By 'alive,' she was, of course, referring to the real Shangguan Jing, not the remnant of his consciousness. In fact, he couldn't be deemed as a consciousness if he was able to leave the Yuan instrument and live independently—he was a proper piece of soul!
Chu Liuyue's question made Shangguan Jing fall into silence. It was a while later that he finally let out a long sigh and said, "I… don't know…"
His voice sounded a lot deeper as if he had aged quite a bit at that moment. It contained deep-seated emotions like loneliness, regret, and a hint of helplessness.
It was the first time Chu Liuyue had heard such a melancholic tone from him. He really… doesn't seem to know.
"Having spent a millennium in the Tianling God Realm alone, I've forgotten a lot of things, including… my death."
Chu Liuyue's heart skipped a beat.