The crane carriage landed.
Here, the spiritual energy was even denser.
Mountain mist drifted in through the curtains, making Wei Xi feel dizzy and lightheaded.
Her heart pounded rapidly, and her body was almost immobile.
The Qingxin Pill that Xie Qingzhi had given her was clearly not enough to allow her to move easily in this place.
“Miss, please step out of the carriage.”
A maid’s respectful voice came from outside.
“I’m coming.”
Wei Xi, with trembling and weak hands, took a pill made from Na Cu grass from the pouch at her waist and swallowed it.
She took a deep breath, waited for a moment, and only when she felt her limbs regaining some movement and her body a bit more comfortable did she rise and step out of the crane carriage.
The maid was waiting outside.
Seeing the flowing white gauze and a delicate, pale hand extending from within, she quickly reached out to assist.
However, the moment she touched the jade-white hand, she was startled by how cold it was—like icy water in the middle of spring.
“Thank you.”
A soft voice followed.
The maid snapped back to reality and looked up to see the young woman standing steadily, withdrawing her hand.
She stood poised and graceful before her, with a snow-white, elegant face.
The maid quickly lowered her head.
“Miss, there is no need to thank me.”
Wei Xi lifted her head to take in the towering, magnificent palace before her.
The grandeur was overwhelming, and the carved reliefs on the pillars were intricate and ornate.
She thought back to the past—how she and Wen Ruyu, being penniless, had often lived in mountain caves.
When they stayed in the city, it was always at the cheapest inns.
The small home in Taoxi Village had already been a luxury for them.
“Miss Kui, the head of the house is currently discussing matters in the inner city. Please wait inside for a while.”
Wen Jue had already arrived at the main hall.
Seeing the woman before him gazing at the palace with tears in her eyes, he grew even more curious.
After a moment’s pause, he spoke.
Wei Xi withdrew her gaze.
Even the rouge on her face could not conceal her frailty.
She gave him a faint smile before lifting her legs to walk inside.
But Wen Jue did not follow her in.
Wei Xi took a couple of steps forward.
Hearing the sound of the doors closing behind her, she turned her head just in time to see the last sliver of light disappearing from the doorway.
The sky was overcast with rain.
The hall was dimly lit, with only a few lanterns casting a faint glow.
The vast space was largely empty, sparsely furnished.
The place where she stood was clearly meant for receiving guests, but there was no one else there.
Further inside lay the inner hall.
Wei Xi hesitated for a moment, touched the green jade pendant at her neck, but did not proceed inward.
Instead, she chose to sit on a round-backed chair and wait.
High above on the rafters, Wen Wuqi sat, his gaze lowered as he observed the woman below, her head bowed, lost in thought.
Yesterday, he had seen her in the outer city—a person so pale she seemed to glow amidst the crowd.
He moved his fingertips slightly.
An invisible thread, like a delicate tendril, reached out towards her and gently coiled around her soft neck.
A mere mortal.
Frail.
Heart disease.
Poisoned.
…But beautiful.
Wei Xi seemed to sense something.
Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she lifted her head.
She had the distinct feeling that someone was watching her.
Yet when she glanced around, there was no one in sight.
She raised a hand to touch her neck—it felt a little itchy.
Wen Wuqi twirled his fingers lightly, withdrawing the invisible thread from her neck.
As it retracted, it brushed briefly against the back of her hand.
The trace of spiritual energy returned to him, and unconsciously, he rubbed his fingers together before lowering them to his nose.
So fragrant.
Wei Xi lightly scratched her neck.
The itch was gone, yet she couldn’t help but shiver slightly, for no apparent reason.
***
Wei Xi had thought she would have to wait for a long time, but to her surprise, after about half an hour, she heard movement outside the hall.
The respectful voices of the maids rang out.
She couldn’t help but look up, instinctively rising to her feet.
The grand hall doors were pushed open, and someone walked in against the light.
He was dressed casually in a wide-sleeved white robe, a jade belt fastened around his slender waist.
His tall, lean figure seemed even taller than before.
His hair was loosely tied, dark strands cascading down his back.
His refined, elegant features were as exquisite as polished jade, his beauty surpassing even the floating mist and vibrant greenery outside.
At that moment, his bright, clear eyes looked at her from afar, his lips subtly curved.
“I heard you wished to see me.”
That day in the outer city, she had seen him only from a distance and couldn’t make out his features clearly.
But today, she could see him—clearly.
The face she had not seen for more than three years was exactly the same, down to his current expression.
But his soul—it was black… truly black.
She had never been wrong in distinguishing between humans and demons before.
Even if a person fell into demonic cultivation, their soul never turned completely black.
So Wen Ruyu…
But that was still Wen Ruyu’s body.
Her heart pounded wildly, a bitter ache welling in her chest.
Over a thousand days and nights of longing and despair erupted at this moment.
Wei Xi’s breath grew rapid, her vision blurred. Her overwhelmed mind could no longer think clearly.
She staggered forward, a fleeting thought crossing her mind—if she died like this, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad.
Her steps were unsteady.
She moved faster and faster, emotions so overwhelming that her heart felt as if it would give out.
Just before she collapsed, she fell against his chest.
Her trembling hands clutched at his robe so tightly that the veins on the back of her hand stood out.
“Wen Ruyu…”
Wei Xi’s voice was soft, trembling, with a hint of a sob.
Her delicate body was warm, and a faint, sweet fragrance instantly filled his senses.
Wen Wuqi’s long, dark lashes quivered.
His already burning body felt as though she had ignited it further.
His breath hitched, his entire body rigid.
He did not move, quietly observing her instead.
Wei Xi was lost in her emotions.
It was strange—his soul was unmistakably dark and evil, yet his body still carried Wen Ruyu’s warmth.
That familiar warmth instantly revived her perpetually cold body, bringing back memories of rainy nights and hidden caves, of their shy yet desperate embraces.
This was definitely Wen Ruyu’s body.
She would never mistake it.
Tears fell.
Her chest tightened, pain suffocating her as though she were drowning.
She clung to him desperately.
But he no longer held her as he once did—no longer laughed softly, teasing her, saying, “Ah, Xiao Xi, don’t cry.”
He did not embrace her.
His body was stiff and tense.
Above her, a voice as clear as a mountain spring spoke, warm yet utterly foreign: “Miss, please compose yourself.”
Wen Wuqi’s nose twitched slightly as he inhaled the scent of her hair.
His eyes narrowed.
Who exactly was she?
She smelled… so sweet.
Wei Xi’s grip tightened, her nails digging into her palm.
His words slowly brought back her clarity, but her tear-filled eyes refused to stop shedding.
She forced herself to endure the pain in her chest, struggling not to faint.
He was not Wen Ruyu.
He was Wen Wuqi.
Wei Xi took a deep breath. She remembered why she had come here—to stay. To stay by Wen Wuqi’s side.
She needed to find a cultivation technique she could practice.
She needed to enter Kunlun Divine Mountain to search for Wen Ruyu’s soul.
She refused to believe his soul had vanished entirely.
She needed to find a way to kill him—to kill Wen Wuqi, to purge his filthy soul from Wen Ruyu’s body.
Her grip on his robe loosened slightly.
As if she hadn’t heard his words, she suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist, seizing the moment before he could push her away.
She held him tightly, pressing her tear-streaked face against his chest, soaking his robe with her grief.
“Ruyu, I missed you so much,” she whispered.
“When you left for the Wujiao Tournament, you said you’d be back in a year. But you never returned. I didn’t dare leave the village—I was afraid you’d come back and not find me.
So I waited. I waited for three years. I was so worried something had happened to you. Every day, I went to the road you left on, hoping to see you again.”
As she spoke, she thought—if Xiling Zhou had not mentioned that the new head of the Wen clan was Wen Ruyu, she might have kept waiting, foolishly, for someone who would never return.
Her eyes grew misty again.
Wen Wuqi looked down.
A damp patch had spread across his chest where her tears had fallen, the sticky warmth making his skin feel even hotter.
He blinked, then effortlessly pried her delicate arms away.
Forced to release him, Wei Xi tilted her head up.
The soft glow of the lanterns illuminated her face, casting a gentle halo around her jade-like skin.
She was frail, her chin pointed, a hair ribbon clinging to her slender neck.
Her nose was reddened, her eyes watery—gentle, pitiful.
Wen Wuqi lowered his gaze, listening as her trembling voice questioned him in sorrow:
“So you’ve been in the Ninefold Palace all along… Then why didn’t you come back for me? I was all alone there, so afraid. My body is weak, and I can barely cultivate. The world outside is dangerous… You promised to protect me forever.
You said you’d find a celestial herb to heal me completely… But you never came. So I came looking for you. But… you’ve forgotten me, haven’t you?”
Her dark eyes were filled with resentment and grief, like a clinging vine questioning the tree it depended on.
Wen Wuqi remained silent, his beautiful, tranquil eyes locked onto hers.
His gaze held a hint of curiosity—yet at the same time, it was empty, devoid of anything.
Wei Xi swallowed her hatred and disgust, using her tear-blurred vision to hide her true emotions.
She looked at him pitifully, waiting for his answer.
Would he simply tell her outright that he wasn’t Wen Ruyu and drive her away?
No, he wouldn’t.
If he had been willing to see her, it meant he believed at least part of what she had told the steward.
Perhaps… he wanted to take back the green jade pendant.
“The things you speak of, Miss, I have no recollection of. They must not have been important, as I have already forgotten them. The only reason I agreed to see you was that I heard I once gave you a green jade pendant.”
Wen Wuqi finally spoke, his brows slightly raised as he smiled.
His tone was warm, so much so that it made Wei Xi wonder if the cold indifference he had shown on the deer carriage yesterday had been her illusion.
He mimicked Wen Ruyu’s mannerisms flawlessly.
But she could tell—it was an act.
Wei Xi lowered her head, biting her lip.
She pulled the red string from her neck, bringing out the jade pendant.
Her eyelashes trembled as she looked at him.
“I’m Wei Xi… You always called me Xiao Xi… So, did you come to see me just to take back the jade pendant?”
Her voice was low, choked with sorrow.
Wen Wuqi’s gaze slowly moved from her face to her neck.
Hanging from the delicate red string around her slender, jade-like neck was a green jade pendant, carved with the pattern of a white tiger, its surface glimmering with golden light.
It was an emblem of the direct descendants of the Wen clan.
Her face was as pale as paper, filled with grief and fear.
Wen Wuqi had seen many men and women like her—people who used beauty and a pitiful demeanor to cling to the strong, seeking protection like a parasitic vine winding around a towering tree, surviving on the resources fed to them.
She was not the first to feign weakness before him in hopes of securing his shelter.
But never before had someone been this frail—merely a mortal girl, not even one who had stepped onto the path of cultivation.
And certainly, no other mortal had possessed an item holding three strands of his celestial essence.
As for whatever happened three years ago…
It was of no interest to him—just insignificant, meaningless events.
“Miss Kui, if you wish to stay in the inner city under protection, that is possible,” Wen Wuqi said, standing against the light as if moved by her words.
His voice remained steady, yet his next words struck directly: “But the jade pendant does not belong to you. I’m afraid you will have to return it.”
Wei Xi was not surprised.
She took two steps back, clutching the jade pendant tightly.
Her teary eyes wavered as she lowered her head, looking lost and humiliated.
Her voice was faint, filled with sorrow.
“So you never came back for me because… you really forgot me. I don’t matter to you anymore.”
Wen Wuqi lowered his gaze, observing her quietly.
He rubbed his fingertips together in thought before speaking.
“Apologies.”
His expression was warm, without any impatience in demanding what was his.
But if he were truly Wen Ruyu, he would never have come to reclaim it in the first place.
Wei Xi clenched the jade pendant in her palm.
She knew she couldn’t keep it, but she still played her role, her voice trembling as she murmured, “This was… a token of our love. Can’t you let me keep it?”
“I hold no affections for you, Miss Wei. How could there be such a thing as a token of love?”
Wen Wuqi’s voice was gentle, but there was a hint of curiosity in his tone.
Wei Xi lowered her head, her vision blurred with unshed tears.
It wasn’t his words that pained her.
She simply could not bear to part with the jade pendant.
“You promised to let me stay in the inner city, that I could always watch over you. You wouldn’t lie to me about that… would you?”
She lifted her head to look at him again, her clear eyes rippling with emotion.
Behind his back, Wen Wuqi’s fingers rubbed together again, this time unconsciously.
Raising a flower without needing to personally tend to it—surely, that wasn’t difficult?
He slowly lifted his eyes, studying her carefully before curving his lips into a soft smile.
“I won’t lie to you.”
But even if I did, what could you do about it?
Wei Xi turned her face slightly, falling silent for a moment.
It seemed as though she had finally compromised, just as he had guessed.
“I can’t take it off myself,” she said calmly, her voice light.
“You can take it.”
Wen Wuqi smiled slightly, showing no hesitation as he stepped forward and reached out to take the jade pendant.
He was tall, and as he moved from the shadows, it seemed as though darkness still clung to him.
Though he smiled, Wei Xi felt no warmth from him—only the cold sensation of something lurking in the depths, like the icy waters of a swamp.
She cast her gaze downward, watching from the corner of her eye as his long, slender fingers extended toward the pendant.
And then—
A burst of dazzling golden light exploded the moment Wen Wuqi’s fingers touched the jade pendant.
A powerful surge of energy instantly swept through the inner hall.
The force shattered everything in its wake, reducing the furnishings to dust.
Wei Xi froze, whipping her head up to look.
Wen Wuqi staggered back three steps before steadying himself, his face as pale as a sheet.
His dark eyes instantly deepened, staring fixedly at the jade pendant at her throat.
Wei Xi instinctively took a step back, her breath catching in her throat.
She clutched the pendant tightly, pressing her other hand over her face as a choked sob escaped her.
Tears spilled over her fingers, unstoppable.
The three strands of celestial essence in the pendant—they were still there.
She could feel them.
Even now, even in this moment—
Even Wen Ruyu’s body could not take the jade pendant away.
Even if he tried to claim it himself, the celestial essence would not dissipate.
When he left, he gave her the greatest protection he could.
Even now… after everything.