The Concentric Spell’s Revelation

Gu Yan’s silence served as confirmation, prompting Yunxian to glance at Su Xiaoxiao, hoping she would voice her thoughts.

Su Xiaoxiao, with her characteristic simplicity, her eyes still remarkably clear and devoid of any displeasure, softly inquired, “Gu Yan, is what my elder said truly accurate?”

Unable to deny the truth, Gu Yan could only offer a somewhat helpless explanation. “My intention to bring you back was sincere. You were in such a distressed emotional state back then, I…”

“I understand,” Su Xiaoxiao affirmed with a nod.

Gu Yan braced herself, half-expecting Su Xiaoxiao to declare, “You and Xiyue are conspiring, two peas in a pod, you deceitful wretch, get out of our demon race!” Instead, Su Xiaoxiao merely nodded, then turned to Yunxian and asked, “Elder, what if she returns?”

Su Xiaoxiao’s tone was so utterly wronged that it pierced Yunxian’s heart. He hastened to reassure her. “I’ll have the Clan Leader come over shortly to discuss this. You needn’t be afraid. Now that you’ve returned to the demon race, we will handle everything, do you understand?”

Su Xiaoxiao nodded, her demeanor endearing in its innocent obedience.

Upon receiving the report, Yunxiao arrived swiftly. Yunxian, the elder, accompanied him. Both men meticulously scrutinized Su Xiaoxiao, only releasing their pent-up anxiety once they were certain of her safety and her expression remained unchanged.

Before they could even exchange a word with Yunxian, Yunxiao, who was never adept at deception, blurted out stiffly, “You… you must have had another nightmare, didn’t you?”

He seemed to want to deliver the line with more conviction, yet the inherent falsehood of his words betrayed a palpable guilt, rendering his attempt utterly peculiar.

Yunxiao let out a small cough, a smile threatening to break free, though he dared not fully indulge it.

Su Xiaoxiao: “…”

She understood. Truly, she understood now. Xiyue’s previous visit had been undeniably real. The Clan Leader, the elders, even Yiquan and Gu Yan—they had all known of Xiyue’s presence, yet they had collectively conspired to keep the truth from her.

Su Xiaoxiao, of course, grasped the painstaking effort behind their deception. She opened her mouth, yet found herself unable to interrupt Yunxiao. Instead, she heard him address Yunli, who had just rushed in, “Yunli, quickly tell Xiaoxiao that she had another nightmare last night, dreaming Xiyue had arrived.”

“Ah?!” Yunli, catching Yunxiao’s subtle hint, feigned a resolute gaze. “Ah, yes! Did you not sleep well again last night? To think you had another nightmare!”

“Yunfa, quickly prepare some calming medicine for Xiaoxiao.”

They truly excelled at deflecting blame, convinced their deception was flawless. Yet, Su Xiaoxiao had known all along.

Su Xiaoxiao, who knew everything:

‘I know everything,’ Su Xiaoxiao thought, pouting slightly, a hint of unhappiness clouding her expression.

‘You don’t need to hide it from me any longer.’

The awkwardness was so palpable it seemed to solidify the very air, rendering the room so quiet that one might have heard a needle drop.

“Do you know *everything*?” Yunfa asked, breaking the oppressive silence, his tone tentative.

Su Xiaoxiao nodded, then gazed at them with a look of profound helplessness.

“See? I told you this wouldn’t work!” Yunfa exclaimed, turning her head to glare fiercely.

She fixed her gaze on Gu Yan, still remembering that it was Gu Yan who had initially suggested the deception, thus leading everyone to participate in misleading Su Xiaoxiao.

Now that the lie was unveiled, how deeply it must wound her. To think even her most trusted elders and the Clan Leader had colluded to deceive her, making them no different from the infamous Xiyue Demoness. What difference was there, truly?

Gu Yan lowered her head, cleared her throat softly, and then spoke, “Xiaoxiao, you asked for the Clan Leader to come… what was it you wished to tell them?”

“Oh… right!” Su Xiaoxiao, still endearingly simple, was easily diverted from her original thought.

“Clan Leader, why is Xiyue able to return time and again? Is our barrier useless against her?”

With matters having reached this juncture, there was truly nothing left to conceal.

Yunfa was the first to lose her composure. Having just witnessed their continued attempts to lie to Su Xiaoxiao with more falsehoods, had truly ignited her anger. No wonder the proverb “one who stays near vermilion gets stained red, one who stays near ink gets stained black” held such profound truth.

“Su Xiaoxiao, we are truly sorry. We, too, desperately wish to protect you and prevent that demoness from entering. Alas, her cultivation is formidable, and the Mermaid tribe’s barrier is utterly incapable of stopping her. What’s more, she carries something else…”

Yunfa paused, her words trailing off into silence. She merely cast a quick glance at Su Xiaoxiao’s wrist and ankle.

Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but press, “What else?”

“Allow me to explain,” Yunfa offered softly, observing Yunxian’s obvious discomfort.

Yunxian let out a breath of relief, utterly at a loss for words. Hearing Yunfa speak, she couldn’t help but frown and muttered unhappily, “Indeed, it is better coming from you.”

Yunfa, ever good-natured, naturally wouldn’t quibble with Yunxian. Instead, she earnestly began to explain the reason to Su Xiaoxiao.

“On the very first day of your return, when Yunxian conducted her examination, we discovered that the bracelet adorning your wrist was far from ordinary. It exuded a distinct demonic aura, an aura that we presumed belonged to Xiyue, a gift from her.”

Su Xiaoxiao nodded, then lifted her wrist, her gaze falling upon the lustrous red jade bracelet. She then recalled the other, identical one that had shattered when she plunged from the cliff.

“She gave it to me,” Su Xiaoxiao confirmed. “I tried to remove it, but several methods proved futile…” She refrained from mentioning that she already understood the bracelet’s true purpose. She feared the elders might mistakenly believe she was simply unwilling to part with it.

“There’s no need to remove it; you should simply keep it on,” Yunfa reassured her, her voice remaining soft and gentle. “This bracelet is forged from Xiyue’s very blood and cultivation. In moments of peril, it can serve as your protection.”

Su Xiaoxiao had already witnessed its protective power firsthand. She lowered her head, a flush of embarrassment creeping up, attempting to conceal her guilty conscience.

Naturally, they failed to notice Su Xiaoxiao’s subtle gestures and hidden thoughts. Yunfa continued, “However, this bracelet is not the crucial element.”

She pointed to Su Xiaoxiao’s right ankle. “Upon it, she placed a spell, a charm that enables her to ascertain your exact location.”

Su Xiaoxiao was already aware of this. Back when she resided in the demon realm, Xiyue had used this very fact to threaten her, repeatedly cautioning her against any attempt to flee. Otherwise, she would be captured, even if she fled to the ends of the earth. Xiyue had also threatened to raze the Mermaid tribe and transform the South Sea into a veritable ocean of blood.

Su Xiaoxiao had not forgotten those words to this day. It was highly probable that Xiyue’s effortless ability to enter the Mermaid tribe was precisely due to this reason…

“This particular spell is a secret charm, almost lost to time. The cultivation it demands is immense, but that’s not all. This charm can only be cast once in a lifetime. It later became known as the ‘Concentric Spell,’ rumored to have been created by an ancient pair of lovers who were tragically forced apart.”

“Your meridians are currently damaged, so it’s quite normal that you haven’t detected it. Presumably, she must have already informed you of these details.”

Su Xiaoxiao froze, then lifted her head, her eyes wide with astonishment as she stared at Yunfa.

She only heard Yunfa’s bitter chuckle. “This spell is mutual,” Yunfa explained. “Just as she can locate you, you can also perceive her whereabouts.”

“It’s as if the charm itself is a concentric knot, binding you two irrevocably. You can never again be separated. You will forever be bound together.”

“Concentric and bound, fearless in life and death—Xiyue presumably never shared these aspects with you, did she?”

Su Xiaoxiao was utterly bewildered. Back then, Xiyue had merely given her fierce warnings not to run, uttering countless threats. Su Xiaoxiao had simply assumed it was a malicious curse. Yet, listening to Yunfa speak of it now, her words seemed to carry a faint hint of… unexpected admiration?

“She never mentioned that!” Su Xiaoxiao exclaimed, startled.

Yunfa added, “You are young, so it’s normal that you don’t know. When we first discovered it, we were quite shocked ourselves. You might not fully grasp it, but frankly, few would dare to cast such a spell, regardless of their cultivation or courage.”

“W-why?” Su Xiaoxiao stammered, completely baffled, her mind in turmoil. ‘What exactly did Xiyue do?!’

“Because there are too many restrictions. To put it another way, there will be no secrets between you. Everything will be exposed to the other party.”

Seeing that Su Xiaoxiao still didn’t quite understand, Yunfa offered a simple example. “Let’s assume, for instance, a spiritual weapon like a sword that recognizes its master. No one but its fated owner can wield Xiyue’s sword, but you can.”

“If she were to fail her tribulation and turn to ash, everything she leaves behind, no one but you could touch.”

“Her personal sword would regard you as its master. Not only can you use it, but her sword cannot harm you. And if you harbored the intention, you would be the one who could most effortlessly take her life.”

Su Xiaoxiao listened, growing increasingly stunned, like a tranquil pond suddenly struck by a massive stone, its ripples refusing to subside.

‘So, throughout history, those who cast this spell either lacked the courage, wishing to leave themselves a retreat, or their cultivation was insufficient to perform the incantation…’

Yunfa allowed her a moment to process this information before softly concluding, “This, then, explains why Xiyue can pass through the Mermaid tribe’s barrier with such ease and without harm.”