Senior Sister Went Mad After My Fake Death Chapter 22

“Bright Snow Sect cultivator? So, you don’t plan to stay in our Cave of Severed Affections?”
Suddenly, the piercing hissing of snakes and the snarling barks all ceased, and an extremely provocative, seductive voice rang out.
Following the sound, a woman walked down the deep, dark-red spiral staircase, step by step.
The woman had apricot eyes and peachy cheeks, skin as fair as snow and hair as black as night, completely at odds with the deep red palace.
She looked perfectly human. As for the other demons lurking elsewhere in the palace, their appearances were not flattering.
They looked exactly like the demons they were.
Jiang Chunai still firmly remembered the task Mei Shengchi had given her. Even now, she maintained the calm will of a cultivator.
She said, “I did not intentionally trespass. I am merely here on my master’s orders to retrieve an item from the Ru’an Ghost Market. By unfortunate coincidence, I entered your Cave of Severed Affections.”
“Unfortunate coincidence?” The woman stopped swaying her bluish-white round fan, looking at Jiang Chunai in surprise, and murmured, “I didn’t expect anyone to claim entering our Cave of Severed Affections was an ‘unfortunate coincidence’?”
Under the dim light, the woman’s lips grew even more vibrant, a deep, thorough red.
It was as if they weren’t stained with lipstick, but painted red with human blood.
“Once you come to our Cave of Severed Affections, you either become one of us, or… you become a dead person.”
Suddenly, a human head hanging upside down from the high corridor dropped straight down.
Jiang Chunai was startled, but then she saw that as the demon head fell, its neck stretched out, and after neatly dropping, it twisted back into its original shape with a few ‘creaking’ sounds, looking at Jiang Chunai with a wicked smile.
“Do you understand, young lady?”
Only then did Jiang Chunai clearly see that the demon was heavily made up, making it difficult to discern its gender. She could only tell from its voice that the previous threatening words had also come from it.
She would rather die than become one of them.
Jiang Chunai frowned and loudly announced her sect and name.
“I am Jiang Chunai, a disciple of Immortal Lord Yang Nian of the Bright Snow Sect. My sole purpose in this journey is to retrieve an item for my elder. The sect’s rules are strict, and I cannot join your esteemed group… Furthermore, Chunai has no intention of offending any of you. I hope you will show mercy.”
The charming and captivating woman cackled at Jiang Chunai’s words.
But in an instant, a drop of blood suddenly fell from her vibrant red lips.
Her lips immediately lost their color, becoming quite pale.
The woman quickly covered her mouth, then pulled out a neck from somewhere—a bleeding neck—and gnawed it completely.
Her lips then became as red as before.
“My apologies, I’ve forgotten when the last time was,” the woman said, still apologizing. “Eating something alive this time, my lips should stay red for a bit longer.”
Jiang Chunai resisted the urge to draw her sword. Now was not the time for impulsiveness.
“Hmm, wait, let me think, what did you just say?” The woman changed the subject. “A Bright Snow Sect cultivator, with no intention of offending us? But aren’t you Bright Snow Sect cultivators famous throughout the world for slaying demons and devils?”
“Little Senior Sister, are you perhaps saying ‘no intention of offending’ with your mouth, but in your heart, you want to draw your sword a thousand, ten thousand times, and kill all the demons and monsters in our Cave of Severed Affections, leaving no one alive?” The woman covered her mouth and laughed.
Jiang Chunai remained silent.
She had to admit that if it were before, she might have actually done so.
But now, she wouldn’t.
One reason was a consideration of her strength; the other was… it wasn’t the first time she had let evil spirits go.
The woman leaned against the railing, still smiling at Jiang Chunai, “It’s fine even if you’re exposed, Little Senior Sister.”
“Come quickly, come and join us.” The long-necked demon also enthusiastically invited her, having pulled out a horn from somewhere, playing an odd, wailing tune that seemed to welcome Jiang Chunai.
Jiang Chunai patiently explained her purpose once more.
Finally, the two demons who had come out to negotiate with her grew displeased.
The woman said with a cold laugh, “This is the Cave of Severed Affections, not the Ghost Market. You cannot buy or sell things in the Cave of Severed Affections.”
The long-necked demon blew a few more notes on its horn, the sound twisted, broken, and unpleasant.
Jiang Chunai steadied herself and said, “Just now, when I summoned on the mountain, it was a minor demon from the Cave of Severed Affections, a three-headed demon, that came out and led the way. It said it would take me to the Ghost Market, so I followed it. In other words, it was you who brought me to the Cave of Severed Affections, not by my own will.”
“I merely wish to retrieve an item for my elder.”
Jiang Chunai clenched her fists tightly, her eyes scanning her surroundings. She wanted to find a place, an opportunity, to break out.
After all, her Junior Sister was still waiting for her.
When Junior Sister was in the mortal realm, she was a pampered young lady who grew up with a silver spoon in her mouth. She had suffered the hardships of cultivation after coming to the mountain, but usually, she hadn’t suffered much injustice.
She must be terrified alone in that dark, gloomy mine, right?
Even though she had given her protective jade bracelet to Junior Sister, Jiang Chunai still worried about her safety.
She wanted to leave the Cave of Severed Affections quickly and go back to save her Junior Sister.
The two demons remained silent, seemingly displeased with Jiang Chunai’s reply.
After a while, the woman spoke slowly, “Oh, you mean you don’t want to stay in our Cave of Severed Affections?”
The woman’s words implied blame for them accidentally bringing her to the Cave of Severed Affections.
Tch. As expected, humans are disgusting, especially cultivators.
Only by dying in the Cave of Severed Affections and becoming one of them can they wash away the sins of being cultivators!
“Yes, Chunai still has a master’s command to fulfill,” Jiang Chunai said, pressing her lips together. “I hope you will grant me your understanding.”
As a Bright Snow Sect cultivator, remaining in a place like this for long would be very strange.
The air fell into an eerie silence.
Jiang Chunai did not speak, the woman did not speak, and all the demons and monsters did not speak.
Finally, the woman’s voice grew stranger, saying in a low tone, “I will not grant it.”
“Since you could come directly to the Cave of Severed Affections, it proves that you are naturally suited for this place!”
No sooner said than done, the long-necked demon, as if finally given affirmation, rushed straight from its upside-down position on the railing, charging directly towards Jiang Chunai.
It opened its gaping, blood-red mouth.
Jiang Chunai didn’t think much, summoned her Snow Camellia Sword, and without hesitation, thrust it at the long-necked demon.
The battle had begun.
For a moment, terrifying sounds echoed throughout the palace.
Hissing tongues, water snakes seemed to lurk in the depths, in the shadows, every indistinct place emitting dangerous sounds.
It turned the place into a den of endless water snakes.
Jiang Chunai reacted quickly, severing the long-necked demon’s head with a single strike, then sought cover.
Her original intention was to escape, but recalling the woman’s condescending demeanor, she guessed she must be a person of status.
Although holding others hostage was shameful for righteous cultivators, at this moment, Jiang Chunai had only this one option.
Moreover, her pitiful Junior Sister was still all alone in the mine.
Bats, rats… at any moment, they could harm her Junior Sister.
As a Senior Sister, she absolutely could not let her Junior Sister suffer such a tragic fate.
So Jiang Chunai lightly tapped her toes, wanting to fly up the spiral staircase. But the long-necked demon, whose head she had just severed, continued to tremble.
Its head, which had rolled to the side, was still speaking: “Traitor, you traitor! Our Cave of Severed Affections demons will not be wrong! You are one of us!”
The headless body rose from the ground, spread its arms, and strode towards Jiang Chunai!
As for the bleeding head that had been speaking, after rolling once on the ground, it gathered strength for a few seconds, then instantly shot towards Jiang Chunai!
“Traitor, traitor!”
“Why are you still a Bright Snow Sect cultivator?!”
“Are you even worthy of being a Bright Snow Sect cultivator?!”
“Don’t you even look at what you’ve done.”
“What if you retrieve the item for your elder? Do you want to atone for your sins? Because you don’t deserve to be a Bright Snow Sect cultivator at all!”
“You traitor!”
…
Sharp, overlapping voices echoed in Jiang Chunai’s ears. She had wanted to forget the past, but now it resurfaced before her eyes.
Those deadly, ferocious fiends also continuously launched attacks against Jiang Chunai.
If it were just dealing with them, Jiang Chunai felt she still had some strength left.
Her steps were agile, blade light flashed, sword energy intertwined, and she danced with her sword.
A protective barrier emitted a gentle, light-blue glow, protecting her from corrosion.
The sword blade spun, golden energy radiated, like driving thunder and lightning, pursuing clouds and chasing the moon. For a moment, the demons of the Cave of Severed Affections actually showed signs of weakening.
At this moment, the woman had climbed to the very top, looking down at everything below with annoyance. “Useless trash.”
Can’t even defeat one cultivator?
“Your Highness, calm your anger, Your Highness!” The severed head, which Jiang Chunai had just cut off, quickly rolled over from the ground, crying, “It’s not that we didn’t attack her hard enough, it’s just that she… she’s somehow strange?”
The woman said impatiently, “What’s so different about her? Do you want me to go and meet her myself?”
The severed head mumbled, “She seems to have a kind of demonic energy on her. When our sisters and brothers attack, even though we strike fiercely, we get confused by that power. We can’t harm her!”
Only then did the anger in the woman’s eyes dissipate somewhat. Then, a faint green light flickered in her apricot eyes.
“Yes, she has a feeling of being intertwined with demonic energy… unable to harm her.” The woman chuckled softly. “She truly is an out-and-out traitor.”
“Go down. I have a plan.”
With that, she lifted her foot and kicked the severed head, which had just rolled over, back down.
The woman raised her hand, forming a hand seal, preparing to cast a spell.
“Demons, ghosts, and monsters of the Cave of Severed Affections, heed my command!” she chanted, a faint green flame lighting up her palm.
Her face, obscured by the green flame, gradually blurred, revealing her true fierce appearance.
“Jiang Chunai, now, you cannot escape.”
“Enter my spell.”
In the woman’s palm, at this moment, a glowing blue pearl clearly appeared.
The Cave of Severed Affections was, after all, a place where evil spirits bred. If fighting alone, these present demons could do nothing to Jiang Chunai.
But she soon realized she could not stay here any longer.
Her consciousness was gradually scattering, and the demons’ continuous chanting of “traitor” made her afraid to listen closely.
She didn’t want to be a traitor; she wasn’t a traitor.
So Jiang Chunai cut down the fox demon that had just rushed up with a single strike, planning to run back the way she came.
Leaving was always more hopeful than staying here forever, killing endless demons.
As if sensing her intention to leave, the evil spirits surprisingly made way obediently.
Jiang Chunai felt suspicious but thought that since they were letting her go, she should seize the opportunity.
Before her was a vast blood mist. Every step she took revealed ugly demons and ghosts of various shapes, but none of them spoke or actively blocked her.
“…Where do you wish to go?”
Suddenly, a sword shadow appeared horizontally, blocking Jiang Chunai’s path.
It was Mei Shengchi.
“Have you completed the task I assigned you? Why are you hurrying out?” Cliff Master Mei frowned. She looked exactly as Jiang Chunai remembered. “I told you to retrieve my Pearl of Retrospection.”
Jiang Chunai explained, “You told me to go to the Ghost Market to retrieve the Pearl of Retrospection, but this is the Cave of Severed Affections. It’s full of evil spirits. Cliff Master, we cannot stay here any longer; let’s leave together!”
With that, Jiang Chunai prepared to continue forward, but the “Cliff Master” suddenly scoffed coldly twice, unleashing sword energy that struck directly at Jiang Chunai.
“You don’t listen to your master, you violate sect rules, and I asked you to find a Pearl of Retrospection, and you can’t even do that. Jiang Chunai, Jiang Chunai, what use are you?”
The “Mei Shengchi’s” voice grew more arrogant: “I should have struck you dead with a palm back then! After all, when you came out of the Ice Soul Secret Realm, didn’t you feel unworthy of being human at that moment?”
Jiang Chunai gritted her teeth, silently reciting a chant in her heart.
It’s an illusion, she told herself.
But… why could this illusion so thoroughly ravage one’s mind?
It seemed to strike at the most unspeakable point in her life.
“You still want to keep it a secret, right? Do you think that secret is worth keeping? You are now in danger; will anyone come to save you?”
Not far away, the woman still held the Pearl of Retrospection, her gaze focused.
She didn’t know what secret Jiang Chunai wanted to keep. The Pearl of Retrospection only showed Jiang Chunai’s distraught appearance when she came out of the secret realm.
Her Dao heart was clearly missing a piece.
Though she didn’t know what Jiang Chunai was hiding, the woman knew this was her vital weakness.
Once someone entered her illusionary realm, it was difficult to get out.
“She has demonic energy on her, don’t try to take her by force,” the woman told the wolfhound beside her.
The wolfhound asked, “Then, could she also be one of us?”
“…She can be one of us after she dies.” The woman chuckled softly. “Don’t think that just because she’s a demon too, she’ll be one of us. Look at the human world; everyone’s human, yet they still scheme against each other, don’t they?”
“If she dies and sincerely enters my demon lair, only then might she be considered one of us,” the woman continued. “Besides, she merely has demonic energy on her.”
The wolfhound barked a few times, indicating agreement. “Her Highness Saintess is right.”
Saintess continued to infuse spiritual energy into the illusion through the Pearl of Retrospection.
And she continued to attack the missing piece of Jiang Chunai’s Dao heart.
“Take everyone over there, and while Jiang Chunai’s consciousness is weak… strike a fatal blow.”
“The person you went to such lengths to protect, will she come to save you now?”
“Mei Shengchi” continued to coldly question Jiang Chunai.
“You are so good to her, will she remember you? Did she ever think of you before? Now that you are about to die, will she come to save you?”
A scorching pain spread from her heart.
So good to her.
“Alright, Jiang Chunai, you are my disciple after all. Yang Nian is dead; it’s natural for me to look after you for her. I don’t want to be so harsh with you. How about this, you should seriously think about what exactly is between you and her.”
After the oppressive feeling vanished, Jiang Chunai felt a little better, but only a little.
Immediately afterward, scenes of her past interactions with Han Xiao surged into her mind, one by one.
The first time she saw Han Xiao, Han Xiao’s eyes were indifferent, devoid of worldly concerns, as if everything in this world had nothing to do with her.
Then Master came, gently patted little Chunai’s head, and kindly told her to call this woman “Senior Sister.”
Senior Sister hadn’t even looked at little Chunai on the first day;
Little Chunai knew her name was somewhat related to Senior Sister’s sword, Twilight Kite, and thus liked this formidable Senior Sister even more.
According to Master, couldn’t only the Snow Camellia Sword be compared to the Twilight Kite?
As for weaving immortal silk threads for the first time, to give Senior Sister Han Xiao a gift, she had not hesitated to give gifts to everyone in the sect as a clumsy cover-up. Jiang Chunai had done such things before…
She thought Senior Sister also had a good impression of her.
Under the Udumbara flower tree, a young girl’s heart fluttered with affection. She had wished then to be with Senior Sister forever.
At that time, Senior Sister would even help her hang her wish ribbon, though she hadn’t written anything;
During the Ghost Market adventure, Senior Sister would stay by her side, not letting her go anywhere…
She originally thought this was Senior Sister’s expression of love for her.
Later, she mistakenly entered the secret realm and had intimate contact with the Senior Sister she most admired.
The thing that shattered her occurred: Senior Sister had fox tails growing behind her.
The Bright Snow Sect would never let any demon go, and her own Master had died at the hands of demons.
For Senior Sister, Jiang Chunai let the demon go.
She didn’t want to know what was going on; she only knew that if Senior Sister’s demonic identity were discovered, the consequences would be eternal damnation.
So she alone swallowed the bitter fruit.
Confinement, Reflection Cliff, until death.
More and more demonic creatures appeared, and Jiang Chunai’s hand, holding the sword, was beginning to lose its grip.
She gritted her teeth.
“Oh, seeing how pitiful you are, how about this: you make her come save you? After all, at the most critical moment, what a person does is what they desire most in their heart.”
Persuaded by the “Mei Shengchi” before her, Jiang Chunai finally mustered the courage to pull out her voice transmission jade seal.
“Han Xiao…” She silently chanted Han Xiao’s name, her heart filled with a bitter taste like gall.
She knew that everything she saw and heard was an illusion, but the images flashing in her mind were all real occurrences.
Senior Sister was not an illusion.
Han Xiao’s kindness and cruelty towards her were not illusions.
She had always thought her relationship with Senior Sister Han Xiao was so good, yet at the most critical moment, she was less important than others in the sect—
She didn’t even dare to use this voice transmission jade seal.
She believed their relationship was intimate, but in fact, she was afraid that if she sent a message, the thread that she had maintained through imagination would snap with a crash.
But then, she suddenly wanted to know the outcome.
The voice transmission jade seal quickly vibrated.
A rustling sound came from the other side, followed by Han Xiao’s voice, clear as snow.
“Senior Sister, can you come… find me? I’m not on the mountain.”
She deliberately changed the word to “find.” If it were “save,” it would feel a bit coercive.
However, the voice from the jade seal made Jiang Chunai’s heart tremble:
“…Shouldn’t you be on Reflection Cliff? Why do you expect me to save you?”
She froze, and the voice transmission jade seal slipped from her palm, shattering on the ground into countless pieces, each one seemingly depicting an interaction she had shared with Han Xiao.
The first time Master introduced her, she had excitedly greeted Han Xiao, but in truth, that day, and for a long time afterward, Han Xiao never once truly looked at little Chunai;
The so-called connection between “Chunai” and “Twilight Kite” was merely a youthful, one-sided wish, because when Senior Sister heard about it, she only gave a faint “Oh,” and never brought it up again;
The wish under the Udumbara flower tree was the same. Jiang Chunai used to fondly remember Senior Sister subtly tracing characters on her back with her finger, but now, it seemed like nothing more than a perfunctory gesture because Senior Sister was too lazy to write the actual content;
During the Ghost Market adventure, too, Senior Sister had stayed by her side, never leaving. Was she worried about her demonic identity being exposed…?
And so, when Senior Sister’s demonic identity was fully exposed, she no longer harbored any affection for her.
Why should she expect her to save her?
Han Xiao must have thought her death was the best option.
“Mei Shengchi” stared intently at the silent Jiang Chunai and asked, “How is it? The person you desperately tried to keep a secret for, what did she say?”
“When will she come to save you? If she were to come save you, could she possibly pass through this demon-infested Cave of Severed Affections?”
Jiang Chunai interrupted, “No, she won’t come.”
Outside the illusion, Saintess, who was casting the spell, froze, watching as the glowing blue color on the Pearl of Retrospection gradually faded, eventually losing all light.
She stared blankly, “What happened?”
Her protector also looked over, puzzled, and asked, “Your Highness Saintess, why did the Pearl of Retrospection go out?”
Saintess frowned, her two unnatural eyebrows furrowed. “Jiang Chunai’s spiritual energy was too strong just now; she broke through my illusion. But rather than her spiritual energy being too strong, it was more like… that emotion was too intense. You know, the foundation of my illusions comes from feeding on people’s negative emotions.”
That’s why she had been able to easily restrain Jiang Chunai just by using the Pearl of Retrospection combined with her illusion.
“Oh no, oh no!” The wolfhound that had run out earlier came back, its face wailing. “Your Highness Saintess, that Jiang Chunai is like a madwoman now! She’s massacring our family members like crazy!”
Blade light and sword shadows, blood splattering, severed limbs—everything belonging to demons and devils, shattered into pieces.
Jiang Chunai walked through such a mountain of corpses and sea of blood.
…Master died by the hands of such evil spirits.
Only her Master, in that great snow that could bury the dead, had picked her up, an orphan who had lost both parents, and nurtured her with such care.
She should not have any compassion for evil spirits. Not a single demon in this Cave of Severed Affections was innocent.
As for the person she had desperately tried to protect, oh, a demon?
A demon who would coldly take her jade seal and ask why she expected her to save her.
Yes, she must have wished her dead in this place.
Jiang Chunai thought.
Outside Ru’an City.
“Heavens, we haven’t even reached Ru’an City yet, have we? Why is the demonic energy so heavy here?” A female cultivator in a light-colored long dress exclaimed in surprise, glancing at the tall, elegant woman beside her.
That woman was Han Xiao of the Bright Snow Sect.
To be honest, someone so immortally beautiful was not from their Mengling Immortal Manor!
Her Junior Sister nudged Su Yanchen’s arm and teased, “Senior Sister, are you thinking about Daoist Han Xiao again?”
Su Yanchen pouted and hummed, “Her face and aura never change, and we’ve been walking with her all this time. Isn’t it normal for me to say a few words?”
The Junior Sister said, “But, our Immortal Manor isn’t just for pretty faces either.”
The Junior Sister was truly resigned to her beauty-obsessed Senior Sister. Who would say they should forcefully recruit someone just because they looked good?
Their Mengling Immortal Manor was indeed very strict about accepting disciples, valuing innate talent above all. That’s how they managed to develop such momentum, almost surpassing the Bright Snow Sect, in just over a hundred years since their establishment.
Moreover, the Mengling Immortal Manor’s location was in an immortal realm, with abundant spiritual energy, making everyone ethereal and elegant.
However… compared to innate talent, acquired traits could sometimes be strange—they were also accompanied by people from Yanqiu.
Yanqiu cultivators all possessed the Nuwa bloodline.
Legend has it that after Nuwa created the world, a part of her body transformed into ten deities, and nine of these deities had descendants who propagated for generations. Although “Nuwa’s descendants” sounded impressive, many possessed this bloodline.
“Then, how about it? Senior Sister Han Xiao is so beautiful, her talent must be exceptional. If she came to our Immortal Manor now, we would definitely welcome her with open arms!”
Junior Sister: “…”
Their expedition was to join forces with cultivators from the Bright Snow Sect and other minor sects to eliminate demons and evil.
Han Xiao was always at the center of attention, but she always remained aloof. Aside from necessary communication, she would never speak.
Meanwhile, Su Yanchen and her Junior Sister from the Mengling Immortal Manor chattered away all the time.
“Indeed,” Jing Shun said, standing behind with crossed arms, frowning. “Speaking of which, was the demonic energy in Ru’an City ever this severe before?”
Su Yanchen loudly declared, “No! Something must have happened at the Cave of Severed Affections!”
People from the Mengling Immortal Manor perceived things with extreme accuracy. It was rumored that if cultivators in the Immortal Manor reached a high enough cultivation level, mysterious voices in their sea of consciousness would even give instructions.
Han Xiao nodded, acknowledging her statement.
“Let’s go.”
Enduring the demonic energy along the way, everyone’s faces were solemn, except for Jing Shun, who remained nonchalant, talking to others and occasionally trying to get close to Han Xiao, saying she would soon ascend to immortality.
Han Xiao never replied to his teasing remarks.
Unless, of course, something serious came up.
She received Yan Linglong’s plea for help.
…The demon is in the Cave of Severed Affections.
Of course, she should go to the Cave of Severed Affections. Just then, the fine lines in her eyes began to ache again.
The pain, indeed, had a reason.
Jiang Chunai—that Junior Sister who always clung to her—had also encountered difficulties.
Master had left a paired jade bracelet for both her and Jiang Chunai.
Jiang Chunai’s cultivation was insufficient; she couldn’t perform any tricks with this item. But Han Xiao was different. Through this jade bracelet, she could sense Jiang Chunai’s location.
In a mine.
If she couldn’t even eliminate the minor demons and devils in the mine, all her years of cultivation would have been for naught.
Han Xiao made her decision.
“Let’s go, to the Cave of Severed Affections.”
Jiang Chunai’s strength was already formidable. Wielding her Snow Camellia Sword, she broke through several waves of demonic attacks.
Her body moved with the sword, streaks of lightning dragon energy flashing.
She had no choice; she had to persevere until she got out. Her Junior Sister was still waiting for her in the mine.
…Junior Sister would definitely not sit idly by and wait for death. If she found her gone, she would surely find help.
At the thought of this possibility, Jiang Chunai began to feel confident.
She fought with renewed vigor, even though her spiritual meridians grew weaker and weaker.
One comes, kill one; two come, kill two…
Saintess watched her subordinates go to their deaths wave after wave. Even though this was their headquarters, she still felt annoyed.
Jiang Chunai was fighting alone. Saintess could, of course, continue to wear her down; Jiang Chunai would definitely be the one to die.
However, as a leader, she could not let her subordinates make such pointless sacrifices.
“Your Highness Saintess!” A vulture flew over. “Someone has directly broken through our cave roof! The blood mist has now overflowed, and it’s very likely to attract immortal cultivators to attack us!”
Saintess frowned. She thought of some bad news. “Speaking of which, I heard that the Bright Snow Sect has joined forces with the Mengling Immortal Manor and some minor sects, sweeping away minor demons, right?”
“Yes, yes, the person who came this time seems to be from the Bright Snow Sect!” The vulture demon wailed.
Saintess rubbed her forehead, saying impatiently, “How about this, I’ll go meet her. That woman, we’ll deal with later.”
The demonic energy on this woman grew heavier with every kill.
Having slain demons and devils along the way, these people had already gained some understanding of Han Xiao’s strength.
And Han Xiao had also gained some understanding of the strength of her companions.
Therefore, when Han Xiao got separated from them again this time, she didn’t feel she had lost anything.
Jing Shun’s voice came through the voice transmission jade seal: “Senior Sister Han Xiao, where are you now? We are currently trapped in an illusion…”
Han Xiao said indifferently, “Then try your best to break free.”
“Ah, wait, Han—” Jing Shun’s voice quickly disappeared. Han Xiao had no patience to talk to him further.
So many people, yet they all expected her to rescue them. Too naive.
Moreover, the fine lines beneath her eyes were still throbbing.
Just now, she had reconfirmed the location of the paired jade bracelets, which was Jiang Chunai’s location.
The person was still in the same spot.
She would deal with the Cave of Severed Affections first, and then go back to find Jiang Chunai—if Jiang Chunai was truly in trouble.
Han Xiao thought as she walked through the mountain path.
It had been daytime when they arrived, but now darkness was traversing mountains and rivers, mingled with an impenetrable thick fog that connected heaven and earth.
She simply held her sword, certain of her path, and walked towards a single route.
It was a stone wall. The small insects at her feet stared blankly at the tall, beautiful woman, as if wondering why she was taking a dead-end path.
Faint golden patterns instantly appeared in Han Xiao’s ink-black eyes with clear pupils.
She raised her hand, and a golden light condensed in her palm. The gate burst open with a crash, revealing a world of its own.
An illusionary trick.
This place must be within the Cave of Severed Affections, but too many demons gathered here, and the spiritual energy was so heavy that it transformed into various shapes.
Han Xiao knew that going further would certainly lead to many more illusions.
The demons she had previously slain were the same; they all excelled at illusions. Unfortunately, illusions were what Han Xiao feared least.
Illusions were inner demons that generated the greatest fear in one’s heart, nightmares.
Unfortunately, for all these years, Han Xiao had never known what inner demons or nightmares she had.
Like now.
A woman in snow-white robes lay fallen nearby, looking at her pitifully.
Han Xiao walked past her, her gaze unwavering, her long sword in hand.
“Han Xiao, have you forgotten your master?” The woman opened her lips, and when she looked up, it was Immortal Lord Yang Nian, Yin Zhuyun, in her true form.
Han Xiao did not stop. Unable to ignore “Master” calling her again and again, she finally stopped and turned around, looking at her coldly with a gaze devoid of sorrow or joy.
The woman was still slightly gasping, “Han Xiao, your master is trapped here, your master needs your spiritual meridians…”
However, before she finished speaking, a wave of energy struck, and “Immortal Lord Yang Nian” instantly turned into a pile of dust.
Master had gone through countless hardships to bring her out.
Yes, Master was indeed very hardworking, but how much did that truly have to do with her?
Without Yin Zhuyun, she would still have emerged.
Just like how she came to the Cave of Severed Affections today. These rule-breaking demons, she would come for them today or tomorrow.
Sooner or later, she would exterminate these disobedient demons.
The Cave of Severed Affections would only have more, not fewer.
She walked along, entering countless illusions, yet not one illusion could shake her heart.
A heart as firm as rock, as cold and hard.
She met many people, even Master, who had just appeared.
Besides Immortal Lord Yang Nian, there were Dao Lord Qiming, Zeng Jun, Jing Shun, Yan Linglong, and even her other companions who came with her; she met them all.
They all pleaded with her or angrily accused her of being too cold.
But Han Xiao was not affected in the slightest.
Wherever the Twilight Kite passed, not a blade of grass remained.
These people were all utterly slain by her.
Sword light, like flowing golden sunset, poured through the blood-red mist that connected heaven and earth.
Finally, Han Xiao seemed to grow weary. She stood still and chanted, “Flowing Clouds Chasing the Moon.”
Suddenly, the Twilight Kite rose, and a single sword stroke tore through the sky!
In an instant, the hills before her flattened with a crash, and the potholes were filled with a thud.
The path transformed from rugged to straight, easier than crushing an ant.
“Come out.”
“Cackle, cackle, cackle.” A woman crawled out from underground, with only one eye on her face.
“Immortal Lord Yang Nian’s head disciple, Han Xiao, truly is someone who slays demons without batting an eye,” the demon muttered, her rattling bones clicking together.
Han Xiao said coldly, “Don’t block the way.”
“Why are you so fierce with me? Do you have to be so cruel to every demon, leaving not a single one alive?” The female demon seemed displeased.
“Those who don’t obey naturally don’t need to live.”
The female demon was clearly startled by Han Xiao’s words, her bones trembling again. Finally, she reluctantly said, “Understood, understood. Then follow me.”
Han Xiao remained silent, holding her sword, and followed the female demon.
The deeper they went, the heavier the demonic energy became. This kind of place was best suited for demon combat.
The female demon led Han Xiao through a magnificent, never-sleeping city.
In a daze, Han Xiao felt this place was somewhat familiar.
What did it resemble? It resembled the Ghost Market, the first time she went to the Ghost Market as “Han Xiao.”
At that time, she hadn’t gone alone, but she couldn’t remember who she had gone with, or rather, she didn’t want to remember.
Remembering such things was simply a waste.
The female demon clicked and clacked as she walked ahead. During this, some human-faced birds appeared, circling around them.
The surrounding demonic energy grew even heavier, so heavy it seemed to be able to transform into human shapes, desiring to devour humans.
Suddenly, the Twilight Kite rested horizontally on the female demon’s neck. The sword’s edge grazed her thin skin. The female demon turned around in fear, “You, what do you want to do…”
“You brought me to a place like this, are you looking for your sisters?” Han Xiao said coldly, the sword’s edge digging deeper. “Then you go down first and wait for them.”
With that, the sword’s edge sharply turned, and the female demon instantly died.
The human-faced birds circling around were also scattered by the golden sword wave, letting out extremely painful wails.
When she opened her eyes again, Han Xiao was already in a Penglai immortal realm shrouded in clouds.
She was under an illusion.
Han Xiao never had many thoughts when facing illusions; she would only find the caster and slay them.
In millions of years of chaos, she had learned nothing else. She still didn’t understand love or emotions.
“Immortal Elder, Immortal Elder!” Saintess appeared in this Penglai immortal realm. Separated by a cloud, her dark red clothes were even more striking.
Han Xiao dragged her sword on the ground with a screech, acknowledging that she had heard.
“Immortal Elder, I am here to guide you,” Saintess stepped forward, smiling very amiably. “Who are you looking for in our Cave of Severed Affections?”
Han Xiao: “Demon slaying.”
The cave had just been breached, and Saintess’s heart twinged with pain. At that moment, she knew this person was not to be trifled with.
Compared to Jiang Chunai, who was currently massacring her subordinates, this person before her seemed more capable of overturning the entire demon lair.
She could find people to wear Jiang Chunai down, but not this person.
“Immortal Elder…” Saintess murmured, “This entire cave of ours is full of demons. Can you bear to let us all die?”
She asked nervously.
Han Xiao did not hesitate, saying, “I will leave the obedient ones alive.”
Saintess breathed a long sigh of relief. So, Han Xiao agreed to let them go!
Thinking of this, she immediately said, “Do you need me to do anything?”
“I will decide for myself.”
Saintess saw the shimmering golden light around Han Xiao and dared not speak further. Remembering that Jiang Chunai was still killing her subordinates, she hastily bid farewell—
Before leaving, she dispelled the illusion and said that she would absolutely never do anything bad to the Immortal Elder again.
She thought this counted as a temporary contract with a human.
Demons might be unreasonable, but humans were, especially these cultivators who considered themselves righteous.
Jiang Chunai had almost exhausted all her strength, finally forcing back the demons before her.
Holding her sword, she began to grope her way through the cave. Perhaps because she had just been under an illusion, although her eyes were open, the scenes flashing before her were all memories, all from the past.
Every little moment she had spent with everyone in the Bright Snow Sect.
She would pester Han Xiao to accompany her to the Ghost Market. Now, without Han Xiao, she was suffering such a severe blow.
She would also make a wish before the Udumbara flower that bloomed once every three thousand years, wishing to be with Senior Sister forever…
Many names and faces flashed in her mind.
Mother, Father, Immortal Lord Yang Nian, Dao Lord Qiming, Senior Sisters, Junior Sisters, Senior Brothers…
And the demoness she had just met.
The demoness’s charming laughter echoed endlessly in her ears. Unfortunately, all of this was interrupted by a cold remark.
“…Shouldn’t you be on Reflection Cliff? Why do you expect me to save you?”
In an instant, Jiang Chunai felt so cold again, as if she were in a world of ice and snow.
She was back in that famine year, in the bitter cold, her parents buried deep beneath the heavy snow.
Snow was everywhere, blood was everywhere.
In a daze, she saw Senior Sister’s face—because Senior Sister’s face seemed to be made of ice and snow.
Beautiful, eerie.
“Sen-Senior Sister,” she murmured, the grievances in her heart spilling out, “you still came to save me, didn’t you?”
Just a moment ago, she had been thinking that if she could get out, she would never like Senior Sister Han Xiao again.
She wanted to return to the mountain, kneel before Master’s tombstone, place the jade bracelet on it, and tell Master that this task was too difficult.
She couldn’t take care of Senior Sister Han Xiao. Senior Sister Han Xiao didn’t need her care.
Everything, everything, was just her, Jiang Chunai’s, one-sided wish.
But Senior Sister actually came.
Just as hope rose in her eyes, she heard the four most terrifying words—
“You don’t know what’s good for you.” The four words came from Han Xiao’s mouth. The next second, the Twilight Kite rose, amidst golden flecks of light, piercing directly and mercilessly towards Jiang Chunai.
…It hurts so much.
But why couldn’t she speak?
Jiang Chunai stared blankly at her chest, where a very long, very long sword had pierced.
That sword, which she had polished day and night, that sword she had cherished for its owner’s sake, had finally pierced into her body.
It pierced through her chest.
The sword’s owner had no intention of letting her live.
…It hurts so much. She thought. If it were an illusion, it wouldn’t hurt this much.
Illusions were divided into illusions of joy and illusions of sorrow.
If only it were an illusion, she could deceive herself that being killed by Han Xiao was a joy.
She should find release.
From the moment she came out of the secret realm, she had thought of ending her life. She had naively believed that even though Senior Sister was a demon, she had some feelings for her, which was why she hadn’t killed her.
So she alone swallowed this bitter, astringent forbidden fruit.
But as time went on, this bitter fruit took root and sprouted, growing even more sour.
…Senior Sister said she wouldn’t save her, yet with one sword, she pierced through her.
“This way, no one will know, right, Senior Sister?” she murmured, the light in her pale, glass-like pupils fading completely.
She thought, She would never like Han Xiao again.
Senior Sister must have gotten her wish, this way, no one would know her secret as a demon.
But after this, if she discovered another person was a demon, would it be too tiring for Senior Sister to have to kill that person?
What a pity. She had boasted that she would make Junior Sister Yan Linglong wait for her return, but she herself had perished first.
So she held her last breath and slowly said, “Junior Sister… she’s in the mine.”
With that, she released her grip on the Twilight Kite, swayed precariously, and was about to fall.
Senior Sister, you finally got what you wanted.
Without me, this Junior Sister who always clung to you, you must feel liberated, right?
But… why is that expression in your eyes?
Before closing her eyes, Jiang Chunai seemed to see an unusual light in Han Xiao’s eyes.
Like shock, surprise, and disbelief.
She thought, A dying person’s mind is also confused. In all these years, she had never seen an expression of surprise on Senior Sister’s face.
Nothing in the world could surprise Senior Sister.