“What did you say?”
Shen Tanqi was stunned, almost unable to react.
How could he hate Yu Ce?
He slowly released Yu Ce and reached out, somewhat puzzled, placing his hand on Yu Ce’s forehead.
No fever.
After a while, the system crawled up from below the platform, fiercely tugging Shen Tanqi’s clothes with its mouth to pull him away from the altar, mumbling unclearly, “Hurry, go… Host, you shouldn’t be here!”
After a long pause, Yu Ce glanced at him lightly and sighed softly, “Go.”
Shen Tanqi looked at him incredulously, even wanting to grab his collar and give him a wake-up punch.
What, did he hit Yu Ce inside the illusion? Why is he acting so coldly toward him after coming out?
“Host!”
The system couldn’t bear it any longer and shouted.
Shen Tanqi picked up the chick from the ground, still staring fixedly at Yu Ce, and said, “Fine, I’ll go.”
He turned around and left, not bothering to look at Yu Ce’s expression. With his clothes fluttering in the wind, anyone with eyes could see Shen Tanqi’s anger, but Yu Ce stood still, not chasing after him.
Watching Shen Tanqi’s departing figure, Yu Ce felt as if his heart was being cut inch by inch with a knife, filled with a chilling cold.
Forget it.
Sooner or later, he would have to leave, he thought.
He couldn’t keep Shen Tanqi here.
Back at the Yaoting Pavilion, Shen Tanqi immediately noticed the peach blossom Yu Ce had picked, placing a fresh one from the mountains into the vase every day.
Shen Tanqi’s eyes darkened. He reached out to grab the vase, intending to smash it, lifting it halfway before setting it down again.
Damn it, it looked quite expensive. He couldn’t bear to!
Shen Tanqi felt his throat burning with anger, wanting to grab someone and give them a good beating.
But his gaze fell on the bed where the two little ones and San Dan were snuggling lazily, and the anger gradually subsided..
What was he doing, getting angry over Yu Ce’s attitude?
But wasn’t this what he wanted most?
Yu Ce shouldn’t have any more connections with him now; otherwise, it would only endanger the three little ones.
This was fine. It’s better to part with resentment than with love.
Shen Tanqi quietly approached the little ones, carefully tucking them in.
Goldfish slept drooling, with long and thick eyelashes and chubby cheeks like little buns.
Taro Ball didn’t drool in sleep, but he was just as cute as Goldfish, his little hands and feet cuddling up like an octopus to his big brother, full of attachment. It was hard to imagine he was a genius kid at the Nascent Soul stage.
And San Dan…
Shen Tanqi reached out and gently stroked San Dan’s eggshell. He wondered what San Dan would look like when he hatched—would he resemble him more, or Yu Ce?
Would San Dan’s personality be as carefree and innocent as Goldfish’s, or as strong and steady as Taro Ball’s? But Shen Tanqi felt that San Dan would probably be different from both of them. San Dan seemed cool and quiet, not fond of talking, and perhaps not very fond of him either, the irresponsible father who had brought him into the world prematurely and then neglected him.
Thinking this, Shen Tanqi felt a pang in his heart, as if pricked by a needle. He gently lifted San Dan into his arms and whispered, “I’m sorry, Daddy has to leave.”
San Dan still didn’t react, remaining quiet as if sound asleep.
After a while, Shen Tanqi chuckled softly, laughing at his own foolishness. He was talking to a dragon egg that wasn’t even half a month old. What could it possibly understand?
He carefully placed San Dan back into the warm blanket, tenderly kissing each of the little ones on their foreheads, bidding them farewell one by one.
It’s better they sleep through this; otherwise, if they woke up and saw him, Shen Tanqi feared he wouldn’t be able to leave.
Before leaving, he needed to instruct Yu Ce properly—not to tell the little ones that he had been killed, but that he had urgent matters to attend to far away. Perhaps this would spare the little ones from too much heartache, a kind lie in the end.
After kissing the little ones, Shen Tanqi was about to leave when Goldfish’s small hand suddenly grabbed onto the hem of his clothes.
He was startled, thinking he might have woken the child, but Goldfish still had his eyes closed, as if not sleeping soundly, gripping his clothes tightly.
“Daddy…”
The child murmured in a daze.
“Wants to go home…”
His heart shook, overwhelmed by countless unspeakable sorrows.
In his dreams, Goldfish was still worried he might leave. It made sense; according to Yu Ce, Goldfish often sensed things about to happen, so perhaps he was dreaming of this moment.
Shen Tanqi whispered softly, “Daddy will come back.”
As he finished speaking, that small hand seemed to finally relax and gently let go of him.
The system hopped onto the bed, giving Shen Tanqi a knowing look with its little eyes. Internally, the system informed him that the time was almost here.
Now, Shen Tanqi needed to trick Yu Ce to the edge of Bloodthirst Cliff, where Yu Ce would draw his sword on him, and then Shen Tanqi would be stabbed through the heart, leaving this world.
Actually, there was no need for deception at all. Shen Tanqi knew that if he asked, Yu Ce would obediently follow him.
Even if the one to thrust the sword through his heart was Yu Ce himself, he would come.
This… silly dragon!
The more Shen Tanqi thought about it, the more frustrated he became. He had planned to say a proper farewell to Yu Ce—not that he wouldn’t return—but things had turned out like this.
Although he was angry, Shen Tanqi couldn’t bring himself to really hurt him. Whenever he remembered the fragile and vulnerable look in Yu Ce’s eyes earlier, his heart ached bitterly, almost instinctively pulling Yu Ce into his arms.
Sighing, he lifted the system and left the pavilion by the Yaoting waterside, saying, “Open the pain suppression now. I’m going to call him to Bloodthirst Cliff.”
The system activated the pain suppression, allowing Shen Tanqi to test it. He drew a small black iron sword from his waist and lightly cut his fingertip.
Instantly, the wound flowed with shimmering fragments of broken gold, but he felt no pain at all, not even a drop of blood.
“Although in your eyes, it looks like broken light, in the male lead’s eyes, it still appears as fresh red blood,” the system carefully explained to him. “Once pain suppression is activated, you won’t feel anything—not pain. So, you must ensure the male lead accurately stabs the sword into your heart. Otherwise, if he doesn’t kill you, it’ll count as a mission failure, and you won’t be able to leave this world.”
To be accurately killed by him…
Shen Tanqi sighed. He believed that even without his reminder, with Yu Ce’s years of experience in demon-slaying and upholding justice, he could definitely stab him with a single sword.
“Let’s go,” Shen Tanqi said to the system, but it felt like he was talking to himself.
Meanwhile, on the Kou Hong Mountain, the illusion trial was nearing its end, and it was now tallying the results of disciples from various sects.
“Feiluan Sect, Lin Tanjiu, Grade A, first place!”
The crowd erupted in excitement, applauding and cheering loudly.
Not only because Lin Tanjiu was strikingly beautiful and caught everyone’s attention, but also because her grade was the highest among all the disciples so far!
Lin Tanjiu had anticipated her own results. She feared nothing and had no strong desires, so her illusion was unremarkable. After entering, she casually wandered around, dispelling the illusory temptations that tried to entice her to stay, and easily found her way out.
She raised her eyes and looked towards the direction of the Rongyun Sect’s trial platform. In this vast sect with countless talented disciples, Lin Tanjiu knew that only Yu Ce had the potential to be her rival.
Thinking of Yu Ce, Lin Tanjiu suddenly thought of Shen Tanqi.
She tiptoed, hoping to catch a glimpse of Shen Tanqi’s figure on the trial platform, but saw nothing at all.
Is Shen Tanqi still stuck in the illusionary realm? No, that can’t be right. By now, the illusion trail should have ended.
That leaves only one possibility—her foolish cousin probably never even showed up for the illusion trial!
Lin Tanjiu clenched her fists nervously and glanced towards Yu Ce. She was certain that something she had said to Shen Tanqi that day must have caused a rift between him and Yu Ce, resulting in Shen Tanqi not showing up.
It was all her fault.
She shouldn’t have said those things.
With great concern, she looked towards the trial platform of Rongyun Sect, hoping that Shen Tanqi had just overslept or had some other reason for not coming. This competition was crucial for the sect, and she didn’t want her few words to jeopardize Shen Tanqi’s future.
However, she finally caught sight of Shen Tanqi’s figure, but he was in the audience.
She saw Shen Tanqi wearing a light-colored veil hat, quietly watching Yu Ce on the platform for a while before gently waving at him.
Yu Ce nodded slightly, and the two of them actually left the trial platform as if no one else was there.
Even though the illusionary trial had ended, the results had not been announced yet. Where were they going?
Seeing Yu Ce and Shen Tanqi leave, Lin Tanjiu withdrew her gaze, and heard the elder on the platform speak slowly, “Yu Ce of Rongyun Sect, Grade B, Third place. Shen Tanqi of Rongyun Sect, absent from trial, no score—”
He really did miss the trial!
Lin Tanjiu sighed deeply.
“Where’s Yu Ce?” The elder held the paper with the results, glanced around, and suddenly saw a beautiful girl standing before him.
The girl reached out and took the result slip from the elder’s hand, whispering softly, “Thank you, Elder. Yu Ce had an urgent matter, so I’ll go and deliver it to him.”
The elder, recognizing her robes as those of Feiluan Sect, nodded calmly. “Very well, it’s up to you then. Remember to tell him that the next trial will begin soon, and not to miss the appointed time.”
Lin Tanjiu nodded, folded the slip of paper, tucked it into her clothes, and hurried towards the direction where Shen Tanqi and Yu Ce had left.
Along the way, she noticed the surrounding mountains and forests becoming sparse, with an increasing presence of demonic energy.
Frowning deeply, Lin Tanjiu realized she might have entered a forbidden area of Rongyun Sect.
Few ventured here, indicating it was a place well-known within Rongyun Sect as off-limits.
Feiluan Sect had similar places—reserved for imprisoning demons and malevolent creatures that couldn’t be sealed or slain.
It seemed Shen Tanqi and Yu Ce were headed to such a place, but what could they possibly want in this desolate forbidden land?
With confusion in her heart, Lin Tanjiu sped up on her sword, her intuition warning her that something extremely ominous might occur.
Passing through rocky terrain and dense woods, the landscape cleared before her eyes, revealing a cliff’s edge.
And standing at the cliff’s edge were Shen Tanqi and Yu Ce.
Before Lin Tanjiu could utter a word of inquiry, the scene before her caused her pupils to contract, her breath to stall, and chills to run down her spine.
She saw—
Yu Ce drawing his sword and slowly, inch by inch, driving the blade into Shen Tanqi’s chest.
Crimson blood dripped onto the ground.
He had killed Shen Tanqi.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
