After Being Certified by the Immortal Lord on the Path of Ruthlessness - Chapter 21

The metallic scent of blood filled her nostrils. A sharp, searing pain erupted in her chest, as if a blade had pierced straight through her heart, the agony spreading to every limb.

Having cultivated for a thousand years and broken countless spells, Ye Qingge was now, for the first time, overwhelmed by such violent pain.

She had no idea where this sudden torment came from. The crimson staining the tip of her nose made her already pale face appear ghostly white.

After a moment of regulating her breathing, Ye Qingge steadied her mind.

Her hand still rested on Jiang Mianhao’s neck. As the pain in her heart subsided slightly, she began to exert force again.

But the moment her palm tightened, that blade-like agony pierced her heart once more, this time far more intense than before.

The spiritual energy she had just stabilized now spiraled completely out of control.

Overwhelmed by the pain, Ye Qingge could no longer continue. The scent of blood on the back of her hand seemed to grow stronger, yet she couldn’t tell where it was coming from.

After a brief moment of disorientation, she lowered her gaze.

The blood on her white robes transformed into sparks of fire, and a terrifying nightmare surged over her.

A suffocating darkness, endless and all-encompassing, wrapped around Ye Qingge.

The chamber beside her began to change.

The kerosene lamp on the table suddenly ignited, bursting into roaring flames that scorched flesh. Waves of fire, each more intense than the last, drew closer with blistering heat.

As Ye Qingge struggled to open her eyes, her vision was swallowed by darkness. Deprived of sight, her other senses sharpened.

Flames at their peak licked at her limbs.

“Tend the fire, stable boy,” a familiar voice commanded. The flames beside her flared even more fiercely as dry wood was added.

In the utterly sealed space, the trapped heat pressed against the alchemy furnace, rebounding with renewed intensity. Fueled by the dry wood, the flames grew wilder. Ye Qingge felt as if she had just been dragged from water, drenched in sweat.

Only one color filled her vision. The golden alchemy furnace, now scorched to a dark crimson by the flames, merging seamlessly with the fire.

The crackling sound of wood burning at its limit echoed in her ears.

Ye Qingge shook her head, realizing she had fallen into the nightmare once again.

The alchemy furnace from which she could never escape, recurring in countless nightmares.

Seventy-seven days of scorching flames had failed to dispel the chilling cold emanating from the child within the furnace.

The newborn descendant of the goddess, born with a rare bone-deep coldness, was seen as a traitor and a disgrace to the goddess clan, who had guarded the world for generations.

“It’s hot,” Ye Qingge muttered, shaking her head desperately, trying to break free from the nightmare.

But it was futile. Her outstretched fingertips were forced back by the searing flames.

Her small frame had no choice but to press against the blistering-hot walls of the furnace to avoid being charred to cinders.

All of this unfolded in the hidden depths of the Goddess Hall, a helpless child and an unending fire.

The nightmare spread at a terrifying speed. Stripped of her sight, she felt the burning heat with excruciating clarity, and her cries for help went unanswered.

Her consciousness began to blur and scatter, feeding the nightmare’s intensity.

Ye Qingge snapped off the bone of her little finger to reclaim a sliver of clarity. Forcing herself to ignore the nightmare’s torment, she reached out into the darkness.

This was not the alchemy furnace. This was the nightmare.

As her fingertips brushed against the flames, the sensation that returned was not heat.

But cold.

The overwhelming darkness shattered abruptly, and a sliver of light pierced through Ye Qingge’s vision.

Her sight returned, and the pain from her broken finger surged.

The coldness at her fingertips became her only guide. Struggling to open her eyes, she finally saw her surroundings clearly.

Luxurious decorations adorned the room, with a coal lamp placed on the dark red wooden table and chairs. The lamp, which had burned through the entire night, was now at its limit, its faint wick flickering weakly.

As daylight broke, the world awoke to the morning.

Ye Qingge let out a long sigh, emerging from her nightmare drenched in cold sweat.

Unbeknownst to her, her fingers had once again found their way to Jiang Mianhao. Her broken pinky hung limply, while the rest of her fingers clung tightly to Jiang Mianhao’s cheek, as if grasping a lifeline.

It was the coolness emanating from Jiang Mianhao that had guided her out of the nightmare.

The Slumber Grass, which grew atop Mount Taibai, was naturally cold in nature.

Ye Qingge withdrew her hand and sat up straight on the bed, supporting herself.

The pain from her broken finger served as a reminder, but before the pain could fully register, a sudden mental voice echoed in her mind.

【Qingge! What did you just do?】

The voice of the Wuji Mystic Master rang out sharply, laced with unmistakable concern.

Ye Qingge was too exhausted to respond; the nightmare had drained nearly all her strength.

【You must first develop feelings before severing the love tribulation! You were almost on the verge of soul annihilation just now!】

“But,” Ye Qingge’s voice was hoarse, “hasn’t she already developed feelings?”

【But those feelings are still unclear! Moreover, the feelings must be mutual between the two of you. Never mind who she has feelings for. Have you yourself developed any affection?】

Ye Qingge pursed her lips, unsure how to answer.

【This love tribulation cannot be rushed! You must develop mutual feelings with her before you can sever it, not hastily attempt to cut it off like this.】

When the Wuji Mystic Master grew anxious, her words came out like a rapid-fire barrage, grating and unpleasant.

Ye Qingge replied calmly, “Hasn’t she already developed feelings?”

【And what about you! Feelings are love! Only when the two of you share mutual understanding and love for each other can feelings arise. To break the love tribulation, you must first have love!】

“What is love?” Her tone was indifferent and weary.

The three words left the Wuji Mystic Master momentarily speechless. This disciple, who had never asked her a question before, had now stumped her with her very first inquiry.

After a moment of contemplation, the mental voice spoke again.

【Love should be taught to you by your love tribulation. This little grass, whom you nearly killed, has already developed feelings. She will tell you what love is.】

【And you, you must first earn her love.】

【Do not act rashly! After this vague and perfunctory response, Ye Qingge had no desire to listen further and cut off the mental connection on her own.

She had forcibly reattached her broken pinky, yet she seemed to no longer feel the pain.

The nightmare had consumed all her energy, and the Wuji Mystic Master’s ambiguous words had offered no real guidance.

She still did not understand what feelings were, nor what it meant to have affection for someone.

And now, there was this concept of love.

Ye Qingge closed her eyes impatiently, but as darkness fell, a burning sensation surged through her bones.

It was so intense that she shuddered, and fine beads of sweat seeped from her palms.

On the bed, Jiang Mianhao remained asleep, still under the influence of Ye Qingge’s spell.

As the sky brightened completely, voices could be heard outside the room, and the innkeeper’s shouts echoed as he opened the doors.

Ye Qingge’s gaze fell upon Jiang Mianhao’s neck, where bruises from her choking grip stood out starkly against the girl’s jade-like skin.

Finally, Ye Qingge raised her hand, and spiritual energy enveloped the marks she had left. In moments, the bruises faded completely.

The two Unity Pendants given to her by the Matchmaker earlier still burned hotly within her sleeve.

Yet the words of the Wuji Mystic Master surged wildly through Ye Qingge’s body like a curse, mingling with her spiritual energy.

But Ye Qingge had no time to pay attention to any of that. She simply sat calmly by Jiang Mianhao’s side.

Whether it was due to the recent nightmare or something else, Ye Qingge actually began to feel drowsy.

To confirm this sudden onset of sleepiness, she leaned forward slightly.

She discovered that the closer she got to Jiang Mianhao, the deeper this drowsiness became. The girl sleeping beside her, with her eyes closed, seemed to possess an irresistible allure.

The spiritual energy within her continued to rage, but Ye Qingge no longer wished to control it.

Unconsciously, she leaned closer to Jiang Mianhao’s side, and the drowsiness successfully overwhelmed her reason.

Her eyelids gradually closed, and an unprecedented sense of tranquility washed over her.

Even though it was already broad daylight,

Ye Qingge had successfully fallen asleep.

……

Ling Lan, having just woken up, hadn’t yet opened her eyes and habitually reached out to feel the space beside her.

But all she touched was the quilt.

Her drowsiness vanished instantly, replaced by alarm. Ling Lan immediately sat up straight. The spacious room was now empty except for her.

Jiang Mianhao, who had washed up and slept beside her last night, had vanished into thin air.

If not for the pair of fish-shaped lanterns still sitting on the table, Ling Lan would have thought the joy of the previous day was nothing but a dream.

“Mianhao?” Ling Lan dressed and got out of bed, scanning the room but finding no trace of her.

There were no signs of the door having been opened. Jiang Mianhao’s dress lay neatly folded on the other side of the bed.

That left only one possibility.

Ling Lan grabbed her peachwood sword and hurried to Ye Qingge’s door in a few quick strides.

The tightly shut door seemed to her like a guilty attempt to conceal something. With one hand holding her sword, she pushed against the door with the other.

But the moment her fingertips touched it, a powerful surge of spiritual energy threw her back several steps.

“Damn it, she actually set up a barrier,” Ling Lan muttered, abandoning any pretense of politeness. A faint pink glow shimmered over her peachwood sword.

She struck at the closed door with all her might but was repelled before she could even make contact.

The techniques of her peachwood sword were no match for the barrier Ye Qingge had set up. It was like an egg trying to smash a rock.

But Ling Lan didn’t give up. Steadying herself, she raised her sword to strike again.

Just then, the door beside her creaked open.

Mi Xiu’s face was as pale as paper as she looked at Ling Lan, who was struggling to wield her sword, and sighed inwardly.

“Lanlan.”

Hearing the call, Ling Lan paused and turned to see who had spoken.

The girl was dressed in purple robes, her stunningly beautiful face tinged with a faint sickness that made her enchanting eyes even more captivating.

“Mi Xiu?” Ling Lan frowned and asked, “Have you seen Mianhao?”

Mi Xiu let out a soft “ah,” the words she had prepared earlier now stuck in her throat.

Ling Lan watched Mi Xiu’s changing expression with suspicion and asked in a low voice, “Then have you seen Ye Lu Jiu?”

Realizing what was being asked, Mi Xiu shook her head and replied hoarsely, “I haven’t seen her.”

Ling Lan didn’t look away after receiving the answer; her gaze remained fixed on Mi Xiu’s face.

Her eyes were sincere, like mirrors capable of reflecting a person’s innermost thoughts.

Mi Xiu felt inexplicably nervous.

Just last night, her identity had been exposed by that immortal lord. Had he already revealed the truth to Ling Lan and Jiang Mianhao?

If Ling Lan pressed further, how should she respond?

Seeing her pallid complexion, Ling Lan couldn’t help but ask, “How did you become so weak?”

Expecting Ling Lan to press further about her origins, Mi Xiu found the prepared explanation stuck in her throat.

She looked up and met Ling Lan’s gaze, and in that moment, the lies became impossible to voice.

“Did you get into a conflict with someone last night?” Ling Lan asked gravely. “Was it with Lu Jiu?”

Mi Xiu was momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond.

The commotion outside grew too loud, and the spell cast upon the girl dissipated as its time limit expired. The previously slumbering girl’s eyelashes fluttered faintly, and her brows furrowed tightly.

Jiang Mianhao shuddered violently and abruptly woke.

The first thing she did upon waking was to lift her hand and touch her neck. As if to confirm something, she traced her fingers along her neck and head.

Only after verifying that her neck and head were still connected did she let out a long sigh of relief.

Relieved, Jiang Mianhao felt as though she had slept for an unusually long time. Though she rarely dreamed, this time she had experienced a terrifying nightmare.

In the dream, she lay on the bed while someone viciously choked her. No matter how she struggled or pleaded, it was futile.

What was even stranger was that Jiang Mianhao could vividly feel the pain. A sensation she had never experienced in dreams before. The feeling of suffocation and the brink of death felt all too real.

So real that Jiang Mianhao could no longer distinguish between dream and reality.

And what was even more horrifying was that the person choking her had a face identical to Lu Jiu’s.

Jiang Mianhao swallowed, confirming there was no obstruction, and finally felt her heart settle back into place, reassured it was only a dream.

Beside her came the sound of steady breathing, and the room was utterly silent.

“Lanlan, I just had a dream,” Jiang Mianhao said as she turned to face the person lying next to her. “In the dream, I was choked by Lu Jiu.”

Her words abruptly cut off. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the person still asleep beside her.

The Ling Lan who had lain down with her the night before had now taken on a completely different appearance.

In an instant, Jiang Mianhao could no longer tell whether she was dreaming or awake, for the person sleeping beside her was none other than the one who had nearly choked her to death in her dream.