This is the true immortal of the Taoist sect.

Zhao Chun'an's tone was calm, without a trace of fear.

It even carries a hint of relief.

Mingyue raised her sword, pointed it at Zhao Chun'an, and asked in a slightly hoarse voice:

"Why don't you run away? Why don't you leave Anyi County?"

Zhao Chun'an hesitated for a moment, feeling a pang of pity as he looked at Mingyue's still-childish face.

"I can escape Anyi County, but I can't escape the shackles in my heart."

"They've run away; I'll never have peace in this life..."

Mingyue's knuckles turned white as she gripped the sword, her voice trembling with extremely complex emotions as she spoke:

"You allowed vengeful spirits to harm people, causing the deaths of my parents. Killing you is karma... it's what you deserve..."

Zhao Chun'an smiled and nodded.

"The girl is right, it's all my fault, I have only myself to blame."

As he said this, an unusual bluish-black tinge gradually appeared on Zhao Chun'an's face.

There was also a hint of pain between his brows.

However, Mingyue did not see that she was raising her sword and approaching step by step.

Every step felt like a violent struggle.

"They all say you're a good official... a good official who can bring peace and prosperity to Anyi County..."

The bright moon murmured to itself.

"But in this world, what good official would leave a vengeful ghost unchecked, allowing it to harm people?"

"What kind of good official are you?"

The bright moon repeated itself over and over, as if trying to convince itself.

"Zhao Chun'an, I kill you today... out of personal vendetta. Even if there are many negative consequences after killing you, I, Mingyue, will bear them all..."

"Do you... submit?"

Zhao Chun'an's body was completely hunched over, and his lips were already black.

He nodded weakly and said:

"I...I'm completely convinced..."

Mingyue still didn't notice Zhao Chun'an's unusual behavior. She held her sword horizontally, the tip of which had already touched Zhao Chun'an's clothes at the chest, but Zhao Chun'an did not take a step back.

"puff..."

With a soft sound, the sharp tip of the Moonflower Sword pierced half an inch into Zhao Chun'an's flesh.

Feeling the tactile feedback from the sword hilt, Mingyue's heart trembled, and her hand holding the sword began to tremble uncontrollably.

The internal struggle was driving her almost mad.

Reason told her that if an official like Zhao Chun'an were alive, he would surely bring benefits to more people.

But when he thought of his parents' tragic deaths, he couldn't suppress the hatred that made him want to personally kill his enemies.

Just as she hesitated, Zhao Chun'an finally took a step back, the sword tip separating from his chest, blood quickly soaking through his clothes.

Mingyue thought he wanted to escape and was about to raise her sword to stab again when Zhao Chun'an spoke:

"Miss Mingyue, you are...a good child. Go now, I...will give you an explanation..."

Mingyue was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage and said:

"Leave? You dare let me leave? You..."

But then Mingyue finally realized something was wrong.

Although her eyesight was poor, her other senses were exceptionally sharp.

Zhao Chun'an's breathing was abnormal; a normal person wouldn't breathe like that, with the air pumping like a bellows.

Suddenly, Mingyue remembered something. In a flash, she appeared in front of Zhao Chun'an, grabbed his collar, and said sternly:

"You... took poison?"

Zhao Chun'an's face had turned black, his lips were purplish-black, and a stream of dark, foul-smelling blood was beginning to seep from his nose.

He was breathing heavily, his eyes filled with deep regret, and he said in an almost choked voice:

"The young lady is... a celestial being... I, Zhao Chun'an... have committed a grave error... and... how could I... allow the young lady to bear the blame for... murdering an official of the imperial court..."

Mingyue's hand quietly loosened, and Zhao Chun'an could no longer hold on, collapsing to the ground.

Mingyue's mouth was agape, tears streaming down her face, her mind a complete blank.

She instinctively stepped back, seemingly unable to accept the situation.

Zhao Chun'an reached out and wiped away the blood that kept spilling from the corner of his mouth; his vision was already beginning to blur.

He looked at the bright moon one last time, and with his last remaining strength said:

"Child...I hope...after I die...you can start over...don't...don't live forever in...hatred..."

After saying his last words, Zhao Chun'an finally lost all his strength, lay on the ground, and stared blankly at the sky.

The pain and self-blame in his eyes all turned into relief.

Zhao Chun'an's lips moved, but no sound came out. Only in his heart did a voice echo: "Embroidery Girl... wait for me..."

Looking back on Zhao Chun'an's life, it ultimately couldn't escape the theme of love.

He was the eldest son of the Zhao family, a local gentry family in Yongchun County. He was exceptionally intelligent from a young age and passed the imperial examination in his twenties.

But a sudden change in his beloved's life trapped him here, and he could never leave.

While others try every means to climb the ranks to become officials, Zhao Chun'an uses every trick in the book to keep himself in Anyi County, a remote county.

How could he not know that what he was doing would eventually be exposed?

But that's how people are; even though they know they shouldn't do something, they still get obsessed and unable to extricate themselves.

A few months ago, after the embroiderer was taken away, Zhao Chun'an specifically sought out Mingyue and set a deadline for him to handle the aftermath.

Today is the deadline, so Mingyue rushed here overnight.

Zhao Chun'an knew that Mingyue was not someone who only cared about personal grudges, so he had already prepared poisoned wine in order to avoid making things difficult for Mingyue.

Now, it's finally all over, it's all finished...

Zhao Chun'an never expected that he would actually survive.

He recalled that an extremely high dosage of medication was administered to prevent him from being saved, so theoretically, he should not have been able to be saved.

Zhao Chun'an struggled to his feet, shaking his somewhat dizzy head, with traces of blood still remaining at the corner of his mouth.

Just as he was wondering, Mingyue's voice suddenly rang out.

"From this moment on, your life no longer belongs to you. You may die only when I say you can..."

Zhao Chun'an was taken aback. He turned his head and saw Mingyue with her back to him.

Zhao Chun'an gave a bitter smile.

"Miss Mingyue, I am guilty, you shouldn't have saved me..."

Mingyue remained silent for a long time, and the Moonflower Sword, which had been sheathed, trembled gently inside its scabbard.

"Zhao Chun'an, remember this... If you ever dare to do anything to harm the people again, I'll make you realize that even death is a luxury..."

Zhao Chun'an lowered his head and remained silent.

From Mingyue's trembling voice, he could hear the extreme suppressed pain and resentment.

But the girl still chose to let herself go.

Zhao Chun'an straightened up, clasped his hands together, bowed deeply to the bright moon, and remained silent.

Mingyue took a deep breath, raised her head and looked out at the sky. A ray of dawn pierced the darkness, and the first rays of sunlight descended upon the world.

She exhaled a long breath, and her tense shoulders slowly relaxed.

Then, under Zhao Chun'an's respectful gaze, he leaped up and flew away into the distance, leaving behind only one sentence.

"Zhao Chun'an, do your job well as an official, and become an even higher official..."

In the morning light, in Zhao Chun'an's eyes, that beautiful figure flashed by like a startled swan, making all the splendor in the world pale in comparison.

Zhao Chun'an bowed again and murmured:

"Zhao Chun'an...Yes, sir..."