Volume Two: The Fleeting Life of Kunlun Chapter Seventy-Four

But it was too late; in Tianyu’s palm, a pool of Weak Water appeared.

“From the look on your face, you should know what this is,” Tianyu said, a wicked smile curling her lips as she gazed intently at Jingye.

Jingye’s eyes filled with grief and disbelief. He murmured, “No… you mustn’t, Tianyu… you can’t do this.”

The moment Tianyu acted, the crime of slaying an Immortal Lord would be hers to bear, and punishment would be inevitable.

Tears welled slowly in Tianyu’s eyes, her expression bleak with anguish. “It’s too late; everything is too late.”

Suddenly, she plunged the power of Weak Water into You Suwen’s body. Suwen screamed in agony, the Weak Water gnawing at her from within, tormenting her to the brink of death, dissolving her immortal marrow.

Tianyu, watching her writhe in pain, let out a twisted, gleeful laugh.

Suwen’s body convulsed, her mouth opening in a silent wail. She clung desperately to Jingye’s robe, pleading for his help.

Soon, the pain overwhelmed her, and she lost consciousness.

Tianyu collapsed to the ground, staring at the flesh regrown on her hand, then touched her face.

Her face was utterly ruined.

In the end, even her last chance to remain by Jingye’s side was gone.

Jingye approached her cautiously, dissolving her demonic markings with a gesture.

Tianyu fainted.

Jingye held her tightly in his arms, his heart aching—she was so thin.

The tears of a merman turned to pearls.

When Tianyu awoke, the pain wracking her body and the burning memory of anger made her wish to kill You Suwen with her own hands.

Jingye brought her into his command tent; amid the perils of the sacred heavens, at least by his side she would be safest.

“Tianyu,” Jingye called softly, but she wanted nothing to do with him.

Her face was swathed in bandages, burning with pain, agony beyond words.

Tears slipped down, seeping into the wounds, the sting nearly enough to make her faint.

She didn’t want to cry, but the humiliation of being deceived, the shame of being abused, each indignity pressed on her, and she wanted to wail.

But now, if she wept, her injuries would only hurt more.

Seeing her silent, Jingye said, “Tianyu, it’s all right now. Everything will be fine.”

Everything will be fine?

Will it?

Would it?

He always said that, always.

Her voice was cold: “Jingye, may I… ask you for one last thing?”

“Speak,” he replied.

“Help me kill You Suwen.”

He fell silent.

And she understood.

He could not bear to do it; even though she had broken the sacred laws, he still could not bear it.

She closed her eyes, numbed by the ease with which despair settled over her heart.

Jingye’s voice trembled. “Tianyu, you must forgive me, you must. You Su says she has a way to restore your face. I will see her punished as she deserves. From now on, I am yours, always yours.”

The girl’s lips curled in a smile, her eyes suddenly bright and seductive. Even wrapped in bandages, her beauty shone through.

“Very well.”

As the words fell from her lips, her hand plunged through Jingye’s chest. Warm blood gushed forth, splattering the bandages on her face.

In an instant, the bandages were soaked red, and the girl became a vision of demonic beauty, like a Shura from the depths of hell.

Jingye coughed blood, staring at her in disbelief.

Her eyes glowed with a devilish allure, dazzling beyond measure.

Her fingertips seemed to caress his beating heart.

Jingye collapsed.

The girl woke with a start, seeing Jingye lying before her, covered in blood, tears in his eyes.

Panicked, she looked at her own hands.

Her small frame clung helplessly to Jingye, sobbing uncontrollably, “It was me… it was me… wasn’t it… I did this… right…?”

Jingye, understanding she was under someone’s control, smiled gently. “It’s all right. You’re awake now. It’s over.”

“Jingye! Jingye!”

Her cries brought the heavenly soldiers and the Destiny Keeper rushing in.

Even the Destiny Keeper, a scholar who had written many epic scenes, was shaken by the sight in real life.

The heavenly soldiers surrounded Tianyu.

On the eve of battle, with the commander wounded, the army’s morale was shaken.

Jingye forced himself upright, sealing his own heart vessels.

“No one is to speak of this. Any who do, will be executed.”

“Yes, sir!”

The Destiny Keeper hurried to summon the Medicine King.

Outside the tent, Tianyu curled into a ball, weeping in silence. What had she done? What had she done?

She had killed Jingye. Killed Jingye.

Inside the tent, Jingye’s face was pale and weak as he listened to the Medicine King.

“The Divine Lord’s heart meridian is damaged. He must not use his powers again, or he will not survive three days.”

The illustrious Nine Mysteries Divine Lord, now worried whether three days would be enough to save the world, or to say farewell to his beloved.

“But…”

“But what? Out with it!” the Destiny Keeper urged anxiously.

“The You Su fox clan possesses a secret medicine called the Nine-Heart Fruit. It might be able to restore the Divine Lord’s heart meridian.”

You Suwen?

Jingye gave a cold laugh.

If it was her, he would rather die.

Tianyu outside the tent heard everything.

The You Su clan, the Nine-Heart Fruit.

She left Lijiang, riding the wind to the sacred heavens.

Moonwatching Palace.

The sound of smashing, the shouts of immortal maidens.

Puzzled, she entered. The palace was in chaos. On seeing her, You Suwen’s legs gave out and she fell to her knees in terror.

Tianyu knelt as well. “Please, give me the Nine-Heart Fruit.”

A savage look crossed Suwen’s face. She rose and, with a violent wave of her hand, sent Tianyu crashing into a large urn. Her frail body could not shatter the urn; perhaps Suwen’s immortal power was too strong.

Coughing blood, Tianyu staggered back to Suwen and knelt again, casting aside her dignity.

“I beg you, Jingye is hurt. Only the Nine-Heart Fruit can save him. You don’t want to see him suffer, do you?”

Suwen ground Tianyu into the floor with her foot. Blood seeped from the bandages and pooled on the ground.

“Please,” Tianyu pleaded through the pain.

At last, Suwen, exhausted from tormenting her, lifted her foot.

Tianyu remained kneeling, “It’s my fault. Everything is my fault. As long as you give Jingye the Nine-Heart Fruit, I’ll do anything, even die.”

Suwen’s eyes flashed, as if waiting for this admission. She extended her hand, stealing Tianyu’s voice with a spell.

Tianyu felt her soul being torn from her body, a pain as savage as Weak Water’s bite.

After a while, she regained consciousness to find Suwen standing over her.

With a sly smile, Suwen said, “Your voice is quite lovely. I like it.”

It was her own voice.

How absurd, to hear her own voice from another’s mouth.

Resigned, Tianyu collapsed to the floor and, with a bloody finger, wrote: Nine-Heart Fruit.

Suwen smiled. “Of course. But there’s one last thing. Jump!”

Suwen seized Tianyu and dragged her to the edge.

Black clouds pressed close, evil energy swirling. Below, the mist surged, resentful spirits ready to devour any who leapt in.

Night Eternal.

Suwen’s face was twisted, her hand tightening around Tianyu’s throat. “As long as you jump, it will all be over!”

Tianyu hesitated.

She wrote: Wait.

“Wait? You, a mere mortal, dare to covet the love of the Divine Lord? Absurd fantasy!”

Tianyu closed her eyes. Yes, a mortal, who wounded the Divine Lord, yet still dared to long for his love.

She wrote: Three days.

“Fine! I won’t see you off then.”

Suwen produced the Nine-Heart Fruit.

Tianyu reached for it.

“What are you doing? Do you think, in your current state, you still deserve to stand by Jingye’s side?”

Tianyu’s hand fell.

She had nearly killed the Divine Lord. She was now the greatest sinner of the heavens—how could she deserve to stand by his side?

Suwen said coldly, “Don’t tell the Divine Lord what happened today, or… well, you know your fate.”

Tianyu nodded.

Suwen left, no doubt to save Jingye.

Tianyu collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.

She reached up to tear away her bandages. The cloth stuck to flesh, but she didn’t care; with a frown, she ripped it off, flesh and blood coming away with it. Blood flowed freely, but she realized she could not feel the pain.

She wanted to return to Junhua Palace, to see him one last time, but feared sullying his sacred hall.

The blood-soaked bandage disappeared into the black clouds, vanishing in an instant.

She knew who had cursed her—Shixin.

He had used her to kill one of the sacred heavens, and in the end, even Jingye was harmed.

She did not understand what she had done to be used so ruthlessly by others. She slapped herself hard.

Her palm was slick with endless blood.

Gritting her teeth, she wanted to find Shixin and demand answers, but she was lost.

Now, she was helpless, in utter despair.

Hatred and regret grew ever stronger within her, until at last she wept in silence, her voice stolen, unable to utter a sound.

To love someone—must it always come at the cost of one’s life?