The Last Time

Yan Shu lowered her head and said in a hoarse voice, “What Senior Brothers said is right. After dispelling the inner demons, I looked back at my actions and felt overwhelming shame. Therefore, this is my debt to him. Without his heart blood, I would have been powerless against the inner demons and would not have had a chance to wait until they were completely eradicated.”

Upon hearing this, both Liu Zhiqing and Bing Shi’en fell silent.

After a while, Liu Zhiqing finally spoke in a hoarse voice, “This matter is known only to us. You know it, I know it, and it must not be leaked again, even in front of the Eldest Senior Brother and Fourth Junior Brother. Since Xiao Jihan has been enduring silently all this time, he probably won’t speak any further. From now on, treat him better.”

Yan Shu nodded and looked at him, saying, “I’m sorry, Senior Brother. I have tarnished Xuantian Sect’s reputation.”

Liu Zhiqing sighed and remained silent, while Bing Shi’en whispered, “This matter cannot be solely blamed on you. You were influenced by the inner demons at the time, and coupled with the master’s fall, it gave rise to obsession and led you astray. It was our fault for not noticing your abnormality in time. We, Senior Brothers, also bear responsibility for this.”

“Second Senior Brother is right. We didn’t take good care of you.”

Liu Zhiqing took out the Blazing Fire Furnace and took out many things from his mustard seed bag. He handed them to Yan Shu and said, “You give these to him. If he lacks anything in the future or has any misunderstandings, inform Senior Brother.”

Bing Shi’en also took out many materials for artifact refining from his mustard seed bag and handed them to Yan Shu. “I have some here as well. If he needs guidance in artifact refining or lacks weapons, inform Senior Brother.”

Yan Shu carefully accepted the items they gave her, her nose slightly sour. These Senior Brothers were so good to her, they shouldn’t have met the same end as in the book.

Just for the sake of these Senior Brothers, she should try her best to curry favor with the male lead and increase his favorability points!

After bidding farewell to Liu Zhiqing and Bing Shi’en, Yan Shu took a deep breath and gathered her determination.

So what if it’s a favorability point of -75 (hatred)? She had already experienced -95 (surging killing intent). What’s there to be afraid of?

Yan Shu stood at the door, staring at the figure meditating in the room for a long time. After hesitating for a while, she didn’t dare to knock on the door and simply walked towards the neighboring room.

Arriving at the neighboring room, Yan Shu looked at the empty interior. She took out the Blazing Fire Furnace and placed it in the center, then took out the materials given by Liu Zhiqing and Bing Shi’en.

She looked around and found only a simple shelf in the room, which couldn’t hold so many things. So she carefully put away the items and hurriedly ran out of the room.

After she walked far away, Xiao Jihan, who had been quietly cultivating inside the room, slowly opened his eyes. He glanced through the window at her slightly hazy figure in the moonlight and closed his eyes again.

After a while, he suddenly opened his eyes again, only to see that the graceful figure had hurriedly returned.

He furrowed his brow in annoyance.

Instead of using her body to run back and forth, why didn’t she use her body technique?

Suppressing his growing annoyance, he closed his eyes once more.

Yan Shu took out a shelf from her mustard seed bag and neatly arranged everything on it.

One had to admit that the immortal cultivation world was great. No matter how big or heavy something was, as long as you recited an incantation, it could be stored in the mustard seed bag without the need to huff and puff to move it. As for arranging things, it was even easier. Just a bit of spiritual energy was needed, and with a wave of the hand, the items could be placed wherever she wanted them.

After categorizing and arranging everything, Yan Shu was very satisfied with her work. She thought for a moment, then took out a piece of paper from her sleeve, wrote a few words on it, and folded it into the shape of a flying crane.

She injected spiritual energy into the paper crane in the courtyard and watched as it flew through the window crack and into Xiao Jihan’s room. Suddenly, she became nervous.

She didn’t dare to stay and see Xiao Jihan’s reaction. She turned around and ran back to her room, closing the door. Suddenly, she paused. Wait, she had body techniques! Why did she stupidly run on foot?!

Realizing her mistake, Yan Shu felt regret and covered her face. Well, it’s done. There’s no use thinking about it anymore. She had done everything she could. If Xiao Jihan remained unmoved, then it was her fate.

The small paper crane fluttered its wings and flew into the room.

Xiao Jihan didn’t reach out to catch it. Instead, he raised his gaze and glanced at the figure running away outside. He waited until the figure disappeared before retracting his gaze and opening his hand. The paper crane that had been fluttering in front of him gently landed in his palm and gradually lost its vitality, becoming an ordinary paper crane.

Xiao Jihan lowered his gaze and used his bony hands to slowly dismantle the paper crane. Then, a beautiful line of words came into view: “Don’t punish yourself for my mistakes.” The white paper and black characters, accompanied by graceful seal script, seemed to mirror their owner, exuding elegance and agility.

Xiao Jihan kept his head down, looking at the paper in his hands. A few strands of hair fell, obscuring his handsome face and his slightly cool phoenix eyes. Although there were only a few words, he stared at them for a long time.

After a while, he finally lifted his head. With a slight movement of his fingers, the paper in his palm instantly turned into ashes and disappeared into the air.

Xiao Jihan fell into silence for a moment, then slowly stood up and walked outside. He pushed open the neighboring room’s door, and what immediately caught his eye was the Blazing Fire Furnace in the center of the room, which he had previously rejected.

Raising his gaze, he saw that the once-empty room was now filled with wooden shelves, densely packed with various materials. He stepped forward, scanning each shelf one by one, looking at the neatly arranged materials, and couldn’t help feeling speechless.

Some spiritual herbs had gradually lost their vitality due to the lack of a simulated environment in the mustard seed bag, while some pills had lost their medicinal properties due to exposure to the air.

Looking at the meticulously organized shelves and the nameplates that thoughtfully labeled each category, Xiao Jihan remained silent for a while. In the end, he reached out and stored the items on the shelves back into the mustard seed bag.

Finally, he looked at the Blazing Fire Furnace, hesitated for a moment, and squeezed a drop of blood from his finger, dripping it onto the furnace.

He closed his eyes, softly murmuring almost inaudible words, gradually fading into the darkness.

“This is the last time...”