The Demon Lord Relied on His Imagination to Get Together with the Protagonist. - Chapter 44.1

Chapter 44.1

Tong Siqing stared in shock at the two identical Immortal Master Fu Luans, momentarily unsure what to think.

Which one was the real Immortal Master Fu Luan, and which one was the mirror’s transformation?

She observed carefully, finding that apart from the difference in hair color, their figures and appearances were exactly the same. She could not detect any demonic qi or aura on either of them, making it difficult to differentiate.

However… the Phantom Mirror had created such a vast nightmare realm, it should surely carry some wicked energy tainted with sin.

So, Tong Siqing looked again, intently.

…Still nothing.

“Zhihua,” Tong Siqing called her. “Which one is the real Immortal Master Fu Luan?”

Shi Zhihua quietly transmitted a message to her: “It doesn’t matter which one is real. What’s important is—neither of them can be harmed.”

Fu Luan couldn’t be harmed because only she could persuade and appease the Phantom Mirror.

The Phantom Mirror also couldn’t be harmed because its value was immense, worth the Demon Lord’s effort to keep.

An Immortal artifact without spiritual intelligence is different from one that has developed it. Although the Phantom Mirror was only half shattered, this half had developed spiritual intelligence, and its power had multiplied several times.

It absolutely couldn’t be allowed to lose hope and revert to an inanimate object.

Tong Siqing instantly understood. It turned out that Zhihua actually knew everything just now. The reason she deliberately spoke against the truth was to step forward and peacefully resolve the situation.

“Immortal Master Fu Luan, let me treat your wounds,” Tong Siqing ran over to help the Phantom Mirror off the ground in front of everyone, calling her “Fu Luan” while stemming the bleeding. “It’s alright. With us here, you won’t be harmed a second time.”

Wei Luan timely showed a weak smile: “Thank you.”

Tong Siqing paused for a moment—she had to admit that the Phantom Mirror was incredibly good at acting. Every gesture resembled Immortal Master Fu Luan.

How long must she have observed Immortal Master Fu Luan to imitate her so closely?

In any case, Tong Siqing herself couldn’t distinguish between the two.

She quickly healed the other party’s wound, and then everyone surrounded the two of them, trying to figure out how to differentiate them.

Cen Letian’s mindset had stabilized now, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief and seriously observed the two.

Wei Luan glanced at Immortal Master Fu Luan with a complicated look. Knowing she was in the wrong, she proactively admitted: “She is the real one. I am the transformation of the Phantom Mirror. You really didn’t need to save me. I promised her that I would revert to being an inanimate object…”

Cen Letian frowned: “Master, don’t be afraid. We are all here. No matter how much this mirror pressures you, it can’t defeat so many of us.”

Wei Luan: “No, I really didn’t…”

Tong Siqing on the side sighed: “The Phantom Mirror must have interfered with Immortal Master Fu Luan’s mind, making her willingly cooperate in this act.”

The real Fu Luan: ???

Qing Lin also said: “Exactly. That Immortal artifact is devious in its thinking, and because it has developed intelligence, it has an exceptional number of little tricks. Don’t you all think it’s very strange that she so easily admitted who was real?”

Tong Siqing agreed: “Yes, we need to be cautious.”

In just a few sentences from the Demon Realm side, they successfully misled all the Xianning disciples.

The Xianning crowd:

“That’s absolutely right. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions so quickly.”

“Let’s observe further.”

Fu Luan: “…”

She glanced at Wei Luan beside her, seeing the other party with downcast eyes, not showing any intention of suddenly lashing out and harming people, and suddenly felt a little unsure again.

Does she really want it to die?

As an Immortal artifact, it was originally an inanimate object. Its so-called “life” was merely using her former body and name. If she did not wish to keep her, she would only have to detach from her mortal body and revert to the mirror body.

But…

If it died, she would have to personally bury her own former body.

The thought of that scene made Fu Luan shudder.

In fact, what the other party said was also true. She didn’t seem to have broken the path of heartlessness. The other party merely filled the emotional void of those years and fulfilled a small wish.

This mirror was not one to break its promises, and it had indeed been about to return to dust and silence just now.

Fu Luan sighed imperceptibly, a thought popping into her mind—Maybe I should avoid creating this killing karma.

Wei Luan: !!!

The Phantom Mirror, which was focused on seeking death, suddenly heard this inner thought. Instantly overjoyed, its gaze fell upon Fu Luan.

Fu Luan didn’t want to look at her and avoided the gaze.

Even just this one sentence was enough to give Wei Luan courage. She was already recklessly planning to reveal her identity, but Fu Luan’s inner thought made her heart flutter.

She seemed to feel… she could have a chance again.

Wei Luan imitated Fu Luan’s demeanor, lowering her eyes with a sense of loss: “Thank you, everyone. I, Fu Luan, have fallen into such a state, yet none of you have abandoned me. In the future…”

Fu Luan was startled, not expecting the mirror to suddenly go back on its word. She interrupted her: “You clearly promised me…”

Seeing the attitudes of the two, Cen Letian immediately went over to shield the Phantom Mirror, Wei Luan, while threatening Fu Luan loudly: “Mirror Demon, I knew you set up a vicious trap to threaten my Master! What did you make her promise you?”

Fu Luan: “…”

Seriously, can she still keep this disciple?

Cen Letian turned back and spoke softly to Wei Luan: “Master, don’t let it threaten you. This disciple will definitely protect you this time.”

Wei Luan frowned, her gaze lingering, looking at this foolish disciple with a myriad of complicated emotions: “But how do you know that your Master is the real one?”

Cen Letian’s eyes were resolute: “Master has shown this disciple endless affection over the years. This disciple is confident in knowing you well enough. This understanding stems from the heart. No matter how your appearance changes, this disciple can recognize you at a glance. Even if you were reduced to ash, this disciple would recognize you.”

Endless, affection.

The Phantom Mirror, Wei Luan, ground her back teeth, feeling a bitter taste in her heart.

Fu Luan: “…”

When she returned to Xianning, she would definitely give this foolish disciple a good beating.

Tong Siqing was on the verge of cracking.

But judging by the situation, the Phantom Mirror had willingly gotten involved in this mess, which indicated a desire to live.

As long as there was a desire, it was manageable.

As long as it wanted to live, it wouldn’t seek death even if exposed.

So, Tong Siqing prompted them: “To differentiate, you can ask about past events and see who can answer.”

Wei Luan shook her head: “The Phantom Mirror knows everything. It won’t work.”

Shi Zhihua retorted: “Knows everything? What do you mean?”

Fu Luan watched Wei Luan quietly, intending to see how she would fabricate a story.

Wei Luan also looked up at her, her eyes full of affection.

Fu Luan: “…”

She seemed to realize what the other party was about to say. This broken mirror wouldn’t possibly repeat her declarations of love for her in front of everyone, would it?

Things like: “I fell in love with you because of one glance,” “I watched you dress and rest opposite the embroidered couch all day long,” “I gained intelligence because of you and therefore inherited your mortal body, allowing me to hear your thoughts…”

The thought of this made Fu Luan break out in a cold sweat.

Those words were already cringeworthy and absurd enough for her to hear. If others heard them, wouldn’t it be like being stripped bare and shown to everyone?

“Do not continue speaking,” Fu Luan could only say this. “Are you going to tell everyone everything?”

Cen Letian scoffed: “You demon mirror, are you scared now?”

Fu Luan clenched her palms, restraining herself from slapping this foolish disciple.

Good-tempered as she was, she was rarely so infuriated.

Wei Luan, after being stopped by Immortal Master Fu Luan, was momentarily speechless. After the momentary silence came a prolonged stillness.

She selectively chose not to hear the other party’s inner voice but indulged in self-pity, thinking—Did Fu Luan feel sorry for her, worrying that once the truth was revealed, both their identities would be exposed?

The Phantom Mirror, Wei Luan, was deeply moved, looking at the other party with an emotional gaze.

Fu Luan: “…”

“Then, with two Immortal Master Fu Luans now, how should we dispel the nightmare realm?” Tong Siqing asked. “Should we bring both of them?”

Shi Zhihua looked at her and smiled: “Siqing, what do you think?”

Siqing.

Siqing?

Sounds a little familiar.

Wei Luan’s gaze darkened. She remembered where she had heard that name.

Last night, when she was leading Fu Luan back to the room, Fu Luan touched her hand and spoke the name “Siqing.”

Is this “Siqing” the woman right in front of her?

Wei Luan looked at Tong Siqing with displeasure, seeing that the person’s appearance was indeed quite good, a figure of celestial beauty. But the more beautiful someone was, the greater the threat they posed to her.

When she reached out to hold Fu Luan’s hand, did Fu Luan not struggle because she mistook her for this “Siqing”?

What was their relationship?

Why didn’t she know?

A faint stream of light flowed in Wei Luan’s pupils, like moonlight reflecting on water. As the Phantom Mirror, she attempted to use her ability to peek into Tong Siqing’s background.

At that moment, she seemed to return to her days in the mirror, watching as she was carried, seeing water, moonlight, and figures… The scene in front of her instantly became rich and colorful. She also saw a man in silver robes, with a pair of indifferent, emotionless gray eyes beneath a jade mask.

Across time and space, the man raised his eyes, looking remotely toward her, without any trace of emotion—

Wei Luan felt as if she was being watched by an ancient god. Her head was splitting with pain, and her eyes stung, making her want to cry.

Who was that person?

Why was he looking at her?

As a mirror, she could see the person looking at her, but Wei Luan did not remember this encounter. She didn’t know when she had seen the man in gray robes, nor how he was so eerily looking at her at the same time.

She was clearly looking into Tong Siqing’s background.

Could it be what the other half of the mirror body had seen?

Wei Luan refused to believe it and tried to look again.

This time, before she could see anything, a flash of scarlet blocked her view. The Demon Lord Shi Zhihua, beside her, had noticed her at some point and cast a spell to block her mirror view.

In the next second, a sharp hairpin suddenly flew toward her. The sound of it cutting through the air was significant, clearly carrying a considerable amount of demonic energy.

Wei Luan sharply bent backward, dodging the attack.

She gasped and looked up at the other side.

Shi Zhihua casually withdrew her hand: “My mistake. I thought some villain had sneaked in to eavesdrop.”

Since the Demon Lord had spoken, no one naturally doubted her.

Everyone was startled, and then began discussing what to do next.

During the discussion, the Demon Lord’s dark red eyes glanced at Wei Luan.

Wei Luan suddenly felt that this person also looked a little familiar.

The scene was quite chaotic just now, but now that it had quieted down, the Phantom Mirror suddenly remembered. She looked at Shi Zhihua and Tong Siqing—the red-robed Demon Lord was the one who shattered her many years ago, wasn’t she? She must trip her up.

And that Siqing must be eliminated.

Because that person likely has an unusual relationship with Fu Luan.

Wei Luan was originally an object, only recognizing one master. But because she was once an inanimate object, her obsession with “single-mindedness” was deeply rooted.

Wei Luan’s gaze was fixed on the backs of Tong Siqing and Shi Zhihua for a very long time.

Tong Siqing sensed something and turned around blankly—

When she turned, she saw everyone doing what they were supposed to be doing. She must have been overthinking it.

Shi Zhihua asked her: “What’s wrong?”

Tong Siqing said: “I feel like someone is staring at me.”

Shi Zhihua: “How could that be? You must have been mistaken.”

The group continued to discuss how to break the nightmare. Finally, everyone decided that for the sake of safety, they should put this matter aside and first differentiate the real Immortal Master from the fake one.

Everyone had different thoughts and objectives, but they surprisingly reached a consensus.

That night, the people of Xianning and the Demon Realm each took one Immortal Master Fu Luan. This was partly to keep an eye on them, preventing the Phantom Mirror from escaping, and partly to prevent the mirror from harassing Fu Luan again and disturbing her path.

The Xianning Sect people took the black-haired Fu Luan, which was Wei Luan.

The Demon Realm people took the real Immortal Master Fu Luan.

The two sides agreed to meet again the next day and then left with the one they believed to be the real Immortal Master.

Cen Letian respectfully escorted “Master” to another room, assigned two disciples to guard it, and then returned to his own room, saying to the other disciples: “Why don’t we report this matter to the Heavenly Venerable and ask for guidance?”

The disciples agreed one after another:

“Senior Brother is right. The Heavenly Venerable must be knowledgeable and have a way to distinguish them.”

“We must restore Immortal Master Fu Luan’s innocence. We cannot be foolishly traveling with a mirror demon.”

“Senior Brother, quickly write a letter to the Heavenly Venerable.”

Cen Letian gave a deep affirmation, asked someone to grind ink for him, and then solemnly unfolded a communication scroll.

However, this communication was certainly not going to reach its destination.

Because their Heavenly Venerable was still at the Yu Yin Palace.

Qi Mangu had been sleepless for several days and nights, but he couldn’t break the formation left by the Demon Lord. He also didn’t dare to report to the Heavenly Venerable Sheng Wen, fearing his rebuke… No, even if he wasn’t rebuked, he was still terrified.

Therefore, Qi Mangu had been standing outside the Yu Yin Palace gate for more than ten days.

Heavenly Venerable Sheng Wen was not in a hurry. During the time Qi Mangu, the Saint of Nine Immortals, was trying to break the formation, he had the leisure to wander around the Yu Yin Palace.

The people of the Yu Yin Palace avoided him, so the Heavenly Venerable had a very leisurely few days.

On this day, as he was strolling, he suddenly heard a slight movement in the grass.

Heavenly Venerable Sheng Wen walked over, bent down, and parted the grass, seeing a small blade of grass that had cultivated into a spirit.

“The demonic qi in Yu Yin Palace is immense, yet you managed to cultivate into a spirit,” Heavenly Venerable Sheng Wen praised, stroking it. “If you continue to cultivate diligently, you will surely achieve something in the future.”

The spirit grass, upon seeing him, instantly twisted wildly and shouted loudly: “Heavenly Venerable Sheng Wen! I never expected to see you!”

Sheng Wen’s voice was slow: “Have you seen this Venerable One before?”

The grass: “Yes! I remember the source of my spiritual energy! The day you left the Immortal Treasury, you rewarded Su Rong with the vermillion brush containing ten thousand years of merit. Su Rong dedicated the vermillion brush to the Demon Lord. One day, the Demon Lord, in a bad mood, smashed the brush, which happened to nourish all the flowers and grass in our courtyard. Later, a few of us nearby cultivated into spirits! This grass will forever remember the kindness of Heavenly Venerable Sheng Wen for bestowing the vermillion brush.”

“Then why are you the only one here?” Sheng Wen asked. “Where did the other spirits go?”

The grass said: “That day, the Demon Lord wanted to eat a girl in front of all of us grasses. After we interrupted her, the Demon Lord wanted to kill the grass. But the girl stopped the Demon Lord and had all of us cultivated grasses transplanted to another place. Fortunately, I was accidentally missed and not taken away, otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to get out.”

Sheng Wen: “The Demon Lord ate people? Why couldn’t you get out?”

“Yes, she looked like she was going to devour her raw! She was so fierce, she savagely hugged the girl!” The spirit grass complained. “I thought everyone had been transplanted to another place to enjoy a comfortable life, but the next day I heard that the Demon Lord burned all the grasses that were taken away, destroying the evidence! She killed the grass to silence them!”

Sheng Wen hadn’t expected that Shi Zhihua, even as the Demon Lord, still had such bloody habits. He immediately felt cold all over, deeply regretting giving his daughter to her.

He had raised his daughter to this age. Even when putting her through trials, he would choose demon beasts or fiends, but he would absolutely not let her see such scenes of cannibalism, lest she be traumatized and have nightmares.

Who knew that Shi Zhihua would dare to eat people in the Yu Yin Palace?

If Siqing knew, would Siqing be very afraid?

When she’s too afraid to sleep at night, would she resent him for obstinately sending her to the Demon Realm?

Sheng Wen silently lowered one hand, letting his magnificent sleeve cover his slightly trembling fingertips.

“Who was she eating? Are you sure it was a person? Was it perhaps something resembling a human form…”

He tried to find a reasonable excuse for the other party, and also to comfort himself.

The grass continued to complain: “It was definitely a person. We all saw clearly. The girl had a low bun, with two slender braids hanging in the front, and she was slightly shorter than the Demon Lord.”

Sheng Wen’s gray pupils violently constricted—Isn’t that Siqing?

How dare Shi Zhihua!

“Heavenly Venerable Sheng Wen, what’s wrong? Are you unwell?” The spirit grass, seeing Sheng Wen clutching his chest, thought he was having a sudden illness and immediately panicked. “Heavenly Venerable, Heavenly Venerable, Heavenly Venerable…”

“This Venerable One is fine,” Sheng Wen clutched his chest amidst a bout of palpitations, exhaling a difficult breath. “I understand.”

After the palpitation subsided, Sheng Wen calmly thought back. Although he had received letters from Tong Siqing, he had never personally seen her. Could it be… that the letters were forged?

Also, when Su Rong heard he was coming to the Demon Realm, why was she so flustered, even seeming to try and stop him?

Why didn’t she want him to come?

Could it be because Siqing had already…

And Su Rong, as an internal contact, had long since defected to the Demon Realm?

Sheng Wen’s face darkened. He realized something was wrong. No wonder he hadn’t found the Demon Lord’s figure in the Yu Yin Palace these past few days, nor had he seen Su Rong and Siqing.

Perhaps the difficult-to-break formation was not meant for anything else but to trap him. Thinking deeper, perhaps the Charm Clan, who came to stir up trouble, was also cooperating with the Demon Lord in an act. Otherwise, why would the Charm Clan not come earlier or later, but only after he had arrived at the Yu Yin Palace?

Demon Lord, oh, Demon Lord…

She is truly the most manipulative fiend in this world.

Even he, the Heavenly Venerable, couldn’t guess what she intended to do.

Sheng Wen stopped walking.

However, Siqing should not have been harmed, otherwise, as her father, he would have realized her demise immediately.

As long as she was alive, he could snatch her back.

Sheng Wen turned and walked away.

If Qi Mangu couldn’t break this barrier, he would personally cast a spell and blast it open.

Even if half of the Yu Yin Palace was destroyed, he couldn’t let the Demon Lord have her way.

Perhaps someone was cursing her from afar, because the Demon Lord Shi Zhihua sneezed after being cursed.

She touched her ear, wondering who wasn’t thinking kindly of her.

After thinking about it, there shouldn’t be anyone.

The hatred was so profound, the other party’s emotions must be very agitated. Shi Zhihua thought about it and concluded that it was probably the letter that Qing Lin failed to intercept that had already been delivered by Fu Luan to Xianning.

Tong Siqing asked her: “Venerable Lord, do you have a cold?”

“No. It must be your Father Venerable seeing Fu Luan’s letter and cursing me now,” Shi Zhihua smiled. “But given your Father Venerable’s temperament, the fact that he didn’t directly come to the Scarlet Sky Realm to trouble me, and only inwardly complained a few times, is already very magnanimous.”

Shi Zhihua thought, as Tong Siqing’s father, Sheng Wen was actually quite good. Firstly, he directly sent his daughter to her. Secondly, even when his subordinate complained about her, he only pretended to be angry and didn’t genuinely come to the Scarlet Sky Realm to capture people.

Although this person always maintained a superior demeanor, overall, he wasn’t too annoying.

“My Father Venerable…”

Tong Siqing imagined the scene of her Father Venerable reading the letter by lamplight and instantly felt a little awkward and uncomfortable, especially since she could roughly guess the content of the letter.

Tong Siqing: “…”

Probably no one could understand her embarrassment.

“Don’t worry,” Shi Zhihua said. “Your Father Venerable is not truly angry. If he were angry, he would definitely come to find us.”

This did alleviate Tong Siqing’s anxiety somewhat.

The two of them went together to find Immortal Master Fu Luan. Fu Luan was in another room, silently changing out of the red dress.

“This is the dress I wore the day I ascended,” Fu Luan stroked the wedding dress, as if touching her past. “Later, too much time passed, and I forgot. When I wore it again a few days ago, I only felt a little familiar. I hadn’t expected an old matter or a person from the past to come knocking.”

Her white hair fell on the red dress, a sharp contrast. The pale red color was reflected in her eyes, carrying a heartbreaking and tragic beauty.

She turned around, watching Tong Siqing standing beside Shi Zhihua. Although their auras were different, they were harmonious, not tormenting each other as she had imagined.

Now that things had settled down, Fu Luan finally expressed her confusion. She didn’t understand why they were still having forceful intimacy the other day, yet today they could stand together without any ill feelings. The Venerable Lord even seemed quite caring toward the other party.

Shi Zhihua: “Those of you who cultivate the path of heartlessness truly understand nothing.”

You… all?

All?

Where did the “all” come from?

Fu Luan looked at Tong Siqing in confusion, asking: “Does Saint Tong Siqing also cultivate the path of heartlessness?”

Tong Siqing shook her head inexplicably: “No. Father Venerable did not let me cultivate this path.”

Shi Zhihua: ???

Tong Siqing doesn’t cultivate the path of heartlessness?

Why did she always remember that she cultivated the path of heartlessness?

Shi Zhihua: “Are you lying to this Venerable One?”

Tong Siqing: “No.”

Shi Zhihua was a little unable to accept it for a moment, so she comforted herself self-talkingly: “Impossible. You must cultivate the path of heartlessness.”

If she didn’t cultivate this path, why wouldn’t she be moved? As the Demon Lord, she had looks and power. Wasn’t she worthy of being loved by her?

If she cultivated the path of heartlessness, it would be understandable not to be moved. But she had just personally said—she didn’t cultivate the path of heartlessness.

Doesn’t cultivate it.

Shi Zhihua felt a bitterness in her heart, sadly realizing that she had indeed fulfilled the broken mirror’s prophecy, falling in love with someone who didn’t understand what love was.

She looked at Tong Siqing beside her and said lazily: “I knew your identity from the start. Do you know what I wanted to do during that time?”

Tong Siqing naturally didn’t know.

“This Venerable One mistakenly thought you cultivated this path, so I wanted to break your path, make you fall from Immortality to become a demon, and then keep you confined in the Yu Yin Palace every day and night to please me,” Shi Zhihua gnashed her teeth, grasping her wrist with a half-threat. “So, you’d better fall in love with this Venerable One quickly, otherwise, even if you don’t cultivate the path of heartlessness, I will still keep you locked up and have you serve me all night long.”

Tong Siqing: QvQ

Fu Luan watched Shi Zhihua’s actions and words, suddenly feeling that the message the other party was conveying was very similar to Wei Luan’s last night.

She was clearly in a position of power, yet she carried a persistence born from unfulfilled desire. Could one person’s love be so deeply engraved?

The wind outside the window seemed to pick up, whistling and whimpering, causing the window frame to rattle, as if someone was crying and knocking on the door.

Fu Luan recalled Wei Luan from yesterday, feeling that this act of confining someone was something the other party would also definitely do if she wished.

What a pity. Such profound love could not be reciprocated by her.

Because the cultivation path was heartless, she couldn’t turn back.

But why was Saint Tong Siqing like this? She now seemed to be willingly following the Demon Lord, yet why didn’t she dare to say she had developed “love”?

Fu Luan was momentarily confused. Initially, she thought Saint Tong Siqing was an undercover agent beside the Demon Lord, so she was willing to be intimate with her. But now, it seemed the situation was not so. Whether she was an internal contact or not didn’t seem to matter much. They were inseparable, either intimate friends or lovers.

But intimate friends and lovers should both be a mutual journey, not one person desperately pursuing while the other neither responds nor retreats.

Although Fu Luan cultivated the path of heartlessness, she at least understood some principles, knowing which relationships would be blessed by the world and which were unhappy.

Fu Luan pondered for a moment and still pointed out her perspective: “Venerable Lord, those who cultivate the path of heartlessness cannot perceive your affection. If Siqing does not cultivate this path, she should logically respond to you. Even if she doesn’t want to respond, given her character, she wouldn’t deliberately string you along.”

Shi Zhihua’s smile instantly faded.

Fu Luan’s words struck her heart.

The other party’s tone was tactful, but the reasoning was spot-on—If she liked me, she would have responded long ago. If she didn’t like me, she would have left. To leave me hanging like this is indeed strange.

After all, she doesn’t cultivate the path of heartlessness.

Shi Zhihua tightened her grip on Tong Siqing’s wrist, waiting for her words.

“Venerable Lord.”

Tong Siqing used her other hand to pull up her sleeve, revealing the wrist Shi Zhihua was holding. She was wearing a red string Lover’s Knot there, and the grip had accidentally chafed it.

Shi Zhihua immediately let go, gently taking her wrist with concern: “Did I hurt you?”

The wind grew stronger again.

Seeing the two of them focused on each other, Fu Luan couldn’t interject, so she stood up and closed a window.

Before closing the window, she suddenly looked up at the full moon. Perhaps having stayed in the room for too long, she felt a little dizzy.

When she returned, Fu Luan’s gaze swept over Tong Siqing’s wrist and saw the Lover’s Knot there.

“Is this a Lover’s Knot?” Fu Luan slowly returned and sat down, taking a sip of clear tea. “I saw this object when I was in Xinglin, at the same stall where I picked up the mirror.”

Shi Zhihua turned her head: “Does this object hold some mystery?”

A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Fu Luan’s eyes: “Ah, those of us who cultivate the path of heartlessness are extremely wary of this object.”

Tong Siqing was a little startled: “Will it bring something bad?”

“Not entirely,” Fu Luan said. “In legends, the Lover’s Knot only works if both parties wear it. It is also called the ‘Lover’s Calamity.’ When both parties encounter disaster at the same time, it might ward off the calamity. But when there is no disaster or illness, it is the calamity itself.”

Shi Zhihua: “What kind of calamity?”

Fu Luan: “I don’t know, but I once heard a story that took place in Xinglin’s enemy country at the time.”

Tong Siqing moved a stool and sat down with Shi Zhihua to listen to her story.

“Xinglin’s enemy country was called Ze’an. It is said that the Crown Prince of Ze’an at the time was extremely tyrannical, committing all sorts of acts that would incur Heaven’s wrath, such as forcibly abducting common women and imposing heavy taxes. Not only that, he also disregarded moral principles and seized the concubine the Emperor of Ze’an had recently taken…”

Shi Zhihua asked: “How could a mere Crown Prince be so brazen?”

Fu Luan: “It’s strange to say. This Crown Prince had some unknown means that made his imperial father repeatedly back down, refusing to punish him.”

Tong Siqing asked: “But what does this have to do with the Lover’s Knot?”

Fu Luan unhurriedly continued: “It is said that the concubine had this object on her ankle. The Crown Prince of Ze’an found it amusing, and to anger his imperial father, he also had a Lover’s Knot made and wore it, constantly flaunting it right under the Emperor of Ze’an’s nose…”

Since ancient times, filial piety has been paramount, so this Crown Prince of Ze’an was truly rebellious.

Fu Luan: “Before the concubine was seized, she had always carefully avoided the Crown Prince of Ze’an, diligently guarding her virtue. Because she had some martial arts skills, the Crown Prince of Ze’an couldn’t succeed.”

Tong Siqing asked: “Then how did he finally succeed?”

Fu Luan pointed to the Lover’s Knot on Tong Siqing’s wrist, saying: **”There is a saying that when a couple both wear this object, they can test their true feelings through the Lover’s Knot. When the object is damaged, the party who is truly delighted will feel weakness in their limbs and experience the surging affection of the other party. It is said that the Crown Prince of Ze’an tore off the concubine’s Lover’s Knot, which is how he succeeded.

Therefore, later, all those who cultivate the path of heartlessness strongly resisted wearing such Lover’s Knots. ‘Tearing off the Lover’s Knot’ was also used as a metaphor for breaking the path of heartlessness. Everyone considered it extremely unlucky and believed it would bring about calamity.”**

The story was finished.

“Is there a possibility that the order of the story is wrong? That the Crown Prince succeeded first, and then tore off the Lover’s Knot? If he couldn’t get close to the other party, he couldn’t tear the string, and if he got close, then the saying ‘the Lover’s Knot will make one’s limbs weak’ is false,” Shi Zhihua paused for a moment, then commented: “Such myths and legends can only fool those of you who cultivate the path of heartlessness. If it were told by a storyteller in the marketplace, no one would believe it.”

She somewhat regretted wasting half an incense stick of time listening to the story.

It was both ridiculous and boring.

Only those rigid cultivators of the path of heartlessness would be so fearful of this object.

A bunch of stuffy old fogeys, spreading a story until a symbolically good “Lover’s Knot” became one with the connotation of “bringing about calamity.”

“It’s also possible that people created the rumor to sell the object better,” Fu Luan put down her teacup, saying: “In short, for a while, there were stalls selling Lover’s Knots everywhere, and many young couples would wear this object during intimacy to increase the excitement. As for whether it really makes one’s limbs weak, no one knows.”

That explanation is more reasonable.

Shi Zhihua nodded, thinking to herself that she must also tease Tong Siqing in this way when they are intimate one day. Given her personality, she would surely honestly say that she didn’t feel weak, and then she would have another excuse to ask for some benefits.

Shi Zhihua’s expression was serene, but her heart was filled with delight.

It was getting late.

After listening to a series of nonsensical stories, as they were heading back, Tong Siqing looked at the moon outside and said she felt a little dizzy and wanted to walk around outside to clear her mind.

“This Venerable One will accompany you,” Shi Zhihua naturally went with her.

Tonight, the moon was still just as bright.

The two walked side by side, their shadows stretching long.

It was this shadow again, subtly swaying in a place where no one was looking, like a ferocious beast with bared fangs and claws, trying to usurp the host.

Tong Siqing pressed her brow: “The room just now had a particular scent, very heavy. Especially after the window was closed, it wouldn’t dissipate.”

Shi Zhihua didn’t doubt her: “Walk a bit more, breathe in the night wind more, and perhaps it will dissipate.”

Tong Siqing: “Okay.”

At the same time, Fu Luan woke up by the bed.

She rubbed her forehead, feeling like she had just had a long dream. She remembered that she seemed to want to get up to close the window, but when she looked up, she saw the clear moon. The moonlight was like water, bright and clear like a high mirror.

The next moment she regained her senses, she was already in another location.

Where… is this?

Fu Luan lowered her head, just about to lift the thin blanket and get up, when she suddenly noticed her hair—it had turned black at some unknown point.

Outside the door.

A knock suddenly sounded—

“Master, are you there?” Cen Letian stood at the door. “You said you wanted some clear tea just now. This disciple has found some for you, but it’s getting late. Should you drink less?”

Fu Luan: !!!

Didn’t she leave with the Demon Lord and the others? How did she end up back on the Xianning side?

And what about Wei Luan?

Where did she go?

Fu Luan’s mind went blank for a moment. Cold sweat immediately soaked her body.

Is the Phantom Mirror’s ability this terrifying?

Is this the Immortal artifact that everyone is scrambling for? Even though it’s only half, after developing spiritual intelligence, it actually possesses such immense power, leaving people completely defenseless.

Fu Luan was so surprised that she forgot to answer and hurriedly sent a message to the Demon Lord and the others—

“Be careful of Wei Luan…”

Shi Zhihua was completely unaware of this.

After all, no one would think that the Phantom Mirror possessed such incredible ability, that within the Scarlet Sky Realm, it could freely manipulate certain objects with only any mirror-like medium, such as water, light, or shadow.

Tong Siqing was so tired she couldn’t walk, leaning directly against Shi Zhihua’s body.

Shi Zhihua picked her up: “If you’re tired, sleep for a while. This Venerable One will take you back to the room.”

Tong Siqing did not speak. As if suffering from a chill and fever, she mumbled something and continued to rest her head on Shi Zhihua’s shoulder.

Just after they left Fu Luan’s room, the “Fu Luan” who was drinking tea smiled faintly, turning the teacup in her hand into dust.

“Tong Siqing, to be the ‘daughter’ created by Sheng Wen, how interesting…” Wei Luan wiped her hands clean, meticulously stroking “her own” white hair. Her expression was indifferent as she spoke to the air: “Sheng Wen, by doing this, aren’t you afraid of incurring Heaven’s wrath?”

How ridiculous.

The despicable cultivators, who advocate for all justice and fairness, yet created an object out of thin air for selfish reasons, refining the spiritual energy of the world to create a body and soul for a ‘daughter,’ essentially using the entire world to mold a specific person.

That’s not all. In order to evade the condemnation of the Heavenly Dao, he even used the other half of the Phantom Mirror to eliminate the other half of humanity’s evil thoughts, personally removing her malice and greed to ensure Tong Siqing’s utmost goodness and sincerity.

He was dedicated to molding his daughter into a perfect Immortal.

How could there be a perfect creation in the world?

This action was truly foolish. Wei Luan, who was one half of the Phantom Mirror, couldn’t help but mock the ignorance of this Xianning Heavenly Venerable.

To remove the evil side for the sake of perfection is tantamount to deceiving the Heavenly Dao.

Blindly whitewashing things will inevitably lead to a backlash sooner or later.

No wonder Tong Siqing understood nothing and was sometimes innocently unlike a human. It turned out that her benevolent Father Venerable was too fond and biased, so he forcibly molded her into this form.

Wei Luan laughed softly.

No wonder Sheng Wen was so bold. He must have thought that the other half of the mirror was no longer in existence when he molded her.

The cycle of the Heavenly Dao is favorable. Who would have thought that Tong Siqing would so fortuitously encounter her?

Sheng Wen’s cultivation could shake the heavens, sealing Tong Siqing’s malice and forcing it into that unique half of the mirror. But she, the true mirror body itself, also possessed the equivalent effect of the other half of the mirror.