Wanxi Rebirth - Chapter 32

“…Alright, from now on, you don’t need to worry about being controlled by Lian Zhaoyao’s puppet sorcery.”

About a minute later, Qin Suoliu reluctantly withdrew her coiled, snake-like hand.

“Thank you. However, whether it’s to eliminate the source of the sorcery and prevent more victims, or to assist you in dealing with the possession, I still need to stay in the mortal realm for quite some time,” Yue Tingxi said, transforming back into her human form as she emphasized her point.

Back then, she had actively approached Miss Qin under the pretext of “killing the Lian dog and dispelling the sorcery.” Now that the sorcery had been isolated by the Grey Moth, even though their relationship had become considerably closer, as allies, it was only proper for her to state her position again.

Moreover, as long as Lian Zhaoyao remained alive, she could not feel at ease returning to Xishan to continue her life.

“Perfect timing—I also want to reconfirm our alliance,” Qin Suoliu smiled. “It seems I don’t need to say much.”

She had never doubted that Tingxi would not leave before avenging her grudge.

Tingxi revered and cultivated the Way of Nature. If one had an enemy, one would repay the grudge; failing to do so would harm the Dao within. Later, if she were to undergo the tribulation, it could become a great misfortune.

Until then, she must hide her greatest secret, letting Tingxi believe she remained a somewhat spirited “good girl,” neither fallen into a demon nor having harmed benevolent spirits.

Five days before the Xuan Shui Secret Realm opened, Yue Tingxi had fully regained her peak condition within the Mustard Seed Ice Wheel.

That day, Miss Qin was in the library, assisting the artifact smith in investigating the sealing object within He Shen’s body. Tingxi, however, was alone in the tree-stump-shaped training ground, sparring with the “Qingyu Elder.”

“If you want your martial skills to improve quickly, you should use the weapon that suits you best,” the Qingyu Elder suggested during a rest.

Tingxi marveled that even the training hall’s spectator and practice illusions could offer advice!

“I know a little of everything, but I don’t feel any weapon truly fits me,” she asked curiously. “Do you have any recommendations, Elder?”

The Qingyu Elder floated beside her and replied slowly, “For your temperament, you should wield a sword. But the sword lacks some flexibility and control for you.”

“I’ve seen you adeptly use your coiling snake body as a weapon, and I’ve seen you wield a long whip. Yet you haven’t merged the whip with your body as seamlessly as your tail, so its threat is not as great as when wielding a sword.”

“…You mean if I master the long whip, it could become my signature weapon?” Tingxi tried to understand.

The Qingyu Elder, just like the real one, only squinted at her, letting her grasp the meaning herself.

Tingxi thought for a moment, withdrew her spiritual sense from the Mustard Seed Ice Wheel, and began searching materials in the jade ring the Qingyu Elder had left her.

Since she had not revealed any intention of harming Miss Qin, the Elder had said the ring contained defensive artifacts and teleportation talismans. She could thus remain compliant with the ten-thousand-year pact between their races—meaning she could kill humans and still return safely to Xishan.

She decided to find materials to ask the artifact smith to craft her a long whip. Based on her knowledge of human artifact smiths, as long as she provided enough spirit stones and silver, she could have it ready before the Xuan Shui Secret Realm opened.

To her surprise, among the materials, she found a transparent jade box. Inside was a coiled object nearly identical in pattern and color to her snake body.

Yue Tingxi: ?

Since it was in the jade ring, it was clearly meant for her. She opened it and saw its true form—astonished: it was a long whip!

She was a bit stunned, especially recalling that when the Qingyu Elder had given her the jade ring, she mentioned that the contents had just been prepared… So when had the whip been made, and when had it been intended for her?

She clenched the black whip, her nose tingling with emotion, imagining how desperate the Elder must have been when she disappeared in her previous life, Xishan trampled, blood flowing, and no news of her ever reached the Elder.

This artifact was no ordinary creation—the time for forging a blood-bound weapon was saved.

Organizing the scattered materials, Tingxi cut her palm and formed a blood contract with the whip, following the methods of her race.

When Qin Suoliu entered to find her, she saw a faint silver glow surrounding Tingxi, soft and gentle to the eyes.

Not wanting to disturb her, she quietly moved around, noticing the long whip in her hands.

At this moment, Tingxi opened her eyes and met Qin Suoliu’s gaze.

“You’re here,” she said, steadying herself, and lifted the whip. “I originally intended to ask you for materials; with your familiar artifact smith, I could have a weapon made for me, ensuring my combat strength in the Secret Realm. But…”

“But the Qingyu Elder already prepared it for you?” Qin Suoliu glanced at the still-visible jade ring, then nodded. “It’s actually not bad—a weapon forged by humans suits humans better. You’re a demon; it’s fitting to use a demon-crafted masterpiece.”

Before today, she had indeed thought about forging something for Tingxi, but she did not know which weapon Tingxi excelled at, and she could not reveal that the “guest” was a demon to her people.

Yet she was not discouraged; she would find a chance to present a crafted weapon in the future.

Tingxi felt a little embarrassed; with this blood-bound weapon, she had a new trump card, one she should have revealed earlier. Fortunately, the Secret Realm had not yet opened, so sharing intelligence now was timely.

“This whip is called ‘Wu He’,” she introduced to Miss Qin. “Its design inspiration comes from the black snake and the white crane, inheriting their characteristics.”

The black snake, known for coiling, binding, and swallowing, has venom-resistant blood; the whip can store poison. The white crane is gentle and alert; the whip is light yet stable, capable of sensing surrounding spiritual fluctuations. Furthermore, it can transform into the crane’s wings, attached to the back, allowing flight—a highly portable flying artifact.

Qin Suoliu listened quietly, nodded, and praised, “It suits you very well. Want to spar tonight? I’d like to see if we can create new moves with it.”

Tingxi had read about “cooperative training” in previous texts; besides sparring and board games, other methods were unsuitable.

Whenever free, they would spar in the Mustard Seed Ice Wheel, learning each other’s moves and eventually innovating new cooperative techniques.

Thinking she had little else to do recently, Tingxi nodded, stored the Wu He whip, and looked at Qin Suoliu.

Miss Qin, usually in the library helping Lan Kongming research demons, had suddenly returned—likely having discovered something.

As she liked sitting on the soft white fox fur cushion, Qin Suoliu had become accustomed to sitting on the floor in the same room, facing her.

“I’ve discovered it. The object sealed within He Shen is indeed a demonic token,” Qin Suoliu said directly. “Within the Ghost Realm Secret Realm, there are demons resembling living puppets. Given their danger, the entrance to the demon world was sealed when discovered; the practitioners then sealed it in the Ghost Realm Secret Realm.”

She raised her hand and recited an incantation. A dark green jade piece, sealed in a special container, floated above her palm.

“This is the token,” Qin Suoliu said solemnly. “According to several investigations by artifact smiths, it remains in an ‘undecided contract’ state; even if blood is applied, its internal record cannot be read.”

“…If I’m correct, to form a contract, another process must occur,” Tingxi frowned. “We need to enter the Ghost Realm Secret Realm, locate the demon, and declare our resolve. This may well be the key to opening the demon world!”

Taking this opportunity, she informed Qin Suoliu of the worst-case scenario she could foresee.

Qin Suoliu nearly confirmed this point.

“But it cannot be destroyed,” Qin Suoliu’s voice grew colder and calmer. “At least, a Nascent Soul-level practitioner’s fire cannot do it.”

Tingxi pondered, unsure. “Perhaps like human-crafted weapons, which demons cannot wield effectively, this can only be resolved using a demon method.”

She had an idea and asked, “Can I take it back to Xishan to consult the Qingyu Elder?”

“If it’s just for inquiry, no need to return,” Qin Suoliu replied, looking at the Mustard Seed Ice Wheel.

Tingxi: …?

“The Qingyu Elder’s avatar is inside. It should be a leftover from when the Elder handled it,” she explained.

Miss Qin paused for a few seconds. “I see, but why do I feel it’s the Elder in person?”

Tingxi fell silent. Concerned, she inserted the token into the wheel and explored it with her spiritual sense.

Qin Suoliu followed, slightly amused but restraining herself.

Inside, the tree-stump training ground had transformed into the Elder’s favorite treehouse. The Qingyu Elder sat at the wooden table, pouring hot tea into three cups.

Tingxi approached, sitting silently. She didn’t need to verify—the avatar was indeed the Elder, who likely overheard their previous conversation.

Qin Suoliu mirrored her actions. Seeing the empty cup filled with tea calmed her somewhat; frequent sparring had earned the Elder’s tentative approval.

“Can you destroy it?” Tingxi asked bluntly, holding up the demonic token.

“It is bound by causality. It can only disappear by following cause and effect,” the Elder replied.

“…So He Shen bringing it out is the ‘cause,’ and returning it to the demon is the ‘effect’?” Tingxi frowned.

“Yes,” the Elder said, sipping tea. “But it can also remain forever sealed in the mortal realm.”

“You know my temperament,” Tingxi reminded him.

Miss Qin should also know Tingxi’s nature—no way would they leave such a dangerous object in the mortal world.

“Then in two years, we’ll take it into the Ghost Realm Secret Realm,” the Elder said, seemingly anticipating their reaction. “If the Qin family cannot store it, leave it in the Mustard Seed Ice Wheel; I will guard it.”

Tingxi could not decide; Qin Suoliu would need to consult her family. For now, understanding the situation, they quickly exited the wheel.

“This is related to demons; the Qin family indeed cannot store it. It may be handed to the Celestial Alliance,” Qin Suoliu said.

She rose but did not take the token, leaving it inside the wheel.

Tingxi pondered what she could do when the wheel glowed—the Elder was summoning her.

“Do you think well of Qin Suoliu now?”

Tingxi, returning to the table, replied without hesitation, “She treats me well. Since you’ve been observing, you should know, right? Her spiritual control and martial style…”

These reflect one’s character, habits, and even moral baseline.

The Elder let out a cold laugh.

“She is still hiding, still pretending!” he said. “Many of her secret moves, you can’t see, but I have! These are demon tactics!”

The word “demon” startled Tingxi.

Having been sincerely treated recently, she instinctively defended Qin Suoliu: “But she has never colluded with demons in this life! She tried to destroy the token and has already tested it!”

“Then tell me, how can a pure practitioner use demonic tactics?”

“…!” Tingxi was speechless, finding no excuse.

“I remember the ‘Azi’ from twenty years ago, who also knew you could not forget that child,” the Elder continued. “But if you always lull yourself into the best-case scenario, you will be gravely hurt!”

“If she truly had no guilt, why would she always restrain herself and hide things from you?”

Tingxi did not want to hear it, but she understood—the Elder spoke of what she was avoiding.

She simply… did not want to think about it, imagining that as long as she didn’t, she and Qin Suoliu could continue as allies without barriers.

But… how could that be?

“You are indeed an easily comforted, naive child,” the Elder said with pity. “A relationship filled with deception and concealment cannot last nor become truly solid. The Xuan Shui Secret Realm opens soon; think carefully.”

Exiting the wheel, Tingxi curled up on the white fox fur cushion, her mind a mess.

The Elder was right; she should ask, especially since “Miss Qin is Azi”—she needed to clarify.

If Qin Suoliu had a clear conscience, all doubts would be answered.

…But what if Qin Suoliu refused to answer?

Tingxi bit her lip to calm herself.

Even then, the result would not change.

She would still ally with Qin Suoliu and Lian Fengqing, kill Lian Zhaoyao, and perhaps help against other demon masters.

Once the agreement was fulfilled, she would return to Xishan and never see Miss Qin again.

Just thinking that made her uneasy.

She couldn’t pinpoint the discomfort, perhaps because… she did not want to leave Qin Suoliu alive, unseen.

If Qin Suoliu fell to demonic ways, chaos would arise in the mortal realm, threatening Xishan and its demons.

She needed to watch her, yet it tormented her—after all, she truly wanted to kill the previous life’s Qin Suoliu.

…Elder, you say Qin Suoliu is no good, yet you don’t know I’ve long ceased being truly virtuous.

Late at night, Qin Suoliu finally reached an agreement with her family.

Without revealing Tingxi’s identity but showing recent contact with Xishan and offering many guarantees, the informed family allowed her to temporarily entrust the demonic token to Xishan’s great demon for safekeeping.

She disliked bargaining with others, feeling restless in the night wind, hurrying back to her room, hoping to embrace Tingxi’s coiled snake tail…

…and to spar as promised.

Entering the room’s barrier, she saw Tingxi holding the Mustard Seed Ice Wheel, meditating, likely testing the Wu He whip’s power.

She sat cross-legged and entered with her spiritual sense.

Before entering, her body suddenly tensed.

The black snake tail coiled almost instantly around her! The Mustard Seed Ice Wheel was a trap.

Qin Suoliu was startled but felt a subtle thrill.

Tonight’s duel was outside the illusion?

No—the Qin residence only had this room with a barrier. Tingxi would need to set up a Grey Moth trap!

She did not resist, lightly patting the snake to signal release.

But the tail tightened, pressing painfully against her bones and making breathing difficult.

“…Tingxi, are you testing my crisis response?” Qin Suoliu asked uncertainly.

The Secret Realm contained monsters with suction-tentacles; once entangled, escape was extremely difficult. Tingxi had tried this once before in the wheel—but not this tightly.

She finally heard Tingxi exhale: “Sparring in the past was always tempered, but real situations concern life and death.”

The tail loosened, and Tingxi returned to her seat, avoiding Qin Suoliu’s gaze.

Sensing her mood, Qin Suoliu said nothing, just sat with her.

She wanted to ask why Tingxi was troubled and offer help—but felt unworthy.

Only Tingxi could speak if she wished.

“…Qin Suoliu.”

After a long silence, the voice came.

She did not say “Miss Suoliu,” just her name, with a faintly cold tone.

“I had a terrible dream. I saved someone, and she poured out everything she knew. She was my… cherished friend.”

“But one day, she executed her plan, in front of everyone, cutting me down and chaining me to your human race’s Demon-Sealing Platform.”

Tingxi tried to blend the past-life actions of Lian Zhaoyao and Qin Suoliu into the dream description.

“I died in the dream, and waking up, I felt a little ridiculous. She treated me that way, yet I still considered her a friend. That ending was my own doing.”

Qin Suoliu did not respond.

“But I couldn’t bring myself to harm her,” Tingxi smiled bitterly. “I thought perhaps she truly had difficulties. After all, she did treat me well, and my friends and family could see that. She really, truly treated me well.”

“…You should kill her,” Qin Suoliu said softly.

“I truly want to kill her,” Tingxi continued, “but after sleeping again, I had a new dream.”

“In that dream, she was still my friend, everything returned to the beginning, only I remembered the past.”

“Logically, she had not yet become the version in the first dream; emotionally, we were still close friends.”

“So I spared her. Despite my reluctance, I should not judge someone who has yet to commit evil using past memories.”

“The dream twisted and turned; just when I almost let go of the hatred, I discovered she seemed to deceive me, and I found clues… but the dream ended, and I woke. Otherwise, I could have seen how I would treat her next.”

After speaking, Tingxi lay back on the cushion, as if merely recounting a nightmare to an ally.

But to Qin Suoliu, it was a clear signal.

Even if Tingxi could still deceive herself, the subconscious wove daily overlooked details into the dream.

Should she continue to conceal the truth?

The question appeared, and Qin Suoliu already had an answer.

“If you truly detested her actions, you would have cut her off at the start. Yet you continued as friends, until discovering the truth,” she said.

“Perhaps, more than killing her, you want to see her remorse, compensation, and change.”

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