The Truth

Inside Qiushui Residence.

Ji Rong took a sip of tea and slowly said to Ye Chuyang, "Let me give you a simple example. Junior Brother, you skipped Elder Ye's class today, so you lost fifteen jade spirits and failed the course. That is the cause."

Ye Chuyang nodded. "Yes."

"However, for various reasons, you traveled back to the point in time after the swordsmanship class ended."

"But when you returned to that moment, Elder Ye's class had already ended. You couldn't attend it anymore, so you went to Qingfeng Peak's alchemy class instead to make up for the lost credits."

"During the alchemy lesson, you suddenly grasped a key insight and broke through several realms in succession."

Ye Chuyang: "..."

"Senior Sister, that's highly impossible."

Ji Rong thought to herself, Of course, I know it's impossible.

Yet she remained composed and said, "Indeed, it is unlikely. But this is just a hypothetical scenario."

Ye Chuyang nodded slightly. "I understand. Please continue."

Ji Rong continued, "Although you advanced several realms and made a different choice than before, you still couldn't recover the fifteen jade spirits you lost, because the fact that you skipped Elder Ye's class was already set in stone, correct?"

Ye Chuyang pondered for a moment and nodded. "Yes."

Ji Rong then asked, "Now, here's the real question. You didn't attend Elder Ye's class, and you lost jade spirits, that's an unchangeable fact. But later, you discovered that the jade spirits weren't actually deducted. Why is that?"

Ye Chuyang froze. How would I know?

But for the sake of those forty-five jade spirits, he still answered seriously, "Logically speaking, such a situation shouldn't be possible. 'I' only returned to the result of having finished the class. I didn't go back to the point before the class to change the cause."

Ji Rong nodded. "Yes. But the fact remains that you now have fifteen extra jade spirits. How do you explain that?"

The reason Ji Rong used this example was that she had noticed something strange—Yan Haiyao's presence was completely absent from the Yunxian Cave within the game's secret realm.

If Yan Haiyao being locked in the Yunxian Cave by Yue Qianqiu was an irreversible fact, then no matter what, there should have been a way to trigger his appearance.

Ji Rong couldn't figure it out. Since entering the secret realm, apart from avoiding the Thunderfire Ravine route, she hadn't made any major changes to the storyline.

Yet, Yan Haiyao, who had never appeared in the game, had suddenly shown up after she entered the secret realm.

It was bizarre.

At this moment, though their goals differed, both Ji Rong and Ye Chuyang fell into deep thought.

Neither of them noticed the figure in purple standing quietly outside the door, listening intently to their conversation.

After a long pause, Ye Chuyang finally spoke. "Senior Sister, I've thought about this carefully. If I must come up with a reasonable explanation, there's only one possibility."

Ji Rong asked, "What possibility?"

Ye Chuyang said, "Unless the future 'me' traveled back to the past and obtained the fifteen jade spirits at some point."

Hearing this, Ji Rong furrowed her brows. "Are you saying that while the past cannot be altered, the future can be changed, and then one can travel back to the past?"

Ye Chuyang replied, "Of course, the chances of that happening are minuscule. According to legend, aside from the two True Immortals, Sanhua and Minghua, not even peak Desperate Realm experts have been able to reverse time in the past thousand years."

"Wait a minute." Ji Rong's keen intuition caught onto something. "If True Immortal Sanhua could travel back in time, then why would she bother forging a sword to defy the Heavenly Dao? Wouldn't it be easier to just travel through time and find that woman directly?"

Ye Chuyang was momentarily speechless. After a long silence, he finally said, "Perhaps legends are just legends. They shouldn't be taken as absolute truth."

Ji Rong didn't expect to get too many answers from an in-game character, so she simply nodded and handed the jade spirits to Ye Chuyang.

Just as she was about to leave, she turned around and saw a familiar face.

The setting sun cast a golden glow as a figure stood at the doorway. Shadows of bamboo leaves flickered across the fabric of their purple robe.

That person's expression was unreadable as they gazed at her in silence.

Upon seeing this, Ji Rong seriously suspected that the heroine had planted a tracker on her.

What she didn't know was that Gu Baiyi had extended her divine sense across the entire Bixue Peak to locate her.

At this moment, Gu Baiyi found the sight before her quite irritating.

She had always known that the Senior Sister paid extra attention to Ye Chuyang. She was also aware that, despite Ye Chuyang's reserved nature, he was a kind and decent person.

But she hadn't expected the Senior Sister to care about him this much.

From the first time they met in the arena, Senior Sister's gaze had been particularly focused on Ye Chuyang, full of curiosity. In the Yunxian Cave, she had stared at him intently as he unearthed corpses, a look of tension written on her face.

Many scenes flashed through Gu Baiyi's mind.

When Yan Haiyao succumbed to his demonic transformation, Senior Sister had grabbed onto Ye Chuyang's sleeve and anxiously called out 'Junior Brother' several times. Her worry and panic had been real.

Then, at the Laba Festival, when Xie Bai suggested going down the mountain, Senior Sister, who usually disliked lively gatherings, had unexpectedly agreed.

Back then, her expression had been calm, but the corners of her lips had curled into a faint smile.

So... was all of this because of Ye Chuyang?

Meanwhile, Ye Chuyang, completely unaware that he was being misunderstood, stood up from his seat and, after some hesitation, smiled at Gu Baiyi. "Senior Sister Gu, do you still remember our agreement at Jixian Pavilion?"

Gu Baiyi frowned slightly and snapped out of her thoughts.

She tried to recall what agreement she had made with Ye Chuyang.

After a moment, she remembered.

"Sect rules prohibit the use of weapons in the Jixian Pavilion. When we return from the Tianshui Secret Realm, I will gladly spar with you."

Back then, she had only said it as a polite formality, never intending to actually duel him. But now…

Gu Baiyi drew her Hanshui Sword from her waist and smiled slightly. "Junior Brother Ye, why wait for another day? Let's spar today."

Ye Chuyang's eyes lit up as he nodded in agreement.

For some reason, as Ji Rong watched Gu Baiyi, she couldn't shake the feeling that the protagonist's smile was downright chilling.

...

The setting sun painted the sky in brilliant shades of crimson and gold.

Ji Rong watched the two figures on the training ground.

She had lost count of how many times Ye Chuyang had been sent flying out of the arena, only to climb back up and continue taking a beating.

To be honest, she had seen this scene before.

Oh right, the last time they sparred, it was exactly the same.

Ji Rong had long grown accustomed to the protagonist's unpredictable moods. But when Gu Baiyi struck Ye Chuyang so hard that he couldn't get up, there wasn't even the slightest hint of satisfaction on her face.

In that moment, Ji Rong came to a new realization:

The protagonist wasn't just a lunatic. She was an emotionless lunatic.

In the past, although Gu Baiyi could be ruthless, she would at least maintain the necessary pretense. She would never be as indifferent as she was now.

Ji Rong glanced at Gu Baiyi's expressionless face again and thought to herself, The heroine is really in a bad mood today.

Once Ye Chuyang left, only Ji Rong and Gu Baiyi remained in the courtyard.

The atmosphere was thick with tension, making Ji Rong feel unbearably awkward.

Dear heavens, I want to run away so badly.

In the end, it was Gu Baiyi who broke the silence first.

She turned to Ji Rong and said in a gentle voice, "Senior Sister, would you have a drink with me?"

Ji Rong was momentarily stunned, then completely baffled.

The loneliness in Gu Baiyi's eyes was so obvious that it was impossible to ignore.

Drinking? That wasn't an issue. But drinking with Gu Baiyi…? That was completely out of character for her past self. Besides, given how bad the heroine's mood was today, Ji Rong had no intention of stepping on a landmine.

She remained calm and was about to refuse, only to meet Gu Baiyi's gaze.

Those clear eyes shimmered like rippling water, tinged with a hint of vulnerability.

Damn it, beauty is my weakness.

Ji Rong had never been good at resisting beauty, so she steeled herself and, against her better judgment, responded, "Alright."

[Ding! Congratulations, Player. Gu Baiyi's Favorability +50]

Ji Rong: ???

What the hell?

—

Yanhui Pavilion was silent and deserted.

Occasionally, a white bird would glide across the sky, its cry leaving a fleeting echo.

Ji Rong sat on a stone stool, watching as Gu Baiyi filled her cup with Bamboo Leaf Green wine, feeling as if she had stepped into an entirely surreal situation.

Plus fifty??

Back then, I risked my life farming favorability points and only got this much. But now I just say one word, and I get fifty in one go?

Gu Baiyi, unaware of Ji Rong's inner turmoil, handed her the cup after pouring.

The cup was filled to the brim, just like the light in Gu Baiyi's eyes—on the verge of overflowing.

Ji Rong, utterly bewildered, accepted the cup with a calm facade, though inwardly, she was on edge. She had no idea what she had done to warrant this.

She was certain she hadn't done anything to offend the heroine recently, yet Gu Baiyi's overly gentle smile sent chills down her spine.

Just then, the electronic voice chimed again.

[Ding! Gu Baiyi's Favorability +20]

Ji Rong: "…"

Mother, I'm scared. I want to run away.

Gu Baiyi seemed to remember something, and the smile on her lips faded slightly.

Then, raising her cup, she said softly, "It has been years since I entered the inner sect, but I've never had the chance to sit down and have a proper conversation with Senior Sister."

Ji Rong's hand trembled as she held her cup.

Even if she analyzed Gu Baiyi's words one by one, she still couldn't figure out what she truly meant.

She could only take a sip of wine and reply casually, "There's still time. There will be opportunities in the future."

But inwardly, she was screaming: No, no, no! Please, I beg you, never give me such an opportunity again!

To her surprise, after hearing her words, Gu Baiyi fell silent for a moment before finally murmuring, "Yes, there's still time."

Then, she smiled faintly, lifted her cup, and downed the drink in one go.

Ji Rong watched as Gu Baiyi refilled her own cup, raised it again, and drank it all.

She sat rigidly, feeling increasingly anxious.

Did something bad happen to the heroine today?

After finishing her third cup, Gu Baiyi set the cup down and gazed toward the setting sun behind the distant mountains.

Her eyes were fixed on a place far away, yet she still couldn't suppress the turmoil in her chest.

Looking at the person before her, with those delicate and ethereal features, she felt as if her heart would burst from her chest and leap out of her very being.

Gu Baiyi let out a quiet sigh. My heart is such a hopeless traitor.

At that moment, Ji Rong suddenly had an epiphany.

If Gu Baiyi had been reborn, then she must know the plot—and she must also know that the so-called Heavenly Demon Seed in the prophecy referred to herself…

Perhaps this wasn't a trap banquet but a farewell drink.

Ji Rong finally saw the bigger picture.

If not for the need to maintain her character persona, she would have raised her cup in celebration, the heroine was finally leaving the Wanjian Sect instance and moving on to a new map!

At the same time, she realized that Gu Baiyi's next step might be down the path of a great demon sect leader. It seemed she needed to start training harder and focus on staying alive.

With their own thoughts in mind, the two continued drinking in silence, cup after cup.

Bamboo Leaf Green wasn't particularly intoxicating, yet as Gu Baiyi drank, she found herself feeling a little drunk.

She chuckled self-deprecatingly.

Was it the wine making her tipsy, or had she only started drinking to chase that feeling?

Unfortunately, she couldn't truly get drunk.

Setting her cup down once more, she shook her head and said, "I shouldn't drink any more."

Ji Rong took a sip of her own wine and absentmindedly asked, "Why?"

Gu Baiyi fixed her gaze on Ji Rong, smiling faintly.

Then, in a warm voice, she replied, "Because if I drink any more… I'll start telling the truth."