Chapter 51: Rebirth and Death.
Xie Wuyan didn’t come to crash at her place tonight, which is rare for him.
Shen Wanqing opened the window and looked outside at the moonlight, furrowing her brow.
Calculating carefully, tomorrow night might be another full moon. She remembered that Xie Wuyan would be weaker than usual during this time.
After Master Yi Ci spoke those words, Ji Feichen and the others didn’t show any expression. They didn’t reveal Shen Wanqing’s identity and gave her an excuse to rest in her room, as if they hadn’t heard anything today.
Of course, Shen Wanqing couldn’t pretend she hadn’t heard anything.
This was probably not a coincidence.
The system must have had a reason for selecting this body. According to the original book’s plot, it wasn’t easy to find a pure yin physique, let alone a voluntary one? This is why the Solitary Light Sword has not reappeared for hundreds of years since the sealing of Xie Wuyan.
Moreover, in the original book, Feng Yaoqing sacrificed herself not only because Xie Wuyan wanted to destroy the world, but more importantly, the power of the demons could no longer be suppressed. They had already invaded the human world in large numbers, causing great suffering to living beings, and the situation was urgent.
In the current plot, it was highly likely that Feng Yaoqing would die because of this.
“So, if we want to achieve the final HE ending, does that mean we have to exchange me for Feng Yaoqing?”
This was one of the few questions Shen Wanqing asked the system.
The system remained silent for a long time before giving an unusual response.
【System prompt: Perhaps this is not the only way, but it is the solution that the main system has filtered out as the most effective in achieving the desired outcome for this world. The host’s body, as well as the selection of the soul, are absolutely compatible choices made after a highly selective process.】
Shen Wanqing: “What happens if I die in this world?”
【The host’s original body has already died and cannot be resurrected. The reward for completing the task is to select the most suitable world for the host to reincarnate their consciousness.】
So she will still die.
【You were selected to complete this task, but you didn’t really lose anything because you were already dead in your original world. Keeping the host’s consciousness and extending their lifespan is an extra reward from the system.】
Shen Wanqing did not respond to the system’s words. She tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and put on her coat to go out for some fresh air.
The temple was small, and she walked around a few times, suddenly feeling a bit bored.
Since coming here, she seemed to have met a lot of people and it looked quite lively, but there was not a single friend she could really open up to.
It seemed like the system and the task were pushing her forward.
Who she should meet and befriend didn’t seem to be up to her. Since waking up in this body, it felt like a rebirth, but in reality, it was a complete controlled from the inside out.
Thinking about it, the only person she could talk to was Xie Wuyan.
Being alone for too long often made people feel lonely, and the more sober she was, the more desolate it felt. Shen Wanqing couldn’t imagine how Xie Wuyan managed to persist for so many years.
Don’t know why, Shen Wanqing suddenly felt like seeing Xie Wuyan.
But she quickly dismissed this strange idea and prepared to return to her room.
The corridor seemed to be colder than other places, and the wind made her long hair flutter up and down.
A chill brushed against her back, like a big hand, slowly wrapping around her neck.
Something was wrong.
Shen Wanqing was already considered to be one of the more powerful individuals among the Taoists.
She quickly turned around, avoiding the ghostly aura. Her index finger pressed against her waist, but before she could take out a talisman, she heard a soft and complaining voice in front of her 一
“Are you still a girl? Why are you so fierce!” Princess Zhao Ping’s soul didn’t know when it had slipped out of the room. She quickly held her head and flew back a distance. She bent over from afar, angrily saying, “You Taoists are so heartless. If my father were here, he would have had you all beheaded.”
Ji Feichen and the others did not intentionally seal Zhao Ping.
Although they were unsure of the specific reason, she certainly couldn’t stray too far from Qin Zhihuan. An hour ago, she had finally managed to break free from the golden thread and attempted to escape, but she was immediately pulled back by an invisible force when she had just reached the temple gate, nearly shattering her soul.
When Zhao Ping was angry, she would act like a child: “No wonder, I see that you are wandering around alone at night, looking like you’re searching for someone. Could it be that you’re looking for Xie Gongzi1 whom you admire?”
Shen Wanqing was not good at coaxing girls, especially those with childlike personalities.
She thinks she’s a pretty mature person, and can’t communicate with these childish girls.
Plus, now that she’s a powerful cultivator, it’s beneath her to argue with ghosts.
So Shen Wanqing said coldly: “Oh, whatever.”
Then she prepared to turn around and leave.
But Princess Zhao Ping couldn’t stand this kind of treatment and immediately stomped her foot: “Hey! Stop! How can you just walk away when I’m talking to you?”
Shen Wanqing didn’t stop.
“If you stop, I’ll tell you where the Xie Gongzi you’re looking for is! I just saw him!”
Shen Wanqing slowed down for a moment, but then she thought一
Wait a minute, why was she looking for Xie Wuyan? It would be best if he didn’t bother her.
So she started walking forward again.
“I really won’t tell you!” Princess Zhao Ping yelled after her.
Shen Wanqing pretended not to hear.
“I see that he looks very serious, aren’t you worried?”
Shen Wanqing continued to pretend not to hear.
“It’s okay, it doesn’t matter if you don’t talk to me. I can go find Xie Gongzi. Maybe he’s willing to chat with me.”
Shen Wanqing stopped and walked up to her with a blank expression, and said very seriously: “He won’t talk to you.”
After speaking, she turned and walked away.
However, after taking a few steps, she turned back and asked: “Does he really look very serious?”
Princess Zhao Ping remained silent for a moment, then nodded: “Yes, he looks very serious.”
“Oh, okay, I don’t care,” Shen Wanqing nodded, then turned around and walked away.
But after taking only three steps, she turned back and reminded her: “I don’t want to know where he went.”
Princess Zhao Ping: “Okay, you don’t want to know.”
Shen Wanqing was quiet for a moment, turned around, and before she could even take a step, she took a deep breath and turned back again: “Otherwise, could you tell me where Xie Wuyan did not go?”
Princess Zhao Ping held her arms and looked at her with a helpless expression.
The intended idea behind the expression is obvious: Are you a spinning top, to be able to spin like that?
Shen Wanqing’s explanation was very weak: “I was afraid of bumping into him, please don’t misunderstand.”
Princess Zhao Ping couldn’t help but laugh: “Miss Shen, you really seem to care about that Xie Gongzi.”
Shen Wanqing: “I don’t care.”
Princess Zhao Ping: “I saw it in Qin Zhihuan’s dream. You’re always nervously staring at Xie Gongzi, even though there’s a man named Ji Feichen beside you, I haven’t seen you look at him once.”
Shen Wanqing wanted to explain, but found that she couldn’t, so she could only grit her teeth: “I don’t care.”
Princess Zhao Ping: “You do care!”
So the two of them began to pull each other’s hair, using every swear word they knew.
In the end, they had to admit that they were equally childish.
After arguing for a while, the two of them were finally exhausted.
Princess Zhao Ping: “Let’s chat and enjoy the breeze together, and I’ll tell you where Xie Gongzi went.”
So they found a spacious rooftop and began to enjoy the cool breeze together.
Shen Wanqing explained: “I don’t care where Xie Wuyan went. I just wanted to come up and see the scenery.”
Princess Zhao Ping laughed without giving face, then lay back on the tiles, propped up her arm, and began to mutter: “You don’t know how miserable I’ve been for the past five years. Qin Zhihuan’s face is all I see when I open or close my eyes. And there’s no one to talk to most of the time.”
Shen Wanqing asked: “Are you staying by his side out of resentment?”
This sentence made Princess Zhao Ping silent for a moment. She didn’t answer immediately, but after a long silence, she took a deep breath and said softly: “I just hate him.”
“In fact, I’m not stupid. The Northern Kingdom will eventually be destroyed. Father does love me very much, but I know that the Northern Kingdom will only decline under his rule. Moreover, there are disgusting people everywhere in the court, and they are ruthless when it comes to killing their own people.”
Princess Zhao Ping paused slightly and then closed her eyes with a joking tone: “So sometimes I think, why not surrender earlier? If my attitude is good, maybe I can still get a decent treatment, unlike now where I am dying so miserably.”
Shen Wanqing asked: “So you don’t really care if the Northern Kingdom is destroyed?”
“I do care,” Princess Zhao Ping laughed, then spoke slowly, “But only the name of the Northern Kingdom will be destroyed.”
Shen Wanqing was slightly taken aback.
“The people on that land should live better than when my father was in power,” Princess Zhao Ping turned to Shen Wanqing and said: “Miss Shen, if you had to choose between sacrificing one person and sacrificing hundreds or thousands of civilians and soldiers in the country, which one would you choose?”
Shen Wanqing: “Why do I have to choose?”
Princess Zhao Ping was slightly taken aback.
Shen Wanqing leaned her head against her knees, speaking calmly: “This issue should not be decided by others, as to who should be sacrificed. Instead, we should ask that person if they are willing to die or not.”
“Whether to live or die, that person should make the choice.”
“No one has the right to force someone to die, nor does anyone have the right to force someone to live.”
Princess Zhao Ping fell silent for a moment, then lowered her eyes and said faintly: “You’re right.”
Shen Wanqing turned her head to look at Princess Zhao Ping.
She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she felt that the princess’s behavior was unusual.
Each of Princess Zhao Ping’s words seemed to be carefully crafted to lead up to something.
Although it seemed like she was discussing the situation in the northern region, in reality, everything she said had a hidden meaning.
It wasn’t just Shen Wanqing who had doubts; when Ji Feichen and others identified Princess Zhao Ping as having a pure yin physique, they also felt something was off.
All signs indicated that Princess Zhao Ping’s body couldn’t be found because she had sacrificed herself to the Solitary Light Sword, not because she was killed by the rebels, but she seemed to have no memory of it.
So, who was the person gathering pure yin physique?
Was Princess Zhao Ping’s memory loss an accident, or was it part of a conspiracy?
The situation has developed to a point where it seems to have reached a deadlock.
“Do you really not remember what happened before you died?”
Zhao Ping nodded: “I don’t remember. Maybe if I do remember, I will be able to free myself.”
Shen Wanqing pondered silently.
In truth, there was a solution.
She had a way of accessing Princess Zhao Ping’s memories, just like before. If her blood came into contact with Princess Zhao Ping’s soul and triggered a soul wave, those images would replay in her mind.
However, doing so would likely expose herself.
She looked down at her fingertips. If she lightly scratched her nails, a bloodstain would appear.
Before she could hesitate any longer, a fierce fire suddenly erupted not far away. Thick black smoke spread and covered the entire forest.
The cries of ghosts and monsters resounded, and in an instant, countless lost souls and wild ghosts gathered near the temple.
Princess Zhao Ping suddenly began to shake violently, her soul repeatedly becoming transparent and her chest rising and falling.
“What’s going on?”
“Wait, it’s Qin Zhihuan, it seems like something happened to him.”
Zhao Ping’s soul was connected to Qin Zhihuan’s.
Before she could finish speaking, the color of her soul quickly faded and turned into smoke, shattering in the darkness.
At that moment, a bird’s cry suddenly sounded and a dark shadow flew towards them.
It was Xuanniao.
It smelled strongly of blood and flew into Shen Wanqing’s arms in a disheveled state, as if it had just escaped from hell.
“How did you get injured? Your body… Wait, this isn’t your blood.”
Shen Wanqing remembered this scent, it belonged to Xie Wuyan.
Xuanniao seemed to be affected by something and struggled to speak after a long time of heaving: “Your Highness asked me to take you away from this temple.”
Shen Wanqing: “Take me to find him.”
“Why are you so foolish?” Xuanniao flapped its wings in anger, “Can’t you see that this is a trap set by the Heavenly Dao Palace? They must know your identity and set this trap specifically for you!”
Shen Wanqing looked at Xuanniao and lifted it up onto her shoulder: “Take me to find him.”
