Volume Three: Not Following the Carefree Path, Chapter Ninety-Eight

The night was deep and the stars were vast. The wind tugged at the white sails of the cloud ship, but the boy’s silence was heavy with a profound desolation.

She could not help but pull her cloak tighter, waiting quietly for him to speak again.

"No, fortunately, no. A hundred years have passed, and when old friends meet again, they are no longer the people they once were. Perhaps he is the only one who remained where he was, while the other had long since moved on."

"And then? Did that divine being ever learn the truth?"

The boy’s expression was bitter; he hung his head. "She knew. She knew everything. She didn’t even want to give him a chance... Later, the divine being wandered the world, and he followed her everywhere. He originally thought she didn't loathe him and treated him well because she had forgiven him. Just as he believed they could return to the happy times of the past, everything turned upside down again. That person awakened the most terrifying existence in the world—a being the divine one feared above all else. Once that thing awakened, the world was destined to be overturned."

"But how could he have known that the divine being had already resolved to die, preferring to perish with that creature rather than watch the world descend into desolation?"

"And that person? Did he love her? If he loved her, he wouldn't have let her fall like that."

The boy gave a bitter laugh. "He loved her; he had eyes for no one else in this life. Of course he loved her. But the word 'love' is too ethereal, too impractical. It is better to act."

"Do what?"

"That person locked the divine being away, so that she would never be able to leave him again."

Jinli was shocked. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if that black-hearted, calculating man was the very boy standing before her. Yet, the boy in front of her was innocent, gentle, and bright—how could that be?

Her heart began to beat violently, each thud harder than the last. In her ears, the boy continued, his voice as soft and smooth as silk, speaking words of the most cruel and twisted nature: "He imprisoned the divine being where only he could see her, sealed her divine power, forbade her from leaving, and restricted her freedom. He was happy, but she was not."

"No matter how much effort he made, no matter how many surprises he prepared, she would no longer smile at him. Once, when someone tried to rescue her, she jumped into the freezing river, despite not knowing how to swim. He was terrified then—terrified that he had harmed her, terrified of losing her. Fortunately, she was saved. Yet, she remained intent on escaping, on leaving him behind."

"From beginning to end, the divine being hated him to the core. In the end, he still lost the person who, in his youth, had seen only him."

The boy’s eyes were rimmed with red. As he looked up, tear tracks were clearly visible on his face. He looked at Jinli. "A-Jin, if it were you—if that person came again, and never deceived or betrayed you again—would you forgive him?"

"No." The girl’s expression was calm, but her tone was icy.

Those two cold words were like a sharp blade piercing the boy’s heart. He found himself unable to breathe from the pain.

"A-Yuan, you are not that person, and I am not that divine goddess. This is just a story. We will never be like them." She spoke softly, reaching up to wipe the tears from Geng Yuan’s face. Then, she took his hand. "A-Yuan, you are the best person, the person I love."

The boy’s eyes widened in surprise, and gradually, the emotions within them became so complex that Jinli could not fathom them. Perhaps the story had been too moving; the lies and misunderstandings between the protagonists were too many, leaving them with nothing but regrets.

"What happened to the divine being and that man in the end?"

"The divine being would never forgive him, not in this life. And that man lived forever in a dream of what could have been. Perhaps they would never cross paths again."

Jinli sighed at the ending of the story. Even though she could have guessed the outcome, she hadn't expected it to be so bleak. She looked up at the stars. "I think the divine being had feelings for him. If they had cleared up the misunderstandings, perhaps the rest wouldn't have happened. If that man had set aside his hatred or told her his true thoughts, perhaps there could have been a more ideal ending—one without partings, without slaughter."

"...A-Jin... we..."

"We will not be like that. I promise you, we will never be like them." They would walk their path well.

Geng Yuan was deeply moved, feeling both joy and sorrow. Would there come a day when Jinli discovered the truth? Would everything change then? Would it all end in blood?

"A-Jin..."

"Yes?"

"I love you. I will be loyal to you, for a lifetime, never to leave or forsake you."

The sudden confession caught Jinli off guard. Her face flushed, a rosy hue of shyness and embarrassment. The boy’s expression was firm, the tenderness in his eyes so deep it seemed one could drown in it. She turned away, giggling, her heart filled with unstoppable joy.

Late that night, exhausted, Jinli drifted into a deep sleep. Geng Yuan kept watch by her side.

As the moon set and the clouds began to pale with the approach of dawn, their cloud ship finally arrived at Lianchuan. The Pear Blossom Valley, which had once been filled with drifting blossoms, was now largely barren; the ground was littered with broken branches and fallen leaves—a scene of utter devastation.

Shocked, she went to the Butterfly Clan.

"Welcome back, Lady."

"No need for formalities. What happened while I was away?" The scent of medicinal herbs permeated the air.

"My Lady, outsiders broke into the Pear Blossom Valley with evil intentions. Young Master Qisui led our people to resist, but the intruders were too numerous. Even by fighting with all his might, the Young Master could not protect the valley."

"Qisui is injured?! Where is he?"

The clan member hurriedly led Jinli to him. Along the way, people stared at Geng Yuan, their expressions shifting from curiosity to sheer terror, though they dared not show it out of respect for Jinli.

At Qisui’s residence, a fit of coughing could be heard before they even reached the corridor. A soft voice was pleading, "Young Master, please, drink some medicine."

"Leave it. I will drink it in a moment."

"Qisui."

Jinli pushed the door open. Inside, she found only Qisui, lying pale and bedridden, attended by a young, delicate-looking girl with wide, watery eyes. Qisui was pleasantly surprised by Jinli’s arrival and tried to climb out of bed. "My Lady."

But because his injuries were so severe, he collapsed to his knees as soon as he touched the floor. Jinli rushed over to support him, but someone else had already reached him—the girl.

Jinli took his other arm. "If you are injured, don't bother with formalities. Lie back down."

She glanced at the bowl of medicine on the table, picked it up, and sniffed it. Her expression darkened. She asked coldly, "Who brought this medicine?"

"It was me, my Lady," the girl replied respectfully.

Jinli’s expression turned icy. "A-Yuan."

"What is it?"

When Geng Yuan appeared, Qisui’s expression turned to one of shock. How could it be him? How was he still alive? Why would the Lady keep him by her side?

"Take her away. I have questions for her."

The girl fell to her knees, stammering, "I do not know what I have done wrong, my Lady, please enlighten me."

"Take her away."

Geng Yuan exchanged a look with Jinli, as if they understood each other perfectly. He nodded and led the girl out. As they passed each other, Geng Yuan and Qisui locked eyes, both looking surprised.

"My Lady, is there something wrong with the medicine?"

"The medicine is fine. The person is the problem."

"Fengdi has been by my side for a long time. I know her character."

"Fengdi is fine; it is the person who was just here who is the problem. That is not Fengdi."

Jinli had met the Fengdi Qisui spoke of several times. When she had treated Qisui’s grandmother, the girl had been sharp and clever, with eyes that seemed to see through everything. But the girl just now—her eyes and demeanor were all wrong. This was the work of puppet sorcery.

What kind of demonic entity had already spread to the Pear Blossom Valley? Would Lianchuan be next?

"Is she an outsider?"

Jinli did not answer. She picked up the medicine bowl again. "Drink your medicine first."

Qisui drank it obediently. As she fed him, Jinli pondered. Puppet sorcery could be learned in both the divine and demon realms. However, the divine race rarely used such underhanded techniques and had not studied them deeply. If someone could transform wood into a living being, mimicking a person’s speech and behavior perfectly, could it be that the demons were truly making a comeback? She could not help but feel anxious.

"My Lady, I am sorry. I failed to protect the valley."

Jinli set the bowl down. "It is fine. You did your best. Do not blame yourself." She stood up. "Where is Grandmother? I have not seen her yet."

Qisui’s expression faltered. He lowered his eyes, his voice weak and pathetic. "Grandmother... she has passed away."

"What? When? Why didn't I know?"

"A month ago, outsiders broke in at night, trying to enter Lianchuan. Grandmother fought them and ultimately perished with them."

Jinli was stunned, her heart aching. Qisui’s grandmother was the High Priestess of the Butterfly Clan, and she had sacrificed herself. Her death was tragic, yet suspicious. Who were these outsiders that even the High Priestess could not defeat them? Qisui himself was a High Immortal nearing the stage of an Initial God; common demonic spirits could not touch him. Yet these outsiders had injured him.

"Do you know the origin of these outsiders?"

Qisui nodded. "I investigated. They came from the Western Wastelands. That night, they came seeking medicine, but the attackers from a few days ago came for revenge."

"Seeking medicine? Seeking revenge?"

"Yes."

Jinli had seen many seeking medicine, but it was rare for anyone to know the location of Lianchuan. For them to find the Pear Blossom Valley silently and try to sneak into Lianchuan... these people either knew the place well—or rather, knew *her* well—or they were aided by someone who knew her intimately.