#59: Departure

For anyone, an invitation like Shi Luoyi’s would be impossible to resist.

Her eyes were bright and pure, the once indomitable determination now transformed into something softer when facing Bian Lingyu.

A month ago, as Bian Lingyu lay beside her, he had tried his hardest not to dwell on certain thoughts. Sometimes, in the early mornings when Shi Luoyi left to practice her swordsmanship, he would calmly bathe or tidy up alone.

Shi Luoyi didn’t know this, and neither did Bian Lingyu mention it. After all, he knew she was afraid—she wasn’t ready for such intimacy yet.

In matters like these, Bian Lingyu hoped that she would truly accept them and find joy in the experience.

“Are you serious?” Bian Lingyu asked, unsure why Shi Luoyi had suddenly made up her mind.

By this point, though Shi Luoyi felt a little uneasy—it was impossible for her to feel completely unbothered after the unsettling memory she couldn’t quite recall—she had no intention of backing down. She had always intended to become Bian Lingyu’s true Dao companion, and after so much time had passed, their lack of consummation seemed increasingly unreasonable.

Suppressing her inner panic, she nodded. “Mm.”

Bian Lingyu reached out, touching Shi Luoyi’s cheek. Though she tried to calm her nerves, expecting him to undress, he simply wiped away the droplets of water from her cheeks and eyelashes. His voice was cold as he said, “No.”

“…” So… she had stripped, only to be rejected?

Unless she doubted that Bian Lingyu truly disliked A’Xiu, Shi Luoyi might have even believed he had fallen for someone else.

Shi Luoyi couldn’t help but feel a little disheartened. Was she… not attractive enough?

That couldn’t be right. Though she hadn’t seen others, she was sure she wasn’t unattractive. During her years wandering the mortal realm in her past life, she had dealt with countless lecherous men who lusted after her.

The sword-cultivating maiden wasn’t without pride. Shi Luoyi snapped, “Then get out!” If he wasn’t going to do anything, leaving her naked like this made her blood boil just thinking about it.

Bian Lingyu, finally emerging from the oppressive atmosphere of recent days, kept his breathing steady. “Alright, call me when you’re done washing.”

Call him for what? Shi Luoyi splashed the water in frustration, her dantian throbbing with pain, her embarrassment growing.

With a stiff expression, she quickly finished washing, refusing to let Bian Lingyu carry her back. She scrambled into bed by herself.

Though Shi Luoyi had already guessed that Bian Lingyu’s refusal stemmed from secrets he wouldn’t reveal, she still couldn’t help feeling a little downcast.

She had mustered so much courage to say those words, even overcoming her fear.

Bian Lingyu also bathed after Shi Luoyi came out, quickly cleaning himself.

He lay down outside, and for a while, both of them were silent.

Bian Lingyu had always been aloof, speaking little. Most of the time, Shi Luoyi spoke, and he listened.

After what had just transpired, Shi Luoyi stared at the canopy of the bed, not wanting to say a word. She deeply regretted her actions. She shouldn’t have taken off her clothes before confirming Bian Lingyu’s intentions.

Her face rigid, she tried to forget the awkwardness gnawing at her heart.

Bian Lingyu’s long lashes concealed his gaze. Misinterpreting her silence and recalling the events of the morning, he finally spoke. “Don’t be angry.”

Shi Luoyi thought to herself, I’m not angry. Who would be angry over something like this?

“If you really want…” Bian Lingyu remembered the booklet he had once found in the bamboo grove outside the sect. He hadn’t intended to read it, but later, thinking of the pain on Shi Luoyi’s face during their previous encounter, he calmly flipped through it.

Bian Lingyu paused. “I can try something else.” If it was just this one time, nothing should go wrong.

After all… there wouldn’t be another chance in the future.

When Shi Luoyi heard him say this, curiosity stirred within her. This curiosity came at the worst possible moment. She knew she shouldn’t respond; she should harshly tell Bian Lingyu that he had missed his chance earlier and that it was too late now.

But one of the traits of a skilled cultivator was innate curiosity. Unable to resist, Shi Luoyi asked, “What do you mean, something else?”

“…”

The candlelight flickered softly as Bian Lingyu leaned over her. The youth’s handsome features were breathtaking, almost dazzling to behold.

Shi Luoyi thought to herself, This process feels familiar. They had kissed many times before, and she was quite accustomed to it. Was this the “method” he referred to? They had already tried something similar.

Though she found it somewhat intriguing, it wasn’t enough to make her feel that way.

But soon, her assumptions were overturned.

She felt the cool night breeze on her skin, sending shivers of chill across her body.

Instinctively, she crossed her arms over herself, her face flushing red. “You can’t…”

Her wrist was quickly pinned above her head. Bian Lingyu’s breath was close, his voice unsteady. “This morning, at the Flower Festival, weren’t you curious about why that woman reacted the way she did?”

Shi Luoyi’s mind was in turmoil. “I was a little curious, but that doesn’t mean you can just…”

She wanted to say, Didn’t you only kiss my lips before? And your hands were always so proper. Wasn’t it supposed to be just a kiss, followed by… well, what she had heard described as the usual steps?

The youth’s voice carried the same icy clarity as a cold mountain stream, slightly hoarse. “But this is how it is. Can you stop moving? Right now…”

He didn’t finish, but Shi Luoyi noticed beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Fine, if Bian Lingyu was also uncomfortable, she could endure a little longer. Shi Luoyi raised her hand, using her discarded undergarment to wipe the sweat from his brow.

The next moment, he sighed and pulled the blanket up, covering his godlike face.

The candlelight danced, and unknowingly, beads of fragrant sweat began to form on Shi Luoyi’s cheeks.

She bit her lip, her eyes filled with confusion. She felt him continue downward, and this time, Shi Luoyi shuddered. “Bian Ling… Lingyu, stop… I think it’s too strange. Can you please stop…”

“Does it hurt?” His voice rang out.

“No, it’s just that…” Shi Luoyi let out a muffled groan, wanting to say more but was abruptly cut off. “Bian Lingyu!”

He seemed to respond faintly, but his voice was too low and muffled for her to hear clearly.

“You’re too tense… You being like this makes it hard for me to…”

Shi Luoyi couldn’t help but feel tense, trembling in waves. Though she had just bathed, she felt as if she had been pulled out of the water again. Later, her lips quivering, she wanted to confront him: How could Bian Lingyu toy with her like this?

How could he do this to her?

Yet, she didn’t even have the chance to speak. Every time she tried to say something, the next moment left her disoriented, unable to form complete sentences.

Her fragmented words came out distorted.

The soft popping of the candle continued to echo in the room. Tears clung to Shi Luoyi’s lashes, and finally, she buried herself under the covers.

Even then, the sound of Bian Lingyu washing his hands seemed to linger in her ears.

“Don’t cover yourself. Aren’t you feeling hot?”

It took Shi Luoyi a while to calm down. She felt completely overwhelmed, almost submerged in shame. Right now, she didn’t want to face Bian Lingyu. Her voice was muffled as she accused him: “How could you do that!”

“Luo Yi, this is normal.”

It was the first time Bian Lingyu had called her Luo Yi. It came out so naturally, as if he had been calling her that in his heart countless times. Shi Luoyi was momentarily stunned.

But…

“How is this normal?” Shi Luoyi peeked out from under the covers, her face flushed red like blooming peach blossoms. “What you just did… it’s clearly…”

She couldn’t bring herself to say it, but she felt it was wrong. He had… done all of that to her, yet his inner garments remained intact. It felt like humiliation, but at the same time, she vaguely understood that it wasn’t meant that way.

Bian Lingyu tried to brush her damp hair aside. “I didn’t mean to…”

She glared at his hand, remembering what he had done. She instinctively recoiled, nearly retreating to the other side of the bed.

Bian Lingyu stared at her. By now, he too had realized—Shi Luoyi probably… hadn’t really wanted it. Throughout the entire process, she had been filled with unspoken tension. At the beginning, all she had hoped for was to return to the closeness they had shared before slaying Zhu Yan.

She had thought becoming Dao companions meant doing this .

Bian Lingyu took a moment to steady himself. It was the first time he had glimpsed something once so distant, and now he truly touched this warmth and softness.

Later, he even felt a bit dazed. Hearing the girl’s faint sobs, amidst the warmth, he felt for the first time that she truly belonged to him.

Shi Luoyi pressed her legs together. “I… I need a moment.”

“Alright.”

In any case, neither of them was calm.

Shi Luoyi quietly lay there for a while, waiting for the strange trembling sensation in her body to subside. Eventually, she no longer felt like a frightened bird. Her gaze drifted downward, landing on Bian Lingyu. “You… are you feeling alright?”

Bian Lingyu paused for a moment before replying, “Mm.”

“Then I…” She hesitated. “Should I… help you?”

Bian Lingyu hadn’t expected her to say that. He paused, this time asking her first: “Do you want to?”

Shi Luoyi’s hands were trembling badly. She clutched the blanket tightly, looking at him with tear-filled eyes.

“No need. Wait for me. I’ll be back soon; there’s something I need to tell you.” Such things required patience and teaching. Bian Lingyu knew she was too weak right now.

“… Alright.” Shi Luoyi softly responded, understanding that it was time to talk about serious matters. She watched as Bian Lingyu got up and went behind the screen.

After a while, Shi Luoyi covered her eyes with her arm. She tried hard not to think about what had just happened. Beneath the blanket, she wore nothing, but this time, she knew that Bian Lingyu didn’t dislike her—he… liked her very much.

She waited for what felt like an eternity before Bian Lingyu finally returned.

Shi Luoyi knew what he had gone to do, and she felt too shy to look at him directly. Though she had initiated this, now it seemed Bian Lingyu was far more composed than she was.

Fortunately, Bian Lingyu didn’t come too close.

“The thing that injured you—it was made from the protective scales of my severed tail. When I was young, my mother gave it to my half-brother, Su Li, who shares the same mother but a different father.”

Seeing that Bian Lingyu was voluntarily bringing up these matters, Shi Luoyi set aside her other emotions and listened intently.

She was surprised. “Your younger brother is here too?”

Bian Lingyu nodded.

Su Li must have come to kill him. As long as Bian Lingyu lived, Su Li would remain uneasy.

Soon after, Bian Lingyu briefly recounted the events of ten years ago when he and Bian Qingxuan fell into the mortal realm to slay the fallen celestial demons, as well as his feud with Su Li.

Shi Luoyi finally understood why Bian Qingxuan had targeted her and why those seemingly inexplicable events had occurred.

For a long time, Shi Luoyi didn’t speak. For the first time, she realized that she had been living thanks to a divine pearl.

She didn’t know what would happen to a god without their divine pearl, but she had seen cultivators lose their inner cores. Those who lost their cores became even more frail than mortals, aging rapidly and dying within days.

She recalled how, during Bian Lingyu’s weakest moments, he couldn’t even walk.

Shi Luoyi imagined the young deity sitting alone in the courtyard, waiting for her throughout his entire life. His hair turned white overnight, and he sat alone on the barren mountain, yet until death, he never received even a single glance from her.

She had refused to think of him at all.

Shi Luoyi had always believed she had nothing to feel guilty about. But now, she realized how wrong she had been. How she wished she could scold her past self. How she longed to go back and embrace that miserable, pained Bian Lingyu on the desolate mountain!

She didn’t let Bian Lingyu see the tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. Turning her face away, she muffled her voice into the pillow. “The divine pearl belongs to you. Take it back.” She didn’t want Bian Lingyu to endure such pain for even a moment longer.

“The divine pearl is also tied to your father’s life.” If Shi Luoyi returned it to him, Shi Huan in Wangdu Sea would also disintegrate.

Shi Luoyi was momentarily stunned. After calming herself, she lifted her face and shook her head. “Bian Lingyu, you’ve met my father, haven’t you? He’s the most upright man in the cultivation world—how could he live by trampling over others’ corpses?”

Though she hadn’t inherited much from her father, she shared his pride and unyielding spirit.

Bian Lingyu looked into her eyes, his tone cold. “But I refuse.”

It was rare for Shi Luoyi to see Bian Lingyu so resolute. She took a deep breath. “What if we do this: since you’re a god, I’ll return it to you, and then you can find another way to save me. That way, both of us can survive.”

The more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. “Just like when you saved my father—you know I have a soul lamp, and inside it lies a fragment of my scattered soul.”

Bian Lingyu coldly turned his head away. “You and Shi Huan are different. He is already a semi-divine soul and could ascend naturally.”

Shi Luoyi’s soul was fragile, and he couldn’t risk trying anything. Moreover, for Bian Lingyu to restore his divine powers and rebuild Shi Luoyi’s body and soul, he needed to recover his own divine essence.

“Ten years have passed. My mother wouldn’t have kept my divine essence.”

Without his divine essence or a complete body, how could he possibly save Shi Luoyi? He didn’t want to hold onto her remaining soul fragment only to descend further into madness.

Shi Luoyi felt as though something had gently pricked her heart. The pain she felt for Bian Lingyu tonight was greater than all the pain she had ever felt in her previous life combined.

When Bian Lingyu spoke of his mother destroying his divine essence, his expression remained cold and indifferent, as if he were used to it—but it pained her deeply.

How could there be such a mother in the world? Did such a mother even deserve to be called a mother?

They argued for a long time but couldn’t reach a resolution.

With no solution in sight, they decided to rest for the night.

The next day, Cangwu was waiting outside. Bian Lingyu said to Shi Luoyi, “Qingxuan and Su Li will eventually find us. When that happens, no one will be safe. You should leave for Wangdu Sea.”

Uncle Liu and Grandma Zhao had already been sent away earlier. Bian Lingyu handed the completed Tianji Pill to Shi Luoyi.

Cangwu waited outside, ready to act as her mount.

“Do you plan to stay here and let him kill you?” Her voice carried a hint of anger as she spoke.

“No, I’ll go with you to Wangdu Sea. There are fierce winds there that Su Li wouldn’t dare approach.”

Su Li’s true form was weak; he couldn’t linger in the mortal realm for long. Once he left, Shi Luoyi would be safe.

Shi Luoyi asked, “What about after that?”

“Are you afraid of monsters?”

Shi Luoyi shook her head immediately. “If you’re talking about yourself, I’m not afraid at all.”

Bian Lingyu’s eyes were clear. For the first time in days, his expression softened. “And do you still think I’m ugly?”

Shi Luoyi felt a rare moment of shyness. “You’ve always been beautiful.”

“When I transform into my true form, I’ll lose consciousness. If I die in the fierce winds of Wangdu Sea, bring my bones to Qingxuan.”

Bian Qingxuan was growing weaker and would have no choice but to leave as well. Shi Luoyi, on the other hand, would only need a few years of cultivation in Wangdu Sea before she could return safely to Buye Mountain.

Shi Luoyi didn’t comment on this plan. She had spent the entire night thinking and had already made up her mind. Pretending not to hear Bian Lingyu’s words, she said firmly, “I won’t let you die. How can you still keep your promise to someone as despicable as Bian Qingxuan?”

“Qingxuan is a warrior,” Bian Lingyu said calmly. “The divine race respects every demon-slaying warrior. I won’t execute her out of personal grudges.”

After a brief silence, he added, “But when you ascend in the future, you will surely surpass her. You two share a karmic connection—you can deal with her then.”

Shi Luoyi nodded.

She understood this principle. Just as cultivators didn’t kill their fellow demon-slayers, in the face of greater righteousness, these justice-seekers deserved respect. However, personal grievances could be settled individually.

“Alright, I’ll remember that. But before we leave, I need to settle things at Buye Mountain.”

Her vulnerabilities had to be addressed.

From what she’d heard, Su Li wasn’t a good person. If he slaughtered Buye Mountain to find her and Bian Lingyu, she wouldn’t be able to hide either.

Together with A’Xiu and the others, they traveled half a day and returned to Buye Mountain.

Shi Luoyi wasted no time and immediately dispersed everyone.

“When Father returns, everyone can come back.” The spirits under her care were all well-behaved. Even if they hid in the forests, they could live peacefully. As for the mortals, it was even simpler—they could settle in the towns below and blend in as ordinary people.

A’Xiu joined the mortals, tears streaming down her face. “Immortal Luo Yi, I don’t want to leave you.”

“I promise you, if I ever return, I’ll come to see you.”

A’Xiu left reluctantly, looking back repeatedly.

Many spirits couldn’t migrate all at once, but fortunately, the grand sect competition was underway, and the powerful cultivators who had left their spiritual energy at Buye Mountain wouldn’t rush back immediately. To avoid alarming anyone, Shi Luoyi instructed the spirits to leave in batches under the cover of night.

The only variable Shi Luoyi worried about was the sect leader.

Holding her sword, she stood at the mountain pass, knowing full well that the sect leader must have sent spies to monitor Buye Mountain. This was a risky move.

One misstep, and both she and Bian Lingyu could be intercepted.

Quietly, she told Cangwu, “If anything happens, take him and run first. Don’t worry, he can’t beat you now.”

Cangwu hesitated. “… Sister-in-law, no, Miss Shi, didn’t you promise Lingyu to go to Wangdu Sea?”

Shi Luoyi chuckled softly. “Let’s humor him for now. How can I rely entirely on him to survive? He’s already… let me live one lifetime. I owe him too much—I can’t ascend like this. Besides, I want to see him kill Su Li and reclaim everything that belongs to him.”

How could they treat the young divine ruler, who safeguarded all living beings, this way?

The divine pearl could only be sealed within her body. If it returned to Bian Lingyu, there was a chance he could fight his way back to the divine realm.

Seeing that Cangwu wasn’t following her instructions, Shi Luoyi said, “Don’t you want to see your master again? Only if Bian Lingyu survives and reclaims the divine pearl can your wish come true.”

“How do you know about that?”

“You told me everything when you were drunk.” Shi Luoyi’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “I hope you find her soon.”

By now, Cangwu also thought highly of Shi Luoyi. He began to understand why Bian Lingyu liked her so much. “But do you have a way to return the divine pearl to him?”

At this, Shi Luoyi hesitated, mumbling, “… Mm.”

“What’s the method?”

“Don’t ask so many questions.” Whatever Bian Lingyu was most reluctant to do was likely the way to return the divine pearl. She wasn’t truly naive—she had pieced together enough to figure it out.

That night, they had abruptly stopped. No matter how much pain Bian Lingyu endured, he hadn’t touched her again.

He acted as though he was terrified of making a mistake. During the day, he also kept his distance from Shi Luoyi. Even without saying it, she had guessed—what had happened last night likely occurred because Bian Lingyu thought she truly wanted it.

Cangwu quickly agreed, as he had followed Bian Lingyu solely to reunite with his master. Whoever could help him see his master again would earn his loyalty.

Shi Luoyi trusted Bian Lingyu, and she was willing to take the gamble. She believed that the Heavenly Dao wouldn’t treat the divine race so cruelly.

She wanted this deity who had fallen to the mortal realm for ten years to return home. She wanted him to slay Su Li and fulfill his destiny.

She also trusted that time would bring its changes, and Bian Lingyu would find a way to bring her back to him. He didn’t dare gamble with her life and death, but Shi Luoyi did. At worst, if she lost the bet, everything would simply return to where it began.

Without Bian Lingyu, she would have died in the fierce winds ten years ago.

She took out the Tianji Pill , popped it into her mouth—it was sweet. It carried the sincerity of one person across two lifetimes.

Bian Lingyu stood at another mountain pass, watching the spirits evacuate.

He sat cross-legged, his dark eyes gazing toward a distant place. He sensed the presence of Zhu Yan.

When he had slain Zhu Yan, he had noticed that only a fragment of its soul remained. But where the other fragments had gone, Bian Lingyu couldn’t determine in such a short time.

Still, what little power Zhu Yan had left was no longer a threat. Even without him, cultivators would eventually hunt it down.

But its appearance at Buye Mountain was intriguing.

Every corner of Hengwu Sect was bustling with preparations for the grand competition. This year’s event was more extravagant than ever, all to welcome his ostentatious younger brother.

Bian Lingyu lowered his gaze, coldly thinking: A worthless brother with diluted bloodlines.

He had originally intended to call Cangwu over to track the remaining traces of Zhu Yan’s aura, but the scent dissipated too quickly. After it vanished, all the people the sect leader had sent to monitor Buye Mountain collapsed unconscious.

He realized then—someone was helping them.

In the darkness of night, a condensed fragment of a soul gripped its sword tightly. It drifted aimlessly to another mountain pass, taking on the form of Jiang Qi. From afar, it watched but didn’t approach.

The maiden’s crimson scarf stood out vividly in the night.

Jiang Qi recalled the day he had left the cave and fed her the inner core of the nine-tailed fox. He had wanted to tell her: “If I can survive and return…”

But those words were never finished, and he never returned alive.

His soul fled back to Mingyou Mountain, where he knelt before his master, begging to be saved. His once-kind master, however, merely sighed with a smile before shattering his soul lamp. “My foolish disciple, you are not only naive but utterly useless…”

As Jiang Qi’s soul was nearly crushed, he finally understood—the messenger who delivered the sealing order had been replaced. The command from the Dao Lord to seal him had been altered by the master he revered into an order for his execution.

All his hatred had been misdirected from the very beginning.

Just as he was about to be destroyed by the sect leader, his soul seared with pain, and something carried him farther and farther away.

When he opened his eyes, he found that the residual soul of Zhu Yan had merged with his body.

At that moment, Jiang Qi’s throat tightened, and he could say nothing. Throughout his life, he had hated the one he should have owed, and yet the evil creature he had commanded still showed him a shred of genuine loyalty even in death.

This life had been nothing but a bitter joke.

Under the moonlight, he left behind Shi Luoyi, his final attachment in life now standing in the wind.

Jiang Qi’s lips trembled for a long while before the words “I’m sorry” faded into the breeze.

He knew he would eventually disintegrate, that he had no right to seek redemption. Jiang Qi’s figure disappeared into the night. He watched as they left Buye Mountain together, walking farther and farther away. He would remain behind, lurking in the shadows, determined to drag the sect leader into hell.