The doorway slowly closed.

Walking at the back, Xiao Jue looked back reluctantly and saw through that line of light before the door closed completely that Qin Chang Ge suddenly showed a worried and distressed expression. That look flashed in her eyes momentarily, but it made him suddenly lose focus.

She was worried.

Who was she worried about?

For… Chu Fei Huan, perhaps?

With a self-deprecating smile, he turned back and strode to catch up with Yin Li ahead.

Yin Li flicked his sleeve with a scraping sound, and all four walls suddenly brightened. The oil lamps on the walls seemed controlled by something and suddenly ignited.

Looking carefully, they saw three-legged geckos swimming across the walls, their tongue tips bright red. Could it have been those geckos that lit the oil lamps just now?

There were too many monsters in Xuanchi Palace. Xiao Jue dared not relax his guard. He saw that the four walls were empty of objects, with only a few meditation cushions on the floor and a flame-shaped altar in the center of the room, built of red stone blocks and slightly elevated from the ground. Xiao Jue and Rong Xiaotian exchanged glances, and the two very tacitly avoided that altar. Rong Xiaotian didn’t even dare use the cushions, sitting on the ground himself and placing Chu Fei Huan on his lap.

That original misunderstanding had led to the tragic consequences that followed. Rong Xiaotian felt he was a sinner. In midnight dreams, thinking of this matter made him toss and turn, hating himself deeply. If not for remembering Qin Chang Ge’s words and being concerned about curing Chu Fei Huan, he would have long been too ashamed to remain alive in the world.

These days he had actively sought doctors and medicines, yet still watched Chu Fei Huan irreversibly weaken day by day. Rong Xiaotian’s heart felt as if it had been seared by fierce fire millions of times, each time making life worse than death.

Now that there was hope, he was naturally overjoyed. This opportunity gained through countless hardships – he absolutely dared not let himself be even slightly slack and fail at the last moment.

The three men stood in a triangle formation, intentionally or unintentionally forming a siege. Yin Li acted as if he didn’t notice, merely reaching out to lift open the black crystal box.

Brilliant light shot skyward, radiant and magnificent, forming seven-colored ribbons that swept across the dark-bottomed dome to create a brilliant rainbow bridge.

The dazzling colors were captivating.

Everyone was stimulated by this absolutely brilliant, eye-catching radiance and couldn’t help closing their eyes briefly. When they reopened them, they could barely make out that the world-famous Taxiang Jialan was actually a small, semi-transparent heart-shaped object, formed like a crystal heart, with vague cracks running through it, as if it were an injured, shattered heart.

For a moment they all felt somewhat dazed, vaguely recalling that famous legend of the Helan clan. When the Helan sect leader who had pushed his lover off a cliff walked down from Ziming step by step with rivers of blood, carrying that rare treasure coveted by everyone in the martial world, had the jialan sensed his sorrow and, unable to bear the pain, cracked in half?

Yin Li’s fingers caressed the Taxiang Jialan fondly as he said flatly: “My ancestor obtained this thing by chance coincidence, but for many years couldn’t use it because it conflicted with our sect’s martial arts. Who would have thought it would benefit you today.”

He flicked his finger, and the jialan made a clear ringing sound like a phoenix cry. In the lingering echoes, he said: “Who will help me crush the jialan into powder – the finer the better.”

Seeing the three men’s questioning expressions of “Are you so weak you can’t even crush a piece of medicine?”, he mockingly curled his lips: “Don’t underestimate this thing. Without the pure yang inner force of a first-rate master, it’s very difficult to crush it to powder. I truly can’t do it right now.”

He handed over the box. Xiao Jue, being nearest, took it naturally. Touching it, he felt the jialan was surprisingly gentle and smooth, holding it in his palm like soft jade. He was stunned for a moment, then channeled twenty percent of his inner strength and squeezed hard.

The jialan remained completely motionless, not even expanding the cracks by a fraction.

Xiao Jue added fifty percent more force – still the same result.

Only then did he believe Yin Li’s words. He channeled his full true strength and rubbed the jialan.

The black crystal box immediately filled with a layer of light blue powder, five colors swirling, like crushed crystal.

Yin Li glanced at Xiao Jue and praised: “Very pure internal gang qi.”

He reached out his hand, his palm hovering above the box. The powder was slowly drawn to three inches below his palm, gathering without dispersing. Then he ordered: “You two, lend me assistance. My inner strength hasn’t recovered yet – I can’t keep the powder from falling.”

Xiao Jue and Qi Fan exchanged glances. Qi Fan stepped forward first, pressing his palm against Yin Li’s back and smiling: “Grand Priest, I alone should be sufficient, right?”

“That works too,” Yin Li looked at him indifferently, “but jialan differs from other things. If the powder scatters and enters the ground, it will immediately disappear. If there’s insufficient medicine then, don’t regret it.”

Xiao Jue immediately pressed his palm against Qi Fan’s back.

Yin Li curled his lips and suddenly reached out, tearing open the front of Chu Fei Huan’s clothing with one grab.

“Slap!” His hand hit Rong Xiaotian’s arm that immediately shot out to block.

His finger stopped above the arm. The two froze in that blocking posture and slowly looked at each other. Yin Li said: “Hmm?”

Rong Xiaotian forced a smile and said: “I thought you were going to strike… Sorry.”

He lowered his hand, his arm blocking Chu Fei Huan’s chest.

There, the world-famous golden scale divine fish mark of the Li royal family blazed brilliantly. If Yin Li saw it, Chu Fei Huan’s identity would immediately be exposed, and even Xiao Jue and Qin Chang Ge outside would likely face trouble.

Both Xiao Jue and Qi Fan broke out in cold sweat, silently cursing themselves for forgetting about Chu Fei Huan’s mark.

Though it wasn’t really their fault – normal injury treatment procedures weren’t like this at all, and Yin Li’s move was so sudden. If not for Rong Xiaotian maintaining high alertness, Yin Li would have already torn open the clothing.

Even so, Rong Xiaotian broke out in cold sweat, secretly wondering whether Yin Li had seen anything just now.

But Yin Li had already stopped paying attention. With a turn of his palm, a pair of red serpent-shaped slender needle-like objects suddenly appeared in his palm. With a flick of his finger, the long needles passed through that layer of suspended blue powder and immediately turned blue inside as well. Yin Li pressed his finger against the needle tip’s end, his expression grave, as if using the needle to carefully probe and grasp the internal injuries from the Soul-Destroying Palm within Chu Fei Huan’s body. After a while, he frowned and made a sound of surprise, then thought for a moment and frowned again.

The three men’s hearts immediately trembled with alarm at that sound of surprise.

Rong Xiaotian moved his finger toward Chu Fei Huan’s back and suddenly shuddered slightly.

Qi Fan rushed over and asked: “What’s wrong?”

Just as Yin Li was about to speak, Rong Xiaotian looked at his expression and suddenly said: “Grand Priest, please wait a moment. I need to say something to these two brothers.”

Yin Li’s gaze paused on his face, then he nodded. Rong Xiaotian stood up, setting down Chu Fei Huan. Qi Fan and Xiao Jue both asked in bewilderment: “What is it?”

Rong Xiaotian grabbed one with each hand, pulling the two confused men to a corner of the wall and saying in a low voice: “I just discovered…”

His voice was extremely low, and both men couldn’t help leaning closer.

“Discovered what?”

Rong Xiaotian’s palms suddenly flipped!

Quick as meteors, he struck left and right!

“Brothers, I’m sorry!”

Xiao Jue and Qi Fan collapsed immediately! As they fell, their faces still bore expressions of shock and disbelief.

Rong Xiaotian stood with his head down before the two men who had been knocked unconscious by his surprise attack, silent.

For a long while, he slowly crouched down, carefully looking at the faces of these companions who had fought through mountains of knives and seas of blood with him, who had together supported everything the Empress left behind during the most difficult years. His face showed no sorrow, only his gaze surging with dark currents.

Those childhood friendships… those mutual understandings… those wandering days in the martial world… those moments when, though their martial arts were unfinished, they dared to boldly draw swords against treacherous villains with fierce spirit and hot blood… those hardships of following the Empress across the world and fighting on battlefields… that mutual support in grief after her death…

Brothers, all these years we’ve been inseparable like fish and water. Now, forgive me for leaving you to go forward alone.

A very long time later, he said softly: “Brothers… in the future… take good care of her. Don’t make mistakes like I did again…”

Qi Fan slept peacefully, not knowing that the position beside him would be permanently vacant from now on.

Rong Xiaotian sighed and resolutely stood up. He walked to Xiao Jue and looked at him for a while, saying: “…No matter what… you’ve both been worthy of her… I’m very comforted.”

Behind him, Yin Li had been keeping his hands in his sleeves all along, not speaking or moving, watching his actions with no expression.

After a while, he said: “You’ve decided?”

Rong Xiaotian slowly turned around and nodded firmly.

Yin Li squinted at him: “How did you know that because his life force is nearly exhausted, Taxiang Jialan’s efficacy can’t be fully utilized and needs a human heart as catalyst?”

With a tragic smile, Rong Xiaotian said in a low voice: “I learned it by chance coincidence…”

How did he know? In those years when he was fostered in his mansion, the two often studied and practiced martial arts together. Once when he was ill, Rong Xiaotian went to the small kitchen to bring him medicine. Passing by the Prince’s study, he heard someone unknown saying, “Taxiang Jialan is said to be miraculous, but it still can’t save someone whose chronic illness has lasted too long and whose life force is severed. It’s said that something of the same form must be used as catalyst to have miraculous effect…”

At that time, he didn’t know what Taxiang Jialan was. After hearing that passage, it was thrown into the depths of memory and never recalled all these years. However, today, seeing the heart-shaped Taxiang Jialan and seeing Yin Li’s expression after checking Chu Fei Huan’s pulse, his finger touching Chu Fei Huan’s nearly stopped heartbeat, the dusty memory from years ago was suddenly forcefully opened, carrying the scent of blood and heavy pain, pressing before his eyes.

At this moment, he suddenly understood as if enlightened – so this was how things had circled around to this conclusion. So everything had predestined arrangements. So he was Chu Fei Huan’s calamity. This calamity arose because of him and would end because of him. And from the time he had memory, he existed because of this calamity.

Looking up, he smiled lightly.

How strange the world’s affairs, how overturning fate – in the end, who could truly be considered whose real calamity?

But… this was also good.

He suddenly laughed heartily.

Good, truly good. The debt he’d carried for so long was finally completely repaid in one stroke. It was truly so satisfying that every pore felt comfortable…

Chu Fei Huan, from now on I no longer owe you.

I came at the beginning because I owed you, and now leave to save you.

This world’s affairs are truly fair, truly… laughable.

He no longer looked at Qi Fan and strode back, sitting before Chu Fei Huan. Leisurely arranging his robes, he smoothed and straightened the clothing on his knees, placed his hands flat on his knees, raised his head, and smiled brightly at Yin Li, calling out loudly: “Come!”

Yin Li looked deeply at him, at this young and firm man who seemed to emit infinite radiance, at his expression as unyielding as a lone pine on a jade mountain, at his composed demeanor walking toward death with unshakeable resolve. Even his usually still-water gaze finally showed slight ripples. He asked what even he felt was a pointless question.

“You… don’t regret it?”

Rong Xiaotian slowly raised his head, looking toward the dome. His gaze seemed to penetrate that barrier, seeing childhood Qi Fan and himself embracing and desperately wrestling in the snow, snowflakes stuffed in their mouths. In that ice-cold and crystal-clear chill, the two exhausted men embraced each other and laughed heartily.

Seeing a certain infant crying loudly in his awkward, helpless arms, then in a blink growing into a small Crown Prince in a little brocade robe, showing him an innocent smile, standing on tiptoe and saying: Uncle, hold me!

Those extremely beautiful past events.

He showed a slight smile.

He said: “No regret.”

These were the last words Rong Xiaotian left in the world.

When Chu Fei Huan opened his eyes, his first sensation was as if he had just awakened from a great dream.

That dream was so dark and deeply painful, struggling like in a nightmare yet unable to escape.

For a long time, darkness and light alternated before his eyes, patches of black shadows flew chaotically through his vision in confusion, tangling into a mess. Only after a long while did he slowly sort out those flashing lines, recover some eyesight, and see clearly that withered yellow, wooden face before him.

Yin Li.

Suddenly awakening to face an enemy at such close proximity, Chu Fei Huan didn’t even blink an eyelash, only calmly and coldly met Yin Li’s gaze.

Yin Li looked at him thoughtfully, lightly rubbing his fingers. Seeing Chu Fei Huan’s gaze moving as if searching for something, he shifted his body slightly to block him.

He stared into Chu Fei Huan’s eyes and said woodenly: “I woke you up first to ask you one question.”

Chu Fei Huan expressed his question with his gaze. Yin Li said concisely: “I made an exchange with your friends, promising to give you Taxiang Jialan. The Yin family made a heavy oath never to go back on it – you need not worry.”

However, Chu Fei Huan’s gaze immediately dimmed. That word “exchange” made him uneasy. His heart hung with concern for his companions. He wanted to struggle up to see whether Chang Ge and the others were safe, but discovered he couldn’t move even a single finger.

A faint bloody scent reached his nostrils, and the ominous feeling in his heart grew thicker. Beads of sweat the size of beans appeared on Chu Fei Huan’s forehead.

Yin Li pressed a red serpent-shaped long needle against him, holding Chu Fei Huan down: “Don’t waste my time. Listen to me.”

He said: “There’s a choice. You choose for yourself.”

Distant clamor came from the front courtyard. The second Divine Scroll had opened and had probably shocked like thunder and split lightning those who thought they had won and were about to grasp the great Xuantan position. But Qin Chang Ge no longer wanted to care about who would ultimately win or lose in the scheme she had crafted with her own hands. Her gaze was fixed tightly on the corridor corner. Though she appeared calm, she had already crushed a grass stem in her palm to pulp.

Raising her palm and staring at her sweat-soaked hand stained green with grass juice, Qin Chang Ge clearly heard her own heartbeat, each beat like drumming, close to her ears.

She slowly approached that concealed doorway. Those mechanisms couldn’t stop her. Several times she had already touched those springs, but at the last moment she dejectedly let go – Yin Li was not one to speak falsely. If she rashly broke in and caused great error, that truly would be irreparable by anything.

Nanmin people took oaths very seriously. Qin Chang Ge wasn’t originally afraid that Yin Li would go back on his word and harm Xiao Jue and the others. Moreover, with those three working together, they shouldn’t need to fear Yin Li. However, that restlessness and unease in her heart constantly gathered into a huge shadow, pressing heavily upon her head.

No matter how careful one’s planning, there were ultimately moments of powerlessness.

Qin Chang Ge, who never prayed, could only repeat in her heart: Be safe, be safe…

Distant sharp whistling sounds faintly came. It sounded like Ban Yan’s voice. The male Caiju cult members standing guard woodenly under the corridor suddenly shuddered in unison, then raised their heads in response.

The sound was sharp like a woman’s, carrying far. It had none of a man’s hoarse depth, yet because it came from vocal cords naturally broader than women’s, it sounded even more shocking and intimidating.

Qin Chang Ge turned her head, staring at those men’s smooth chins. Her gaze flashed by like lightning, discovering that none of them grew beards.

She vaguely recalled that day when Chu Fei Huan encountered danger and returned to briefly tell her about his experience, mentioning those gray-clothed Caiju demon men’s sinister and perverted mentality, their hateful and crazed actions. At the time she was puzzled, not knowing where such hatred came from. But now, hearing their voices when practicing sound killing, she suddenly understood.

These… pitiful “men”…

Practicing sound killing had always been for women. But women’s physical limitations made it difficult to improve in other martial arts. Ban Yan had found a unique path, selecting men with good aptitude to practice sound killing. But men’s naturally deep voices made it difficult to succeed in sound killing, so Ban Yan had them all castrated.

Caiju sound killing thus reached a higher level, but those incomplete men – how they had entered the Caiju cult, how they had been cruelly maimed by others and trained in sound killing – for them, these must all be painful experiences too tragic to recall.

Hence their hateful and crazed mentality, dark and demonic.

Qin Chang Ge sighed, her gaze growing dim.

A figure flashed before her eyes – Ban Yan appeared, covered in fresh blood, her appearance fierce, but her expression quite excited.

“As soon as the Divine Scroll opened, they all became foolish. Everyone thought the second scroll was a divine oracle indicating where the six Xuantan emissaries would belong. Who knew it actually proclaimed that Grand Priest Yin Li’s seclusion to honor the gods had gained divine favor, elevating him to Supreme Holy Master? From when Nanmin’s new Xuantan priest begins, all must respectfully honor him. Violators will surely suffer divine punishment. Haha…”

Ban Yan, who had been furious from being besieged by two armies for days, now felt thoroughly satisfied. Qin Chang Ge turned to look at her and asked indifferently: “Did Shui Jingchen come in?”

Half of her ghostly face twitched as Ban Yan said resentfully: “No! Not only did he not come himself, he also restrained the Shui family from entering, saying the Shui family came only to seek justice for martial arts comrades and had no heart for competing for power. A few who were blinded by greed entered, but Shui Jingchen immediately expelled them from the family. Now leading the Shui family people, he has already withdrawn from Youhuo Marsh.”

Qin Chang Ge smiled as expected and said lightly: “Xuanchi Palace won’t be bullied for nothing. After dealing with Dayu Palace, naturally Shui Jingchen won’t have good days.”

“Of course,” Ban Yan sneered, “Since Grand Priest took position, Xuanchi Palace has had no heart to compete for power or covet the throne, showing much deference to the dynasty. Who would have thought they’d assume Xuanchi Palace was easy to bully? Since they’ve wanted to return to Xuanchi Palace for a long time, why not try who’s better at killing?”

Her gaze turned to look at Qin Chang Ge: “You’re talented. Want to join us? Among the lower three emissaries, Thunder Emissary Situ Yan died in battle. You’d be suitable to take the position.”

Qin Chang Ge couldn’t help but smile. This Ban Yan had extraordinary martial arts but a quite casual personality. Life and death, fame and position, honor and disgrace seemed not to matter to her. Remembering that night in the dungeon when she had randomly called out to stop Ban Yan from killing, she’d always had an unresolved doubt, so she said: “I’m a free spirit – I’d be constrained anywhere. Besides, the Grand Priest might not trust me. I’m not like you – you must have followed the Grand Priest from the very beginning and earned deep trust.”

Hearing the last sentence, Ban Yan suddenly froze, her expression momentarily dazed. She unconsciously touched her face: “…I once had a serious illness. It was Lord Priest who saved me, so our relationship is unusual. Lord Priest is my benefactor.”

Qin Chang Ge’s gaze swept across her face, then withdrew. Just as she was about to probe a few more sentences, she suddenly heard creaking sounds.

Qin Chang Ge suddenly turned around and stood up with a swish.

As the door opened, Yin Li came out first.

He drifted out like a ghost, not even greeting anyone, directly floating toward the front hall. Ban Yan followed.

Then came Xiao Jue.

Coming out from the dark doorway and facing the pale sunlight of Youhuo Marsh, Xiao Jue’s complexion looked particularly pale.

Seeing him emerge, Qin Chang Ge first felt great joy in her heart, then immediately alarmed when she saw his expression.

Could it be…

Her fingers gripped tightly to the corridor pillar behind her, and for a moment she actually dared not step forward.

Xiao Jue shifted his body slightly, giving way to the small patch of sunlight he had been blocking.

The sunlight rushed past.

It illuminated the man’s satin-like long hair and his sky-blue light clothing.

He seemed somewhat unaccustomed to the change in lighting, raising his hand diagonally to shield his eyes and brow.

Qin Chang Ge’s fingers cracked off a piece of the hard corridor pillar made of Nanmin ebony.

The man raised his head.

Handsome brows and eyes, pale countenance.

In the emerald lake where reed flowers once flew, with the same gesture of raising his hand, the youth who had summoned that white bird into his life.

Qin Chang Ge stared at him, watching him step forward.

After many years, that man who had sworn to follow to the death despite being burned by Changle demon fire and losing his health, that man in her life who was jade-like in his quiet, firm, and unchanging elegance – after enduring bitter hardships and worldly tribulations, he was finally stepping toward her again.

Staring at his movements, Qin Chang Ge felt her heart in complete chaos. She had thought that with Fei Huan’s chronic illness being so severe, even if Taxiang Jialan was useful, at most it could only save his life. There was no possibility that even his damaged meridians could be restored to their original state. Even so, she felt that would already be tremendous fortune worth trading everything for. But now, Chu Fei Huan walking toward her in the sunlight proved with facts the miracle of fate.

Some voice was joyfully calling out, some voice was intensely whistling. Huge brilliant flowers bloomed in her heart, then brilliantly exploded in the clear sky that had finally swept away the gloom.

For a long time, she slowly pulled her fingers from the pillar, ignoring that they had been punctured by wood splinters, and covered her eyes with her hand – in her previous life, she had watched countless soap operas and laughed at such affected female leads’ gestures. But today when it was her turn, she finally understood that there was a kind of surging joy and excitement that could destroy the heart’s dam of even the most calm and rational person, making her forget all language functions and only want to cry freely and thoroughly.

The fingers covering her eyes quickly moistened a small patch of skin. Qin Chang Ge, overwhelmed by the tremendous joy of Chu Fei Huan’s complete recovery, missed the dark expression in his eyes at that moment.

With a slight borrowing of strength from Xiao Jue’s extended hand, Chu Fei Huan walked out with some difficulty – he had only just barely regained the ability to move and hadn’t completely recovered. He was only forcing himself to walk for the sake of Qin Chang Ge’s surprise at this moment.

The octagonal door’s light brightened and dimmed again. The last to emerge was Qi Fan.