AUOF - 14

The cut on her left arm sent an excruciatingly sharp pain shooting through her, causing her to hiss and suck in a breath of cold air.

This time, the pain was unbearable.

Sang Li suspected that the bandage had been wrapped for too long, or perhaps there was a slight infection. She turned her back to Ji Hengyu and unwrapped the bandage. The prolonged binding had restricted blood flow to the wound, making it appear more purplish-blue than before.

The good news was that the wound wasn’t oozing pus, showing no signs of infection.

Perhaps it was just from moving too much earlier, accidentally aggravating it.

“What are you dawdling for?” Ji Hengyu stopped to urge her onward.

“It’s nothing.” She tossed the bandage aside, dismissing the matter entirely, picked up the bundle, and continued exploring further inside.

The two aimlessly walked into the corridor ahead. The walls were painted with vivid, lifelike depictions of bustling city life.

The nearly thirty-foot-long corridor wall depicted a vast number of animals, streets, buildings, tea houses, small bridges over flowing streams, rivers, and bustling markets filled with laborers and merchants, as well as wealthy young ladies strolling together to admire flowers—a scene of vibrant human prosperity.

At the end of the mural were inscriptions resembling oracle bone script, with a few characters faintly recognizable—

“Wanshui Prefecture.”

Perhaps this was the name of the royal city.

They reached the third corridor.

The content of the mural here had undergone a drastic transformation compared to the previous one.

A deep blackness stretched from beginning to end, with a massive blood-red vortex, round like the moon, occupying half of the mural. Collapsed towns, wailing infants, and people fleeing in chaos filled the rest.

Sang Li suddenly realized that the murals depicted a history—this world’s history.

By the fourth mural, humanity had become a living hell.

Corpses littered the land, famine-stricken bodies covered the fields, and the dead rose again. They became...

Sang Li took two steps back, staring at the monsters in the mural in disbelief.

Resembling lizards, with vertical pupils and armor made of flames.

“They were originally... all human.”

Sang Li murmured to herself.

It was Emperor Qi who forcibly opened the Heavenly Gate, robbing them of their sanity and turning them into monsters that crossed into another world to plunder.

Perhaps “plunder” wasn’t the right word.

They were searching for new land—any land they could call home.

She couldn’t help but glance at Ji Hengyu. His expression remained calm, completely unfazed by the images. Sang Li opened her mouth: “Did you know about this?”

Ji Hengyu quickly glanced over the mural and continued forward: “What Emperor Qi did violated the natural order. The world he shattered has become a chaotic hell, irreparable.”

This was also why countless demons kept pouring into the Nine Ling Realm.

The Heavenly Gate had destroyed the cities they depended on for survival. The fortunate ones perished along with the calamity, while the unfortunate ones became mindless monsters. Searching for a new haven was their only chance at survival, even if crossing the gate meant certain death—they had no choice.

He recounted a tragic tale in a flat, unemotional tone.

Sang Li’s heart suddenly grew heavy.

She thought again of the Mirror Demon they had killed earlier. Its eyes had spoken of hatred, willing to die alongside its enemies for revenge.

Emperor Qi’s reckless actions had brought devastation to the entire Nine Ling Realm, dragging other innocent realms toward ruin as well.

But they hadn’t done anything wrong.

This calamity was never something they should have endured.

Her heart ached, weighed down by sorrow, and she trudged forward in silence, no longer wanting to look at the mural.

Perhaps the blow of the truth was too great; Sang Li’s energy waned with every step.

Her forehead felt hot, her vision blurred—is she running a fever?

Just as she was about to ask Ji Hengyu to rest for a moment, she saw him halt his steps in a corner.

Summoning what little strength she had left, she followed him. “What is it?”

She followed Ji Hengyu’s gaze.

In the corner sat another skeleton, likely female based on her clothing. In her hand was a dirty piece of green cloth.

Sang Li swallowed hard. The male skeleton from earlier had left an indelible scar in her mind, and now the sight of bones made her shudder all over.

But…

Even as skeletons, shouldn’t women be kinder than men?

With that thought, her courage returned, and she approached the skeleton, intending to pull the cloth from its grasp.

It held on tightly, refusing to let go.

Sang Li coaxed gently: “Loosen your grip. Don’t worry, I’m a good person.”

Whether it was her words that worked or not, the skeleton actually released its hold.

Staring at the two dark, hollow eye sockets of the skull, Sang Li’s back went cold again.

She forced herself to overcome her fear and unfolded the green cloth.

It was a blood-written letter, the handwriting messy and uneven, clearly written by someone in extreme anguish.

[To Qing:

If you find this letter, I am already at rest.

I bear the love curse, unable to control my fate.

Rather than losing my purity, I refused to bind myself to someone I do not love for life.

Now trapped without escape, only death can free me. Though we once vowed to each other, Xiang’er will never break our promise, though I cannot keep it.

Lin Xiang’er, final words.]

On the other side of the green cloth was written—

[If anyone mistakenly enters here, escape through the Black Tortoise position at dawn. Remember: the golden crow is the door, and the moon phase is the key. If you manage to escape, please deliver this letter to...]

That was all.

Presumably, her life had run out before she could write the most important name.

Sang Li noticed a jade pendant hanging from the skeleton’s waist.

More accurately, half of a jade pendant.

She pulled it off. It bore the tiny characters “Lu” and “Qing.”

That must have been Lin Xiang’er’s lover.

Combining the male skeleton and the two letters, Sang Li pieced together a rough story.

Lin Xiang’er and Zining were fellow disciples.

For some reason, they came here. In her letter, Lin Xiang’er wrote, “unable to control my fate.” Combined with Zining’s feelings for her, it was likely that he secretly placed a love curse on her without her knowledge. Unable to escape, and unwilling to live bound to someone she didn’t love, Lin Xiang’er ultimately chose death.

As for how Zining died, it remained a mystery.

Sang Li glanced at Lin Xiang’er’s remains, carefully placing the green cloth with the will and the jade pendant into the bundle. Just as she was about to say something to Ji Hengyu, a sudden wave of dizziness overwhelmed her, blackening her vision and clouding her mind for a moment.

In that instant, a streak of sword light came slashing toward them.

Frozen in place, Sang Li was yanked away by Ji Hengyu.

“This is no time to be drowsy.”

Hearing the dissatisfaction in his tone, Sang Li lacked the strength to argue.

Her body felt limp, as if she might collapse at any moment. To steady herself, she grabbed Ji Hengyu’s wrist with her other hand.

A faint, muffled hum came from above.

Only then did Sang Li realize she had accidentally grabbed the wound on his wrist. She quickly let go: “Sorry, Lord Ji.”

Her voice was hoarse, her cheeks flushed red.

Ji Hengyu frowned.

Looking ahead, footsteps approached—

“During the ten years of our sect life, Su Zining would willingly brave any danger for you, Lin Xiang’er. Since you do not love me and even seek to kill me!”

The one approaching was the skeleton.

The sword in his hand had no physical form—it was merely a faint, eerie blue shadow of a blade. The skeleton gripped the phantom sword tightly, advancing step by step.

Sang Li was utterly shocked, momentarily forgetting her discomfort. “Isn’t he already dead?”

Ji Hengyu: “Perhaps his obsession was so deep that a lingering breath drove him back to the mortal world.”

Sang Li couldn’t help but glance at Lin Xiang’er’s remains.

The male skeleton pressed forward aggressively: “At this point, why don’t we become a pair of dead lovers in Wanshui Prefecture!”

Sang Li grew angrier with every word: “You’re insane! You’re just a smelly quail—what makes you think anyone would be your lover? Even after death, you’re still dreaming so sweetly. Pfft!”

She couldn’t resist spitting at him.

Her words clearly struck a nerve with Su Zining.

The skeleton paused, enraged: “Buried in a foreign land is already lonely enough. If it has come to this, then you shall join me in death!”

Whoosh!

He thrust his sword forward.

Ji Hengyu sidestepped to avoid the attack, swinging his fan to block the oncoming blade.

With Ji Hengyu’s spiritual energy sealed, the skeleton could still wield the spirit sword, but as a dead being, his strength was far weaker than when he was alive.

One side attacked while the other defended, the narrow corridor echoing with the sound of clashing weapons.

Dust filled the air.

Fearing that the fight might damage Lin Xiang’er’s remains in the corner, Sang Li quickly picked up her skeleton and moved it to a safer spot.

Watching Su Zining, who refused to rest even in death, her anger flared further.

“Miss Lin, forgive me—I’ll borrow your shawl for a moment.”

Sang Li first apologized sincerely to the deceased, then stripped the shawl from her body.

The skeleton was busy fending off Ji Hengyu and didn’t notice the movement behind him. Sang Li aimed for the thin neck bone of the skeleton, exerting force with her wrist to swing the pale blue shawl through the air like rippling water.

Sang Li spun her arm, wrapping the shawl tightly around the skeleton’s neck bone.

Using the shawl, she pulled the skeleton away from Ji Hengyu. With her other hand gripping the other end of the shawl, she yanked hard in opposite directions. A crisp cracking sound followed as she forcibly snapped the skull off.

The entire sequence flowed smoothly, leaving Sang Li pleasantly surprised.

All those years of training hadn’t gone to waste—even without spiritual energy now, her skills were still unmatched.

Seeing how effortlessly she subdued the skeleton, Ji Hengyu raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, deciding not to waste more effort. He closed his fan and stood quietly aside, leaving her to handle the matter.

Sang Li stomped hard on the skull with her foot. Though headless, the skeleton’s sword-wielding hand continued to slash wildly.

The incessant chopping irritated her. Sang Li once again wrapped the shawl around its right arm, pulling with all her might until the entire limb tore off the body.

Without its head or left arm, the remaining parts of the skeleton lost balance, swaying unsteadily in place.

Though pinned under her foot, the skull refused to give up, its teeth clicking as it tried to bite her calf.

But Sang Li wasn’t about to let it succeed.

Every time it tried to bite, she lifted her foot slightly and then stomped down again. This cycle repeated endlessly.

By now, Sang Li no longer found the bones frightening and taunted them gleefully: “Go ahead, bite all you want. Let’s see if you can actually bite me.”

The skull clicked furiously in response.

“Ha-ha, you can’t bite me,” Sang Li teased, deliberately wiggling her leg provocatively.

Unexpectedly, the severed arm nearby suddenly slithered over, grabbing her ankle tightly. Unable to move, Sang Li could only watch as the skull bit into her calf.

Damn it!

It bit her!

In a panic, Sang Li kicked it off with her foot.

The skull rolled several times on the ground, laughing arrogantly: “Hahahaha, little girl, do you really think you can fight me?!”

Ji Hengyu, who had been silently observing the entire scene: “….”

Sang Li didn’t want to play along anymore. “You’re despicable. She clearly rejected you, yet instead of respecting her wishes, you took advantage of her vulnerability and forced a love curse upon her, bullying her. Ending up like this is your karma. Stop thinking about revenge and move on peacefully.”

As she spoke, she pulled out a fire starter, igniting the shawl and tossing both it and the unknown talismans from the bundle onto the skeleton.

Flames roared to life.

The skull shot out sparks. If she hadn’t dodged quickly, she might have caught fire herself.

Su Zining continued to laugh maniacally: “Respecting others’ happiness? I’m no saint—how could I talk about such things? Love and hate in this world are often about forcing what you want. If others can fight for it, why can’t I?”

His hollow eye sockets burned with fire. Whether it was an illusion or not, Sang Li couldn’t shake the feeling that those dark voids were staring at her—and at Ji Hengyu.

“You may mock and despise me all you want, but one day, the suffering I’ve endured will be yours to bear tenfold.”

A wisp of black smoke escaped from his mouth.

With the dissipation of this final trace of soul energy, he finally fell silent.

Sang Li’s ankle still ached from the bite. She hoisted Lin Xiang’er’s remains onto her back and limped toward Ji Hengyu: “Lord Ji, let’s leave quickly using the information Lin Xiang’er left us.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Xiang’er’s head slumped down from her back.

After a long silence, Ji Hengyu asked, “Are you taking her with you?”

“Mm,” Sang Li nodded. “She was a good person. Leaving her alone here all this time is pitiful. I want to find a place to bury her properly.”

Taking her remains back wasn’t practical. All Sang Li could do was find a quiet spot to lay her to rest.

Ji Hengyu said nothing, though the discomfort in his wrist made him furrow his brow slightly.

Noticing something amiss, Sang Li cautiously asked: “Lord Ji, are you upset? It’s alright—I won’t make you carry her.”

His expression flickered as he concealed his wrist within his wide sleeve. “Do as you wish.”

Sang Li felt reassured.

The two walked in silence for nearly half an hour before finally exiting the ruins.

The world outside the ruins was even more desolate than Sang Li had imagined.

What met her eyes were ruined, barren cities, the scars of wars that refused to fade, and thick, impenetrable mists.

It seemed… there was no peaceful place to be found.

She located a relatively clean patch of ground, dug a hole with some stones, and buried Lin Xiang’er inside. After some thought, she also found a piece of wood to fashion a simple grave marker.

Ji Hengyu sat quietly behind her, gazing at Sang Li’s back for a long time without blinking.

He glanced once more at his wrist.

At the moment Sang Li had touched him earlier, he had clearly sensed the intrusion of some kind of life form.

The sensation was incredibly subtle—so much so that others likely wouldn’t have noticed it.

[Ji Wu, Ji Xun.]

He called out to them within his consciousness.

There was no response.

This came as no surprise.

The longer he stayed in this world, the greater its influence on him became.

With three souls, he naturally expended far more mental and spiritual energy than others. Now, with the Four Realms in a state of dormancy and his damaged meridians unable to channel spiritual energy for protection, prolonged exposure here would inevitably harm his soul.

Sang Li, however, was different.

She had always been weak and timid, but here, she seemed to have the upper hand.

Ji Hengyu touched his chest, his gaze darkening.

He felt something strange.

Ji Hengyu closed his eyes and forcibly activated the small circulation of energy within his body.

A faint trace of spiritual energy broke through the suppression of the Four Realms and surged toward his heart meridian—but soon after, a backlash struck him with double the force.

An unbearable burning pain seared his chest, as if something was drilling its way deeper inside.

A metallic taste filled his throat, and Ji Hengyu leaned forward, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

But he was now more certain than ever.

Something… had entered his body through the wound.

Was it the蛊虫 from the ruins? Or the love curse mentioned in the letter?

Regardless of which it was, Ji Hengyu could not allow it to remain.

The blood trailed down the corner of his lips, accentuating the unnatural pallor of his cheeks. His once calm and gentle features now appeared chillingly sinister.

His piercing gaze cut through the thick mist, locking onto Sang Li like a coiled serpent lying in wait in the dark.

That thing had first taken root in her body.

If it were a worm-like curse, the main body likely lay dormant within Sang Li’s heart.

If the host worm were to die, the secondary worm within his body would likely perish as well.

Ji Hengyu couldn’t guarantee what the worm might do once it grew stronger, nor could he confirm the accuracy of his suspicions. The only certainty was that he couldn’t afford to place himself in danger.

Therefore…

He had no choice but to kill her.

Ji Hengyu raised a finger to wipe away the blood at the corner of his lips. Slowly rising to his feet, he took one deliberate step after another, closing in on her.

Now just an arm’s length away.

Through the thick fog, his face was indistinct. The folding fan slipped from his sleeve into his palm, its segments extending outward, sharp as blades.