Wanyu Yuedan had awakened from his feigned sleep, but Yu Tuan’er still hadn’t slept. Xue Tao’s injuries had deteriorated rapidly. When dawn broke, her breathing had stopped several times. Yu Tuan’er and Lin Bu watched her with worry, neither daring to act rashly. Just then, Tang Lici and Shen Langhun returned.

“Young Master Tang.” Hearing the footsteps, Wanyu Yuedan knew Tang Lici had returned. “Escaped unharmed?” Tang Lici smiled slightly. “Of course… who is this young lady?” Yu Tuan’er interjected, “She’s Xue Tao, Yu Konghou’s wife.” Tang Lici glanced at the halberd wound on Xue Tao’s chest. “The injury is too severe. She won’t recover.” Yu Tuan’er was stunned. She had hoped for Tang Lici to return and save someone, yet he immediately declared recovery impossible. “How can you be like this? She’ll get better. She’ll recover properly and return to be with the person she loves. She won’t die!”

Lin Bu smiled bitterly. Wanyu Yuedan sighed leisurely. “How was the battle at Wangting Manor?” Tang Lici acted as if he hadn’t heard Yu Tuan’er’s words, smiling gently. “I suspect it will likely result in mutual destruction, but regrettably, I couldn’t see the end.” Wanyu Yuedan shook his head and hugged his knees. “She wanted to return and stay by Yu Konghou’s side. Perhaps we were wrong to rescue her.” Tang Lici’s eyes flowed with beauty, appearing cold as they lingered on Wanyu Yuedan’s gaze. “You’re always gentle and considerate.” Wanyu Yuedan shook his head again. “I had Zhu Yan turn back to save Xue Tao, hoping he wouldn’t be exploited by Yu Konghou due to emotions, but I never expected… I didn’t save Zhu Yan – I harmed Xue Tao.” He looked toward Tang Lici’s direction, his gaze passing through Tang Lici’s body. Though he could see nothing, he seemed to perceive something. “Zhu Yan wasn’t saved, Xue Tao lost her life because of this. The only one who was saved… was Yu Konghou.”

Tang Lici’s hand fell on his shoulder, his voice as cold as before. “No one can truly calculate everything. You did your best, so you’re not wrong.” Wanyu Yuedan’s brows curved as he smiled. “Even when things go against one’s wishes, you still believe doing one’s best means no wrong?” Tang Lici gripped his shoulder bone. Wanyu Yuedan’s frame was delicate, and with this grip his whole body swayed. Tang Lici said, “You cannot doubt yourself.”

His tone was cold and hard. Wanyu Yuedan’s brow line curved with comfort. “So you can console others too.” Tang Lici was slightly stunned, his grip tightening. Wanyu Yuedan cried “aiyo” and also laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. I’ve already made many mistakes I should have made, regretted everything I should regret, and reflected on everything requiring reflection, so I’m fine.” Tang Lici released his shoulder and said flatly, “I never admit mistakes.” Wanyu Yuedan sighed. “Your pride runs too high.”

With a “creak,” the door opened. A’Shui had risen, groomed herself properly, and pushed the door open. As she opened it, the first thing she saw was Xue Tao, and her door-pushing motion froze.

“Sister A’Shui!” Yu Tuan’er cheered. Compared to hearing the cryptic conversation between Wanyu Yuedan and Tang Lici, she preferred seeing A’Shui. Seeing A’Shui’s poor complexion, she paused, following her gaze to look at Xue Tao. Xue Tao was coughing silently, blood threads spilling from her mouth, yet she lacked the strength to cough audibly. The sound of her breathing was choked in her throat, trembling and moving. In an instant, her entire face turned blue-purple.

The Purple Gold Pill had only sustained her life for one night. Her heart and lungs, pierced by the long halberd, suddenly failed. Listening to that breathing sound drowned in her throat, each breath more indistinct and weaker than the last, yet never willing to stop.

She didn’t want to die. She wanted to stay by Yu Konghou’s side, to accompany him for a lifetime. Whether he was good or bad, a righteous gentleman or a despicable villain, destined for heroic fame through a hundred generations or eternal infamy, she wanted to accompany him to the end.

She was unwilling to die at all. She had attachments, she had expectations. She couldn’t just die like this. She hadn’t yet told Yu Konghou that she was willing to stay by his side, hadn’t told him that actually, when she later asked him why Zhu Yan didn’t come to save her… those words were all false. She had actually forgotten Zhu Yan. She had become a despicable woman.

Yu Tuan’er, Lin Bu, A’Shui, Tang Lici, and Wanyu Yuedan all remained very quiet, listening to the choking sounds from Xue Tao’s throat. One sound after another, each very weak, but she just wouldn’t stop – one sound after another, one sound after another, not knowing how long she would struggle… Yu Tuan’er’s complexion grew very pale. That sound was too cruel to hear. The listeners might suffer more than the person dying. She was too young to know how to endure. “I… I need to go out…” Lin Bu nodded. “I’ll accompany you for a walk.” Yu Tuan’er grabbed Lin Bu’s hand and quickly went out, as if avoiding snakes and scorpions.

Only A’Shui, Tang Lici, and Wanyu Yuedan remained in the room. A’Shui’s complexion had been pale to begin with, now appearing even more lifeless and weary. Wanyu Yuedan kept his eyes open, though he actually couldn’t see anything. Tang Lici slowly said, “If someone wants to save her… crush her throat…”

A’Shui’s whole body shook. In an instant, she remembered many things – the old frog struggling desperately in the bleak autumn wind, Chi Yun who killed Yin Dongchuan and Xuanyuan Long. They overlapped with Xue Tao on the bed. Let it die… that was Tang Lici’s salvation. Wanyu Yuedan closed his eyes. Tang Lici raised his palm. A’Shui said in a low voice, “Wait!” She shielded Xue Tao. “You… you should all go out.” Tang Lici’s brow furrowed slightly as he lowered his palm. A’Shui said, “You should all go out. I’ll stay here to accompany her.”

To sit here accompanying Xue Tao, listening to her sounds of struggling for life – how much endurance and courage would that require? Wanyu Yuedan’s lips moved slightly, but he didn’t speak. Tang Lici looked at A’Shui. Just as he was about to speak, Wanyu Yuedan tugged his sleeve. “Take me out, please?” Tang Lici’s brow moved. He swallowed the words he was about to say, grabbed Wanyu Yuedan’s wrist with one hand, and strode out of the room.

A’Shui listened to them leave, listened to Xue Tao’s dying sounds, and grasped Xue Tao’s hand.

Perhaps killing her could save her, and she would no longer suffer, but… she was ultimately very selfish, unwilling to ask Tang Lici to perform such salvation again and again. He had killed Chi Yun. He couldn’t kill Xue Tao again. He couldn’t bear another layer of sin just to end her brief suffering.

This jianghu was gradually viewing him as a demon, and he… couldn’t lose control and allow himself to become increasingly demonic. That was a path of no return, a lonely demon king’s path leading to death. He might become number one in the world, but he wouldn’t have any friends.

He very much hoped to be loved by others…

The sounds from Xue Tao’s throat still seemed weak and painful. She continued struggling. A’Shui looked at her miserably. This woman was beautiful but unfortunate. Perhaps her own future fate would differ little from hers, perhaps even more unfortunate and painful. Watching Xue Tao’s death struggle, she absorbed her into her own heart. Dying at the hands of someone you thought would never hurt you – this was the fate of passionate women.

Wanyu Yuedan and Tang Lici walked out of the room. The sharp cold wind of winter cut icily and painfully against their cheeks. Tang Lici hung his hands and rolled up his sleeves, gazing at the sky. Wanyu Yuedan smiled. “Out of sight, out of mind.” Tang Lici said, “You’re not someone who can’t bear to watch.” Wanyu Yuedan didn’t deny it. “But you can’t bear to watch. If you continued watching, you would definitely kill her.” He said leisurely, “But I don’t want you to kill anyone.”