Volume Five: The River’s Breath and Past Lives Chapter 123

The maiden stepped across the desolate land, a landscape consumed by an abyssal blackness. The trees were charred, the earth scorched; only the blackened, skeletal trunks remained, standing in stubborn defiance. She shielded her face with a silk veil, while the sorrow of regret welled up in her eyes.

She had failed the disciples of the Immortal Mountain; she had failed those comrades who had fallen.

She was indeed cowardly—she had been so since childhood. Whenever faced with a crisis of great magnitude, she dared not confront it. But this time, there was nowhere left to retreat. The mere thought that the once-lush, verdant Immortal Mountain had been reduced to a hellish wasteland tore at her heart.

The architect of all this was the same youth who, only a year ago, had looked at her with eyes brimming with tenderness. The realization terrified her. Whether a century ago or now, he remained the same. Had he assumed the identity of the immortal disciple Huaigui and deceived the Masters of the Immortal Mountain simply to reach this day? The Immortal Mountain had been built by Jingye’s own hands; was the youth truly intent on destroying it?

She closed her eyes, then outstretched her hands. A golden, sacred light washed over the mountains, and slowly, new green shoots began to sprout from the barren, pitch-black earth. The withered branches stirred with renewed vitality.

She stepped onto the clouds and, at last, departed. It seemed the time had come for her and the youth to reach an end.

In Lianchuan, the youth stared at Qisui with dark, brooding eyes.

"You are Huaigui?"

The youth spoke in a low, heavy voice, "Geng Yuan, Gengzi Bie."

Qisui’s expression shifted instantly to one of shock; for a moment, he was frozen in disbelief. How could this be? A person who should have perished long ago was standing before him, flesh and blood. A seed of fear took root in his heart. He feared the man before him, yes—but he also envied him. He envied that this man had garnered the favor of the Lady, that he occupied a place in her heart. Though she harbored hatred for him, could there be hatred without love?

The man before him possessed a beauty the likes of which he had never seen. Even upon their first meeting, Qisui had marveled that there existed a man in the six realms more beautiful than any woman. Whenever the man stood beside the Lady, the intensity of their bond was palpable to everyone but themselves. It was then that Qisui realized he was fundamentally ill-suited for Jinli.

"Qisui, long time no see." Though the youth spoke the words, his heart seethed with endless rage. He wanted nothing more than to demand the truth: what was their relationship? Had they ever been together? The mere thought of Jinli strolling through the pear blossom forest with him, laughing and conversing, or the thought of him being by her side during her most difficult, agonizing moments, filled him with a bitter, gnawing jealousy.

Since everything he did was viewed as evil in her eyes, he might as well continue to err. He would burn everything she held dear; only then, by watching her suffer and weep, would his own heart find some solace, and perhaps the pain of the two wounds piercing his body night after night would dull.

He would force this goddess, holy as she was, to step down from her altar and sink into the mire with him. Only then, perhaps, would she truly see him, and perhaps then she would fulfill the promises she had made.

Unworthy? Not worth it?

He was worthy of her a hundred thousand times over! Across the heavens and the earth, wherever she went, Jinli belonged only to him!

He gripped his black sword and asked Qisui, "Where is the Lady?"

"What do you intend to do?" Qisui’s eyes were sharp with caution as he watched the gloomy youth and his forces, who had already trampled across the lands of Lianchuan.

"Where is Jinli?" He ignored the question, demanding her whereabouts once more.

Qisui felt a deep sense of unease. "Whatever it is you plan, Lianchuan is not a place you can trample."

Geng Yuan’s expression darkened, his peach-blossom eyes narrowing as dark, malevolent energy flowed from them like a rising tide. A faint, contemptuous smile curled his lips. "And you? Do you really think you can stop me?"

It was true; even if Qisui and all the guardians of Lianchuan stood together, it would be like throwing eggs against a rock. But if he revealed Jinli’s location, Lianchuan would surely be razed to the ground. He had heard of the slaughter of several immortal mountains over the past year. Was it now Lianchuan’s turn?

The youth walked slowly toward him, his chin lifted slightly. "You protect her so fiercely? Do you love her that much?" His words were dripping with provocation and disdain.

Qisui’s face tightened. "That is none of your concern."

Unexpectedly, the usually grim youth let out a sudden, mocking laugh. "You truly are hopelessly stupid."

Qisui was confused by the youth’s behavior. He watched as the youth slowly removed his mask, his eyes flickering with a cold, dismissive gaze, as if looking at nothing more than worthless refuse.

Qisui shivered at the malice in those eyes, his fists clenching tight.

"You love her, but does she feel anything? She loves only herself, only her common folk. Yet, those common folk do not include the one who loves her." His tone was calm, yet laced with a deep-seated hatred.

The youth glanced at his own hand before speaking again, his voice languid and wicked. "Either you step aside and hand over Jinli, or I will level Lianchuan to the ground."

Qisui flared with rage, enunciating each word with icy precision: "Im-pos-si-ble."