AUOF - 76

Judging from the malevolent force’s behavior, it hadn’t completely lost its humanity—this was an opportunity.

Sang Li rummaged through her storage pouch and retrieved the will written on a piece of cloth, holding it out. “We found Lin Xiang’er in Wanshui Prefecture, but unfortunately, by the time we found her, she had already…” Sang Li paused, then handed over the other half of the jade pendant as well. “She never forgot you, nor did she betray you.”

The massive hand of the malevolent force clumsily attempted to grab them, its movements awkward. After several failed attempts, it finally managed to carefully grasp the jade pendant and unfurl the will.

A desolate shadow flickered across the surface of the cloth, revealing familiar handwriting:

[For this lifetime, I shall never break my promise, though I may fail to keep our meeting.]

Lu Qinghe stared blankly at the words, reading them over and over again, endlessly.

Around them, chaotic and hurried footsteps approached, laced with murderous intent, yet he remained oblivious. On that monstrous face, now unrecognizable, only his eyes remained clear, filled with sorrow and loneliness.

Lu Qinghe conjured a beam of light between his fingertips. The dried bloodstains on the cloth suddenly began to gather together.

He dripped the collected drop of blood onto the Floating World Bell.

As the blood seeped into the bell, a crisp and melodious chime echoed in their ears. With the bell’s gentle swaying, scrolls began to unfold around them, enveloping the pair and pulling them entirely into a realm filled with memories.

Scrolls danced all around them, each one displaying vivid scenes.

Lin Xiang’er’s birth, her entry into the sect, her laughter, her tears…

She had been a strikingly beautiful girl.

She evoked the image of a lotus blooming amidst the misty rain of Jiangnan—ethereal, floating in purity, yet imbued with shyness.

Each scroll represented her memories, and by extension, the journey of her life.

From childhood to adolescence, Lin Xiang’er had always been alone. But after entering the sect, a shadow appeared beside her.

The young man was slender, handsome, and often reserved and quiet.

Whenever Lin Xiang’er appeared by his side, it was usually because others had bullied him, and she had gone to tend to his wounds.

Sang Li knew—that was Lu Qinghe.

“Do you never fight back when others hit you?”

Lu Qinghe turned his face away, his earlobes flushed red. “Why bother fighting with others?”

He was excessively kind and gentle, so much so that Sang Li couldn’t possibly associate him with the horrifying, filthy malevolent force standing beside her.

Soon, the memory scrolls revealed Zi Ning’s face, and with it, the turning point in their story.

To Sang Li’s surprise, their fall into the Celestial Gate hadn’t been an accident—it had been a meticulously planned scheme by Zi Ning.

Not long after Lin Xiang’er sent her letter of refusal, Zi Ning, driven by jealousy, tricked her into the sect’s secret realm.

Inside the secret realm lay a Mirror Demon that had been dead for some time.

They had somehow managed to keep the Celestial Gate open using the deceased Mirror Demon.

Zi Ning forcibly dragged Lin Xiang’er into Wanshui Prefecture.

He was intimately familiar with the place and easily found the Silken Worm Parasite within the underground ruins, planting it on both of them…

Cold sweat beaded on Sang Li’s forehead.

So that was it… So that was it…

The Fuxi Bagua Array in Wanshui Prefecture had been left behind by the Wuding Sect!

Because they frequently entered and exited the ruins, they had placed the entrance to the Bagua Array in the safest part of the ruins!

Only one scroll remained.

Lin Xiang’er, afflicted by the parasite, became entangled with Zi Ning under the influence of the love curse.

Zi Ning believed his plan had succeeded. Afterward, he berated her, insulted her, and arrogantly declared that she had lost her purity and could now only be with him. He also mocked Lu Qinghe as a useless coward unworthy of staying in the Wuding Sect.

Lin Xiang’er said nothing, merely listening quietly.

What Zi Ning didn’t know was that her hatred, burning fiercely, eventually overwhelmed the love forced upon her by the love curse. As he dressed, she stabbed him through the heart with a sword from behind.

The Silken Worm Parasite bound their lives together.

Any injury inflicted on the main host would rebound onto the secondary host; similarly, if the main host died, the secondary host would not survive.

Unwilling to die alongside Zi Ning, she clung to her last breath and fled far away. At the brink of death, she tore off a piece of her clothing, soaked it in blood, and painstakingly wrote that letter, word by word.

[Dear Qing:

If you are reading this, I have already passed away.

I am afflicted by the love curse, powerless in every way.

Rather than my chastity, I cannot bear the thought of being bound to someone I do not love for the rest of my life.

Trapped in this prison, unable to escape, only death can free me. I once vowed with you, and Xiang’er will never break my promise, though I may fail to keep our meeting.

Final words of Lin Xiang’er.]

The flickering candlelight gently illuminated her pale brows and eyes.

Leaning against the wall, she tightly clutched the half-jade pendant at her waist, murmuring softly: “When flowers fall, spring does not speak…”

The sound of the bell faded, and her eyes closed.

Everything came to an end.

Under the yellow sand of the night, the malevolent force kept its head bowed, trying to piece together the two fragments of the jade pendant. Finally, it succeeded.

One piece bore the name Lu Qinghe.

The other bore the name Lin Xiang’er.

Holding the jade pendant, he spoke in a strange tone through his coarse throat—

“When flowers fall… spring does not speak, yet it carries profound meaning.”

His voice was scattered by the wind.

“Ah Qing, let’s be together.”

“Yes.”

Lu Qinghe had always wanted to tell her that he had been searching for her every single day since she disappeared, never giving up even for a moment. He firmly believed that he would find her.

“I think the Wuding Sect isn’t as good as I thought it was. If you’re willing, we can find a quiet place, build a thatched cottage, and maybe... raise a few rabbits?”

“Yes.”

Lu Qinghe was afraid that Lin Xiang’er would fear his appearance, but he knew she wouldn’t. She would gently tend to his wounds just like she did every day in the past, kissing the monstrous face that he now bore.

“You agree? Then... are you really willing to give up your cultivation and retreat from the world with me?”

“It’s not about giving up,” he had said back then. “It’s about having.”

But everything he had cherished, protected, and deeply loved had been destroyed by those he once revered and served.

The malevolent force clasped the jade pendant to its chest.

Its rage was boundless, yet even mourning felt like a luxury it couldn’t afford.

A look of resolve seeped into Lu Qinghe’s eyes. Half his body transformed into mist, and he soared toward the night sky.

The direction he headed toward was—

The Wuding Sect!!!

Sang Li was horrified. There was no need to guess what he intended to do.

But Lu Qinghe, now a malevolent force despised by all, was being hunted by countless cultivators. Even if he managed to break into the Wuding Sect by sheer luck, there was no way he could break through their mountain barrier!

Was this not akin to suicide?

“Big Eyes, chase after him!”

Sang Li slapped the big-eyed creature and climbed onto its back to pursue him.

The big-eyed creature took off into the air, but after flying only a thousand meters, it let out an earth-shattering cry of pain. Its wings faltered, causing Sang Li on its back to sway uncontrollably. Both of them plummeted to the ground together.

Just before hitting the rocky ground, the big-eyed creature retracted its wings and tightly embraced her entire body, ensuring she didn’t sustain any injuries. With a muffled thud, its back slammed into the sharp rocks, blood gushing forth as it lost consciousness.

Sang Li struggled to free herself from its tight grip. Before she could worry about the big-eyed creature’s condition, the murderous intent surging behind her forced her to raise her wrist and deploy the Huagu Ling as a shield.

“Hmph, so you’ve gained some skill.”

Sang Li turned around in shock.

Yan Jinglou rode a fiery steed, hovering mid-air. His gaze was condescending, giving Sang Li no room to breathe. With a flick of his left hand, a bow and arrow materialized in his palm.

The crimson bow, drawn taut like a full moon, resembled a burning phoenix.

Whoosh.

The arrow, engulfed in flames, shot straight for her vital point.

Sang Li dodged, but the arrow was faster. The rain of arrows pierced through her body, not dissipating but forming a net that locked down the four spiritual nodes within her and trapped her spirit core.

The suffocating pain caused her to cough up a large mouthful of blood.

Ji Hengyu couldn’t help alleviate the shattering of her spirit sea, leaving her in immense agony. Two forces pulled at her mind—one trying to rip away her soul, the other resisting it. Her vision blurred, her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground.

Yan Jinglou dismounted and approached.

He moved slowly, his posture steady and powerful.

When severely weakened, the nine tails of a nine-tailed fox spirit would manifest to protect its master.

One by one, nine radiant tails unfurled behind her, illuminating the surroundings like daylight.

Yan Jinglou extended his fingers into a claw-like shape, his nails lengthening. He intended to take her nine lives one by one and then extract her spirit core.

“Cough!”

Sang Li painfully dragged herself backward.

She spat out a mouthful of bloody foam, using her hands to prop herself up as she slowly sat up.

Leaning weakly against the unconscious big-eyed creature, Sang Li tilted her head up and calmly stared at him.

Her eyes showed no sign of retreat or fear, resembling a dried-up well, silently watching the desolate moonlight cast upon her and his unflinching expression.

For a fleeting moment, Yan Jinglou hesitated.

Clutching her abdomen, Sang Li hoarsely spoke, “Before you kill me, I have something to say.”

Yan Jinglou: “Last words?”

Sang Li shook her head. “I won’t die, at least not today.”

Yan Jinglou was amused by her unwarranted confidence. “You’re quite self-assured.” Yet, curiosity stirred within him. “Go ahead.”

Sang Li pointed in the direction the malevolent force had fled. “Did you see that malevolent force that ran off just now? It has a Floating World Bell. With just a drop of blood, that bell can reveal memories of past and present lives. I’ve seen it—it works.”

Yan Jinglou narrowed his eyes. “What are you trying to say?”

“What I mean is...” Her throat itched, and her abdomen burned painfully. She forced back the rising blood and coughing fit, closing her dry eyes momentarily. “Cui Wan’ning is not the person you’re looking for. Just use the Floating World Bell, and you’ll see the truth.”

“Utter nonsense—!”

As expected, these words enraged Yan Jinglou once again.

His features twisted grotesquely with overwhelming irritation. “Sang Li, don’t think I don’t know what you’re plotting! You envy and resent her, and now you want to slander her! She is Luo Wanwan—that will never change!”

Sang Li calmly faced his crumbling logic. “Whether it’s true or not, finding the Floating World Bell will reveal everything.”

Yan Jinglou’s gaze flickered, suddenly clearing.

He chuckled. “Why should I listen to you? This is something I’ve already determined. All I need is your demon core to save her life. There’s no reason for me to entertain your last-minute ramblings.”

Sang Li burst into laughter, her chuckles growing louder and louder, shaking her shoulders until she eventually doubled over in mirth.

“Yan Jinglou, admit it—you have no courage. You’re nothing but a coward, a hypocrite!” The edge of her lips curled into a sharp, mocking smile. “No one is more hypocritical than you, Yan Jinglou.”

Her words were piercing and cutting, causing his brow to twitch. “What did you say?”

Sang Li didn’t fear him, each word striking deep into his heart. “That so-called Luo Wanwan is merely the regret of your youth. Whether Cui Wan’ning is real or fake, you don’t truly care. You’ve decided she is who you say she is because you need someone to cling to. From start to finish, you’ve been compensating not for Luo Wanwan, but for yourself. You’re afraid that everything you’ve done is meaningless, that all your efforts are false, that your carefully constructed devotion is just a handful of water. That’s why you’re too afraid to seek the truth. You treat Cui Wan’ning kindly, bestowing her with a grand title, but ask yourself—does this kindness satisfy her, or does it satisfy you? Do you really love her? Have you never doubted it?” Sang Li’s words grew faster and sharper. “Is it genuine affection, or are you just deluding yourself?”

“So...”

She coldly stared directly into his eyes—

“If you’re not hypocritical, who is? If you’re not a coward, who is?”