The night at Mount Yue’e was even colder than at Gufeng Mountain.

Although it was already spring, here it felt like winter. The wind on the mountain was strong too, not gentle like spring breezes. The fierce wind made the tree branches sway wildly, as if sudden storms were rushing down the road.

This year seemed to have particularly much rain.

Zanxing stood behind the house. The White Bone Woman and the others had all gone to sleep, so she came out for some fresh air.

The people of Siyou Kingdom were quite environmentally conscious, building as few houses as possible. They were enthusiastic about planting trees on the mountains, but inside Mount Yue’e, whether due to soil and water conditions or something else, the forest within the mountain was not as dense as outside the mountain. The trees were sparsely distributed in patches, and these trees grew thin and scrawny with sparse branches and leaves, appearing rather desolate.

From this angle, she could feel the spiritual energy in the mountain gathering toward the summit. Zanxing raised her eyes to look, and under a crescent moon, the white pagoda stood quietly.

The spiritual energy was converging toward the Wulun Pagoda. Perhaps it was precisely because of this that the vegetation in the mountain was not as abundant as outside the mountain.

However, the more desolate the mountain became, the brighter the moonlight appeared in contrast. The silver moon delicately scattered flowing water-like moonlight over every inch of the mountain, both brilliant and lonely.

As she watched, she slowly extended her hand, gradually condensing a palm-sized shadow from her palm. This shadow resembled a small tree. Zanxing threw this shadow onto the ground, and in an instant, the shadow fell to earth and grew. In just a moment, a massive flowering tree appeared on the spot, with blossoms like dancing phoenixes, their wings as vivid as fire.

Zanxing withdrew her hand and silently gazed at the Biyi flower tree before her.

During the two years of seclusion in the Demon Realm, her illusion techniques were no longer as crude as before. Demonic essence was naturally gifted at creating illusions of all things. Though she couldn’t compare to the Mirage Women, who could create phantom cities, being able to conjure such a Biyi flower tree was already effortless for her.

A voice came from behind: “So it’s illusion technique.”

Zanxing’s gaze shifted slightly as she saw Gu Baiying emerge from behind her.

Under the night sky, the mountain forest was vast and empty. Moonlight fell upon the young man’s snow-white robes, giving the bright pearl a cold tint, yet his hair ribbon remained the same brilliant crimson red as always. Red and white, like flowers and snow, vivid beauty and coldness, brightness and distance.

He stopped beside Zanxing, raising his eyes to look at the tree full of crimson blooms. Suddenly, his fingertips moved slightly, and a flower drifted down leisurely, falling into his palm.

The young man held the flower and turned it lightly in a circle, his voice lazy: “Condensed in an instant, this tree has form in its petals and fragrance like reality.”

He glanced at Zanxing and praised without much sincerity: “Your illusion technique is quite good.”

Zanxing didn’t speak. For a moment, she seemed to return to long ago, to the scene in Li’er Kingdom when she pestered Gu Baiying to teach her illusion techniques. At that time, she was full of imagination about illusion techniques, had not yet experienced the cruel fate and treacherous inconstancy of this world, always feeling that with illusion techniques, she could spread all the beautiful things of heaven and earth before her eyes to enjoy freely.

But she forgot that illusion techniques were always false.

After a long while, Zanxing heard her voice: “That might be because I had a good master.”

Wind passed between the two of them, making the tree full of red flowers rustle loudly.

The young man crossed his arms and stood firm, seemingly casually opening his mouth: “This is a Biyi flower tree. When you were at Gufeng Mountain, did you come to my hall?”

Hearing this, a trace of a smile appeared in Zanxing’s eyes.

He was indeed very clever, so instead of sleeping late at night, he came here to test her.

“Do you know how the Biyi flower tree came to be?” Zanxing didn’t answer his question, but instead brought up another topic: “Legend says that many years ago, an emperor abducted a minister’s wife. Later, the minister and his wife both died for love. The emperor, in his fury, buried them in separate places, making their graves face each other from afar. Later, mythological records state ‘there was a great catalpa tree that grew at the ends of the two graves. In ten days, it grew large enough to embrace, with roots intertwining below and branches interlacing above. There were also mandarin ducks, one male and one female, constantly perching in the tree, never leaving morning or evening, necking and crying mournfully.’ This is the Biyi flower tree,” she said, lowering her eyes. “Some also call it the ‘Lovesickness Tree.'”

Gu Baiying was slightly stunned. Her gaze was very pure – it was hard to imagine that someone from the Demon Clan could have such clear eyes. What was even more noteworthy was her expression. Although she said nothing and didn’t appear very familiar with him, Gu Baiying always felt she was trying to tell him something.

The young man’s jawline tightened slightly, not knowing whether he was speaking to Zanxing or himself: “Illusion technique is a method of deception with no offensive power. It can only fool ordinary people with low cultivation. This legend is also false.”

“Is that so?” Zanxing smiled and turned her head to look at him. “If it’s false, then why do you have a fake flower pinned to your Embroidered Bone Spear?”

On the silver Embroidered Bone Spear, a small Biyi flower hung from the spear shaft. This flower, though plucked, had not withered, its colors bright and beautiful – a fake flower created through illusion technique.

The silver, cold, sharp, and fierce spear, and the crimson, soft, delicate, and beautiful flower-spear and flower seemed completely unrelated yet strangely compatible, snuggling together in perfect harmony.

Zanxing asked: “Do you like Biyi flowers?”

The young man frowned, his tone somewhat cold: “I don’t like them.”

“I see.” Zanxing sighed with regret.

Gu Baiying stepped forward, his gaze fixed on her, his eyes carrying a sharp intensity. His voice was clear, carrying an unfamiliar warning as he asked Zanxing: “Mendong said that at Gufeng Mountain, you deliberately took the Qin Chong seeds, seduced and deceived me, ambushed Zi Luo, and killed disciples of the Chihua Sect. Is this true?”

Zanxing looked at him thoughtfully: “You don’t believe it?”

The young man approached step by step. Zanxing saw the bright red plum blossoms embroidered on his snow-white robes, so vivid they burned the eyes. He pressed Zanxing against the tree, looking down at her from above. His handsome face was particularly distinct in the shadow of the flowering tree: “I lost a sliver of primordial soul.” He suddenly tilted his head slightly, his warm breath falling on Zanxing’s neck, immediately raising a layer of fine goosebumps on her skin. From a distance, the young man and woman appeared deeply affectionate under the beautiful flowers, ambiguity flowing in their whispered words.

Yet there was not half a trace of tenderness in his gaze as he spoke in a low voice: “I sensed a familiar aura on you.”

“My lost primordial soul is on you.” He said with certainty.

Zanxing didn’t answer. In the Ten Thousand Killing Formation, Gu Baiying’s primordial soul had helped her block a fatal strike, allowing her to barely survive. Later, it was absorbed by the Ashura Umbrella. Most of Gu Baiying’s sliver of primordial soul had long since scattered into heaven and earth without a trace, while a small part had fused with her bloodline, becoming one with her.

The moonlight suddenly became silent, heaven and earth thick as black ink, with only the red giant tree swaying passionately, blooming brilliantly in the mountains.

His eyes were crystalline, his features beautiful like a lovely dream, yet his tone was pressing as he asked: “Why is my primordial soul on you?”

Zanxing stared into his eyes and opened her mouth, about to speak, but because she had been pressed backward earlier, her back was against the tree trunk, and her hair arrangement had also been disheveled by the tree trunk behind her.

“Pop—” A tiny sound rang out from the silence.

Something fell from Zanxing’s hair, rolling to Gu Baiying’s feet.