The unmasked threat in Shang Can’s words made Qin Yi’s expression stiffen. After a moment, she regained her smile, speaking in a soothing tone, “No need to rush.”
“It’s been so long,” she deliberately let her gaze sweep slowly from Shang Can’s feet to her head, “Shouldn’t we catch up first? I’ve been thinking about you… every moment of these past years.”
Seeing Shang Can’s disgusted frown, Qin Yi wasn’t offended. She continued the conversation, unbothered.
“You know, those dozen or so people I had with me back then,” she gestured casually to the collapsing pavilion still burning in the flames, “All of them died at your hands.”
Her tone was light, as though she wasn’t speaking of hatred but making casual conversation.
“…” Shang Can pressed her lips together and asked in a low voice, “But you didn’t die. What… exactly are you now?”
“That’s an awfully rude question.” Qin Yi briefly furrowed her brows but then waved it off with a forgiving gesture. “But it’s fine, I’m in a good mood right now.”
“I’m not entirely sure myself,” she said nonchalantly, glancing at her hand. Shang Can watched it disappear and reappear in a flash. “I guess I’m… half-ghost?”
“…Impossible.”
Shang Can paused for a moment, then firmly denied, “There’s no such thing as ‘half’ in this world. Different species can’t mix—”
“That’s true, normally.”
“Whether it’s human, ghost, or demon, they’re all pureblooded.”
Qin Yi nodded with a smile, suddenly turning expressionless as she continued, “But here I am, looking like this without being dead. So, what else could I be?”
“…”
Shang Can had no words, and Qin Yi’s tone grew sharper. “Since the day you burned me alive, I’ve been stuck in this ghostly form—and now you’re asking me what I am? Who am I supposed to ask?”
As Qin Yi’s words fell, the surrounding scenery dissolved like smoke, leaving only the two of them in a chaotic, misty space.
Perhaps amused by Shang Can’s silent, furrowed brow, Qin Yi’s previously aggressive demeanor softened. She smiled, “I’ve become something neither human nor ghost, forced to hide wherever I go.”
“And then you became the demon cultivator Can Zhe—heh, isn’t that funny?”
Qin Yi let out a soft, cold laugh. “If I had known you were going to attend the Tianwaitian Dao Conference, I should have…”
Shang Can’s expression tightened, and she interrupted, “Is the Dao Heart Lotus in your possession?”
“Yes,” Qin Yi admitted openly, nodding. “The legendary Dao Heart Lotus, said to revive the dead and regrow flesh on bones—I thought maybe it could help with this form of mine.”
“Do you want it too?”
She looked Shang Can up and down with a knowing glance and nodded, “I see, with the state you’re in now, if you don’t find a solution, you won’t survive for a few more months, will you?”
Shang Can scoffed disdainfully and ignored her, mentally calculating her next move. Since Qin Yi was so straightforward about having the Dao Heart Lotus, she likely didn’t have it on her now. And for some reason, she seemed unusually chatty—perhaps Shang Can could coax more information out of her.
There was also Yun Duan. If Qin Yi had been lurking around ever since they entered the Underworld, did she…?
Shang Can’s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a sudden, unbearable pain in her chest. Clashing waves of cold and heat surged through her meridians, wreaking havoc within her body like a fierce battle. She felt a warmth in her throat and violently coughed up blood.
“…”
The sudden onset of the symptoms caught Shang Can off guard, but she forced herself to suppress the internal turmoil. Qin Yi stood to the side, watching her with a faint, amused smile.
“…How impolite of you, Shang Can.”
Qin Yi’s face gradually grew colder as she spoke in a seemingly unrelated manner.
“The day you fell into Wangchuan River, you entered my illusion after the fall.”
“Whether you believe it or not, you weren’t swept away by the river because of me—I merely seized the opportunity. The ‘Qin Yi’ you saw in the illusion was played by me.”
“But it seems I didn’t play the part well.” Qin Yi smirked, her eyes unexpectedly soft. “You were able to break the illusion, probably because you saw through me.”
“It doesn’t matter, though. I don’t regret it. After all, seeing you again as you were back then was a rare treat.”
Shang Can shivered with disgust, her face openly showing her revulsion. The alternating hot and cold sensations in her body made her incredibly uncomfortable, though the sharp pain had passed, and her condition seemed to be improving. Taking advantage of the time while Qin Yi babbled on, Shang Can silently adjusted her breathing.
“And although it didn’t work out in the end, you did drink the medicine from the illusion.”
Qin Yi continued speaking to herself, glancing at Shang Can with a slight smile. “From that moment on, I planted a dormant spell within you, as a contingency.”
“…”
A wave of heightened vigilance surged within Shang Can, and she looked up at Qin Yi, whose smile had suddenly disappeared, her expression now cold and indifferent.
“I hadn’t decided how best to use it, but after bringing you here, I finally made up my mind.”
“—There’s now a spell inside you. Every time you think about your junior sister, your meridians will suffer damage.”
“—”
Qin Yi’s words were absurd given the circumstances. Shang Can’s understanding lagged a beat, her eyes widening as she processed the nonsense Qin Yi was spewing.
As soon as she thought of Yun Duan—
The moment Yun Duan’s name crossed her mind, her previously calm blood surged violently again. Shang Can’s chest felt as though it had been struck, and blood flowed uncontrollably from the corners of her mouth.
In the midst of the pain and discomfort, she found herself oddly amused by the ridiculousness of the situation. She let out a few low chuckles.
“What’s so funny?”
Shang Can’s laughter seemed to darken Qin Yi’s mood. Her voice turned cold as she stepped forward, reaching out to wipe the blood from Shang Can’s lips. Shang Can caught her wrist without hesitation, instantly burning away half of Qin Yi’s arm.
Qin Yi didn’t flinch or cry out, merely tilting her head slightly. With a slight movement, her arm and clothing regenerated, and she casually flexed her wrist.
“Indeed.” Although she didn’t make another move, Qin Yi stared directly at Shang Can, speaking in an ethereal tone as though talking to herself. “I set this spell to weaken you, to make it easier to take your life.”
“But… but, Shang Can.”
She gazed deeply at Shang Can, her eyes trailing from her indifferent gaze to her bloodstained lips, then down to her chest, where the blood had soaked through her clothes. A faint smile curled her lips, though it didn’t reach her eyes.
“…It’s strange. Right now, I don’t feel happy at all.”
How wonderful.
Shang Can had no interest in Qin Yi’s sudden change in mood. She raised her hand and roughly wiped the blood from her lips, smearing it across her face, which gave her pale complexion a strangely vibrant hue.
Getting injured just by thinking of Yun Duan… how unreasonable.
As the pain became something she grew accustomed to, Shang Can straightened and looked at Qin Yi, her lips curled into a faint, elusive smile.
“…Still thinking of her while talking to me?” Qin Yi’s brows furrowed, and her gaze darkened. “Shang Can, isn’t that a bit rude?”
Shang Can couldn’t help but laugh. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”
You went to such great lengths to drag me into this illusion, forcing me to relive these memories engraved in the deepest scars of my mind.
Of course, all I can think about is Yun Duan.
Shang Can had to admit, it was a successful trap. Even now, with the nature of the trap laid bare, she couldn’t stop Yun Duan’s name from surfacing in her mind.
Where is Yun Duan right now? How is she? Has Qin Yi hurt her?
—On that July 17th, when she was injured by Wuyou… did it hurt?
That was a question Shang Can had wondered about for ten years, knowing she would never have the chance to ask it aloud. So it had become a thorn in her heart, a guilt she could never forget.
The searing pain gradually became a constant companion, a shadow that never left her side. Shang Can instinctively placed a hand over her chest, her mouth filled with the bitter taste of blood.
In that moment, it dawned on her that, whether or not there was a spell in her body, it made no difference at all.
“…”
Qin Yi, who had been watching her all this time, remained silent for a moment. Then, with a self-deprecating chuckle, she began to clap deliberately, as if mocking.
When she raised her head again, her expression had returned to its earlier unreadable, almost-smiling state. Her voice was exaggeratedly theatrical: “Oh, right, I’ve been meaning to ask you something—”
“How does your junior sister’s blood taste?”
In an instant, Qin Yi was met with a heavy punch to the face, staggering back two steps.
No weapons, no fancy techniques—Shang Can simply swung her fist. Without hesitation, she charged forward again, kicking the caught-off-guard Qin Yi several paces away.
“…Why so hasty?”
After taking two unexpected hits, Qin Yi narrowly dodged another punch from Shang Can, stepping back with a cold sneer. “Can’t stand hearing that question?”
Shang Can didn’t seem interested in exchanging more words. She snapped her fingers, summoning several fire dragons, each as long as an arm, which roared as they charged at Qin Yi. Meanwhile, Shang Can raised her hand toward the sky. The illusion’s sky began to twist, revealing a faint, bright crimson gold.
Qin Yi spun out of the fire dragons’ path, glancing up at the strange sight in the sky before letting out a laugh.
“Looks like you’re serious about killing me right now.”
Her tone was unreadable as she looked back at Shang Can’s dark eyes, gesturing toward Shang Can’s chest.
“…Forcing yourself to use your spiritual energy in this state—it’s going to hurt.”
Shang Can didn’t respond. She just stared coldly at Qin Yi, ignoring the metallic taste rising uncontrollably in her throat and the thickening scent of blood on her own body. After spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood, dazzling, searing wings of flame burst from her back.
Slowly flapping her wings, Shang Can lifted herself into the sky. The sky above her never ceased rumbling, shaking the very fabric of the world. It was as if the heavens themselves were being torn apart, the crimson gold light growing brighter and brighter, illuminating everything. Her figure in midair now looked like that of a god.
Qin Yi couldn’t make out the complicated expression on Shang Can’s face but still smiled softly, murmuring under her breath.
“…Are you angry because I thought of her blood, or because I mentioned that you drank it?”
“…”
Shang Can still didn’t respond. Qin Yi thought that the technique she had placed on Shang Can should have already destroyed most of her meridians, but Shang Can showed no sign of it. She stood silently in the sky, her beautiful eyes filled only with indifference.
Shang Can slowly lowered the arm she had stretched toward the sky, then pointed directly at Qin Yi.
For a moment, the world fell silent, and then an overwhelming, terrifying aura surged forward. Qin Yi felt her illusion shatter in an instant. A familiar meteor of fire streaked across the sky, bringing with it a heat that could obliterate everything, just as it had in the past, racing toward her.
This time, Shang Can truly intended to kill her.
Qin Yi forgot to dodge. She looked up at the figure in the sky, whose face was obscured by the backlight, and couldn’t quite understand the emotion welling up inside her chest. Yet, for some reason, she felt a strange sense of elation.
Powerful, scorching, unstoppable—this was the hidden fury within Shang Can’s body.
Swept up in a surge of murderous intent, Qin Yi’s hands trembled involuntarily, but she relaxed her grip.
Kill me, kill me, and then—
In that split second, Qin Yi’s expression changed sharply, and she shrieked, “Who’s there?!”
There was no response. The shattered illusion around her rippled once more, like mist slowly dissipating. What appeared before her now was the familiar sight of the underworld—its dark red sky and the endless river of forgetfulness.
A woman in wide white robes stood before her, gazing absentmindedly at the falling meteor, raising her hand as if she were trying to touch it.
With just that small gesture, the leading fireball suddenly halted midair, and after a brief moment of stagnation, it exploded like a massive firework.
“Stay away from her.”
Nan Shuang spoke slowly, her gaze fixed on Shang Can, though her words weren’t directed at her.
“—Qin Yi, I’ve told you many times, haven’t I? Don’t lay a hand on Shang Can before I do.”
Nan Shuang’s usually lazy eyes were now bright and intense, filled with an unusual fervor as she looked at Shang Can, who still hadn’t spoken a word.
“It’s my turn now, Shang Can.”
The loose robes around Nan Shuang began to ripple as if stirred by an invisible wind. She smiled, her expression slightly twisted.
“I’ve been waiting almost ten years… for this version of you.”
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