Chapter 232: Ashes Don't Weep (5)

Chapter 232: Ashes Don't Weep (5)

Even a long time after Lady Yue leaves, Lan Xiaohui remains deeply affected by the two visitors she had. No, not just those two visits; everything that has happened thus far is on her mind, in one way or another.

Her long journey to this point has been filled with many twists and turns, though the one that she expected the least was meeting Wu Yulan, followed closely by meeting Yun Fei.

In this dark cell, it seemed as if those strange shadows that have been lurking in her heart had all retreated into the corners, about to disappear entirely. Those shadows belonging to Yu Shun, who would soon disappear from this world. At least, so she hoped.

One of them would disappear.

Though she faced death many times once with absolute certainty her heart was never at this much peace. Even Wu Yulan as deviant as she is never felt peaceful being close to death; only excited.

For the first time, in a few years at least, Lan Xiaohui felt like she could breathe. Even the outcome seemed less important than this moment of freedom and peace.

Likewise, for the first time in years, she allowed herself to cry. She wasnt sad. She wasnt happy.

She was just relieved.The source of this content no/v(el)bi((n))

Gradually extremely slowly that feeling of freedom and peace became smaller and more distant with each passing hour, until it was nothing more but white noise in the background of storming thoughts.

By the time her cheeks have dried, and she finally sighs, I decide to intervene.

What is the matter? I ask.

Lan Xiaohui sniffles and glances over her shoulder to the corner of the room where I am leaned against the wall. Its just that I feel like this will never end, she says.

Explain, I tell her, as my form hovers into the air and floats toward her waiting embrace.

They will never let me kill Yu Shun, she says. I have a feeling that the elders will intervene.

It is a reasonable assessment. Yu Shun is the future patriarch of the sect; naturally, they would never let him die.

Even if I manage to defeat him, which might not even be possible for me, Lan Xiaohui continues explaining her thoughts, They will certainly interfere, even if it means they will lose face.

Her logic is sound and reasonable, and I have nothing to add.

It will just continue, wont it? Lan Xiaohui asks. I will never be good enough. No matter how fast I run after him, he will always be out of reach. No matter how strong I become, it will never be enough to kill him. He will always loom over me.

Its the Heart Sacrifice Sutra, I tell her. It is twisting your thoughts.

Lan Xiaohuis heart trembles at my words.

You were in the Qi Condensation realm not that long ago. Now you are almost in the peak of Core Formation, I explain. You cannot catch up to him? If you had another few years, he would be so small compared to you, you wouldnt even be able to see him.

You are right! Lan Xiaohui exclaims, albeit quietly. I dont know whether it is true that the [Heart Sacrifice Sutra] can affect her thoughts, but a white lie cant hurt her if it helps her overcome her doubts.

At the end of the day, Lan Xiaohui is still just a nascent person; even her personality is barely developed. It is not that strange for her doubt to overcome her convictions, though, I did not think that would be possible. After all, her convictions are extremely solid.

Perhaps there is truth to what I told her about the [Heart Sacrifice Sutra].

I dont know if I have it in me to wait another few years Lan Xiaohui whispers. Every time I got this close, it has been in another year. I dont even have that much time. If I dont kill Lu Long too

What if you could kill Yu Shun, without a doubt? I ask.

No, I did not know that this would turn out this way. Other than that, if I did use more of the dissociated laws of space from [Fractured Sword], not only would the process have killed her ten times over like it almost killed Wu Yulan but the gravity of her gold core wouldve crushed her internal system.

[Fractured Sword] is simply not meant to be used by cultivators below the Nascent Soul Ascension realm, and in the time we have left, there is no way for me to help her cultivate to that stage and even if she did, it would take another several months just for her to get used to the new realm of cultivation.

Do you remember, shortly after we met, you said you wanted to stop being Lan Xiaohui and become someone else? I ask her, though I doubt she needs convincing.

She nods.

This is what this is, I tell her. After you use the energy generated by that core, it will collapse into itself and disappear. All your martial arts, all your cultivation, will likely disappear with it. You will be reborn. After you use that sword, Lan Xiaohui will cease to be and your journey will come to an end.

My words have such a profound effect on her, that she is stunned speechless for several minutes. I cannot even tell what she is thinking or feeling.

It will really all come to an end? she finally asks.

Yes, I reply. What do you want? Do you want it to finally be over?

Once more, tears slide down her cheeks.

I I do, she stutters, crying more than speaking even more than she cried just a few hours earlier. This time, it is not the illusion of relief, but the very real taste of it. But

But? I ask.

If I if I lose it all, right after I kill him wont they just kill

I wont let anyone hurt you, I reassure her.

My words please her more than I anticipated, because those few tears that follow my statement are more out of mad joy than relief.

Then please help me be free... she whispers, allowing her dress to once again, unnecessarily slip off her shoulders.

When you wake up, it will be the last time you will be Lan Xiaohui, I tell her, perhaps to encourage her, though I am not certain why.

Lan Xiaohui smiles. In that case, can you do one more thing for this Lan Xiaohui? she asks.

What is it?

Can you say my name one more time?

What a foolish girl.

Maybe after this, once she clears her path of the shadows and insecurities, she will finally consider herself to be my owner and my master.

I can only hope.

Lan Xiaohui, I transmit telepathically, attempting to make the words sound warmer, though I have no concept of warmth the same as these creatures do.

Lan Xiaohui giggles. Whether I am Lan Xiaohui or Zhu Xuelian, in this life or the next Yaoyue, I will always be yours.

With those words, she impales me through her chest though I pierce through her spiritual vessel and grants me access to her internal systems.

Without hesitation, I form a sword through [Fractured Sword] and blow a massive hole through her gold core.

Her agonized screaming echoes through the room, and even as she writhes like a dying snake, she still holds onto me, hugging me to her chest, unwilling to let go.