Transforming into a stunningly beautiful fox spirit, leaving a scar on the heart of a prodigy.

After leaving that secluded underground medicinal field, the Ghost Cry Valley, with its howling winds, remained outside.

The deep cave entrance behind them closed with a muffled rumble the moment they stepped out, transforming back into the altar churning with foul-smelling blood.

White bones stand starkly against the fluttering banners.

It was as if the idyllic paradise that had just been filled with spiritual energy and adorned with magical herbs was nothing more than a pipe dream.

Gu Xiang glanced back at the altar. The karmic fire lotus in his palm had merged into his body, transforming into a scorching warm current that lingered beside his seven-aperture exquisite heart, forming a triangular relationship with the restless heart.

The force was heavy, making his shoulders ache.

This is the obsession of a monk for three hundred years, and also the destiny of the Great Three Hundred Years.

"Let's go."

Gu Xiang withdrew his gaze, took Su Qing's hand, and strode out of the valley.

The black horse was still waiting at the mountain pass. When it saw its master return, it snorted and its hooves kicked up a few sparks in the gravel.

Bi Yao controlled Li Qingge's body, hopping and skipping behind her, with a dry blade of grass in her hand, twirling it between her fingers, humming an unknown tune, showing no awareness that she had just crawled out of a pile of corpses.

Su Qing felt a tightness in her chest as she listened to the tune.

She stopped and turned to look at Bi Yao.

"Feed".

Su Qing called out.

Bi Yao stopped humming and tilted her head to look at her. In Li Qingge's almond-shaped eyes, there was a sense of vicissitude and clarity that did not belong to her age.

"Sister Su, what advice do you have for me?"

Su Qing pursed her lips, her gaze passing over Bi Yao and looking towards the altar whose shape was no longer discernible.

"Since your father didn't die, and since he's survived for three hundred years in this godforsaken place."

Su Qing's voice was a little strained, carrying a hint of resentment at others' unfair treatment.

"Why didn't he let that old fox come and see him?"

Even just a glance.

"Even just a glimpse from afar, across the malevolent aura of Ghost Cry Valley, would be enough."

Su Qing felt a pang of pain in her heart when she thought of the woman in the Star-Picking Tower who wore a bronze mask and lived like a stone.

Three hundred years.

For several lifetimes, that foolish woman guarded an empty city and a death announcement, enduring herself to become the totem of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and also exhausting all her vitality.

If she knew that the monk was still alive, even in that grotesque state, she would probably crawl over there if she wanted to.

Bi Yao's smile faded.

She threw away the withered grass in her hand, patted the dust off her hands, and looked up at the hazy sky above.

"Sister Su, what do you think this Heavenly Dao is?"

Su Qing frowned: "What is it?"

"It's a net."

Bi Yao stretched out her hand, spread her five fingers, and grabbed at the void.

"A tight, omnipresent net."

"My father was a fish that slipped through the net, and I am a lost soul outside the net."

"The reason my daughter and I were able to hide here is because the extremely yin energy of Ghost Cry Valley has obscured the secrets of heaven, and because we have severed all causal connections with the outside world."

Bi Yao lowered her hand and looked at Su Qing's face.

"But the Imperial Preceptor is different."

"She is the Grand Preceptor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and her fate is tied to the Great Zhou, as well as to the eyes and ears of the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect."

"She is like the brightest bead in this net; wherever she goes, she causes the whole net to vibrate."

Bi Yao sighed, her voice filled with helplessness.

"If she comes."

"The karmic threads on her body will become intertwined with the karmic threads on her father's body."

"That is a debt of love from three hundred years ago, and also a calamity of death from three hundred years ago."

"When two lines intersect, the will of Heaven will surely be moved."

"At that time, let alone meeting her, I'm afraid that as soon as she steps into Ghost Cry Valley, the heavenly tribulation will fall and level the valley to the ground."

"Father doesn't want her to die."

"I don't want her to see me looking like this, neither human nor ghost."

Bi Yao pointed to her heart.

"It's better to cherish the memory than to meet again."

"By cherishing the memory, at least there's something to hold onto, a feeling that the other person is doing well somewhere."

"If we see it, it will be a dead end."

Su Qing fell silent.

Looking at Bi Yao's youthful face, she suddenly realized that the girl was right.

Sometimes, living is harder than dying.

It's harder to not see than to see.

That old monk is ruthless to himself, but even more ruthless to that old fox.

He traded three hundred years of solitude for her three hundred years of peace.

Although this peace is bittersweet, it makes one want to cry.

"Alright."

Bi Yao stretched, interrupting Su Qing's thoughts.

She rubbed her stiff neck, her expression shifting as the weariness she once felt quickly faded.

"This body is too weak; it can't withstand my exertions for too long."

"I should go back and rest too."

Bi Yao winked at Gu Xiang and Su Qing, then pointed to her head.

"This girl is about to wake up."

"You guys have to cover for me, don't scare her to death."

After saying that, her body went limp, the light in her eyes dimmed instantly, and she fell straight to the ground.

Gu Xiang reacted quickly, taking a step forward and reaching out to support Li Qingge's shoulder.

Su Qing also came over and looked at Li Qingge, who had her eyes closed, with some worry.

"How can this be made round?"

Before Gu Xiang could speak, the person in his arms stirred.

Li Qingge's long eyelashes trembled a few times before she slowly opened her eyes.

Those eyes were full of confusion, like a cat that had just woken up and hadn't figured out what day it was.

She glanced at the gloomy sky above, then at Gu Xiang's cold, stern face magnified before her, and finally her gaze fell upon Su Qing, who was dressed in red and barefoot, standing beside her.

"Lord Gu...?"

"Sister Su?"

Li Qingge rubbed her eyes, her voice soft and sweet, with a hoarseness from just waking up.

"Where am I?"

"I remember... I remember I was eating osmanthus cake in the carriage on my way back to the capital..."

She looked around.

The rocks were jagged and the wind was chilly. In the distance, a few unburnt black flags fluttered in the wind.

This is no official road back to the capital; it's clearly a mass grave.

Li Qingge shuddered and sprang up from Gu Xiang's arms, instinctively reaching for the soft sword at her waist.

"What kind of place is this?"

"Where are my guards? Where is my carriage?"

"Ouch, my head hurts so much..."

Li Qingge clutched her head, wincing in pain.

That was a sequela of Bi Yao's soul leaving her body.

Gu Xiang and Su Qing exchanged a glance, both feeling a bit overwhelmed.

This is definitely the truth that can't be told.

This involves monks and the secrets of the Great Zhou Dynasty. It might not be a good thing for this girl to know.

Just as the two were hesitating about how to make up a lie, Tu Ling, who had been hiding behind the horse's rump pretending to be dead, suddenly jumped out.

This guy was terrified by the monk's aura in the underground palace, but now that the main character is gone, he's trembling again.

With its two paws behind its back, it swaggered over to Li Qingge, coughed twice, and cleared its throat.

"Cough cough."

"Your Highness, you're awake?"

Li Qingge was startled by the sudden appearance of the green-haired radish, took a step back, and pointed at the earth spirit, stammering, "..."

"What...what is this thing?"

"A radish that has come to life?"

Tu Ling rolled his eyes and puffed out his chest, which didn't actually exist.

"What radish! I am the very essence of this land within a hundred miles! The very spirit of these mountains, rivers, sun, and moon!"

It stretched out its paw and pointed around.

"Your Highness, you seem to have a bad memory."

"You were attacked at Luanshipo and kidnapped by the remnants of Black Wind Stronghold to this Ghost Cry Valley."

"Those damned evil cultivators tied you to a pillar, placed a cauldron of boiling oil underneath you, and sharpened knives beside you, preparing to devour you alive as a sacrifice to the heavens!"

Li Qingge turned pale upon hearing this and subconsciously touched her neck.

"Really...really?"

"How could it be fake?"

Tu Ling spat and gestured wildly, making up famous names.

"The scene was extremely dangerous!"

"The knife was about to strike, at the very last second!"

Tu Ling suddenly pointed at Gu Xiang.

"Our Lord Gu descended from the heavens! Wielding a three-foot-long sword, exuding righteous aura, he roared, 'Demons, cease your arrogance!'"

"That sword strike was earth-shattering, it cleaved that evil cultivator leader in two!"

Tu Ling then pointed at Su Qing.

"And our Miss Su, she's a heroine among women!"

"With a wave of her red sleeve, a storm of foxfire descended, burning the henchmen to a pulp, making them cry out in agony and run for their lives!"

"These two were unstoppable, killing gods and Buddhas alike, they managed to rescue you, Princess, from that dragon's den and tiger's lair!"

Tu Ling described it vividly, as if it had been standing right there, eating sunflower seeds and watching the show.

Li Qingge was stunned.

She glanced at Gu Xiang, who had a calm expression, was still holding a sword, and indeed carried a lingering murderous aura.

He glanced at Su Qing again. Su Qing's red clothes were fluttering in the wind. Although she didn't say anything, her aloof demeanor really made her look like a peerless master.

"So that's how it is..."

Li Qingge believed it.

She patted her chest, looking terrified.

"I knew it! I was wondering why I was dreaming about being chased and killed. It was real."

She walked up to Gu Xiang and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you so much, Lord Gu, for saving my life."

She then turned to Su Qing, took Su Qing's hand, and her eyes were filled with tears.

"Sister Su, I knew you were the best, you definitely wouldn't abandon me."

Su Qing's lips twitched slightly.

She glanced at the smug Tu Ling standing to the side, secretly cursing him: "This wretched radish, it's a waste of his talent not to be a storyteller under the overpass."

However, although this lie was absurd, it saved them a lot of trouble.

"Alright."

Gu Xiang sheathed his sword, interrupting the farce.

"This place is not safe to stay any longer; let's leave first."

He mounted his horse, reached out and pulled Su Qing up, holding her protectively in his arms.

Li Qingge looked around and found that there was only this one horse.

"And what about me?"

Li Qingge pointed to herself.

Gu Xiang pointed to Tu Ling.

"It knows the way; let it guide you out."

"We'll wait for you outside."

After saying that, Gu Xiang spurred his horse, and the black horse neighed and galloped away.

Li Qingge and Tu Ling were left staring at each other in bewilderment.

"that……"

Tu Ling rubbed its paws together and looked at Li Qingge with a fawning expression.

"Your Highness, what about the travel expenses..."

Li Qingge took a deep breath, took a jade pendant from her waist, and threw it to Tu Ling.

"lead the way!"

"Okay!"

Tu Ling took the jade pendant, bit it to confirm it was real, and immediately ran ahead happily.

"Your Highness, please slow down. The road is slippery; be careful not to fall."

The earth spirit's sleazy voice drifted on the wind.

Su Qing leaned against Gu Xiang's chest, listening to the commotion behind her, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"This earth spirit is quite a talent."

Gu Xiang glanced down at her, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Those who survived are all talented individuals."

The two rode out of Ghost Cry Valley, and the sky outside was already beginning to lighten.

A pale dawn broke in the eastern sky, dispelling the gloom of the night.

The direction of the capital city is faintly visible.

An even bigger storm awaits them there.

But at this moment, Gu Xiang felt a sense of peace she had never known before.

Because he knew that this time, he was no longer alone.

He has a sword, and he has her.

And that heart, beating strongly in my chest.