◎Completing the False Yin Moon Scripture◎

The sound of the Qianji cutting through flesh echoed in the room, and the smell of blood spread.

Xie Heng retreated into the darkness.

He came like a tide and receded like an ebb.

Only when he had completely distanced himself from her did Luo Wanqing’s mind settle somewhat.

She knew that just now he had deliberately remained silent, perhaps to trick her into coming over, and now he had only regained a little clarity.

Knowing she had violated Xie Heng’s words and made a mistake, she didn’t dare linger. She didn’t even dare make a sound, but hurriedly returned to her corner to sit, pretending she didn’t exist.

However, Xie Heng didn’t let her off, only saying: “Remember what I said. The lives of both of us depend on your single thought.”

“This subordinate knows.”

Luo Wanqing quickly responded, but after thinking, she couldn’t help saying: “But Young Master, how can I judge whether you’re in trouble?”

“I won’t be in trouble.”

Xie Heng said with certainty, and Luo Wanqing felt relieved.

Xie Heng was more familiar with mandala incense than she was. He must have his way of enduring it—she needn’t worry about him.

Her going against Xie Heng’s words to check on him earlier was a mistake.

Fortunately, Xie Heng still had some reason left, or tonight they might have fought each other to mutual destruction without Ji Ruifang even acting.

She resolved not to interfere with his affairs, took a deep breath, closed her eyes to meditate, and stopped listening.

But the sounds beside her were scattered and persistent, always lingering in her ears.

His heavy breathing, the sound of a blade scraping flesh, the sound of hitting walls…

Finally, he gradually quieted down. Luo Wanqing vaguely heard him call out: “Xiniang.”

Luo Wanqing stiffened, then realized she had misheard.

He called out again, low and soft: “Niang.”

Luo Wanqing’s heart relaxed. She sat quietly in place.

She suddenly realized she missed him too much.

When Xie Heng spoke with that tone just now, for the first instant, she felt as if he had returned.

But she immediately realized this was Xie Heng.

She hoped he was alive, yet feared he was Xie Heng.

Fortunately, he didn’t give her any room to struggle, quickly making her realize her mistake.

She laughed softly and stopped thinking about it, closing her eyes to meditate, deaf to her surroundings.

Xie Heng struggled through the night. Near dawn, he seemed to reach his limit and sat silently in the corner without a word.

After a night of torment, Luo Wanqing finally heard distant bells ring. She knew chen hour had arrived. Xie Heng had been silent—he seemed to be asleep. Luo Wanqing didn’t disturb him, just sat alone for a while before taking out the flute Cui Heng had given her and gently playing a tune.

In his half-awake state, Xie Heng heard the flute sound.

He slowly opened his eyes and felt the flute music much clearer.

He didn’t interrupt either, listening to Luo Wanqing play a complete melody, the tone full of grief and longing. After Luo Wanqing finished, he said, “You’ll alarm Ji Ruifang.”

Luo Wanqing paused, but Xie Heng continued: “But she’s always been tolerant of women with lovers. Later, explain to her that it’s to relieve your worries, and she won’t make things difficult for you.”

Hearing Xie Heng’s words, Luo Wanqing knew he was lucid.

She put away the flute and couldn’t help saying: “Young Master, do you feel better now?”

“Mm.” Xie Heng closed his eyes and said hoarsely, “Come over.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing stood and walked to Xie Heng.

Having learned her lesson before, Luo Wanqing didn’t dare act rashly. She knelt on one knee and heard Xie Heng say: “Give me your hand.”

Luo Wanqing lowered her gaze and extended her hand. Before long, she felt a hand covered in scars grasp hers.

This hand had new and old wounds overlapping, the scars creating a rough friction. Luo Wanqing couldn’t make out its appearance in the dark night and didn’t dare touch it carefully. She only felt Xie Heng grip her hand, then heard him say: “Try to control your vital energy and have it absorb my vital energy.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing sensed her vital energy. She controlled it to form a small vortex in her meridians, tentatively absorbing Xie Heng’s internal force.

At first, nothing happened, but after several attempts, she drew over a small stream.

Xie Heng guided her to adjust her control over internal force. Before long, Luo Wanqing could smoothly absorb Xie Heng’s internal force bit by bit.

Xie Heng didn’t dare let her act recklessly, saying softly, “Knowing how to use it is enough. I’ll handle the rest.”

Luo Wanqing wasn’t sure about this, so she quickly stopped and let Xie Heng slowly transfer vital energy to her.

Xie Heng’s hand was very hot, the temperature never dropping. Luo Wanqing, holding his hand, couldn’t help worrying that he had a high fever, saying softly, “Young Master, you might have a high fever. Shall I check your pulse?”

“The drug effects won’t completely fade,” Xie Heng coughed lightly, explaining: “Now it’s just temporarily subsided, and I have some reason. Don’t touch me casually.”

“Then…” Luo Wanqing hesitated: “Have you treated your wounds?”

Xie Heng didn’t speak. After a moment, he couldn’t help saying: “Are you this kind to everyone?”

Luo Wanqing was somewhat confused, then heard Xie Heng say: “Knowing I might harm you, yet still coming to care for me. Aren’t you afraid I’ll hurt you?”

“Young Master, have you heard a story?”

Luo Wanqing thought for a moment and said tactfully, “Once there was a corrupt official whose daughter went missing. From then on, whenever he encountered slave women around his daughter’s age, he would free them from slavery, because he feared one of them might be his daughter.”

Hearing this, Xie Heng understood her meaning. His fingertips under his sleeve trembled slightly. He restrained himself with all his might, only saying: “That’s because he couldn’t find his daughter. If his daughter were already dead, he wouldn’t need to free others anymore.”

“But what if?”

Luo Wanqing pressed her lips together, only saying: “Setting aside not seeing the corpse, even if we had, it might be fake. Even if there’s only a one-in-a-million chance, it’s still a chance, isn’t it?”

Xie Heng didn’t speak. Luo Wanqing looked up at him. In the night, she couldn’t see Xie Heng’s expression clearly, only saying carefully: “Young Master, if there’s news of him, could you tell me?”

“I don’t have any.”

“I won’t pester you.” Luo Wanqing continued probing: “I just want to confirm he’s living well.”

Xie Heng said nothing more.

He calmly transferred the last wisp of vital energy into Luo Wanqing’s body, then withdrew his hand: “Go back and integrate this vital energy into your body. Ji Ruifang will come soon.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing knew Xie Heng didn’t want to discuss this with her.

She also felt her thoughts were absurd. Understanding that the most important thing now was dealing with Ji Ruifang, she did as Xie Heng said, returning to her position to circulate energy and meditate.

The wisp of vital energy Xie Heng gave wasn’t much—she quickly integrated it into her internal force.

Xie Heng seemed to be observing her throughout. As soon as she opened her eyes, she heard Xie Heng ask: “Done?”

“Mm.”

“Just now…” Xie Heng seemed to hesitate, having only said two words, when voices came from outside.

Both immediately became alert. Before long, the iron door was suddenly pulled open, revealing the red spider lily painted on Ji Ruifang’s waist.

“Liu Xiniang, will you extend your hand, or shall I come in and see what you two have been up to?”

Ji Ruifang spoke. Luo Wanqing hesitated slightly, and Ji Ruifang laughed: “What, missing me already?”

“No.”

Luo Wanqing spoke hoarsely, seeming dejected.

After a moment, a bloodstained jade arm extended from the iron window.

Ji Ruifang glanced over indifferently, raising an eyebrow playfully: “Xie Heng is quite tender with women. I thought you’d be unfit to be seen by now.”

“Stop talking nonsense!”

Luo Wanqing snapped. Ji Ruifang didn’t make things difficult for her either, placing her hand on her pulse. After checking for a moment, she seemed satisfied and let go: “Not bad. Xie Lingshu,” Ji Ruifang smiled and flicked a pill into the room. The pill rolled on the ground as Luo Wanqing frowned, hearing Ji Ruifang say indifferently, “A reward for you.”

With that, Ji Ruifang led people away.

People outside conveniently brought in food, then slid the iron door shut.

After the small iron door closed, the room returned to complete darkness. Only then did Luo Wanqing see Xie Heng stand up. He walked to where Ji Ruifang had thrown the medicine, bent down, and picked up the pill.

He seemed only willing to do all this in the darkness, but his figure couldn’t be concealed.

Seeing him bend down to pick up medicine, Luo Wanqing felt somewhat uncomfortable.

She didn’t speak either. After Xie Heng used the medicine, Luo Wanqing thought about Ji Ruifang’s attitude toward Xie Heng and couldn’t help saying, “Young Master, did you know Ji Ruifang before?”

Xie Heng didn’t hide it. Luo Wanqing was curious: “How did you meet?”

“Long ago, when I was still traveling outside with my uncle.”

Xie Heng recalled: “We met her when she had just come to the Central Plains. Her martial arts were very advanced—she challenged famous schools and families, finally losing to my uncle. So she fell in love with him at first sight. But my uncle already had a childhood sweetheart wife and even had children older than me. She was unwilling to accept this and stayed in the Eastern Capital, pestering him endlessly.”

“That’s when she met Xie Minran?”

Understanding, Luo Wanqing heard Xie Heng acknowledge: “Mm.”

Western Region demonesses never followed the rules. The first time she saw Xie Minran was at an aristocratic family banquet. Xie Minran suddenly woke up halfway through. When he opened his eyes, his father immediately realized this was Xie Minran and quickly sent servants to take him back.

But this action aroused Xie Minran’s anger. He immediately asked: “Am I not fit to be seen? It’s just a banquet—why can Xie Minsheng attend but I cannot?”

Under everyone’s gaze, his father was enraged and loudly scolded: “How dare you compare yourself to Minsheng?! Go back!”

With Xie Minran’s temperament, how could he tolerate such words? He immediately went mad at the banquet.

Everyone despised, hated, cursed, and feared him. Only one person sat on the eaves and applauded him.

“Good, good, good,” the girl laughed heartily. “The Central Plains finally has someone I like—excellent!”

This was the first time anyone had liked Xie Minran, so he followed her at any cost.

“But she had no place for Xie Minran in her heart—she was always chasing my uncle. At that time, my uncle was promoting the ‘Great Xia Code’ and had many enemies. One day, my aunt returned from offering incense. Originally, my uncle was supposed to pick her up, but Ji Ruifang insisted it was her birthday and pestered my uncle on the street. After fighting over a hundred rounds, news came that my aunt had been assassinated.”

Luo Wanqing listened in shock. Xie Heng spoke with mockery: “From that day, she left the Eastern Capital, and Xie Minran betrayed the Xie family, killed Wei Xiao’e, and followed her out of the Eastern Capital.”

“Then…” Luo Wanqing frowned: “Did Xie Minran do these things because she demanded it, or because he wanted to?”

“I always thought she had incited Xie Minran, until I learned something.”

“What?”

“Six years ago, I was trapped in the heavenly prison.”

Luo Wanqing knew about this and wasn’t surprised: “Then what?”

“My mother died, my clan members were imprisoned, my meridians were completely severed—I was already a useless person. At that time, someone appeared in the prison. She told me that if I could save the Cui family, she would take me out to see them once.”

Luo Wanqing listened and understood.

When she met Zhang Chunzi in the heavenly prison, Zhang Chunzi had mentioned that when Xie Heng first entered prison, he didn’t plan to learn bone reconstruction from him. He still harbored hope, waiting for others to rescue him. Later, someone took him out of prison once. When he returned, he was in tears and begged Zhang Chunzi to teach him bone reconstruction.

“She was the one who took you out of prison to see the Cui family?”

“Mm.”

Xie Heng lowered his gaze: “I promised her, then broke my promise.”

The eighteen-year-old him once thought he was omnipotent. He thought he could save his family.

So when Ji Ruifang said to him, “I want you to protect Cui Qingping’s family. His family cannot lose another person,” he boasted without hesitation.

“I’m the eldest legitimate son of the Xie family. My uncle is an important minister of the state. I grew up accompanying the ruler, educated in the court. If you take me to see them once, as long as I see my elder brother and understand what happened, I can save them!”

But in the end, it was he who personally sent away Cui Qingping’s family.

“So,” Luo Wanqing understood, “Ji Ruifang resents you, which is why she’s been tormenting you these days? And she’s not exactly a bad person—you think Wei Xiao’e wasn’t killed at her demand?”

“Mm.”

Xie Heng said, closing his eyes wearily, but still corrected: “She’s not only not a bad person, but has some kindness in her heart. She feels guilty about my aunt, guilty about Wei Xiao’e, so… she also feels guilty about you.”

Luo Wanqing was stunned, then heard Xie Heng continue: “This room was changed temporarily yesterday.”

Yesterday was when she arrived, meaning this room was specially changed by Ji Ruifang for her.

The difference between this room and other cells was that it had an independent washroom and flowing spring water.

Though it was all cold water, having a place to wash, if she had to be forced to complete the Yin Moon Scripture with Xie Heng here, this would probably be her last line of dignity.

Luo Wanqing couldn’t quite define her feelings toward Ji Ruifang. Xie Heng seemed to know what she was thinking and reminded: “She pities you—that’s a weakness you can exploit.”

“Young Master.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing said seriously: “I won’t use such things.”

Xie Heng leaned against the wall, his tone neither approving nor disapproving, only saying: “Just letting you know—surviving is more important than anything.”

“Yes.”

Luo Wanqing knew Xie Heng’s temperament and didn’t want to argue with him, saying nothing more.

After a moment of silence, Xie Heng seemed somewhat dazed, as if the drug effects were beginning to take hold. His voice came from the wall corner, carrying some confusion: “Liu Xiniang.”

“This subordinate is here.”

“Do you think…” he murmured, “they will forgive me?”

Luo Wanqing paused.

She knew who Xie Heng was asking about.

As an observer, she naturally understood that Xie Heng had his difficulties, but she couldn’t forgive on behalf of the parties involved, nor could she voice their pain for them.

She could only truthfully relay what Cui Heng had told her.

“Guanlan once told me that he said he would never forgive Young Master’s actions.”

Hearing this, Xie Heng laughed softly in the darkness.

Yes, how could he be forgiven?

It was he who proposed the “Great Xia Code,” he who was arrogant and ignorant, encouraging Cui Qingping and the Cui family to persist in implementing and perfecting the “Great Xia Code.”

It was he who brought catastrophe to the Cui family, yet when disaster struck, he could only kneel on the ground, wailing and crying, hoarsely begging: “No… elder brother, sister, I’ll go with you, I don’t want to do these things…”

It was he who led people to hunt them at Qingyun Ferry.

It was he who threw down that “execute” character at the execution ground.

What right did he have to be forgiven? How could he be forgiven?

Ji Ruifang’s hatred was justified.

The world’s hatred was his deserved punishment.

He should live in misery—how dare he speak of forgiveness?

Sharp pain pierced his heart, yet he felt a strange, stable relief, as if this pain was his proper state.

He laughed low and soft, making Luo Wanqing somewhat uneasy. For a moment, she felt she had spoken too harshly and wanted to comfort him, yet was unwilling to contradict Cui Heng’s words.

Was Cui Heng wrong?

Those were Cui Heng’s family members. If justifiable reasons for killing didn’t bring suffering to the victims, then why did Zhang Jiuran have to die?

Even if Zhang Jiuran was seeking revenge, Xie Heng might have been trying to give this inevitable death a purpose, even to save people.

But ultimately, they both took action. What right did she have to say Cui Heng was wrong?

If she had to choose between Cui Heng and Xie Heng, she could only choose Cui Heng, and would only choose Cui Heng.

So she could only remain silent amid Xie Heng’s laughter. After a long time, she said: “What was Young Master trying to tell me earlier?”

“Nothing.” Xie Heng laughed as he spoke. “Just small matters.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing couldn’t help frowning.

She instinctively felt this wasn’t a small matter, but if Xie Heng wouldn’t say, she didn’t know what to say either.

Xie Heng closed his eyes, seeming somewhat weary: “Before chen hour tomorrow, don’t come near me, and don’t believe my words. If you come over, I’ll assume you don’t want Cui Heng and want to follow me.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing frowned. Xie Heng continued murmuring: “You can’t be my wife—I can only place you in a room. You’d have no name or status…”

“Young Master.”

Luo Wanqing understood Xie Heng’s intention. He was afraid she would, like last night, ignore his words and actively seek him out.

She coldly interrupted: “I won’t make mistakes again. You needn’t provoke me like this.”

Xie Heng’s voice stopped. After a long time, he continued: “If you want to do something, your flute sounds very pleasant.”

Luo Wanqing was stunned, then responded: “Yes.”

For the following days, they continued interacting as they had on the first day.

They always sat at the greatest distance from each other. Luo Wanqing remembered the first day’s lesson and didn’t dare approach him casually or speak to him.

She only heard scattered sounds from Xie Heng in the corner.

Collision sounds, the sound of blades scraping wounds, and occasionally faint sobbing. When unconscious, he would call her name again and again.

She didn’t dare approach, fearing he was deceiving her, so as he suggested, she played a tune.

Strangely, whenever she played, he would quiet down, as if regaining consciousness.

Ji Ruifang also knew she played music. She reprimanded her once, saying the outside was surrounded by nets—no matter how much she played, no one could enter.

But she didn’t confiscate her flute, because she said it was a memento from her beloved.

Ji Ruifang seemed to remember someone and ultimately said nothing, leaving the flute with her.

On the final day, Ji Ruifang brought people to wait at the door early.

Xie Minran’s injuries seemed unable to wait even a moment. Ji Ruifang appeared very anxious, explicitly saying she would open the door at Mao’s hour to take her away.

Because of this, Xie Heng finally broke the rule about not approaching him before chen hour, having her wash up in the washroom early, then wait in the room.

Xie Heng seemed increasingly weak these past days. She heard him washing for a long time in the flowing water of the washroom before returning.

Then he sat cross-legged facing her, extended his hand, and said hoarsely: “Sit on me.”

This made Luo Wanqing stiffen, then she heard Xie Heng say: “The final vital energy transmission is different. Don’t be afraid—it’s nothing.”

Luo Wanqing suppressed her unease and pressed her lips together: “Yes.”

Guided by Xie Heng, she straddled him. Xie Heng took her hands and taught her hand seals in the darkness.

“For this final transmission, you must deceive Xie Minran, so you need to follow all Yin Moon Scripture practices. We have no direct contact—we can only form matching seals. You’re making the kun seal with your hands,” Xie Heng pressed two fingers against Luo Wanqing’s fingers, saying steadily, “I’m making the qian seal. Kun above, qian below—earth energy rises while heaven energy descends. Yin and yang harmonize, heaven and earth unite, flowing smoothly.”

As Xie Heng spoke, Luo Wanqing felt warmth flow from Xie Heng’s meridians, nourishing her body’s meridians.

Sitting on him, she gradually relaxed.

Xie Heng lowered his gaze in the darkness, saying softly: “Vital energy enters at a woman’s most yin moment. The Yin Moon Scripture believes a woman’s most yin time is at the moment of reaching ecstasy. Since we can’t achieve that today, we can only approximate it.”

Luo Wanqing tensed up. Xie Heng looked up at her eyes, only asking: “Have you been with Cui Heng?”

“What does Young Master want to ask?” Luo Wanqing spoke hoarsely.

Xie Heng seemed to be asking about the simplest matter, saying calmly, “Joint cultivation naturally arouses desire. Think of the past yourself, or find a way. When water drops, I’ll infuse all the vital energy. Using my blood as a catalyst, the technique will be complete.”

Xie Heng’s tone was exceptionally calm, but Luo Wanqing’s breathing involuntarily became irregular.

Hearing his words, she felt deeply mortified.

Xie Heng thought for a moment and comforted her softly: “Yin and yang are natural laws. Xiniang, don’t be uneasy.”

Hearing such comfort, Luo Wanqing couldn’t help but be stunned.

Cui Heng also liked to speak this way.

For that instant, she couldn’t distinguish who the person before her was.

She couldn’t help trembling as she spoke: “Young Master…”

“Mm?”

“Could you… Use Cui Heng’s voice to call me once?”

Xie Heng fell silent. After a moment, he spoke gently: “Xiniang.”

Hearing that voice, she suddenly felt her eyes sting.

Xie Heng seemed to understand her intention, too. Using his other hand that wasn’t forming seals, he lifted her slightly on his body, using Cui Heng’s tone and manner of speaking, as if in those past days, calling her: “Xiniang, hold me.”

With that, his hand explored inside her dress.

Luo Wanqing breathed rapidly, her whole body leaning against him.

He calmly closed his eyes, like a statue of Buddha without desires, a bodhi tree.

His fingers were the same length as in her memory.

But they were covered in scars. She couldn’t see their appearance or distinguish the differences.

His back was covered in scars. She couldn’t find past wounds—injuries were everywhere, new wounds covering old ones, rotted flesh long since carved away.

Was it him?

She couldn’t tell for a moment.

She knew this was Xie Heng comforting her, but it was too similar.

It was him.

A thought emerged in her mind.

Just as when she first met Cui Heng, she knew with certainty it wasn’t him.

At this moment, clinging to him, at the instant he brought her to the peak, that gentle yet calm demeanor made her certain for a moment—it was him, definitely him.

“Lingshu…”

Luo Wanqing murmured. Water dropped onto Xie Heng’s clothes and legs, soaking through the fabric to his skin.

At that moment, Xie Heng grabbed her hair and pulled her away, lowering his head to kiss her.

Powerful vital energy rushed in destructively, breaking through meridians and flooding her entire body.

Luo Wanqing groaned, instantly realizing what was happening.

She quickly received the internal force Xie Heng sent, enduring his almost devouring kiss, using the bloody taste from Xie Heng’s tongue to guide his internal force through several cycles around her body before calming it down.

When everything ended, Xie Heng slowly released her.

Luo Wanqing lay on the ground, staring blankly at the young man above her.

She couldn’t see his appearance clearly in the night, only hearing his rapid breathing above, mingling with her own.

“Why did you…”

“Now your Yin Moon Scripture is complete,” Xie Heng returned to his voice, sounding somewhat weak and lacking energy. He interrupted Luo Wanqing’s words, breathing heavily: “But it can only deceive Xie Minran for a third of the time at most. Once you obtain Xie Minran’s internal force, you’ll have the power to protect yourself. You can find Cui Junye and Xuanshan, and together with them, eliminate the remaining two hundred people.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing’s heart trembled.

She looked up at the person in the darkness, whose expression she couldn’t see. Just as she was about to question him, she heard Ji Ruifang’s voice outside: “Xie Lingshu, Mao hour has arrived. I’m opening the door.”

“Young Master!” Luo Wanqing reacted urgently: “You…”

“Don’t make any decisions, don’t make any assumptions.” Xie Heng seemed to know what she was going to do. He interrupted her, his voice calm: “Don’t judge anything when you’re not clearheaded. Follow the original plan—go out, kill them, do the most urgent and important things. Liu Xiniang, you’re intelligent.”

Luo Wanqing gradually sobered up under his words. Xie Heng heard her breathing steady and straightened up, taking her Qianji hairpin and saying calmly: “Go. I’ll wait for you all.”

Luo Wanqing slowly sat up. Outside, Ji Ruifang urged: “Xie Lingshu?”

“Put on clothes.”

Xie Heng spoke coldly, and Ji Ruifang finally quieted down.

Luo Wanqing used reason to force herself to dress, but her mind kept echoing her questions.

The most important thing—what was the most urgent and important thing?

Following the original plan to kill those two hundred people…

Following the original plan…

“What if killing these two hundred people would cause your death?”

Luo Wanqing suddenly spoke. She looked up at the person in the darkness, frowning: “Do you also want to kill them?”

“Why do you always ask me such questions?”

Xie Heng keenly sensed something.

This wasn’t the first time Luo Wanqing had asked Xie Heng this way.

She had asked when killing the Crown Prince, asked when killing the Eastern Palace Six Rates, and now asked again.

“Because I had a dream.” Luo Wanqing stared intently at the shadow in the darkness. “I dreamed… Young Master died because I did these things.”

Hearing this, Xie Heng paused, then laughed as if she were joking: “How did I die in the dream?”

“You had many charges and were ultimately executed by a thousand cuts.” As Luo Wanqing spoke, her voice couldn’t help trembling.

But Xie Heng was nonchalant: “Oh? What charges?”

“The first charge was assassinating the Crown Prince, the second was framing the Eastern Palace Six Rates, the third was massacring five hundred people at Xueling Mountain.” As Luo Wanqing spoke, she couldn’t help but become frightened. “Even so, these two hundred people—you still want to kill them?”

Hearing this, Xie Heng laughed softly.

His tone was casual yet brooked no doubt: “Kill them.”