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

The light has faded.

Luofengpo returned to darkness.

The wind stopped in mid-air, afraid to blow.

Gu Xiang's hands remained in the bowing posture, but his arms were empty.

That warm sensation is fading.

Su Qing was still in front of him, but Gu Xiang couldn't see her face clearly.

Her body began to become transparent, like rouge being washed away with water, fading away little by little.

The red wedding dress that she was wearing turned into countless tiny red specks of light, floating into the sky.

Gu Xiang panicked.

He reached out to grab it.

The hand passed through Su Qing's shoulder and grabbed a handful of air.

"Qing'er?"

Gu Xiang called out.

His voice trembled violently.

Su Qing raised her head.

Her lower body was gone, turned into a mist of light.

She looked at Gu Xiang, her face showing no pain.

Only laughter.

The smile was like someone who had stolen a roast chicken, or someone who had successfully done something wrong.

"fool."

Su Qing reached out, wanting to touch Gu Xiang's face.

My fingertips touched Gu Xiang's skin; it was cold.

Gu Xiang, however, felt it was too hot.

It's so hot it hurts my chest.

"Don't move," Gu Xiang said. "I'll take you back to Shen Du."

He wanted to pick Su Qing up.

But he couldn't hold on.

Su Qing's body is still dissipating.

From the waist, to the chest, and then to the neck.

high speed.

We were almost at Guxiang when we didn't even have time to think.

"it's useless."

Su Qing's voice was very soft, as if it were drifting from a very far place.

"Gu Xiang".

"I'm here." Gu Xiang knelt on the ground, his hands flailing wildly in the air, trying to grab the drifting light points back and stuff them into Su Qing's body.

"Stop bothering."

Su Qing's eyes reddened when she saw his disheveled appearance.

She moved closer.

That stunningly beautiful face is now just an outline.

"I've lied to you quite a few times in my life."

Su Qing said.

Gu Xiang shook his head: "No, I didn't lie at all."

"This is the last time."

Su Qing's eyes curved into crescent moons.

"If there is an afterlife..."

Her voice began to become intermittent.

"Don't be the prime minister anymore."

"Too tired."

"You should just stay a leisurely scholar."

Gu Xiang opened his mouth wide, wanting to speak.

It felt like there was a wad of cotton stuck in my throat, and I couldn't make a sound.

Su Qing gave him one last look.

There was a light in his eyes.

It is the sunset at Luofengpo, the fireworks of Shendu, and the oil lamp in Gujia Village.

"I'm gone."

The two words landed.

Su Qing's face completely crumbled.

boom.

Countless red dots of light exploded.

They didn't disappear; instead, they circled around Guxiang.

It was like a final farewell.

Then, without looking back, it soared into the night sky.

Gu Xiang knelt there.

With both hands raised in mid-air, maintaining the posture of an embrace.

There was only the wind in my arms.

"No!!!"

Gu Xiang roared out.

The sound tore through his throat, carrying a metallic taste of blood.

He threw himself on the ground, frantically scratching at the dirt with his hands.

My fingernail broke.

My finger is cut.

Blood mixed with dirt, but he felt no pain.

He just wanted to grab onto something.

Even a scrap of clothing.

Even a single strand of hair.

There was nothing there.

Only cold earth.

My heart, with its seven orifices, was pounding wildly in my chest.

dong dong dong.

Each jump felt like a knife was churning inside.

Gu Xiang curled up in pain.

He won.

That bow borrowed the power of heaven and earth, and slew the quasi-emperor.

But he lost.

They lost completely.

far away.

In the pile of rubble.

A head rolled out.

It is a phoenix.

His body had been completely obliterated by that attack, leaving only his head clinging to life.

The monk's face was half rotten, revealing the bare white bones beneath.

But he is still alive.

He stared blankly at Gu Xiang, who was kneeling on the ground and weeping.

Then he let out a piercing laugh.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

"Dead?"

"She's dead?"

Huang laughed until tears streamed down her face.

He rolled twice on the ground so that his face was directly facing Gu Xiang.

"Scholar, did you see that?"

"She simply couldn't withstand that force!"

Phoenix's eyes turned vicious.

"That tree abandoned her."

"She chose to save herself, treating you as a pawn to be discarded!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

"Gu Xiang, you're a pathetic wretch too!"

"You risked your life to save her, but she still died because of her own selfish desire to live!"

Gu Xiang couldn't hear it.

His world consisted only of those dissipating red lights.

He stood up and stumbled after the direction in which the light had disappeared.

He hadn't run two steps before he fell to the ground.

Get up again.

Then he fell down again.

Like a madman.

……

Rewind time.

The interior space of the sacred parasol tree.

The sky full of red leaves remained frozen in mid-air.

Su Qing stood under the tree.

A blue panel floated in front of her.

That was her system.

It was also her biggest secret.

On the panel, a line of red text is flashing.

[The Phoenix Emperor's Trial - "Infinite Loop" has been detected]

[Background: The Phoenix Emperor died because of his "selflessness" in abdicating the throne. His lingering soul is deeply fixated on this belief, holding that "the selfless must die, and only the selfish can survive."]

[If the host chooses "Let the other live (selfless)": The system determines that the host will repeat the mistakes of the Phoenix Emperor, triggering an elimination, resulting in the death of both.]

[If the host chooses "to live (selfishly)": This aligns with the Phoenix Emperor's obsession and triggers the "substitute death mechanism."]

[Explanation of the substitution mechanism: The party that chooses to "live" will act as an energy carrier, having all their essence and life force forcibly extracted and transferred to the party who is "abandoned," helping them to survive.]

Su Qing looked at this line of text.

Looked for a long time.

She's a vixen.

A fox spirit's greatest skill is deceiving people.

They are also the best at seeing through scams.

The Phoenix Emperor is lying.

She asked, "If only one can live, who would you choose?"

A normal person would think that if they choose to live, then they live and the other person dies.

Choosing the other to live means that you die and the other lives.

But the Phoenix Empress hated "selflessness" to the core.

So if you choose "selflessness," she will make your death meaningless.

If you choose "selfish", she will let you "get what you want".

But this "wish fulfillment" means that your vitality flows to the other person.

You'd risk your life to save the person you "abandoned."

This is the Phoenix Emperor's revenge.

She wants selfish people to die because of their own choices.

Su Qing smiled.

Tears streamed down my cheeks.

She raised her hand and wiped away her tears.

She broke the deadlock this time.

Su Qing raised her head and looked at the high-ranking woman in red robes in front of her.

That is the true spirit of the Phoenix Emperor.

The Phoenix Emperor was fanning himself with a fan, looking at her with a mischievous grin.

Waiting for her to reveal the greedy nature of the demon race.

"Have you thought it through?" Phoenix Emperor asked.

"I've made up my mind."

Su Qing took a deep breath.

She adjusted the expression on her face.

Make your eyes look greedy, fearful, and with a hint of longing for life.

That's the acting skill of an award-winning actress.

"senior."

Su Qing spoke.

"I don't want to die."

"I'm still young."

"I still have a long life ahead of me."

"That scholar..."

Su Qing paused, a fierce look appearing on her face.

"He was just a mortal."

"If you die, you die."

"As long as I live, I'll meet someone even better in the future."

"I am a nine-tailed celestial fox, I cannot risk my life for a mortal."

The Phoenix Emperor listened to these words.

The smile on his face grew wider and wider.

She closed her fan and gently clapped her hands.

"it is good."

"Well said."

"If a person doesn't look out for himself, he'll be punished by heaven and earth."

"Demons are the same."

"You're much better than that idiot you were back then."

Phoenix Emperor walked up to Su Qing.

She reached out and pressed her hand against Su Qing's forehead.

"Since you've chosen to live your own life."

"Then I will grant your wish."

"Accept my power."

"Go kill that dead bird."

"Then……"

"Live well."

boom!

A tremendous force surged into Su Qing's body through Phoenix Emperor's fingers.

That is the origin of a quasi-emperor.

It is also a talisman that brings death.

Su Qing felt her soul burning.

Su Qing endured the excruciating pain.

She looked at the Phoenix Emperor.

The Phoenix Emperor's figure began to fade.

The mission was accomplished, the obsession dissipated, and she was about to disappear as well.

"senior."

Su Qing suddenly shouted.

The Phoenix Emperor stopped and turned to look at her.

"Is there anything else?"

Su Qing smiled.

That was a triumphant smile.

"Can you do me a favor?"

"What?"

"What if that scholar asks about it later?"

"Just tell him."

"I really want to live."

"I am a despicable person."

"I am a fox spirit who is afraid of death."

"I abandoned him."

Phoenix Emperor was taken aback.

She looked into Su Qing's eyes.

There was no greed in it.

There was only overflowing, almost overflowing love.

There was also a hint of cunning.

Phoenix Emperor suddenly understood something.

She looked down at her hands.

The power that was being transmitted was flowing continuously toward the scholar through some kind of rule.

Su Qing is becoming an empty shell.

"you……"

The Phoenix Emperor's voice sounded somewhat surprised.

"You guessed it?"

"Do you know that choosing 'life' is actually choosing 'death'?"

Su Qing didn't say anything.

She just blinked.

He made a shushing gesture.

"Shhh."

Don't tell him.

He's even going to be prime minister.

"You can't carry a dead person on your back for the rest of your life."

The Phoenix Emperor looked at Su Qing.

Looked for a long time.

Sudden.

She smiled.

They laughed so hard they were doubled over.

I laughed so hard that tears came out.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

"Silly fox."

"What a silly fox."

Phoenix Emperor laughed and shook his head at the same time.

Her body completely turned into specks of light.

But in the last moment before it dissipated.

She bowed deeply to Su Qing.

It's not an elder addressing a younger person.

We are like-minded people.

"This round."

"You won."

"I accept defeat wholeheartedly."

The light faded.

Su Qing stood under the empty trees.

She looked down at her hands.

It's already becoming transparent.

She could feel the deathly aura belonging to Gu Xiang being drawn towards her.

The life force within her was flowing towards Gu Xiang, following the contract that bound the two of them.

It hurts.

It felt like a saw was cutting through her bones.

But Su Qing felt very warm.

Because she knew.

That idiot will survive.

"system."

Su Qing shouted in her heart.

[Host, I am here. 】

The system's voice was also somewhat low.

"Suppress the sensation of pain."

"I'm afraid that if I scream in pain later, he'll notice something's wrong."

【Yes. 】

The pain disappeared.

Su Qing straightened her wedding dress.

It's broken, but it's still red.

It's very festive.

She took a deep breath.

His carefree smile returned to his face.

That was the last mask she left for Gu Xiang.

"fool."

"It's time for the wedding ceremony."

Su Qing muttered to herself.

She turned around.

They walked out of that space step by step.

Heading towards that inevitable death.

She walked towards the man she had loved for her short life.

……

The real world.

Luofengpo.

Gu Xiang is still digging.

His fingers were showing bone.

But he kept digging.

It was as if if they dug deep enough, they could find Su Qing.

"Lord Gu!"

The earth spirit ran over from a distance.

He grabbed Gu Xiang's waist.

"Stop digging!"

"My eldest sister is gone!"

"You'll die if you keep doing this!"

Gu Xiang pushed Tu Ling aside.

His strength is terrifying.

The earth spirit rolled several times.

"roll!"

Gu Xiang roared.

"She's not dead!"

"She said she would grind ink for me!"

"She's lied to me so many times, she'll definitely lie to me this time too!"

"She's hiding down there, watching me make a fool of myself!"

"Su Qing!"

"Come out here!"

"I'm not angry!"

"Come out here!"

Gu Xiang shouted and cried at the same time.

Tears mixed with dirt, smearing my face.

Just then.

In the sky.

Those red dots that had already flown far away.

It suddenly stopped.

They regrouped.

It transformed into a giant, red fox phantom.

That is Su Qing's Dharma form.

The fox lowered its head.

Looking at Gu Xiang on the ground.

His eyes were gentle.

It opened its mouth.

No sound.

But Gu Xiang heard it.

That was Su Qing's voice.

It resonated directly in his heart.

"Gu Xiang".

"Live well."

"Including my share as well."

"Let's live together."

Done.

The fox phantom suddenly exploded.

It turned into a red rain.

It landed.

Rain fell on Gu Xiang.

It burrowed into his body.

Gu Xiang sensed it.

That was Su Qing's scent.

That is her origin.

It was her fate.

Gu Xiang was stunned.

He stopped digging.

He raised his head, letting the red raindrops hit his face.

He got it.

He understood everything.

What selfishness?

What abandonment?

all fake.

That silly woman.

She traded her own life for his.

She wanted him to hate her.

"Su Qing..."

Gu Xiang slumped to the ground.

He covered his face.

It let out a wild, mournful howl.

"You big liar!"

"You gave me your life, how am I supposed to live?!"

"Come back!"

"Take your life back!"

"I don't want to!"

"I don't want to!!!"

The sound of weeping echoed across Luofeng Slope.

For a long time.

The phoenix's head watched from afar.

The smile on his face froze.

He looked at the red rain.

He suddenly felt a little cold.

"madman……"

"They're all crazy..."

The phoenix murmured to herself.

He closed his eyes.

I don't want to watch anymore.

I didn't dare to look anymore.

This round.

It wasn't just Phoenix Emperor who lost.

He lost too.

He lost to the word "love," which he had always looked down upon.

【The Jade Case - A Scam】

The red dress burned to ashes.

It is said that he is heartless.

In the face of life and death, who will inquire about my well-being?

Despite all the scheming and deception, only true friendship remains.

There is no news from the Yellow Springs or the Azure Heaven.

The scholar was left alone, unable to hold back his tears.

Where can one find the deep affection that led to this life-or-death exchange?

The leaves of the paulownia tree fall, scattered by the autumn wind, leaving behind only longing and sorrow.