Cycle Two, Year 1,211 of the simulation.
The day Su Bai’s “One Thought Transforms into Myriad” broke through “Myriad Faces of the Spiritual Heart.”
**[Mie Yang]** Headquarters.
Purple peaks rose amidst surging clouds, and the lush green woods echoed with the leisurely songs of birds. The blue lake shimmered with the reflection of the moon, while the orange valley was thick with the scent of ripening fruit.
Nestled in a beautiful heart-moon-shaped valley in the Southern Border, the landscape was a tapestry of emerald mountains, soaring waterfalls, and cascading springs. The valley was carpeted with flowers, surrounded by towering peaks veiled in ethereal mist. It should have been a paradise on earth, a hidden sanctuary of peace.
However, at this moment, that past beauty had been utterly destroyed. The valley lay in ruins. Mountains had collapsed, jagged rocks jutted out like broken teeth, and the waterfalls were stained red with blood. Broken halberds and shattered weapons littered the ground among the crumbling walls.
Among these ruins, two figures walked — one in front of the other. They were Zhou Xuan and the Blood Concubine.
The Blood Concubine looked up and surveyed her surroundings, her thoughts surging like a tide. Images of the past flashed before her eyes: she had guided their cultivation, taught them knowledge, and given them their names — Zhang Qi, Sun Lianshi, Yi Tianqiao… countless different names.
But now, they were all dead.
And it was because of her.
The Blood Concubine gritted her teeth, the agony in her heart churning like a violent sea. Her nails dug deep into her palms as she struggled to keep herself from crying.
She did not know what this wretch intended by bringing her here, but it was undoubtedly to see her break down and weep, satisfying his own vile desire for conquest.
She could not cry.
She represented the final backbone of **[Mie Yang]**.
The two walked in silence, passing through the nearly collapsed schoolhouse, the scarred training grounds, and the library that had been burned until only the ceiling beams remained.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Zhou Xuan suddenly stopped. Before the Blood Concubine could react, she slammed into the man’s hard, broad back. His voice was low and raspy as he spoke. “So, you’re crying already?”
“Don’t touch me!” The Blood Concubine’s eyes were cold, making no effort to hide the disgust in her gaze. “No one here needs your pity or your sympathy.”
“Heh!”
“Master, don’t you think you are quite the failure as a man?” Zhou Xuan chuckled. His eyes were dark and deep, like a pool with hidden undercurrents. “I remember you once taught the principles of the universe — heaven resides above while the earth stays below. A man should struggle and fight in the world, while a woman should focus on assisting her husband and teaching her children. You said ‘virtuous helper’ was the highest praise for a woman.”
“Look at this. These are the little playthings you led. And these insects died because…”
“They aren’t insects! They have names! Zhang Qi, Sun Lianshi, Yi Tianqiao… every single one of them was a person of flesh and blood!” The Blood Concubine’s emotions suddenly became volatile.
“So what?” Zhou Xuan asked, his tone as casual as if he were asking what she had eaten for dinner. He stepped in front of her, his tall frame casting a massive shadow that completely enveloped her. She was forced to look up just to speak to him.
“But no matter what, they all…” He leaned down slightly, his thin lips curling. His voice was cold and low, and every word was like a poisoned blade stabbing straight into her heart. “…they all died because of your failed decisions, Master.”
The Blood Concubine’s body swayed, and the color drained from her face.
“Reckless, careless, stupid, arrogant…” Zhou Xuan’s tone remained icy, as if he were leisurely listing her faults one by one. Each word felt like a heavy boulder pressing down on her chest, making it nearly impossible to breathe.
“Such a Master is truly a failure of a man.”
“And the destruction of **[Mie Yang]** is precisely because of your failure…”
He raised a hand, gently stroking her exquisite face. A faint smile appeared at the corners of his mouth as he delivered the final, soul-crushing blow. “I wonder if they ever hated you?”
“No! Stop it! Don’t say another word!”
The Blood Concubine suddenly let out a low roar. She crouched down, hugging her legs and curling into a ball. She began to mutter under her breath, her voice growing increasingly sorrowful.
“I beg you, don’t say it. Please don’t say it… I know I’m a failure. I know I was reckless and arrogant. I know I… Please don’t say it anymore — don’t say it —”
Seeing this, Zhou Xuan indeed stopped talking. He simply took a step back, and his figure vanished instantly as if erased by an eraser.
At the same time, a hazy white mist rose in the surroundings. It was as if time were flowing backward. The ruins, the rubble, and the jagged rocks transformed back into that paradise on earth, the hidden fairy land.
Countless figures gradually emerged from the white mist — Zhang Qi, Sun Lianshi, Yi Tianqiao… face after familiar face, faces filled with respect, faces that had perished because of her.
“Mr. Bai, are we having pork stew with vermicelli again tonight?”
“Mr. Bai, look! I’ve broken through to the Golden Core!”
“Mr. Bai, did you lead us to our final victory?”
The chatter and the innocent voices of the children echoed in her ears. At this moment, they were like swords piercing her heart, leaving her bloody and battered.
It hurt.
It hurt so much.
Her heart ached.
The pain was terminal.
Why did it have to hurt this much?
Even though they were just NPCs in a simulation…
Tears and snot flowed freely as she sobbed. “I’m sorry! I’ve failed you all!”
“I was too reckless!”
“It’s my fault!”
“I am a sinner!!”
As she spoke, she collapsed to her knees. She knelt on the ground with her head hanging low, striking the earth with her fists as she wept in absolute despair.
This core figure, who had fought against the Azure Emperor’s Divine Palace for a century and led **[Mie Yang]**, had never lost her composure like this since the day she was born. She had never cried so bitterly.
“I shouldn’t have been in such a hurry! I shouldn’t have dismissed the possibility of a trap! I shouldn’t have treated war like a game!!”
“It’s my fault! I let you all down! I was stupid and arrogant! I betrayed your trust!!”
At that moment, the white mist quietly dissipated. The countless faces vanished, and a figure walked out from the void. He wore a white robe with gold embroidery, and his face was extraordinarily handsome. It was Zhou Xuan.
Zhou Xuan walked up to her and looked down, his eyes shimmering with a complex light.
“It hurts, doesn’t it, Master? I once felt this pain, too. Every time you beat me, whipped me, or sucked my blood, I was in agony. It was a pain that pierced the soul.”
“But I won’t let you suffer like that. I’ll be the only one who has to taste that kind of pain.”
He reached out his hand, his smile gentle.
“Master, become my woman.”
“This hatred, this pain, and this price — I will carry them for you.”
“From now on, you will be happy and joyful. You will never have to endure this kind of agony again.”
The Blood Concubine raised her head. Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair was disheveled, and her gaze was shimmering with tears.
Seeing this, the man spoke the final sentence — the straw that broke the camel’s back.
“I can resurrect them… in the next era, the one that belongs to ‘Nine Netherworlds’.”
“When that time comes, they can live again.”
Kneeling on the ground, the Blood Concubine looked up at the gently smiling Zhou Xuan. Light spilled onto his outstretched hand, making it look like salvation offered by an angel.
She stared blankly at that hand.
‘It won’t hurt anymore… they can live again…’
‘It won’t hurt anymore… they can live again…’
‘It won’t hurt anymore… they can live again…’
A trembling small hand rose. Her smile was tragic yet beautiful. This time, no one else ran over to kick the man away. Her small hand easily found its place in his palm.
A single tear rolled down her cheek. She reached out her tongue and licked it away. It was very bitter, yet very sweet.
“Okay,” the girl said.
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