Danshen once told me that the best way to get revenge on someone is to make them suffer first and then kill them—it's both satisfying and exhilarating. After that, you can leave everything behind and start a new life.
At the time, I just shook my head. Can such deep hatred, the kind that makes you want someone dead, really be so easily let go of, allowing you to start fresh?
When I came to Morning Mist Mountain, I never intended to leave alive.
Danshen laughed at me for being foolish, but he’s seen many people as foolish as me. When his snow wolf dragged my corpse up from the bottom of the cliff, he simply shouted, "You can only eat the body, leave the head for me."
But the snow wolf didn’t eat me, because many years ago, when Du Zhong and I went to Tianshan, I had seen it once. It had fallen into an icy pit, starving until it was nothing but skin and bones. I begged Du Zhong to save it.
Unfortunately, beasts have loyalty, but people have no compassion.
When Danshen revived me, I felt no gratitude, but he taught me that when a person can’t go on living, they must learn to hate.
I asked Danshen for three things: a cloak made of Cyperus rotundus, a Kirin poison, and a death-simulating drug. The first two were for Du Zhong, and the last was for me, to fool the Life Stone and make Du Zhong believe I was dead.
Danshen asked me to serve as his maid for three years in exchange for my life and then to trade my face for those three drugs.
I agreed.
Danshen was the best healer in the world and also the best painter.
Du Zhong loved painting landscapes, while Danshen loved painting faces.
I didn’t know what use he had for the face that had been shattered when I fell from the cliff, but it didn’t matter to me anymore. He gave me a new face, one that was alluring and seductive, saying he was tired of the old one.
Some time later, I saw my old face, repaired and hanging on the wall of his collection room, with its eyes closed, as if peacefully sleeping.
Danshen was a captivating man, changing faces as easily as changing clothes. I never knew what he truly looked like. Sometimes he was a man, sometimes a woman, and his only companions were various animals.
Three years later, I returned to Morning Mist Mountain with the Cyperus rotundus cloak and Kirin poison. I disfigured my face, pretended to be mute, and acted as if I couldn’t read. Only by doing this could I get closer to Du Zhong.
The Cyperus rotundus cloak was a slow-acting aphrodisiac that could gradually destroy a person’s will without them even realizing it. Each time, I would add just a tiny bit to his tea. I also washed his clothes in water infused with the cloak. Day by day, he began to show subtle changes. He often awoke from nightmares, and I timed it perfectly to go to the stream and collect dew or pound clothes.
I wanted him to notice me, but I couldn’t have too much direct contact. He was too clever, and I couldn’t be sure that I wouldn’t slip up or reveal my hatred in front of him.
It’s easy to seduce a man, but if that man is Du Zhong, it’s a different story. Without the Cyperus rotundus cloak, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.
I had planned to wait another two months until I was absolutely certain, but then I overheard rumors that Du Zhong intended to step down and let Yan Shang take over as sect leader, while Yu Wenhao was dissatisfied and showed signs of plotting a coup. I feared that the longer I waited, the more complicated things would become. So, on the fifteenth day, the fifth year, third month, and eighth day since Changpu’s death, I put both the Kirin poison and the Cyperus rotundus cloak into Du Zhong’s tea. With Yan Shang away in Shu and no other disciples permitted on the mountain without permission, it was the perfect night.
Du Zhong was completely unguarded and poisoned, just as I had anticipated. Danshen’s poison was so well-crafted that even an immortal wouldn’t detect it, let alone Du Zhong, who wasn’t an immortal.
I helped him lie down on the bed. Although the drug had ignited a fire within him and he couldn’t use his inner strength to resist, a faint sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead, yet his mind remained clear.
“Who sent you?”
I sat by his side, looking at him on the bed, then gazing out at the moon outside the window.
“I’m not here for anyone else, only for myself.”
My voice was smooth and seductive, dripping with allure, but it wasn't my original voice. The sword wound to my neck years ago had damaged my vocal cords, and when Danshen changed my face, he changed my voice along with it.
"What do you want?" Du Zhong’s tone was calm, his expression unchanged. Dressed in white, he still appeared as sacred and untouchable as a snow-capped mountain, while here I was, foolishly attempting to defile and desecrate him.
"I love you, Du Zhong. I want you." This was the first time I confessed my feelings to him, though I never imagined it would be at such a moment.
He looked at me, yet there wasn’t even a trace of disdain or contempt in his eyes, as if he were looking at an insignificant pile of stones.
"Impossible."
"I know ordinary aphrodisiacs have no effect on you, but day after day, the Cyperus rotundus has seeped into your very bones."
He remained composed, and just as I was about to achieve my long-awaited revenge, I found myself growing agitated. "Don't bother thinking of a way out; you’ve also been poisoned with Kirin venom. No immortal arts or techniques can help you now."
I brushed my long hair aside, revealing the other half of my enticing face. His gaze was clear as he looked at me, like that of a Buddha. I sneered and gently began to unfasten his clothes. Despite trying to control myself, I couldn’t stop my hands from trembling.
The agony of that night five years ago still tormented me, and all I wanted was for him to experience the same helplessness.
I lowered my head and lightly caressed his body, but I didn't kiss him. Perhaps, deep down, I no longer saw myself as who I once was and didn’t want to taint him with my current self.
Though he remained cold and silent, he sharply inhaled when my hand reached beneath his trousers.
Even I couldn’t believe what I was doing. How could I dare? To touch someone I once admired and respected so deeply…
I pressed myself against him, my clothes half undone, my gaze sultry, doing everything in my power to seduce him. Yet, despite my efforts, he didn’t respond at all, not even after a full incense stick’s time had passed. The more I tried, the more he resisted, a hint of anger finally appearing on his face.
My tongue slid across his chest, kissing and nibbling him gently. I couldn’t believe that he could maintain his composure under such circumstances. I refused to believe that there was anyone in the world truly devoid of desire.
I guided his hand to explore my body, the mix of intense pain and fleeting pleasure driving me nearly insane.
What am I doing? Will I ever regret this?
My body slid down like a serpent, lingering in the embrace I once cherished so much. I couldn’t help but gasp and moan softly. Du Zhong, sensing what I intended to do, seemed to panic slightly.
“Don’t…”
But I had already taken him into my mouth. His fists clenched tightly, and at last, a trace of shame and anger appeared on his face.
I felt triumphant and redoubled my efforts. He closed his eyes, and I knew he was silently chanting a purification mantra, but the Cyperus rotundus was too potent for him to resist. He would only become more and more tormented. However, to my shock, even after a long time, he still didn’t respond.
I lifted my head and mocked him, "Du Zhong, is it because your cultivation is too profound, or are you just impotent?"
A look of pity appeared on Du Zhong's face instead. "Night Lady, we have no enmity between us. Why debase yourself like this?"
"No enmity?" I laughed bitterly, leaning over him, staring down at his face. "No enmity at all… Master?"
His entire body trembled, his eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at me.
What shocked me even more was that he actually responded. I couldn’t help but sneer, "So, all my efforts were in vain. It turns out that just one word—'Master'—is enough to make you react."
"Shut up!" he finally shouted angrily. In all the years I had known him, I had never seen such shame and anger on his usually calm and composed face.
"So, the person you’ve never forgotten, the one you’ve always longed for, is your disciple, Changpu."
"Don’t you dare mention her!" Du Zhong suddenly reached out and grabbed my neck, but no matter how hard he tried, he had no strength left.
I began to tremble violently as I lay on top of him, laughing uncontrollably. How could I not laugh? Wasn’t it laughable? He forbids me to mention her? He loves Changpu? So, in his twisted logic, loving someone means they must die?
I laughed so hard that tears nearly flowed from my eyes. His face flushed red, and he shouted, "Stop laughing!"
But I continued to gaze at him, tears in my eyes as I smiled. "Didn’t you say you liked it when I smiled? Didn’t you promise to protect me? Every time Senior Brother made me cry, didn’t you always scold him on my behalf? Master, have you forgotten all of that? Have you forgotten Changpu?"
Du Zhong’s face turned as pale as paper, his entire demeanor collapsing, leaving only confusion in his eyes.
"Changpu… you didn’t die?"
I pressed myself against him, our skin touching, and whispered sweetly, "Master, I’ve come back as a ghost to seek revenge."
He closed his eyes in pain, as if all the strength had been drained from him.
"Don’t blame Master…"
I laughed softly. "I don’t blame you. I just want to know, what did I do wrong? I’ve been thinking about it for five long years, but I still can’t figure it out." I gently lifted his long hair and kissed it in the palm of my hand. I was so infatuated with him, even now.
Du Zhong shook his head. "You did nothing wrong. It was my fault. I was afraid of harming you because of my inner demons."
I nodded in sudden realization. "So, your way of protecting me from harm was to let Senior Brother kill me? I truly didn’t know you loved me so much. But I just happen to enjoy being hurt by you. You were merely afraid of being tempted by beauty and undoing decades of cultivation. I understand—you’re the sect leader, the esteemed Water Sword Immortal. The whole world is watching you. How could you allow yourself to fall in love with your own disciple? But…"
I leaned closer to him, gently biting his ear, feeling his breath become ragged and his body tremble slightly, filling me with a sense of satisfaction. Stroking his face, I kissed his eyes and whispered, "I didn’t know you were so defenseless against me, Master."
His body grew even hotter, his voice hoarse. "Changpu, don’t do this."
I sincerely apologized, "I’m sorry, Master. Changpu is too foolish; this is the only way she could think of to take revenge on you. Unless… you can teach me a better way?"
My lips continued their downward exploration, conquering him inch by inch. I was astonished at how different his reaction was from before.
"Changpu, kill me. Don’t harm yourself to take revenge on me—it’s not worth it."
I looked up, relishing his reaction. I never imagined that he could be so helpless and out of control.
"If you didn’t want to keep me, if you feared I would harm you, why didn’t you expel me from the sect?"
A hint of ruthlessness suddenly flashed in his eyes. "Expel you? So you could run away with Yan Shang? Whether you live or die, you belong to Morning Mist Mountain, and wherever you go, in this world or the next, you will always be my disciple."
I was momentarily stunned. "Du Zhong, you’re so selfish. You knew all along that I loved you. Did you think that if I died, I would belong to you forever?"
Du Zhong smiled bitterly. "What else could I do? Marry you? Or reject you?"
I shook my head. "In all these five years, you’ve never regretted it?"
He replied firmly, "If I could do it again, I would still kill you."
A bitter taste rose in my throat, but I swallowed it down.
"Fine, I don't regret it either. Haven't you been enjoying nights with me in your dreams? Now, your dream can finally come true."
In the past, I loved him with a woman’s instincts; now, I seduce him with a woman’s tactics. Before, I sought his heart; now, I want his body.
"Changpu!" he cried out in shock.
But I was already straddling him, and he let out a low gasp. I wavered, on the verge of collapse, the pain leaving me both numb and painfully aware.
"Why are you degrading yourself like this? If you want my life, just say the word," he said, his voice resigned, his face ashen with despair.
I sneered, "My body is already tainted; what difference does it make if there's one more man?"
He looked up at me in disbelief, gripping my arms tightly, his nails digging into my flesh. "Changpu, what are you saying?"
"If you want me dead, just kill me. Why torment me like this?"
Du Zhong’s face turned pale, like a volcano about to erupt. "What did Hao'er do to you? What did he do?"
I continued to sneer, unable to understand why, if he wanted me dead, he hadn’t done it himself.
I will never forget that night—crying, struggling, calling out for my master to save me, only to be met with slaps, vicious kicks, and Yu Wenhao’s cold laughter.
"Calling him to save you? Don’t you know? He’s the one who ordered me to kill you."
At that moment, I had lost the will to live.
Thrown off the cliff by Yu Wenhao, I was so severely injured that Danshen said it was as if I had gone through hell itself. But the real torment was in my heart.
The man I called Master, the one I trusted most, who vowed to protect me, had sent my senior brother to kill me?
Reality is cruel, but the truth is even crueler. The Changpu of today is just a walking corpse named Night Lady, using this broken body to claim this lofty immortal—what better revenge could there be?
I moved gently, smiling through my tears. Du Zhong’s breath became labored, and in the moment of climax, he suddenly pulled me tightly into his arms. I heard his choked whisper.
"Master is sorry."
I pushed him away without expression, stood up, dressed myself, and then dressed him as well. I did it with care and deliberation, as if performing a ritual.
Even though the Kirin poison was fatal without the antidote, I still wanted to kill him with my own hands. That was a promise I made to myself.
I took his sword from the wall, its cold light flashing. Holding the sword, I walked step by step towards him.
At this moment, his face was calm, as if he had accepted his fate. Only I knew that beneath his ethereal exterior lay a heart that was truly despicable and selfish.
But still, I loved him.
I thrust the sword down, striking his left shoulder. Bright red blood flowed down the white robe I had made for him. My arms weakened, and I couldn’t push the sword in further. I pulled it out and raised it again, stabbing him once more.
Instead of getting angry, he laughed as he looked at me.
"My little Changpu has grown up; Master is proud. If you had been this strong and brave back then, perhaps I would have let you go. But at the time, I thought, rather than forcing you to leave me and not survive, it was better to kill you. I couldn’t bear to see you suffer even a little, so I gave Hao'er the death pill, but he defied my orders and caused you even more pain. Now, I truly regret it…"
I trembled as I held the sword, watching his face as scenes from the past flashed before my eyes. But what did it matter? We could never go back. I gritted my teeth and drove the sword into his heart with all my strength.
Suddenly, a gust of wind from outside the door threw me back.
I looked up and saw it was Yu Wenhao.
"Master, are you alright?" He rushed forward to check on Du Zhong, who was covered in blood. Seeing that the Nine Heavens Celestial Technique of Morning Mist Mountain had been broken, Du Zhong’s cultivation lost, and his body poisoned, Yu Wenhao was shocked and horrified.
"You wretched demon! How dare you!"
I struggled to get up from the ground, wiping the blood from the corner of my mouth, and smiled faintly. "Senior Brother, long time no see!"
Yu Wenhao took two steps back, his face a mix of surprise and doubt. "You! It’s really you! You’re not dead!"
"Sorry, I accidentally came back to life."
I only had eyes for Du Zhong, moving step by step towards him.
Over the years, even though Yu Wenhao was the one who personally harmed and tried to kill me, I never hated him or thought of seeking revenge against him.
I only hated Du Zhong, because he was the only one I loved.
Yu Wenhao, both shocked and afraid, shouted angrily, "Changpu! If I could kill you once, I can kill you again!"
"No!"
The last thing I heard was Du Zhong’s terrified shout—so, his voice could sound so desperate after all.
A sharp sword flew straight at me. There was nowhere to dodge. I felt it, the sword that had once wounded me a thousand times, once again tearing through my body. I flew up, just as Du Zhong had taken me on countless sword rides in the past.
The surroundings were deathly silent. I looked down to see myself impaled by a sword, pinned to the wall like a pathetic lizard.
I was so tired, but at least I had avenged myself. Danshen, I wasn’t as useless as Du Zhong thought, was I?
With tears streaming down my face, I slowly closed my eyes. I had taken him down with me, and this time, I could finally die in peace.
Faint memories still lingered—of that day in the Blooming Flower Pavilion, waiting for him to finish his meditation so we could return to the White Bamboo Forest. Bored, I had dozed off with a book in my arms. He arrived on a breeze, covering me with a cloak. I was about to open my eyes and shout to startle him, but to my surprise, he leaned down and kissed my lips.
In that instant, time stood still, and the moonlight illuminated the world.
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