The palace hall was brightly lit while outside, the night rain fell in a gentle drizzle.

When Zanxing woke up, the sky had already turned completely dark.

The sky darkened early in Heishi City. Xiao Shuang walked in from outside, smiling as she said, “Little Highness, you’re awake.”

“Has the prohibition been lifted?” Zanxing was stunned for a moment. After she had eaten, she was perhaps too exhausted. After all, she hadn’t been able to sleep properly these past few days, so she unknowingly dozed off. This sleep was very deep, and when she woke up, she discovered it was already this late.

“His Highness went out to speak with Master Ming Jing. Little Highness can now return to the Chaos Hall.” Xiao Shuang picked up the outer robe and draped it over Zanxing: “The weather is damp and cold, Little Highness should be careful not to catch a chill.”

Zanxing tightened her clothes, hurriedly stood up, and said, “It’s fine. When mother returns, please tell her for me that I left first.”

Tian Fangfang and the others went to the Chaos Hall this morning. At this time, she didn’t know if they had left yet.

Heishi City had been raining for the entire day. Wind swept down from the mountain, rampaging through the city, blowing the azure lanterns at the cave entrance until they swayed back and forth. The rain also carried the cold, thin, wet meaning of the night, bit by bit, secretly creeping up people’s sleeves and robe corners.

At the entrance of the Chaos Hall, Chuideng Gui was pacing at the door, holding a lantern in his hand. Looking from afar, he caught sight of Zanxing’s figure and immediately came forward with the lantern, holding up an umbrella to shield Zanxing from the rain threads above her head.

Zanxing took off her dampened outer robe and threw it to him, asking, “Where are they?”

“Fairy Meng and the others have already returned…”

Zanxing’s footsteps paused as she turned back to look at him.

Chuideng Gui smiled again: “Young Immortal Gu is still here.”

Zanxing said nothing. The red-robed man considerately stood at the entrance: “Water Lord and the others have all gone down. This subordinate will guard at the entrance.”

“No need,” Zanxing interrupted his words: “You go down too.”

Chuideng Gui was stunned for a moment, then smiled again: “Yes, Little Highness.”

After everyone had withdrawn, the great hall was empty.

The Chaos Hall had always been spacious. Even though everyone had added many gaudy things to the hall, once night fell and the sky darkened, all the crystals no longer sparkled, making it seem somewhat cold and desolate. Chuideng Gui, finding the hall lonely, had placed many lamps and fires. Now the hall’s windows were not closed, and wind blew in from outside, extinguishing half the lamps, making it appear even more gloomy and desolate.

There was no moon, and no starry sky. The sound of rain pattered outside. On the stone platform by the window sat one person and one cat.

The flickering lamplight stretched his shadow long, casting it on the ground; that shadow was also pitifully lonely.

The young man had his back to Zanxing. Not knowing whether he was speaking to himself or the large cat beside him, he said, “Don’t harbor vain hopes. I’m different from them. Yang Zanxing, listen well – I absolutely will not do… absolutely will not do…” As if finding it very difficult to speak, he hesitated for a long time without saying the next sentence.

Zanxing waited quietly for quite a while, but didn’t hear his continuation, so she couldn’t help but speak: “Absolutely will not do what?”

The sound of rain seemed to freeze for an instant.

The snow-white large cat turned its head, as if just discovering Zanxing’s arrival, joyfully pouncing straight toward her. Zanxing caught it in one motion and held it in her arms.

Gu Baiying stood up from the stone platform and turned around.

He stood opposite Zanxing, just a few steps away from her, yet it seemed like they were separated by a great distance.

They had just met at Yuemo Mountain not long ago; clearly, they had just been fighting side by side, yet at this moment, with the dim lamplight and continuous night rain, the young man stood opposite her. His eyes were crystalline like stars and precious gems, but his gaze contained a deliberately concealed bitter meaning.

Mimi leaped down from Zanxing’s embrace, slipping to one side, curiously looking toward the two people in the hall.

After a long while, Zanxing spoke. She looked toward Gu Baiying and smiled gently: “Master Uncle, do you remember me?”

The words “Master Uncle” made the young man slightly stunned, and also caused the subtle unfamiliarity from before to dissipate like smoke. The hazy, bitter meaning in his eyes gradually scattered, becoming bright again.

Gu Baiying said, “How are you now?”

“What?”

“The Xiaoyuan Pearl was split in two and drilled into your body. When you were at the Five Wheel Pagoda, you were injured by Gui Yansheng and remained unconscious. His brow furrowed: “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Zanxing said, “I soaked in the Demon Essence Pool for an entire night, nourishing and tempering my body. I’m mostly recovered.” Zanxing stretched her arms, showing him her lively and energetic side: “But Master Uncle, I heard from Mendong that back then you helped me leave the Ten Thousand Killing Formation, and later you were made difficult by those people from the Chihua Gate. You suffered thunder punishment on the Five Thunder Platform for many days. Your cultivation…”

“It’s nothing.” Gu Baiying answered with little concern: “The sect master helped heal my injuries. I recovered long ago. It was just thunder punishment – it won’t kill anyone.” He looked at Zanxing again, coughed lightly, hesitated for a moment before speaking: “I didn’t forget you on purpose.”

Zanxing smiled: “I know.”

Mendong had already told her about it. But even if Mendong hadn’t told her, although Zanxing was somewhat angry, she wouldn’t be so petty as to hold a grudge about it to the point of life and death. After all, she originally didn’t like making things difficult for herself, and after walking through the Extreme Ice Abyss, she had become even more thoughtful than before.

“Yang Zanxing, how exactly did you become part of the Demon Clan?” Gu Baiying looked at her: “Since you are of the Demon Clan, why did you go to Gufeng Mountain?”

Zanxing didn’t immediately answer his question. After a while, she asked, “Does Master Uncle trust me?”

“Of course.” The young man answered without thinking: “Otherwise, why would I save you?”

His attitude of not hesitating for half a moment and taking it for granted, Zanxing was stunned for a moment. A smile appeared in her eyes, and her tone became lighter: “Originally, on the night of my birthday, on the Rainbow Platform, I wanted to tell you about this matter. But you were about to enter seclusion, and I was afraid it would affect your cultivation, so I thought I’d tell you after you came out of seclusion. I didn’t expect things would turn out that way later.”

Thinking of the Ten Thousand Killing Formation incident, both fell silent.

Zanxing raised her eyes to look at him: “What about you? What did you want to tell me then?”

Gu Baiying was stunned: “What?”

“Didn’t you say that after coming out of seclusion, you also had something to tell me?” Zanxing asked.

He didn’t speak.

The rain seemed to grow heavier, drip-drop, the sound of water droplets falling on the azure stone platform outside.

Zanxing stepped forward, taking out the hairpin from her sleeve. That beautiful hairpin had once broken into two pieces and been carefully repaired. A crack was still visible, and without the star-like primordial soul adorning it, it looked plain and pitiful.

She stared intently at Gu Baiying’s eyes, her voice gentle yet persistent: “Cultivators wouldn’t easily separate their primordial soul. Yet you deceived me, saying it was ordinary jewelry you bought from Huajin Tower… Gu Baiying, why did you give me this hairpin?”

The lamplight in the hall stretched the shadows of people long on the ground. In the distance, Heishi Mountain’s vegetation was moist, and the night was deep and heavy.

“Ding—”

Suddenly, a clear, lingering bell sound rang out from within the hall.