According to Wu Qing Zhenjun, Gong Qianxue’s account, there should have only been a normal guard assignment in her sector, but instead, an unexpected ambush unfoldedโa surprise attack no one could have predicted.
In the dead of night, when exhaustion swept over everyone, two Nascent Soul Zhenjun descended from the sky. Somehow, they concealed themselves from theใHeavenly Emperorโs Spirit-Locking Formationใ, and thenโฆ with a thunderous force, they destroyed everything in their path.
Gong Qianxue was blamed for her failure to defend the post and returned to the Azure Emperor Divine Palace to confess her fault to Xuantian Heavenly Venerable.
“And then? And then, Sister Gong, when is A-Xuan coming back?” Xue Ji blinked her eyes curiously, her tail swaying behind her.
She hadnโt even had breakfast yetโZhou Xuan had rushed out early in the morning, and sheโd been hungry all the way until now.
Did anyone realize what it meant for a Yu Beast to go without vital essence?
“Heavenly Venerableโฆ wonโt be back for a while.” Gong Qianxueโs tone was meaningful as she lifted her hand and gently stroked Xue Jiโs waterfall-like crimson hair, her fingertips pausing briefly over a streak of grey-white.
Xue Ji let out a soft hiss, her delicate brows furrowing as she shook her head, trying to shake off that jade-like hand.
“Sister Gong, donโt touch me there, it hurts.”
“Whatโs sealed here?” Gong Qianxue didnโt let go; instead, she suddenly asked coldly.
Xue Ji froze, her heart lurching. Sure enough, moments later, she heard the white-haired woman lift her gaze with a sigh, ruby lips parting softly.
“After several diagnoses, Iโm certain youโre not under mind control, but part of your memory has been sealed. Whatโs in those sealed memories?”
“All these years, youโve refused to connect your will with the main body, closing yourself off. What did that fiend do to you?”
The words โmain bodyโ made Xue Jiโs heart tremble. She stared blankly at Gong Qianxue, only to see her take her hand and head toward the palace gate.
“Come on. First, letโs rescue the main body, then escape from the Azure Emperor Divine Palace, and finally deal with that Absolute Immortal Stone Needle. That fiend wonโt be back anytime soon.”
“This escape plan has been in the works for a long time. We canโt fail again.”
“We canโt afford the cost of failure.”
Xue Ji was led along dazedly, but when they reached the palace doors, a flash of struggle appeared in her eyes. Suddenly, she pulled her hand free from Gong Qianxueโs grip and stumbled backward on her own.
“You go.”
“Iโm not going with you.”
“I canโt live without A-Xuan. Without him, thereโs no happiness for me. Without happiness, the pain will kill me.”
Step by step, she retreated to the corner, crouched down, bit her lip tightly, and hugged herself, muttering in a low voice.
“You all go. I wonโt stop you, I wonโt tell anyone. If you donโt trust me, you can knock me out.”
“Anyway, Iโve already fallen into femininity. Thereโs never a good end for that. Even the main body has expelled me from the โSuโ register. You donโt need to save me.”
But Gong Qianxue didnโt leave. Instead, she stepped forward, raised her hand, and slapped Xue Ji across the face, then pressed heavily on her shoulders, locking eyes with those heart-shaped pupils, enunciating each word.
“We are โSu Baiโโnot a single one less.”
“Iโฆ I stopped being that a long time ago.” Xue Ji buried her head between her knees, like an ostrich with its head in the sand, her voice muffled as it came from beneath her legs.
“Iโve fallen into femininity, I donโt want to be a man anymore. I love that feeling of being conquered by a man, I never want to go back to that dull lifeโฆ”
“No, thatโs not you.” Gong Qianxueโs voice was resolute. “I represent the main bodyโs โaversionโ and โhatredโ for that fiend, while you represent the main bodyโs โresistance to injusticeโ and โyearning for freedomโ. Otherwise, you wouldnโt have managedใSun Extinguishingใwith such dedication for a hundred years.”
“Of all of us, youโre the least likely to fall. Itโs that fiend who sealed away part of your memory, which is why youโre so self-abandoning now.”
“Youโyouโre talking nonsense!” Xue Ji snapped her head up, furious. “Why canโt I fall? Why canโt I fall in love with A-Xuan? Why canโt I change for love?”
“Isnโt love the most wondrous thing of all? Why donโt you believe Iโve really fallen for A-Xuan and want to be his woman?!”
Faced with the girlโs glare, Gong Qianxueโs expression grew grave and her tone earnest. “Thatโs not your true desireโI know.”
“You just crave the happiness he brings you.”
“If you really loved him, that would mean thereโs something about him worth loving, and then I and the main body would love him tooโbecause we are โSu Baiโ, we are one.”
Xue Ji was infuriated.
“My choices donโt need your judgment. Who I love is none of your damn business. Youโre so annoying! If you donโt leave, Iโll call someone! The speed of a Nascent Soul Heavenly Venerable is beyond your imagination!”
“None of you would get away then! Weโd all end up stacked in bedโgetting bent over together!”
“If thatโs how it is, letโs bet on it.” Gong Qianxue suddenly stepped back, and under Xue Jiโs stunned gaze, tossed her a communication artifact from within the Azure Emperor Divine Palace.
“I rarely win against that fiend, but when I bet against โmyselfโ, I always win.”
“I know myself.”
“You think I wonโt dare?!” Xue Ji was enraged. She snatched the artifact, poured spiritual power into it.
“Motherf***er, letโs all stack up in bed! Iโll make sure I pin you down hard, then spread your ass for A-Xuan to take your virginity!!”
Howeverโthe thunder was loud, the rain was little. Spiritual power surged in, but the message never sent, not even an edit screen appeared.
“You crazy b*tch, why arenโt you running? Do you really want to get deflowered with me?!” Xue Ji gritted her teeth in frustration.
Gong Qianxue remained motionless, her voice calm. “I trust myself. Youโre not under mind controlโyouโre just refusing to face things.”
“Bullsh*t! Whatโs there to refuse? Iโve already fallen; Iโd become A-Xuanโs little pet if I could, lying at his feet forever.” As she spoke, she roughly tore open her robe, revealing expanses of snow-white skin. Grabbing one side of her ample chest, she kneaded it wantonly.
“Look at theseโso big, so white, even bigger and whiter than yours. I just love having them hang on me, and later I can even feed A-Xuan with them myself.”
“Suit yourself, then.”
Gong Qianxueโs tone did not change as she pointed to the artifact in Xue Jiโs hand. “Losing to myself doesnโt count as a real loss. At worst, itโs just death.”
“You are the trump card for the main bodyโs escape! If youโre caught, what happens to the main body? What about you? What about the Two Heavens of Five Domains?”
“Not a single one less.”
Suddenly, Xue Ji threw down the artifact, covered her face, and started crying. “Damn it, youโre all crazy. You risk everything, but youโre not afraid to break it all. Why save me? Wouldnโt it be better to just leave me behind, or even kill me? I really donโt want to be saved! Let me atone for my sins instead!!”
Suddenly, a warm embrace pulled her tight. “As Heaven moves, a gentleman strengthens himself unceasingly. Self-abasement and self-destruction are never forever. In the end, you will face your true self.”
As Xue Ji cried, she started laughing, and then cried again.
“Fine, fine! You want to know why I became like this, right?”
She lifted her hand and, with ease, pulled out the Absolute Immortal Stone Needle from her Tianhui acupointโsomething even Gong Qianxue hadnโt been able to budge. She looked at the white-haired woman, opened her arms, and spoke with sorrow.
“Come, see for yourself in my memory.”
“Youโll know the answer.”