Chapter 61

#Thank you, for bringing me luck in the end.

Under the moonlight, the radiance gradually faded.

As Xie Zhuo’s spell ceased, the Snow Wolf Tribe’s settlement fell into chaos, much like Xie Zhuo’s tent moments ago—tents, wooden stakes, pots and bowls all scattered across the ground.

Some tribesmen had already fallen, others were helping each other up, stumbling to their feet.

Xie Ling, who had been blown away by the violent wind, landed off to the side. Zhu Lian came running from the other direction, coughing—he had been injured by Xie Zhuo earlier during the day and looked even weaker than usual.

Zhu Lian shouted, “Mother!” and hurried to Xie Ling’s side, helping her up.

Xie Ling gripped Zhu Lian’s hand, both angry and anxious. “Why did you come? Your injuries haven’t healed yet! You…”

A classic scene of deep affection between mother and son.

Cradled in Xie Zhuo’s arms, I thought of what Xie Ling had just done to him, and an unspeakable sadness rose in my heart. I looked up at Xie Zhuo, only to unexpectedly meet a pair of eyes as deep as the night sky.

Xie Zhuo wasn’t paying attention to Xie Ling or Zhu Lian. His gaze was solely on me. He reached out with his fingertips, trying to touch my little dog paw.

But seeing that it was still bloodied, he refrained. Instead, his fingers gently landed on my head and stroked it twice.

“We’re leaving now…”

He said it—and truly began to walk away, heading out of the snowy forest, as though he no longer had any concern for the tribe.

The people of the Snow Wolf Tribe remained characteristically silent at this moment as well.

I turned and looked at them. Not one person stepped forward to speak or stop him. They all watched Xie Zhuo go, and some even had a hopeful expression—as if once he left, he would take the tragedy of the tribe away with him.

But the tragedy of the Snow Wolf Tribe… never originated from Xie Zhuo…

As if to confirm my thoughts, just as Xie Zhuo hadn’t gotten far, a faint wisp of black aura drifted across the night sky above the Snow Wolf Tribe…

The aura was like gauze, veiling the bright moon and casting a chilling gloom over the entire frozen forest.

A damp, cold wind swept in from the direction of the ice lake. Within it, I sensed a presence more familiar than any other—

The aura of the Evil God.

It was as if I had returned to that night when Kunlun fell. I couldn’t stop myself from trembling all over. I looked toward the source of the aura.

Xie Zhuo and the Snow Wolf Tribe members also sensed the strange shift in the air and turned toward it.

The wind grew stronger, and the evil presence thickened in the air and above.

From deep within the forest near the ice lake, slow and steady footsteps began to echo out. A figure gradually emerged from the darkness and stepped into view under the cold moonlight.

“C-Chief…?” someone called out hesitantly.

Ever since Xie Zhuo’s incident, the chief of the Snow Wolf Tribe had ordered everyone to worship him, killing a few who disobeyed. From that point on, no one dared defy the evil god’s orders.

Since then, the chief had secluded himself at the ice lake, and the tribe had worshiped Xie Zhuo daily without fail.

But today… the chief had come out.

He stood motionless, hair hanging loose, head drooping as if he had no spine.

Through the wind, I could hear no breath from him—only the torrent of evil aura surging from his body. Yet as it touched this sacred land, it was immediately torn to shreds.

I remembered Xie Zhuo once told me that this snowy forest was the purest place in the world. I later confirmed it with Zhu Lian.

To revive the Evil God, the Snow Wolf Tribe’s chief had borrowed the power of the mountains and rivers to gather all the miasma here. That was how he summoned back the spiritual consciousness of the Evil God, once sealed by the gods.

This land should have been the least likely to contain evil energy. So if there was any…

It could only come from him.

He was the one continuously emanating the overwhelming aura of the Evil God from within.

Suddenly, a cracking sound—like vertebrae snapping—echoed through the air. The chief of the Snow Wolf Tribe lifted his head.

His face was pale-blue, corpse-like, eyes tightly shut. At the center of his brow was a single black dot, glowing with an eerie crimson light.

He slowly raised his hand to the crowd—spreading five fingers wide!

In an instant, I felt a massive force descend from above, pinning my entire body to the ground.

It wasn’t just me—everyone in the tribe, including Xie Zhuo, was instantly pressed to the ground by that overwhelming pressure.

The forest fell silent. My body against the ground, I could hear the sounds of many Snow Wolf clansmen—yet none could speak a single word.

Xie Zhuo was also pinned down. But unlike everyone else, he didn’t collapse fully to the ground. He used his limbs and body to shield me, creating a small space where I wouldn’t be crushed.

“Whine…”

I struggled to make a sound, just like the rest of the Snow Wolf Tribe—only broken breaths could be forced from our throats.

The sound of footsteps drew nearer. Each step pounded in my ears like a war drum, shaking my heart painfully.

The boots stopped in front of me—or rather, in front of Xie Zhuo.

The figure stood silently for a while, then spoke: “This body is mine—how can I leave it behind?”

Upon hearing this, I closed my eyes.

As expected, Xie Zhuo wouldn’t be able to leave the Snow Wolf Tribe so easily.

He had said “this body.” He was no longer the tribe’s chief.

He was the Evil God himself.

The air grew still—no one even dared to breathe.

The Evil God’s voice seemed to resonate from deep within our very beings, spreading from chest to mind. It filled every part of us:

“Snow Wolf Tribe members: Xie Ling, Ci Mu, Yin Shu.”

He called three names. Immediately, I heard three cries of pain nearby—two likely from those named, and the third, a shattered voice from Zhu Lian: “M-Mother!”

I couldn’t move my head, couldn’t see what had happened—but the Evil God continued:

“You wished to contact which main god of the Northern Wastes?”

No one responded—only Zhu Lian’s sobs echoed through the air.

Only then did I understand—the Snow Wolf Tribe had tried to resist. They wanted to contact the outside world, to warn others of what was happening, to alert the gods that the Evil God had returned.

But—they had been discovered.

“People of the Snow Wolf Tribe, heed my curse.” With the Evil God’s words, the pressure around us transformed into layers of glowing bindings wrapping around each person.

“From now on, those who speak—shall suffer the pain of their heart being gouged out.”

As soon as his words fell, the pressure instantly vanished.

I finally managed to stand up.

I looked toward Xie Zhuo. The moment the weight lifted, his body collapsed to the side. I stumbled a few steps toward him and nudged his head with my own.

Xie Zhuo parted his lips: “Lit—”

Just one word. Then his face turned deathly pale. He clutched his chest tightly.

I froze.

At that moment, behind me, came the sound of agonized cries from many of the Snow Wolf Tribe.

I turned sharply and saw that every person in the tribe was clutching their chest, writhing on the ground in pain.

Those who speak…

Shall suffer the pain of a heart being gouged out…

“I speak—and it hurts.”

“My whole tribe… cursed by the Evil God. Speaking causes pain…”

In an instant, the words Xie Zhuo had once said during our arguments flashed through my mind. Every time he said those things, I was furious. Every time, I cursed him inwardly as a bastard. Every time, I never took his words seriously.

But as it turned out…

It was true.

I looked at Xie Zhuo, who was writhing in pain behind me, then turned back to face the Snow Wolf Clan members before me.

Because of Xie Ling and the others’ resistance, the Evil God punished everyone.

But his punishment wasn’t to take away their voices or kill those who “betrayed” him, because I could still see Xie Ling alive—just weaker than the others.

The Evil God had only cast a curse.

This curse allowed the Snow Wolf Clan to still speak, still “betray,” but they would “only” feel excruciating pain.

Even after laying the curse, the Evil God continued to look down arrogantly upon the “ants” on the ground. He watched them.

He watched to see if they could endure this heart-wrenching pain.

He watched to see if they still dared to resist.

He wasn’t punishing them—he was humiliating them.

Humiliating this never-quenched rebellion, eroding their will, tormenting their dignity.

This Evil God was nothing short of…

A demon.

Rage churned within me as I turned to face the Evil God.

I had seen him in dreams, but never truly seen him before. Even now, I didn’t know what he really looked like—he always hid inside different people’s bodies, nesting in the darkest corners of their souls.

He was the embodiment of “evil,” but also “vile” and “cowardly.”

What I saw now wasn’t even his true form—he was inhabiting the body of the Snow Wolf Clan’s chieftain.

Clearly, this body could barely contain his power anymore. He was hunched over. Even after laying the curse, his eyes remained shut.

Of course he wouldn’t let Xie Zhuo go. Of course he wouldn’t allow the Snow Wolf Clan to rebel. He was the true parasite rooted deep in their bones.

Hatred surged within me—and just then, as if he sensed something, his head tilted slightly toward me.

Slowly, his tightly shut eyes opened.

As expected, they were completely black—no whites remained.

I knew—he was looking at me.

Then, he raised his hand toward me.

I felt my body begin to float, slowly drifting toward his palm.

Even in my former celestial body, I wouldn’t have been able to resist him, let alone now, in this little dog’s form.

He wrapped me in his palm.

The Evil God’s pitch-black eyes scrutinized me.

I didn’t know what he could see through my eyes.

I remembered what Zhu Lian had said before I came—how the Evil God inside this body had fought with the Xie Zhuo from five hundred years in the future, and how he recognized that Xie Zhuo didn’t belong to this timeline.

I didn’t know—wasn’t sure—whether now, as a spirit inside a dog’s body, the Evil God could still see through me and perceive my soul.

In the face of absolute power, I dared not give myself away. I made my body tremble, just like a real, frightened little dog afraid of heights…

I saw the dog’s reflection in the Evil God’s eyes. He narrowed them slightly. My heart clenched.

Just then, a hand suddenly grabbed his arm.

I turned and saw a deathly pale Xie Zhuo.

He was gripping the Evil God’s wrist.

“Let her go.”

Three words, firm and resolute.

Every Snow Wolf Clan member struggling in pain turned to look at him.

Some were in disbelief. Others still shivered from the recent agony.

Even the Evil God raised his brow slightly.

He hadn’t expected that anyone would dare to defy his curse—to oppose him.

But only I knew—how many years Xie Zhuo had endured that curse. Only I knew—how he once read me an entire book, and argued with me countless times.

My emotions were a storm within me, but I had to suppress them. I had to pretend—pretend I was simply being lifted into the air, struggling uncomfortably in his grip.

I couldn’t let the Evil God detect anything strange.

Xie Zhuo looked at me struggling. He raised his hand to snatch me away from the Evil God.

But with a slight twist, the Evil God evaded him.

The next moment, I felt a tightness in my chest. Blood rushed to my head—and a metallic sweetness filled my throat—

With a howl, blood gushed from my mouth and nose.

My spirit instantly realized what had happened—the Evil God… had crushed this little dog’s body.

From deep within my consciousness, the true soul of the little dog, silent for so long, let out a pained wail.

I had been connected to this body for years. I could feel the dog’s pain as my own. In that searing agony, I looked at Xie Zhuo one last time.

His face was frozen in shock, his eyes bloodshot, lips deathly pale.

He looked at me—

And with the last ounce of strength I had left, just before the body shattered, I wagged my tail at him.

Bang—

Blood splattered. In the freezing night, it finally brought a bit of color to his pale cheek.

My spirit, torn from the shattered body, was forcefully expelled amidst the dog soul’s mournful cries.

I followed the blood, rushing toward Xie Zhuo. The blood clung to him—I passed through his body.

In that moment of crossing, I seemed to hear a sound—like a heart breaking—inside him.

Xie Zhuo, don’t grieve. Don’t despair.

I haven’t gone. I won’t leave…

But my spirit couldn’t hold on. After staying too long in that body, its sudden destruction had damaged me deeply. I could only fall behind Xie Zhuo, slowly sinking into darkness.

Before I completely lost consciousness, the only comfort I had—

Was that the Evil God didn’t seem to notice my presence.

Only Xie Zhuo…

Xie Zhuo, who had experienced so much in a single day—

How would he face what came next?

I couldn’t guess. I couldn’t resist as the darkness dragged me down—I sank into it.

It felt like a dream… but somehow, not quite a dream.

A spirit’s consciousness is far stranger than any dream a mortal body could have.

It felt like I heard countless voices calling out. It felt like I saw the mythical bliss of paradise.

I realized I was on the edge of collapse. Yet there was no physical pain. And I knew—if I just let go of one clinging emotion, I’d be freed at once.

Letting go might really be easier than holding on.

But I couldn’t let go. Maybe this was what they called obsession—what they called a bond.

I drifted through the chaos. I had no idea how long it lasted. I even forgot what I was holding onto.

But I kept telling myself: Don’t let go. Hold onto him.

At last, the chaos faded. The light and shadows peeled away.

As a soul, I awakened once again.

I had no hands—but in that instant of clarity, I remembered what I had been holding onto—

Xie Zhuo.

I, in spirit form, had been clinging behind his ear all along.

And what I had held so tightly onto…

Was the soft, furry… ear on top of his head.

He didn’t sense my presence. Or perhaps, he had long since grown used to it.

Right now, Xie Zhuo was walking along the road, each step a slight stagger.

I followed the rise and fall of his footsteps. The joy I had felt upon awakening now carried a tinge of helpless amusement.

Xie Zhuo, you see, even in my slumber, I never left you. I just wonder… after all these years, have your ears ever itched?

I let go of Xie Zhuo’s ear and floated into the air.

Unexpectedly, Xie Zhuo suddenly stopped walking. His ears twitched, and he looked up toward the sky.

I was stunned, watching him.

Of course, he couldn’t see me. He just absentmindedly reached up and touched his ear before continuing on his way.

A soul… not even the evil god can sense it. He probably can’t feel it either, right?

I kept following him.

It had been a long time since I floated beside Xie Zhuo as a soul.

I didn’t know how much time had passed while I slept, but I could clearly feel that Xie Zhuo was no longer the same as before.

His ears were still there, the tail behind him too, but he no longer looked like a child or a teenager. His expression was far more composed. He now looked almost exactly like the Xie Zhuo I remembered.

I followed him all the way to the Ice Lake. It wasn’t until he stopped by the lake’s edge that I realized—the place we had just passed really was the Snow Wolf Tribe’s settlement.

To confirm it, I floated back for another look.

The snowy forest was still the snowy forest. The snow remained as pure and flawless as ever. But within the Snow Wolf Tribe’s settlement, there were far fewer tents. It looked nothing like the scene I first encountered.

There were no children being taught outside, and no busy adults around.

In the past, even though they had to offer soul power to Xie Zhuo daily, they still lived their lives. But now…

This place had turned into a—

Deserted village…

The Snow Wolf Tribe had truly been drained dry…

I glanced at the tent where Xie Ling and Zhu Lian had stayed.

It was still there, only much more worn and gray. Those who had lost the will to live naturally had no desire to tidy their homes.

As I was thinking this, a breeze stirred through the forest.

It must be summer again. Time for the summer blossoms outside to be blown into the snowy forest. But this time, there were no children chasing the flowers. A lone member of the Snow Wolf Tribe walked by, eyes dull and indifferent, completely ignoring the rare burst of color in the forest. He lifted the tent flap and went inside.

I guess… I truly had been asleep for a long time…

I floated back to Xie Zhuo’s side.

On the Ice Lake, Xie Zhuo sat alone, just like he had many times as a child—alone in this place.

I drifted past him and saw that he was toying with something in his arms that looked like a broken wooden stick.

Looking closer, I realized—it was my fake leg!

It was the prosthetic he made for me when I was a dog!

He still kept it…

I stared at Xie Zhuo, my heart aching.

But now, I could no longer turn into a little dog to accompany him.

I looked into his eyes—those eyes were still beautiful, but the clarity they once held was gone.

I glanced around and saw a summer flower drifting in the air. There was nothing else I could do, so I found a large blossom and dove into it, hoping, just like when he was young, to bring him comfort through the summer flower.

Getting into the flower was easy. Controlling it to fly past Xie Zhuo’s ear and into his arms took some effort.

But I managed it.

Just like before, with a soft “plop,” I landed in his arms.

He, just like before, paused in surprise.

But his expression didn’t change much.

In one hand, he still held that faded prosthetic. In the other, he cradled the summer flower I was in. He looked at me and suddenly said, “The ceremony is near.”

What ceremony?

I didn’t understand, but I was anxious—I didn’t want him to talk more. It would hurt him.

But Xie Zhuo seemed used to the pain, just like during the five hundred years we were married. I knew he didn’t like to speak, but I never knew that speaking was truly like cutting into his heart.

“I overheard Xie Ling say that during the ceremony, they plan to kill me and the evil god together.”

The moment he said that, I knew what ceremony it was.

Xie Zhuo had grown up. His body was now mature. It was the ceremony for the evil god to take over his body.

And Xie Ling… still hadn’t given up.

She still wanted to kill the evil god, even if it meant sacrificing Xie Zhuo…

From within the flower, I looked at Xie Zhuo. When he said this, his expression was calm, without a ripple—just as always, composed and emotionless.

“I think the same,” Xie Zhuo said.

Just like when we were on Kunlun, and I asked him whether he preferred sweet or salty, or whether to go left or right.

It was as if he hadn’t just said he planned to sacrifice himself.

He ran his hand along the worn-out stick twice.

“Tomorrow is the ceremony. It’ll all be over.”

He tucked the little wooden stick into his robe, then looked at me again. He gently brushed the flower petals, as if speaking to the summer flower—leaving behind his final words for this world…

“Thank you, for bringing me luck one last time.”