“After that, there wasn’t much to say. I returned to the Moon Mask Sect and, once our sect had firmly established itself in the Northern Liang Kingdom, I secretly went back to the Yue Kingdom to look for you. But the news I received was terrible—I only knew that you had been hunted by the Ghost Spirit Sect again, but the details were unclear. Soon after, I was discovered by the demonic path and had no choice but to return to the Nine Nations Alliance. After that, I never heard any news about you. I assumed you had most likely perished, and the inner demons related to you gradually faded. Later, by chance, I successfully formed my Nascent Soul and became a senior elder of the Moon Mask Sect, where I’ve remained ever since.” Nan Gong Wan spoke calmly.
Han Li listened to her unhurried recounting, his expression shifting several times. He had no idea she had done so much for him back then. As he gazed at Nan Gong, a trace of warmth flickered in his eyes.
“What about Wei Lichen?” he couldn’t help but ask after a long silence.
“Wei Lichen! I met him by chance a few years ago during a journey. I don’t like him—he’s practically the epitome of a hypocrite, all grace and charm on the surface but rotten to the core. I’ve heard he has at least seven or eight so-called ‘female disciples,’ and there are rumors he secretly practices dual cultivation techniques to absorb yin energy. When he proposed to me, I’m sure he had no good intentions, so I rejected him outright the first time.” Nan Gong Wan’s voice was laced with cold mockery.
“You rejected him? Then how did things end up like this?” Han Li asked, puzzled.
Instead of answering directly, Nan Gong Wan suddenly asked, “Do you know about the three great Nascent Soul cultivators of the South Sky?”
“Of course. The righteous and demonic factions each have one cultivator at the late Nascent Soul stage, just a step away from reaching the Deity Transformation stage. Otherwise, the major factions wouldn’t have maintained their balance for so long. As for our Nine Nations Alliance, we have a pair of mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators—a husband and wife—who specialize in joint techniques. Together, they can barely hold their own against a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Why? Does Wei Lichen have ties to one of them?” Han Li’s expression darkened, a bad premonition creeping into his heart.
“Exactly. Wei Lichen’s granduncle is Wei Wuyan, one of the three great cultivators. Wei Wuyan, the supreme elder of the Nine Nations Alliance, practices a rare and deadly poison-based technique. He can kill effortlessly with a mere gesture, and his power far surpasses what ordinary cultivators can imagine.” Nan Gong Wan’s voice dropped low, her delicate fingers intertwining as a bitter smile crossed her face.
“Did Wei Wuyan personally pressure you?” Han Li’s lips twitched, a flash of killing intent in his cold eyes.
“Not directly, but he did intervene. Do you know that the current grand elder of the Moon Mask Sect isn’t the same as before? It’s now a senior sister of mine. Though her cultivation isn’t low, she’s extremely ambitious and has never gotten along with me. Even with another elder mediating, our relationship is terrible.” Nan Gong Wan’s voice carried suppressed anger.
Han Li’s expression darkened further, sensing she was getting to the heart of the matter.
Sure enough, Nan Gong Wan gritted her teeth and continued, “After I rejected Wei Lichen’s proposals multiple times, he somehow convinced Wei Wuyan to approach my senior sister. I don’t know what they discussed, but just half a year later—during the reincarnation cycle of my Pure Maiden Reincarnation Art—she suddenly subdued me and forced me to marry Wei Lichen.”
“Your senior sister—has she lost her mind? Using such methods against a fellow Nascent Soul cultivator?” Han Li was stunned, struggling to believe it.
“You’re right. I never imagined she’d go this far. But the conditions Wei Wuyan offered were too tempting for her to refuse. Later, I learned that if the Moon Mask Sect agreed to this marriage, not only would they allow our sect—and even the six sects—to expand beyond the Northern Liang Kingdom, but Wei Lichen was also willing to leave the Illusionary Intent Sect and join ours after marrying me. With such a win-win situation, it’s no wonder she resorted to any means necessary. She even spread the news that I’d agreed to dual cultivation with Wei Lichen and planned a grand ceremony to force the matter, making it impossible for me to back out.” Nan Gong Wan’s lips curled in scorn.
“So you never agreed to the marriage at all! Earlier, you deliberately made it sound like you were going to marry someone, making my heart skip a beat!” Han Li exclaimed, overjoyed.
“I wanted to ask you the same thing! If you had already formed your Nascent Soul years ago, why didn’t you come find me sooner? If you’d come just a year earlier, none of this might have happened.” Nan Gong Wan shot him a glare.
“It’s not that I didn’t want to find you, but I…” Han Li hesitated, wanting to explain, but upon reflection, he realized it was strange. Though he had vaguely sensed that Nan Gong Wan might be the one he truly cared for, he had never dared to confront those feelings directly. If not for the sudden news of her impending marriage, he might have remained hesitant.
As Han Li’s expression shifted uncertainly, Nan Gong Wan suddenly stood up gracefully and walked over to him, gazing directly into his eyes. “Truthfully, I was the same. Though our experiences and powers far surpass mortals, when it comes to matters of the heart, we’re both novices—awkward and fearful. Even if we’ve left deep marks on each other’s hearts, we aren’t ordinary men and women who burn brightly for a fleeting moment before fading. For the sake of our cultivation, we’ve had to suppress and bury most of our emotions. What remains is more like mutual respect—steady and enduring. So when I learned you were still alive, after two days and nights of careful thought, I decided to follow my heart and accept you.”
With these tender words, she reached out and took Han Li’s hand in hers.
Han Li was silent for a moment before placing his other hand over hers, savoring the softness of her skin as warmth blossomed in his chest.
Nan Gong Wan’s cheeks flushed, and she quickly withdrew her hands, shooting him a reproachful look. Unfazed, Han Li smiled faintly and said, “Wan’er, even though you’re trapped here, you seem so calm. You must already have a plan to escape, or else you wouldn’t be so composed.”
Nan Gong Wan smirked, a mischievous glint in her starry eyes. “You’re quick to catch on. True, though I’m confined to this cave, only a few high-ranking elders know about it. Ordinary disciples are unaware, which is why I could still receive that message from Junior Tang. But to prevent my escape, they placed several restrictions on me. Most are trivial—they don’t know my reincarnation art has unlocked new abilities since reaching the Nascent Soul stage, so those restraints can’t hold me. I could recover my full power anytime with a little effort. The only real problem is the Heart Shackle Art my senior sister personally cast. It’s meant to control me during the ceremony if I refuse to comply. The key to breaking it lies in a control token. Unless it’s destroyed, I’ll remain under her influence within a hundred miles. Fortunately, our cultivation levels aren’t too far apart, so she can only manipulate simple actions, not my spiritual power.”
“So what was your original plan?” Han Li asked curiously.
“Originally, I planned to wait until just before the ceremony, when their guard was lowest, to suddenly regain my power and flee far away. As long as I’m beyond the token’s range, she can’t control me. But now that you’re here, I’ll leave this problem to you—after all, you’re the man who wants to marry me. And I’ve heard you easily defeated another Nascent Soul cultivator, so you must have some tricks up your sleeve.” She chuckled lightly.
“Heart Shackle Art? That is troublesome. Aside from destroying the token, there’s no simple way to break it.” Han Li frowned, deep in thought.
“If it’s too difficult, forget it. We can just leave the Moon Mask Sect together,” Nan Gong Wan said nonchalantly, her bright eyes shimmering.
“No need to worry. It’s just a control token. I’ll retrieve it from your senior sister and settle the score for you while I’m at it!” Han Li’s eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing as his voice brimmed with confidence.
“I was just testing your resolve. I didn’t actually expect you to steal the token. My senior sister is at the mid-stage of Nascent Soul cultivation, far beyond our current abilities. It’s better if we just slip away quietly. At worst, I’ll spend a decade or so slowly dissolving the restriction.” Nan Gong Wan shook her head, a playful smirk on her lips.
Han Li was speechless, suddenly reminded of the mischievous girl he’d first met years ago.
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