The silence enveloped the surroundings, deep and profound under the cloak of night.
The long street was desolate, the moon hanging in the sky, its silvery light casting long shadows upon the two figures standing amidst the ruins. A thousand words lingered in their hearts, entangled like a web, yet remained unspoken as they faced each other.
The midnight wind gently rustled their garments. The azure light of Tianya in Lu Xueqi’s hand flickered softly, slowly lowering and retracting.
Gui Li stood in silence.
Lu Xueqi gazed at the man before her. In the moonlight, Gui Li felt a sudden suffocating sensation.
No battle, no bloodshed, yet every time he faced this exquisite woman, an inexplicable emotion welled up within him.
Her cold, snow-like beauty was reminiscent of the aloof and elegant woman he had first met. But now, her eyes seemed to carry a shadow of him.
“Was that woman just now Jinding’er from the Huanzhen Sect?” Lu Xueqi asked quietly.
Gui Li hesitated, then nodded silently, “Yes.”
Lu Xueqi looked at him, a glimmer flashing in her eyes, “Have you always been with her?”
Almost instinctively, Gui Li shook his head, “No, I have nothing to do with her.”
His voice lowered, feeling a strange emotion, as if he needed to explain something. But the light in Lu Xueqi’s eyes faded, as if a weight had been lifted, and her expression softened slightly.
Yet, a deep chasm still lay between them, as wide as the distance itself.
The moonlight flowed like water over the desolate street. The distant figures of Jinding’er and Li Xun had long vanished, leaving only the two of them in the vast village.
Though they belonged to opposing sides, neither had any intention of fighting. In the cool, silvery light, Lu Xueqi suddenly spoke, “Could you… walk with me?”
A trace of surprise appeared in Gui Li’s eyes as he looked up.
Walking slowly along the ruined street, the night was deep, the moonlight like water.
On either side, crumbling walls and broken ruins stood silent. Yet, the gentle night breeze brought a faint warmth to this far-off, quiet mountain.
They walked side by side, maintaining a distance of three feet, subtly avoiding something unspoken.
In such a melancholic night, how could one not be ensnared by their thoughts?
A faint, ethereal fragrance wafted through the air, lingering around them.
“Do you remember our first match at the Azure Ethereal Conclave during the Seven Sword Tournament?”
Lu Xueqi broke the silence, speaking softly.
Gui Li paused, somewhat surprised. Lu Xueqi was not usually talkative. But tonight, she seemed different.
Still, he nodded, “I remember. You were able to use the ‘Divine Sword Lightning True Mantra,’ truly remarkable.”
Lu Xueqi glanced at him, “But in that match, I lost.”
Gui Li fell silent, then said softly, “At that time, your cultivation and swordsmanship were far superior to mine. I…”
“I lost,” Lu Xueqi’s face showed a hint of sadness, “I knew then that you had held back at the last moment. But I couldn’t control my competitive spirit and couldn’t tell our masters the truth.”
Gui Li smiled, “Why do you still remember such a small matter after so many years?”
Lu Xueqi looked up at the moon, her beauty shining like a blooming flower.
“From that day on, I began to remember you.” She spoke softly, almost in a whisper.
Gui Li was startled, never expecting such words from the usually icy Lu Xueqi. But there she was, standing before him, her silhouette beautiful in the moonlight.
A foreboding feeling crept into his heart, like an impending disaster waiting silently ahead.
“Later, we went to Kongsang Mountain and fought the demons together. You saved me, and I saved you…”
She spoke softly, her voice drifting like a dream. For a moment, it seemed as if Zhang Xiaofan had returned, his past unfolding before his eyes.
But he couldn’t speak.
“Back then, we were in a desperate situation, but I never feared. If we had died together, I would have been willing…”
She turned to face him, her eyes filled with a never-before-seen light, a deep, hidden tenderness. Her pale cheeks flushed slightly, and she was breathtakingly beautiful.
“…I would have been willing!” She spoke slowly, with a firmness that cut like ice.
The night was perfect, the wind gentle.
The two stood in silence, facing each other.
Gui Li’s mind was in turmoil, a myriad of thoughts racing through his head. But in the chaos, a single, loud voice screamed:
Bi Yao!
Instantly, he felt cold, from his head to his feet, his heart turning to ice.
Lu Xueqi watched him, seeing the changes in his expression: confusion, bewilderment, and then a sudden, cold indifference, sealing himself off.
But her tender gaze did not waver. She continued to speak softly.
“Later, at Liu Po Mountain and Tongtian Peak, events unfolded one after another. I watched you change. When Bi Yao took the blow for you at Tongtian Peak, I knew you could never turn back.”
A bitter smile appeared on her lips, “And you never did.”
Gui Li clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He took deep breaths, clenching his teeth to keep his facade from crumbling.
But how could he be indifferent to this woman?
“Why do you torment yourself?” he asked softly.
Lu Xueqi smiled sadly, her figure beautiful yet sorrowful in the moonlight.
“I don’t regret it. For ten years, I’ve held onto you. If possible, I would give up everything to be with you. But it’s impossible!”
She bit her lip, repeating softly, “Impossible, impossible…”
Then, she looked up.
Her lips were white, her skin paler than ever, but her eyes shone like the lonely moon above.
“The Azure Ethereal Vapors nurtured me, and my master has always loved and taught me. I cannot betray them.”
“Tonight, I wanted to let you know my feelings, and to cut off these ten years of delusion in front of you.”
She grasped Tianya tightly, as if putting all her strength into her words. Each word was like a blade, piercing Gui Li’s heart.
But he remained silent.
Deeply, he gazed at the man who had once been etched so deeply in her heart, yet now seemed worlds apart.
Tianya, unsheathed!
A blue arc of light flashed through the air, carving a deep line before Gui Li.
The two were separated, the moonlight cold, the night vast.
Her white robes fluttered like snow, her eyes filled with a mix of tenderness and pain.
“From now on, when we meet again, we will be mortal enemies,” she said, her face devoid of color, her body trembling.
“For ten years, I’ve practiced sword dancing in the mountains. Tonight, let me dance one last time.”
With a sharp ring, Tianya sang like a phoenix, ascending to the heavens.
In the cold, beautiful moonlight, she leapt, dancing like a celestial being, her sword moves graceful and sorrowful.
The sword light, like a dream, danced through the memories of the past.
Who was sighing softly? Whose eyes were misty?
The sword light, like snow, wounded whose heart?
She danced wildly, alone.
The wind rose, the clouds parted, and the ruins scattered.
Rocks rolled, dust flew, and the wind wailed.
Her figure floated, as if in a storm, the sky darkening.
Only her shadow remained, drifting softly.
What was screaming inside him, what was pounding in his chest?
He could not, could not, could not…
His body trembled, perhaps about to step forward.
His foot lifted, about to cross the deep line.
The wind howled, the shadow was like frost!
The sword, like autumn water, descended, a sharp sound slicing through the air, stopping just before his brow.
The wind gradually quieted, the rolling rocks stilled. The sky cleared, the moon brightened, its light like water.
Lu Xueqi’s unearthly beauty was before him, icy and cold, except for her eyes, which held a faint tenderness, soft as water.
Their gazes fell on the deep line between them.
The chill of Tianya, seeming to come from the tip of the sword, cooled him, awakening him from his daze.
Her beauty was inhuman.
Gui Li’s foot, suspended in mid-air, slowly, slowly—retracted!
Lu Xueqi’s hand holding the sword slowly lowered, and the man finally stepped back from the deep line.
Then she smiled…
Her smile was like a lily blooming in the night, radiant and beautiful.
But a moment later, she bent over, a soft moan escaping her lips as she spat out a mouthful of blood. The red drops splattered on her white robes, like crimson flowers.
She still smiled, casting one last glance at the man, then turned, mounted her sword, and flew away, disappearing into the night, leaving behind a lonely man staring at the red-stained deep line on the street.
In the darkness, the nine-tailed celestial fox, Xiao Bai, cradled Xiao Hui, watching the scene unfold. Xiao Hui, seemingly restless, moved in her arms.
Xiao Bai patted his head, placing a finger to her lips, gesturing for silence.
Xiao Hui quieted, but his eyes remained fixed on his master’s desolate figure, never wavering.
Gui Li stood motionless for a long time before the deep line. Xiao Bai, patient, waited in the darkness, even the usually fidgety Xiao Hui becoming unusually still.
Finally, Gui Li moved, turning his back, his face ashen and haggard.
Xiao Hui shifted restlessly again.
From afar, it seemed Gui Li muttered something, but no one could hear. Moments later, he looked up, dazed, and slowly left.
When he was gone, Xiao Bai and Xiao Hui emerged, approaching the deep line carved by Tianya.
She gazed silently, then sighed.
“Love in this world is truly heart-wrenching. Poor souls, both so outstanding, yet acting like fools.”
“Chirp, chirp!” Xiao Hui’s protests drew a look of surprise from Xiao Bai.
Xiao Hui jumped down, sitting on the ground, angrily folding his arms and puffing out his cheeks, clearly upset.
Xiao Bai chuckled, “You don’t like me calling your master a fool, do you?”
Xiao Hui nodded vigorously, chirping and blinking, still angry, but his tail curled around Xiao Bai’s ankle.
Xiao Bai smiled, petting his head, then her gaze drifted, thoughtful. After a while, she murmured, “How could you know that my wish for a thousand years was to be such a fool, and to find a fool who would treat me well?”
“If that woman truly wanted to sever ties, she would have struck the final blow. I think, in the end, though she pointed the sword at Gui Li, her heart longed for him to cross that line.”
“But if Gui Li crossed that line, he wouldn’t be Gui Li anymore… In his heart, there will always be Bi Yao.”
Xiao Bai spoke softly, Xiao Hui looking confused, scratching his head, his three eyes staring blankly at her.
Xiao Bai paused, then smiled, “It’s enough. Their problems, their heartache, must be solved by themselves. Besides, who can say what the future holds?”
“Right, Xiao Hui?”
Xiao Bai lifted Xiao Hui, smiling.
Xiao Hui’s tail swayed, chirping loudly, his head shaking, but whether he understood or not, who could tell?
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