Chapter 18 Part 1
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Chapter 18 Part 1: Grinding Everything! (1)
That was a pond of deep water with no visible bottom.
Si Yunshang had realized a long time ago that she had been cornered at the edge of the pond.
She wanted to escape.
But she couldn’t escape.
Because that was not a real pond—it was a prison formed by her fear, worries, and regrets. Outside the pond, it was all Bai Lian.
Normally, this would excite her to the highest degree! But now, Si Yunshang only felt hopeless.
That was not someone she could touch.
The gap between her and Bai Lian was too great—not just in ability and status.
She was black. Bai Lian was white.
How could she use her tainted body to defile Bai Lian?
Si Yunshang tried to conceal her past, hoping that the best outcome would be for her and Bai Lian to become strangers due to some unforeseen circumstances.
In this way, although it might be uncomfortable, at least in Bai Lian’s eyes, she would still be pure.
But she never managed to achieve her wish.
Her past was mercilessly peeled away and displayed in all its bloody glory before Bai Lian!
Actually, those words were not entirely correct.
The sect leader obstructed her from becoming the sect leader and even conspired with the elders to assassinate her—therefore, she deposed them.
The master cruelly harmed her family, orchestrated her destiny, and thus she strangled him to death.
However, it cannot be denied that she indeed committed the act of betraying the sect.
Haha… hahahaha…
Si Yunshang couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
In Bai Lian’s eyes, she was thoroughly unclean.
Not long ago, Bai Lian reassured her that the Heavenly Demon Magic Spell was not ugly.
In just a quarter of an hour, she used her own past to tell Bai Lian:
“Yes, the Heavenly Demon Magic Spell is not ugly, but I myself am an unsightly person!”
—
Si Yunshang remembered Bai Lian’s relationship with Master An Lan.
People said An Lan had taken on a good disciple.
“What luck!”
“Let an Immortal Emperor pay respect to you as her master—there can be no greater achievement in life than this.”
“You scoundrel, why isn’t Bai Lian my disciple?”
“I don’t have high demands for my disciples. Even if their cultivation base and aptitude are not great, as long as they can be filial like Bai Lian, it will suffice.”
“Recommendation to include the deeds of Bai Lian and An Lan in the new Twenty-four Filial Exemplars.”
These words may seem exaggerated when mentioned, but in fact, they were not exaggerated at all.
She saw with her own eyes how close Bai Lian and An Lan were.
—
That day.
In the small grove at the Qiongming Peak.
Si Yunshang would never forget the frantic display Bai Lian exhibited upon witnessing An Lan cough up blood; it was akin to suddenly losing one’s life support.
Then, in order to save An Lan, Bai Lian went to North Luzhou to search for treasure from a faraway place.
The purest and most filial of all, truly touching.
—
“And I…”
Can the dim light of fireflies be compared with the brilliance of the moon in the sky?
Their paths could never connect.
Si Yunshang’s dream was shattered into countless pieces.
She was most afraid of becoming, once again, a person who is neither understood nor needed by anyone.
After seeing the peculiar look in Bai Lian’s eyes, Si Yunshang completely gave up on treatment.
—
Die.
To continue to live was to be nothing but a walking corpse.
She gave up resistance and allowed the Heavenly Demon Magic Spell to invade the sea of her divine sense.
She surrendered and plunged headfirst into the bottomless water pool.
Sinking ceaselessly.
—
The Heavenly Demon Magic Spell caused pain to the soul, worse than a knife’s cut, but what hurt Si Yunshang even more was her broken heart.
She was not a competitive person.
She only pursued the essence of happiness, without caring how happiness was sought.
Whether it was a passionate embrace, simply holding hands, or even just cuddling together and admiring the scenery—it didn’t matter.
As long as she could be with Bai Lian, she felt happy.
But…
There was nothing left.
Regardless of past lives or present, she was a pawn at the mercy of others.
She was the witch Zhi He, whose life had been arranged by others.
She was Si Yunshang, a songstress who had to sing and earn money just to put food on the table.
The events on Yuheng Mountain were, to her, like a rootless dream.
At first, she had not been pleased.
After being caught by “Chen Lu,” her daily routine had become either getting beaten by “Chen Lu,” confronting them, or getting scolded by the Martial Sisters of the Qiongming Peak.
—
When she truly reminisced, the memory became sweeter with each reflection.
Only at that time had she been respected by others.
That was a genuine concern that didn’t involve any self-interest.
—
Therefore, she liked “Chen Lu” and Bai Lian—not because she owed them her life, but because the drifting yacht had finally found a harbor.
—
“Thank you.”
Si Yunshang no longer retreated.
At the moment her pupils dilated, she suddenly felt somewhat enlightened.
—
At least she had it once.
…
The black tide surged from all directions, ready to engulf the sea of Si Yunshang’s divine sense.
Just then, with her vision blurred and her thoughts drowning in despair, she suddenly saw Bai Lian “pouncing” toward her.
The speed of that pounce was exceptionally fast.
Before she could even process whether Bai Lian wanted to save or kill her, Bai Lian had already reached her.
When the impact from Bai Lian’s embrace spread through her body, Si Yunshang’s frozen thoughts finally came back to life.
—
She was embraced by Bai Lian.
An embrace so intimate it resembled the closeness of a married couple.
The pressure from her chest and the warmth of her body felt like a magic needle, calming the chaotic thoughts in Si Yunshang’s mind.
—
“Bai… Lian…”
Si Yunshang gazed at the girl in front of her, transfixed.
The next moment, Bai Lian took an even more aggressive step.
She leaned closer, opened her mouth, and, like picking a delicate cherry, bit gently on Si Yunshang’s earlobe.
—
Feeling the warmth of Bai Lian’s breath against her skin, Si Yunshang shivered.
The words that followed were whispered like a solemn vow:
“I will kill him for you.”
—
Bang!
Si Yunshang’s body trembled violently.
The heat radiating from Bai Lian’s earlobe, combined with the soft scrape of her tongue, pierced her heart more deeply than any comforting words could.
Even a hundred “I’ll kill him for you” could not compare to the raw emotion behind this act.
—
Si Yunshang understood Bai Lian’s intentions.
Are you afraid to come closer? Then I’ll come to you.
Are you afraid that associating with me would damage your reputation? Then I will “insult” you in front of everyone!
—
For a brief moment, the world fell silent for Si Yunshang.
Her mind, so clouded with despair and self-doubt, suddenly became clear.
She was a complex woman, full of pain and contradictions.
Yet, in this moment, struggling seemed meaningless.
—
If she pushed Bai Lian away now, harshly or gently, there would be no clearing their relationship.
So why bother?
—
Bai Lian didn’t mind.
So why should she?
—
A spark reignited within Si Yunshang, suppressing even the rampant Heavenly Demon Magic Spell.
—
If her inner feelings were subtle, the outward reactions of others were anything but.
The Pavilion of Mountain and Sea’s master, Gu Yunzhi, and the rest of the onlookers were utterly stunned.
—
“What… what is this?”
—
The giant figure floating in the sky rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
He had been eagerly anticipating Bai Lian and Si Yunshang falling out—perhaps even fighting a battle to the death.
But what was this?
—
“Is this… how you people usually fight?”
The giant’s voice rumbled like thunder.
“This can’t possibly kill anyone!”
He burst into bitter laughter, muttering curses under his breath, his expression one of utter frustration.
At this moment, he no longer looked like a demonic leader but rather a common man gossiping on the streets.
—
Gu Yunzhi’s thoughts were spinning out of control.
“The highly revered White Emperor Divine Lord, openly flirting with the Demon Woman Zhi He? In front of everyone?”
—
He couldn’t comprehend it.
“White Emperor Bai Lian! If you want a woman, even the Saintess of Yaochi Holy Mountain would obediently come to you. Why… her?”
He felt his worldview shatter.
—
Gu Yunzhi opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
He turned his eyes desperately toward the giant in the sky, hoping for salvation.
—
The giant was equally stunned, but his shock soon turned to rage.
His chest heaved like rolling thunder as he bellowed, “The rumors of the world are unbelievable! I never thought White Emperor Bai Lian and Zhi He would be… birds of a feather!”
—
Bai Lian, still holding Si Yunshang, released her earlobe and turned her head.
Her expression remained neutral.
—
Calmly lowering her gaze, she nodded slightly, as if in agreement with the giant’s words.
…
