chapter 63

"Thank You for Taking Care of Me All My Life"

The heavy snow weighed down the branches, and the Qingmian Ghost Crane hovered in the sky for a long while.

Pei Yujing took Zhan Yunwei to tend to her injuries, and by the time they had left, Yue Zhiheng and Qu Lanyue turned back.

Yue Zhiheng seemed much calmer now, the bloodstains at the corner of his lips wiped clean. Qu Lanyue didn't initially understand what he was looking at.

For everyone, today had been a terrible day.

The only good news was that Zhan Yunwei had managed to preserve the mute girl's faint remnant soul. The Long Life Herb finally had a purpose, and the mute girl, who had been without any hope of survival, now had a slim chance.

This spiritual control technique always amazed Qu Lanyue, and she had already started to wonder just how far Zhan Yunwei could go with it.

Honestly, she had once liked Zhan Yunwei simply because she was a beautiful and cute spirit master, but now her admiration was tinged with respect.

The candles in the village below gradually went out, and under Zhan Yunwei's protection, the villagers had been left almost undisturbed.

Qu Lanyue glanced at Yue Zhiheng, whose expression had calmed, and said, "You didn't really need to treat her like that. If it's absolutely necessary, I'll cooperate with you in staging a scene to drive her away."

Yue Zhiheng covered the mute girl with his cloak, saying, "You read too many storybooks."

Qu Lanyue thought to herself, Fine, Miss Zhan won't believe it, and she'll think there's something between the two of us.

"But do you really think it's a good idea to make Miss Zhan believe she harmed your sister?" she asked.

"Terrible idea." Yue Zhiheng glanced at her. "If I let you choose, would you choose to die with me?"

What a joke, Qu Lanyue thought. Of course, she wanted to live.

There were plenty of men in the world. When the world eventually settled, there would always be someone else worth caring for. A bit of guilt meant nothing.

She would have preferred never to have waded into these murky waters, never to have learned anything, and to have let those capable people fix this broken spiritual domain. But once she knew, she could no longer convince herself to step back just to survive.

People often had to take paths they didn't choose.

Yue Zhiheng looked at her indifferently, as though he could see her answer clearly.

Qu Lanyue said, "But for Miss Zhan, the nature instilled in her by the immortal sect, this kind of pain will not be easy to bear."

Yue Zhiheng remained silent for a long time before saying, "She won't."

At first, Qu Lanyue didn't understand.

By this time, several disciples of the Penglai Mountain had gathered around the Xuanwu carriage, checking for any forgotten items. They took the mute girl's belongings from the carriage.

Yue Zhiheng then withdrew his gaze, urging the Qingmian Ghost Crane to leave.

Qu Lanyue thought deeply. What was in that bundle? Yue Zhiheng had specifically turned back to make sure that Pei Yujing's people took it.

She was clever, and after glancing at the mute girl, who had lost her breath, she realized: Did Yue Qingluo leave her a letter?

Qu Lanyue finally understood what Yue Zhiheng was up to, and couldn't help but glance at him. This was a truly meticulous plan.

Yue Zhiheng lowered his gaze to the remaining soul in his hand, slowly tightening his fingers.

Last night, at the height of the wind and snow, the mute girl had tucked the blanket around Zhan Yunwei.

She had stared blankly for a long time, eventually writing an explanatory letter by the window.

She wanted to tell Zhan Yunwei that leaving was her own choice and that she had known the consequences long ago. Considering things from her perspective, she didn't want Zhan Yunwei to bear such a burden.

But after writing it, she feared she might harm Zhan Yunwei or ruin her younger brother's plans.

The ink on her pen had almost frozen, and she wasn't sure whether she should put the letter in the bundle. It was her first time writing a letter, and she didn't even know how to seal it.

Just then, a long hand appeared at the window, offering her sealing wax.

The mute girl looked up in surprise, and Yue Zhiheng said, "It's fine."

The mute girl knew that Ah Heng was reliable. Since he said it was fine, there must be a solution. She finally sighed in relief and clumsily sealed the letter with the wax.

When dawn broke, she would leave. Despite her anticipation for the world outside, she also felt reluctant to part with Yue Zhiheng.

Yue Zhiheng waited under the tree, waiting for her to come out and say goodbye.

She had tucked the letter away and walked to the big tree. After so many years, the memory of her younger brother in the underground palace, small yet as resilient as a thorn, now stood much taller than her.

In this life, the two of them had wandered and struggled. Most of the time, it was Yue Zhiheng protecting her.

He was more decisive than her, mature and brave, paving the way through darkness.

For the last time, she gently embraced him in the snow, like two children who almost froze to death long ago.

—Ah Heng, thank you for taking care of me all my life.

Yue Zhiheng settled the mute girl's body and handed the porcelain bottle to Elder Yue before heading to Duer City with Qu Lanyue.

This was a serious matter, and there could be no delays.

Qu Lanyue saw that he had composed himself. The mute girl's death and Zhan Yunwei's departure could not prevent the road that lay ahead.

She also understood Yue Zhiheng's decision.

He had never intended for Miss Zhan to feel guilty. Yue Zhiheng understood the pure goodness of the mute girl better than anyone and knew that she had written the letter. He hadn't stopped her.

When Miss Zhan wakes up and sees the letter, she'll understand that the mute girl's death had nothing to do with her. Zhan Yunwei, badly injured yesterday, would be able to think clearly once she recovered. She had already protected the villagers and Yue Qingluo.

And she had fulfilled the mute girl's final wish.

After that, as long as Yue Zhiheng remained resolute, in Zhan Yunwei's eyes, the royal watchdog would be "foolish, blind, and clueless"—she would blame the mute girl's death on herself, selling out to the dynasty, and never look back.

This was the first time Qu Lanyue had seen someone so determined to tarnish their own reputation.

If I were Zhan Yunwei, she thought, I'd give up as well. Why waste time reasoning with a man who doesn't trust me? I'd rather go back to the immortal sect and live my own life.

She had heard that the men of Changya Mountain were also quite handsome.

"Thank You for Taking Care of Me All My Life"

Realizing this, Qu Lanyue finally understood why Yue Zhiheng had been so emotionally affected yesterday.

In one day, he lost two of the most important people to him, and one of them he had to watch be taken away right in front of his eyes.

His heart was clearly shattered, yet he had to bear it all in silence.

Qu Lanyue asked, "Aren't you afraid that Pei Yujing won't give her the letter?"

Yue Zhiheng's expression remained indifferent. "He won't."

People from the immortal sect were mostly righteous. Even though he didn't think highly of Pei Yujing's indecisiveness, Pei Yujing would never stand by and watch Zhan Yunwei suffer.

Qu Lanyue continued, "We definitely need to grab the Hundred Kills Herb. What if you can't bring yourself to act the next time you see Zhan Yunwei?"

She expected Yue Zhiheng to refute her, but to her surprise, his gaze remained calm as he handed her a stack of talismans.

Qu Lanyue immediately recognized them. They were the most famous "Killing Life Talismans" created by the imperial dynasty's top talisman master.

Yue Zhiheng spoke softly, "If something feels off, use one."

Each talisman lasted only half an hour, but that was enough for the task at hand. It was a simple, brutal method.

It was said that with the Killing Life Talisman, even a close blood relative would not hesitate to strike. To prevent any mishaps, he had also brought along a few half-unsealed talismans.

Qu Lanyue didn't bother asking him why he chose such a complicated method instead of using a forgetfulness pill. After all, with love and memories, one became a complete person.

Good things like this were rare. She put them away. For them, emotions were too much of a luxury. Before the great battle ahead, she would use one herself, so she wouldn't be distracted by thoughts of the stars and wouldn't feel hesitant.

Yue Zhiheng raised his eyes. The sky before them was growing increasingly murky, and the boundary of Duer City was in sight.

When Zhan Yunwei woke up, the snow and ice in the spiritual domain had melted, and the room was warm. The cloud boat was already moving.

She didn't know how many days had passed, but the pain in her dantian had eased significantly. The sky outside had taken on a grayish hue.

They were on their way to Duer City.

After discussing how to infiltrate Duer City, Pei Yujing pushed open the door and saw Zhan Yunwei staring out the window.

He paused in his steps. Zhan Yunwei was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees, lost in thought.

Pei Yujing had already suspected what had happened when he arrived, and he couldn't help but worry about her state.

Zhan Yunwei looked truly distressed.

Hearing his footsteps, she turned around. Pei Yujing intended to comfort her, but she spoke first. "Brother Pei, do you know what happened to Brother Ye?"

Pei Yujing said, "When we arrived, Junior Brother Ye Fuqing had already been in trouble for half a month. Luckily, his soul was still intact. I sealed it and sent it back to Changya Mountain."

As for how to save him, they both knew that in order for Ye Fuqing to come back to life, they would likely need the Long Life Herb from the Yue family. But with the current fallout between Yue Zhiheng and them, it was unlikely he would lend it again.

But his soul was still intact, which was a small blessing amidst the misfortune. "Thank you."

Pei Yujing comforted her, "I saw the letter you wrote him at his bamboo house. When it was received, it was already in the hands of Dongfang Che."

It was a strange coincidence. Dongfang Che could never have anticipated that Zhan Yunwei had borrowed a doll from Ye Fuqing. It seemed that for the past six months, he had grown tired of hiding and wanted a legitimate identity, so he had focused on Ye Fuqing, who had many dolls and relatively low cultivation. Unexpectedly, he had received Zhan Yunwei's letter by mistake.

When Pei Yujing and the others went to find Ye Fuqing, they had initially hoped to borrow a few dolls to help them move around in Duer City. But upon seeing the letter in the house, they realized something had gone wrong and immediately went to find Zhan Yunwei.

Zhan Yunwei nodded gently, but her heart still felt heavy.

She had been awake for quite some time and had already come to terms with the fact that the mute girl had already passed, and it wasn't Dongfang Che who had killed her.

But there were too many things that didn't make sense, and Zhan Yunwei still couldn't understand why it had happened.

"By the way," Pei Yujing took out a letter, "I found this in the Xuanwu carriage. It's for you."

Naturally, he hadn't read the letter meant for Zhan Yunwei. Though he worried that the contents might make her even more upset, he couldn't keep it from her.

Zhan Yunwei saw the familiar handwriting and didn't expect that the mute girl had left her a letter.

The envelope had the name "Wei" written in neat characters, and Zhan Yunwei felt a pang of bitterness.

She opened the letter, and the handwriting inside was clearly more crooked, like that of a child just learning to write.

"Yunwei, by the time you read this letter, I will no longer be around. Please don't be sad. Everyone seems to know the meaning of their life and has something they must do, but I never did. At first, it was the underground palace and the forbidden lands that trapped me, and later I began to fear the outside world more and more."

"Your arrival was the greatest surprise of my life. For the first time, I had a friend who was willing to listen to me. You made me beautiful clothes, taught me to sew protective sachets, and encouraged me to learn to read and write. For the first time, I knew that a person could live this way, and I was truly happy. All of this happiness was brought to me by you."

"My leaving has nothing to do with you. I have known the consequences for a long time. This was my own choice. Children of evil spirits always die young, and I carry the soul contract of the dynasty. But even knowing that, I still begged you to take me to see the great mountains and rivers and let me live freely for just one day."

"I don't regret it. Only those who are raised like livestock are confined to a yard and never see the sky. Only by leaving the place that confined me and walking in the sunlight, can I truly say I've lived."

"Yunwei, thank you for fulfilling my wish. The mountains are high, the waters long, and I wish for your peace and safety. I hope you will fulfill your own wish soon and return to Changya Mountain."

Pei Yujing saw her reading the letter with tears streaming down her face.

In the end, nearly half the letter was soaked with tears. In fact, Pei Yujing rarely saw her cry like this—she had always been stronger than all the Spirit Masters.

Fortunately, her emotions gradually settled. She wiped away her tears, and the pain in her eyes disappeared, leaving only the sorrow of losing a dear friend.

Pei Yujing, who had originally reached out his hand, silently retracted it into his sleeve. She was no longer as dependent on him as she had been in the past.

The sky grew increasingly gray, and Zhan Yunwei knew they were close to Duer City.

Retrieving the Hundred Kills Herb was the priority.

She composed herself and asked Pei Yujing what his plan was.

As they approached the boundary of the city, Pei Yujing's expression became more serious. "Duer City is unlike any other secret realm. The city is filled with evil spirits. The more people there are, the bigger the target. I plan to go alone."

This time, even his fellow disciples who wanted to accompany him were stopped by Pei Yujing.

As far as he knew, aside from people from the Immortal Alliance and Yue Zhiheng from the Dynasty, many rogue cultivators had also entered Duer City.

Everyone who got wind of the legend of the Hundred Kills Herb wanted to get their hands on it.

"Yunwei, what are your plans?"

If it had been before, Pei Yujing would have advised her to return with the group. But things were different now. Their engagement had ended, and Zhan Yunwei was now the young master of Changya Mountain. Pei Yujing had no right to interfere with her decisions.

The last time in Taoyuan Village, Zhan Yunwei had already proven that she was not inferior to any spirit cultivator.

Zhan Yunwei replied, "I'll go with you."

"Alright."

After making this decision, the next day, they abandoned the cloud boat, mounted their swords, and reached the boundary.

They took transformation pills and, before dawn, mingled with a group of common folk who were trying to sneak into Duer City.

Zhan Yunwei glanced up and noticed that most of these people were thin and pale, their eyes devoid of life. Their bodies had already been tainted by the evil energy.

These common folk weren't after the Hundred Kills Herb. Instead, they were trying their luck, hoping to find a spiritual stone mine and dig out some high-quality spiritual stones to change their own and their family's fate.

The spiritual energy in the Spiritual Domain was thin, and Duer City didn't rely on spiritual energy for cultivation. But it was rich with spiritual stone mines.

The person leading them impatiently pushed a woman at the back of the group. "Move faster. If you fall behind and get caught, no one will be able to save you."

This woman had just given birth. If it weren't for her daughter, she wouldn't be doing something so dangerous.

Just as she was about to fall, someone caught her arm. She hurriedly raised her eyes and said, "Thank you, miss."

Zhan Yunwei responded, "Walk carefully."

Everyone knew that, out of the fifty or sixty people entering today, at most one or two would make it out alive. But as long as they managed to bring out high-quality spiritual stones, they might be able to change their family's life.

Those coming to Duer City "to try their luck" were either desperate or already near the end of their lives.

Every year, the bodies of the dead piled up like mountains inside the city. The number of survivors was very few.

The closer they got to the opening, the more silent and fearful the crowd became. The leader didn't intend to enter the city. He spoke in a deep voice, "Everyone stay alert. In three days, at dusk, this opening will appear again. If you find a spiritual mine, you'll have everything you need from now on."

After a pause, he added, "If you're lucky, like some people in the past, and manage to bring back the child of an evil spirit, your family won't have to worry about food and drink for three generations."

Someone muttered, "I heard the children of evil spirits are all short-lived, most not surviving past eighteen. It's been so many years, they're probably all dead by now."

The leader smiled mysteriously. "Not necessarily."

Zhan Yunwei raised her eyes.

Even Pei Yujing furrowed his brow. He didn't know the identities of Yue Zhiheng and Yue Qingluo, but he had once seen the child of an evil spirit with Zhan Yunwei when they were younger.

The common folk were pitiful, but there were others who were even more tragic. And what did the leader mean by that? Had he seen a new child of an evil spirit in recent years?