from above to block Luo Wanqing’s blade at his abdomen. He smiled: “Miss chose me after all.”

Luo Wanqing didn’t speak. Behind her, arrows fell like curtains around them, completely separating her from Xie Heng. Luo Wanqing didn’t look back – she wasn’t surprised.

She had long prepared to enter the death formation with Li Guiyu, and the formation did indeed divide people by distance as she had predicted.

The side with more people became the death formation. Now that she and Li Guiyu were in one formation, Xie Heng would naturally be safe.

Her heart settled as she held her breath, withdrew her blade, and struck again fiercely, saying coldly: “Choose you to die!”

Li Guiyu’s lips curved slightly as he skillfully parried Luo Wanqing’s blade, laughing: “Then let’s try.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing’s eyes sharpened. Her blade wind was swift as rolling rivers. Li Guiyu matched her perfectly, steadily receiving each strike of her blade.

Both had similar styles – fierce and resolute, giving their all. But Li Guiyu was superior in both technique and experience. After connecting with her several fierce attacks, he twisted his sword around her blade and flung both her and her weapon far away, laughing: “First move.”

Luo Wanqing was thrown far by him. She grabbed a stone casually and leaped back to the lake surface.

At that moment, she suddenly realized—

Something was wrong.

The death formation shouldn’t be this relaxed. Since she and Li Guiyu had been trapped alone, apart from Li Guiyu fighting her, there were no killing mechanisms here!

When the life-death formation hadn’t activated, they couldn’t move freely, let alone now that they were in the death formation?!

“Figured it out?”

Li Guiyu tilted his head and smiled. At that moment, the ground rumbled again. Luo Wanqing and Li Guiyu looked up to see the source of the sound – the shrubs parted, suddenly revealing a plain.

Beyond the plain was a vast lake with two small boats moored on it.

The moment the boats appeared in view, Li Guiyu suddenly moved, racing toward the lake.

Luo Wanqing reacted and followed closely behind, running after Li Guiyu.

This was the life formation!

Luo Wanqing suddenly understood.

Xie Heng’s location was the death formation, and there wasn’t just one person there. At least two or more people should have died by now, which is why the life formation gate opened.

Who was there?

Luo Wanqing instantly thought of countless possibilities, finally realizing that there were never just the three of them in this forest.

There were also Xing Ling, Cui Heng, and Wang Yunzhi among others.

These people had also reached here.

In an instant, Luo Wanqing suddenly remembered the osmanthus fragrance on Li Guiyu last night. She suddenly realized and pursued Li Guiyu, asking: “You went to meet Wang Yunzhi last night?!”

“How could that be called a meeting?”

Li Guiyu and Luo Wanqing simultaneously dodged around a large tree. Luo Wanqing gathered her true qi and rushed forward, blocking his path. Their weapons clashed fiercely as Li Guiyu smiled: “I just showed them a path.”

Luo Wanqing suddenly remembered how, during these ten days, he would casually pat various trees and leave marks.

She suddenly understood and couldn’t help widening her eyes: “You’ve been guiding them all along?”

“If I left them all lost in the forest, who would help me kill Xie Heng?”

Li Guiyu’s sword crashed fiercely against Luo Wanqing’s blade. Luo Wanqing had to step back several stone slabs to stop her momentum. Li Guiyu rushed past her side, laughing: “Second move.”

His tone of appreciating a junior sounded like humiliation. Luo Wanqing immediately pursued, unable to help, asking: “What do you mean? What’s their relationship with Xie Heng?!”

“The more people die in the death formation, the harder the formation becomes.”

Li Guiyu was also patient, smiling: “So many people are enough to trigger the highest-level mechanisms of the life-death formation.”

So many people – how many? When did they arrive, and why didn’t she know anything?

Luo Wanqing pursued Xie Heng closely, thinking through all the details and carefully recalling the sounds heard when Li Guiyu changed – she realized this sound had occurred three times.

First, when the formation was initially activated, once when they entered the formation, and once when Li Guiyu changed.

There were at least three groups in the forest: them, Cui Heng and Xing Ling, and Wang Yunzhi’s people.

If this sound corresponded to three groups entering, it meant people had entered here long ago. The formation had separated them from these people for some reason, making them unable to see or hear each other – just like now, though Xie Heng was clearly in the death formation, she couldn’t sense him at all.

Li Guiyu had known this all along. After everyone entered the death formation, he activated the life-death formation.

He deliberately lured Wang Yunzhi and others in to separate him from Xie Heng. The position where Xie Heng stood, counting Wang Yunzhi’s people, made his side the death formation.

She followed Li Guiyu closely, so she entered the life formation.

He wanted Xie Heng dead, wanted everyone dead!

And Li Guiyu doing all this was within Xie Heng’s expectations.

Luo Wanqing suddenly understood Xie Heng’s actions before entering.

He had guessed early that Li Guiyu would enter the life formation, which was why he instructed her beforehand to stop Li Guiyu.

From the beginning, he was prepared to enter the death formation and understood she would follow Li Guiyu into the life formation. What he had been calculating there… was the formation’s core!

Having followed them these days, she roughly understood some basics about formations. Luo Wanqing finally grasped Xie Heng’s thinking.

Besides the conventional correct path and using death formation lives to exchange for life formation access, the Mandarin Duck Life-Death Formation had another solution, like all formations, directly destroying the formation’s core.

He couldn’t control the formation like Li Guiyu, so he simply entered the death formation to destroy it while she intercepted Li Guiyu.

She needed to give Xie Heng time to break the formation and prevent Li Guiyu from being the first person to reach the boats.

Once Li Guiyu became the first to arrive, none of them could board Liufeng Island.

Understanding this, seeing Li Guiyu reach the shore, Luo Wanqing instantly erupted and charged forward, shouting: “Stay!”

The moment her voice fell, the Qianji bead chain on her hand shot toward Li Guiyu. The chain twisted in mid-air, shooting out hundreds of poisoned needles. Li Guiyu sensed the attack behind him, flipped and leaped to dodge, and in that instant, Luo Wanqing rushed forward with her wild blade, forcing him backward.

Every strike of hers was with full force – like rivers pouring into fire, like rainbows piercing the sun. Even Li Guiyu had to dodge, frowning as he retreated while calmly saying: “Miss, with such desperate effort, you can delay me at most half a moment.”

“Then half a moment!”

Luo Wanqing stubbornly replied.

Li Guiyu frowned: “Miss, don’t force me.”

Luo Wanqing’s blade crashed against his sword edge, pressing him back half a step: “You’re the one forcing me!”

She didn’t immediately use the Muscle-Paralyzing Powder.

She could see that Li Guiyu was still holding back with her. He hadn’t activated the mother-child parasite, so she wouldn’t use the Muscle-Paralyzing Powder.

She wasn’t certain of the powder’s effect and preferred to delay time rather than expose her trump card too early.

Hearing this, Li Guiyu’s expression became stern. He instantly activated the parasite and struck with his sword, sending Luo Wanqing tumbling back, shouting: “Move aside!”

Luo Wanqing flipped and landed steadily, looked up with determination, only gripping her blade handle tighter, revealing the character “Ling” carved on the reverse side.

That character instantly pierced Li Guiyu’s heart, making him think of someone.

The ground around them trembled faintly, one beat after another. He knew his time was limited and couldn’t delay further, saying only: “Miss, forgive my offense.”

The moment he finished speaking, Li Guiyu rushed forward. This time he held nothing back – his sword like swift thunder, crashing down like a mountain. But Luo Wanqing neither dodged nor avoided, charging straight toward his sword!

With just one strike, Luo Wanqing’s tiger’s mouth split with blood. Li Guiyu’s eyes trembled, but he didn’t stop for even half a moment.

But Luo Wanqing also didn’t retreat a single step.

Sword-like urgent rain, blade-like shooting stars. Until the final moment, when Luo Wanqing was kicked off the lake surface by Li Guiyu and crashed onto the grass.

Pain like shattered ribs swept over her. Li Guiyu’s heart ached, unable to bear looking, as he rushed away. But passing by her side, he suddenly felt a blade cutting horizontally!

Li Guiyu’s pupils contracted as he retreated and blocked, seeing Luo Wanqing gripping her blade with both hands, kneeling on the ground, raising her clear, bright eyes: “Third sword.”

Li Guiyu’s heart trembled. Luo Wanqing gripped her blade with both hands and spun to strike, forcing him backward as she shouted: “Retreat!”

Li Guiyu touched his toes and hastily retreated. Luo Wanqing’s blade wind swept like furious waves, her bamboo-willow grace summoning mountain rivers to collapse. Li Guiyu dared not receive the blade directly and was forced to retreat three zhang rapidly. Hearing rumbling sounds behind him, Li Guiyu bit his teeth, gripped his sword tip, and threatened: “Miss, step aside and I’ll give you the mother parasite. I won’t hold back anymore.”

“Li Guiyu,” hearing this, Luo Wanqing knew Li Guiyu no longer intended to show mercy. She raised her hand to remove the Qianji hairpin from her head, her black hair instantly cascading down. Holding her blade in one hand and the hairpin in the other: “Since I practice the blade, I need no mercy.”

Li Guiyu said nothing. He listened to the sounds behind him, suppressed his heart’s trembling, pressed his lips tight, and stared at her.

In the morning wilderness, mist not yet dispersed, the woman in black robes with wide sleeves, dark hair dancing in the wind, blade light flowing clearly in the morning light – she stood like her blade, with the momentum of green mountains.

Li Guiyu had never seen Luo Wanqing like this, but had to admit this was the most beautiful posture he’d ever seen her in.

He had never imagined she would one day become like this. He was afraid, panicked, stirred, yet couldn’t control his longing and affection.

The two faced each other for a moment, then Li Guiyu suddenly rushed forward!

Luo Wanqing stared at him intently. She watched all his movements, her mind instantly flashing through every move and stance from his battles with Xie Heng these ten days. Every trajectory of every movement flashed rapidly through her mind, overlapping with the figure rushing toward her.

She pondered, searched, and waited.

Li Guiyu looked at the woman poised like a leopard before him, his gaze no longer able to contain anything else.

This heaven and earth became one person. He knew he shouldn’t be moved, but still couldn’t control his drumming heart.

Kill her.

As she wished – kill her and be buried together with her!

At that moment, he suddenly had such a thought. When it arose, his blood surged throughout his body, feeling this would also be an excellent ending.

He couldn’t control himself; his steps didn’t stop. As he approached, he suddenly activated the mother-child parasite to its extreme, while Luo Wanqing instantly crushed the hairpin!

Medicine powder was scattered between them. Li Guiyu’s sword struck down while Luo Wanqing raised her blade crosswise – both leaving no room for retreat, heading straight for life or death!

But at that moment, a tremendous rumbling sound came from around them. Li Guiyu suddenly felt his meridians blocked, while Luo Wanqing was completely unaffected by the mother-child parasite.

His pupils contracted sharply. Knowing he couldn’t take Luo Wanqing’s strike head-on, he hurriedly withdrew his sword and flipped upward, letting Luo Wanqing cut off half his hair as she said: “Fourth sword.”

His hair fell around Luo Wanqing when a white figure suddenly swept past them both, rushing straight toward the boats.

Li Guiyu hadn’t yet landed when he immediately pursued, but Luo Wanqing’s blade wind instantly arrived, blocking him: “Stop.”

Li Guiyu looked at her incredulously and pressed against the medicine’s effects as he fought with Luo Wanqing while moving.

At this speed, he couldn’t possibly catch up to Xie Heng and could only watch helplessly as Xie Heng walked away. Meanwhile, Wang Yunzhi, Cui Heng and others also rushed from behind, dividing into two paths to board the boats.

Luo Wanqing kept blocking him, as if she insisted on fighting him to the death.

Li Guiyu felt his meridians’ inner force circulation becoming increasingly difficult, yet the Luo Wanqing before him seemed completely unaffected by the mother-child parasite, her blade wind showing no hindrance whatsoever.

His breathing involuntarily quickened. Knowing he couldn’t catch up to Xie Heng, he focused on self-preservation, twisting his sword around Luo Wanqing’s blade as he panted: “I expelled the Muscle-Paralyzing Powder from my body long ago. When did you administer the drug?”

“You knew?” Luo Wanqing glanced at him calmly, unsurprised. With Li Guiyu’s cautious nature, she wasn’t surprised by this level of wariness.

“I knew,” Li Guiyu forcibly suppressed the medicine’s effects as Luo Wanqing’s blade scraped past his neck. He gritted his teeth: “I never trusted you.”

“The moon cakes.”

Luo Wanqing spoke plainly. Li Guiyu was incredulous.

Luo Wanqing looked at him calmly: “I didn’t use just one type of medicine. Not only was there Muscle-Paralyzing Powder on the wounds, but also a healing medicine that, when combined with the lotus paste in the moon cakes and activated by a catalyst, becomes a drug that blocks inner force circulation.”

Speaking thus, Luo Wanqing twisted her blade sharply, pressing it against Li Guiyu’s throat through his sword: “Li Guiyu, you’re softer-hearted than you think.”

Hearing this, Li Guiyu said nothing. He looked quietly at the person before him, suddenly realizing that no warmth had ever been real.

The medicine applied to wounds was poison.

The moon cakes were poisoned.

She followed him with ulterior motives. All her gentleness, soft-heartedness, and mercy were either forced or lies.

There was no more Luo Wanqing.

That Luo Wanqing, who would always accompany Jiang Shaoyan unconditionally, was indeed gone, as she had said.

The rest of her life held only empty hatred, no more youthful tenderness.

He knew all this and accepted it. He was willing to bear both love and pain. The only thing he feared was—

The mother-child parasite was ineffective.

He wasn’t afraid of her hatred – he was willing to let her hate him forever.

But he feared someone would love her.

He feared there was someone who would risk his life, bright as the clear moon, silently loving her.

He feared that she would be loved and forget her hatred.

At the thought of this possibility, he couldn’t help trembling.

Luo Wanqing was completely unaware of all this. She calmly extended her hand: “Hand over the mother parasite. Since you can’t bear to use it, why not exchange it for a way to live?”

“You won’t kill me,” Li Guiyu heard this and laughed, his eyes carrying uncontrollable madness and pain, “is it because you feel ashamed of exploiting my trust, or because you can’t bear to?”

Luo Wanqing hesitated slightly, and at that moment, Li Guiyu suddenly erupted, pressing down her blade edge!

Luo Wanqing instinctively swept her blade across. Li Guiyu touched his toes to land on her blade tip and pressed his dagger against her throat.

Luo Wanqing looked up coldly. Li Guiyu panted, smiling as he looked at her.

Blood seeped from his skin all over his body. To achieve this strike, he had paid a tremendous price, and the hand holding the dagger trembled lightly.

“Remember this well,” he raised his finger and gently smeared blood from top to bottom on her forehead, like the flower ornament he had painted for her in her boudoir on mornings in their youth. “You must hate me forever.”

The instant these words were spoken, Luo Wanqing’s aura surged. She drew her blade and struck fiercely. The blade wind stirred lake water three zhang high into peaks. Li Guiyu swiftly retreated and leaped, landing on the boat behind him.

Luo Wanqing instinctively wanted to pursue, but as soon as she moved, she heard a woman’s cold voice from the other boat behind her: “Liufeng Island prohibits martial combat. Does the young lady not wish to board the island?”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing looked up and saw a woman in azure robes, face covered, looking down at her with lowered eyes.

Luo Wanqing’s movements paused slightly. She felt those eyes seemed familiar and couldn’t help frowning.

In that moment, Xie Heng’s voice came from within the boat, saying flatly: “Xiniang, board the boat.”

Luo Wanqing said nothing. She stared at Li Guiyu being helped away by Liufeng Island people on the deck, pressing her lips without speaking.

After a long while, she finally turned and leaped onto the deck of the boat where Xie Heng was.

Upon boarding, she saw Xie Heng standing on the deck, quietly watching her.

His white robes were stained with blood, and his complexion was extremely pale. He seemed to have suffered serious injuries, but judging by his demeanor, nothing could be discerned.

Luo Wanqing hesitated for a moment, not understanding why Xie Heng was waiting for her here, but still bowed respectfully: “Young Master.”

“Did you win?”

Xie Heng’s tone held neither sorrow nor joy, but somehow still carried a trace of warmth.

Luo Wanqing paused, then understood what Xie Heng was asking. She considered her words: “This subordinate is ashamed – I failed to retrieve the mother parasite, but…” Luo Wanqing couldn’t help but show a trace of a smile, “this subordinate cut off a section of his hair.”

Hearing this, Xie Heng’s eyes softened somewhat.

“Then that’s victory.”

Author’s Note:

[Mini Theater] Li Guiyu: “He kissed you?” Luo Wanqing: “Ah, what about it?” Li Guiyu: “He bullied you. I’ll kill him.” Luo Wanqing: “Not really…” Li Guiyu: “Then he seduced you! I’ll kill him!” Luo Wanqing: “You can’t say that either. In this matter, I also bear some responsibility.” Li Guiyu: “Miss, you couldn’t possibly be responsible for this kind of thing. It’s all those men’s fault. You won’t make mistakes. Remember, I am your eternal family!” Luo Wanqing: “…Thank you for that. Where were you when you should have said such nice things? Xie Heng, Xie Heng, come out and say something.” Xie Heng: “Let him say what he wants. I’m busy digging foundations.”