“You want me to become an immortal quickly, don’t you? Don’t worry, I won’t make you wait too long. Now hurry and hold me.”
“I’m two hundred thousand years older than you.” There was a trace of amusement in his tone.
Her dazed expression was exactly the same as that little demon from long ago—
Staring at him with open adoration, utterly entranced, with not the slightest bit of restraint.
The corners of Jinxiu’s lips curved faintly, but he looked away as he reached for her hand.
Hong Ning studied him for a moment, then suddenly said:
“Lord Shen Zun.”
His hand stiffened midair.
His gaze slowly returned to her face.
Seeing his reaction, Hong Ning let out a calm smile and shook her head.
“I don’t remember anything.”
“I only know that I used to have a strange dream.”
“In the dream, there was a little demon who wanted to become the Queen of the Gods.”
“But I could never see the High God’s face clearly.”
A thousand years had passed.
And yet, the voice from her memories still felt so familiar.
Was it a blessing or a curse to forget one’s past life?
Jinxiu said nothing, only lowered his gaze to inspect the bleeding wound on her wrist.
“After Bai Ling left, I never had that dream again.”
Hong Ning quickly withdrew her hand.
Then, with a half-smile, she said,
“Congratulations on taking in two new devoted disciples.”
Jin Xiu remained silent for a moment before speaking.
“It was fate. Why do you still not understand?”
“Wu Ling could have safely passed his tribulation. At worst, Bi Qin would have been forced back into his original form. But Wu Ling insisted on helping him, which led to today’s calamity.”
“And now, Bi Qin has given up his inner core to save his brother, reverting to his original form—does this not align perfectly with the will of the heavens?”
“All I know is that they were loyal to each other as brothers.”
Hong Ning cut him off coldly.
“What is ‘heaven’s will’? If Bi Qin faced disaster, was Wu Ling supposed to just stand by and do nothing? If that’s what it means to be an immortal, then it’s not worth it.”
Jin Xiu let out a soft sigh, as if he had more to say, but in the end, he only reached out to wipe the dirt from her face.
“To gain something, you must first give something up.”
“This is a law as old as the heavens and the earth.”
“You are too stubborn.”
Hong Ning turned her face away from his hand.
“The stubborn one is you.”
Seeing the pallor of her face, Jin Xiu said no more.
He brought a pill to her lips.
It was a glowing spirit pill, crystal clear like morning dew, carrying the fragrance of honey and flowers.
Hong Ning looked at him, then at the pill, and pushed it away.
“Lord Shen Zun, you are too far from me.”
Jin Xiu froze for a moment.
Hong Ning asked, “That little demon… was me?”
Her voice was weak, but the way she boldly met his eyes, the naïve defiance in her expression—
It was identical to the person from the Flower Festival all those years ago.
Jin Xiu was silent for a long time.
Then, he smiled faintly.
“Yes.”
“So reckless,” Hong Ning laughed, unable to help herself.
“And Lord Shen Zun was you?”
Jin Xiu did not answer.
Hong Ning continued, “I don’t understand.”
“She willingly chose to be human.”
“The one who’s obsessed is you.”
“What exactly are you feeling guilty about?”
Guilt?
Because he had kept the truth from her.
Because he had lied to her.
Jin Xiu gazed at her, his voice calm.
“You no longer remember your past life.”
“I don’t need to remember it.”
Hong Ning frowned.
“It has nothing to do with me.”
“I am an ordinary mortal now.”
“I will have countless past lives and countless future lives.”
“So none of this matters.”
“I only care about this life.”
“In this life, I have my own plans.”
“But I will never cultivate immortality.”
“So stop wasting your efforts.”
Jin Xiu shook his head.
“We’ll talk about it in the future.”
A wave of irritation and frustration surged through Hong Ning.
She pushed against him, trying to leave his arms.
“There is no future to talk about.”
“I have already made myself clear.”
“What more do you want?”
No matter how much she struggled, his grip remained firm.
Her anger flared.
“Zhong Tian King enjoys handing out charity, does he?”
He spoke softly.
“Don’t be reckless.”
Just five simple words.
Yet for some reason, they only fueled her anger further.
Her wounds, her exhaustion, and his constant interference—
Everything boiled over.
She fought to break free, her voice cold as ice.
“This has nothing to do with you.”
“There are plenty of people in this world who need your so-called charity.”
“There are even more who want to become immortals.”
“Go enlighten them if you must.”
“But you have no right to dictate my fate.”
“I will never—”
Before she could finish, her vision suddenly darkened.
Her body gave out.
And at last, she collapsed into his arms.
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