Chapter 176: Unwavering Love Until Death - Love from the Male Protagonist’s Harem

The melodious sound of the flute gradually faded, and the song came to an end. Under the cool moonlight, Xia Wushuang gazed at the vast sea of stars, lost in silence for a long time. Gu Peijiu wanted to hear her speak—about anything. It was as if Xia Wushuang could read her mind. Gu Peijiu heard Xia Wushuang say, "This is the first song I learned here." "The person who taught me said that whenever I missed home, I should play it, and everything would be fine." Xia Wushuang sat down on the grass, looking into Gu Peijiu's eyes with a smile. "Even though I know there's nothing auspicious about this song, I still love playing it." "Nothing auspicious?" "Yes." Xia Wushuang lay back on the soft grass, staring up at the bright starry sky. "The prelude is cheerful, symbolizing a soldier's joyous return home." Gu Peijiu listened quietly; she knew the story that followed, yet she still eagerly awaited hearing it from Xia Wushuang's lips. She had once heard the same story, in childhood dreams. Scenes from those dreams, blurry and indistinct, slowly became clear in Gu Peijiu's mind, like clouds parting to reveal the sky. "But upon returning home, everything has changed, and the world is in ruins." "So, the prelude is joyous, but the finale is mournful." "......" After a pause, Xia Wushuang spoke again, "...I'm actually not afraid of any terrible things that might happen." "I'm just afraid that everything won't be as I imagine." "......" Like a warrior who returns home battered and bruised, thinking he will find what he desires, only to discover that what he sought existed only in his imagination. Everything changes. Just like she believed Chu Shi would never abandon her. Just like she believed all her efforts would touch someone a little. Gu Peijiu held the bone flute for a long while before hearing herself speak. "Don't be sad." She leaned down, her cold fingertips brushing Xia Wushuang's slightly damp eyes, "...and don't cry." Don't use a smiling face to disguise a desire to weep. Gu Peijiu wondered. Could it be that because they shared the same soul, they wore the same expression when saddened? Xia Wushuang was silent, as if in a trance. "...I don't know whom I care for anymore." Xia Wushuang mused, "I have no one to rely on." "Thinking about walking this path alone is frightening." Xia Wushuang, with all her bravado and freedom, was in truth just a girl afraid of loneliness. “If there were someone I could always believe in,” she said, “someone who would never leave me, it would be wonderful.” Gu Peijiu looked into Xia Wushuang’s eyes. It was as if she could see into the depths of her soul. Xia Wushuang talked to herself for a while, then found it somewhat laughable and self-deprecatingly said, "...Why am I telling you this?" "You understand nothing." At that time, indeed, Gu Peijiu understood nothing. But she knew what she wanted. Therefore, even if it meant giving her all, she would fulfill Xia Wushuang's wishes. This person's soul was the reason for her existence in this life. Understanding or not did not matter. Gu Peijiu leaned down, embraced the girl's neck, her soft black hair flowing over her shoulders, feeling the girl's warmth, scorching to her, and heard her own gentle yet firm voice. “If… please believe in me.” “I will always be as you imagine.” Perhaps fearful of rejection, she spoke slowly yet without pause, reasoning deliberately. “I am your leader…” “...I will always be behind you.” “Never will I leave you.” “Till death do us part.” “I… swear to you.” Then, the moonlight was cold, but the starlight in the night sky shone brilliantly. = = These days on Dan Peak, there were still no signs of her senior sister waking up. Yet, more and more people came to visit her renowned reputation as an earth-rank alchemist; even the chief disciple of Jian Peak, Chang Lan, personally visited. At the time, Chang Lan had stared at her meaningfully for a long time. His gaze gave Xia Ge an uneasy feeling, as if something about her had been exposed. But she believed she shouldn't have exposed anything. Since arriving at Dan Peak, she had survived on a fasting pill without eating or drinking, always kept her mask on, and hadn't done anything suspicious except for the time she lured out a snake. After seeing off the visitors, Xia Ge felt a bit wearied. Looking at her senior sister's peaceful sleeping face, she thought it necessary to visit the demonic sect to obtain an antidote. The Acacia... was also in Su Chan's hands. Su Chan. Su Chan. Xia Ge mused over the name, wondering how someone could be so wicked. Truly wicked to the core. Su Chan... As Xia Ge whispered the name, an image flashed in her mind in a fleeting moment of clarity. A half-dream, half-reality. In that vision, clusters of perilla plants were blooming. A barefooted girl in red held her hand tightly, unwilling to let go. In her hand was a bunch of perilla, and she seemed to be speaking, her voice carrying a faint tone of helpless laughter, “You don't look the part of a deity at all.” The girl pursed her lips, shook her head, and looked at her stubbornly. Her eyes said, “Where you go, I go.” “So clingy.” She shook her head and then laughed, “Right, little deity, let me give you a name?” The girl’s eyes brightened slightly, then she rattled off a string of words she didn't understand. Presumably, she wanted the name to sound beautiful and be to her liking. “Alright, alright, I get it." She pinned a perilla sprig on the girl's head. “Hmm, since you cling so much, how about... A Chan.” “Do you like it?” Wearing the perilla, the girl’s narrow beautiful eyes looked at her, glistening, not saying whether she liked it or not. After a moment, the girl slowly said, “...Surname.” The girl tugged at her clothes, speaking earnestly, “I want a full name.” Her pronunciation was somewhat awkward, as if she was speaking that language for the first time. She laughed, waving the perilla in her hand, “Sure, how about Su Chan, Su Chan?” The girl tilted her head slightly, thought for a moment, then softly replied, “Mm.” “......Su, Chan.” She said, “I like it…” “Xia... Wushuang.” The memory ceased abruptly. Xia Ge pressed a hand to her temple, momentarily lost, before coming around. She shook her head, feeling a bit confused, and decided to step outside. “...What was that just now?” “Earth-rank is different from profound-rank and yellow-rank,” the system explained, “When you've reached the level of earth-rank, it indicates that you've glimpsed a part of the Heavenly Dao, meaning... parts of the Dao's rules will no longer apply to you.” Xia Ge was bewildered. “What do you mean?” “For instance, the rule that people lose all memories after death and enter the six paths of reincarnation.” The system continued, “It's a 'rule' set by the Heavenly Dao, but when you reach earth-rank, you step beyond some of these rules, and they start to fail... it means that things you're supposed to forget, part of your past life, may return to you.” “......” Xia Ge found it unbelievable. “Impossible.” A past life? She was a soul from the present world; how could her past life possibly be here? Or was it this body's past life? The system said, “This is a rule of this world's Heavenly Dao, and you, by stepping into this world's 'earth-rank,' consequently...” —Consequently, what you recall will pertain to your 'past life' within this world. The system paused, “...I don't know the rest; perhaps there's an error?” “......” Xia Ge felt a headache coming on. “What a mess...” No conclusion could be reached, so regarding the truth of that moment, Xia Ge chose not to believe it. She didn’t want any entanglement with the name “Su Chan.” The system had earlier informed her that her senior sister was mostly alright. The Myriad Soul Pill had proven effective; the soul sections damaged by the soul poison were restored, but... “...Her soul is only halfway there.” The system explained to her, “Previously, by relinquishing part of her emotions, half her soul had achieved a subtle balance with the body.” Yet, the soul poison ruthlessly shattered this equilibrium. Even if the half soul was repaired by the Myriad Soul Pill, under the lingering influence of soul poison, achieving such a balance was unlikely. The best solution would be to find the missing half of her soul, or alternatively, to locate Su Chan and have her completely lift the soul poison. Xia Ge wanted to find that missing soul fragment. She was keen to know where her senior sister's lost half soul was. Inevitably, Xia Ge recalled the Rain God Temple she had seen in the White Dream Cave ages ago. The kind woman cloaked in black. Her heart skipped a beat. When Xia Ge came to her senses, she found, inexplicably, she had unwittingly wandered into the territory of Jian Peak. “......” Her senior sister had advised her not to go to Jian Peak. Consequently, she hadn’t set foot here for years. Shaking her head, Xia Ge prepared to leave, but then she heard a soft rustling sound. And felt that ever-present, barely perceptible gaze. However, in the next moment, Xia Ge's steps halted abruptly, her voice cool as she spoke, "Come out, stop sneaking around." There was no movement. Xia Ge’s gaze grew colder, an aura of chilling intimidation spreading around her. Suddenly, with a resounding flurry, countless birds took flight in fear, leaving the trees trembling in a stark stillness. Her voice, ice-cold, carried a sharp edge: “I told you to come out. Didn’t you hear?” After a long moment, a young man emerged slowly from the woodland. Dressed in Jian Peak's garb, his dark hair was tied with a blue ribbon; his expression was gentle, portraying the image of a refined gentleman. A Jian Peak disciple… Li Liu! Xia Ge’s memory was sharp; she narrowed her eyes. “You…” She paused, suppressing the name she almost uttered. Her voice remained cold and indifferent. “Who are you? Why are you following me?” Xia Wuyin might know Li Liu, but Xia Ge did not. “Merely passing by,” Li Liu replied. His eyes lifted, a warm, mild smile gracing his lips. “My apologies if I disturbed you.” Xia Ge scrutinized him for a while before retracting her pressure, turning to return to Dan Peak. “Forget it.” “Please, wait a moment.” The young man smiled. “Since you’re here already, heading back so soon would take the fun out of it.” “There’s nothing fun about it.” She had no interest whatsoever. “Such a refined temperament, little Leader Xia.” The youth’s smile was subtle. “No wonder…” In the next instant! His neck was seized with an unyielding grip; Li Liu found himself slammed against a tree, his spine pressed coldly against the hard bark. Before him, the eyes beneath the fox mask stared coldly and mercilessly. “Who are you?” “……” His neck held tight, yet the expression on Li Liu’s face continued to bear a smile, as if wholly oblivious to the mortal danger confronting him. “Little Leader Xia wouldn’t kill me.” His smile persisted lightly on his lips; beneath his long lashes, those dark eyes gleamed. “After all…” “I know so much, things you should know too.” Xia Ge’s expression remained emotionless. “Aside from eliminating spies, there’s nothing I need to know.” Li Liu gripped Xia Ge's wrist where she held him, “No… you should know.” = = Ye Ze had been deeply unsettled these past few days. On the accursed Ghost Mountain, the words from Xia Wuyin were like poison poured into his heart. ...Was it all for nothing? The euphoria of dreams coming true can drive one mad with joy, so what happens when nightmares become real? The past... was it all for nothing?! As usual, Ye Ze went to Jian Peak’s sword training ground to practice. He had already reached the pinnacle of the Profound level and was just one step away from breaking into the Earth level. Yet that step was insurmountable. That step… was Xia Wuyin. The betrayal of integrity three years ago had become a demonic barrier imprinted upon his heart, an obstruction he couldn’t surpass for two years. Now, knowing the ‘truth,’ he should have been able to take that step forward—it should have proved he hadn’t betrayed his integrity, that Xia Wuyin owed him! He should have been able to break through— Yet, he hadn’t. It was as if, once the fog cleared, instead of a clear sky, a heavier shackle had appeared, pressing on his heart with an indescribable weight. Breaking through seemed impossible. Because his instincts told him. —Xia Wuyin was not like that.