It wasn’t like Sang Dai, who could use Guixu spiritual power to cleanse the Four Sufferings. The vine didn’t have Guixu spiritual power, but it was nurtured by it. Therefore, it carried the mission bestowed upon it by Guixu: to purify the Four Sufferings.
It would swallow the Four Sufferings.
Thus, the Valley Lord and his wife must have guessed this, which is why they entrusted the Guixu Spirit Vine to Ying Heng, hoping that he could take it to the Guixu Immortal Realm and see if it could consume the Four Sufferings at the root of the Guixu spiritual veins.
Only those with a Heavenly Spirit Root could enter the Guixu Immortal Realm, and they could only place their hopes on Ying Heng.
At this point, the cause of death of the previous Valley Lord and his wife of the Divine Healer Valley was crystal clear.
Nangong Zhu covered his face, but the tears still spilled through his fingers.
“After you left with the spirit vine… the valley was invaded by bad people who coveted the vine. My parents swore they wouldn’t say anything. They knew this vine might be able to save Guixu… My mother left this painting before she died. She actually wanted to tell me about the connection between this vine and Guixu, but she only had time to finish the painting before she passed away, without leaving a single word…”
Ying Heng lowered his head, apologizing. “I’m sorry. I did not deliver the Guixu Spirit Vine to Guixu. After I left, I was discovered by the people chasing me. I… I was surrounded and nearly killed at the border of the Demon Domain.”
He fell into the sea, his consciousness fading into darkness, and when he woke up, it was already a hundred years later.
What happened in between, he did not know.
The deaths of the Divine Healer Valley’s Valley Lord and his wife had nothing to do with Ying Heng.
Nangong Zhu could hardly accept it. He turned and rushed out the door.
Only the four of them remained inside.
Sang Dai never expected this answer.
The Guixu Spirit Vine on the table was still asleep. To the world, it was just a murderous vine, but was that truly the case?
They couldn’t know for sure without actually going to Guixu.
Sang Dai sighed and then asked Ying Heng, “Master, do you remember anything else? For example…”
For example, most importantly, who destroyed the Guixu spiritual veins, who slaughtered the Cangwu Taoist Temple, and for whom was Ying Heng taking the blame?
Su Xuan and Liu Lixue furrowed their brows. This matter concerned the entire Four Realms, not just Ying Heng.
Ying Heng seemed as if he hadn’t moved in a hundred or eighty years, his neck stiff as he raised his head. “Dai Dai, I suppressed Tian Yuxue and received a distress call from the Cangwu Taoist Temple. I went there and saw bodies everywhere. Someone was standing with their back to me in the courtyard, and then… I can’t remember anything else. It seems like I received a huge shock at that time, and my emotions were very unstable.”
Sang Dai’s hand, which was held by Su Xuan, tightened slowly. The little fox sensed her seriousness, and with his other hand, he patted the back of her hand.
Sang Dai took a deep breath to calm herself and asked, “Do you remember what happened at the Heroes’ Conference?”
“…I remember some things. My spiritual roots had not yet fully merged. Even though not all my memories have returned, I have recalled most of them.”
Ying Heng seemed to have remembered something frightening, and he picked up the tea cup, drinking a large gulp of water.
The water was somewhat cold, but the chill cleared his mind.
“Dai Dai,” Ying Heng lowered his eyes, staring at the half-full tea cup, his pale face reflected in the rippling water. “At the final round of the Heroes’ Conference, it was called Dream Butterfly.”
Sang Dai understood what it was. As the name suggested, it was an illusion. The cultivators would entrust their consciousness to a spiritual butterfly, which would then take them into a prearranged illusion. The cultivators’ consciousness would undergo many trials within the illusion.
Both Su Xuan and Sang Dai had experienced this kind of illusion when they were young. It was a good method to temper one’s Dao heart.
“Only I, Weisheng Xuan, Bai Yu, Shao Xi, and Tan Muqing entered the final round. Wu Hanshu, as the organizer, had to constantly monitor the Heroes’ Conference, so he also had to enter the Dream Butterfly realm.” Ying Heng continued, “But the spiritual butterflies carrying our consciousness were taken to Guixu.”
The three of them blinked in confusion.
Then, they realized what Ying Heng was saying, and all of them spoke at once.
“How is that possible?!”
Sang Dai continued, “Only those with Heavenly Spirit Roots can enter the Guixu Immortal Realm. Master, you and Tan Muqing are both Heavenly Spirit Root awakeners, and my father is as well. As for my mother, I don’t know. But Shao Xi and Wu Hanshu are not Heavenly Spirit Root awakeners. How is this possible?!”
Ying Heng raised his eyes to look at her. “That was the former Guixu Immortal Realm. After it was corrupted, the barrier weakened to the point where it could no longer protect the Immortal Realm. Now, only spiritual consciousness can enter. The Guixu Immortal Realm cannot detect it. It can only restrict physical entry.”
“We saw the Heavenly Dao there… What exactly it was, I can’t remember. It was terrifying… It was that Heavenly Dao that made us too afraid to face each other. I’ve never been afraid of anything in my life, but just thinking about this vague memory sends a chill down my spine.”
Ying Heng drank another sip of tea, trying to calm his wildly beating heart. “The Guixu Immortal Realm is filled with the Four Sufferings. Our consciousness was also corroded by the Four Sufferings. Muqing suffered the most because he protected Shao Xi. After returning, a hundred years passed, and Muqing went mad and killed Shao Xi. Afterward, he regained his sanity and took his own life. Hanshu couldn’t hold on any longer not long ago, went mad, and chose to take his own life as well. Ah Xuan and Bai Yu…”
Ying Heng glanced at Sang Dai, and from her expression, he could still see the resemblance between her and the others.
He spoke softly, “Before the Weisheng family was attacked, I received a message. Dai Dai, the Weisheng family died to protect me and you. I saved you, but I couldn’t openly bring you back to the Sword Sect. If anyone found out about my relationship with your parents, bringing back a baby would expose your identity.”
So Ying Heng had no choice but to coldly abandon Sang Dai in the snow, setting up a protective spiritual barrier to guard her consciousness and then rushing back to the Sword Sect without stopping.
After returning to the Sword Sect, the entire sect was still worrying about the frail and sickly Shi Yao, trying every means to find someone with the same birthdate to swap their spiritual roots. After searching for many days, there was still no trace.
During Ying Heng’s search, he deliberately manipulated the situation, leading Sang Wenzhou to find Sang Dai, making Sang Wenzhou believe that Sang Dai was the person with the matching birthdate.
Sang Wenzhou brought Sang Dai back and made her the young lady of the Sword Sect. After Sang Dai awakened her spiritual root, he poisoned her and slowly began to strip her of her spiritual root to replace it with Shi Yao’s.
Sang Dai’s eyes reddened slightly, and she turned her head, saying nothing.
Su Xuan quietly comforted her, “Dai Dai… it’s all in the past now…”
Ying Heng wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes and said, “Dai Dai, I’m sorry. It was my fault. My intention was to give you a legitimate and unassuming identity so you could be with me. Your parents entrusted me to protect you with my life. I took you as my disciple to stop the Sword Sect from changing your spiritual root and draining your blood. When you grew up and could stand on your own, I would tell you everything and let you leave. The Sword Sect wouldn’t harm you.”
But before that day came, he had taken the blame and was pursued by the Four Realms. Sang Dai was left without protection.
She was a Heavenly Spirit Root awakener, and her blood carried strong vitality. The Sword Sect used her blood to extend Shi Yao’s life, poisoning her little by little and slowly stripping her of her spiritual root. When the poison reached its peak, it would be time to change her spiritual root.
Ying Heng only wanted to protect Sang Dai. By having Sang Wenzhou bring her to the Sword Sect, he could stay by her side in a reasonable and unnoticeable way, guarding her and raising her. Once she was grown, he would let her leave the Sword Sect.
The identity of the young lady of the Sword Sect was also the best cover for Sang Dai, concealing her true identity as the lone daughter of the Weisheng family.
Ying Heng’s plans were all well thought out. While he was with Sang Dai, no one dared to harm her, and the entire Sword Sect treated her with respect.
But after Ying Heng left, she became the Sword Sect’s sharpest sword, fighting for them but ultimately being caught in a trap and betrayed.
“Dai Dai, I’m sorry.”
Sang Dai turned her head, facing away from Ying Heng, so he couldn’t see her expression.
But he knew that his little disciple liked to hide when she cried.
“Dai Dai, I’m really sorry…”
The atmosphere in the room became unbearably heavy. Liu Lixue tried to ease the tension. “There are many things we don’t know yet. We haven’t fully investigated everything. That… anyway, the past is in the past…”
His words sounded too pale, and he couldn’t continue.
Su Xuan gently wiped the tears from Sang Dai’s eyes. “Dai Dai, I understand you. You don’t blame Immortal Lord.”
He truly understood Sang Dai.
As his words fell, Sang Dai turned and threw herself into Ying Heng’s embrace, crying.
“Master, I’m sorry… you’ve suffered…”
Ying Heng was stunned and at a loss.
He had thought that his disciple would blame him. He had led Sang Wenzhou to find Sang Dai. He had allowed her to enter the Sword Sect but had not truly protected her. He had left her before she could grow up, causing her to be used and hurt by the Sword Sect for over a hundred years.
But how could Sang Dai possibly blame him?
“If it weren’t for you, I would have already died when the Weisheng family was wiped out. You led Sang Wenzhou to find me to protect me. How could I ever blame you?”
She only felt sorrow.
She had thought she was unwanted, but in reality, the Weisheng family had perished to protect her, and Ying Heng had schemed and planned for her protection. He, who never took disciples, took her in and raised the infant Sang Dai.
There had been many people guarding her without her knowing.
Sang Dai had always been loved.
Ying Heng patted her back, softly soothing her. “Dai Dai, it’s all in the past. I will never leave you again.”
They would always be together as a family.
—
Ying Heng’s memory was still a bit disordered. After waking up, he received a flood of fragmented memories, his body weak. He stayed at Liu Lixue’s mansion, where Liu Lixue took care of him.
Sang Dai and Su Xuan returned to the Beast Hall, where they hadn’t been for a month.
She curled up in the hot spring, holding a wooden box in her hands. The Guixu Spirit Vine inside the box was still asleep.
She could never have imagined that this man-eating vine might be related to the Guixu Immortal Realm, and that it could possibly consume the Four Sufferings of Guixu.
Sang Dai could only purify the Four Sufferings, but she couldn’t eat it.
But this vine’s stomach seemed like a bottomless pit; no matter how much Four Sufferings it ate, it could hold it all.
Sang Dai put the Guixu Spirit Vine away, leaning her head against the edge of the hot spring, her mind a blank.
So many things were different from what she had imagined.
A pair of hands were resting gently on her shoulders, kneading them in a light and steady rhythm.
Sang Dai glanced back, and the little fox was wearing a loose black nightgown, his silver hair falling loosely around his shoulders.
“Are you tired?”
Sang Dai shook her head. “Not tired, just a bit confused.”
Su Xuan began to massage her shoulders. “Once Immortal Lord Ying Heng has regained his strength, we will go to Guixu. Perhaps he is waiting for us there.”
She knew who he was referring to.
Sang Dai turned around, her arms resting on the edge of the hot spring, her slender figure partially submerged in the water.
“Su Xuan, are you tired?”
“Not tired.” Su Xuan gently patted her head. “I’m never tired when I’m with you.”
Sang Dai smiled with her eyes narrowed. “But we just crossed the tribulation today. Are you really not tired?”
“I’m not tired, because Dai Dai protected me during the tribulation.”
Sang Dai used the spiritual energy of the Guixu to create a protective shield, and Su Xuan blocked her with his body.
They were protecting each other.
The little fox removed his nightgown and jumped out of the hot spring, pressing the sword cultivator against the edge of the pool, kissing him.
“Dai Dai, don’t worry, everything will get better. We’ll always be together.”
“I know, I believe in you.”
Sang Dai hugged his neck and tilted her head back. The little fox took the opportunity to kiss her, prying open her lips to catch her soft tongue.
Her lips always had a faint fragrance, much like the scent on her body.
Su Xuan held her neck with one hand, while his other hand moved into the water.
Sang Dai knew what he wanted to do.
The mating season only gave him an excuse to act recklessly, but for the little fox, every day could be the mating season. Now, they were legally married.
The sword cultivator quickly felt it, hugging his neck and gasping softly, whispering, “You… come in.”
But he refused to give in to her, teasing her from the outside, keeping her suspended, neither here nor there.
Sang Dai slapped him. “Are you still going to do it? If not, let me go…”
The little fox nibbled on her ear and asked, “When are we holding the marriage ceremony?”
Ying Heng can see now, their marriage ceremony should be scheduled soon.
Sang Dai whispered, “Whenever you arrange it, okay?”
So obedient, almost absurdly obedient.
Su Xuan kissed her ear again but didn’t enter. He asked, “Do you want me?”
Of course, she wanted him. Su Xuan had ignited all her desires, but for some reason, the little fox was only teasing her now, unwilling to give her satisfaction.
Sang Dai bit him hard. “Are you going to do it or not? If not, I’ll go to sleep!”
Provoking him made the little fox smile smugly.
“Then it seems you want it,” Su Xuan asked. “I’ll come once, and then you come once too, okay?”
Sang Dai didn’t speak, tempted to hit him.
However, Su Xuan smiled mischievously and said, “Then you agree. Good girl.”
Sang Dai gripped his shoulders tightly, her whole body in his arms, until she couldn’t stand it anymore. She slapped him a few times, and Su Xuan carried her out of the hot spring. On the way, he dried the moisture from their bodies and then carried her to the bed.
Su Xuan kissed her heart, his gaze calm as he locked eyes with her. “Dai Dai, I love you so much.”
Sang Dai, drenched in sweat, hugged his shoulders and lifted her body slightly, making an effort to respond to him: “I know, I love you too.”
At first, she was shy and not good at expressing such words, but Su Xuan would tell her every day how much he loved her. Sang Dai loved to hear him whisper sweet words in her ear, and gradually, she also started saying those words to him.
She loved him, she loved him so much.
On the table behind the screen was a wooden box.
Inside the wooden box, the Guixu Spirit Vine lay in quiet slumber, with only the seven red flowers on its vine slightly trembling.
Then, a golden light flashed brightly, and pure spiritual energy emerged from within.
It crawled along the ground, slipping into the drapes that had been lowered.
It vanished into their hearts.