Chapter One Hundred and Nine: The Merfolk Marsh — The Sealed Mermaid

"What's so strange?" Faced with the series of strange reactions from the little girl in front of her, Yun Si's gaze towards her also became peculiar, and she took a few steps back.

With her hands in her pockets, the little girl squinted her eyes, as if trying to see through Yun Si, her mind seemingly lost in thought.

"What's strange? How did you get in?" Did I fly in? What am I even doing here?

"Hey, kid, seen enough? I'm leaving," Yun Si walked ahead, with the little girl tagging along behind.

"Why are you following me?" Yun Si was somewhat puzzled, wanting to turn around and ask for clarification. But as soon as she did, the little girl turned her back and retorted confidently, "Who's following you?"

This left Yun Si completely speechless.

Yun Si couldn't be bothered with her, focusing solely on finding a way out of here to return to the imperial capital and find her master.

Yun Si searched around and finally realized that this place was actually a solitary island, surrounded by the sea on all sides. The only exposed piece of land was a small sand dune, forming the current small island. Escaping from here was extremely difficult.

But how did the villagers on this small island leave?

Yun Si casually grabbed a passerby and asked, but their reaction was unusually intense. As soon as she spoke, they began to gather around her, their eagle-like eyes staring at her intently.

"How did you get in?"

"No one can come in here. Tell me, how did you get in?"

"I don't know." Her mind was blank. Since she woke up, everyone had been asking her the same question. Where is this place? Are they just ordinary villagers?

"I don't know, I just woke up here."

She tried to explain, but they wouldn't stop, closing in on her like zombies step by step.

Suddenly, her wrist was grabbed, and before Yun Si could react, she was pulled forward. Soon, they escaped from the villagers' encirclement.

Yun Si leaned on her knees, gasping for breath, and looked back at the villagers who were now far away and out of sight. Only then did she relax her vigilance.

Looking at the vast sea in front of her, Yun Si felt despair. With pursuers in front and no way out behind, was she really going to be trapped and die on this deserted island?

Following the little girl, Yun Si found a cave. It was neither too big nor too small, but it would provide shelter from the wind and rain.

The little girl then found some rocks and placed them inside, and somehow managed to find a piece of worn-out grass mat to spread on the ground.

She told Yun Si to use the rocks as stools and the grass mat as a bed, advising her to stay here for the time being. Otherwise, if she went out, she would definitely be caught by the villagers.

Yun Si rolled her eyes, thinking that she still had important things to do. She didn't have time to play house with a child, especially with things she didn't want when she was a child.

Yun Si waved her hand, intending to find a way to leave. But she was stopped by the little girl behind her.

"Are you sure you can get out of here alone?" The little girl asked sincerely.

There must be a way, right?

Before Yun Si could speak, the little girl continued, "We've been together for so long, but you don't even know my name, right? I'm Chuyue. What about you?"

Upon hearing this, Yun Si cleared her throat immediately, straightened her chest, and proudly declared, "Listen up, I am..."

"Never mind, it doesn't matter!" Chuyue interrupted Yun Si's words decisively.

Yun Si instantly felt like an angry cat. "What do you mean it doesn't matter? My name is Yun Si, Yun like the clouds, Si like the thought. My master is a venerable monk from the Jingwu Temple, Master Qingwu. Got it?"

"Got it, got it," Chuyue shrugged helplessly.

"Since you're here, don't you want to hear the story of this place?" Chuyue's childish voice sounded from behind. Yun Si was slightly stunned, glancing sideways at her. The girl's youthful face carried a faint smile as she tilted her head to look at Yun Si.

The tranquil atmosphere turned eerie, and Chuyue's smile gave Yun Si a chilling sensation.

Based on years of experience... this girl was not ordinary!

Upon closer thought, Yun Si decided to stay.

"Let me make it clear first, I'm not sitting here because I can't leave. It's mainly because I want to hear stories," Yun Si stated.

Chuyue chuckled, her laughter innocent and cheerful, as she plopped down on one side of Yun Si with her feet crossed.

"This is a story told by the elders in the village. This little island is called the Merfolk Marsh. Back then, before the island was submerged by the sea, the villagers lived like ordinary people, making a living by fishing at sea. But one day, just as the villagers went out to sea as usual, the sky was clear. However, as they ventured further, thunder and lightning filled the sky, and waves surged."

"In a single day, the Merfolk Marsh was engulfed by the sea. Since then, the villagers have been trapped on this island. People inside can't get out, and people outside can't get in. Some say it's punishment from the ancient Dragon King, while others believe it's just a bizarre calamity. What's even stranger is that every seven days, the villagers experience excruciating pain all over their bodies, as if whipped by thorns. Some villagers die in agony, while others endure, only to face another round of torment."

"So, they want me to help them escape from this place?" Yun Si discerned the implication and asked directly.

"Yes!" Chuyue nodded without hesitation.

"But will everything end once we leave?" Yun Si continued to inquire.

"I don't know!" Chuyue shook her head again, still without much thought.

For a moment, Yun Si forgot that Chuyue was just an eight or nine-year-old child. She seemed more like an elder, patiently imparting wisdom.

Yun Si pondered in silence for a while before finally looking at Chuyue with a serious expression in her watery eyes.

"Are you rescuing me just to leave this place?"

Chuyue smiled wistfully, shrugged her shoulders, and replied mischievously, "You could say that. But I'm different from them. They want to end all the suffering, while I... I grew up here since childhood. I've grown accustomed to those so-called pains and have long been numb to them. Mainly, I just want freedom, to see the beautiful world outside."

"In other words, you still want to use me to leave this place!"

Caught in her lie, Chuyue chuckled awkwardly.

Over the next few days, Chuyue's words kept repeating in Yun Si's mind, over and over again. She tried to control her thoughts and not dwell on it, but they kept looping in her mind.

... The Merfolk Marsh was submerged by the sea... People inside couldn't get out, and people outside couldn't get in...

Was I really going to be trapped here for the rest of my life?

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Yun Si looked at the vast sea ahead. Once again, she exerted all her strength to conjure up a paper boat and soared into the air.

With Yun Si's continuous output of magical power, the boat swayed and sailed on the surface of the sea. The sea breeze whistled in her ears, and she felt an unprecedented sense of joy.

Had she finally succeeded?

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

The smile on her face froze once again as she watched the surging waves rushing towards her from a distance. Yun Si's expression darkened once again.

Summoning all her strength, Yun Si gathered her magical power between her palms, determined to confront it head-on!

Swish!

It was futile. The giant wave engulfed her once again, pushing her back to the shore.

This was already the one hundred and twenty-eighth time.

Yun Si lay motionless on the ground like a stranded salted fish. The constant back and forth over the past few days had drained her of energy. She had used around two hundred Qianli Talismans, and her pockets were nearly empty. She had been struggling back and forth with paper boats, enduring a hundred and twenty-eight failed attempts.

"Hahaha!"

Amidst the echoing, demonic laughter, Yun Si cast a cold glance back.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Do you know that you're now just like a stranded salted fish, hahaha! I can't take it anymore, you're killing me with laughter, hahaha~"

To be honest, if she weren't so young, I would have slapped her twice already. Such cheeky words from someone so young.

"You can laugh here all you want! I'm going back to rest," Yun Si lazily waved her hand and headed towards the mouth of the cave.

"Don't leave! I just witnessed your perseverance, and now if you give up, it would be a shame," a face of lamentation, though inwardly she was probably rolling on the floor laughing.

Yun Si gave her a sidelong glance, then went back to the tattered straw mat in the cave and lay down. Exhausted, as soon as she lay down, her eyelids grew heavy.

"Sang'er! Sang'er!..."

Sang'er? Who's Sang'er?

Someone was calling out repeatedly for someone named Sang'er, and the voice sounded somewhat familiar.

Yun Si struggled to open her eyes, only to see Jun Feng's anxious expression, his worried eyes full of concern.

Yun Si was a bit dazed. She thought to herself: So even immortals can show such expressions! I thought he was cold-hearted, devoid of emotions.

"...Immortal..." she weakly uttered.

Ironically, upon hearing her call, the person before her seemed somewhat dazed. His previously anxious expression even momentarily turned back to his earlier indifference, and his tone became colder.

"Awake?"

"Yeah," Yun Si rubbed her eyes, only now noticing the misty surroundings, reminiscent of a fairyland.

Was this... ascending to immortality?

"Where is this place?"

"This is your dream. I've been looking for you for days, unable to sense your presence. What happened to you and why couldn't I feel your aura?"

That day, Jun Feng sensed danger when her presence suddenly disappeared. Despite his injuries, he sought her out, but when he encountered Xiechen, he learned that Yun Si had been ambushed by Wen Shiming.

He believed she would be fine, after all, she was Zisang. Even though she had taken on mortal form, she was still her, unchanging.

He blindly believed that, so he searched the entire capital, but couldn't find her. He started to panic, disregarding Ye Bai's advice and his own incomplete recovery, he stubbornly embarked on a journey into the dream realm.

"Cough!" Perhaps too excited, he felt a dull pain in his chest, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

"Immortal, are you okay?"

Jun Feng shook his head, wiping away the bloodstains from the corner of his mouth. "It's nothing. Quickly, tell me where you are, I'll come find you now!"

"But you..."

Despite his severe injuries, he still pretended to be so lofty, ordering her around with that commanding tone.

"Hurry! I don't have time!" Jun Feng shouted again.

"Merfolk Marsh! I'm at the Merfolk Marsh!"

Before she could finish her sentence, the figure in front of her dissipated like smoke.

Yun Si sat up abruptly, scanning her surroundings quickly.

Immortal! I hope he's okay!

"What are you doing! You scared me half to death by sitting up like that. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were a zombie!" Chuyue's eyes widened in terror, her shocked expression truly resembling someone who had seen a ghost.

Since the death of the Fifth Prince, Xiao Chen, the vast palace had rarely been as lively as it was today. All the civil and military officials of the court gathered together, chatting and laughing.

Jiang Lingshuang, dressed in phoenix coronet and rosy robe, received a glass of wine from her maid and offered it to the Emperor. Amidst the music and dancing, the festivities gradually faded away...

Passing through the bustling crowds, the air around slowly calmed.

She looked at the man beside her through the red curtain, only to see him frowning as he gazed into the distance. With his tall and straight figure clad in golden armor emitting a golden glow, he exuded a formidable aura, as if he were heading to the battlefield.

Unconsciously, a faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips, but it quickly disappeared, replaced by a hint of sadness in her eyes.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions, fearing that she would only sink deeper if she didn't.

A ray of sunlight seeped into the red silk tent, and she turned her head to see him lifting the red curtain to peer inside. The sunlight scattered on him, casting a golden glow over his figure. His fair skin was covered with cold iron, and beneath it, he seemed as frosty as ever. Like the warm sun in winter, he appeared radiant, yet in reality, he was as cold as ice.

"Tomorrow, we'll pass this mountain and arrive at the Shu Dynasty," his tone was calmer than usual.

Jiang Lingshuang withdrew her gaze, giving a faint smile. "I know."

"You still have one last chance. You just need to tell me you don't want to go, and I'll take you away now."

Jiang Lingshuang was shocked by Yulan Xing's words, thinking he was just joking, but his expression was so serious.

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Lingshuang finally spoke. "Yulan Xing, the Emperor's decree cannot be violated. The will of heaven has been determined, and we can't turn back."

Although she appeared calm on the surface, only she knew how much courage it took to say those words.

As the red curtain was lifted, she seemed to hear him say, "I, Yulan Xing, have never believed in fate, only in myself."

When she looked again, he had already ridden his horse forward.

Soon, the wedding procession came to a halt, and in no time, there was chaos and the sound of fighting. Amidst the confusion, she seemed to hear someone shout, "...General Yu has rebelled, seize him quickly..."

Jiang Lingshuang hurriedly tried to persuade Yulan Xing not to act recklessly, but as soon as she touched the red curtain, she was pushed back by an external force. Watching the situation outside deteriorate, all she could do was call out helplessly, "Yulan Xing, stop now, don't make any more mistakes, Yulan Xing!"

...The scarlet wind swept past, stirring up sand and rocks. Trapped inside the phoenix tent, Jiang Lingshuang couldn't see anything outside, only countless screams echoing around her.

She covered her ears, unable to bear it any longer, curling up in helplessness, tears staining her makeup.

It was unclear how long it had been before the miserable cries finally ceased. When Jiang Lingshuang looked up again, the red curtain was lifted, and in her line of sight was the smiling man, extending his hand towards her.

"Now, can you come with me?" he smiled, but she cried, throwing herself into his arms and holding him tightly, tearfully saying, "Yulan Xing, you fool, do you know how dangerous it was just now?"

He held her tightly in his arms, heart against heart, as if they could both feel every beat of each other's hearts.

The heartbeat was fast, crashing against his heart again and again, warm, igniting a fire in his heart. He could no longer restrain the love in his heart for her, embracing her tightly, but carefully turning his face slightly, afraid that the bloodstains on his face would ruin the face of his beloved girl.

"I'll take you back, okay?"

"Mm~"

Yunsi took out the few remaining thousand-mile talismans from her pouch, carefully selecting one and returning the rest to the sachet.

As the thousand-mile talisman was thrown into the air, it emitted a purple light as Yunsi cast her spell. Moonlight sprinkled over the sea surface, faintly glowing, and a portal emerged, shimmering in the rippling waves. However, before the portal could fully form, it shattered into specks of light the next moment.

The shimmering light gradually dissipated, and Yunsi looked up at the moon, now obscured by dark clouds, plunging the earth into darkness. Worried that it might rain soon, she decided to return early to rest. Just as she turned to leave, a scream pierced the air, and she hurriedly ran towards the cave.

Upon entering, she saw Chu Yue rolling on the ground in agony, tears streaming down her face. Yunsi quickly rushed over to embrace her, but was suddenly struck by a sharp pain in her wrist. Rather than letting go, she held Chu Yue even tighter.

"It hurts! It hurts so much! Sister Yunsi, please help me, I'm in so much pain! Waaah~"

Chu Yue struggled, her hoarse voice tearing at Yunsi's heart. Yunsi reached out and gently stroked her head, suppressing the trembling of her hand, and reassured her tenderly, "It's okay, it'll be over soon!"

Gathering her magical power in her palm, Yunsi slowly soothed Chu Yue's head.

Another wave of pain hit her chest, and she coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Wiping the blood from her lips, Yunsi looked down at the child sleeping soundly in her arms, a faint smile appearing in her eyes.

As the pain intensified, Yunsi struggled to lay Chu Yue down on the tattered straw mat to sleep, and then staggered out of the cave.

Hiding in a dark corner, she curled up tightly, clutching her skirt with clenched fists, oblivious to the bruises forming on her skin.

The pain spread throughout her body, but she dared not make a sound, fearing she might wake Chu Yue. She silently endured it all, unable to believe how the girl had endured this for so many years, the cycles of such pain countless times.

Her body trembled violently, her thin clothes soaked with sweat. The wind blew, chilling her to the bone, yet her feverish body felt cold as the wind gently brushed against her, alternating between hot and cold.

Amidst the howling wind, she heard not only the wind but also the cries of agony, the helpless wails echoing in her ears...

How she got through that night, she couldn't remember. When she woke up again, the sky was already bright, and she lay on the ground, bathed in blazing sunlight.

Her mind was heavy, her eyes blurry.

Everything that happened last night seemed like a dream, but she felt so weak and uncomfortable, as if her soul had been drained. How could she believe it was all just a dream!

She raised a hand to shield her eyes and continued to doze off.

"What! Are you really planning to help us leave here?"

Chu Yue jumped up, her dilated pupils like black obsidian. Yunsi smiled and reached up to lift her dropped jaw, nodding before continuing, "That's right, I'm feeling compassionate today and decided to help you leave."

Chu Yue couldn't help rolling her eyes. "But you can't leave yourself, can you?"

Yunsi smiled faintly. "That's why I need your assistance now. Only with your help can I find a way out of here, right?"

Compared to Yunsi when she first arrived, Chu Yue was more familiar with the place. Coupled with the villagers' attitude towards Yunsi, Chu Yue going out on her behalf would definitely be a good choice.

On a pitch-black, windy night where one couldn't see their own hand, a small shadow darted swiftly across the rooftops before coming to a brief halt on one of them and then departing.

Watching as Chu Yue approached from afar, Yunsi ran over to greet her with a beaming smile.

"How did it go? Did you find anything unusual?" Yunsi inquired eagerly.

"I did, I did!" The joy in Chu Yue's small eyes couldn't be hidden.

Seeing that there was some progress, Yunsi smiled satisfactorily and gently caressed Chu Yue's head affectionately. "Good girl, tell me what you found."

Pleased with the praise, the child's smile grew even brighter. "A temple!"

"A temple here? That's odd." Yunsi was puzzled. She had surveyed the area outside and hadn't noticed any temples.

Seeing Yunsi's confusion, Chu Yue explained, "There used to be one, but when the tide rose, the villagers were trapped. They thought it was punishment from the heavens, so we suffered this calamity. Since then, the temple has been abandoned."

"But that's also the most suspicious place. Last night, I saw someone go to the temple."

"Who was it? Did you see their face clearly?" Yunsi hurriedly asked.

Disappointedly, Chu Yue shook her head and sighed deeply. "I didn't see!"

"Never mind," Yunsi sighed heavily too.

Yunsi's disappointed expression inadvertently struck Chu Yue's heart like a blow, prompting her to lash out.

"How could that be? You look down on me too much. After all these years, I, Chu Yue, have been around here for so long. Even if I couldn't see their face clearly, I could still tell from their figure."

"It was the clan chief!"

Chu Yue's words left Yunsi half believing. She hoped the child wasn't saying it out of spite. At this moment, she was vulnerable to exposing herself, which could be fatal.

Yunsi gently stroked Chu Yue's head. "It's okay, you don't have to force yourself. If you couldn't see clearly last night, we'll go again tonight. Sister Yunsi won't be mad at you. Good girl~"

Chu Yue looked at Yunsi as if she were an idiot, clenched her fists, and glared at Yunsi fiercely. "Whatever, I'm not going."

"Alright, alright, my bad. We'll take action tonight."

There was no choice but to indulge a child.

Another dark and windy night where one couldn't see their own hand, a pair of figures, one big and one small, stopped on a rafter.

"Is this the temple you mentioned?"

"Yes!"

"Let's go down and take a look first."

The towering tree grew wildly through the dilapidated house, its umbrella-like branches concealing the decrepit temple as if protecting something.

The two slid down the vines, and at the base of the tree was the temple Chu Yue had spoken of. Despite its dilapidation, the statues inside were intact.

For some reason, the statues here made Yunsi feel breathless, as if they were accusing something.

"What's this?"

Chu Yue suddenly spoke up, and Yunsi retracted her gaze and walked inside.

Behind the Buddha statue was a hidden tunnel, its depth unfathomable. Tossing a stone, they listened for its sound, but it seemed to travel a distance of about ten feet before any sound returned.

Chu Yue hesitated to swallow her saliva and weakly asked, "Are we still going down?"

"We are. Of course we are. You go first."

"No! Aren't you a Buddhist? Why don't you have any compassion?"

That's right! I almost forgot. There was nothing Yunsi could do. Living on the island for so long, she began to think of herself as one of the islanders.

"That's true, but... but you can't... you can't let me go first! What if there's something down there?" Yunsi's sincere gaze turned to Chu Yue once again.

In the end, the two compromised and decided to go down together.

Hand in hand, they clenched their teeth and leaped into the abyss.

Screams echoed in their ears as powerful counter-currents slapped their faces, as if tearing them apart. The two, holding hands tightly, had unknowingly become tightly embraced.

"Plump!"

It felt like falling into water. The powerful counter-current disappeared, and their bodies became heavy, sinking downwards, the cold spreading throughout their bodies...

"Yunsi, look, I can blow bubbles!"

Chu Yue's voice rang out, and Yunsi slowly opened her eyes.

Where were they...

A bubble leisurely floated past her eyes, caught, and then another, and another...

She turned her face slightly, and another bubble drifted by.

Huang Ling's bird-like crisp voice sounded, "How does it look?"

Yunsi, listless, looked at Chu Yue. "You playful little imp, do you realize where we are? You're remarkably carefree."

Ignoring Yunsi's concern, Chu Yue played on, enjoying herself. "What's there to be afraid of? You're here, aren't you?"

Yunsi couldn't help but facepalm.

Joy knows no bounds in children with disabilities!

Yunsi took another look around to reassess their surroundings. It seemed that the hole in the temple led to the sea, a place she was quite familiar with.

The lush green vines beside them also seemed to lead to the temple. They were unusually long and formed into strange clusters, like they were enclosing something.

Yunsi dragged Chu Yue over to investigate.

Suddenly, a man's voice came from behind them, "What are you doing here?"

It was the clan chief!

Earlier, Chu Yue had mentioned that the clan chief was the most suspicious person in the Merfolk Marsh, but Yunsi had dismissed it as a joke.

Never had she expected that upon seeing him today, he would indeed seem strange. Apart from his fierce expression upon seeing them, Yunsi also sensed a strong demonic aura emanating from him.

Not wanting to escalate the situation, which would be detrimental to her, Yunsi hastily pulled Chu Yue away from there.

"Whoosh!"

A vine-like sword suddenly flew towards them, slicing through the air like a laser.

In a panic, Yunsi pulled Chu Yue back.

"Bang!"

They narrowly avoided the fatal blow, but the bundle of vines beside them wasn't as fortunate.

After being struck by the powerful sword, the bundled vines ominously oozed a few streams of red.

The bizarre scene before her didn't allow Yunsi time to think. She grabbed Chu Yue's collar and fled upwards.

After escaping from the temple, Yunsi didn't dare to linger. She ran back to the cave with Chu Yue in tow.

Strangely, they didn't encounter any further interference from the clan chief along the way.

Recalling the snow that had flowed down from the vines earlier, Yunsi couldn't help but shiver.

She seemed to catch a glimpse of panic in the clan chief's eyes, mixed in with his ferocity.

Could it be... that whatever was inside was the culprit behind all of this?

With heavy doubts, Yunsi decided to risk going back to find out.

As she was about to leave, Chu Yue followed. Yunsi, unusually serious, said, "No, it's too dangerous to go. I can't protect you properly. Stay here and wait for me to come back."

Perhaps startled by Yunsi's sudden seriousness, Chu Yue didn't retort this time. She looked at Yunsi with wide eyes.

Yunsi softened her gaze, crouched down to meet her eyes, and gently patted Chu Yue's head. "Don't worry, Yunsi promises to take you away from here and won't break her promise. Do you trust me?"

The little girl's eyes reddened, nodded obediently, and said with a hint of tears in her voice, as if insisting on something and preventing her tears from falling, "Yunsi, you must be careful. I'll wait for you to come back!"

With a nod, Yunsi turned and left, her figure gradually disappearing from view.

The Merfolk Marsh was even more eerily silent tonight.

This entire island was already a strange place, but at this moment, it felt like something was creeping closer to her spine...

"Miss... Miss..."

A faint voice lingered in her ears as Yunsi halted her steps, looking around.

She heard the voice but saw no one.

Shaking her head, she continued forward, and the ghostly voice resurfaced.

"Miss... Miss... Save me... Save me..."

"Who's there? Are you speaking to me?"

The voice pleaded, "Save me... Only you can save me..."

Yunsi, as if compelled, followed the voice until it led her to the temple.

The temple was dimly lit, and despite the moonlight, she saw no one. For some reason, her thoughts shifted to behind the Buddha statue.

Perhaps the answers lay within.

Gritting her teeth, Yunsi impulsively entered.

The clan chief was nowhere to be seen, only the greenish crack still emitting a faint white light.

She wasn't sure if the voice originated from there, but since it had lured her in, perhaps there was some truth to it.

With trepidation, she tentatively knocked on the crack. She couldn't be sure if there might be some monster inside, so she didn't dare to use force.

"Is it you inside?"

"Save me... Help me leave this place, please..."

The voice was gentle, with a hint of tears. Yunsi could almost imagine the delicate, tear-stained face of the person.

The thought of such a delicate beauty trapped in such a dark place filled Yunsi with pity, and without much thought, she agreed.

But what should she do? Yunsi was at a loss, unsure of where to begin.

After a moment's thought, Yunsi took out a piece of paper, held it between her fingers, and lit it with a flame.

The paper burned in the water, flickering with the movement of the waves.

Tossing the paper onto the vines, it ignited into a blazing fire, spreading along the vines and enveloping them.

This fire was the Nine Ghosts' Crystal Fire, different from the Nine Ghosts' Crystal Fire of the underworld, which was formed by the last wisp of a soul when a ghost reincarnated.

Unable to find so many souls at the moment, Yunsi had used her own blood instead, and the only one harmed would be this monster.

"Puff!"

Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced her chest.

Glancing down, she saw the cold light stained bright red.

Before she could react, she was tackled to the ground by two people, as if she were a criminal.

"We finally caught you!"

A deep voice rang out.

Wincing, Yunsi raised her eyes and saw through the front, the clan chief, followed by over a hundred people.

Yunsi couldn't help but bitterly smile. She had thought that the hardships endured by these villagers were all thanks to the clan chief, but she hadn't expected that they were all in cahoots.

Unconsciously, the face of Chu Yue flashed through her mind, smiling sweetly and calling her sister. She couldn't help but consider that perhaps all of this was a trap set up by her, along with them.

Their goals were indeed the same from the beginning.

Sure enough, a small figure moved through the crowd and stood beside the clan chief, looking at him with satisfaction. She patted her head approvingly and praised, "Chu Yue, well done. I'll reward you handsomely when we get out."

The girl nodded obediently.

"Ridiculous!" Yunsi couldn't help but sneer.

The clan chief then turned his gaze to her, approaching step by step, as if he were the king of hell demanding her life.

His large hand firmly gripped her neck, his brows furrowed in anger, his dignified appearance contrasting sharply with his current expression.

"You better tell me honestly how to leave this place, or you'll regret it."

"Let her go! If there's any issue, come at me!"

The voice from behind spoke again, its gentle tone now infused with determination.

The clan chief chuckled in response, "You can't even save yourself!"

The person seemed angered, their tone laced with reproach, "Aren't you afraid of retribution for all the evil deeds you've done?"

The clan chief suddenly burst into a cold laugh, madness gleaming in his eyes, "Retribution? Retribution has tormented me for three hundred years! Isn't all this your doing? Dare you speak to me of retribution?"

"Isn't immortality what you sought? Have you forgotten how you greedily wielded your knives on my flesh for your own gain?"

Yunsi's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at the seemingly "innocent" villagers. She couldn't believe the hidden depravity behind their faces!

Taking flesh from living beings? What kind of depraved lunatics were they?

The desolate tone of the person made Yunsi feel as if she could see those scenes, the cries of pain, the indifferent and greedy faces, and the frenzy of those who fought over the spoils.

Her gaze turned cold as she stared at the greedy and loathsome face before her.

As if noticing her gaze, the clan chief turned his head, tightening his grip on her neck.

"Don't look at me like that. If you don't lead us out today, your fate won't be any better than hers!"

Her eyes remained still, devoid of any emotion, as she gazed at him in silence. After a while, a cold smile crept onto her face.

"Wanna get out of here? It's simple. Let her out!"

"Are you trying to trick me?"

The clan chief's anger flared, drawing his sword and holding it to her neck.

"Wait!" A voice that hadn't spoken before suddenly stopped him.

Seeing him halt, the person stepped forward and said, "Chief, she's not lying. She was the one who broke the curse set by Rui. Now, only she can undo it."

The chief was stunned, lost in thought.

Seeing this, Yunsi pushed away the two people behind her, snatched the sword from the chief's hand, and slashed fiercely at the blazing fire.

In an instant, the flames seemed to lose their vitality, dissipated by the undulating seawater like wisps of smoke.

"Be careful!"

In a daze, she seemed to hear someone shout. Turning her head, she only saw a small figure collapse like a puppet.

At that moment... the world seemed to quiet down, and when the child fell into her arms, it was as if the world had darkened...

... Her ears buzzed, and after some time, she barely heard anything. She felt noisy, but her mind felt empty, unperturbed.

With lowered eyes, she looked at the child in her arms, motionless.

At some point, she felt someone approaching her. She raised her eyes slightly.

The woman walked towards her on a lotus, her pink lips moving as if speaking. Then she disappeared, as if she had never been there.

The world... was truly too complicated. Who was real? Who was fake? She couldn't tell anymore.

Her master's words echoed in her ears.

"… Heaven and Earth have their proper order, and myriad things assume their forms. Below are rivers and mountains, above are the sun and stars. Man should be broad-minded, vast as heaven and earth, harmonious and clear as the sun and moon. When the time is right, integrity shall appear..."

"… Refrain from all evil, pursue all that is good. Purify your own mind, this is the teaching of all Buddhas. Do not underestimate minor virtuous acts, for they accumulate to great merit. Even though water drops are minute, they eventually fill a large vessel; accumulating minor virtues leads to abundant blessings, while neglecting minor virtues leads to no sainthood..."

"… A single thought arises, and the landscape changes; a single thought vanishes, and the ocean and mountains are gone..."