Chapter 44
The Enforcement Hall was thick with killing intent.
Nangong Wen and Chen Mujian stood side by side, their expressions grim, the tension around them sharp enough to cut.
Inside Lou Yuqing’s mind, irritation boiled over without restraint.
[That idiot Beitang Lechen! What’s the point of regretting anything now? They’re already dead. If you really felt sorry, you should’ve paid with your life! Crying, crying, crying—will that bring them back?]
[Good thing Nangong Ying went on a killing spree in the end and took you with her, otherwise I’d have been furious to death.]
She had always disliked people like that—neither purely evil nor redeemable, just… disgusting.
Others died because of them, and they thought a few tears could wash everything clean?
Si Nidie’s temper flared along with her thoughts. Her fingers tightened around the edge of the table, knuckles whitening as she nearly slammed it down.
Only the thought of Captain Wei returning to settle accounts with her forced her to hold back. Even so, her fists remained clenched, anger barely contained.
The surrounding disciples exchanged uneasy glances. None of them had ever met Beitang Lechen, but in that instant, his name was mentally crossed out with a bold, unforgiving mark.
Tianxing City was under the Wendao Sect’s jurisdiction—and yet its young lord had obstructed their disciples during a mission?
That wasn’t mere foolishness. It was a direct challenge to the sect’s authority.
And it had led, in the end, to a disciple’s death.
Nangong Wen and Chen Mujian both turned to look at Nangong Ying.
She stood there quietly, head lowered, as inconspicuous as ever—but neither of them could ignore what they had just learned.
Ying’er… had killed someone.
She had killed Beitang Lechen.
That was not something a dull, numbed person could do.
A fragile thread of hope stirred in Nangong Wen’s chest. Could it be… that Ying’er had already broken free of the curse, regained her senses?
But by then… she herself had already died in Tianxing City.
In the end, the sisters had still been separated.
Silently, Nangong Wen pulled Nangong Ying into her arms and closed her eyes. Chen Mujian wrapped his arms around both of them, drawing them close.
The three of them huddled together, seeking warmth like small, battered creatures against the cold.
Seeing their expressions, Lou Yuqing assumed they were overwhelmed, unable to accept what awaited them.
She sighed inwardly.
Things would only get worse from here… she would have to find a chance to warn them, or they would end up exactly as described.
Her thoughts continued.
[The Wendao Sect lights soul lamps for outstanding disciples, placing them in a tower under strict guard. The moment a soul lamp goes out, the sect is alerted.]
[So when Chen Mujian and Nangong Wen’s soul lamps extinguished, the guards immediately reported it. The Enforcement Hall realized something was wrong and followed the trail to the Chen family… and to Tianxing City.]
[By then… three days had already passed.]
Her thoughts paused.
And then—above her, the image shifted.
The Enforcement Hall disciples arrived at the Chen family residence.
The plaque at the gate hung crooked, stained dark with blood, as if it might fall at any moment. Through the shattered entrance, they saw it—bodies.
Everywhere.
Blood pooled across the ground, thick and dark, flowing like a silent river.
And at the center of it all, standing atop a mound of corpses—
Nangong Ying.
Her dark pupils looked down indifferently, devoid of warmth. The vivid red mark on her face seemed almost alive, bright and consuming, as if it might swallow everything in its path.
The blood was still fresh. The stench hung heavy in the air.
One fact rang out, undeniable.
The Chen family… had been wiped out.
[Maybe there really is such a thing as a bond between sisters. When Nangong Wen died, Nangong Ying felt it—a sharp, tearing fear that jolted her awake. She burst out of that dazed state, tears streaming uncontrollably.]
[Her sister was gone. She had no sister anymore.]
[Nangong Ying went to Tianxing City, killed Beitang Lechen, then evaded the city lord’s pursuit and made her way to the Chen family.]
[And when she arrived… she slaughtered the entire clan.]
[Because she knew—the brother-in-law who had once comforted and encouraged her… was also dead.]
The image burned itself into their minds.
Nangong Wen and Chen Mujian stood frozen, shaken to the core.
The girl they knew—pure, quiet, gentle—had drenched her hands in blood… for them.
Perhaps, from the moment she woke, she was no longer the same Nangong Ying.
Something inside her had changed.
Something colder.
Crueler.
But neither of them could bring themselves to blame her.
In their eyes, Ying’er was still innocent.
All of this—every bit of it—had been forced upon her.
The true culprit was Mu Yunqing.
And after her came Chen Lao Er, Beitang Lechen… and countless others who had played a part.
Ying’er had only been driven to this.
[Yes… Nangong Ying is pitiful.]
[But she committed a massacre and was caught in the act by a Wendao Sect disciple. After the fight, she escaped—and from that moment on, she was placed on the sect’s wanted list.]
Si Nidie’s gaze darkened.
A wanted list wasn’t confined to a single sect. Information was shared—anyone listed became a target across sects. Capture them, and rewards followed.
In the northern continent… Nangong Ying would have nowhere left to stand.
Nangong Wen’s heart clenched.
Could her sister survive?
She had heard of her own death without flinching—but this… this she could not bear. The thought of Ying’er wandering alone, hunted, unknown…
Panic rose, sharp and uncontrollable.
[Nangong Ying broke through the encirclement and fled west into the deep mountains. After that… no one saw her again.]
[She didn’t wake up just because she sensed her sister’s death. The real reason was that the one controlling the Gu… met with an accident.]
[Mu Yunqing used sect-given pills to break through a bottleneck. When it didn’t work, she grew impatient and activated all of them at once.]
[She failed… and died on the spot.]
A ripple of subtle reactions passed through the hall.
After everything—after all her schemes—Mu Yunqing had died before Nangong Ying.
Nangong Wen let out a cold laugh.
Too easy.
Too quick.
Such an ending was far too merciful.
Her gaze flicked toward Mu Yunqing’s unconscious form, sharp as ice. No—she would not be allowed such an easy death now.
[Both the Spirit-Absorbing Gu and the Beauty Gu were incomplete. They would erupt periodically and needed constant suppression.]
[After Mu Yunqing’s death, the Gu worms lost control and began tearing at each other inside Nangong Ying’s body.]
[Raising Gu is about survival of the strongest. When two kings meet, only one lives.]
[The surviving Beauty Gu devoured the other and underwent a transformation—breaking its limits, restoring Nangong Ying’s spiritual power, and even pushing her into a higher realm.]
Gu Buqi’s eyes sharpened slightly.
So that was how the Gu had been “cured.”
But… what about the consequences?
Si Nidie, on the other hand, only saw the result.
At least Nangong Ying had regained her strength.
Still… her gaze lingered on the mark on Nangong Ying’s face.
Why was it still there?
No matter how strong someone became, appearance was not something easily dismissed—especially after losing it.
Yet in the image, Nangong Ying seemed completely indifferent. She stood among the carnage she had created, watching the approaching Enforcement Hall disciples without a flicker of emotion.
Then, after shaking off their pursuit, just before disappearing into the mountains, she paused—and looked back toward the Wendao Sect.
For a brief moment, something flickered in her eyes beneath the shadow of her cloak.
Struggle.
Then—stillness.
The scene froze.
Nangong Wen stared at that final expression, her thoughts drifting.
Disappear…
Would Ying’er never return?
The Wendao Sect was a place of peace—but also a place of sorrow.
She understood now. The Gu had changed her sister. The Ying’er of the past would never have sought revenge so ruthlessly.
If she had been stronger… even Beitang Lechen’s entire household might not have survived.
Nangong Wen tightened her hold slightly.
If becoming a villain meant living longer… then so be it.
As if hearing her thoughts, Lou Yuqing’s voice surfaced again.
[Years later, the entire household of Tianxing City’s lord was wiped out.]
[Not a drop of blood was spilled. The corpses… were all mummified.]
[Some say a dark figure was seen that night. True or not—no one knows.]
[All that’s certain… is that this person was extremely vicious.]
Silence returned to the Enforcement Hall.
This… went beyond ruthless.
Slowly, almost involuntarily, everyone looked at Nangong Ying.
That timid girl… could she truly become something like that?
Nangong Ying shifted under their gazes, uncomfortable. She lowered her head further and buried her face against her sister’s shoulder.
Gu Buqi’s thoughts moved elsewhere.
Mummified corpses…
The west…
Demonic cultivators.
A possibility formed in his mind.
A soft groan broke the silence.
Mu Yunqing stirred.
Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused as she stared at the white jade ceiling above her.
“I’m… not dead?” she murmured, voice unsteady.
Nangong Wen looked down at her, a ruthless glint flashing through her eyes.
“Of course you’re not,” she said coldly. “I didn’t poison the fruit.”
Her voice carried the chill of an unmelting glacier.
Mu Yunqing instinctively clutched her throat, fear surging. The memory of their last exchange rushed back—this woman was insane, capable of anything.
But then—she noticed where she was.
Not a cave.
The Enforcement Hall.
Her pupils shrank.
Her heart began to pound.
That conversation—it couldn’t be exposed.
If it was… she was finished.
But before she could even gather herself, Nangong Wen shattered that last fragile hope.
With a calm, deliberate motion, she took out a gray, dust-covered object.
A recording stone.
“Still want to argue?” Nangong Wen’s tone was steady, certain.
She had come prepared.
Of course she had.
Mu Yunqing’s lips trembled. Words hovered on the edge of her tongue—but reason told her they were useless now.
The evidence was undeniable.
Proof of her crime lay in Nangong Wen’s hands.
Her legs gave out. She collapsed back to the ground, face drained of color, even the thought of escape gone. Within the sect’s great formation, any movement would be instantly detected.
No one looked at her with sympathy.
Anyone who dared to do such a thing… should have been ready for the consequences.
“Mu Yunqing,” Nangong Wen said coldly, “the poison in Ying’er’s body is your doing. If you have even a shred of conscience left, cure her properly.”
Mu Yunqing let out a faint, breathless laugh.
Conscience?
She probably didn’t have any left.
If given another chance… she would still make the same choice.
This was the fate of those consumed by greed and envy.
“I can’t cure it,” she said without hesitation. “Have you ever seen someone who harms others leave behind an antidote? Of course not. The more vicious the poison… the better.”
Veins bulged faintly at Nangong Wen’s temple. “You—”
But Mu Yunqing only smiled wider, satisfaction flickering through her eyes. She had provoked her deliberately.
So what if Nangong Ying had been ruined?
What did that have to do with her?
Nearby, Lou Yuqing blinked.
…Was she really just giving up like this?