I Need To Find A Way To Make Her Love Me Again - Chapter 63

Liu Ruoni was surprised that Xu Pingxi had emerged from the Chen’er Beast’s illusion so quickly. However, she found herself in rare agreement with his words. She knew Yi Rong and the others would likely soften their hearts toward Yan Xiaoling for the sake of Yan Xiaoxiang, but she held no mercy for that “beast.” She should have died long ago.

Seeing someone else step in to eliminate this blight, Liu Ruoni curled her lips into a smile, her eyes filled with the satisfaction of a fulfilled wish. However, in the next second, a mechanical, eerie sound pierced her ears. Guan Suxue was the first to notice the unusual noise emanating from the Shujing Diagram behind her. There was no time to argue with Xu Pingxi further, she could see a violent restlessness stirring within the layered mountain peaks of the painting.

Her expression shifted instantly. With a wave of her hand, she commanded hundreds of emerald birds to surge into the painting. They transformed into thousands of silken threads, forming a “ground net” to suppress the evil within. Yet, the onlookers sensed a surge of black miasma breaking through this emerald cage, threatening to tear its way out of the parchment.

Xu Pingxi guessed the cause. Yan Xiaoling was dead, and thus the power sealing the Human Ghouls had collapsed. Without the seal, a single Human Ghoul could rival a sect master. At this thought, a sinister smile played in his eyes. He took the Desire Bell hidden in his sleeve and shook it gently. The crisp, ethereal sound possessed a haunting magic, echoing through mountains and water, calling out to something far away.

The screeching response from the painting caused Guan Suxue’s gaze to turn icy. She poured spiritual energy into the scroll with one hand to suppress it while staring fixedly at the man sitting atop the crane. She shouted sternly, “Xu Pingxi, are you trying to bring chaos to the world?”

Having reached this point, Xu Pingxi had no path of retreat. If he could not ascend the Heavenly Gate, he would not allow himself to fall into the dust. Everyone present had to die for him to return to the Qingding Sect and retain his position as Sect Master. Looking at Guan Suxue with murderous intent, he hissed, “Blame yourselves for meddling in things that don’t concern you.”

Unrepentant to the end. Guan Suxue’s brow furrowed tightly. Ignoring his grandstanding, she raised her other hand to form a tactical array for an offensive. But as she gathered the true qi in her dantian, she suddenly felt her spiritual energy being siphoned away. Her pupils shook, she turned to see the mountain silhouettes in the painting distorting and swelling, as if ten thousand hands were struggling beneath the surface, desperate to break their cocoons.

Jiang Yueren realized the gravity of the situation. He could feel the demonic energy from the painting snarling and biting at him. If the Human Ghouls escaped… he looked at his exhausted disciples. They could not survive another bloodbath.

Pressing his lips together, he commanded: “Disciples of Mount Yuanming, hear my order! Everyone, assist Palace Master Guan in stabilizing the Shujing Diagram. We cannot let the Human Ghouls return to the world!”

Understanding the stakes, especially after the previous battle, the disciples didn’t stop to catch their breath. They stepped forward to offer the last of their spiritual energy into the diagram, hoping to suppress the monsters.

Seeing this, Yan Xingyu turned to help Guan Suxue, but her hand was caught by the person beside her.

Yi Rong stared at the man in the distance and said slowly, “Continuously pouring spiritual energy to suppress them is not a long term solution. We must destroy the Desire Bell.”

Xu Pingxi watched the black and blue figures rushing toward him. He recognized them as the two children Yan Xiaoxiang had raised. He glanced at the lifeless Yan Xiaoling on the crane’s back and kicked her off. Since she had wiped out her own clan anyway, why leave these two troublemakers behind? Even in death, she was leaving him a mess to clean up.

Seeing the body kicked into mid-air, Yi Rong released a “Shadow Fish” from her fingertips to catch her. When a person dies, their light goes out, all grievances end there. She did not want to see Yan Xiaoling’s corpse desecrated.

The golden bell rang incessantly, sending blade-like gusts of air through the sky.

Silver light flashed in Yan Xingyu’s hands as she raised her twin blades, parrying the incoming air blades. Behind her, Yi Rong’s Shadow Fish drifted like fine silk threads, closing in on the man atop the crane.

Xu Pingxi snorted at the little creatures trying to surround him. He leaped into the air, the white crane beneath him transformed instantly into a Crane Feather Longsword. With a semicircular sweep, the sword light severed everything in its path.

However, the two before him were harder to deal with than expected. Surprisingly, Yan Xingyu was even more tenacious than Yi Rong. How could a “useless” girl, who had been tricked and imprisoned by Yan Xiaoling, gain such an explosion of spiritual energy in such a short time? Her fighting style was unlike any orthodox disciple. Seeing her deflect a blow and twist her other blade downward like a serpent, Xu Pingxi retreated three paces, his face turning ashen.

“For the Yan family to produce such a low-life rascal like you,” he spat, gritting his teeth at her unorthodox tactics.

Yan Xingyu rolled her eyes. A man who colluded with Yan Xiaoling had no right to call her “low life.” She didn’t bother responding, focusing instead on her coordinated attack with Yi Rong.

The two fought in perfect harmony. Their seamless cooperation began to overwhelm Xu Pingxi. He caught a glimpse of Liu Ruoni nearby and shouted, “What are you standing there for? Come and help your Master!”

Liu Ruoni watched the Shujing Diagram thrashing violently as the crowd struggled to keep it steady. Her mind raced. Hearing the man’s roar, she looked up at Xu Pingxi’s frantic face, tilted her head slightly, and acted the part of the obedient disciple. “Yes.”

Yan Xingyu saw Liu Ruoni approach like a floating purple flower. She saw the woman wink at her behind Xu Pingxi’s back. Yan Xingyu’s eyes flickered, she softened her strikes. After a few exchanges, Liu Ruoni feigned a heavy blow, reeling back toward Xu Pingxi and crying out in pain, “Sect Master!”

Frustrated by Yi Rong’s persistence, Xu Pingxi saw Liu Ruoni faltering. Though he briefly wondered if his disciple had become this weak, he reached out with one hand to steady her arm, intending to transfer spiritual energy to heal her.

In that moment of total vulnerability, Liu Ruoni’s other arm struck. Her eyes turned cold as they met his widening pupils. Looking at the fresh blood splattered on the back of her hand, she smiled sweetly.

“Sect Master, it is time for you to step down.”

Xu Pingxi felt a searing pain in his neck. A warm current surged outward. He tried to speak but found he couldn’t breathe. He tried to cough, but the metallic sweetness in his throat wouldn’t clear.

He watched Liu Ruoni retreat swiftly to Yan Xingyu’s side, finally realizing this had all been a calculated betrayal.

As his vision blurred, his fury transformed into a tidal wave of energy. Memories flashed like a revolving lantern. With his final breath, he crushed the Desire Bell in his hand and traced a line in the air with his finger. A streak of blood appeared using his soul as a guide, his spiritual sword began to vibrate violently.

Yi Rong saw him pouring every ounce of his remaining life force into the sword, pointing it directly at Yan Xingyu and the others. Her heart skipped a beat. She lunged forward without hesitation.

Liu Ruoni saw that Xu Pingxi was determined to take them down with him. She grabbed Yan Xingyu to run, but the “Thunderous Wrath” of a Sect Master was not easily dodged. They felt the overwhelming pressure closing in from behind. Yan Xingyu’s hair stood on end. From the corner of her eye, she saw a black shadow leap behind them.

A muffled thud rang out.

She watched the piercing sword sink into Yi Rong’s body. It felt as if the sword had pierced her own heart; a suffocating pain surged through her. She screamed, “Yi Rong!”

Yan Xingyu turned to catch her, tears streaming down her face as she saw the blade through the other’s chest. But Yi Rong merely reached out a hand to touch her face, looking relieved. She whispered, “Don’t be sad… this is only my clone. I am fine.”

Knowing it wasn’t Yi Rong’s true body didn’t stop the heartache as she watched the form begin to dissipate. Knowing the clone’s destruction would still heavily damage the original, she said worriedly, “But…”

“Yan Xingyu, there’s no time for this. Look at the Shujing Diagram!” Liu Ruoni grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to look at their surroundings.

The clear mountain streams within the painting had turned pitch black. The surface of the parchment was “boiling.” The roars and shrieks from within made it clear, the things inside were about to break free.

As Yi Rong’s clone vanished, Liu Ruoni dragged Yan Xingyu toward the scroll. “Go! Help Palace Master Guan!”

Yan Xingyu’s heart sank as she looked at the nearly exploding diagram. She and Liu Ruoni channeled their energy into the painting, but the effect was minimal.

Guan Suxue knew that spiritual suppression was only a temporary fix. A complex emotion flickered in her eyes as she looked at the pale, exhausted faces around her.

She spoke: “Everyone, I will enter the Shujing Diagram to control the Human Ghouls myself.”

“I’m sorry, but you all must hold on a little longer out there.”

Hearing this, Liu Ruoni instinctively protested, “Palace Master Guan, entering the Shujing Diagram now is far too dangerous. Do not take such a risk.”

Guan Suxue remained silent. She knew better than anyone that this was a near certain death sentence, but there was currently no other way to suppress the Human Ghouls. Even if she had to perish along with them, she could not allow these demonic entities to return to the world.

Her mind was made up. But just as she withdrew her hands to prepare, an invisible force clamped onto her wrist. A white plum blossom manifested on her skin. Surprised, Guan Suxue turned to see a figure in white gauze. Her daughter had approached her undetected.

“Fei’er, why are you here?” she asked.

Though Guan Fei was blind, she could acutely sense the overwhelming demonic miasma ahead. She knew the Shujing Diagram was only holding back the evil temporarily. Having overheard the conversation, she guessed her mother’s intentions and said coldly, “You cannot go in.”

Guan Suxue was momentarily dazed; it had been a long time since she had heard words of concern from her daughter.

“The Lingluan Palace cannot lose you,” Guan Fei added.

Guan Suxue’s expression softened, though she did not reply.

Liu Ruoni looked at Jiaoyu standing behind Guan Fei and seemed to remember something. She pulled a brown crystal from her robes and tossed it to Yan Xingyu. “The Earth Spirit Crystal is for you. Find a way to get Yi Rong out of the Eastern Tai Sea.”

“Only she can deal with these Human Ghouls.”

Yan Xingyu caught it, stunned that Liu Ruoni knew the crystal could rescue Yi Rong from the Jilian (Binding Lotus). There was no time to think, more demonic qi was leaking from the scroll by the second.

Yan Xingyu immediately stopped channeling her spiritual energy and took off her black ring, intending to use it to reach Yi Rong’s true body. But the moment she pulled her hand away, a sharp claw lunged out of the painting toward her face.

In a flash, a wave of heat scorched the air, incinerating the claw. Yan Xingyu regained her focus, reapplying spiritual pressure to the diagram with one hand while throwing the black ring to Jiaoyu. “Little Fox! Go find Yi Rong! Bring her out!”

As the ring landed in Jiaoyu’s hand, the brown crystal followed. The black ring transformed into a Shadow Fish that swirled around Jiaoyu, forcing her to shrink back into her original fox form. She gritted her teeth, clamped the Earth Spirit Crystal in her jaws, and before she could even refuse, she was dragged into another dimension by the Shadow Fish.

When Jiaoyu opened her eyes again, she saw a woman suspended within a giant flaming lotus. The woman looked up and met her gaze.

Amidst a sea of crimson flowers that matched her own fur, Jiaoyu saw horrifying blood red stamens and threads tightly binding Yi Rong’s body. A flicker of complex emotion crossed the fox’s eyes. She stepped forward with the Earth Spirit Crystal, its brownish-yellow light emitted a heavy, inclusive aura that began to soothe the chaotic surroundings.

Yi Rong felt the heart of the flower tremble. A spark of hope ignited within her as she felt the thorns embedded in her flesh slowly withdrawing. Seeing Jiaoyu approach, she asked in confusion, “Why is it you who came?”

Thinking of the chaos above, Jiaoyu replied worriedly, “Yan Xingyu and the others are pinned down. Those damned Human Ghouls are breaking out. You need to get out of here and help them!”

Yi Rong struggled, but the remaining lotus thorns still held her fast. She stared at the glowing crystal, praying for it to work faster. She never wanted to experience the pain of failing to protect those she cherished again.

Sensing Jiaoyu’s aura vanish, Guan Fei panicked. “Xingyu, where did you send Yuyu?”

“Don’t worry, I sent her to Yi Rong’s true body. She won’t be in danger.” Yan Xingyu frowned at the shifting painting. “You should worry about us first.”

No sooner had she spoken than a human face erupted through the “skin” of the painted mountains. Prepared this time, Yan Xingyu dodged, and a silver snake lunged from behind her to grapple with the monster.

Once the seal developed a hole, more followed.

Guan Fei gathered her focus. A five petaled white plum blossom exploded into frost in her hand. The first petal severed a reaching claw, the second cut down a screaming face, the third sliced through a twisted torso. The fourth and fifth petals followed in rapid succession, decapitating the Ghouls emerging from the scroll.

But this was not enough to stop the tide. Yan Xingyu’s expression grew grimmer. She glanced at the spot where Jiaoyu had vanished, anxious that Yi Rong hadn’t appeared yet. Could the Earth Spirit Crystal not free her?

Seeing the demonic miasma beginning to envelop everyone, she made a sudden, desperate decision. “Little Silver, let’s go!” she shouted.

She leaped directly into the blackened mountains of the painting. Liu Ruoni only saw a flash of silver before Yan Xingyu vanished.

“Ruo’er!” Guan Suxue screamed, preparing to jump in after her. Liu Ruoni quickly intercepted her with a blood swallow messenger. “Palace Master Guan, Yan Ruo has an immortal body, she’ll be fine! You can’t go in!”

“If you fall, who will be left to lead?”

Guan Suxue knew she was right, but the guilt of letting her friend’s child fall into danger again felt like a weight in her chest. Please, Ruo’er, you must come back.

Inside the Shujing Diagram, Yan Xingyu’s flesh was already being torn by the swarming Human Ghouls. Ignoring the excruciating pain of missing chunks of her body, she sprinted through the mountain ranges.

With her acting as bait, the Ghouls stopped trying to escape the painting and turned all their fury toward her. Initially, she tried to fight back, but she was hopelessly outnumbered. These creatures were like rabid dogs on an infinite motor, they didn’t die, and they didn’t tire. She could only run.

Through endless mountains and over flying clouds, her flight felt like a loop in a repeating world. She ran for what felt like an eternity, never stopping for a second.

She had already depleted much of her energy outside. This mechanical flight for her life left her exhausted. Little Silver, sensing her distress, crawled up to her shoulder. “Master, don’t stop! If you stop, they will tear you apart!”

“Even if we don’t die immediately, we won’t have time to heal. If we take too much damage at once, our soul will scatter!”

“I know, Little Silver, I’m just…” Yan Xingyu’s focus wavered for a split second. In that gap, a Human Ghoul leaped from the ground, its limbs pinning her down.

Seeing the bloody maw opening to bite her, she cursed her luck.

She reached for her silver blade, but a black shadow appeared even faster. It bared its fangs, crushed the Ghoul’s skull, and whipped its tail to clear the remaining attackers.

Yan Xingyu’s eyes went wide. She turned to see the woman standing behind her. In the woman’s amber eyes, the sky blotting black qi was reflected. Her face seemed veiled by dark clouds, harboring a brewing storm.

As the other Human Ghouls surged forward again, they couldn’t get within an inch of Yi Rong. With a flick of her hand, she snapped their necks and tossed them to the Shadow Fish swarming at her feet.

The Shadow Fish, once cute and docile in Yan Xingyu’s eyes, now revealed rows of sharp teeth. Hearing the sickening crunching sounds, Yan Xingyu stood dazed. The monsters that had exhausted their entire party were being eaten bit by bit by the Shadow Fish, effortlessly wiped out until nothing remained.

The dark clouds began to break, and the sky brightened. But Yan Xingyu’s heart was pounding. She watched the woman, now more ethereal and seductive, walk toward her. Sensing Little Silver’s slight trembling, she asked instinctively:

“Are you… Yi Rong?”

The woman did not speak. Her fingertips traced the wound on Yan Xingyu’s cheek, slid down the pulse of her throat, and came to rest over her rising and falling chest. She whispered:

“Your heart knows who I am.”