Stranger Danger

“You knew?” Murong Xianxian exclaimed in surprise.

As Li Hentian said, she was the one who purposely leaked the Dark Overlord Token. She, too, was the one who purposely lured Zongtian over. It was all to break out of her eternal prison.

She thought that her plan was flawless, and yet Li Hentian knew everything. He knew everything from the very beginning, and yet he did nothing to stop it just like eight hundred years ago.

At that moment, Murong Xianxian’s emotions became more complicated than ever before. There was bitterness, sourness, sorrow, pain, grief, rawness, hatred, resentment and more. But the one emotion she should feel, joy—the joy of success, and the joy of claiming vengeance—it wasn’t there. Not even a little.

“Cough… cough…”

Suddenly, Li Hentian began coughing violently. The next moment, cracks began spreading throughout his body as if he was made of porcelain. They covered everything in just the blink of an eye.

“You—!” Murong Xianxian subconsciously reached out to support Li Hentian, but she stopped herself at the last moment. She was afraid that the briefest touch would cause him to shatter where he stood.

“I’m fine. The last wisp of my True Spirit is gone, so of course my body is crumbling as well. Frankly, I should’ve died eight hundred years ago.”

Li Hentian lifted his hand as if he wanted to caress Murong Xianxian’s face, but he stopped himself at the last moment and broke into a grin. “Why do you look so sad? You should be happy. It’s your long-cherished wish to kill me, isn’t it?”

Eight hundred years ago, it was she who plotted the destruction of the Demonbearer Abode and the death of Li Hentian. Eight hundred years later, it was she who pushed Li Hentian’s final wisp of True Spirit to war against Zongtian and expend its final strength. With this, there was no way Li Hentian could live any longer. He wouldn’t even get the chance to join the cycle of reincarnation and be reborn as a new person.

When this was all over, there would never be a Li Hentian ever again.

Her vengeance would finally be complete. She would finally be free. He was right. She should be happy. She should be smiling.

So, Murong Xianxian smiled. It was a beautiful smile that could topple nations.

“Hahaha… good, good! I love it when you smile.”

Li Hentian laughed even as the cracks on his person kept growing. In fact, patches of flesh and blood were already falling off his body and burning up like paper. They scattered into the wind before they even hit the ground.

“From now on, you should smile more. You are the most beautiful when you smile.”

Murong Xianxian smiled even brighter when she heard this. It felt as if the entire world became more colorful because of her smile.

Then, something unexpected happened. A pair of tears slid down the corner of her eyes. They looked as translucent and bright as gems.

Li Hentian was astonished. “This is the first time I've ever seen you cry. You never shed a single tear even back when I ripped off your family’s heads right in front of you.”

“But now, you’re crying. You’re crying… for me?”

“Hahaha! Hahahaha! It was worth it! My life was worth it after all!”

Suddenly, Li Hentian looked up and laughed like a madman. “Marrying you, Murong Xianxian, was worth it! Hahahahahahahaha!”

Li Hentian wiped away her tears even as he continued to laugh. By now, half of his body had disintegrated into ash.

“But this is the last time you should cry for anyone, Xianxian, much less a bastard like me. I am not worth it. From now on, live the way you want to live.”

Murong Xianxian’s tears stopped. The hatred, the resentment, the anger. It all evaporated, leaving behind only a smile that had shedded all of its burden. “Yes, it is not worth crying over a bastard like you. From now on, I will live for myself. On your behalf, I shall walk this new spring and autumn and explore this jianghu that is eight hundred years after our time!”

In her previous lifetime, the first half of her life was spent building up the glory of her clan, and the latter half was spent claiming vengeance for them. In that lifetime, she had never once lived for herself.

But no more. In this lifetime, she would do what her heart tells her and finally, finally, live for herself.

“So, you forgive me, Xianxian?” Li Hentian asked with a grin.

“I no longer hate you, so what is there to forgive?” Murong Xianxian replied frankly. “I simply wish that you and I will never meet again in our next lives.”

It hurt so much to see him that she would rather forget.

“Hahaha… I, Li Hentian, only care about the now and present. One lifetime is enough for me.”

Li Hentian chuckled.”Besides, my last wisp of True Spirit is soon to disappear. There won’t be a next life for me.”

“In that case, please allow me to keep you company during your final moments in this world!” Murong Xianxian smiled.

“It will be a dream come true!” Li Hentian barked out a laugh, the excitement in his voice practically overflowing.

Beside them, Ye Qing’s feelings were almost as complicated as the duo. He never thought that the number one warrior of the Spring and Autumn eight hundred years ago; the invincible Dark Overlord who was unrivaled under the heavens, would have such a gentle side to him.

No wonder they said that few heroes survived the tribulation known as love. Li Hentian lived his whole life exciting and unfettered, but in the end, even he succumbed to the throes of love. It was ironic to put it mildly.

Then again, a hero who was heartless might not necessarily be a true hero, whereas a hero who loved and cared was ever the hero. This version of Li Hentian felt more real, more alive. He was a human, not a demon and god who existed in the legends.

It made him respect him even more.

Love, hatred, the world of mortals. Bothersome it might be, it was also where greatest happiness was found.

It was at this moment Li Hentian suddenly turned to look at him. “How much longer are you going to watch us, boy? Stop being a third wheel and get lost already!”

“R-right!”

When Ye Qing snapped out of his trance, he finally realized that the entire Demonbearer Abode was in ruins. The Death Sea was flooding in by the second, and it would not be surprising if this pocket world crumbled in the next minute. If he did not leave now, he would not get the chance to leave ever again.

He was worried for Murong Xianxian’s safety, but her man was here. For now, safeguarding the woman was Li Hentian’s responsibility, not his.

So, Ye Qing clasped his fist and declared, “Take care, big sis, brother-in-law.”

“Haha… I like you, boy!”

Li Hentian was incredibly happy to hear Ye Qing addressing him as a brother-in-law. “As your brother-in-law, I can’t be stingy. A gift to you, boy.”

Li Hentian waved his hand, and a ball of golden light flew out of the Central Wu Earth Hall and landed on his palm. Li Hentian then flicked the ball of light into Ye Qing’s forehead.

“Take care of your big sis for me, boy. Now go!”

Li Hentian flicked Ye Qing in the forehead, and Ye Qing felt an unbelievable amount of energy flooding into his body. The next thing he knew, he was tumbling uncontrollably through the air until he disappeared into the sky.

“What did you say to Joyless?” Murong Xianxian asked suspiciously after Ye Qing was sent away. The man’s final words had been said in private.

“It’s a secret!”

Li Hentian blinked cheekily at her before making a tearing motion. The sky was torn in half at the center, and the water of the Death Sea poured down like a waterfall. On the ground, the earth was tearing itself apart, the mountains were crumbling by the dozens, and a volcano was spewing fire and lava. It was quite the impressive, if not apocalyptic, view.

“Take a seat. This is the kind of scene you can’t find even in a century, so you should enjoy it while you can!”

“Sure.”

Murong Xianxian calmly took a seat next to Li Hentian. Their shoulders almost bumping against each other, they watched the destruction of the world together.

“A view like this deserves a good drink!”

Li Hentian summoned a jar of wine and took a deep gulp. Then, he poured a cup and extended it to Xianxian, “Would you like a cup, Xianxian?”

“Yes, I will. I would like to toast to death and new life.” Murong Xianxian smiled and accepted the offering. She then drained its contents in one gulp.

“Well said! That deserves another full cup of wine!” Li Hentian laughed. “Oh! You love fireworks, don’t you? How can such a view have no fireworks?”

Li Hentian waved his hand, and countless colorful lights flew out of the Central Wu Earth Hall behind them and floated in the air. They were the treasures stored within the palace, and each treasure was a priceless item or artifact that could elevate a common man all the way to the heavens. For a time, they adorned the skies like colorful, phantasmal stars.

Then, Li Hentian snapped his fingers, and the treasures began exploding one after another. The explosions and clashing power painted an unbelievably gorgeous picture in the sky.

“How do you like these fireworks, Xianxian?” Li Hentian asked smilingly.

“It is indescribably luxurious.” Murong Xianxian beamed. “But I love it.”

“If you love it, then I am content!”

Li Hentian drained the wine in his jar and laughed again. As he laughed, he grew more and more transparent.

There was no sorrow, resentment, anger, or hate in the air though. There was only relief and joy.

The world dreams, and the mortals thrive for centuries.

Emotions are heavy, but no heavier than the clink of cups.

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