Her waist-length raven hair danced wildly in the wind, while the hem of her Xuan Yifu, adorned with intricate and vigorous branches embroidered in dark red silk, bloomed with lifelike 彼岸 (bǐ'àn) flowers that extended from the skirt to her waist.
In her plain attire and dark hair, she was within the crowd, demure and silent, the ordinary yet graceful Gu Yi.
But now, she seemed like a different person.
She was Gu Junshi.
Her divine gaze was as sharp as ice, holding the world's power. Her face, a masterpiece painted with the colors of the sky breaking and the earth cracking, was aloof, ethereal, and as unique as stars and moons.
"Junshi..."
Liu Jiang Fusheng looked up, his heart struck with immense force as he finally saw her unveiled face. Despite his prior preparedness, his eyes widened in a daze, his gaze trembling as he looked at her.
It truly was her. The female corpse in Du Sheng Taoist Temple, the "treasure-hunting rat" in Xiao Bi Huan Peak, the mysterious figure in the black cloak...
Besides Liu Jiang Fusheng, the most shocked and bewildered was Wei Li.
That face was so familiar. He had even disguised himself as a spirit fox and stayed by her side, yet he had never recognized her.
He had always distinguished "Gu Junshi" from "Gu Yi" as two separate individuals: one a mortal he had bullied and scorned, the other a hateful woman who seemed to delight in tormenting him. But now, the "Gu Yi" whom he had cast the "Soul Locking Spell" upon and relegated to menial servitude was none other than the "Gu Junshi" who had captivated him...
His expression instantly lost all control, his brain ceasing to function. He stood there like a fool.
No wonder she had stepped on his face and cut his hair the first time they met, treating him with such malicious disdain. Afterward, once she deemed him valueless, she had severed ties with him cleanly.
It was only then that it felt as though the fog had cleared, revealing the truth behind the mist.
Recalling his past presumptuous assumptions and thoughts, his every hair stood on end. Shame and anger surged through him. He felt like an utter fool in front of her, completely deceived.
She had pushed him away time and again, and he had never understood why. Now... he thought he knew.
As Wei Li pondered this, the heat on his face instantly cooled, his complexion turning a sickly pale. His heart sank as if weighed down by a stone, his nine tails frozen mid-air.
What else could it be... It was naturally because she loathed him.
She didn't want any connection with him. She had repaid him for everything he had done to her, and their relationship... it was best if they had no relationship at all?
Tan Ya gasped. When what had been uncertain was now undeniably confirmed before his eyes, he couldn't quite articulate his current feelings.
Upon realizing that Gu Yi had always been feigning mortality in front of everyone, he also recalled past events.
For instance, the first time he harbored ill intentions towards her, wanting to push her off a cliff to cause Liu Jiang Fusheng unbearable pain, he himself was pushed off a cliff not long after. Then there was the incident at Du Sheng Taoist Temple, where he pushed Liu Jiang Fusheng off a bridge, and she, pretending to be possessed by a ghost, gravely injured him...
It was as if every misdeed he committed eventually rebounded upon him with even greater consequences.
Therefore, it was all because of her.
She was so adept at calculation and stratagem. Had she seen through his wicked intentions from the very beginning, which was why no matter how much he did for her, he could never move her?
In her eyes, was he simply a despicable and vile person?
Tan Ya's face turned pale, his trembling eyelashes drooping. He clenched his fists, not daring to think further.
Although Yan Tianjiao, Lu Ziyin, and Ru Lan were surprised that the figure in the black cloak was Gu Yi, Liu Jiang Fusheng's mortal wife, they had only met her once and had no deep connection. Thus, the impact on them was not as significant as on the others.
Ru Lan had met Gu Yi once. Many people were present then, and Liu Jiang Fusheng had protected her as if she were a precious treasure.
While a casual encounter might only leave a general impression, some individuals are simply different from those around them, even with the same features and limbs. Even clad in simple white, she left a vivid impression in others' minds.
Therefore, even though Gu Junshi's current appearance and demeanor were entirely different from the "Gu Yi" in her memory, Ru Lan recognized her at a glance.
She pointed excitedly, "She, she—"
Lu Ziyin nodded gravely, "It's her."
"Then, then—"
"She should... be on our side," Lu Ziyin said, not entirely certain as he fiddled with his fan.
After all, Liu Jiang Fusheng was her husband. Husband and wife share a deep bond. It was unlikely she would fight alongside the demonized dragon while still caring about their lives.
"Liu—"
"He doesn't know—"
Ru Lan shouted, "Shut up! What are you babbling about? I wasn't asking that at all."
Lu Ziyin, however, asked, "Tell me, what will happen to this couple... in the future?"
Ru Lan paused.
A demon, and the top performer on the "Newcomer's List." It was somewhat akin to a historical opera she had once seen, "The Unspeakable Affairs of the Demonic Female Demon and the Foremost Person of the Righteous Path." Their romance would be sweet at the beginning, torturous in the middle, bittersweet in the later stages, and the ending... tragic.
One dead, one injured. This seemed to align with the established order of the cultivation world where good and evil were irreconcilable. No matter how deep their love, there would be no good outcome.
Ru Lan, being somewhat of a romantic, thought emotionally that Liu Jiang Fusheng would undoubtedly be the most deeply affected among the bystanders.
For so long, he had been deceived by the woman by his side, loved by someone with a false facade, identity, and stance. What would that feel like for him?
Simply imagining his perspective made Ru Lan feel a tightness in her chest, let alone Liu Jiang Fusheng himself.
Seeing Gu Junshi conjure the "Yellow Springs Gate" from her consciousness space, Gu Er's heart pounded erratically.
Was his sister planning to annihilate the entire "Dragon Island Secret Realm"?
What that black gate, piercing through the heavens and earth, truly was, others might not know, but Cheng Hong did.
Ru Lan nudged Lu Ziyin, "That black gate feels very strange. Just looking at it makes me feel like I'm about to be sucked in..."
Lu Ziyin had the same sensation.
The demonized dragon, upon the appearance of that black gate, reacted intensely, as if encountering a natural enemy. Countless shadowy figures emerged from behind the gate. From a distance, they resembled the flickering flames of the netherworld, perpetual and unceasing.
Its previous condescending and arrogant demeanor vanished completely. It cried out in disbelief, "Impossible! How can you possess—?! Aren't you a Netherworld Ferryman? How can you possibly be—"
Gu Junshi was now in the most prominent, highest position in the sky. Everyone, whether in shock, awe, fear, or bewilderment, watched her alone.
But at this moment, she paid no heed to anyone.
She seemed to be focusing, reminiscing.
A cluster of dark clouds obscured the distant sea. The calm river, leading to the ends of the earth, flowed beneath the overcast sky—like a passage leading to the deepest abyss of unending darkness.
At this moment, she indeed looked incomparably noble. It was also clear that she had no connection to the righteous factions. The dark aura surrounding her was like the Mandarava blooming in the night, a pure, unadulterated darkness.
Her dark aura entwined around her, darkening her brows and eyes. Even the lines at the corners of her eyes seemed etched with charcoal. With a slight lift, she looked at Liu Jiang Fusheng and asked in a cold, detached tone, "I recall... I never told you my name was Gu Junshi in this lifetime, did I?"
Liu Jiang Fusheng's expression seemed torn apart, revealing a suddenly pale face.
He had just unconsciously uttered her true name.
He had exposed the deepest secret he had hidden from her.
But, in this lifetime... she had said "this lifetime"...
Suddenly, a surging tide like a tsunami erupted within Liu Jiang Fusheng's pupils. His entire body felt as if plunged into an ice cellar, chilling him to the bone.
His once bright eyes turned bloodshot, his voice hoarse and broken, "You've also been reborn..."
After regaining his memories, Liu Jiang Fusheng had once believed that this lifetime would be different. She had not chosen to kill him to achieve enlightenment, perhaps because she was unlike the "her" in previous lives, or perhaps she hadn't cultivated the "Great Path of Ruthlessness." Maybe she had encountered a unique opportunity. But... all of this was just self-deception.
She had indeed not lied to him. She had said that if she were to kill him one day, it would be because she had fallen in love with him.
The "Great Path of Ruthlessness" had two layers of intention: first, to cultivate ruthlessness into the Asura path, and second, to enter the path of ruthlessness through emotion.
The wind blew, turning the humid sea breeze into a light mist that sprinkled his face, cool and refreshing.
Seeing his expression, Gu Junshi shifted her gaze, staring intently at the air for a moment, then seemed to mock, "So, you remember all those things."
She wasn't entirely without feeling. She had speculated whether Liu Jiang Fusheng might also be reborn, having experienced those times like her. Did he have any recollection of previous lives? Or were his strange and unsettling expressions and actions when he first awoke simply due to regaining some memories?
Having lived for so many years, she was already composed and unfazed. She was undoubtedly self-assured. She subtly kept him meticulously monitored within her line of sight.
Yet, he clearly remembered everything about her, including killing him, seizing his cultivation techniques, and sealing his past memories. Then why did he still pretend to be oblivious and play along?
Did he want revenge?
Very well.
She was willing to oblige.
Gu Junshi's usual gentle and doting expression towards him was gradually stripped away by her true self. She transformed back into the Gu Junshi that resided in Liu Jiang Fusheng's memory.
Her eyes were devoid of anyone, only filled with calmness in the face of adversity, distant and lofty ambition. Her world was solely about the pursuit of fame and fortune.
"Liu Jiang Fusheng, since you remember everything, perhaps the previous methods were not suitable. We must redefine the rules of our game."
Their marital dialogue was incomprehensible to those around them, but the increasingly tense and solidified atmosphere between them felt like a strategic chess match, making everyone's palms sweat.
Dealing with Liu Jiang Fusheng was not urgent. Gu Junshi glanced at the demonized dragon and asked, "Do you recognize this gate?"
The demonized dragon coldly flicked its sleeve and shot upwards, transforming once again into a black dragon wreathed in poisonous mist.
"I underestimated you. But with your cultivation, even with the Yellow Springs Gate, you won't necessarily be able to defeat me!"
The earth-shattering dragon's roar was like the crackling thunder that weaved through the clouds.
Ru Lan, Lu Ziyin, and others with lower cultivation levels felt their blood surge, their hearts race, and a sense of panic and chest tightness.
Gu Junshi responded to this arrogant declaration with a cold, raised eyebrow, "Win? Why should I? I merely wish to send you on your way... to the afterlife."
Gods should not have residual souls, but the True Dragon God Zhu You had descended to the mortal realm without authorization, leaving behind so many residual souls. Now, one residual soul had fallen into demonhood. All of this deviated from the norm. However, since the residual soul willingly degraded into a demon, it was equivalent to transforming from a divine soul into a demonic soul.
All dead souls, regardless of whether they were human, demon, beast, or immortal, were subject to the "Yellow Springs Gate."
It mattered not who you were in the past, or how high your status.
A crack in the "Yellow Springs Gate" behind Gu Junshi opened heavily. Instantly, the deathly aura from within flowed out. It was an indescribable coldness, a sensation that made one shiver from the depths of their soul.
Everyone's hearts were taut, like an arrow about to be loosed from a bowstring.
Even this mere sliver of a gap caused the demonized dragon, which had been stuck as if glued in place since the appearance of the "Yellow Springs Gate," to let out a miserable cry and be sucked in entirely.
They were like fish caught in a net, their bodies entangled with a net covered in sharp knives. The more they struggled, the deeper the blades pierced, scattering "black blood" along the way and shedding layer after layer of skin. In the end, gaunt and weak, they vanished behind the gate.
Witnessing this scene, Cheng Hong and the others were left with blank minds, forgetting to breathe.
Seeing the demonized residual souls turn into nothingness in an instant, the demonized dragon, before Gu Junshi could open the "Yellow Springs Gate" further, resorted to a desperate measure. It transformed into a stream of blood-red black mist and shot towards the closest person.
Its target was Liu Jiang Fusheng. Because Gu Junshi had previously ignored everyone else, she clearly cared the most about this man among them. Therefore, it abandoned its previous pride and arrogance, its soul entering his body.
Ah—
Liu Jiang Fusheng's pupils constricted. Black smoke-like gas billowed from his mouth and nose. Immediately, dark veins began to appear on his face, which was even whiter than jade.
These were demonic patterns.
"Liu Jiang Fusheng" looked at Gu Junshi, his eyes now vertically slit pupils tinged with purple-black. He opened his mouth and said triumphantly, "If you open the Yellow Springs Gate again, he will die too."
Gu Junshi's expression was blank, her facial muscles like a mask, unmoving. However, her hand under her sleeve clenched.
She calmly asked, "You think I would care?"
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned.
Their gazes, which had been anxiously fixed on Liu Jiang Fusheng, now turned to Gu Junshi's face.
They searched her face for any hint of falseness, but no matter how they looked, she appeared genuinely unfeeling and cold.
They thought that at least their relationship wasn't entirely based on pretense...