Chapter 35

#The happiness between us was real. So is the fact that we no longer love each other.

Tonight, the moonlight outside was especially bright, like silver frost, slanting into the mountain cave. The stone cave was cold and damp. Though it was night, the moonlight cast a faint, chilly glow.

A drop of water dripped from the cave ceiling and landed on the tip of my nose. I remembered—back then, in this same cave, when I was caring for Xie Xuanqing, the cave had always been dried and warmed by his spells. Nothing like now…

I looked over at Xie Zhuo. He was still regulating his breath, as cold and rigid as the rocks in the cave.

Seven day-and-night cycles had passed. For seven days, Xie Zhuo and I had stayed in this cave, either meditating or locked in silent glares.

I didn’t know if there had been any message from Xiaxia—because the Yin-Yang Fish had already been tucked away into Xie Zhuo’s sleeve.

As time passed, my anxiety only grew. With each passing day, his wounds visibly healed a little more.

I had always known—he’s ruthless. Though he still couldn’t stand yet, the moment he could, it would be the moment I’d die.

I kept thinking about how to get the Yin-Yang Fish back, how to contact Xiaxia again. But no matter whether Xie Zhuo’s eyes were closed or open, the moment I made a move toward his left sleeve, he’d notice right away.

Still, there was a silver lining—my spiritual power had recovered about fifty or sixty percent. The rope binding me had also been worn halfway through from my constant grinding. I was just waiting for the right moment…

Rustle. The faint sound of fabric brushing against stone drew my attention.

I turned my head and locked eyes on Xie Zhuo, watching him closely.

Under the pale moonlight reflected from the stone walls, I noticed the faint pallor of his lips… and a bead of cold sweat trickling from his forehead.

Hmm?

Could it be… he’s telling me… the moment has come?

Just like that?

It felt a bit sudden.

I slowly got up—no response from him.

I leaned against the wall and stood up fully—still no reaction.

But just as I straightened my body, I suddenly sensed something odd outside the cave—like a fleeting presence had passed by.

I quickly turned my head, frowning as I stared outside, but didn’t see anything unusual.

Something was off tonight.

Still…

I looked back at Xie Zhuo, then at the cave entrance. Finally, I gritted my teeth and took a few steps toward him.

He reacted only with heavier breaths. More sweat trickled down, and his face turned even paler…

I glanced at his slightly open collar and saw black, ominous energy surging beneath the skin. So… the wounds left by the evil spirits were flaring up again, tearing at his body…

I’d been wounded by evil spirits before—I knew how agonizing it was. Seeing him like this gave me a moment’s pause.

But when my eyes landed on his left sleeve again, I clenched my wavering heart tight.

Hesitation leads to defeat!

If I missed this moment, I might never have another chance to turn things around! When he was choking me earlier, he hadn’t held back in the slightest!

I summoned up all the anger I had toward Xie Zhuo, took a deep breath, silently chanted a spell, and pulled hard with my spiritual power—hoping to snap the rope binding me.

…It didn’t snap.

Kind of awkward…

Turns out this old fox’s rope was pretty sturdy…

I looked around, spotted a somewhat sharp stone, and started grinding the already-half-broken rope against it. While chanting my spell and pulling the rope tight with all my strength, I wriggled desperately to rub the rope against the stone, making an awful grinding sound.

Double efforts, and I was working up a storm. If Xie Zhuo had been awake like before, I wouldn’t have been able to pull off something so flashy.

But the noise was pretty loud. Before I could cut the rope, Xie Zhuo’s eyelids fluttered—he woke up.

He slowly lifted his head like a fevered mortal, eyes slightly red, lips pale as death.

The moment he opened his eyes, he saw me squirming against the stone wall like a bear scratching an itch—an utterly ridiculous sight. Even in his weakened state, his eyes showed a bit of cold, speechless disbelief.

His expression said it all: You look very stupid right now.

But as if fate loved slapping both of us in turn, before the wind of his sigh could even settle—snap! The rope Old Qin had tied around me for seven days and nights broke clean off!

Xie Zhuo’s gaze froze.

And I, now free, ripped the rope off, tossed it on the ground, stomped on it for good measure, and strode right up to him.

Looking down on him from above, I sneered, “Let’s see how you stop me now.”

He didn’t move—as if opening his eyes had used up all his strength.

His abyss-like eyes reflected the pale moonlight in the cave, never leaving me.

I grabbed his left hand and rummaged through his sleeve. Unlike the elusive Pangu Axe, I found the Yin-Yang Fish very quickly.

But I was rational enough to know I couldn’t contact Xiaxia just yet. I didn’t know her current situation.

If I did it recklessly and Xie Xuanqing sensed something was off—what then? So I just clutched the Yin-Yang Fish tightly in my hand.

I dropped Xie Zhuo’s limp hand, gave him a glance, and told him:

“I’m leaving. I’ll go into hiding—until Xiaxia and Xie Xuanqing have formed their blood oath.”

I stood up and looked toward the mouth of the cave, tilting my head slightly as I put the Yin-Yang Fish to my ear. While adjusting it, I said:

“Xie Zhuo, we met, and now we part. The joy between us was real. And so is the end of love.”

I finished securing the Yin-Yang Fish and walked toward the cave exit, trying my best to keep my voice steady and indifferent. “Some things—even if they were wrong—you can’t just erase them. Learning to accept that… is better for both of us.”

I didn’t look back. I didn’t look at him.

But just two steps out, I suddenly felt a faint but undeniable tug behind me.

I glanced over my shoulder—Xie Zhuo had grabbed the hem of my robe.

I followed his weak hand upward and saw his face.

Other than when we first met, I had never seen him this weak before.

“Outside… it’s dangerous…”

That’s what he said.

I froze in surprise.

I thought he was trying to drag me back for a final desperate struggle, maybe throw out a “You won’t escape” sort of threat. But instead, in this moment, at this time, the words that came from his lips were…

It’s dangerous outside?

If it weren’t for the fact that these past days I’d fought tooth and nail to survive, I might’ve thought—there was no separation between us, no space split wide open, no life-and-death struggle…

It felt as though we were still that odd, entangled couple. My husband—quiet, stubborn, refusing to share a bed with me, never saying he loved me—but always reminding me to smile, that the floor was cold, that danger awaited outside.

I fell silent, then pried his fingers off one by one.

“I’ll face it myself.”

After all, no one is obligated to protect anyone forever. And for an immortal, life is so very long. From now on, in the days without Xie Zhuo, I’ll have to rely on myself.

I stepped away, and just as expected, Xie Zhuo was too drained to get up and chase after me.

I followed the mountain tunnel to its entrance. The moonlight at the mouth of the cave was even brighter. This crisis brought on by Xie Zhuo—I’d finally made it through by sheer luck…

“Bang”—I smacked headfirst into an invisible barrier.

Startled, I immediately reached out to touch it. The barrier had no visible form, but it was solid, blocking me from passing through. I gritted my teeth and gathered my spiritual energy, slamming my palm against it with force.

A loud boom echoed through the cave, rebounding off the stone walls before gradually fading into silence.

The barrier didn’t budge. I stumbled back three steps.

“A… barrier?” I turned my head, staring into the cave at that shadowy figure blurred by the darkness, and asked in disbelief, “You still have the strength to set up a barrier!?”

The shadow turned his head. I couldn’t see his face clearly, but the cold gleam in his eyes—that I could see crystal clear.

Like a starving wolf, faintly glowing in the dark.

His voice, hoarse and weak, echoed in the cave: “You know how to make barriers. So does Old Qin.”

It hit me. “Old Qin set this up the day he left!?” Realization turned quickly to rage. “Then what the hell was the point of tying me up for all these days!?”

My arms are swollen from the damn ropes!

He took a few shaky breaths before replying, “It’s a difficult problem. Can’t let you see all the pieces at once.”

Right! If I’d known there was a barrier here, I would’ve made extra plans!

This Xie Zhuo…

I gnashed my teeth. “You’re such a damn dog.”