The Cold and Aloof Palace Master's Daily Demon-Slaying Life

Chapter 140 What a pair of star-crossed lovers!

Compared to Li Yan's forgetfulness, another couple in the Fu Shui Xian Sect—Wang Gaojie and Qu Liushang—clearly had much better memories.

Wang Gaojie, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, is handsome and has above-average talent. He is quite famous among the inner disciples. He appears gentle, but in reality, he is arrogant and proud.

Qu Liushang, in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, is beautiful, with a slender figure, skilled in makeup, and her eyes and brows exude a shrewdness and calculation.

The two have been a couple for decades, and to outsiders they are a perfect match, a match made in heaven.

When the results of the "Purple Talisman Dao Competition" came, and the news that the Supreme Elder had been defeated and that the Great Dao would be suppressed for three hundred years swept through the sect like a cold wave, Wang Gaojie and Qu Liushang were playing chess in their exquisite cave dwelling, which they had jointly managed and which was located in a secluded valley.

The crisp sound of chess pieces landing on the jade chessboard abruptly stopped the moment the news was received.

Wang Gaojie's hand, holding the white piece, remained suspended in mid-air for a long time.

The gentle smile on his face froze, gradually fading until it turned deathly pale. Fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead.

On the opposite side, Qu Liushang's black piece fell onto the chessboard with a "thud," bounced a few times, and rolled to the ground.

Her beautiful face lost its color, her lips trembled slightly, and her almond-shaped eyes, which always shone with shrewdness, were now filled with disbelief and a deep-seated fear that spread rapidly through her bones.

The two looked at each other and saw the same emotion in each other's eyes.

They decided to come.

I can think of it clearly now.

About a month ago, shortly after True Monarch Zixu destroyed the Diluo Sect, he was "enjoying tea and discussing the Dao" with several fellow disciples in that misty pavilion.

He recalled how, with the inherent arrogance of a disciple of the Fu Shui Xian Sect, he had criticized and belittled the newly promoted True Monarch.

Wang Gaojie remembered sipping his spiritual tea and scoffing, "Nine Heavens Taihua Purple Void Responding Thunder Ancestor True Lord? The name sounds impressive, Nine Heavens Responding Thunder, wielding lightning, heh heh—"

The disdain in that "heh heh" sounded so jarring in retrospect.

Qu Liushang remembered covering her mouth and chuckling softly, her eyes sparkling, her voice sweet and clear: "In the end, she's just a woman. As a woman herself, Junior Sister knows best the limitations of female cultivators—even if she were to get lucky and attain the Golden Core stage, how much stronger could she really be?"

The belittling and questioning of a woman who was at the pinnacle of her own sex sent chills down her spine.

They even remembered how Li Yan, who was even more outspoken at the time, used such lewd and obscene language to fantasize about the Purple Void True Lord.

Although they offered "dissuasion," their tone lacked genuine rebuke; instead, it carried a hint of indulgence and mockery.

Wang Gaojie's words, "The name of the True Lord has its own response. If you continue to spout nonsense here, be careful that a divine lightning bolt from afar strikes down and obliterates you, body and soul."

It sounds like a warning, but it's actually more like a "reminder" tinged with a sense of superiority.

They were reminded, and also themselves, that they were in the Hanmo Mountains, under the protection of the Supreme Elder, and that they were "safe".

What they took for granted, and even took pride in, as "privileges" and "confidence" at the time, have now turned into the sharpest ice spikes, chilling them to the bone.

The Supreme Elder — lost.

The refuge is gone.

Will that True Lord Zixu let go of those who have blasphemed her?

The answer is almost self-evident.

"Senior brother—" Qu Liushang's voice trembled with tears as he grabbed Wang Gaojie's hand, which was icy cold. "We—"

Are we—”

Wang Gaojie grabbed her cold hand with his own, pressing so hard that his knuckles turned white.

Hide? Where to hide?

Unless they immediately betray the Fu Shui Xian Sect and seek refuge with another Xian Shi Zhen Jun who has no grudge against Zi Xu Zhen Jun and is willing to take them in, they can continue to enjoy the protection of the Zhen Jun's Dao principles.

The problem is that the Fu Shui Xian Sect is currently in a precarious state; if they dare to defect, the sect will be the first to punish them.

Moreover, there are only a handful of True Monarchs in the world. Who would offend a newly promoted True Monarch who has just won the Dao Competition and is at the height of his power for the sake of two Foundation Establishment cultivators?

Run? Leave the Hanmo Mountains, even leave the Central Plains, and run to the ends of the earth?

But can they outrun the thunderclouds in the sky?

Can they outrun the Dao principles that are predetermined to determine their positions?

With a single thought from a true sage, even the ends of the earth can be within reach.

They probably haven't gone far from the mountain gate when the thunder will strike.

After considering all the possibilities, the two realized with despair that death seemed to be the only way out for them.

The only difference is that, like a lowly ant, one is struck by divine lightning from the sky, annihilated completely, leaving no trace of body or soul.

Or perhaps—choosing a relatively "decent" way to end things, so that at least one can have a complete body and be laid to rest in peace?

Once this thought arises, it spreads like wildfire.

"Junior sister," Wang Gaojie's voice was dry and hoarse. He looked into his Daoist partner's terrified eyes and slowly said, "Let's—go on our own."

Qu Liushang trembled, tears welling in her eyes, but she did not scream or refute.

Being a clever and perceptive person herself, she also foresaw the same outcome.

In endless fear and despair, choosing to end it all, preserving the last shred of "decency" and "control," seems to be the only pathetic solace.

"Okay—" she choked out, nodding, tears streaming down her pale cheeks, "We'll be together—at least, we can be together—at least we can choose a place we like—"

The two embraced tightly, like birds seeking warmth in the cold winter, yet knowing full well that the warmth would be fleeting.

They acted swiftly.

Wang Gaojie took out the "Heavenly Soul-Severing Powder," which he had treasured for a long time and originally intended to use to refine some kind of immortal elixir.

This poison is colorless and odorless. It seals the throat upon ingestion, causes minimal pain upon death, and prevents the body from decaying after death, preserving the appearance of the deceased for a period of time.

Qu Liushang then took out two sets of their favorite, exquisitely made everyday clothes from his storage bag and carefully smoothed out the wrinkles.

She then took out a pen and ink and wrote a "last will and testament" in her elegant handwriting.

The letter did not mention the fear and retribution against the True Lord, but only said that due to the suppression of the Great Dao, their Dao heart was damaged, their future was uncertain, and they did not want to live a wretched life in this world. Therefore, they went to the Yellow Springs together, hoping to continue their Daoist relationship in the next life.

The handwriting is poignant, and the sentiment is tender.

Unless you're in the know, you'd hardly notice the flaws.

They summoned their two most loyal old servants, both of whom were at the Qi Refining stage and quite old.

He handed them the "will" and detailed his wishes for his death, including burying them together in a certain place where the two of them often went to admire the moon.

In the secluded valley, there is no need to erect a tombstone; simply plant two of their favorite "Mimosa pudica" trees in front of the grave.

He also bestowed a large sum of money upon the old servants, allowing them to find their own way to make a living while handling their funeral arrangements.

When the old servants heard that their master wanted to "die for love," they wept bitterly and pleaded with him.

But Wang Gaojie and Qu Liushang had made up their minds, so they waved them away and closed their cave.