Wan Yu Yuedan's feigned sleep had ended, but Yu Tuan'er was still awake. Xue Tao's injuries had worsened drastically. By the time the sky brightened, her breathing had stopped several times. Yu Tuan'er and Lin Bu watched over her with concern, neither daring to act rashly. Just then, Tang Lici and Shen Langhun returned.
"Young Master Tang." Wan Yu Yuedan recognized Tang Lici's footsteps immediately. "Returned unscathed?" Tang Lici smiled. "Of course... And who is this young lady?" Yu Tuan'er interjected, "She's Xue Tao, Yu Konghou's wife." Tang Lici glanced at the halberd wound on Xue Tao's chest. "The injury is too severe. She won't recover." Yu Tuan'er froze. She had been hoping Tang Lici would return to save her, yet his first words declared her beyond saving. "How can you say that? She will recover! She'll return safely to be with the one she loves. She won't die!"
Lin Bu gave a bitter smile, while Wan Yu Yuedan sighed softly. "How was the battle at Wangting Manor?" Tang Lici ignored Yu Tuan'er's outburst and replied with a gentle smile, "Most likely a mutual defeat, though it's a pity we won't see the end." Wan Yu Yuedan shook his head, hugging his knees. "She wanted to return to Yu Konghou's side. Perhaps we were wrong to rescue her." Tang Lici's eyes gleamed coldly as they lingered on Wan Yu Yuedan's face. "You remain ever gentle and considerate." Wan Yu Yuedan shook his head again. "I sent Zhu Yan back to save Xue Tao, hoping to prevent him from being manipulated by Yu Konghou for emotional reasons. But I never imagined... I didn't save Zhu Yan—I doomed Xue Tao." His gaze, though blind, seemed to pierce through Tang Lici as if seeing something beyond. "Zhu Yan wasn't saved, Xue Tao lost her life because of it, and the only one who benefited... was Yu Konghou."
Tang Lici placed a hand on his shoulder, his voice as cold as before. "No one can truly predict everything. If you did your best, then there's no fault." Wan Yu Yuedan's brows curved as he smiled. "Even when things go against our wishes, you still believe doing one's best absolves all blame?" Tang Lici tightened his grip on Wan Yu Yuedan's slender shoulder, causing him to sway slightly. "You mustn't doubt yourself."
His tone was harsh, yet Wan Yu Yuedan's smile widened in reassurance. "So you do know how to comfort others." Tang Lici paused, his grip tightening further until Wan Yu Yuedan yelped in pain, then laughed. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I've made many mistakes I shouldn't have, regretted what needed regretting, and reflected where reflection was due. So I'm alright." Tang Lici released his shoulder and said coolly, "I never admit fault." Wan Yu Yuedan sighed. "Your pride is too high."
With a creak, the door opened. A Shui had risen, freshened up, and now stepped out. The moment she pushed the door open and saw Xue Tao, her movement froze.
"Sister A Shui!" Yu Tuan'er cheered, far happier to see her than to listen to the cryptic exchange between Wan Yu Yuedan and Tang Lici. Noticing A Shui's pale expression, she followed her gaze to Xue Tao. Xue Tao coughed silently, blood trickling from her lips, yet she lacked the strength to make a sound. Her breath rattled in her throat, each gasp trembling—until, in an instant, her entire face turned ghastly purple.The Purple-Gold Pill had only prolonged her life for one night. Her heart and lungs had been pierced by a halberd, and now they were suddenly failing. The sound of her breath, choked in her throat, grew increasingly indistinct and weak with each gasp, yet it stubbornly refused to cease.
She did not want to die. She wanted to stay by Yu Konghou's side, to accompany him for a lifetime—whether he was good or evil, a noble gentleman or a despicable villain, whether he would be remembered as a hero for generations or reviled for eternity. She wanted to walk with him to the very end.
She had no desire to die at all. She had attachments, she had hopes. She couldn’t die like this. She hadn’t yet told Yu Konghou that she was willing to stay by his side, hadn’t yet told him that when she later asked why Zhu Yan hadn’t come to save her… those words had all been lies. In truth, she had forgotten Zhu Yan. She had become a despicable woman.
Yu Tuan'er, Lin Bu, A Shui, Tang Lici, and Wan Yu Yuedan remained silent, listening to the gurgling in Xue Tao’s throat—each sound weaker than the last, yet she refused to stop. One gasp after another, one after another, struggling endlessly… Yu Tuan'er’s face turned deathly pale. The sound was too cruel to bear; perhaps those listening suffered more than the one dying. She was too young to know how to endure it. "I… I need to go out…" Lin Bu nodded. "I’ll walk with you." Yu Tuan'er grabbed Lin Bu’s hand and hurried out as if fleeing from a venomous snake.
Only A Shui, Tang Lici, and Wan Yu Yuedan remained in the room. A Shui’s face, already pale, now looked lifeless and exhausted. Wan Yu Yuedan’s eyes were open, though he could see nothing. Tang Lici spoke slowly, "If anyone wants to save her… snap her neck…"
A Shui shuddered violently. In that instant, countless memories flooded her mind—the old frog struggling in the autumn wind, Chi Yun who had killed Yin Dongchuan and Xuan Yuanlong—they overlapped with Xue Tao on the bed. To let her die… was Tang Lici’s redemption. Wan Yu Yuedan closed his eyes. Tang Lici raised his hand, but A Shui whispered urgently, "Wait!" She shielded Xue Tao with her body. "You… all of you, please leave." Tang Lici frowned slightly and lowered his hand. A Shui continued, "Go. I’ll stay with her."
To sit here and listen to Xue Tao’s desperate struggle for life—how much endurance and courage did that require? Wan Yu Yuedan’s lips moved slightly, but he said nothing. Tang Lici stared at A Shui, about to speak, when Wan Yu Yuedan tugged his sleeve. "Take me outside, will you?" Tang Lici’s brow twitched, swallowing his words. He seized Wan Yu Yuedan’s wrist and strode out of the room.
A Shui listened as they left, listened to Xue Tao’s dying breaths. She held Xue Tao’s hand.
Perhaps killing her would save her, would end her suffering. But… she was selfish. She couldn’t ask Tang Lici to perform such redemption again and again. He had already killed Chi Yun. He couldn’t kill Xue Tao too. He couldn’t bear another sin just to end her fleeting agony.
This world was slowly branding him a monster. And he… couldn’t lose control, couldn’t let himself descend further into monstrosity. That was a path of no return, a solitary road leading to the death of a demon king. He might become the strongest under heaven, but he would have no friends left.
He longed, deeply, to be loved…Xue Tao's voice from her throat still sounded weak and pained; she was still struggling. A Shui gazed at her sorrowfully—this woman was beautiful yet unfortunate. Perhaps in the future, her own fate would not be much different, or perhaps even more tragic and agonizing. Watching Xue Tao's desperate struggle, A Shui took her into her heart. To die at the hands of someone she thought would never harm her—such was the fate of a woman who loved too deeply.
Wan Yu Yuedan and Tang Lici stepped out of the house. The biting winter wind lashed against their cheeks, cold and stinging. Tang Lici lowered his hands and adjusted his sleeves, gazing at the sky. Wan Yu Yuedan smiled faintly. "Out of sight, out of mind."
Tang Lici replied, "You're not the type who can't bear to watch."
Wan Yu Yuedan did not deny it. "But you can't bear it. If you keep watching, you will surely kill her." He spoke leisurely, "But I don’t want you to kill anyone."
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