The voice was hoarse, identical to that of the imposter who had used her name to seize the Dao Heart Lotus during the attack at Tianwaitian. Yet this time, it was no longer cold and devoid of emotion; instead, it was filled with a profound hatred, like a vengeful ghost clawing its way up from the depths of hell.
Shang Can was taken aback by this voice, and her heart was thrown into turmoil.
—This person called her… Shang Can?
A violent tremor coursed through her heart as she dared not look at Yun Duan’s reaction. Instinctively, she raised a hand to touch her face, repeatedly confirming that she indeed wore a mask. But deep down, she knew this was futile; her face alone did not reveal her identity.
It was after she had used the heavenly fire that this person suddenly appeared, calling her Shang Can.
…This situation shouldn’t have occurred.
Because the Shang Can from Qingyu… would never use heavenly fire.
The combat style of the former “Shang Can” was the most orthodox Qingyu sword technique, never having any connection to fire. She only began to use heavenly fire after arriving at Biluo Huangquan, and the only person who could recognize her as Shang Can based on her use of heavenly fire was—
A sharp pain shot through Shang Can’s head, and the scenes before her faded to white as numerous images flashed uncontrollably through her mind.
Endless fire meteors falling from the sky, collapsing buildings, the mingled cries of countless wails and the sound of flesh burning, the chilling aura of ghosts unable to withstand the fiery tongues, scattering as quickly as they came.
The woman standing before her, previously arrogant and unkind, was engulfed in blazing golden flames, a guttural roar escaping her throat as she lifted her charred arm toward Shang Can.
“Shang Can, Shang Can…!!”
Shang Can remembered that when she first saw this scene, she had just regained her senses, not yet able to comprehend what had transpired. Terrified by the sight before her, she instinctively took two steps back, and the arm of the person reaching out to her broke with a crack, falling to the ground.
“Ah… ah…”
Shang Can was overwhelmed with fear, slowly realizing her entire body felt like it was about to explode, her blood boiling as if bubbling within her, her breaths filled with scorching heat.
Surrounded by extreme heat, Shang Can’s mind gradually descended into chaos, but suddenly amidst the infernal noises reminiscent of the Abyss, she clearly caught a faint voice.
“…Sister.”
The formerly cool and indifferent voice was now unable to conceal its weakness and light coughs. Shang Can snapped awake and hurriedly turned toward the direction of the voice.
She was terrified of turning around to see a scene akin to that of the figure burned by the flames. Fortunately, the white-robed figure was still standing there, untouched by the raging fire that danced around, not even singeing the hem of her garment.
But, but—
Her once pristine white clothing was now stained with large splotches of bright red, the color eerily vibrant, making her already pale face look even more ghostly.
Yet those onyx-like eyes remained bright and gentle, even holding a hint of a smile, softly gazing at the flustered and panic-stricken Shang Can.
“Sister, you—”
“—Ah Can, are you alright?”
The slightly urgent call pulled Shang Can back from her nightmarish vision. She realized she was leaning against a tree, sitting on the ground, facing Yun Duan, who had approached with a worry rarely seen on her usually composed face.
It seemed she had suddenly lost consciousness, and Yun Duan had been watching over her.
Shang Can blinked, noting that the dark figure had vanished; it must have been driven away by Yun Duan when she lost consciousness.
“…I’m fine, just felt a little dizzy.”
As she opened her eyes and saw Yun Duan’s face, the boundary between her illusion and reality blurred, her head pounding like it might split open. It took great effort to squeeze out those words. She leaned her head back against the tree trunk, breathing heavily as she closed her eyes, straining to reach for the pouch at her waist.
However, Yun Duan unceremoniously took the pouch from her unsteady grip, asking, “What do you need?”
“Medicine.” Shang Can didn’t stop her, whispering, “The one in the black bottle.”
Soon, the pill was brought to her lips. Shang Can frowned and slightly turned her head, raising her hand to take it. “I’ll do it myself—”
The person before her interrupted coldly, “Don’t be stubborn.”
With no other choice, Shang Can accepted the pill from Yun Duan’s hand, focused, and after a moment, spat out a mouthful of black blood, feeling the heaviness in her chest ease slightly before slowly reopening her eyes.
“It’s fine now, thank you, Yun Zhongjun—”
It was only then that she realized how uncomfortably close Yun Duan was. Shang Can felt she could even see her own clear reflection in Yun Duan’s eyes, startled enough to retreat, pressing her entire self against the tree trunk.
Yun Duan, however, seemed oblivious, treating her words as if she hadn’t spoken. She scrutinized Shang Can carefully, even touching her forehead and neck one by one. Shang Can instinctively tried to dodge, but after Yun Duan coldly ordered her not to move, she oddly felt compelled to obey, allowing Yun Duan to examine her.
After feeling Shang Can’s pulse for a while, Yun Duan finally relaxed her expression slightly, returning to her usual calm demeanor.
She handed a delicate small bottle to Shang Can, her words simple yet authoritative: “Take this.”
Shang Can accepted it, opened the lid to sniff, and from the fragrant aroma, she could tell it was a high-grade spirit medicine.
She paused, glancing at Yun Duan, feeling inexplicably that she was now in a subordinate position compared to Yun Duan, and cautiously said, “I’m already mostly fine, maybe you should keep the medicine for yourself…?”
“…”
Yun Duan didn’t respond, her expression blank as she stared at Shang Can, which made Shang Can feel an invisible pressure.
…This situation felt eerily familiar.
Even though recalling past events in her current state caused her head to throb, the uncontrollable memories of the former Shang Can made her hesitate to say more, obediently swallowing the medicine.
As the surging blood settled, Shang Can stood up, looking around. The sounds of the wind and the surroundings had returned to normal; there were no more oddities. Perhaps seeing through her intentions, Yun Duan said, “Earlier, you suddenly lost consciousness. That person tried to ambush you, but I blocked her, though I couldn’t capture her.”
“I’m sorry, I was a burden.”
It was indeed because she had to look after her unconscious form that Yun Duan hadn’t managed to chase after the assailant. Shang Can sincerely bowed her head in gratitude, saying, “Thank you for saving me; I won’t forget this debt.”
Ah, she didn’t know when she’d be able to repay it.
“Today we can return; we won’t have to come here again.”
Bringing the conversation back on track, Shang Can glanced at the spot where the dark figure had appeared, her expression growing serious as she said softly, “…I already know who’s behind this.”
“…”
Yun Duan watched her quietly for a long time before finally asking, “Will you tell me?”
“Or will you be like before, pretending nothing happened even when you fainted right before my eyes?”
“—Shang Can?”
Shang Can shivered, but Yun Duan showed no intention of waiting for her response; after her question, she turned and walked away, her slender white figure radiating a cold defiance.
…She had been treated like this once before.
Shang Can felt a bit helpless as she followed, not daring to speak as if she had done something wrong.
Just like… the time Yun Duan was angry with her.
Everything was going wrong.
Shang Can lay on her bed with a headache, staring blankly at the ceiling.
The matters she needed to deal with were extraordinarily troublesome.
For instance, she could guess the true identity of that dark figure, but she knew nothing about her intentions. Moreover, that person should have died in the heavenly fire; why had she now appeared before her in this form, associating with the ghost clan that had remained silent in the cultivation world for decades?
And for another instance, that person had directly called out her name in front of Yun Duan. Although Yun Duan hadn’t shown any unusual reaction yet, this could lead to significant problems—if Yun Duan grew curious and began to investigate the name “Shang Can,” her already fragile memory seal would likely become compromised.
Each of these issues was serious, but compared to these two matters, what was more important was—
Shang Can let out a long sigh, turning over and burying her face into the pillow.
… What’s more important is that since they left the mountain and returned to the inn, two hours have passed, yet Yun Duan hasn’t said a word to her. She just went back to her room, locked the door, and now there’s not a single sound from her.
Shang Can, oh Shang Can, you really have a knack for making Yun Duan angry again.
She let out a muffled groan, feeling a bit dejected as she sat up.
It’s rare for Yun Duan to be angry, and Shang Can has only “had the fortune” of witnessing it once, just like this—silent and without a word.
Although her behavior remains considerate and she still responds normally when Shang Can speaks to her, there’s an unmistakable cold pressure that makes Shang Can feel the distance between them.
Last time, when they were still close as sisters, they could talk about anything openly. Yun Duan has a gentle nature; as long as she admits her mistakes, she would never hold onto past grievances.
But now—
Why is Yun Duan angry? Shang Can wondered.
Is it because she realized Shang Can is hiding something from her? Or is it because Shang Can tried to deceive her with lies as soon as she opened her eyes? Or perhaps it’s because she feels she hasn’t received the trust she deserves?
All of it is possible. All of it is possible.
But ultimately, these things come back to a single issue: it all revolves around the things Shang Can can no longer voice about her past with Yun Duan.
What should I do?
Shang Can walked to the table and poured herself a cup of cold tea, slowly sipping it. Along with the difficult bitterness, the memory of that day surrounded by flames came back to her mind, along with the image of Yun Duan’s blood-red clothing that bloomed like crimson plum blossoms.
… Should I run away once more?
“Knock, knock.”
The sudden sound of knocking at the door interrupted Shang Can’s thoughts. She hurriedly composed herself, springing up to her feet. In her rush, she bumped her waist against the edge of the table, but she didn’t care, quickly walking to the door and pulling it open.
The person who had been lingering in her mind for so long stood vividly before her, a faint cold fragrance wafting over. Shang Can’s restless heart suddenly calmed.
“What was that noise just now?” Yun Duan’s voice was cool, her expression calm as she swept her gaze over Shang Can, “Did you bump yourself?”
“Ah, no, it’s nothing.”
For some reason, Shang Can felt nervous, her words coming out stammered as she hurriedly moved aside, awkwardly standing to the side.
Yun Duan didn’t step inside; she remained at the doorway, quietly observing Shang Can, her delicate brows slightly knitted together, creating an atmosphere that was low and heavy.
Her voice was ethereal, as if she contained a light sigh, “I’ll ask you once more.”
“Did you bump into something just now?”
Shang Can stared blankly at her, feeling at a loss as she bit her lip, slowly realizing that her waist was indeed stinging.
Instinctively, she touched the area, mumbling, “Um… I just bumped into the table.”
Such a simple statement seemed to lift Yun Duan’s mood instantly. She stepped into the room, closed the door, and walked straight up to Shang Can, easily breaking the comfortable distance between them, causing Shang Can to instinctively lean back.
But she felt that doing so might upset Yun Duan, so she restrained herself, hesitantly lowering her gaze and softly saying, “… Yun Duan?”
The person in front of her lightly responded with an “Mm,” her bright eyes sparkling as if containing a glimmer of light.
“When you fainted, you kept calling my name.”
Her voice was softer than usual, so close that their breaths nearly intertwined, sending a shiver through Shang Can.
Before she could process the weight of Yun Duan’s words, Yun Duan’s delicate, pale fingers slowly covered Shang Can’s hand resting on her waist, unconsciously stroking it, easily capturing Shang Can’s attention. She instinctively flinched but was quickly caught by Yun Duan, who leaned in closer.
“… You clearly have something to hide, yet when I ask, you only tell me it’s nothing.”
In such a moment, she should have defended herself, at least said something like “I’m really fine,” to brush off this dangerous topic.
But Shang Can couldn’t utter a sound; she merely opened her mouth in vain, and when she caught a glimpse of the faint disappointment hidden in Yun Duan’s deep black eyes, she forgot all her excuses.
“If I ask a few more times like I did just now, would you finally tell me?”
Yun Duan let out a gentle sigh, weariness lacing her voice.
“… When will you finally tell me what you’re hiding, A Can?”
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