AUOF - 56

This moment felt especially long.

In those obsidian eyes, Sang Li sensed a hint of danger. It seemed he was still waiting for her to ask further. Her chest stirred, but she averted her gaze, leaning against the tree trunk without uttering another word. She lowered her head, deliberately avoiding his gaze.

A bitter taste rose in Ji Hengyu’s throat. Her silence brought him back to his senses in an instant.

When he realized what he had been about to do just moments ago, he lowered his head and smiled—a smile tinged with desolation, bitterness, and a faint trace of self-mockery.

Ji Wu observed the entire scene silently. The anticipated moment hadn’t occurred, and in his urgency, he roared inwardly: [What are you hesitating for? Keep going!]

[What should I say?] Ji Hengyu closed his eyes, questioning Ji Wu, and also himself.

Ji Wu faltered, falling silent.

Indeed, what was there to say…

About the first stirrings of emotion in five thousand years? About the greed and desires that arose, or about this pitiful fate?

From the moment he chose the path of binding and suppressing calamity—his karma already weighing heavily on him—he had no way forward and no way back.

He was like a small boat adrift in an endless deep sea, pushed forward by towering waves, unable to retreat even a single step.

At the very moment he acknowledged the depths of his own desires, he simultaneously saw the inevitable end.

Ji Hengyu turned his head slightly.

Her jet-black hair concealed her fair, slender neck, and her profile glowed with serene beauty.

Ji Hengyu had glimpsed fragments of her past life in an illusion.

She belonged in that world—bright and radiant, walking step by step with others toward so-called “schools” and “futures.”

Ji Hengyu thought that if it were possible, before the Path of Binding Calamity fully activated, he would send her back.

“Give me your hand.”

“Huh?”

Ji Hengyu repeated: “To undo the curse.”

At first, her thoughts froze, then a wave of overwhelming joy rushed over her.

Sang Li jolted up as if in a dream: “Y-you got Yen Jinglou’s blood?”

“Mm.”

Sang Li hesitated before asking: “Did you really kill him?”

Ji Hengyu replied: “It’s not that easy to kill him.”

Sang Li’s shoulders immediately slumped.

True, Yen Jinglou was the Demon Lord, his cultivation rivaling even the gods of the upper heavens. The one Ji Hengyu killed was likely one of his puppets.

Sang Li remembered that Yen Jinglou had created twelve puppets using the blood from the tip of his heart.

A wave of disappointment washed over her, but she obediently rolled up her sleeve and extended her hand.

Ji Hengyu retrieved a small porcelain bottle and poured the drop of blood onto her palm. With his spiritual energy, he guided the blood through her veins, slowly directing it toward her heart. He then performed a spiritual seal, raising his eyes to observe Sang Li’s reaction.

First came a sharp, twisting pain in her chest.

Soon, the pain spread to her dantian, intensifying into a burning sensation. A metallic tang rose in her throat, and she doubled over, vomiting a large mouthful of blood. Within the pool of blood lay a tiny, doll-like figure.

With a soft whoosh , the doll turned to ash upon touching the ground.

She wiped away the blood at the corner of her mouth and cautiously allowed her spiritual energy to circulate around her lower dantian.

The feeling of restraint vanished, leaving her body light and unburdened.

The Dual-Life Curse was lifted.

Since her journey across time and space, Sang Li had never felt as liberated as she did today.

Her brows relaxed, filled with ease and joy. Overcome with delight, she slapped Ji Hengyu hard on the shoulder.

Looking at the hand resting on his shoulder, Ji Hengyu didn’t push it away.

She puffed out her chest and promised: “Ji Hengyu, rest assured. When I go to the demon realm this time, I’ll definitely help you steal the Liuyan Pearl.”

A smile flickered in Ji Hengyu’s eyes: “You’re not calling me Master anymore?”

Uh...

Her expression froze.

Sang Li quickly lowered her gaze and corrected herself: “Master.”

Ji Hengyu gave a faint smile.

She obediently scooted closer to sit beside him.

“Even if you return to the demon realm today, Yen Jinglou may not believe you. If he asks, how will you explain this?”

Sang Li fell silent.

Yen Jinglou was naturally suspicious, and having suffered two losses at Ji Hengyu’s hands, returning in such a state would undoubtedly raise suspicions.

“Then...” Sang Li paused briefly to think. “I’ll tell him the truth.”

“Oh?”

“I’ll tell him that you already know my identity but spared my life, intending to use me to steal the Liuyan Pearl.”

Fabricating lies would only create more holes; telling the truth might earn his trust. If all went well, the mission could be accomplished without bloodshed.

Her plan seemed flawless, but Ji Hengyu’s expression remained deeply somber.

Seeing this, Sang Li’s heart skipped: “N-no... it won’t work?”

He nodded: “Given Yen Jinglou’s foolish nature, it’s indeed feasible.”

Sang Li was speechless.

Thankfully, Yen Jinglou wasn’t here—if he had heard that, he would have been enraged to death.

“However, there is a second option.”

Sang Li’s eyes shone brightly as she looked at him.

His lips moved: “Don’t go.”

“?!”

“The Dual-Life Curse is lifted; you no longer need to return. As for the Liuyan Pearl, it’s not something I absolutely need.”

What Ji Hengyu said was indeed correct.

However, compared to the Liuyan Pearl, Sang Li had a more important purpose.

Yen Jinglou was no fool.

It wouldn’t take long for him to discover that the Dual-Life Curse had been broken. Given his temperament, he would undoubtedly seek retribution against the little fox’s clan.

Sang Li’s return served two purposes: first, to temporarily pacify Yen Jinglou and prevent him from harming her kin; second, to coax some treasures from his vault for her own protection.

His vault was filled with priceless artifacts. After all her hard work, wasn’t it reasonable for the little fox to claim one protective treasure for herself?

“I’ve already made up my mind, Master. There’s no need to dissuade me,” Sang Li said firmly. “I’ll trouble you to find an excuse for me with Si Tu.”

This matter couldn’t wait.

The sooner she returned, the more credible her story would be.

“Wait.”

Sang Li tilted her head slightly.

“I won’t try to stop you, but you must be fully prepared.”

He turned his palm upward, revealing a small puppet the size of a thumb hovering above it.

“This is a fake puppet. I’ll place it inside your body now. If Yen Jinglou asks, tell him I’m using this object to control you.” He paused briefly. “It won’t harm your body.”

The tiny wooden figure slowly floated toward her and disappeared into her body.

Sang Li clasped her hands and bowed. “Thank you, Lord Ji Hengyu. I’ll take my leave first.”

She ascended into the clouds, preparing to return to the inn to retrieve her donkey before heading back to Yin Zhou.

As Sang Li’s figure gradually receded into the distance, Ji Hengyu closed his eyes and overlapped the positions of Ji Wu and Ji Xun within his consciousness.

Suddenly returning from the Abyssal Palace to his inner sea, Ji Xun felt slightly disoriented.

But soon, Ji Hengyu released him.

The two stood face to face.

Ji Xun wore the white jade robes he often donned in the palace, his celestial demeanor even more striking. It even caused Ji Hengyu to narrow his eyes slightly.

“You’ve become more like me.”

Ji Xun glanced at the scattered petals and the nearly dried pool of blood, his tone tinged with unease: “Did Sang Li get injured?”

Ji Hengyu’s gaze was sharp.

His intense stare made Ji Xun’s spine stiffen slightly.

After a moment, Ji Hengyu coughed softly twice, his expression weary. “You will accompany Sang Li into the demon realm’s great formation and assist her in stealing the Liuyan Pearl. Since you are formed from malevolent energy, the demon realm’s formations won’t easily detect you. Still, exercise utmost caution and avoid exposing yourself.”

Ji Xun looked puzzled: “After a hundred years, why the sudden desire to retrieve the Liuyan Pearl?”

Ji Hengyu lowered his eyelids: “My karmic burdens grow heavier by the day. Should I lose control one day, the Liuyan Pearl can protect the Abyssal Realm.”

The Liuyan Pearl was originally the eye of the Unkind Prison.

After tens of thousands of years of refinement, it remained indestructible by fire and insoluble by water. If forged into a weapon, it would be unparalleled; if used to reinforce an array, it would create an impenetrable fortress even the heavens’ lightning couldn’t breach.

Since Sang Li had decided to return, Ji Hengyu saw no reason not to seize this opportunity.

He didn’t believe she could accomplish it alone. Ji Xun was his contingency plan and safeguard.

Ji Xun bowed respectfully and turned to leave.

Ji Hengyu’s eyes flickered slightly, and he called him back.

“What else does Master wish to command?”

Ji Hengyu rubbed his fingertips. “If you cannot retrieve the Liuyan Pearl, it doesn’t matter. First, ensure her safety.” He feigned indifference, but the trace of tenderness that unconsciously slipped out betrayed his current emotions.

A flicker of surprise passed through Ji Xun’s eyes.

Ji Hengyu had already closed his eyes, preventing further inquiry.

Yet the heart within Ji Xun’s chest beat powerfully.

Each thump grew heavier, each pulse faster, as if venting some unspoken sentiment of its master.

Ji Xun’s breathing grew heavier. He turned away, his fingers tightening within his sleeve.

“I will follow Master’s command.”

After speaking softly, Ji Xun’s figure vanished in an instant.