Jing Feng's voice was intermittent, yet heart-wrenching. "Dongfang Wuji, do you truly understand... Luo Qianqian..."
"She's already gone..."
Dongfang Wuji raised his arm to shield his eyes, followed by a long silence.
"Qianqian... was the one I loved..." His lips trembled slightly. "I liked her... I wanted to marry her..."
"But fate kept us apart..."
"She lured the demonized beings away alone and died in the desolate forest... the ground stained with blood..."
"Do you know how heartbroken I was when I found her?"
Unwilling to accept the tragic death of his beloved, Dongfang Wuji searched the world day after day, year after year, finally finding a way to revive her. And she was successfully resurrected...
But...
He felt as if he was about to lose her again...
Jing Feng yanked Dongfang Wuji's arm away, only to find his face already streaked with tears.
Dongfang Wuji, his eyes filled with tears, looked gently at Luo Qianqian beside him. "I like her."
"That's why I understand everything about her."
"Actually, I discovered it long ago... you are not the real Luo Qianqian..."
He... had known all along...
At this moment, Luo Qianqian was a mess of despair. "If you knew, why..."
"Why did you still treat me so well, care for me, concern yourself with me, and treat me as the real Luo Qianqian?"
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Wuji let out a self-mocking laugh. "I miss her..."
"I truly miss her..."
Her smile, and the sweet dimples when she smiled, he longed to see again even in his dreams...
"Don't kill her... please?" Dongfang Wuji slowly sat up, looking at Bai Ran.
Bai Ran lowered her gaze. "Luo Qianqian, are you the king of the demonized beings?"
Luo Qianqian's eyes were swollen with tears as she slowly clenched her fists. "Yes..."
Another long silence followed. Her fate was sealed, yet someone still held onto a sliver of hope.
"Give me some time, I will discuss it with Long Jinhan."
...
At night, Bai Ran sat on the rocking chair in the courtyard, but the usual ease and leisure were gone.
"You cannot kill her," the Wu Shi beast spoke. "If you kill her, you will have made the wrong choice."
Bai Ran gazed at the bright moon in the sky, her thin lips parting slightly. "Truth within falsehood, falsehood within truth. I never thought I would reach a point where I couldn't see clearly."
"Girl, what's wrong?" Zui Ren's deep voice sounded. She suddenly felt weary.
"Luo Qianqian has been resurrected, but the soul within her is the king of the demonized beings."
There was a moment of silence from the earring. "Do you trust her?"
Bai Ran sighed deeply. "I'm not sure."
Luo Qianqian had inherited all the memories of this body – the terrain of the demon realm, its weaknesses, and troop deployments.
She even knew about her own divine-demonic physique and Long Jinhan's cold ailment.
Once a wrong choice was made, there would be no turning back.
"Girl, you don't need to consider whether you've made the right decision," Long Jinhan's steady voice transmitted through the earring.
"What you need to consider is whether you can bear to accept the worst possible outcome."
"Girl, don't overthink it, it will be too tiring."
Bai Ran paused. The worst outcome?
She looked at Jing Feng in the shadows and smiled faintly. "Long Jinhan, do you trust me?"
"Of course, I do."
"I know what I need to do now."
On the other end of the earring, Long Jinhan let out a deep laugh, his eyes filled with infinite tenderness.
After the communication ended, Bai Ran called for Jing Feng.
"Miss Bai, what are your orders?" His face was haggard, and his voice had deepened.
Bai Ran smiled lightly. "Go tell Dongfang Wuji to treat Luo Qianqian well."
Jing Feng looked up in disbelief. "Miss Bai means... you and Your Esteemed One have discussed it and decided not to kill Miss Qianqian!"
Bai Ran nodded with a smile. In reality, whether the decision was right or wrong wasn't important, nor were any of the consequences that followed. What mattered was the outcome.
Killing her would have been the worst possible outcome. So why not take a gamble and place her hope on an unknown path?
"Your subordinate will go now!" He laughed with joy and rushed towards the Purple Cloud Sect.
Along the way, Jing Feng felt as if the scenery had become even more beautiful.
After that day, Dongfang Wuji and Luo Qianqian would occasionally visit Bai Ran's courtyard. Dongfang Wuji treated her exceptionally well, never overstepping.
More than romance, their relationship was like an enduring friendship.
Yet, occasionally, a veiled affection could be seen in his gaze as he looked at Luo Qianqian.
Luo Qianqian was well aware of this, knowing that Dongfang Wuji was seeking the original owner's presence through her.
But even so, it was the best possible outcome, and she didn't mind.
... Kuaishu Ge
On the other side, Sect Master Xiong and Elder Lin collapsed onto their chairs, exhausted.
"Sect Master... why aren't you speaking..." Elder Lin felt as if his soul was about to depart his body.
"Idiot... I don't even have the strength to scold you..."
Sect Master Xiong felt as though the past few days had been extremely difficult, even more so than when he was fighting in battles.
"If you can't speak, you can still write it down, right?"
Hearing this, Sect Master Xiong suddenly sat up. "That's right! How could I have not thought of that!!!"
The little girl said he couldn't speak, but not that he couldn't write!
He was really getting old, his mind wasn't working well. "Quick, fetch me paper and brush!"
Once the paper and brush were brought, Sect Master Xiong quickly scribbled, and then confidently handed it to Elder Lin.
When Elder Lin received the paper, he broke down... What on earth was this gibberish?
"Sect Master... please find someone else... I really can't take it anymore..."
"Hey! Don't run! Do you understand what I mean?"
"Sect Master, please spare me!"
He flees, he chases, he has no wings to escape.
...
Days passed, and all the disciples cultivated diligently under Bai Ran's encouragement.
As for Sect Master Xiong, it was only with Elder Yan's help that he finally managed to expel Gu Ke and the others from the sect.
"You can actually understand the Sect Master's writing?" Elder Lin held up the paper, looking incredulous.
Elder Yan gave him a smug look. "Your cultivation is still too shallow."
After enduring mental torment, Sect Master Xiong slept for two full days in the courtyard, causing the elders to worry something had happened to him.
They kicked open the door and saw Sect Master Xiong snoring loudly, sleeping soundly...
Peaceful times continued, but the arrival of one person soon shattered this tranquility.
A man stood before the gates of Que Tian Sect. He wore a bamboo hat, concealing his face.
The man looked up at the scene before him and smiled.
Little master... I've finally found you...
A gentle breeze blew, stirring up dust, and the man was no longer at the gates of Que Tian Sect.