A sea of bloody hands filled the sky, casting shadows below.
Xing Shuishui turned around to find He Liansheng right beside her. The Taoyuan sword sliced through the bloody hands, causing a rain of blood to scatter. She caught the strong scent of blood. Looking down, she noticed He Liansheng’s clothes were already quite dirty.
The fleshy mass gave them no chance to catch their breath: “Pretty quick reactions. Hope you can keep that up.”
The severed bloody hands quickly reformed. Cold winds howled through the tower without pause.
Xing Shuishui raised her arm against the wind: “I know who you are—”
She looked up and said: “Li Shixu.”
The bloody hands froze, and the tower’s winds stopped.
After a long silence, his voice came: “How did you know?”
Xing Shuishui pointed at He Lianyu, saying innocently: “You don’t seem very bright. You may have poisoned him mute, but he can still write.”
He Lianyu glared at her, but eventually nodded reluctantly.
The Zhongfan Tower shook violently. Li Shixu laughed amidst the shaking. Xing Shuishui’s impression of him was still stuck three hundred years ago – this feeling was unfamiliar to her. As her voice faded, Li Shixu’s body gradually separated from the tower. Many undigested bones and souls were also expelled by the tower. Every face was hideously twisted, including Li Shixu’s.
No one knew what had happened over all these years.
Li Shixu said coldly: “He Lianyu! How dare you… how dare you speak my name.”
He Lianyu made excited unintelligible sounds – if he hadn’t been poisoned mute, these two could have fought for ages.
Xing Shuishui said: “Since you’re Li Shixu, it makes sense that you know the contents of the Yinshan Scripture. Li Guanxing even praised your sense of justice before, yet you’ve become like this. If your clan knew… they would be heartbroken.”
Li Shixu said: “Heartbroken? So what? Aren’t they the ones who caused all this?”
He looked at He Lianyu: “And you!”
The Taoyuan sword appeared before his eyes as He Liansheng ran his finger along it, saying with murderous intent: “You really never learn.”
The young man stepped forward, blood still dripping from his sword tip, his hair swaying with his movements.
Li Shixu sneered: “So what if you’ve broken the Zhongfan Tower’s spell? None of you will leave here today. Stay and die with me.”
He began chanting, his already massive body visibly growing larger, surrounded by an eerie red light.
Xing Shuishui thought: This is bad!
He Liansheng made some hand signs and said coldly: “Xing Shuishui, get out!”
There was no time left. Li Shixu detonated his body, and the Zhongfan Tower exploded with it. Bang! Bang! Bang! Each explosion louder than the last. Vision turned gray, then blazed red.
Shards of bronze flew like arrows from all directions!
Xing Shuishui didn’t want to be shot full of holes.
With no choice, she used the separation fire to block them. The mist was thick enough – she gambled that He Liansheng couldn’t see clearly.
But just as her hand gripped Qitong, a sword flew out of the mist.
She instinctively dodged but lost her balance, falling to her knees. Her dress was covered in mud as she watched helplessly as this sword appeared before her, blocking almost all the bronze shards.
The silver sword light turned the bronze shards to ash instantly, without harming her at all.
Xing Shuishui froze, her eyes widening.
This was actually He Liansheng’s… Taoyuan sword…
Of course – their souls were now bound by the Yin Yang candle. He wouldn’t let her die.
She struggled to her feet but didn’t rush to find He Liansheng. Instead, she found Li Shixu, who was barely alive.
Seeing her, Li Shixu assumed she was just an ordinary person caught up in this. He paid her no mind and mumbled to himself: “I thought… I would die at that person’s hands in the end…”
Xing Shuishui crouched down: “Guan Yinzi said the same thing back then.”
Li Shixu’s pupils dilated instantly: “What did you say!”
Xing Shuishui patiently repeated: “When I killed him, he said he thought he would die by your hands in the end.”
Li Shixu: “Who are you really?”
Xing Shuishui said calmly: “Don’t you remember? We met three hundred years ago. You crouched down just like this, patted my head and asked why I was so skinny, if Guan Yinzi was treating me badly, and gave me a paper crane.”
He said in disbelief: “But you died…”
“Never mind. Do you want to know something? Why I appear here now and became like this?”
But unexpectedly, Xing Shuishui said: “I’m not interested in those things. I already know what I wanted to know. I came to find you just to say thank you – I owed you that from back then.”
Li Shixu was stunned, then started laughing.
He remembered how many years ago he had been proud, heartbroken, struggled – for both friend and loved ones. Back then they had argued in that room, nearly coming to blows, but in the end the other person had lowered their sword, letting him return to Lingshan to report everything to the Mountain Lord.
He thought their next meeting would be as strangers, not knowing that day would be their last…
“Actually, I owe you an apology too.”
Li Shixu’s eyes slowly dimmed.
“I’m sorry… my friend… hurt you… and your clan…” With that, his last breath faded away.
When humans die they become ghosts, but when ghosts die they merge completely with heaven and earth.
Xing Shuishui stood there for a long time, watching his soul fire slowly disappear into the world as the surrounding mist gradually dispersed.
He Liansheng finally found her. He had a light talisman on his shoulder and looked ready to make anyone who crossed him regret it.
“Xing Shuishui, why did you run off again?”
Xing Shuishui turned around, now skilled at lying: “The mist was so thick, I was scared. So I wanted to find you.”
“When those shards were flying at me, I thought I was going to die. Good thing your sword protected me.”
She lifted her face as her clothes swayed in the wind.
Thoughtfully, she said: “You’re not as cold as you seem.”
He Liansheng froze, then said coldly: “Don’t flatter yourself. I wasn’t protecting you. Why would I protect you?”
Xing Shuishui said nothing. The peach blossom in her hair was nearly blown away.
She opened her mouth then closed it, before pointing: “You seem to be hurt.”
He Liansheng looked down – his arm was indeed stained with a large patch of blood, though he hadn’t noticed and didn’t care. Yet she had spotted it immediately. He met her gaze, thinking she had more to say.
Perhaps advise him to treat it or stop the bleeding.
But she went straight to He Lianyu instead. He Liansheng stared at her back, inexplicably annoyed.
Just as Xing Shuishui reached He Lianyu’s side, the sky suddenly turned pitch black as dark clouds gathered, creating an oppressive atmosphere.
The King of Hell arrived with his ghost officials, immediately saying coldly: “Making such a huge disturbance. Are you trying to tear down my City of the Dead?”
Xing Shuishui answered honestly: “We didn’t blow it up – Li Shixu blew up the tower himself.”
The King of Hell got a headache just looking at her: “Who is Li Shixu? Where is he? Tell him to get out here and face his punishment.”
The ghost officials chimed in one after another:
“Who does the King ask about?”
“Where is the official who keeps the Book of Life and Death?”
“Did he come along?”
“Quick, explain to the King.”
Xing Shuishui wiped sweat from her forehead and smiled: “He’s the mastermind behind those tragedies in the mortal world. He’s dead now.”
The King of Hell frowned: “Dead?”
He checked the Book of Life and Death and indeed, the name was disappearing. He asked Xing Shuishui: “Do you all know the full story of what happened?”
Xing Shuishui shook her head. Many questions were buried with Li Shixu’s disappearance.
Like how did Li Shixu die? Why did he become like this? He said He Lianyu and the Li family had harmed him – why did they harm him? Did he kill so many people in the mortal world just to become immortal?
If she didn’t know, she didn’t know. It wasn’t her business anymore anyway.
The King of Hell was very troubled: “I still need to write a memorial to the Heavenly Lord.”
He Liansheng cared even less about these matters and said directly to Xing Shuishui: “Xing Shuishui, let’s go.”
Xing Shuishui pointed at He Lianyu and the others: “Your family’s ancestors are all here – aren’t you going to greet them?”
He Lianyu heard this and proudly lifted his chin.
But unexpectedly, the young man glanced over: “Don’t know them. Keep your mouth shut.”
Still so cold-hearted.
The King of Hell ordered his ghost officials: “Go get a drop of Li Shixu’s blood.”
The blood was quickly brought, and he dropped it on a talisman which instantly burst into flames. Many scenes appeared before everyone. Xing Shuishui looked up – these were Li Shixu’s memories.
The King of Hell told a nearby official: “Pay attention and take good notes in the Book of Life and Death. Record the important parts.”
…
In the year 2600 of the Yuan Dynasty, Li Shixu met Guan Yinzi in Lucheng. Back then, Guan Yinzi wasn’t called Guan Yinzi, but Guan Youyin. Though he shared the surname of Lingshan’s Four Great Families’ Guan clan, Guan Youyin was from a branch family and often faced discrimination from the main family when walking with Li Shixu.
Li Shixu was very angry: “How outrageous! Those people are too much – how can people be born with different ranks? I’ll report this to the Mountain Lord for you.”
But Guan Youyin just stretched lazily: “Report what? Better spend that time drinking. They’re just jealous – their magic isn’t as good as mine, and their swordsmanship is terrible. You didn’t hear, but last time the Emperor himself called me the First Knight under Heaven!”
Li Shixu sighed helplessly: “You only know how to drink all day. If your master finds out, you’ll be punished to kneel again.”
Guan Youyin put an arm around his shoulders: “If you don’t tell, how would anyone know?”
Speaking of this, Guan Youyin suddenly waved to someone ahead: “Sister, why are you here?”
Li Shixu politely bowed to his sister. Guan Yousi smiled: “I heard my brother came to Lingshan and was worried. I almost got lost, but fortunately met a kind young master who gave me directions. Look, he even gave me this for protection.”
She pulled back her sleeve to show a “protective charm.” Li Shixu looked down – this was no protective charm but a tracking talisman. Guan Youyin naturally discovered this and burned it with an ugly expression: “Sister, who gave you this?”
Guan Yousi was stunned: “I think his name was Shangguan Fu… is something wrong?”
Li Shixu thought to himself that this Shangguan Fu was always an unlearned playboy – he definitely didn’t have good intentions.
The scene changed.
Shangguan Fu knelt before the Shangguan family head, pointing at Guan Yousi: “Father, she seduced me first.”
Guan Yousi’s clothes were disheveled. Guan Youyin was being restrained by Shangguan family members and nearly killed Shangguan Fu: “You worthless playboy! My whole family seduced you? I’ll say you seduced me!”
The Shangguan family head asked Guan Yousi: “Your surname is Guan?”
Li Shixu stood protectively in front of Guan Yousi: “Not from Lingshan’s Guan family – just a branch family.”
The Shangguan family head sighed: “Fu can only marry his cousin Houyue in the future. As for this Guan Yousi? She can be taken as a concubine.”
Guan Youyin immediately exploded: “Old bastard, I’ll take you as a concubine – how about that?”
“Ignorant brat!”
The Shangguan family head beat him bloody and raged: “Do you think there’s any benefit to offending our Shangguan family? This is already the biggest compromise.”
If not for Li Shixu stopping him, Guan Youyin would have been killed. He took his seriously injured friend home and tried to intervene himself. The Shangguan family feared ruining their reputation but still wouldn’t release her. Three days later when Guan Youyin woke up, his sister was already married.
The scene changed again.
The Shangguan mansion was engulfed in flames, blood everywhere.
Li Shixu rushed over after receiving news, anxiously searching everywhere but unable to find Shangguan Fu or Guan Youyin. He pushed open the last door when he heard someone call him from behind.
Guan Youyin stood in the bamboo grove, light and shadow dappled on his face. He had an infant strapped to his chest, carefully protecting it.
He said: “My sister is dead. This is her child.”
“That Shangguan Fu bastard escaped – almost killed him…”
He seemed regretful.
Li Shixu was stunned: “What will you do now? The Shangguan family won’t let you go.”
Guan Youyin smiled: “Leave with my sister’s child, of course. Slaying demons and wandering the world – I’m good at one of those at least. Don’t try to find me, I’m afraid of getting you involved. You’re the Li family’s young master – you’re different from me.”
Perhaps from this moment, their paths had already diverged. Later when they met again at Yinshan, they were familiar strangers. Li Shixu struggled but ultimately reported his actions against the Peach Blossom demon clan to his superiors.
The day Guan Youyin died, Li Shixu was there. He stared at the mansion engulfed in separation fire for a long time.
The memory paused briefly here.
Xing Shuishui hadn’t paid much attention until she happened to turn her head. Through Li Shixu’s perspective, she saw a boy run out of the fire that night. From his aura he wasn’t a demon, but someone from the Guan family…
How could this be? How could there still be a survivor?
She stopped walking and clutched her dress. They had actually missed killing one back then!
Could her sister’s death be related to him?
The memories continued flowing.
After returning to Lingshan, the Mountain Lord assigned Li Shixu a mission – assassinate Mirror Master Jing Wushuang, currently the oldest living mirror arts master.
It was practically suicide! Never mind that Jing Wushuang’s mirror arts had reached the state of unity between heaven and man – his personal disciple Du Dizhu was already a ten-thousand-year-old demon! Very powerful.
This mission was originally He Lianyu’s, but He Lianyu had once had an ill-fated relationship with Du Dizhu’s sister. He framed Li Shixu through the Li family elders to make him go instead.
Before leaving, He Lianyu gave him a jade pendant: “Brother Li, if you encounter danger, just break this and I’ll come save you.”
Li Shixu believed him.
If not for later perishing together with Jing Wushuang at the Endless Sea, breaking the jade pendant with his dying breath and waiting three days and nights with no one coming, Li Shixu might have believed for life.
Before dying in the mortal world, a cold rain fell. Li Shixu thought sorrowfully in the rain – if that person had been Guan Youyin, he definitely would have come.
Guan Youyin was rough on the outside but soft-hearted. He would at most scold a few words, wait for him to heal while sharing some wine, then continue wandering the world to punish evil and promote good. By then, his sister should have returned.
But there are no what-ifs.
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