“Trash.”
Beigong Xiaoxiao lowered her eyes, letting out a soft sigh, then closed them.
She was recalling a scene from six years ago.
It was a sky filled with overwhelming demonic energy, turning the entire heavens into a dark purplish-black.
Ren Bin soared upward on his sword.
His clothes were tattered into strips, stained with fresh blood.
The long white sword in his hand shattered into countless spiritual fragments, which circled around him like shards of light.
The sound of the sword shattering faded completely, and the demonic aura in the sky vanished without a trace.
Only the faint ringing of the sword seemed to still echo in the air.
A white light pierced toward the sky, then suddenly fell behind him — plunging down from the heavens like a kite whose string had snapped.
When he looked up again at the sky, he saw countless lines — like strings — trailing down as fragments rained from above.
It wasn’t until later that he understood what those fragments truly were.
He had never thought there would be a day when his heart could feel so heavy again.
Beigong Xiaoxiao stayed silent for a long time before she finally continued,
“I don’t know if…there’s still a chance.”
Although she knew, she couldn’t muster the strength to finish the rest of her sentence.
Ren Bin’s figure holding his sword still surfaced clearly in her mind.
She opened her mouth, but no words came out, her voice trembling.
“He was a bit of a carefree dandy, but warm-hearted and loyal. He showed me that there could be relationships not built on benefit or power. There was still some old-fashioned chivalry left in him. But now…standing before me, he seemed drained, like all his vigor had been washed away.”
“Do you know what happened afterward?”
“What brotherhood between fellow disciples? What so-called sect heroes? Most of them…”
“They covered up everything that happened on Huazhu Peak. They stole away all of Huazhu Peak’s remaining value, even the lives lost there…it was all just nonsense to them.”
“Then they went on to plunder! To steal! As long as it had the mark of Huazhu Peak, they took it all.”
“They treated Huazhu Peak like a mere tool. And we…our hearts found peace in that? Because of their deceit, we were left worthless!”
“I…I was also…once like them…”
“Respect is still respect. But to be honest…he’s never been able to bounce back.”
“I respect him, but the Ren Bin of today — he’s even more of a failure than before. When I see Huazhu Peak now, all I can do is choose to avoid it.”
“So this is what became of Ren Bin. His sword will shattered, his heart followed soon after. The people around him? Some left, some ran away. Among them, some even laughed at him with mocking scorn.”
“I saw it all. I couldn’t accept it. When I saw Ren Bin like that, I thought…if from the very beginning all it took was betrayal for things to end up like this, then I’d rather have chosen to be forceful from the start.”
“I wanted to keep all those people at Huazhu Peak. Maybe then…things wouldn’t have ended up this way.”
“I didn’t want to let those people insult my father’s blade.”
He closed his eyes in pain.
“To survive, I’ve been a killer, a bodyguard. I was very talented with the sword, so I passed my skills on to them.”
“Then why are you now…just a hired thug again?”
Beigong Xiaoxiao furrowed her brows, let out a sigh, and asked.
“I never liked this life of constant bloodshed. But unfortunately…my only real skill is fighting and killing. Being a thug is still better than being a bodyguard or an assassin. At least it’s somewhat stable…and safer.”
“I still…need someone. I still have something left.”
“I understand now.”
Suddenly, Beigong Xiaoxiao seemed to think of something.
“Then…what about Xian?”
“Where is she?”
Her expression grew serious, and she clenched her fists tightly at her side.
“Don’t tell me…this damned girl still has feelings for Yuxian?”
“I…I don’t know. But she left the sect too. I don’t know where she went. But it wasn’t betrayal, nor was it running away like me. If I had to guess…she probably went off to find a way to become stronger.”
Gou Hao let out a long sigh, then sat down heavily on a bench nearby.
“Back then, she didn’t have enough strength, and was surrounded by demonic cultivators.
All she could do was watch as Ren Bin’s sword intent was utterly crushed — completely powerless to stop it.”
“I think…I even saw her cry.”
At that moment, Yuxian stood there dazed, staring up at the sky.
A single tear slid from the corner of her eye.
It was hard to be certain, because Ren Bin had always been so cold and indifferent — never moved by anything.
Yet now, his tears were falling.
“She had been waiting for so long, hoping for a response, but he never gave one. If her heart was moved, then why…why didn’t she respond to Ren Bin’s feelings sooner?”
“Wuwu…I knew it!
Suddenly, Beigong Xiaoxiao slammed her fist down hard on the table, her face twisting into a sobbing expression.
“What do you know?”
Gou Hao’s face grew a little awkward.
“Senior Sister Yuxian…she likes Ren Bin!”
“This woman…what’s gotten into her all of a sudden?”
“Back then, I tried to get her to leave…but she refused.”
“She said she wanted to stay — even told me to keep my distance, because Ren Bin hated me,
and being too close to her would only make him misunderstand.”
Beigong Xiaoxiao slumped into her chair, utterly defeated, like she’d lost all will to live.
“She even told me to stay far away…because being near her would make Ren Bin unhappy.”
Ren Bin: Why didn’t I know anything about this?
Originally, it was supposed to be just a simple duel between two people.
But then…everything that happened afterward…
When Beigong Xiaoxiao looked at Yuxian, she couldn’t help using a jealous tone, saying those words.
Wasn’t it just this kind of expression?
Watching this girl’s face, Ren Bin felt a strange, secret satisfaction well up inside.
She actually looks kind of cute like this…
That jealous look on her face…yes, it was exactly that expression of jealousy toward me.
“Alright, back to the main point.”
Gou Hao cleared his throat twice, trying to shift the topic.
“You should leave now. Take your spirit stones with you. I have no reason to provoke someone at the peak of the Lingxu stage on your behalf.”
“If you were dissatisfied with what just happened…of course, if you want to deal with it, that’s your choice.”
This was exactly how Jinmei Tower operated whenever they ran into a big shot: prefer to let things slide and keep the peace, rather than clash with someone powerful — it was far more cost-effective than directly confronting a powerhouse.
“No need…it’s fine.”
“That lady from earlier…that offer…we can’t really accept it.”
“Why not?”
Beigong Xiaoxiao looked over at Ren Bin.
“Why wouldn’t it count?”
“I don’t have that many chips to bargain with.”
How could it possibly be that simple to buy an opportunity like this?
“If we pay less, then what? Just let them off that easily?”
Gou Hao frowned, just about to speak, when Ren Bin interrupted him.
“So what if their cultivation is high? Does that mean they can do whatever they want?”
“Hey— that’s going too far!”
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
The other side was left speechless, completely shut down by the retort.
That was a powerhouse at the very peak of the Lingxu stage — do you have a death wish?
In the end, they just wanted to open their mouths and negotiate…
Beigong Xiaoxiao didn’t expect it either.
This cold, distant Jindan cultivator…
Even someone like him could be so unreasonable.
“Why can’t you just back off a little? Is that really so hard? Can’t you give us a little breathing room here?”
“If we go any lower, there won’t be anything left to gamble with…we can’t keep playing this game.”
But Ren Bin stepped forward, completely unfazed.
“If she’s got the guts, then let her flip the table. I’m not afraid of her.”
“Wuwu…”
Beigong Xiaoxiao hesitated for a long time.
In the end, all she could do was shove the bag into Ren Bin’s hands.
“Here…take it all.”
She had resigned herself to her fate.
How unlucky.
She’d just come out hoping to earn a little money, only to end up being tricked by a scheming woman and left practically bankrupt.