Vaguely, it was like days of old listening to rain in the song pavilion, the graceful young master in his prime; vaguely, it was like days of old filled with passionate vigor, the spirited scholar; vaguely, it was like days of old with a heart cherishing fine swords, the down-and-out traveler on the road…

The corners of his brows and eyes seemed to have never changed in the slightest, yet also seemed to be stained with the color of frost and dust.

Too much self-possessed composure, too extreme composure—this was that kind of unfading madness.

Xie Buchen stood right here, yet his heart was already filled with tenderness and his embrace full of killing intent!

Even Red Butterfly, who had seen much of the world and even comprehended the great demon of the Three Thousand Grains of Sand World, couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath at his extremity and contradiction in this moment!

The more one loves, the more one kills!

What an incomprehensible statement!

Yet thinking it over carefully…

It was unexpectedly fitting.

In years past, he could kill his wedded wife with a single sword; today, he draws his sword vowing to kill his beloved—what a normal thing?

Only…

Red Butterfly gazed at him, the mockery in her eyes suddenly reaching its peak: “To harbor love while killing, to kill one’s beloved—every step taken on this path is like walking barefoot through a blade formation. Is it not unbearably painful? Using emotion to kill the emotionless, do you think she is still that weak woman who once trusted you wholeheartedly?”

The Jian Chou of the past was the Xie family’s Jian Chou, the wedded wife who shared weal and woe with him.

The Jian Chou of today was Yashan’s Jian Chou, the foremost among countless new generation cultivators throughout the Central Domain, one of the few existences within the entire Shijiu Zhou who could stand shoulder to shoulder with him—surpassing him in both heart and nature!

No longer completely trusting, no longer completely unguarded, no longer extending her neck to be slaughtered!

What replaced it was nothing but drawing swords in confrontation!

An ant that was carelessly not crushed to death had in the blink of an eye become a colossal being identical to oneself…

What a terrifying thing?

Red Butterfly thought this way, and surprisingly felt an indescribable emotion in her heart.

For that Yashan Jian Chou, this was a path soaked in blood, also soaked in her child’s blood… Perhaps she never wanted to set foot on this path.

Xie Buchen also seemed to be thinking.

Yet there was no need to think.

What Red Butterfly could think of, he understood crystal clear, and even throughout his journey, it had already been incomparably clear.

Only…

So what?

Xie Buchen stood indifferently under the wind and rain corridor, looking at the entire misty lake surface, looking at those azure lamps extending one after another to the end of the corridor, then slowly turned around.

He did not answer Red Butterfly’s questioning, only stepped forward!

Standing behind him, standing at the starting point of the corridor, Red Butterfly only felt that human hearts were complex, human nature was complex, and there was even that hint of vague unwillingness.

This was the first time someone could treat her interrogation so naturally, so dismissively.

In that instant, Red Butterfly ultimately couldn’t hold back: “The Great Dao? Is your Great Dao to love one person, kill one person?!”

His footsteps suddenly stopped.

Xie Buchen’s back was elegant and upright, yet he laughed: “Do you think there is a second person?”

“…”

What did that mean?

Red Butterfly, hearing such a statement without beginning or end, couldn’t react for a moment, only watching his back.

Xie Buchen sighed softly, seeming to contain infinite tenderness, yet also infinite coldness: “Apart from her, I have no other flaws…”

Apart from her, how could he possibly love another?

In the past, there was only her; today, it was impossible for there to be a second person.

In this life, just this one person.

She was the only flaw in his nearly perfect “Dao.”

A flaw—

That would be difficult to remove unless she died.

Even with an emotionless soul, how could it match the emotional roots already planted in the past, the emotional roots reborn today?

He gazed gently at the azure lamp now close before him, only slowly reaching out his hand to casually hook the curled wick, lifting it from the lamp oil.

His pale, slender fingers were stained with a bit of black ash, carrying a bit of the wick’s smoky scent.

The Great Dao is emotionless—killing is unavoidable.

Xie Buchen’s fingers slowly withdrew, and thus, the azure lamp self-ignited.

A chess board suddenly appeared on the path before him, clean and empty, not a single piece placed.

“Red Butterfly Fairy has three thousand worlds—the you under this wind and rain corridor is just one incarnation, isn’t it?”

“Ah, you’re so clever, it makes me not know what to do…”

In the flower sea covering the mountains and plains, Red Butterfly’s entire body lazily leaned against a purple peony, yet seemed to have no weight at all, not bending even half a branch.

Young Master Ruhua stood among the flowers, more beautiful than the flowers themselves, just quietly gazing at Red Butterfly, seemingly finding this scene of the beautiful butterfly demon and famous peony flowers perfectly complementary, extremely pleasing to the eye.

Hearing this demon spirit begin to falsely praise himself, Ruhua gently and slowly closed his fan.

“Do your other incarnations also make things difficult for other people like this?”

“Not at all, I only make things difficult for you alone.” Red Butterfly shook her finger.

Instantly, Young Master Ruhua’s eternally graceful expression became somewhat unpleasant.

Seeing this, Red Butterfly immediately couldn’t help but laugh, even her slender waist that couldn’t be grasped in one hand trembled slightly, her curves truly breathtaking.

She had extremely seductive eyes and an extremely alluring manner, yet between her brows there was a kind of almost pure temptation.

After a while, she stopped, sighing softly: “Letting you pass isn’t impossible. It’s quite simple…”

“Oh?”

What medicine was this woman selling in her gourd?

Young Master Ruhua firmly believed the other party was of the same type as himself, and was extremely familiar with this expression that was about to start tricking people.

He became vigilant.

Red Butterfly smiled charmingly, drawing out her voice, saying airily: “You take off your clothes, and big sister will let you pass…”

“You you you you you you…”

Zuoliu nearly jumped three feet in fright.

He pointed at the woman who suddenly appeared before him, simply unable to believe his eyes.

Wasn’t this the butterfly demon they had seen in the Lingering Hesitation? How had she appeared here again?

In a void of white mist, without any impurities or colors.

Only that row of azure lamps, extending from nearby to the depths where white mist filled the air, all unlit.

Red Butterfly swayed her waist, slowly approaching Zuoliu, walking around him in a circle, commenting: “Your talent is acceptable, but your experiences are too simple.”

Not a single place worth exploring.

Simply put, Zuoliu’s life was roughly “the turbulent life of how a rogue punched geniuses and kicked rich second-generation cultivators, hooked up with Jian Chou, and mixed his way into becoming a preparatory disciple of Yashan.”

The most painful thing was struggling at the bottom, but this person had no heart or conscience and didn’t take it seriously.

In terms of cultivation, his heart was quite devoted and focused—he was a talented good seedling…

Only unfortunately…

His dao had flaws.

Looking and looking, Red Butterfly gently shook her head: “You can go directly to light the lamp.”

“Ah?”

Zuoliu felt his hair stand on end just from her walking around him, and now she was telling him to go light the lamp?

Who knew what was ahead?

After being stunned for a moment, he frantically shook his head, hugging the jade booklet in his arms tightly, backing away.

“No no no no I won’t go!”

“…”

In that instant, Red Butterfly’s mouth twitched.

Watching Zuoliu retreat further and further, she directly reached out and grabbed him, lifting him by the collar toward the azure lamp, sneering: “Others want to go but can’t, and you? You have to go whether you want to or not! Go undergo your tribulation!”

“Red Dust Tribulation…”

A low voice, stiff and obscure.

It was a forest of weapons—eighteen types of arms from the ground extending to the sky.

Only a single-plank bridge was suspended in the void, crossing through this forest. The single-plank bridge was very narrow, but every few zhang there was an azure lamp.

Xia Houshe stood at the head of this single-plank bridge, but recognized something familiar.

This was what he had passed over on the dark river—the Bridge of Emotion, the Bridge of Emotionlessness.

The difference was that there had been two bridges then; now there was only one.

Also standing by the bridge was that red-clothed butterfly demon.

She stood alluringly not far from his side, looking at him with eyes that were pitying and even tender.

A person who was convinced that no one in the world dared to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, who could be befriended.

This type of person was most likely to encounter tribulations.

Red Butterfly only said softly: “I have seen many extraordinary people and events in this world. You are just one among them. Go.”

“Thank you, Fairy.”

Lu Xiangleng was somewhat slightly surprised, but still bowed in salute.

She hadn’t expected that when the other party appeared here, she would not face any difficulties.

Red Butterfly and she stood together on a heavenly path leading to the sky.

The entire road surface seemed to continuously have names floating up, one after another, densely packed, forming the entire bridge.

Without speaking, only gazing at Lu Xiangleng.

Red Butterfly’s gaze was very strange, interweaving faint appreciation and admiration, like looking at the moon through clouds—unclear, yet definitely there.

“You are a person with merit—no need to thank me, thank yourself.”

Merit?

Lu Xiangleng didn’t quite understand what Red Butterfly meant, but in the moment her brows furrowed slightly, she seemed to understand something.

“Do you understand?”

Red Butterfly asked her with a smile.

Lu Xiangleng pondered for a moment, then also smiled, wisdom flashing in her eyes: “I shouldn’t think about it. All intentional matters in this world cannot be called merit. Fairy, your words are still making things difficult for me…”

“Ha ha ha… Clever, truly clever!”

Red Butterfly had originally intended to tell her why she could go light the lamp without facing any difficulties.

Once heavenly secrets were revealed, no one knew how things would ultimately change.

Lu Xiangleng, who originally had merit, might deviate from her original path because of this brief verbal exchange.

Just as she herself had said, “All intentional matters in this world cannot be called merit”—if done intentionally, it would be counterproductive.

Lu Xiangleng knew that Red Butterfly bore no ill will toward her, and could only consider it a small joke.

But in just these few words, she suddenly gained an understanding: “Heaven and earth have great unity. People are born between heaven and earth without distinction of high or low, noble or base, good or evil. What I have learned is only to save people. Whether it is merit or not, whether it is better or not—what my heart aims for and what I do will not change because of external things.”

Merit…

Actually, Red Butterfly originally didn’t understand where merit came from.

Some people spent their whole lives saving the dying and healing the wounded, yet couldn’t accumulate half a portion of merit, but Lu Xiangleng was different.

Now hearing her words, she felt a kind of indescribable vague premonition.

Lu Xiangleng’s thinking was different from ordinary people.

Anyone in her eyes seemed to have no difference…

From a certain perspective, it was absurd, but what if viewed from the perspective of heaven and earth?

A sense of absurdity arose.

Red Butterfly didn’t even know what she was thinking. She casually shook her head and waved her sleeve: “Go light your lamp yourself. I won’t accompany you.”

Having said this, she directly turned and left.

Jian Chou gazed at Red Butterfly.

Red Butterfly also gazed at her: “Three parts heavenly soul, one part life soul, three parts heroic spirit.”

“…”

Her secret of having deficient three souls and seven spirits was easily seen through—she was an “incomplete person.”

A long silence, no one spoke.

Jian Chou’s hand gripping the Deer-Cutting Blade grew tighter and tighter.

“Heavenly Void constitution—below Soul Departure, rarely meeting an opponent… Everyone considers you a genius…”

Unfortunately, no one knew at what price this was obtained.

Red Butterfly standing before Jian Chou obviously wasn’t speaking, yet another identical voice appeared on the mountain path.

Jian Chou immediately frowned and turned to look.

A seductive red shadow somehow suddenly appeared in the middle of the mountain path, walking down.

Just as Jian Chou looked over, four more identical figures quickly appeared at positions further back.

Identical red dress hems fluttering, identical silver patterns faintly flowing, identical faces yet each with different expressions…

On the entire mountain path, there were suddenly six Red Butterflies standing!

One Red Butterfly walked toward another Red Butterfly, then easily merged into one, repeating this process…

In the blink of an eye, the Red Butterfly standing before Jian Chou hadn’t moved, still looking at her, while the newly appeared final Red Butterfly smiled at Jian Chou, then walked into “her own” body.

In an instant, only this one person remained before Jian Chou.

Perhaps it was an extremely dreamlike feeling—after that self entered the body, Red Butterfly let out a comfortable sigh, finally stretched lazily, and yawned drowsily.

“The others are all preparing to enter.”

The others.

Six incarnations.

Just right.

Jian Chou vaguely understood something, only raised her eyes to look at Red Butterfly, saying: “My master once said that those who can see through my deficient three souls and seven spirits number less than ten in this world. Even Kunwu’s Hengxu True Person, without the assistance of the Heaven-Penetrating Earth-Reaching Zhou Tian Star Chart, cannot discern it.”

“Less than ten…”

Red Butterfly muttered, as if counting in her heart who they all were.

She murmured: “I can see through your soul and spirit because you are within my Three Thousand Zhang Red Dust. If based on my own cultivation, I naturally cannot do it, so your master’s words are not false. However, sooner or later I will cultivate to that realm…”

But saying this lacked confidence.

Jian Chou couldn’t help but smile slightly: “Red Butterfly Fairy can already peer into others’ souls and spirits—whether you’ve truly reached that realm, what does it matter?”

“You don’t concern yourself with such things.” Red Butterfly also smiled, but changed the subject: “However, since you have a master to inform you of the situation, you should know that with your deficient soul and spirit, you will surely die in the Heart-Questioning Tribulation. The Red Dust Thousand Zhang Lamps have an effect similar to the Heart-Questioning Tribulation, born and extinguished targeting the soul and spirit. If you want to go, I cannot guarantee you can survive to obtain the Master’s manuscripts.”

“I need not obtain them—as long as he cannot obtain them, that’s sufficient.”

Although Jian Chou had long heard of the “Nine Curves River Chart,” she had never cared about it. First, it was too distant; second, her realm was insufficient. Even Master Buyu, after obtaining the River Chart, had studied it for so many years. She, someone who had only entered the path of cultivation for a few years, why should she covet so much?

But…

Xie Buchen wanted it.

In that case, how could she let it pass?

“Now you are already a cultivator. In the long years, past events are but a snap of the fingers.”

Red Butterfly’s voice suddenly became somewhat ethereal.

“Even so, can you not let go?”

“I have long since severed myself from my past self with a single blade, but even if I let go, though hatred no longer remains, the grudge still exists.”

Jian Chou suddenly remembered that day at the small gathering, in that illusion, when she swung her axe and carved out a chasm, separating her past self on the other side of the cliff.

The way she looked at herself seemed confused, helpless, yet also relieved…

Her eyes flickered slightly, but Jian Chou’s face wore a peaceful smile, her eyes and brows all becoming gentle, even her voice carrying a warm tone.

Yet the words that came out were decisive to the point of coldness.

“I can let go at any time, but I will never forgive.”

Never.

What a resolute word?

Red Butterfly could clearly feel her inner heart—

The love once felt, the hatred once felt, the disappointment and despair once felt…

It was the uncontrollable crying in the small house by the village;

It was the loosening of three thousand threads of worry before the makeup mirror;

It was the farewell bow to the past in the walled courtyard.

From then on, crossing the Thirteen Islands of the Immortal Path, entering Shijiu Zhou, ascending Yashan, climbing the Solitary Platform…

Thus, with a gentle sigh, Red Butterfly discovered that she truly liked this female cultivator before her.

“I have good news or bad news. Which would you like to hear?”

“Isn’t there only one?”

Jian Chou was somewhat helpless.

She only knew that this Red Butterfly Fairy was just standing here, keeping her chatting, and she had just said the other several people had all entered.

If someone less patient were standing here, they would probably have swung a hammer at her long ago.

“You’re right, I only have one piece of news…”

Red Butterfly wasn’t annoyed at being seen through this simple word game.

She slowly began to speak, with a leisurely air: “Your former husband who severed worldly ties has fallen in love with you again…”

“…”

As Red Butterfly expected, upon hearing this sentence, Jian Chou said nothing.

Her pair of seductive eyes locked onto her, examining her carefully, as if wanting to observe clearly every change in her expression.

The Deer-Cutting Blade flickered slightly according to her will.

Jian Chou was even stunned for quite a while—she almost doubted whether she had heard wrong: Former husband? Xie Buchen? Fallen in love again?

Ha.

She almost thought she was hearing a joke.

Killed by his own hand, yet today could love again?

Jian Chou couldn’t help but laugh, that kind of irrepressible laughter, as if hearing something utterly absurd, mocking to the extreme.

She seemed…

Not to believe her?

Red Butterfly’s face showed a very indescribable expression, that complex mixture of pity, admiration, and sighing. She calmly spoke to Jian Chou: “I have not deceived you. At least at this moment, he still loves you.”

“Is that so?”

Jian Chou stopped laughing, noncommittal.

She slowly raised her hand, and in her palm was a black treasure sword—

The Human Emperor Sword.

The sword bearer must have imperial qi.

This was Xie Buchen’s sword, yet today it was in her hands.

Although it wasn’t that sword that once hung on the wall…

However, it was sufficient.

She slightly narrowed her eyes, holding the long sword, walked to the azure lamp, and with just a light flick of her finger, lit it.

A chess board with intersecting lines appeared in the void above the mountain path.

Jian Chou gazed at this chess board, her eyes as if having experienced the vicissitudes of time, calm as the deep sea.

Fragments of past memories suddenly swept over her, causing a strange smile to appear on her face.

A strange smile.

What a familiar expression!

Red Butterfly gazed at her but couldn’t help drawing in a sharp breath: What she had seen moments ago in the wind and rain corridor was exactly the same as this moment!

Those deeply cold eyes, yet looking at the chess board with an almost tender gaze.

Gripping the Human Emperor Sword, feeling those uneven patterns, Jian Chou gently caressed it, her eyes and brows all carrying a tenderness deeply hidden in the years, like aged wine.

Yet…

This wine was tinged with traces of bloody scent.

“He still likes me?” She smiled gently and warmly, as if sighing softly, yet spoke with chilling coldness, “That’s truly wonderful…”