Gu Xueyi

The night was deep, and the two lay in silence.

Gu Baiyi rested on the left side of the bed, watching the person beside her with amusement. Ji Rong lay stiffly, more rigid than the dying.

In truth, Ji Rong's mind was flashing with countless images, each one nearly identical, iconic scenes from the game.

For example, the heroine, already consumed by darkness, would smile sweetly before suddenly stabbing an expendable character from behind.

Or, after ascending as the Demon Lord, she would become unpredictable, mercilessly executing former confidants before the eyes of all.

And then there was the decisive battle atop Bixue Peak, where the heroine bathed Wanjian Sect in blood, gazing down at her enemies with chilling contempt.

The thrill of slaughtering foes in the game was now replaced by sheer terror.

After all, a full-level divine weapon dealing 9999 damage in a single strike was no joke.

Ji Rong couldn't sleep. Her nerves were stretched taut, tracking even the smallest movements of Gu Baiyi as she turned in bed.

Since her rebirth, Gu Baiyi rarely slept. Most of her time was spent meditating or training, making sleepless nights a habit.

Even though it was late, she felt no drowsiness.

But tonight, someone was lying beside her. A cold, subtle fragrance lingered in the air, their breathing soft and steady.

It had been a long time since anyone had stayed by her side.

The faint scent of plum blossoms drifted through the night, sinking into her lungs, and for the first time in ages, her eyelids felt heavy.

Sleeping in the presence of someone who had once betrayed her was foolish. And yet, Gu Baiyi did exactly that.

Because she was simply too exhausted and only wished for a peaceful rest.

Turning over, she chuckled softly before murmuring, "Senior Sister, sweet dreams."

There was nothing inherently wrong with the words, yet in Ji Rong's ears, they took on a completely different meaning.

After all, in her eyes, Gu Baiyi was erratic and unhinged. So naturally, what she actually meant was:

"Senior Sister, sweet dreams, don't fall asleep, or you won't wake up again."

Ji Rong remained silent, counting the stars outside the window. One, two, three, four… and remained sleepless for the rest of the night.

That night, Gu Baiyi dreamed.

A vast expanse of yellow sand stretched endlessly. Her body was buried beneath the shifting dunes, and she knew she would soon die, consumed by this ghost city that devoured all without a trace.

But three days and nights passed. She had neither food nor water, yet she still did not die.

Just when Gu Baiyi had lost all hope, someone appeared, walking towards her with slow, deliberate steps beneath a thirty-two-ribbed oil-paper umbrella.

She lifted her head and saw an ethereal beauty.

The woman gazed at her with sorrowful eyes but made no move to help. Instead, she shook her head and said, "This is your fate, and I cannot change it."

A falling star plunged into the lake, and darkness swallowed Gu Baiyi's vision.

Sand filled her nose and throat. Before the dunes completely consumed her, she saw the setting sun sinking in brilliant splendor, its golden surface gleaming like an unquenchable flame.

For the first time, she thought the ghost city was breathtakingly beautiful.

Later, she was rescued by Mei He and brought to Bixue Peak. But she never again saw a sunset as magnificent as that one.

Until the day she sat on the jade steps of the grand hall, gripping the Hanshui Sword.

She looked up and saw blood-red plum blossoms drifting through the air, cascading like a rain of crimson.

The color was striking, like a storm of blood.

Gu Baiyi felt dazed, longing to ask the Mei He who had saved her that day: Why?

Why had she been born? And why was she destined to die?

—

Gu Baiyi opened her eyes, jolted awake from the nightmare.

Gathering her thoughts, she slowly sat up at the edge of the bed, suppressing a violent cough.

Warm liquid coated her palm. As expected, when she opened her hand, it was drenched in blood.

Pressing her fingers against her temples, she sighed. Last night, she had advanced her cultivation method, Yu Fei, to the seventh level, Red Lotus, a state that caused her meridians to reverse at midnight, bringing excruciating pain to her heart veins.

She had been so focused on evading Qiu Sushuang that she had forgotten.

A throbbing vein stood out on her forehead, and the blood vessels on her wrists became eerily distinct.

Demonic energy surged through her veins, ravaging her meridians. Dark tendrils crawled across her chest, feeding upon the blood from her heart.

A searing pain burned into her neck, as if branded by a scorching iron.

Gu Baiyi collapsed onto the floor, clutching her chest as she gasped for air. Blood trickled from her lips, staining the pale fabric of her inner robes.

She opened her mouth but couldn't force out a single sound. All she could do was endure the inferno consuming her body, unable to move.

She wanted to leave the room, but her body refused to obey. All she could do was lie there, waiting for the heart demon to seize control.

Meanwhile, Ji Rong had never truly fallen asleep. Though the heroine appeared peaceful, almost harmless, Ji Rong remained on guard.

For one reason only, she valued her life.

Then, a scent of blood filled the air.

Ji Rong frowned, her eyes snapping open from her feigned slumber, only to lock onto a pair of crimson eyes.

Gu Baiyi braced herself against the floor, slowly rising.

Once she stood, she turned gracefully, wiping the blood from the corner of her lips. The Red Lotus mark on her neck gleamed, eerie as fresh blood. With a small smile, she murmured, "Senior Sister Ji, it has been some time. I've missed you dearly."

Ji Rong's mind went blank.

Oh no. This wasn't Gu Baiyi.

This was Gu Xueyi.

The name "Gu Xueyi" had been coined by players of Sword God to describe Gu Baiyi's blackened persona.

In the gaming community, players universally acknowledged two versions of the heroine, one was pure, kind, and naive. The other was cruel, ruthless, and insane.

Gu Xueyi was undoubtedly the latter.

She was the heart demon that emerged from the heroine under certain circumstances. And once this entity appeared, the story was bound to be drenched in blood, with corpses piling high in its wake.

Thus, players had dubbed her their "second daughter"—Gu Xueyi.

The game's late stages followed a simple pattern: Baiyi would smile innocently in public, while Xueyi would wreak havoc in the shadows.

The kind deeds belonged to Baiyi, while every atrocity was blamed on Xueyi.

Gu Xueyi's ultimate transformation had a distinct marker. Once players completed the twenty-first main quest and cultivated Yu Fei to the seventh level, Red Lotus, a crimson lotus mark would bloom on her neck, vivid as fresh blood.

The person before Ji Rong arched her brow slightly, her gaze dark and unfathomable, like a bottomless pool of blood. The corners of her lips curled into a smile, arrogant and cruel. She was the embodiment of Xueyi itself.

Gu Baiyi had also displayed red eyes and moments of madness in front of Ji Rong before.

But back then, Ji Rong had foolishly believed the developers' deception, thinking the heroine had merely overexerted herself in training and developed an ordinary heart demon. She hadn't expected the heart demon to mature into its ultimate form so quickly…

This was absurd! Gu Xueyi was supposed to be a late-game, fully maxed-out, blackened version of the heroine! Why was she appearing so early in the story?

Just as Ji Rong was frantically analyzing the situation, Gu Xueyi suddenly swayed forward, closing the distance between them with a smile.

Her voice was husky as she asked, "Senior Sister, what are you thinking? Why not share it with me?"

According to the game's settings, once the heroine was completely possessed by her heart demon, her power would surge exponentially, while her consciousness would become hazy, barely perceiving her surroundings.

Facing a drugged-up "Gu Xueyi," Ji Rong was certain she had no chance of winning. Her only hope was that Gu Baiyi would return soon.

But Gu Xueyi's patience wore thin when Ji Rong didn't respond.

Still smiling, she leaned down, hooked a finger under Ji Rong's chin, and pressed her lips against hers, biting down roughly.

The taste of blood bloomed between them, metallic yet sweet.

A mesmerizing scent emanated from the woman's blood, strikingly similar to the fragrance that had once driven Gu Xueyi to madness.

In an instant, memories of her past life resurfaced, memories of why she had killed Ji Rong.

Ji Rong's blood carried a peculiar aroma, an irresistible allure that no one could possibly withstand.

As Gu Xueyi deepened the kiss, a sudden pain flared on her upper lip. She opened her eyes, only to be greeted by the flash of a sword's cold gleam.

She arched a brow, catching the blade between two fingers and twisting it effortlessly.

Then, she smiled, revealing sharp teeth. "Senior Sister, do you really think you can stop me with just this sword?"

The truth? Ji Rong absolutely could not.

She backed up against the wall, lifting a hand to wipe the blood from her lips.

Then she spoke coldly, "Go ahead and try. At worst, we'll perish together."

Gu Xueyi stared at her with interest and said, "Perish together? Senior Sister, you really are adorable… But unlike that fool, I won't be so stupid. I have no qualms about killing you right here."

Ji Rong kept her expression neutral, but internally, she was screaming.

So this was the "lethal danger" the system had warned her about? She had calculated everything, except the fact that the true danger would come from the heroine herself.

[Darling~ No need to panic, this is just the beginning~]

Gu Xueyi advanced step by step, her smile deepening.

In her mind, Ji Rong furiously yelled at the system, "You better figure out a solution right now, or we're both done for!"

[No need to worry, player. In the "Yan Hui Pavilion" side quest, you earned 100 favorability points with Gu Baiyi. Based on system calculations, you are not currently in any life-threatening danger.]

Ji Rong: "..."

100 favorability points means I won't die? Wait, then why didn't you tell me this earlier?!

[Darling, you were drunk back then and couldn't hear anything. The system actually tried to remind you.]

[Current favorability with Gu Baiyi: -819. According to system analysis, if favorability is greater than -900 but less than -800, a special "Bloodlust" event will automatically trigger.]

Special event?

Ji Rong was stunned, her gut telling her this system was about to screw her over.

And sure enough, as Gu Xueyi's grin turned increasingly unhinged, Ji Rong instinctively reached for the teleportation talisman hidden in her robes, her last resort for escape.

But before she could even move, she realized, she couldn't move at all.

A cold electronic voice sounded:

[To ensure the player's safety and the smooth execution of the special event, the system will temporarily take control. Duration: three minutes.]

[Countdown begins.]

Gu Xueyi stepped closer, only to notice something strange, Ji Rong didn't seem afraid. In fact, she even lifted her head, gazing at her with a calm, indifferent expression.

Surprised, Gu Xueyi chuckled. "What's this? Have you given up resisting?"

In the next moment, Ji Rong's grip on her sword loosened.

The Hanshui Sword slipped from Gu Xueyi's fingers, clattering to the ground.

Ji Rong's expression remained composed, even as Gu Xueyi unsheathed her Hanshui Sword and pressed the blade against her throat.

A thin line of blood beaded along her pale skin.

Ji Rong lifted a hand and wiped away the blood. Then, she said in a flat tone, "Had enough fun?"

Gu Xueyi frowned.

Ji Rong didn't seem the least bit rattled.

Unshaken? Completely unfazed?

Then she could just die.

Gu Xueyi smiled again and took a slow step forward.

The cruelty in her gaze deepened as she reached out, lightly tracing Ji Rong's throat, as if caressing a lover's cheek.

She could already picture the moment that pale neck was sliced open, blood spraying like delicate petals.

A beautiful sight. One she had always enjoyed.

But in the next instant, Gu Xueyi's pupils contracted sharply.

Her fingers met unexpected resistance, her grip, meant to strangle, instead passed through a curtain of dark, loose hair.

On the other side, Ji Rong's gaze remained impassive as she suddenly stepped forward, pressing herself into Gu Xueyi's arms.

Her cool hands cupped Gu Xueyi's face.

Her fingers were long and slender, her palms faintly cold.

Gu Xueyi narrowed her eyes. She had been about to kill Ji Rong, yet the other woman…

Was offering herself up?

A thin cut traced Ji Rong's neck, but she didn't seem to care.

She reached up, stroking Gu Xueyi's cheek, and smiled. "Junior Sister, now who is the one resisting?"