Echoes of the Past (16)

De Ying tilted her face away, avoiding Shen Er's fingers that were about to lift her chin.

She lowered her head once more.

In the dim twilight, wrapped in her cloak, she sat in the middle of the dark bed—small, agile, a tender slip of a girl.

Even after Shen Er's heartfelt confession, she remained silent with her head bowed.

He did not know if she was simply too willful and heartless, or if she truly resented such intimacy with him and wanted to settle scores later.

A trace of indescribable bitterness welled up in his heart. This must be an emotion unique to humans. He had not understood it at first, but now he wanted to experience every single change she brought out in her.

De Ying heard Shen Er sigh softly.

He truly treated her differently.

Even though she ignored him so, he did not make things difficult for her. De Ying perked up her ears and stealthily peeked through her eyelashes.

She saw that the new body she had made for him was completely shattered and unusable. Shen Er floated as an illusory mist over the bed curtains for a moment before drifting down, once again entering the corpse of "Shen Er" lying on the floor.

Entering the body, he slowly sat up, supported himself by the armrest, and stretched. His joints popped with crisp, cracking sounds.

De Ying's eyes flickered. His soul was only gone for an afternoon, yet this body has already become so stiff?

Then is Shen Hangchuan, my true master, still alive... An absurd speculation arose in her heart, but she dared not believe it.

Shen Er seemed to sense her intense gaze from behind. He stood up, turned around, and met the wide, round eyes of the young girl.

The moment their eyes met, she averted her gaze as if nothing had happened, pretending she wasn't the one who had just been peeking at him.

Shen Er lowered his head to tie his sash.

No matter who it was, after confessing "I favor you" and receiving only silence in return, they would understand they had been rejected.

Yet Shen Er did not understand. If she truly had no feelings for him, why did she... Perhaps she was too young. Even compared to a Wu Zhi Hui like him, she cared even less for worldly conventions, not thinking of it as a big deal.

Or perhaps, as a cultivator, her heart was set on the Great Dao, with no room for romantic entanglements.

Shen Er said slowly, "I am leaving."

Then he added gently, "I will come to see you tomorrow, alright?"

He heard the rustle of clothes behind him.

Shen Er turned his face slightly, looking back at the girl sitting on the bed.

He saw De Ying calmly pull a talisman from beneath her pillow, channeling her spiritual energy to activate it.

As the talisman lit up, she sat cross-legged on the bed, her clothes slightly disheveled, her long hair draped over her shoulders. Holding the glowing talisman, she spoke to the other end, "Senior Brother Ye, where are you?"

Shen Er stopped in his tracks.

His gaze turned slightly cold.

De Ying cast a provocative glance at him.

The talisman glowed brighter, and Ye Chuanlin's steady voice echoed in the room: "I am right outside. Do you want to see me?"

Shen Er's eyes swept toward the wooden door.

He saw De Ying, still sitting on the bed, break into a smile. Shaking her head, she spoke into the talisman, "No, no, no, there's no need to meet. I just wanted to tell you that I've thought over what you said about sealing the Secret Realm. I want to help you.

Didn't you say you needed an abundance of spiritual energy for your experiment? Let's see how our luck goes. If we're lucky, I can give it to you tonight. If not, you'll have to wait a bit longer.

After all, this benefits everyone. I believe in you."

A moment later, Ye Chuanlin's gentle voice sounded in the heavy, oppressive room: "Then I shall go set up the formation. Xiao Ying, do not force yourself too hard. Do not make me and your Second Senior Brother worry."

The talisman's power dissipated, burning into ash on De Ying's fingertips.

Shen Er's gaze was indifferent.

He did not understand what Ye Chuanlin and De Ying were talking about.

But he keenly noticed that Ye Chuanlin called her "Xiao Ying" and mentioned "me and your Second Senior Brother."

Shen Er thought: So everyone knew who De Ying was, and I was the last to find out. So many people care about her, yet I am at the very bottom of her list.

Just because I lost my memories, I have fallen behind everyone else at every step.

The plan I laid out before my death... truly did not take De Ying into account. Is the world punishing me for that?

But it did not matter.

He believed he was naturally an extremely calm person. Even in such an unfavorable situation, he still possessed the determination to forge ahead against the current.

Shen Er spoke once more to De Ying, "I am leaving."

This time, De Ying did not even spare him a glance.

She raised her chin, acting exceedingly haughty. "Where do you think you're going? Who gave you permission to leave?"

Startled, he stopped.

The girl who had just tried to anger him suddenly leaped forward, wrapping her legs around his waist and clinging to his back, her arms locking around his neck.

Her sweet fragrance made his body stiffen slightly.

Leaning against his back, she held him tight, her eyes curving into a smile. "I was so mean to you, yet you only lose your temper for a brief moment and then it's fine? Brother, you truly do treat me differently!"

Her voice was sweet, her breath brushing against his neck, full of certainty and triumph. "Aren't you the awe-inspiring Wu Zhi Hui? Can't you live and die as you please? How is it that you can't even handle your own little sister?"

Shen Er lowered his head.

He saw her slender calves hooked around his waist.

Tentatively, he reached out and pressed his hand against her thigh. She flinched slightly but did not struggle.

She continued to cling to his neck, her soft, warm breath enveloping him like a small stove.

After a long silence, Shen Er murmured, "You have always been blaming me."

He asked softly, "How long do you plan to hold this grudge?"

De Ying tightened her embrace, almost squeezing the breath out of herself.

She remained silent for a long time.

Hold a grudge... How could that be a grudge?

But she did not want to bring up the fact that she had caused his death.

After a long while, still clinging to him and swinging her legs, De Ying buried her face in the crook of his neck and whispered coaxingly, "Brother, let's elope."

Shen Er was stunned.

De Ying argued righteously, "I'm not getting married. If I stay here, I'll have to deal with that ridiculous wedding. I don't want to deal with it anymore.

Even if you help me solve it by saying you don't need me to ward off your ill luck, there will surely be more trouble coming to plague us.

Besides, besides... We are siblings. It's inconvenient to stay here. Why don't you take me to the Huigui Forest?"

She thought to herself: Ye Chuanlin said the Secret Realm was sealed, but her Senior Brother hadn't used normal means to enter it. On one hand, Senior Brother Ye was looking for a way to undo the seal; on the other hand, she and her Senior Brother could go to the Huigui Forest to see if there was another way.

By working on both fronts, they might actually be able to leave this Secret Realm.

She was still waiting to take her revenge... How could she grow old and die in a mere Secret Realm!

Shen Er could tell she had her own little schemes, but the proposal to go with him still filled his heart with joy.

He asked calmly, "Are you sure you want to go with me?"

De Ying: "Of course I am."

She asked in confusion, "Could it be that you're reluctant to part with your identity as Shen Er? Or are you reluctant to leave your seventeen or eighteen... Mmph!"

Her mouth was covered.

Shen Er leaned down, covering her mouth to stop her from talking nonsense.

He said gently, "Let me help you get dressed."

De Ying's eyes darted around. She nodded generously, slid down from his back, and began to smooth her soft, long hair.

As night fell, the Shen and Ye families were still feasting and drinking, but the main characters were nowhere to be found.

Ye Chuanlin used his frail health as an excuse to decline the banquet, staying in the courtyard the Shen family had assigned him, doing who-knows-what.

Yue Nu returned to De Ying's Sea of Consciousness, vaguely realizing they were packing up to flee to the Huigui Forest.

Shen Er and Shen San both excused themselves due to poor health and did not attend.

The eldest young lady, Hua Shi, and the barely noticed concubine-born son, Chen Zichun, sat at the banquet. Seeing none of their old acquaintances, they only heard the elders of the Shen and Ye families in the Secret Realm sighing in embarrassment: "Children nowadays are truly delicate..."

Hua Shi looked up.

Through the dark eaves, she saw the vast sky outside—windless, moonless, with dark clouds rolling.

Dark clouds shrouded the sky, and the garden paths wound endlessly.

De Ying held Shen Er's hand, carrying a Qiankun Bag filled with food, drinks, and toys, as they stealthily slipped out of the Shen estate.

Shen Er was as calm as an old deity, while she was incredibly tense.

...The thrill of it made her both excited and fearful, yet she found it highly amusing.

As they fled, De Ying frequently pulled Shen Er under the shadow of the walls to check the map, seeing how much longer it would take to leave the Shen estate.

Seeing the exit of the manor getting closer, they crossed a round archway and ran straight into a Shen family guard.

De Ying composed herself, putting on an indifferent front. She calmly held Shen Er's hand and nodded to the guard.

On their way out tonight, they had already encountered several patrolling guards and servants, all of whom they had successfully handled—

The Third Young Lady and the Second Young Master going out to play was hardly a major issue, was it?

De Ying and Shen Er walked past with utmost composure.

But the guard suddenly spoke from behind, "Where are the Third Young Lady and the Second Young Master headed?"

De Ying turned around.

Adopting an unreasonable, haughty expression, she said coldly, "Is the business of the masters something for you to question?"

The guard replied, "I wouldn't dare. It's just that Young Master Ye is currently in the manor. For the Third Young Lady to not meet Young Master Ye, but instead wander off with the Second Young Master... is that not somewhat inappropriate?"

De Ying heard Shen Er let out a soft chuckle.

Sensing Shen Er's intent to strike, she grew tense and quickly grabbed the youth's arm, preventing him from acting here.

De Ying said to the guard, "I am going with my brother to find my fiancé."

The guard stared at her for a moment, then nodded in doubt and stepped aside.

De Ying and Shen Er walked away.

Suddenly, De Ying felt a powerful and swift attack coming from behind. She spun around, but before she could cast a spell to block it, Shen Er beside her had already struck.

The guard was also incredibly agile, vanishing from the spot.

In the next instant, the guard stood atop the wall, looking down at them.

De Ying narrowed her eyes.

She reached for the talismans in her robe. "...You are a cultivator who entered with us!"

The guard looked down at her.

Separated by the restriction of the Great Heavenly Official, De Ying could not see clearly which cultivator this was, having assumed he was just an ordinary guard. Now, this guard—clearly an outsider cultivator—began to form hand seals, pointing a finger at her:

"You shall die under the thunder!"

Boom—

True to his word, thunder instantly rumbled, striking down toward De Ying.

De Ying dodged in a flash, leaping into the air while drawing her sword, its cold light piercingly sharp.

De Ying looked at him and sneered, "So you are a Heavenly Official of the Wushen Palace... Lurking under the guise of a guard, idling about all day. It must have been hard on you, no?"

The Heavenly Official said coldly, "De Ying, the Great Heavenly Official has ordered that you shall die in this Secret Realm."

A sinister look flashed in De Ying's eyes. "Then let's see who dies first!"

That Heavenly Official was by no means fighting alone.

The moment he realized De Ying was trying to flee, he cast a transmission spell. Soon, De Ying was surrounded by unfamiliar guards, servants, and maidservants.

The Great Heavenly Official had ordered the Heavenly Officials and Divine Maidens of the Wushen Palace to kill De Ying in the Secret Realm.

Through the Heavenly Fate Art, they quickly identified De Ying. They had held their ground only because they weren't certain they could kill her.

But tonight was different—

A Divine Maiden cast a spell, projecting her voice to the sky, broadcasting to all cultivators in the Secret Realm: "The traitor of the Yujing Sect, De Ying, is right here! Disciples of the Yujing Sect, why do you not join forces with us?"

De Ying sneered.

More attacks rained down.

The Qinyue Sword in her Sea of Consciousness grew restless, flying out of its own accord to manifest as Yue Nu, who declared solemnly, "Xiao Ying, I am here to help you!"

During the fray, the Yujing Sect disciples recognized the Qinyue Sword, a Spiritual Treasure of their sect, and could not help but rage: "Yue Nu, you are helping a tyrant!"

Yue Nu was indifferent. Her master had sent her here, so she naturally followed her master's arrangements.

More and more people closed in.

De Ying heard a sigh from behind.

Her heart tightened.

She saw their opponents in front suddenly retreat, looking behind her in horror: "Wu Zhi Hui... It's the Wu Zhi Hui!"

De Ying turned her head and saw Shen Er's body standing stiff and straight, while a thick, dark mist rose from behind him. Out of it stepped the Wu Zhi Hui, "Jiang Xuehe."

Shen Er finally raised his eyelids.

He was cold, indifferent, slender, and arrogant, utterly uncaring of the mortal lives that lived and died in the blink of an eye. As the filth around him surged, countless hidden filthy ghosts in the cold night began to stir restlessly. Summoned, they swarmed to attack the cultivators.

De Ying formed a hand seal.

She felt her cheek gently brushed by the filth of the Wu Zhi Hui.

Shen Er smiled gently. "I told you before, we should just kill them all."

De Ying replied stubbornly, "Before, I didn't know who was who, and I didn't want to bear the karmic burden. But now that I know they are wicked, taking my revenge won't count as me actively committing a sin."

The cultivators sneered, "De Ying, you truly are unrepentant... Not only did you obstruct us from opening the Immortal Path, but now you are colluding with the Wu Zhi Hui. We cannot tolerate you!"

The Heavenly Official and Divine Maiden of the Wushen Palace watched the Wu Zhi Hui slowly manifest.

Having fought filthy ghosts for years, they knew better than anyone how terrifying a Wu Zhi Hui was, and they grew extremely vigilant:

"The Wu Zhi Hui has appeared! It must be destroyed!"

Shen Er raised his eyelids, utterly indifferent.

De Ying looked up.

Her eyes were dark and fierce. "Who destroys whom remains to be seen!"

She took a step forward.

Water rippled beneath her feet, her skirt fluttering as ripples climbed up her hem, her neck, and her face.

Shen Er's elegant, quiet voice slowly wove a dense web, enveloping this piece of heaven and earth: "Xiao Ying, let me assist you."

Under the spell, the girl soared into the air. A massive wave towered behind her, and the sky-blotting filth of the Wu Zhi Hui wrapped around her body.

Her features shone with brilliant, dazzling light.

The disturbance was immense.

The Shen family banquet could no longer continue. The earth-shaking battle caused the heavens to rumble. Wine casks and cups flew, and spilling wine soaked the carpets.

Countless people panicked: "What is happening? What is going on?"

The cultivators at the banquet summoned their magical treasures. Upon receiving the news, they no longer hid their identities and flew out, shouting:

"A monster has appeared in the Shen estate! The Wu Zhi Hui has kidnapped the Third Young Lady!"

"Fellow immortals, capture the monster quickly!"

They spread the news across the land.

Whether they were in the Shen estate or not, everyone heard these words—

Those who had received orders to execute De Ying would surely arrive tonight;

Those who did not care about De Ying but heard of the Wu Zhi Hui's appearance would also rush over to hunt the monster.

De Ying and the Wu Zhi Hui stood opposed to the cultivators, who claimed to slay monsters and eliminate filth, never letting any wicked creature go.

Everyone mobilized.

The guests at the banquet stumbled and fell.

Hua Shi scrambled up from the ground, just as Chen Zichun came to support her.

Both were shocked: "The Wu Zhi Hui!"

...How did De Ying end up in a feud with the Wu Zhi Hui?!

Was De Ying truly throwing her life away, wanting to rebel against the cultivation world and completely become a shameless disciple of a monster?

No, no, that couldn't be...

After exchanging glances, the two made a decision: "Let's go see!"

Hua Shi and Chen Zichun rushed to the intense battlefield.

The two stared up in daze.

They saw towering waves, swarms of filthy ghosts, filth devouring life, and cultivators suppressing the wicked monster.

They saw De Ying and Yue Nu fighting side by side, and behind the two women, a hazy, ghostly figure loomed in mid-air—

Gloomy, terrifying filth blotted out the sky.

Chen Zichun suddenly looked up.

He saw that after shedding his mortal disguise, the youth had transformed into a ghostly, beautiful figure. His face was delicate, his eyes gentle, his robes fluttering with the magic that supported his slender, upright frame.

Deep, dark filth surrounded him like a thick shadow. During the battle, the filth constantly dispersed like a fluttering hood.

The drifting mist revealed the form of the Wu Zhi Hui.

Just like that night in the Wudu Forest, the silk veil of the hood fluttered, revealing the calm, serene face of the youth behind it.

The Wu Zhi Hui raised his eyelids...

The hooded youth in his memory raised his eyelids...

The scenes of the past, once blurry, were now crystal clear.

Chen Zichun stared blankly.

He muttered to himself, "Senior Brother Jiang..."

The Wu Zhi Hui on high looked down.

Chen Zichun did not expect Senior Brother Jiang to spot him with a single glance.

Chen Zichun did not know that this Senior Brother Jiang did not remember who he was at all.

But this Senior Brother Jiang revealed a gentle smile and reached a hand out to him: "I forgive you, as long as you come help me."

Hot tears welled up in Chen Zichun's eyes.

Filled with intense emotion, he stumbled forward: "Senior Brother, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Beside him, Hua Shi saw Chen Zichun lose his mind.

She reached out to stop him: "Chen Zichun!"

But Chen Zichun brushed her hand aside, walking toward the high ground where the Wu Zhi Hui and De Ying were fighting.

He was consumed by immense shame and regret.

He was drawn by the possibility of "rebirth" and "resurrection."

As if everything could be made right.

As if returning to a dream of the past, where he still followed behind Jiang Xuehe, watching Jiang Xuehe wear his hood and hold De Ying's hand.

Chen Zichun: "Senior Brother Jiang, I am here to help you!"

Hua Shi: "Chen Zichun!"

Left with no choice, she had to charge into the battlefield. Gritting her teeth, she unleashed her weapon against the cultivators.

A Yujing Sect disciple who recognized her sneered in disdain, "You treacherous traitor! Eldest Young Lady Hua, you failed to learn your father's capabilities, but you've mastered the art of betrayal perfectly!"

Hua Shi's face flushed red.

She looked in terror at De Ying and the Wu Zhi Hui on high, then at Chen Zichun who had entered the fray.

She could only brazen it out, chasing after Chen Zichun while shouting incoherently, "There must be some misunderstanding! All of you stop, don't fight..."

Even as she spoke, her weapon pushed back a cultivator.

Meeting the contemptuous gaze of that cultivator, Hua Shi gritted her teeth and continued to chase Chen Zichun: "Come back, hurry back... That is the Wu Zhi Hui, that is not Senior Brother Jiang!"

"Senior Brother Jiang is dead! This is a trap of the Wu Zhi Hui!"

...She had no other companions left.

She did not want to lose her last friend.

Lightning flashed in the sky.

Half the sky was illuminated as bright as snow by the clashing spells.

In a courtyard where guests stayed, Ye Chuanlin paced within his formation, looking up at the grand battle.

His Junior Brother Dong, along with the other disciples who had entered the Secret Realm with him, had been found and identified one by one. Now, the disciples of the Changyun Temple surrounded their First Senior Brother, drawing a massive formation together.

This formation borrowed the chaotic, scattered spiritual energy, intending to poke a hole in the "Heavens" to see what would happen.

Ye Chuanlin knew how difficult it would be for the operator to break the Secret Realm.

He utilized a grand formation, having all his fellow disciples set it up with him.

De Ying had said she might be able to draw out a massive amount of chaotic, out-of-control spiritual energy tonight... Ye Chuanlin believed her, so he decided to try.

And now—

Ye Chuanlin looked at the horizon, a faint green light flashing in his eyes.

He chuckled. "She actually did it."

...A naive little girl had learned to scheme with human hearts. Truly impressive.

Then he could not afford to lose to her either.

Ye Chuanlin swept his robes and sat down, his path straight ahead: "Continue setting up the formation—"

Dong and the other disciples replied, "Yes!"