Chapter 35: This Wasn’t How It Was Supposed to Be
In the year Qin Ruoheng turned thirty-one, the Huai emperor personally led his troops and besieged the Moon Capital.
The Huai Kingdom wanted to bring back their princess, just as they had sent her away, without asking for her consent.
She had yearned for the freedom of a bird, yet she had been powerless to break free from the invisible string that bound her.
Now, the string was cut.
Whether as Princess Ruoheng of Huai or Queen of the southern kingdom, she would die on the night the Moon Capital fell.
She finally had the freedom she craved.
But sixteen years was a long time, like an endless wind, sweeping away everything she had briefly possessed.
Now, her hands stained with blood, her heart empty, she had nothing left.
The day she broke free,
The world was vast, but she had no place to go.
As people fled the falling city, she drifted aimlessly, like a soulless puppet.
A tsunami raged within her, drowning out all other sounds.
She suffered alone, and she drowned alone.
Li Yu felt an overwhelming despair.
Like sinking into a lightless sea, no wind, no waves, no sun, no moon, only cold darkness, silently suffocating her.
She didn’t know why she felt this so acutely, but she knew she couldn’t break free.
Not only that, but she felt a sudden, intense heartache, an unbearable sadness that made her question her own existence.
She looked at Mu Tao, whose despair seemed even deeper than her own.
This wasn’t right!
Such intense emotions shouldn’t belong to a mere observer.
They were trapped by an invisible force, a force manipulating their emotions.
Realizing this, she struggled to control her breathing and her feelings.
She tried to find the black bird that had shown her this past, but the fragmented memories floating in the air were dissipating.
The memories within them blurred, but the surrounding scenery didn’t return.
Li Yu suspected that if these memories completely disappeared, only nothingness would remain.
She instinctively gripped Mu Tao’s cold hand.
“Master, I…I feel so awful…” Mu Tao looked up at her, her free hand clutching her chest.
She wasn’t feeling too good herself.
It felt like knowing the air was toxic but being unable to stop breathing.
This place was too eerie; she had to get Mu Tao out of here!
“Hold on,” Li Yu said, frowning, her gaze scanning the fading memory fragments.
She quickly found a pure white light, like snow, among the countless disappearing memories.
Clearly, such a light didn’t belong to anyone in this story.
Li Yu focused, gathered spiritual energy in her fingertip, and infused it into the fragment.
The blurring image within the fragment became clear again.
On the gray stone altar, the pure white light silently extinguished the golden flames.
As the fire vanished, a flurry of snow fell, silently landing on the embers carried by the wind.
Mu Tao instantly recognized the spiritual energy and exclaimed, “Master! That’s Lingyao Revered One’s spiritual energy!”
Li Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
Her guess was correct; the light in the memory fragment came from Weisheng Xuanzhu.
As expected of the big iceberg, even his snow was…on brand.
In the fragmented memory, the summoning formation, now without the flames, began to crumble, and wisps of resentment drifted in the moonlight.
The falling snow on the altar was conspicuous.
If the black bird showed this past to everyone, then this anomaly, so noticeable to her, should also be noticed by Mo Yichu.
Li Yu took a deep breath and, with the system’s assistance, infused more spiritual energy into the fragment.
The soft blue light illuminated the falling snow.
Suddenly, the light within the snow formed countless ice shards.
The ice shards formed a vaguely familiar formation in the moonlight.
A small crack appeared in the memory fragment.
A wisp of icy blue light seeped out from the crack, creating more and more fissures that spread outwards.
The fissures paused momentarily upon reaching the edge of the fragment.
Then, with a crackling sound, they rapidly spread into the surrounding void.
Li Yu froze for a moment, then quickly pulled Mu Tao back, retreating a hundred steps—further than she would stand when watching fireworks.
She had been right.
Moments later, the icy blue light shattered the memory fragment, and countless ice shards, like exploding fireworks, erupted from the shattered illusion!
A loud crash echoed, and the endless illusion around them shattered.
The lingering feelings of helplessness and despair vanished along with the illusion.
The dilapidated altar, the oppressive resentment, the shadows and the earthbound spirits, all returned to their vision.
Li Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
Compared to being trapped in a void with fragmented memories and overwhelming despair, these creepy things were far more…tangible.
At least these eerie things weren’t as harmful.
Li Yu looked towards the light that had shattered the illusion.
As the light faded, she silently retracted her earlier thought.
On the gray stone altar, Mo Yichu stood, his sword in hand, covered in blood.
Beneath his tattered, bloodstained robes, his flesh seemed torn and mangled, as if from struggling against thorns.
His limbs were twisted at unnatural angles, his sword hand contorted.
Black flames of resentment still flickered around him…
Li Yu frowned.
The past that a mere observer could easily escape, he had to relive to break free.
Mu Tao instinctively tried to approach but was blocked by a spiritual light barrier around the altar.
“Senior Brother…”
“I’m fine,” Mo Yichu said, his voice raspy and inhuman.
He extinguished the flames with his spiritual energy. Supporting himself on his twisted legs, he walked down the altar with an eerie gait.
“I’ve…remembered everything from my childhood…”
His voice, though still raspy, was no longer as chilling.
A pale green light enveloped him, accompanied by the soft rustling of plants, mending his broken body.
His body, reconstructed from immortal plants, had regenerative abilities far beyond ordinary humans.
With enough spiritual energy, even lost limbs could regrow quickly.
By the time he reached Li Yu, although his face was still pale, his limbs were no longer twisted and horrifying.
“Master Li Yu.” Mo Yichu bowed, his sword in hand, his expression serious. “The core component is missing here. A formation activated by a mere hundred sacrifices isn’t strong enough to trap the souls of an entire city.”
Li Yu frowned.
What did he mean?
If a hundred sacrifices weren’t enough, where did all the trapped souls and the immense resentment come from?
As Li Yu was confused, Mu Tao tilted her head and voiced the question.
“Not strong enough?” Her eyes were wide with surprise. “Then why are all these souls trapped here?”
“This spirit summoning formation hasn’t been missing its core component for the past three hundred years.” Mo Yichu frowned, looking back at the cold, dilapidated altar.
Mu Tao looked surprised. “But…but isn’t Senior Brother…”
“This formation has trapped tens of thousands of souls for over three hundred years, yet no one has found the core to break it. This isn’t something ordinary demons can achieve.” Mo Yichu said seriously, “To achieve this, it requires either divine power or…a demon.”
Mu Tao: “A demon?!”
Mo Yichu: “Mm.”
Mu Tao shook her head blankly. “But…but how could there be a demon here?!”
“The deepest resentment is often called obsession.” Mo Yichu’s eyes were filled with sorrow. “Those with deep obsessions can become demons with a single thought.”
Li Yu suddenly understood.
Three hundred years ago, on the night of the massacre, Qin Ruoheng, with nowhere to go, succumbed to the tsunami within her.
A demonic heart was born, fueled by her deepest obsession, becoming the missing core of the formation, trapped in this city like the other earthbound spirits.
Now she understood why, although she had only seen fragmented memories, she could feel Qin Ruoheng’s joy and pain so acutely.
Because Qin Ruoheng was still here, in this city, in this world, in every unseen corner.
She was the overwhelming resentment, the scattered dust, the crumbling walls, the wind, the rain, and the despair and sorrow felt by everyone who entered this city.
“If I had been with her that night…perhaps things would have been different.”
The black bird’s voice echoed again.
Li Yu turned to see it perched on the altar.
Mu Tao instantly became alert, glaring at the bird. “You were the one trapping us in those illusions, weren’t you? How dare you show your face here!”
She spoke fiercely but unconsciously hid behind Li Yu.
Black Bird: “I didn’t mean to harm you, but the resentment here…is beyond my control now.”
It said that it should have died on the night the city fell.
The city walls of the Moon Capital were so high. Having concealed its wings, when it jumped, it hadn’t expected to open its eyes again.
But it woke up.
On the night of the massacre, a surge of resentment entered its body, mending its broken bones.
It was an excruciating pain that tore at its soul, but it survived.
It didn’t know why the resentment had saved it, only that it had to find her, the woman who had finally broken free.
She didn’t know martial arts or spells.
Not all the Huai soldiers knew her face, and even if they did, with Princess Ruoheng already dead, no one would recognize her.
With the soldiers slaughtering the city’s inhabitants, she could also be killed.
It frantically searched through the blood-soaked city but couldn’t find her.
The eternal flame on the altar was extinguished.
The summoning formation, missing its core, trapped the souls of the city.
Resentment converged towards the altar.
Normally, such concentrated resentment would consume any living being that approached.
But it simply drifted past the bird.
It looked up, watching the resentment slowly blotting out the moon, a terrifying thought forming in its mind.
It thought for a long time, until the city was reduced to ashes and the invading army retreated.
Then it flew to the center of the altar, where the core component was missing.
The embers were cold.
The wind blew away the last trace of ash.
It seemed to hear her last, lingering obsession.
That moonlit night, Qin Ruoheng was pushed along the unfamiliar street by the fleeing crowd.
People desperately tried to escape the city, but she didn’t know why she was still walking forward.
She suddenly turned, pushed through the crowd, and ran in the direction the bird had flown.
She didn’t really want this empty freedom.
If she hadn’t cut the string, perhaps she could have saved something.
She had never run so desperately, her breath ragged, her heart pounding.
But as she reached the city walls, she saw the white bird falling, its wings broken.
The price of freedom was a gruesome sight.
She must have died at that moment, she thought.
Like the bird, standing on the city walls, yearning to fly, only to fall and bleed.
She never had wings, could never escape any cage.
She regretted not dying earlier.
If only she had been the sacrifice on the altar.
If only she had been the princess who ascended the city walls.
She was the one who shouldn’t have survived…
That resentment and obsession allowed her to be consumed by her inner demons, losing herself under the formation’s influence, becoming the missing core.
She had been in this city all along, but for so many years, no one had found her…
The black bird spoke softly, looking up at the sea of resentment.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.
It couldn’t understand…
Why did the person who taught it to never give up on itself…give up?
“Three hundred years,” it said. “The resentment in the Moon Capital has grown stronger and stronger, but it can’t find a way to free her from this cursed formation.”
It had lingered here for far too long.
It gathered the memories of every earthbound spirit, repeatedly piecing together that bloody night, searching for any possibility of saving her.
Over time, the resentment here was no longer as gentle towards it.
It could feel the pain and despair she had suppressed for so long.
It didn’t know if she would be completely consumed by this cursed formation.
It only knew that the worst hadn’t happened yet, and it didn’t want to give up.
The black bird looked at Mo Yichu, its dark red eyes fixed on him.
“I recognize your soul.”
“…”
“I know an immortal saved you.”
“…”
“Three hundred years, and you’ve never returned.”
“…”
The black bird simply stared at him, no longer approaching him as it had in its memories.
Its eyes, filled with confusion, held a hint of resentment.
“Why…” it couldn’t help but ask, “Why could you forget everything? Was letting go of her…that easy?”
As the black bird questioned him, Li Yu looked at Mo Yichu.
She understood the black bird’s resentment.
Perhaps, in its eyes, if this child had returned earlier, they could have worked together to awaken Qin Ruoheng before the resentment became so strong.
Even if it was just wishful thinking, he shouldn’t have forgotten completely.
But three hundred years ago, he was only nine, having endured unimaginable torture; it was understandable that he chose to forget.
If he hadn’t, he probably wouldn’t have had a peaceful night’s sleep on Mount Chao Yao.
Now, the black bird’s questions left him speechless.
If he could choose, he wouldn’t have forgotten.
If he could choose, he would have returned earlier, done everything in his power to resolve the past resentment.
But he had forgotten, and he hadn’t returned.
He had unknowingly abandoned the one person and one demon he shouldn’t have.
“The Unasking Flower…” Mo Yichu muttered, a hint of bitterness in his eyes.
He said he remembered.
During the year he was plagued by nightmares, he had seen the Unasking Flower in Qingxuan Revered One’s hand.
“Ask not of the past, nor the future, only by letting go can you find peace.” She leaned down and whispered, “Consume this flower, and you will forget everything, your heart cleansed… Then you won’t have nightmares anymore.”
“Forget everything?” His master, standing beside him, frowned.
“Not everything.” She smiled faintly. “It will leave behind a sliver of obsession, hidden deep within your heart, a place you might never reach. Whether you remember it in this life depends on how deep that obsession was when you forgot.”
She offered the flower to his master, asking jokingly, “Want to try it?”
“…”
“Better not. For a child, forgetting everything is called childhood amnesia. But for someone your age, it’s called dementia.”
She didn’t wait for a reply, crushed the flower into powder with a spell, and, with a flick of her wrist, sent the powder into his eyes.
…
So, the reason Mo Yichu didn’t remember anything before he was nine was because Si Qinglan had made him consume the Unasking Flower.
Immortals and gods, having lived for millennia, couldn’t comprehend human suffering.
A nine-year-old’s memories were like insignificant dust, easily erased.
A few short years of life were trivial in their eyes.
But that single, careless gesture had made a little demon bird wait alone for over three hundred years.
And the person it waited for hadn’t truly forgotten.
He subconsciously felt drawn to the ostracized little sister on Mount Chao Yao, comforting her patiently, just like his mother used to comfort him.
He accompanied her, gazing at the moon he used to watch with his mother.
He forgot the gentle voice, but the gentle words remained.
This blockhead, who only knew how to cultivate under the big iceberg, usually didn’t even know how to speak kindly, let alone comfort a crying girl.
Those words that touched the little protagonist’s heart were the lingering obsession left behind when he forgot.
Li Yu sighed.
She suddenly realized Mo Yichu was looking at her, and Mu Tao and the black bird were also looking at her, following his gaze.
What was going on?
Why were they all looking at her? She was just a spectator!
Were they expecting her to come up with a solution?
She knew nothing about these things!
She could only deflect the responsibility.
Li Yu frowned and asked seriously, “Nephew, have you thought of a way to break this formation?”
Mo Yichu: “This disciple does have a method, but…”
Li Yu nodded reassuringly. “If you have a method, then proceed without hesitation. Don’t worry too much, I’m here.”
Her words were perfect, both encouraging the junior and reinforcing her image as a reliable elder.
This male protagonist, as long as romance wasn’t involved, was completely dependable.
It didn’t matter who was behind him; in the early stages of the original story, as long as he stepped forward, no one else needed to do anything.
“Senior Brother, what are you planning to do?” Mu Tao couldn’t help but ask. “Is there anything I can do to help…”
“There are two ways to break this formation,” Mo Yichu explained. “One is to dispel the resentment in the city, significantly weakening the formation’s power, and then forcefully break it. But the resentment here has accumulated for over three hundred years. Without an immortal or god willing to endure Heavenly Tribulation, dispelling the resentment and breaking the formation is impossible.”
Li Yu didn’t dare speak.
Mu Tao, anxious, said, “No, no, just tell us the second method, Senior Brother!”
Mo Yichu: “The second method is to eliminate the resentment of the core component… Once the formation loses its core, it will dissipate on its own, even without intervention.”
The blood sacrifice three hundred years ago had inadvertently turned Qin Ruoheng into the core of the formation.
If they could resolve her resentment, this formation that had trapped tens of thousands of souls for over three hundred years would naturally disappear.
But she had already become a demon, merged with the formation…
Let alone resolving her resentment, even awakening her consciousness would be incredibly difficult.
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