But there was nothing. Shen Qiyuan stood with Zhuzui, still as focused as always.

She watched him take Zhuzui’s hand to rescue her from the swamp, watched him cooperate with Zhuzui to complete their tasks, then rest together by the edge of the fire pit.

It was no different from when he was with her – even the way he looked down at his partner was the same.

Ruyi suddenly understood.

Her feeling that he was irreplaceable, that he needed her, was just an illusion lasting a thousand years. She had been engaging in wishful thinking all along.

Looking back through memories, every frame she considered precious was of herself running toward him. He had never taken a step in her direction – it was only her own persistent, solitary effort.

Ruyi left Qidou Mountain without looking back.

Her mother city encountered war. She donned armor and fought bloodily on the battlefield, turning the tide when all seemed lost, supporting the collapsing edifice. Just as victory was within sight, her most trusted friend opened the city gates behind her.

The citizens in the city were slaughtered overnight. She was pierced through the chest by an opponent who was also a god cultivator and hung on the city gate tower. Her remaining clanspeople were dragged before her eyes and slowly cut to pieces, stroke by stroke.

“No…” Her liver and gallbladder ached, her eyes splitting with rage. “Don’t…”

“There’s an immortal in this world called the Green God, compassionate and magnanimous. He listens to everyone’s wishes and protects all living beings.” Shen Qiyuan had once told her on Qidou Mountain. “As long as you pray sincerely, the Green God will always hear your voice.”

Remembering his words, in her panic, she closed her eyes and pleaded: “Please, please save them…”

Blood flowed everywhere as her clanspeople fell one by one.

“Don’t die, don’t die… I’m willing to trade my life for theirs. Please, don’t let them die.”

The youngest of her clan was a two-year-old little girl who looked at the approaching blade with clear eyes, not even knowing to be afraid, still innocently smiling at her.

But in the next instant, this little girl was cut in half, her tender body falling into the pool of blood and being stained red. The pearl ornament in her hair also fell off, shattering into pieces.

Ruyi’s eyes turned blood red. Furious and enraged, she raised her head and howled, her mournful cry shaking heaven and earth.

“Use your spiritual consciousness to exchange for your clanspeople’s lives – this trade, I can make with you,” someone whispered in the shadows.

“Agreed,” she responded weakly, blood flowing from the corner of her mouth.

That person was pleased: “Aren’t you going to ask who I am?”

“No matter who you are, no matter what you want, as long as you revive them and let me have my revenge,” she said word by word, “I’ll agree to anything.”

After cultivating for a thousand years without receiving the Green God’s protection, what harm was there in falling to demonhood?

She sacrificed her spiritual consciousness, destroyed her cultivation, transformed into a demon, and step by step climbed to a position of power. Then she led countless demon hordes to slaughter her enemies’ cities, completely clean.

“How are you any different from your enemies now?” Zhuzui found her and stamped her feet in anguish.

Ruyi leaned against the broken walls in brilliant red robes, tilting her head back to drink wine: “What’s the point of being different? I just want satisfaction.”

“Qiyuan hates demons most of all. What do you think he’ll think?”

At the mention of this person, Ruyi froze. The strong wine flowed down from the side of her face, wetting half her robes.

“Turn back while there’s still time,” Zhuzui said. “There might still be a thread of possibility between you and him.”

Something that had no possibility, even as fellow cultivators – could there be any as a demon?

She suddenly laughed, her shoulders shaking with mirth.

“No need,” she said. “I hope your journey together goes smoothly.”

Just as her words fell, sword energy attacked from behind.

…

Ruyi took a light breath, feeling her heart beating painfully.

She couldn’t tell if this pain came from now or from two thousand years ago. She only knew it hurt so much that her entire being became irritable.

“I want to go back first,” she said in a heavy voice.

Shen Qiyuan was quite puzzled by her sudden strike, but seeing her pale complexion, he didn’t say anything. He just crouched down: “Get on.”

Ruyi frowned: “I said I want to go back first.”

He directly stepped back two paces and carried her on his back, saying matter-of-factly: “You’re just being delicate. Every time we walk for a long time, you make a fuss like this. It’s far from here to the main city – it’ll take a long time to get back anyway. Better to go forward a bit more and rest in a village.”

She struggled twice on his back, then suddenly laughed coldly: “You’re quite gentle with people, though you never thought about how much illusion that gentleness would give others.”

Shen Qiyuan thought she was referring to what they’d just discussed and couldn’t help pressing his lips together: “The road is long and arduous. To be disturbed by romantic feelings before achieving one’s goals is not the mark of someone who can accomplish great things.”

What fine words about accomplishing great things. So later, after he had accomplished great things, he summoned her to the human world, certain she would accept him again.

She was passionate, not stupid.

The gu eagle that had flown away earlier had somehow returned, circling above their heads with long cries.

Ruyi glanced up and said casually: “Trouble’s coming.”

Shen Qiyuan’s expression tightened. He first set her down and created a protective barrier around her.

In the next instant, over a dozen gu eagles rushed toward him in unison, their wings blocking out the sky and stirring up a fierce wind.

Shen Qiyuan withdrew to respond, his movements clean and graceful. Even with half his divine power damaged, dealing with these demons was no problem.

It was just that the gu eagles were too vicious – in a moment of inattention, one tore a chunk of flesh from his arm.

Ruyi crouched indifferently inside the protective barrier, watching. When an oblivious gu eagle charged toward her and pecked at the barrier, she turned her head and looked over with frost in her elongated eyes.

Their four eyes met. The gu eagle froze, then in the next instant flapped its wings and scrambled away in panic.

She continued watching Shen Qiyuan.

Right, this person was extremely talented – he was one of the top god cultivators on Qidou Mountain back then. She was naturally drawn to the strong, so it made sense that she would be attracted to him.

But thinking about it now, what use was strength? He wouldn’t care for people and wouldn’t give any response. He wasn’t even as good as a beautiful, useful blade – at least that wouldn’t turn and cut her.

The dozen or so gu eagles all became Shen Qiyuan’s merit within half an hour. He finished his stance and quickly walked over.

Ruyi was getting somewhat drowsy when he suddenly pulled her to her feet and turned her left and right.

“Not hurt?” He breathed a sigh of relief. “A gu eagle pecked through the protective barrier earlier.”

She waved her hand dismissively: “I’m not that weak.”

Seeing the coldness on her face, Shen Qiyuan finally realized belatedly: “You’re angry?”

Ruyi snorted with laughter: “What do you think I’d be angry about?”

What else could it be? Ever since he said they could only be fellow cultivators, her expression had been off, and the way she looked at him was no longer sparkling like before.

After a moment of silence, Shen Qiyuan tried to console her: “You and I supporting each other mutually is far more lasting than mortal couples.”

“Thanks for the invitation, but I’ll pass.” She patted her skirt and walked forward. “Even mortal couples write a separation document when they divorce. For us to part ways is just a matter of one sentence.”

When everything was fine, why think about parting ways?

Feeling somewhat uncomfortable in his heart, Shen Qiyuan strode to catch up with her: “Have you met a better fellow cultivator?”