Chapter 182

Bai Lian continued to vent her grievances under the influence of alcohol. Over the years, she had been on edge, afraid of getting too involved with the female leads, fearing a repetition of the game's outcome. Later, when she found out the female leads had all reincarnated, she became even more cautious, fearing being discovered, pursued, and ultimately becoming their pawn. It could be said that over these years she had almost no close friends to confide in, so she had to keep all her emotions bottled up inside. Now, facing Tang Mu Lian, who knew nothing about her past, Bai Lian felt much more relaxed, finally able to pour her heart out without holding back. Of course, she did not mention her past with the female leads or the reincarnation, just indirectly telling "fabricated" stories, disguising it as something a friend of hers had gone through. After all, the premise of her venting was the phrase "you don't understand." Because she believed Tang Mu Lian was an insignificant NPC in the game, neither reincarnated nor comprehending what she talked about, she could freely express herself. "My friend, she promised to cut off ties with her past love, but in the end, due to various reasons, she remained entangled. It's really complicated," Bai Lian said, resting her head on the stone table, delicately toying with the empty wine glass. Tang Mu Lian watched the wine glass being manipulated by Bai Lian, feeling as though it was her own heart. She sighed at the terror of beauty, then quickly dismissed her wandering thoughts, saying, "If it's still entangled, it means there's still affection. So why not rekindle the love?" "So you really don't understand... the dilemma of wanting to get close but being afraid, wanting to pull away but hesitating," Bai Lian pouted, softly sighing, "My friend..." It was almost as if she was about to reveal that the friend was actually herself. Tang Mu Lian didn't expose Bai Lian, as she was well aware that Bai Lian had no idea she had been in love with her in their past life, and naturally, that she too was a reincarnate. Meanwhile, she knew that Bai Lian and her past romantic partners had all reincarnated. This was her biggest advantage. Moreover, considering Bai Lian's current state, as the outsider, she was actually enjoying the best outcome. At least now she could sit across from Bai Lian, drinking with her, and sharing confidences. Bai Lian wanted to say something else, but the faint singing of Mu Xing He filled the room. Bai Lian's tipsiness dissipated immediately, and she stood up abruptly. "Sister Mu is awake!" She turned to Tang Mu Lian and bowed. "Miss Tang, thank you for being willing to listen to my stories. Now that Sister Mu is awake, I need to check on her. I bid you farewell." With that, she hurried off towards the room where Mu Xing He was resting, perhaps showing too much concern, as her steps seemed hurried. Tang Mu Lian watched Bai Lian's worried figure and lowered her eyes silently. Bai Lian claimed she didn't know, but how could she not? In both their past and present lives, she had been watching Bai Lian, pursuing her footsteps with a mortal's body, witnessing her rise to fame. Whenever she saw the array of beauties around Bai Lian, how could she not envy and yearn for her? She dreamt of standing by Bai Lian's side, even just to say a word, to meet her eyes for a moment. But the women who could stand by Bai Lian were all goddesses, unparalleled beauties. As for her, she was just an ordinary woman who, until death in her past life, had been like a frog at the bottom of a well, gazing up at the moon through the opening, envious of the stars surrounding it. After the reincarnation, she shamelessly used Bai Lian to overturn her fate, eventually joining the Moon Sect, becoming a reviled heretic. With this, she didn't even feel worthy to tell Bai Lian her true identity. She mentioned Bai Lian wearing a mask, but hadn't she also been wearing one? The only reason for her mask was to conceal her inferiority and to keep Bai Lian from recognizing her as Tang Chu Huan to maintain the minuscule favorable image she had in Bai Lian's heart. "Sister Mu!" Bai Lian pushed open the door and ran to Mu Xing He's bedside. Mu Xing He, who had just woken up, was sitting up, holding her head, looking pained. Upon seeing Bai Lian's lively entrance, some of the pain on her face dissipated and was replaced with a faint concern. She asked, "Sister Bai, are you... alright? Are you injured anywhere?" "What could be wrong with me? I'm perfectly fine, not a scratch," Bai Lian shook her head. It was Mu Xing He, being disciples of the Tian Shu God Gate, who paid special attention to self-cultivation and rarely fell prey to inner demons. It was unusual for her to suddenly be affected. "I was really worried when you suddenly seemed out of sorts. Fortunately, nothing serious happened in the end," Bai Lian rambled on, sitting in front of the bed and casually peeling a fruit for Mu Xing He. The two of them tacitly avoided discussing what had happened in the celestial formation. It seemed they would feel awkward bringing it up, after all, in a sense, they were just good friends. "I..." Mu Xing He began, unsure of how to continue. Her inner demon was born from Bai Lian's death and hadn't dissipated until her reincarnation. After seeing the reborn Bai Lian, she thought she might let go of her obsession and rid herself of the inner demon. However, it wasn't until Tang Mu Lian's words at the sword-forging tower that she realized she had never let go of her obsession; it was simply that Bai Lian had become Bai Lian. Yet Bai Lian was not Bai Lian's shadow; treating her as such was undeniably unfair. "Let's forget about it. No matter." Bai Lian, maturely, didn't pursue it, but instead shifted the topic, "After you fainted, Miss Tang suppressed your inner demon. As long as you don't experience intense emotional swings, the inner demon won't be able to influence you. As for resolving the inner demon, it's better to discuss it later." "Inner demon outbreaks are most harmful to the spiritual energy. You were in such pain just now, clutching your head. So the most important thing for you now is to recuperate your spiritual energy. As for the matters concerning Senior Tian Quan and the Maitreya Sect, you can leave them to me." As she spoke, she suddenly recalled Tang Mu Lian's words. If Mu Xing He's inner demon was truly connected to her, then the best way to suppress it was for her to stay by Mu Xing He's side. She bit her lip and then gently rubbed Mu Xing He's head, "Don't worry, I'll stay by your side." Mu Xing He gazed at the tender Bai Lian with uncertainty. In her past life, Bai Lian had been like an exiled immortal, merely making a brief appearance in this world before returning to the heavens. But this life's Bai Lian was so gentle, as if she radiated a soothing light that gradually enveloped her, healing her broken heart. However, the more it healed, the more she suffered.