The anger, having lost its source, could only transform into a sigh of helplessness.
"Alas, let's continue on our journey!"
With that, Zi Linling turned and walked towards the brink of the Yellow Springs.
Her speed was astonishing, yet it carried an undeniable air of fleeing.
Watching her retreating back, a faint smile touched Ye Lingyuan's lips.
He caressed his own mouth, savoring the lingering taste.
So sweet!
Then, he quickened his pace to follow her.
Zi Linling's heart pounded, her mind filled with a tingling sensation and the indelible image of Ye Lingyuan's handsome face.
"How could this happen? Have I truly fallen for Ye Lingyuan?"
She asked herself inwardly, kicking an indignant skull on the ground.
The skull, dislodged by her kick, rolled to the base of a Red Spider Lily.
Upon seeing the blood-red bloom, Zi Linling's anger flared.
"It's all your fault! I'll just pull you out!"
She muttered under her breath, reaching for the stem of the flower, intending to uproot it.
"No!"
Ye Lingyuan cried out urgently, "Lin'er, don't!"
In the same instant, he appeared before Zi Linling, grasping the hand that held the flower stem.
Zi Linling froze, her action halted.
"Lin'er, don't pull it!"
Ye Lingyuan gently pried her hand away. "You cannot pull it. Beneath the Red Spider Lily is suppressed the soul of a demon consumed by love."
"A demon's soul?"
Zi Linling looked at the alluring flower, her brow furrowed in confusion.
She recalled that in her past life, while the story of the Red Spider Lily was known, there was never mention of a demon's soul being suppressed beneath it.
Moreover, Ye Lingyuan's words were perplexing.
How could a demon be consumed by love?
And how could someone consumed by love be a demon?
Seeing her bewilderment, Ye Lingyuan began to recount the tale of the Red Spider Lily on the Tianyuan Continent.
Once, there was a loving couple.
Later, the man went out on business and met with misfortune, dying tragically.
However, he refused to drink the Potion of Forgetfulness, fearing his wife would grow anxious waiting for him.
But such were the rules of heaven and earth; he could not be an exception.
Thus, he ultimately drank the Potion of Forgetfulness and was reincarnated in his former village.
One day, he happened to encounter his former wife. However, he had forgotten that the woman before him was the one he had once deeply loved.
Yet, the woman recognized him at a glance, tears streaming down her face. She even reached out to touch his familiar countenance.
The man was startled and fled the place as if from a ghost.
The woman, consumed by sorrow, died without drinking the Potion of Forgetfulness.
She stood by the Yellow Springs, weeping day after day.
Because her longing was bone-deep, her tears, upon touching the ground, transformed into clusters of blood-red flowers.
The woman remained there, amidst these flowers, waiting year after year, until the man reincarnated again.
Alas, the man never recognized her in the end.
Deep love breeds intense hatred!
Entrapped by love and betrayed by the man, the woman eventually transformed into a demon.
As a demon, her powers were boundless.
She swore to kill all unfaithful men in the world, and thus, she directly broke out of the Underworld and ascended to the mortal realm.
However, due to her excessive killing, she was ultimately suppressed by a guardian beneath the Red Spider Lilies born from her tears, confined to this place forever.
The guardian sealed her memories, leaving only that part of her waiting by the Yellow Springs for many years.
This was also a form of punishment, causing her to endure the agony of longing day and night, suffering without release.
Only when a person of true emotion and sincerity appeared could she be saved from this sea of suffering.
Therefore, these countless Red Spider Lilies were, in essence, the woman's transmuted form.
Upon hearing the story, Zi Linling's eyes welled up with tears.
It was as if she were that devoted woman, for she could empathize with every aspect of the tale.
She glared at Ye Lingyuan indignantly and said coldly, "Bah! A scumbag of epic proportions!"
Ye Lingyuan offered a wry smile. Though he didn't know the meaning of "scumbag," he knew it was far from complimentary.
It seemed his Lin'er was now redirecting her anger towards him.
"Lin'er, if you drink the Potion of Forgetfulness and forget all past events, it cannot be blamed on that man!"
Zi Linling slapped away Ye Lingyuan's hand, rolling her eyes. "Men, not one of you is any good!"
Ye Lingyuan felt a pang of regret.
He somewhat regretted telling Zi Linling the story.
Being the target of redirected anger was truly an unpleasant experience.
"Lin'er, you cannot lash out at all men because of one individual! Rest assured, this king's feelings for you are absolutely genuine!"
Ye Lingyuan declared with conviction.
"Is that so? Then tear out your heart and let me see, how much of it is true and how much is false!"
Zi Linling said icily.
She knew redirecting her anger was wrong, but Ye Lingyuan had nearly stripped her clothes, leaving her in a state of disarray!
Ye Lingyuan looked at her, shaking his head with a bitter smile, thinking: his Lin'er truly held grudges.
He had no idea that, like almost all women, Zi Linling shared a common trait: being petty and holding grudges!
A flicker of light flashed in Ye Lingyuan's eyes, and he said devilishly, "Do you really want to see?"
Zi Linling nodded defiantly. "I really want to see!"
"Very well, since Lin'er wishes to see, this king shall show you!"
As he spoke, Ye Lingyuan produced a dagger and plunged it towards his own chest.
His movement was sharp and decisive, not a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.
Zi Linling cried out in alarm, "No!"
Simultaneously, her hand flashed out, gripping the blade of the dagger.
Blood trickled through her fingers, falling to the ground with a 'drip.'
"Lin'er!"
Ye Lingyuan exclaimed in panic.
At the same time, he hastily released the dagger and grabbed Zi Linling's hand.
The bright red blood stung his eyes.
Zi Linling didn't even glance at her wound, angrily retorting, "Ye Lingyuan, since when have you become so obedient?"
"I told you to tear it out, and you did it? Do you have a brain or not?"
"You're usually so clever, why can't you even tell a joke?"
"You did that deliberately, didn't you? You wanted to make me feel guilty?"
...
Ye Lingyuan swiftly retrieved a bottle of hemostatic medicine from his Nine Dragon Ring and evenly sprinkled it on her wound.
Then, he produced a Blood Vitality Pill from the Nine Dragon Ring, fed it to Zi Linling, and finally said, with a pained expression, "Lin'er, I'm sorry."
His dark eyes were filled with self-reproach, fear, and concern.
Zi Linling's simmering anger was instantly doused, transforming into a helpless sigh, "Alas!"
Seeing her calm down, Ye Lingyuan said with a stern face, "You say I lack brains, but are you any better?"