Outside the high mountains of Kunlun, the sunset was gradually sinking. The remaining light stretched our shadows—mine and Xie Zhuo’s—merging them.

I held Xie Xuanqing’s necklace before him, waiting for him to take it, also waiting for him to answer my question.

But he remained silent for a long while. The initial shock in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by gathering gloom. His overlong eyelashes cast shadows that nearly obscured his eyes in the sunset’s remaining light.

Then… I once again sensed that terrifying killing intent from Xie Xuanqing.

Without a word, he supported himself and stood up.

His reaction was different from what I’d expected. According to those novels sold in Kunlun Market, this should be the perfect moment for him to analyze his inner feelings and recount his past sufferings. But instead, he…

Why was he radiating killing intent!?

I couldn’t help stepping back. “What are you doing?”

He took a slight breath, seemingly adjusting his body’s energy. His voice lowered, his expression somber as he spoke: “Was it… Zhu Lian, who told you this?”

His aura was so terrifying that it took me a moment to realize he was asking if the Snow Wolf demon tribe identity was something Zhu Lian had told me…

I nodded, though there were some complications hidden in between… This was what Zhu Lian had told me, but I believed it only after Xie Zhuo confirmed it.

Xie Xuanqing raised his eyes to look at me, then asked: “What else did he say?”

“He didn’t have time to—”

Xie Xuanqing straightened his body and took the necklace from my hand. Only when he gripped the necklace did I react: “You still haven’t…” answered me.

Before I could finish speaking, Xie Xuanqing seized control of the conversation: “Wait for me in Snow Bamboo Forest.”

As he spoke, he gripped the necklace tightly. The necklace emitted a beautiful blue light like moonlight. A magic formation suddenly appeared beneath his feet, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished.

I blinked at the empty mountain path. What was going on? Had he just gone to find someone?

He had just regained the ability to walk, dragging his broken body after me for half a day, and now he looked like he was rushing off to fight… Wasn’t he tired?

That Zhu Lian just revealed his true form to me, and look how angry it made him…

But following his attitude, I couldn’t help but speculate that this Snow Wolf demon tribe identity was something he truly didn’t want to tell me unless necessary.

It seemed I had been in a fake marriage for five hundred years. On one hand, I hadn’t researched much myself, and on the other, Xie Zhuo had concealed things too well.

When “fighting” with me, he only defended and never attacked, completely hiding his cultivation techniques and power. In daily life, he was already a man of few words. The occasional sentence was just to warn me that this or that wasn’t allowed. The times he chatted with me were even fewer, let alone any casual conversations about his past.

If we’re truly talking about communication, it was really during our first meeting and now after our divorce that we’ve spoken the most words.

During our married days, he seemed to want to completely sever himself from his past, and he was careful not to let me know any information. Or perhaps it could be said…

If I knew just a little, I might follow the thread and discover a whole series of my ex-husband’s secrets…

As soon as this thought surfaced, I immediately patted my head.

What was I thinking? I was getting carried away. We’re already divorced—why was I still trying to understand him…

Five hundred years!

Haven’t I learned my lesson yet?

I reflected on my behavior today. Wasn’t I supposed to be acting for the sake of returning to five hundred years later?

Whether snatching the necklace or threatening Xie Zhuo with it, the goal was to go back. But how did I get sidetracked? Now I wanted to trade that leverage for Xie Xuanqing’s secrets?

That’s not right, not right at all.

Was I getting too cocky, or were Xie Xuanqing’s actions too provocative? I was starting to find “that old feeling” again?

This was very bad!

I had finally made up my mind to break free from the quagmire of marriage. I couldn’t waver just because of a temporal deviation.

I still needed to go back. Whatever Xie Zhuo was hiding was his business. Our relationship was over, and I shouldn’t be investigating.

I steadied my mind, clarified my ultimate goal, sorted out the current situation, and then tapped my ear. I asked Xie Zhuo on the other side of the Yin-Yang Fish: “Where are you? We need to talk.”

There was no response at first. After a while, Xie Zhuo’s voice came through, but it seemed as if it was from far away, carrying hoarseness and restraint.

“Zhu Lian, there won’t be a next time.”

I took a moment to realize that this voice wasn’t Xie Zhuo’s, but Xie Xuanqing’s—the one who had just left me!

“What’s going on?” I was shocked and quickly asked Xie Zhuo on the other side, “Are you and Xie Xuanqing in the same place? You haven’t met each other, have you? Are you both okay?” I was anxious. “Quickly open the view so I can see!”

Silence from the other side.

I thought Xie Zhuo was going to keep things from me again and wasn’t planning to let me see. Just as I was about to say something more, the image in my mind opened up.

I saw what Xie Zhuo’s eyes were seeing. It was a place like a lava hell, red and scorching all around. The ground seemed to have bubbling magma underneath. Xie Zhuo was looking at a stone wall in front, where crimson lava flowed like blood being squeezed from the earth.

But Xie Xuanqing wasn’t in Xie Zhuo’s line of sight. It seemed he had found a corner to hide in.

Sure enough, I heard Zhu Lian’s voice coming from the other side.

“Nervous?” Zhu Lian was laughing. “I’m sealed in this hellish place by you. What could I do to her?”

Xie Xuanqing didn’t speak, but I heard Zhu Lian suppress a few painful groans. But soon he laughed again, though his voice was weaker than before: “Strengthening the seal takes a toll on your body too, doesn’t it? Why not be done with it once and for all? Kill me—it would be quicker.”

“I won’t kill you.”

“Fine, then you’d better be careful, Xie Zhuo. Remember…” Zhu Lian’s voice was like a snake. When it reached my mind through the Yin-Yang Fish, it already made my whole body tremble. He spoke like uttering a curse: “Given any opportunity, I will use the most cruel methods to tear this little Kunlun fairy to pieces before your eyes…”

I shuddered.

What had I done? What did I do wrong? Why treat me this way!? I was completely baffled.

Xie Zhuo, why don’t you kill him? Do you need my help?

Having suddenly received a death threat, I was a bit flustered for a moment. But then I thought, haven’t I lived peacefully for five hundred years? It seems this Zhu Lian hadn’t caused any major disturbances.

I steadied myself and continued to focus on listening to their voices.

But I didn’t hear Zhu Lian say another word. His voice gradually disappeared in a fit of coughing, as if he had fallen into sleep.

In the quiet space, I heard Xie Xuanqing coughing.

Unlike Zhu Lian, he was restraining even his cough, just one sound, and then he held it back.

Xie Xuanqing was a man of few words, but at this moment, he spoke: “You won’t succeed.”

My heart stirred as I heard him say, “I will protect her.”

The place in my heart that had just moved suddenly warmed, as if something had scalded it. It was warm and tingling—an indescribable feeling. It was an emotion I hadn’t experienced in many years.

So… when I wasn’t aware, this was how Xie Zhuo spoke.

But this Xie Zhuo… rarely spoke to me this way.

After that, there was silence for a long time. So long that I thought Xie Zhuo had cut off our connection. He suddenly spoke, startling me: “He’s gone back. Say what you need to quickly.”

“Oh…” I was still immersed in the emotions from before, a bit dazed. As soon as I opened my mouth, a string of questions came out:

“Why are you there too? Is that the place where Zhu Lian is sealed? So the necklace around your neck is the key to the seal? When did you go there?

Did you go there after I pushed you down the mountain? What did you go there for? And what did Xie Xuanqing go there for?

To strengthen the seal? Oh, right, who is this Zhu Lian? He seems very sinister. Why does he want to kill me? And why don’t you kill him…”

Before I finished asking, Xie Zhuo said three words: “Do you have business?”

He didn’t answer a single question, but these three cold words awakened me.

Why was I making the same mistake again? Why was I curious about his affairs? Those are all in the past. No matter how good Xie Xuanqing was, he was only good five hundred years ago.

The Xie Xuanqing of the past would, after five hundred years, eventually become Xie Zhuo.

From a goddess to a grain of rice, from a red rose to a mosquito’s blood.

I think I must have become the same in his eyes.

I cleared my throat: “I wanted to say, the necklace has been returned.”

“I know.”

“You should be glad. I can’t threaten you anymore. Let’s continue with our mission.” Looking at the setting sun in the distance, I said, “Xie Xuanqing didn’t get angry this time, and the necklace probably won’t be so easy to take next time. He can move now, so we can’t use the previous method to stimulate him so simply.”

“Hmm…”

“I called you originally to discuss this, but I just had a new idea that I’ll try myself tomorrow. You’ve thoroughly offended Xiaxia today, which is good. But tomorrow I’m taking Xie Xuanqing to Kunlun Market. You go to the immortal mansion and keep an eye on Xiaxia. Don’t let her go out at any cost.”

Xie Zhuo was silent for a long time, and finally squeezed out a sentence: “What are you planning to do?”

“You do your part, and I’ll do mine.”

After ending the communication with Xie Zhuo, the sun had completely set. Night fell, and I returned to the cave in Snow Bamboo Forest under the stars and moon.

Xie Xuanqing was already waiting for me in the cave.

I casually pulled a few snow bamboo shoots along the way as a cover: “I just went to dig some bamboo shoots. Xuanqing, you’ll have to make do with these tonight. Tomorrow I’ll take you to play at Kunlun Market. Now that you can move, I’ll take you to explore all eight streets! If you get tired of walking, I’ll buy you a chair and push you.”

I pretended to be relaxed, but Xie Xuanqing kept looking at me without saying a word.

“Hmm?” I looked at Xie Xuanqing. “Why do you keep staring at me?”

He averted his gaze.

“I thought you weren’t coming back.”

I was stunned. The bonfire rising in the cave danced on his face, constantly pulling at the shadows there.

At dusk, he had told me to wait for him in the cave, but I came later than he, so during that time…

He thought I had left…

He had dragged his broken body to find Zhu Lian, to strengthen the seal, to warn the villain that his evil plot would not succeed because he would protect me.

But when he returned, I wasn’t there. He thought I had left. He must have been… very sad just now…

I watched him lower his eyes, and that feeling in my heart rose again.

Different from the warm feeling when I heard he would protect me, this time it came with a salty taste, like salt being sprinkled on a cut wound.

I knew this feeling was called heartache.

This was the feeling I most commonly had for Xie Zhuo back then.

I ached for his restraint and loneliness.

“I didn’t.” I lied to him. “I went looking for bamboo shoots. I wasn’t going to leave…”

After saying this, I felt somewhat guilty. I was here now precisely because I wanted to “leave.”

He had told Zhu Lian he would protect me, but he probably hadn’t thought that I didn’t need his protection now. On the contrary, I was here to destroy this marriage…

Before, I always believed Xie Xuanqing was Xie Zhuo, so I deceived him without a burden. But today, my conscience hurts a little.

Xie Xuanqing might have sensed the guilt in my voice. He stared at me silently: “I won’t hurt you.”

He thought I was afraid of his Snow Wolf demon tribe identity…

“I kept it from you because I didn’t want you to… fear me…”

Oh no…

I felt even more heartache.

“I’m not afraid of you!” To show my sincerity, I held his hand. “I’ve heard the legends about the Snow Wolf demon tribe, just nonsense about the last Snow Wolf demon devouring the soul power of the entire tribe. You’re not such a bloodthirsty and cruel demon. I believe in you.”

Xie Xuanqing looked at me, his gaze steady, his lips slightly pursed.

In the increasingly strange silence, my heart sank.

“What if…” he asked me, “the rumors were all true?”

I was dumbfounded…

Completely dumbfounded on the spot…