Volume One: Hidden in the Azure Abyss Chapter Twenty

She undid the spell binding Yunxiang, and in an instant, he broke free, surging wildly. Blue immortal light flared in her palm, but Jinli raised her hand to stop him, stubborn tears brimming in her eyes. Her voice trembled as she whispered, “Yunxiang, go.”

“My lady—”

“Go.”

Jinli turned away like a puppet without thought. Gengyuan’s words echoed in her mind, growing louder and louder until they twisted into mockery—again and again. In this moment, her heart was tangled with emotions she couldn’t name: anger, unwillingness, shame, disappointment, all mixed together. Scenes of their past lingered—sweet, beautiful moments that now seemed nothing but cruel jokes, mocking her foolishness and naivety.

Alone, she walked the lotus path where they had once strolled together. The dying rays of the setting sun washed over her desolate figure, making her seem even more solitary, more wretched. Her palm was now raw and bloody, flesh pressed into her nails, but she felt no pain. Compared to the ache in her heart, the wounds on her hands were nothing—a crushing weight seemed to press on her chest, stealing her breath.

Unconsciously, she had wandered to Muyuan Tower, the place once prepared as a surprise. She entered slowly, lifting her gaze to the painstaking decorations, and as she looked, tears finally broke free. The humiliation inside her swelled and she lost control.

Flames rose from her palm, and with a violent sweep, all was reduced to ash. Whatever would not burn, she tore down and hurled to the ground. With one stroke of her sword, she severed every beautiful memory, as if cutting away all ties to that man.

She gazed at the grand World-Spanning Mirror and shattered it with a wave of her hand. Shards scattered, slashing her carefully chosen dress. She had destroyed everything. Surveying the wreckage, the once-bright walls now blackened by fire, veils, curtains, and flowers swallowed by flames and turned to dust, it felt as if she had incinerated all her memories.

But it was not enough. The treasures she had collected from across the realms she smashed one by one, the fragments falling at her feet.

At last, she collapsed to the floor, uncaring of the debris around her. Clutching her dress, she could hold back no longer and broke into wrenching sobs. Tears, like a broken dam, poured down her face, staining her gown. Muyuan Tower was now a joke, and she—dressed in her finest, every detail meticulously prepared—had been made a fool. It had all been a deception. She was surrounded by liars.

She crushed the conch Gengyuan had given her to powder, as if shattering the humiliating memories it held.

Never in her life had she been so thoroughly deceived.

It was sickening—utterly sickening.

Slowly, she curled into herself, racked with sobs over and over.

Her heart ached—truly ached.

Unbeknownst to her, Yunxiang had quietly spirited Ruan Tu away to safety.

Gengyuan stood gazing toward the distant Lotus River. There was not a single star in the sky that night; his eyes were dark, devoid of all light.

“Young lord, all is handled. We can leave now.”

He turned to look at the pavilion and courtyard. Now that he was leaving, a strange feeling stirred within him.

“Young lord, will you not bid farewell to the lady?”

Under the night sky, the youth answered carelessly, “No need.”

Jiang Ji presented a brocade box, faintly gleaming with scales. “Young lord, the antidote for the Beauty Gu.”

Gengyuan took the pill from the box. If he swallowed the antidote, Jinli would have no cure and within a few years, the poison would burn through her heart and kill her. He, however, would be untouched—neither falling for her nor feeling anything at all.

He had always believed his feelings for Jinli were caused by this poison. Now, seeing the truth, he was no longer sure. Perhaps, once he had set foot on the path of vengeance, nothing else mattered anymore.

He was so close—just one step. Yet he had failed.

How laughable.

The youth took the antidote, but relief did not follow.

He glanced at the ring on his finger, took it off, and tossed it to Jiang Ji. His voice was cold: “Get rid of it.”

Jiang Ji caught it, but before he could ask, Gengyuan had already strode away.

Just beyond Pear Blossom Valley, Gengyuan was struck by a wrenching pain in his heart. He spat blood. Jiang Ji and the attendants were terrified. Gengyuan forced himself upright, wiped the blood from his lips, and looked back toward the shadowy lotus grove, his chest aching as if wrenched apart. He pressed a hand to his heart and sat down slowly.

“Young lord, young lord, what’s wrong?”

He looked at them and said, “Return to the Southern Sea. I have matters to attend to.”

Though Jiang Ji hesitated, he led the others away.

Gengyuan stared at the pearl that had fallen into his palm, and then slowly touched his face. It was wet.

Why was he crying?

Hadn’t he already taken the antidote?

Why was this happening? He recalled the date—tonight was when the Beauty Gu’s effects would flare. No doubt, at this moment, the goddess in the lotus grove was suffering.

Jinli clutched her chest helplessly, as if a thousand ants gnawed her bones, pain devouring her inch by inch. Her body burned, her hands lost all control. She gripped the bed tightly, her knuckles white. Her face was pale from the effort of bearing the agony; she bit her lip until it bled, the coppery taste trickling down her neck. She hurt, she burned, she felt as if her heart would tear apart.

“My lady! My lady! Are you alright?” Yunxiang’s cries battered the door from outside.

Jinli could barely speak, only managed a faint, “Go.”

“My lady! My lady! Please open the door, open the door!” Yunxiang pleaded.

“Go!”

The knocking stopped abruptly, replaced by Yunxiang’s sobbing. Jinli sat cross-legged. She had endured the pain for the span of an incense stick. Her thin robe was soaked with sweat, hair plastered to her temples.

Another half incense passed. Her face, once deathly pale, flushed crimson. She bit her lip desperately, stifling the shameful sounds that threatened to escape.

Her whole body burned, her heart seemed to stop and then pound wildly, panic threatening unconsciousness.

Another half-incense, and the pain finally faded. The girl could endure no longer; she collapsed onto the bed, soaked in sweat. A breeze slipped through the window lattice, bringing cool relief.

Beneath the bed, her moon-white robe was stained with blood she had coughed up an hour earlier.

Her eyes were empty. So this was the Beauty Gu—vile, despicable.

A youth in black, perched on the rooftop, watched her sleep before slipping away into the night.

Jinli drifted in and out of fevered sleep until the next evening. The poison’s effects left her weak and listless, no matter how much she rested.

She decided to get some air.

Walking along the Lotus River’s bank, she sensed the presence of a celestial.

She gave a bitter smile, her appearance haggard, and turned to face the Star Lord before her. “What brings you here so late, Star Lord?”

“My lady, Bai Wan Ting is dead.”

Jinli was stunned. How could that be...

“What happened?”

“It was discovered only yesterday,” Star Lord replied. “Now all the elders of the Baize are in the Celestial Palace, demanding justice.”

With a sweep of her sleeve, Jinli changed her clothes and followed Star Lord to the palace.

The elders greeted her with bows. Jinli nodded in return. The Celestial Sovereign said, “The Baize Saintess has vanished. According to the Baize soldiers, the last to have an altercation with her was you, my lady. How do you explain this?”

With a wave, Jinli called forth the events of that day for all to see. In the vision, a figure appeared—one she could never mistake.

Gengyuan.

He struck mercilessly, but in the end, could not bring himself to finish the deed. The scene ended with him carrying Jinli away.

The Celestial Sovereign’s expression darkened.

The Baize elders immediately leapt up, shouting, “It must be that demon, the shark, who murdered our saintess!”

Jinli fixed them with a cold gaze. The elders shrank back, silenced.

The Celestial Sovereign turned to her. “It seems, my lady, your ties to the Southern Sea shark run deep. Tell us, how should this matter be settled?”

Even if Gengyuan had left, he hadn’t let her go.

The saintess was dead—was a life for a life required?

An elder spoke up, “Divine Lord, the shark is a demon after all. Though he possesses immortal bones, he is not listed among the immortals. Furthermore, it is well known that he now holds dominion over the Four Seas. Raised by the Lord of the Southern Sea, after thousands of years he has amassed power, and now wields it over all the seas. With such ambition, is it any surprise he would kill the saintess?”

Jinli regarded him coldly. The Celestial Sovereign looked troubled, glancing at her.

“What do you propose, elders?”

“Remove the shark’s immortal bones, banish him to the mortal realm, and forbid him from cultivating the immortal arts for all eternity.”

She laughed coldly. “A clever calculation, Elder. Is this for old grudges or new?”

“You misunderstand me, my lady.”

Jinli’s face darkened. “The Baize are famed for subduing monsters and spirits. Stripping him of his immortal bones would sever him from the path of immortality. The shark’s power is that of the sea. With such meticulous schemes, I would almost think the Baize seek to rule the Four Seas themselves.”

“You—!”

The elders were silenced, left speechless. Jinli continued, “Enough. I will see that the saintess’s death is answered for. The Four Seas are only just pacified; if the Baize provoke chaos, and the demons rise in force, the Six Realms will be plunged into disaster. The Baize may well be wiped out.”

The elders wished to protest, but the Celestial Sovereign interrupted, “It will be as the Goddess decrees. Elders, you are dismissed.”

The God of Thunder and Star Lord were troubled. By celestial law, the death of the Baize saintess required divine punishment. Thus, they led Jinli to the Execution Terrace.

The Nine Heavens Thunder was not like before—this was the Star Punishment. A single bolt could destroy a high immortal; three could annihilate a god.

Nine bolts—turning to ash was a real possibility. All that remained was to see whose fate was stronger.