Mu Xuanling’s trembling hand touched the warm spot on her brow. “I… I didn’t sense its presence before.”
Sang Qi slowly composed himself and said with a smile, “When the Immortal Alliance’s Law Bodies gathered in Yongxue City, he probably concealed the existence of your Spirit Aperture, fearing others might detect it. He might have fooled others, but not me.”
“How did you know?” This was also what puzzled Mu Xuanling.
“Do you often feel a tightness in your chest?” Sang Qi got the expression he wanted from Mu Xuanling’s face and smiled, “Because I planted a spell on your heart. It has a beautiful name, called ‘Lingxi’.”
“Hearts connected, thoughts transmitted.” Sang Qi recited slowly, “Therefore, no matter where you are, I can sense your location. I’m also aware of any changes in your body. I knew more clearly than you when your cultivation was dispersed and your Spirit Aperture was opened. Lingbei, since I knew early on that your heart belonged to Xie Xuechen, how could I not leave myself a backup plan?”
“So you manipulated people’s hearts and set up so many traps, all for the Jade Threshold Scripture,” Mu Xuanling coughed lightly and said with a bitter smile, “Now you’ve brought me back for the same purpose.”
“I have to do this,” Sang Qi sighed, “Although practicing demonic arts enhances my power, it still can’t change the fate of a half-demon. My lifespan is nearing its end, but by opening the Spirit Aperture, I can continue cultivating, break through the thousand-year lifespan, or even longer.”
“What’s the point of living that long…” Mu Xuanling couldn’t understand Sang Qi’s greed for longevity.
“Because I still have very important things to accomplish.” A fierce look flashed in Sang Qi’s eyes. He looked down at Mu Xuanling, pretending to stroke her hair affectionately, “With Lingxi, I can comprehend the Jade Threshold Scripture through you, though you’ll inevitably suffer a bit. Lingbei, you’re still my disciple after all. Even if you hate me, I won’t harm you.”
Mu Xuanling let out a cold laugh.
Sang Qi extended his left hand, holding a black porcelain bottle in his palm. With a flick of his eyes, the bottle’s lid fell off.
Mu Xuanling stared warily at the bottle and asked hoarsely, “What is this?”
“This is a medicine to make you forget pain,” Sang Qi smiled slightly and said gently, “It’s a secret drug from Xuantian Temple, called Wuxin. When Xuantian Temple’s practitioners ascend to become Law Bodies, they must abandon all worldly emotions and affections, sever family ties, and give up small love to achieve boundless great love. After drinking this medicine, they still remember worldly matters and people around them, but when recalling everything, there’s no longer any love or hate, no ripples in their hearts. This drug is extremely rare, with few left in the world. I obtained a bottle twenty years ago and refined this potion anew. Unlike ordinary Wuxin, by adding just one drop of blood to it, you’ll only forget your emotions and love for the owner of that blood drop.”
“All your love stems from Xie Xuechen, and your hatred for your master also arises from him. Once you forget your love for him, naturally, you won’t hate me either. With no more grudges between us as master and disciple, I can feel at ease sparing your life.”
Mu Xuanling watched in shock and trembling as Sang Qi approached, shaking her head, “No, I won’t drink it…”
“I’m doing this for your good,” Sang Qi consoled softly, “Lingbei, having feelings for humans is harmful and without benefit. Human hearts are most fickle; today’s sweet words can turn into tomorrow’s cold shoulder. Your master can’t bear to see you hurt.”
Cornered, Mu Xuanling covered her mouth tightly with both hands, hot tears rolling down and wetting the back of her hands.
“After drinking this, you’ll have no more worldly love for Xie Xuechen. You’ll only know that you approached him on your master’s orders to deceive him for the Jade Threshold Scripture,” Sang Qi’s silver eyes held a cold and cruel smile, “He’ll also understand that he’s been deceived. If this creates inner demons in him, that would be for the best.”
Mu Xuanling, tears streaming down her face, looked at Sang Qi with pleading eyes.
“Lingbei, you’re too weak,” Sang Qi’s gaze slowly turned cruel. An invisible force pried open Mu Xuanling’s hands, firmly fixing them to her sides. Sang Qi gripped Mu Xuanling’s jaw, forcing her mouth open.
The blood-red liquid seemed to come alive, crawling out of the black porcelain bottle’s mouth, hovering in the air, and slowly flowing toward Mu Xuanling’s mouth.
She whimpered and struggled fiercely, but was firmly suppressed by Sang Qi. Tears gushed out as she helplessly felt the cold liquid slide down her throat and into her stomach.
It was icy cold, that bone-chilling coldness slowly spreading from her abdomen, almost freezing her solid.
Sang Qi released his hold on her. Mu Xuanling, shaking all over, lay on the ground, retching, futilely trying to vomit out the poison.
“It’s useless. Once it enters your mouth, there’s no turning back,” Sang Qi chuckled.
Mu Xuanling covered her mouth, sobbing, seeming to laugh and cry, as if mad. She slowly raised her head, her eyes red-rimmed, feeling that thread of coldness pass over her heart.
“Sang Qi, have you ever loved someone?” she asked hoarsely.
Sang Qi’s smile gradually faded.
“Did she hurt you… Twenty years ago, you lost an arm, was it because of someone?”
“Shut up!” Sang Qi coldly interrupted her, his body emanating a terrifying aura.
Mu Xuanling laughed, yet tears spilled from her eyes: “But Sang Qi, you’ve been deceived, you’ve been hurt, yet you still don’t want to drink Wuxin. Why?”
“You don’t want to forget that bit of warmth she gave you, even if it might have been fake.”
Mu Xuanling said, “I don’t want to either!”
The bone-chilling cold froze her entire body. She closed her eyes and fell unconscious with tears.
Every little moment of their first encounter, she had replayed countless times over these seven years. Each day, she missed him more than the last. She had even thought about ending it all, dying and disappearing, to follow him. But half-demons have no souls after death. In the vast netherworld, where would she go to find him?
The belief in avenging him and the longing for him sustained her through seven years of living in hell in the demon realm until they reunited.
He had forgotten her, but that was okay. Just seeing him alive made her happy.
In her blurry consciousness, Xie Xuechen’s face vaguely appeared.
— Demons are inherently vicious, and beast-folk are the best at deception.
— But there’s one true thing.
— Which one?
— The part about liking you.
Xie Xuechen…
I didn’t lie to you…
Heart-wrenching pain spread, memories so vivid yet stripped of all color, layer by layer frozen over. In her memories, he was no longer special. When she thought of him again, there would be no joy or pain.
— Then what meaning is there in my life…
She was born without meaning.
From her earliest memories, she was a beast wandering on the fringes of human society. She moved nimbly, with strong limbs, keen hearing, and sharp eyesight. From a very young age, she could easily hunt for food to fill her stomach. She secretly took discarded clothes from nearby villages to cover herself, learned to use fire to cook food like humans, and even learned to speak. She liked to hide and watch them live. Humans were much smarter than the animals in the wilderness. She heard that the teachers in schools were the smartest, so every morning, she would hide in a tree outside the school, basking in the warm sun, eavesdropping on the teacher’s lessons. After school, she would watch with great interest as the human children played.
She wanted to play with them too. They looked so happy.
One day, she carefully washed her face and hands, and tidied up her patched clothes, wanting to play with the children. She thought she was a human child too, but her appearance startled the others. They pointed at her face, saying she must be too ugly, that’s why her parents abandoned her. She touched her face a bit sadly; there were golden patterns on it, and that’s what made her different from others. A tall, strong boy came over to push her away. She was a bit sad and just gently pushed his hand away, but somehow he flew out. The other children were all frightened. They screamed, attracting adults. A middle-aged man carrying a sword tied her up fiercely, saying she was a half-demon, evil and harmful, injuring people, and that he would send her to Mingyue Manor.