Gu Jinghong smiled faintly, though the expression was barely visible on his aged face. "Miraculous Doctor Mo said he could save my life."
Chu Dingjiang pondered for a moment. "I'll find a way to send you back."
"No need." Gu Jinghong flipped his hand and drew a dagger from nowhere. "You're lingering at the second rank of the Transformation Realm. My blood can help you break through quickly. This is something they desperately want—I’m giving it to you."
"You’re offering me the Dragon Martial Guard and your heart blood. What do you want in return?" Chu Dingjiang asked.
Gu Jinghong replied, "If the opportunity arises, destroy the Yelü imperial clan for me."
Chu Dingjiang fell silent. Gu Jinghong was never one for many words, yet he spoke so plainly now—it seemed his mind was already set on death.
"When I first met you, I knew you harbored great ambitions." Gu Jinghong sensed his hesitation. Using his Mind Reading, he caught the subtle shifts in Chu Dingjiang’s thoughts. His words paused, his cracked lips parting slightly as despair surfaced on his face for the first time. "You..."
"You’ve seen it." Chu Dingjiang spoke slowly. "The thought of retreat has already taken root in my heart. I’m just still deliberating."
"Why?" Gu Jinghong murmured. "Why?"
"For that shadow unit woman with a dark heart." Chu Dingjiang chuckled. "Life is short. I’m wondering whether to pursue my ambitions or retire early."
He knew An Jiu had joined the Crane Control Army for Mei Yanran’s sake. Once she found Mei Yanran, she would quickly seek a way to leave, likely settling down somewhere to herd sheep and marry. Chu Dingjiang had schemed countless times, but he had no desire to bind a woman to his side with schemes.
He thought that after An Jiu found Mei Yanran, he would either let her go freely or accompany her.
"If you have hatred, strive to live and fulfill it yourself." Chu Dingjiang took the dagger from his hand. "I do enjoy unearned gains, but I won’t take advantage of a dying man."
Gu Jinghong lowered his gaze. "Take the blood."
Chu Dingjiang froze.
Gu Jinghong had already lost all hope. "This broken body of mine can only watch helplessly as the Yelü imperial clan reigns supreme. For my heart, it’s torture. At least now, I’ve tried... You were the first to reach out and save me in this lifetime. For this great kindness, in my next life, I’ll repay you even if I must knot grass or hold a ring in my mouth..."
Born to serve others, struggling desperately to survive, choosing death for release—this was Gu Jinghong’s life.
Chu Dingjiang watched as a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his lips, trailing down his cheek toward his ear. The light in his phoenix eyes gathered for a moment before rapidly scattering. A killer had too many ways to kill—and just as many to end their own life.
Heart blood had to be taken while the person was still alive. If he missed this fleeting moment of death, extracting it would be useless.
Chu Dingjiang tightened his grip on the dagger. In the end, he let go.
His internal energy had surged into the Transformation Realm thanks to the legacy of a predecessor, lacking a solid foundation. If he greedily sought further shortcuts to accelerate his power, he risked qi deviation.
Chu Dingjiang was no stranger to underhanded and ruthless deeds, but he had always relied on his own abilities to achieve his goals. Taking Gu Jinghong’s heart blood now felt unworthy of a true man.
He reached out and gently closed Gu Jinghong’s open eyes. "Rest in peace."
Chu Dingjiang had witnessed countless brutal deaths, yet Gu Jinghong’s final words still managed to move him.In truth, with Gu Jinghong's abilities, he could have easily continued living and occasionally causing trouble for the Yelu imperial clan. But he had grown weary of such an existence, tired of this monotonous life.
Chu Dingjiang removed his outer robe to wrap the body and found a quiet place to bury him.
Standing before the bare mound, watching as the heavy snow gradually covered it, he murmured, "May you find a trace of warmth in your next life."
One glance at Gu Jinghong, and the next—he was already gone like smoke.
With a flicker of his figure, Chu Dingjiang vanished into the vast snowy wilderness, leaving behind only a solitary grave. The endless snow stretched to the horizon, desolate and devoid of human traces, as if this place existed beyond the mortal world.
At one time, Gu Jinghong's life had held a touch of something different—the woman who lay on a tree, tending sheep while reading; the woman who struck fiercely and knocked off his mask; the woman who could be fragile yet strong; the woman who scolded him but drank with him until dawn...
Under the moonlit night in Bianjing.
Inside the dimly lit room, An Jiu soaked in a steaming Medicine barrel, her brows tightly furrowed.
Pain surged over her in waves, her entire body numb, causing her consciousness to waver momentarily. For an instant, she seemed to see dappled sunlight filtering through leaves as she lay on a tree, reading, while white sheep grazed in the grass below.
Suddenly, a figure appeared upside down on a branch, his ink-black hair cascading like smooth satin. An Jiu caught sight of his jade-white forehead and exquisitely shaped eyes, while the lower half of his face was concealed by a black mask. His narrow phoenix eyes shimmered with amusement, reflecting her image clearly within them.
She knocked off the man's mask and leaped down from the tree. He followed, bending to pick up the fallen mask from the grass, his long hair slipping over his shoulders with the motion.
"We will meet again," he said, his figure as graceful as jade dissolving into dust with a gust of wind.
An Jiu's heart lurched, and her eyes snapped open.
Mo Sigui, who had been leaning in to observe her, jumped back in surprise. "What the hell?!"
"I had a dream," An Jiu rasped, her voice hoarse. "I dreamed of a man."
Mo Sigui stroked his chin, his peach-blossom eyes glinting with amusement. "Spring has arrived... It's normal. But to dream of a man amid this bone-stripping pain—that’s no ordinary feat. I’m in awe."
"I dreamed he disappeared. Probably..." An Jiu lowered her gaze, her voice heavy. "Dead."
Mo Sigui brightened. "Chu Dingjiang?"
"No," An Jiu said.
Mo Sigui’s disappointment was quickly replaced by intrigue. "So you have another man besides him? Well, that’s good news, I suppose."
An Jiu glared at him. "We only met a few times. You might know him—Deputy Commander of the Divine Strategy Army, Gu Jinghong."
"What?!" Mo Sigui’s expression instantly darkened with anger. "After all the effort I put into keeping him alive, he dares to die just like that?!"
"It’s just a feeling, not a certainty!" An Jiu snapped coldly.
Mo Sigui huffed. "If he dies without my permission, he’s truly ungrateful!"
"Save your breath," An Jiu muttered weakly. She had a clear sense that Gu Jinghong was gone, though she didn’t know where this feeling came from.
Mo Sigui crossed his arms and sat down on a chair in front of her. "I deliberately sat here so the moment you open your eyes, you’ll be greeted by my peerless beauty. A sight for sore eyes might ease your pain a little. No need to thank me for such thoughtfulness."An Jiu's body stiffened as she turned her face away with difficulty. "Get lost! I'm already in a tough spot—don't make it worse for me!"
"Tch!" Mo Sigui stood up, annoyed. "Just like that Gu Jinghong—utterly ungrateful!"
Mo Sigui walked to the window, where the crisp sound of bells drifted in from outside. He pushed open the window and gazed at the Soul Bells swaying in the wind, sighing wistfully. "How could she just die like that?" (To be continued...)
PS: Liu Anhuaming has released a new book titled Huo Shui —here's a quick ad: The world says it's better to be shattered jade than unbroken tile—that's the mark of a noble man.
But why should I be the shattered jade, trampled into dust beneath people's feet?
I'd rather be an ugly tile, standing firm at the highest point, unafraid of wind, rain, scorching heat, or bitter cold—looking down as you all turn to mud.
In short, this is a tale of revenge. A work by Liu Anhuaming, book number 3103042.
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