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墨書 Inktalez
The hand he held suddenly trembled, uncontrollably. Jun Chong gripped it tighter and then embraced me firmly.
"Jun Chong, you noticed the Qilin Hairpin was missing a long time ago, didn't you?"
I could hear my own voice quivering. Jun Chong nodded and brought my hand to his lips, kissing it gently.
"Don't worry. We lost it last time too, but it came back in the end, right? So everything will be fine."
Will it really be fine?
If I hadn't heard that curse from Su Yi with my own ears, perhaps I would have been reassured by his words. After all, the Qilin Hairpin had returned after being lost before.
Besides, there’s still Cangling, right? He is the Qilin King; finding the Golden Qilin should be easy for him.
But now I felt a constant unease, as if something had been completely lost. Even if I wanted to search for it, it might never return.
"Perhaps when it comes back, it will already be broken."
A voice flashed through my mind, startling me. I stiffened. "Who? Who is speaking?"
"Anxin, what's wrong?" Jun Chong looked down at me. "No one is talking."
I listened carefully and realized he was right; there was truly no one else there. Or perhaps the voice I heard was just my own inner thoughts?
This unease lingered until we returned to Fragrant Blossom Pavilion. Jun Chong did not go to Underworld Palace; as soon as we arrived at Fragrant Blossom Pavilion, he sought out Mu Yan to inquire about Rong Zhi.
"Why haven't we received any news yet?"
Mu Yan trembled slightly and continued to report, "The Underworld is currently supported by the Demons outside. The surrounding residents have either escaped or perished. The Demons occupy half of the Underworld and have sealed off the entrance. My people cannot get in and have no way to gather any information. However, those waiting outside say they haven't seen Rong Zhi come out, so he should still be inside."
"Rong Zhi is currently unaccounted for?"
Seeing Mu Yan nod, my unease grew even more. It seemed that ever since we left the Demon Realm, this feeling had never ceased, intensifying with the disappearance of the Qilin Hairpin.
Rong Zhi was injured and his life was uncertain; it was no wonder Jun Chong was angry. After all, Rong Zhi was an irreplaceable friend and subordinate to him.
"What about Jun Rui's side?"
"As expected by the Lord, the King of Hell knows that the passage was opened by you, but he hasn't disclosed that information publicly. He continues to send people to resist the Demon Realm's attacks, and on the surface, everything appears normal."
Jun Chong blew on the tea leaves and replied calmly, "Hmm."
Mu Yan furrowed his brows slightly, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. "There are some things I don't know whether I should say."
"Speak."
After receiving Jun Chong's consent, Mu Yan tightened his grip on his hands clasped in front of him.
"Previously, one of the Seven Guardians, Yazhen, was said to have been attacked and killed by an elder from the Demon Realm. However, according to my investigation, Yazhen died from soul absorption. On the night she died, she wasn't fighting against enemies outside; someone saw her return to the Underworld Palace. During those days, the King of Hell spread rumors that he was in seclusion for cultivation. So I boldly speculate that it may not be a case of the Demon King's powers weakening; it could just be an illusion making us believe that negative thoughts have no effect on the King of Hell when in fact they do."
While Mu Yan spoke, Jun Chong was sipping his tea. After Mu Yan finished speaking, he continued drinking without interruption. To him, no matter what Jun Rui did wrong, he would always be his elder brother.
Don't be fooled by Jun Chong's cold demeanor; he has a deep obsession with certain things, much like me, and the brotherly bond he shares with Jun Rui. Otherwise, he could easily cling to the throne of the Underworld without hesitation. Knowing his character, Jun Rui's betrayal at that time would pose no real threat to him.
But in the end, Jun Chong still compromised, claiming it was for my sake. Yet I understood that half of it was also for Jun Rui; he wanted to protect that brotherly bond, so he chose to step down.
Seeing him silent, Mu Yan gritted her teeth and pressed her left hand firmly before continuing, "Yesterday, news came that after dinner, Rong Zhen went straight into his tent to rest. We searched for him for no more than half a tea's time and found he was already dead. The room was tidy, with no signs of external intrusion. Even if it were the work of the Demon Realm, only a few could overpower Rong Zhen, and to kill him without a sound is simply unfathomable. This has caused quite a panic among the residents of the Underworld."
"But even if it was Jun Rui's doing, if he didn't want anyone to know he killed his subordinate, he would frame it as the work of the Demon Realm. Did your information provide any similar leads? For instance, were there traces of demonic energy left in the places where Yazhen and Rong Zhen disappeared?"
I analyzed Mu Yan's words; she wouldn't say such things lightly without having conducted an investigation first.
Mu Yan shook her head and sighed. "There were no traces of energy at either Yazhen or Rong Zhen's locations when they died, which makes it even more perplexing. I can only hope I'm overthinking this. Now that Qizi is hiding in the Underworld and the Demon Realm occupies a dominant position in the Underworld, if there are no measures taken against them and Qizi meets with the Demon King, the consequences would be unimaginable."
In contrast to Jun Chong's calm tea-drinking demeanor, Mu Yan was extremely anxious. The Underworld was shrouded in Miasma, presenting a desolate scene while the Demon Realm continued to act arrogantly. The highest authority in the Underworld, the King of Hell, merely pretended to resist.
Aside from summoning the Golden-Clad Reaper, Jun Chong seemed to have no other plans and remained the root cause of opening the passage.
I licked my somewhat dry lips and said to Mu Yan, "Mu Yan, you should go now! He just rescued me from the Demon Realm and is somewhat weakened; can we discuss this later?"
Mu Yan's eyes held reluctance but she dared not express it. She bowed slightly to Jun Chong before leaving through the door. I watched as Jun Chong's cup of tea had long since gone cold before walking over and taking it.
"Jun Chong, are you hiding something from me? The Underworld keeps retreating while allowing the Demon Realm to run rampant; do you have some sort of plan?"
Jun Chong smiled at me with a hint of mischief but remained silent as he pulled me toward the bedroom.
He led me directly to the Voidless Realm, where cherry blossom petals floated into my palm. Jun Chong held my hand as we walked toward the pond behind the Cherry Blossom Tree.
“Anxin, do you remember this place?”
“I do.” I walked to his side and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. “This is where I was reborn.”
“Anxin, I have guarded the Underworld for so long that I cannot allow any party to invade it. There’s an old saying among humans: you cannot have both fish and bear's paw. To protect the Underworld, I must give up one side.”
He gazed at the blue water of the pool, and I followed his gaze, seeing his dark pupils reflecting the blue water as they pierced into my depths, reaching my heart.
“You know, my other side is you.”
I remained silent, quietly listening to his words. Suddenly, I felt that simply hearing him speak was a luxury in itself.
“I have also said that even if I betray the world, I cannot abandon you. Even if I die, I want you to live well. Even if it means destroying your memories at all costs.”
At his last words, I froze for a moment, and the next second, Jun Chong forcefully pushed me into the pool. The blue water splashed everywhere.
“Jun Chong, you—”
“Anxin, live well and enjoy the beauty of this world.”
Jun Chong's deep gaze was so intense that it seemed unfathomable. It was hard to discern what kind of emotion had suddenly emerged; he had been fine at first, but upon returning to Fragrant Blossom Pavilion, it was as if he had become a different person.
His sudden and inexplicable behavior left me utterly confused.
“Jun Chong, what are you doing?”
"Stay here until the war is over, and then live well."
He left me with just those words, resolutely turning away. I watched his proud figure gradually become blurred. I blinked hard, and it came into focus again, but soon after, it faded once more.
Was it my eyes that were failing, or was something wrong with Jun Chong's body?
No matter how loudly I shouted, he did not turn back. The water in the pool reached my waist, yet I couldn't climb out; I was completely trapped in this small pool.
In the past, when he left, he would always say, "I'll be back." Those simple four words were meant to reassure me.
But this time, he said nothing—not a single word—like this departure meant he would never return.
"Why? Jun Chong, what do you really want? Xiao You said I could help you. Why won’t you use my power?"
As soon as the words left my mouth, I noticed something golden lying where Jun Chong had just been. It was only half of it, but it was enough to see what it was.
The Qilin Hairpin was broken.
It shattered without warning, and I felt nothing at all. Just like Jun Chong's sudden change—it was abrupt and hard to accept.
I didn't even know when it had appeared here or when it had been in Jun Chong's hands.
He took it; why didn’t he tell me? Why did he still say comforting words to me?
Yet too many questions couldn’t overshadow the fact that the Qilin Hairpin was broken. He left me here alone, claiming it was for my own good, but was that really true?
How powerful is the force of the curse, and how terrifying is Su Yi's obsession?
Will Jun Chong and I really come to an end because of this? Does he truly not want me anymore?
"Because you only have this lifetime to live. Once you die, your soul will completely dissipate. Moreover, Jun Chong's body has not actually been reclaimed. And also because the Qilin Hairpin is broken."
A laugh echoed as Jun Rui, dressed in a black and red robe and wearing a golden crown, stood with his hands clasped behind him under the Cherry Blossom Tree, slowly walking toward me.
Each of those three reasons struck heavily at my heart, making it difficult for me to breathe.
"I don't believe it!" I splashed water with a forceful wave of my hands. "Jun Rui, are you really so stubborn? After being consumed by the Demon King for so many years, can you still not let go?"
"Obsession is far more terrifying than anything else; it reflects the heart. As long as there is a heart, one cannot escape obsession. You, Jun Chong, I, Su Yi, and Su Xun—it's all the same."
Jun Rui was surrounded by swirling black energy, making him appear dangerously frightening, as if he could strike at any moment. At that moment, he merely concealed himself like a smiling tiger.
"So you'd rather be consumed by the Demon King's malevolence and doom the entire Underworld than resolve your obsession? If that's the case, then why give so much power to Sealed King Jun Chong's body?"
"You think I'm helping him?" Jun Rui sneered, narrowing his eyes as he brushed aside a few strands of hair blown by the wind.
"Anxin, you are too naive. What I am doing is to give you hope and then accept true despair. You have no idea how much pain he endured when I personally destroyed his physical form in front of him. Our Jun Family's body has always been connected to the soul; as long as the soul does not die, the body will remain alive. But if the body is destroyed, the soul will suffer under Hellfire. Although it won't die, that experience is certainly unbearable. And he believes, just as you do, that I am helping him. Heaven knows how happy I was to see shock appear on his eternally unchanging face. He destroyed Su Yi; I want you all to pay the price!"
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