A Farewell and a Vow of Vengeance

“These are all the messages I wish for you to convey. And finally, please assure them that, at my departure, no tears graced my eyes!”

“I shall certainly deliver your message, my benefactor. I will ensure your gentle departure.”

Tou wiped away their tears, a sweetly naive smile gracing their lips. Then, with a quiet resolve, they closed their eyes, awaiting their fate at Xiao Yuan’s hands.

Xiao Yuan, wasting no precious moments, shaped her right hand into a pistol, aiming it precisely at Tou’s forehead.

“Farewell, my benefactor!”

With the swiftness of a bullet fired from a handgun, a black, barbed tendril erupted from Xiao Yuan’s index finger.

‘Thwip…’

The tendril pierced Tou’s head, and from the exit wound, brain matter and blood burst forth, blossoming into a grotesquely beautiful crimson flower.

Immediately, Tou’s body, still tethered by the rope, was drawn back to Xiao Yuan’s side.

Yet, as she cradled Tou’s lifeless form, her expression underwent a dramatic shift. Despite the surge of anger, she covered her face with a hand and sighed, a profound weariness in her voice:

“It’s already too late, isn’t it? But those parting words, they were truly sincere!”

She released her grasp, and Tou’s corpse plummeted. However, as it fell, a startling transformation began, and by the time it struck the ground, it was clear that this was no longer Tou’s body! Instead, a large, stout monkey lay there.

Tou had been switched! For someone to accomplish such a feat right before her eyes, it was undeniable that their power was not to be underestimated.

Xiao Yuan remained rooted to the spot, making no move to pursue Tou. Her gaze fell upon the vast pile of corpses below, and a look of profound anguish settled upon her face.

These lives, all taken by her hand! Her original intent had been to consume Tou’s flesh and blood, thereby ascending to a power that would eclipse the Heart-Eating Demoness. She would break free from control, never again to take another life…

It seemed her attempt had failed, and no further opportunities would be granted. She could sense the Heart-Eating Demoness’s aura drawing ever nearer, and in her current state, she knew she stood no chance against her.

Rather than endure life as a mere instrument of slaughter, she preferred an early demise…

****

As Ji Jie retreated through the secret passage, she continuously unleashed torrents of sword qi from her Blood-Killing Sword, creating a barrier against Yue Ye Si’s relentless pursuit.

Having fled for some time, she was finally nearing the cave’s exit! Once outside, she could harness the blood of the fallen monkeys within the cavern, forging an even more potent Blood-Killing Sword.

There, she could finally unleash the full extent of her power. Though her cultivation peaked at the Great Perfection of the Golden Body Realm, she had, after all, once been the esteemed Chief Senior Sister of the Carefree Sect.

Even years ago, she had been capable of battling against those in the Heavenly Human Realm. While her current cultivation had diminished, the forbidden techniques she had mastered allowed her to unleash her full might, making her power far more formidable than ever before.

Her Blood-Killing Sword, in particular, was a terrifying weapon! The more blood it consumed, and the more powerful the blood’s original owner, the greater her own strength became.

If only she possessed the blood of an Emperor Sovereign now, she would harbor no fear of Yue Ye Si. With a mere flick of her wrist, she could wield her sword and engage Yue Ye Si in an evenly matched battle!

Alas, such thoughts were merely a flight of fancy.

As for the monkeys outside—tsk, tsk, tsk—though numerous, they were nothing but cannon fodder! Their blood would, at best, allow her to tap into the initial stages of the Heavenly Human Realm’s power.

She fervently hoped Yue Ye Si wouldn’t prove to be too monstrous. Frankly, she had no desire to meet her end in this place.

With the recent news of Xiao Yuan’s revival, such a momentous occasion warranted a proper celebration upon her return. Afterward, she would devise a plan to restore Xiao Yuan to her former self.

Then, she would undoubtedly become the happiest person in the entire world…

The happiest… the most…

“No… don’t! Xiao Yuan…”

What good was being the happiest person? Any place devoid of Xiao Yuan was a living hell, each passing moment piercing her heart with unbearable pain. And Xiao Yuan… she was…

No sooner had she burst from the secret passage than she witnessed Xiao Yuan, not far off, her hand molded into the shape of a gun, pointed squarely at her own temple.

The instant their eyes met, Xiao Yuan’s finger seemed to twitch, as if pulling an invisible trigger.

“Bang!”

A black, barbed tendril, sharp as a spear, instantly tore through her skull.

The body, painstakingly forged from countless devoured hearts, shimmered into an ephemeral illusion the very moment its head was pierced.

Slowly, deliberately, it dissolved into a puddle of abyssal black liquid, gurgling and spreading across the ground.

“No… why! Why!”

Ji Jie’s heart twisted with anguish, utterly unable to comprehend why Xiao Yuan would choose to take her own life!

Scrambling to the spot where Xiao Yuan had dissolved into liquid, Ji Jie, without a moment’s hesitation, scooped up the foul, sludge-like residue. Tears streamed from her eyes, and her lips trembled uncontrollably.

“Xiao Yuan… please, wake up! It’s your Jie-ge! Don’t leave me, alright? Wake up! Please, wake up!”

“Ah ha ha ha! Suicide, was it? What a genuine pity. I had just sensed her presence and was rather hoping she’d impede your escape!”

Yue Ye Si wiped her mouth, a seductive, enigmatic smile playing on her lips. In an instant, she crouched before Ji Jie, her gaze fixed, a flicker of keen interest sparking in her eyes.

“You know her, do you? I see! I see! She chose suicide because she refused to become your adversary! But my puppet of slaughter cannot simply be rendered useless like this!”

“Those utterly useless emotions, cultivated during her time with you, utterly transformed her. She was meant to be an immortal existence, yet because of you… she chose death…”

“What are you implying? You speak as if you know her intimately!”

Before Yue Ye Si could utter another word, Ji Jie’s voice, strained and sharp enough to grind teeth, cut through the air.

At the mere mention of the Heart-Eating Demoness, Ji Jie’s rage for Xiao Yuan flared uncontrollably! This demoness, who had reduced Xiao Yuan to a mere killing machine before cruelly discarding her, held absolutely no right to even utter Xiao Yuan’s name!

“Oh~ Is my performance today not sufficiently explicit? Must I devour your very heart for you to finally grasp the truth?!”

With a slight tilt of her chin, Yue Ye Si’s clawed hand reached out, seizing Ji Jie’s chest where her heart would be, and a sinister, humming smile stretched across her face!

The touch of that hand, stained with the blood of countless sentient beings, filled Ji Jie with utter revulsion! She slapped it away with unyielding force, her eyes wide and blazing with fury.

“Remove your filthy hands from me, Heart-Eating Demoness! Today, I vow to ensure your demise right here! You shall experience the excruciating agony of having your heart ripped from your chest!”

“Xiao Hei! Xiao Hei!”

“Are you summoning someone? Against me, even if a legion of you were to appear, none would prove to be my match! And, let me tell you, that sensation of having one’s heart torn out… it’s truly, exquisitely comfortable! Ha… I yearn for that feeling once more… Ooh…”

Yue Ye Si dismissed her with an air of profound disdain, then, as if a thought struck her, she pressed a hand to her chest, letting out a soft, seductive moan. The sound was deeply suggestive, sending a shiver of unease through Ji Jie’s very core.

Ji Jie clenched her small hands, an overwhelming urge to strike her blossoming within. She wanted to ensure Yue Ye Si would never again dare to utter such sickening sounds in Xiao Yuan’s voice!