Within two days, Yaoguang returned from her mortal realm trials and shared many interesting stories with Su Su.
"I met an old acquaintance in the mortal realm. Guess who?" Yaoguang winked at Su Su.
The mortal realm? How could there be an old acquaintance there?
Su Su shook her head.
Yaoguang said, "It was the former adopted daughter of the East Wing Master. If I remember correctly, her name is Cai Shuang. I'd seen her a few times in Penglai before, and her deliberately fragile demeanor was unpleasant. Unexpectedly, when we met in the mortal realm this time, she had lost her Immortal Body and turned into a frail, elderly mortal woman, sitting in a dilapidated temple fighting with a group of beggars for food."
Su Su whispered, "You mean Cai Shuang was sent back to the mortal realm?"
"Yes, wasn't the East Wing Master always her staunchest protector before? Why was he so ruthless this time?"
Su Su suddenly remembered the Purple Gold Ruyi in her Universe Bag and what Cai Shuang had said that day. She claimed Cang Jiumin went to find Mermaid's Tears to use as betrothal gifts for her. Could it be that the Mermaid's Tears weren't actually betrothal gifts... but rather part of an exchange between Cang Jiumin and the East Wing Master when Cang Jiumin refused to marry her?
The East Wing Master disguising himself as Cang Jiumin to injure her might have been intended to drive a wedge between her and Cang Jiumin.
Su Su felt somewhat dazed. Cang Jiumin's guidance at the Sword Washing Pool, his anger when he encountered her with Penglai disciples in the apricot grove, and the daily morning Green Fruits all pointed to one thing—he had never intended to harm her.
"Su Su, what's wrong?" Yaoguang asked with concern. "You've been with Fuyai for so long, why hasn't your life soul recovered yet?"
Su Su said, "It's nothing."
She suddenly didn't know how to interact with Cang Jiumin. Between them, he didn't owe her anything. The only one who owed her anything was the East Wing Master, who had offered the Purple Crystal Ruyi as apology.
Without any reason to resent him, she felt somewhat lost.
The one who had merged spirits with her wasn't Yue Fuyai, but Cang Jiumin, so... was he her Dao Companion? With her life soul weakened and the influence of the Path of Ruthlessness fading, she pressed her hand against her heart, experiencing a strange sensation.
Even if Cang Jiumin truly was her Dao Companion, it didn't seem so bad after all.
Before Su Su could decide what to do, the Desolate Abyss in the mortal realm erupted with overwhelming Demonic Energy.
This matter concerned the Three Realms and drew attention from all sects.
Cang Jiumin, currently staying in Hengyang under Yue Fuyai's identity, would soon depart for the Desolate Abyss with Qu Xuanzi. The Desolate Abyss was dangerous, and given Su Su's current condition, she couldn't accompany them.
After learning this news, Su Su leaned over the table, watching a group of chirping little spirit birds outside the window.
Afraid she would be bored in the immortal palace, Cang Jiumin had brought all the spirit birds from Changze to the palace grounds. No one knew how he managed it, but the spirit birds who had lived their entire lives in Changze were quite aggrieved.
Looking at them, she suddenly smiled.
When Cang Jiumin returned that night, Su Su said, "I have something I want to give you. You must wait for me to return."
Seeing her hurriedly heading out, Cang Jiumin was taken aback: "Where are you going?"
She shook her head and said, "I'll definitely return before dawn. Please don't leave yet."
With that, she ran out the door and headed toward Changze Immortal Mountain.
She hadn't returned to Changze Immortal Mountain since coming back injured.
Su Su used Sword Control to reach a phoenix tree, where she retrieved a crimson feather.
This was a feather shed when her true form reached adulthood. Her father had told her to treasure it well, as it might save her life someday.
Holding the feather, Su Su sat by the Heavenly Pool, gathered her energy, and concentrated on condensing Spiritual Energy into threads to weave a sword tassel.
Only by infusing her own Spiritual Energy into the feather could it become usable.Night had fallen on Changze Mountain, the sky filled with countless stars as a gentle evening breeze whispered through. Su Su fought against the drowsiness brought by her incomplete soul, forcing herself to stay awake.
She had never done anything for Cang Jiumin before, but this time was different—she suddenly wanted to do something for him.
The most precious thing she possessed was this invaluable phoenix feather.
Many years later, beyond the realm of dreams, Su Su would recall this moment. Back then, she hadn't realized that even after cultivating the Path of Ruthlessness, she still cherished the thought of tying the phoenix's most treasured feather to a sword tassel, wishing him safety and well-being.
Just before dawn, her body swayed unsteadily.
By the time Cang Jiumin found her, she had already fallen asleep by the Heavenly Pool, clutching an almost completed sword tassel in her hand.
The crimson feather shimmered with abundant spiritual energy. He stared at the unfinished tassel, his gaze cold and unreadable, then picked her up in his arms.
Cang Jiumin let out a soft, mocking laugh. "So you really do care for him that much?"
He held her hand and stayed by her bedside until the first light of dawn appeared. The disciples of Hengyang Sect were all waiting for him to depart.
He pressed a kiss to her lips. "I'm leaving."
He had kept his promise to wait until daybreak, but she hadn't woken up on her own.
Before leaving, Cang Jiumin glanced back and saw the sword tassel in her palm. He smiled derisively—after all, it wasn't meant for him.
Though he had resolved to play the role of another, seeing her so deeply devoted and kind to that person still stirred a chilling, overwhelming coldness within him.
It wasn't until dusk that Su Su finally awoke.
She rushed out, only to find that the Hengyang Sect had already departed. Gazing at the sword tassel in her hand, she sighed in frustration.
After a moment's thought, she quickly rummaged through her Universe Bag and pulled out a small conch.
Unfortunately, the conch could only transmit her voice to the other side—she couldn't hear their responses.
"Father, can you hear me? Is Cang... Yue Fuyai with you?"
On the other end, Qu Xuanzi glanced at Cang Jiumin, who was meditating with his eyes closed.
Speaking into the conch, Su Su felt a rare shyness. "There are some things I didn't get to tell him. If he's there, could you pass the conch to him?"
Qu Xuanzi, ever perceptive, didn't need her to explain further. He had already placed the conch in Cang Jiumin's hand.
Cang Jiumin looked at him, puzzled. "Master?"
Qu Xuanzi smiled without a word, shaking his head as he walked away.
The conch in his hand emitted a soft white glow, and Cang Jiumin heard her say, "There were some things I wanted to tell you earlier, but I didn't get the chance. I didn't have time to give you the sword tassel either. Please take care of yourself and return safely."
After a pause, she continued earnestly, "Once my soul is fully restored, shall we travel together? The Three Realms are vast—the mountains, the flowing mists, the dawns and dusks of the mortal world. We've had our misunderstandings, and our meetings haven't always been pleasant, but from now on, I'll treat you well too."
Cang Jiumin's expression softened.
Would she... really treat him well?
He deliberately avoided thinking about the differences between himself and Yue Fuyai, choosing to believe her words were meant for him.
Finally, Su Su said with a light laugh, "I've placed more fragrant orchid grass in the divine hall. I've always known you don't dislike its scent."
The conch flickered once more before falling silent.
Cang Jiumin froze. At the mention of fragrant orchid grass, his heart nearly skipped a beat. Fragrant orchid grass... How could that be? Wasn't Yue Fuyai supposed to be unable to go near it?
Unless!
Cang Jiumin tightened his grip on the conch. She knew who he was!Knowing who he was, yet still saying those words—they weren't meant for Yue Fuya, but for him.
He could hardly describe the emotions he felt in that moment. Even he himself had resigned to his fate, waiting to slowly rot amidst the lies. But then, in an unexpected turn, Su Su actually told him that she had long recognized him as Cang Jiumin.
So when she held him and kissed him, she had known exactly who he was.
He covered half his face with his hand and suddenly let out a low laugh.
All the bitterness and jealousy transformed in that instant into sweetness like honey.
The sudden surge of joy swept away his gloomy aura. The disciples of the Hengyang Sect turned back in surprise, seeing their senior brother, who had left in the morning with a dark expression, now wearing a smile at the corners of his lips, looking utterly pleased.
To be so cheerful even when heading to a place like the Desolate Abyss—truly worthy of being the sect leader's personal disciple, deserving admiration.
Cang Jiumin tightened his grip on the conch. Once he returned, he would shed this false exterior and release the trapped Yue Fuya. He would admit his mistakes, personally beg for forgiveness from Qu Xuanzi and Yue Fuya. He feared nothing—not the gaze of others, nor idle gossip.
He felt some regret. That sword tassel had originally been meant for him by Su Su. Unfortunately, consumed by jealousy that morning, he hadn't waited for her to wake up. Now, back at Hengyang, it was already too late.
He whispered, "Wait for me to return."
The nightmare demon stared dumbfounded at the unfolding dream. So, even when given a slightly better identity, despite the twists and turns, the Demon Lord still managed to have a beautiful dream.
What Tantai Jin lacked compared to others was merely a fair starting point.
Cunning and ruthless, yet persistent and fearless—though his methods were somewhat despicable, he had forcefully turned the terrible situation around.
Seeing the glass bead before him about to shatter, the nightmare demon quickly flew to the two of them: "Demon Lord, wake up! Fairy Li, wake up!"
The Illusion Face Pearl's power was insufficient, and maintaining it until now had not been easy. A fake was, after all, a fake—its dream was about to shatter.
In the glass bead, the scene froze.
A young woman in white sat atop the Immortal Mountain of Longze, the deep red leaves of the phoenix tree around her as she gazed toward the direction of the Desolate Abyss, waiting for his return.
A young man walked out of the pitch-black Desolate Abyss, chatting and laughing with his fellow disciples, a conch in his hand.
She had fallen for Cang Jiumin, but in the end, they never met again.
The "lifetime" in her words could only become a drop of water, merging into his memories.
The God Slaying Crossbow, sensing its master was about to awaken, hummed beside them. It had already absorbed other demonic creatures and had grown even more powerful.
Unfortunately, in this cramped space, it couldn't drink human blood or kill, and it had long been stifled.
It only waited for Tantai Jin to wake up and take it out to slaughter.
The nightmare demon watched the two nervously, thinking: Different paths lead to the same end—my task can barely be considered completed, right? The Demon Lord... probably won't hold it against me.
Su Su opened her eyes.
Her consciousness was blank for a moment. Coming to her senses, she realized she was in a cramped space, pitch black all around, as if underground.
Chongyu lay quietly against her neck, a cold embrace encircling her, with overwhelming Demonic Energy surging around.
She sat up abruptly, staring at the nightmare demon in the corner, the God Slaying Crossbow beside her, and... the young man on the other side, who was also slowly sitting up, silently watching her.
His white robes were stained with blood, and his crimson pupils had returned to their normal appearance.
Tantai Jin... Cang Jiumin...Su Su's breathing was ragged. The girl in the dream had deliberately played tricks, leaving her heart aching with a bittersweet tenderness. She couldn't help but press her hands against her head.
It was all fake.
There had never been a Cang Jiumin in this world. He was only Tantai Jin—the one born with an Evil Bone, the one who had controlled her and abandoned her.
Before they entered the dream, he had already obtained the God Slaying Crossbow.
So it turned out that no matter whether the past was changed or not, some people were destined to walk in darkness from birth. The curved jade had sacrificed itself just to prevent him from reaching this point, yet here he was, still treading this path.
The righteous and the wicked had never been able to coexist.
"Su Su."
"Don't touch me!" Su Su abruptly took a step back. "You lied to me. You used a dream to deceive me."
The smile at the corner of Tantai Jin's lips faded.
"Is that what you think?"
When he wasn't smiling, his entire demeanor turned gloomy and sinister, completely unlike the privileged Cang Jiumin from the dream.
The Demon God's crossbow hovered before him. He tilted his head slightly, unexpectedly carrying a trace of the innocence and sincerity that only Cang Jiumin in the dream had possessed. "Listen to me. I remember your words from five hundred years ago—I won't fall into demonic ways. If you don't like the God Slaying Crossbow, I'll seal it away forever, just seal it away forever. Didn't you say that once I returned, you would treat me well from then on?"
His voice was soft, almost a whisper. "I'll cultivate immortality properly, become a God in the future. I won't lie to you. At the very least, please don't lie to me anymore either."
Su Su shook her head. "That was all fake."
"Fake?" he asked coldly, then laughed aloud. "Li Susu, ask yourself. Don't you know my feelings?"
He actually dared to ask if she didn't know his feelings?
Su Su lifted her gaze, the resentment in her heart pouring out completely at this moment. "All I know is that I once begged you desperately, while you casually used the Flower of Eternal Life to please Ye Bingshang. The winter in the mortal world was so cold, so dark, and you still chose Ye Bingshang. If I weren't Li Susu, my soul would have scattered long ago. It was you who told me with your own mouth how much you liked her, that you would overturn the world for her, that you didn't care she was already someone else's wife. Now you ask if I know? I don't know. Why should I know?"
"Even now," she choked back a sob, "you're still lying to me, Tantai Jin. Is everyone in this world just a pawn in your hands?"
When you liked Ye Bingshang, you schemed with all your might. When you said you liked me, you didn't hesitate to create a false environment with nightmares.
His dark eyes glistened with unshed tears.
After a long time, his lips trembling, he forced a smile. "I know I was wrong, Su Su. But I have no other choice."
He had tried everything. She had once said she wished for him to become a God and protect the world, so he crawled out from the River of Wailing Ghosts and learned how to walk the Righteous Path at the Carefree Sect. He restrained his despicable nature, learning to respect his master and honor his fellow disciples like others did.
If only he had had a path from the beginning—if he had been born with a love thread, if he had been raised by a mother, if he had been well-fed and clothed—he would never have reached this point. If there had been any chance to be with her openly and honestly, why would he have used a false dream to deceive himself? Why would he have willingly degraded himself, preferring to become someone else's shadow, serving as a furnace to mend her soul?
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