Into The Sea

Dawn broke, and Lan Wu carefully dug up the pure white flower and placed it into her storage pouch.

The appearance of the Guling Flower was bound to cause conflict. Now that only the three of them knew about it, she decided to keep it a secret for the time being.

Ji Lingyue watched her every move silently. When Lan Wu climbed back up, she reached out to help her, but just as Lan Wu was about to take her hand, a commotion arose in the distance. A black figure escaped from a group of demons, flying away like the wind.

Before she could make out who it was, the person in front of her vanished. “Ji Xing!”

Ji Xing was already injured and didn’t get far before a gust of wind caught up to her. She instinctively twisted her body, and a thick demonic spike grazed her shoulder, leaving a bloody gash. Several more spikes followed, aiming for her limbs.

She summoned a long sword and hastily deflected them, but before she could catch her breath, a chilling sensation ran down her back. She twisted her body desperately, barely avoiding a fatal blow.

A sword pierced through her shoulder, emerging from her back.

Ji Xing grabbed the blade, her pale face covered in sweat, but her eyes were full of confusion as she looked at her attacker. “Who are you?”

Bai Zhi paused, her eyes widening slightly before she let out a bitter laugh. “You don’t even… remember who I am.”

Ji Xing gasped, “Do I need to?”

With a sudden burst of energy, she shattered the sword in her palm and tried to shake off Bai Zhi to continue her escape. But a powerful force struck her from behind, slamming her to the ground.

“Cough…”

Blood spilled from her lips as the woman struggled to her feet, squinting at the figure descending toward her.

Dew-covered grass brushed against white boots, dampening the soft hem of the robe. Ji Lingyue walked towards her, lowering her head. “Ji Xing,” she said, the tip of her black sword pressed against the cat demon’s throat. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Ji Xing glanced at the cold blade, wiping the blood from her mouth indifferently. “You’re still alive,” she chuckled, giving up the struggle and sitting down. “Of course, you’re always so relentless when it comes to me.”

Ji Lingyue frowned. “Enough. Where is Lan Zhichuan?”

“Why are you asking about Lan Zhichuan? What’s your connection to him?”

Ji Lingyue retorted, “And what’s your connection to him, that you’ve been working for him all this time?”

After a moment of silence, Ji Xing tilted her head lazily. “You’ve really changed. The last time we met, you couldn’t wait to kill me. Now, you’re actually talking to me calmly.”

The sword at her neck suddenly pressed down, chilling her to the bone, and blood trickled out. “Talking? We have nothing to say to each other. I’ll ask you one more time—where is Lan Zhichuan?”

“Why should I tell you?”

Ji Lingyue pursed her lips and sneered: “Of course, I shouldn’t have expected anything from you. You’re just like him—heartless, cruel, and twisted. No wonder you two get along so well. Who else would want to be near you?”

Ji Xing’s voice lowered. “I’m not like him.”

“How are you different?” Ji Lingyue blinked, feigning realization. “Oh, that’s right. You’re even more pathetic than him. At least he once had status and the adoration of his people, even if it was all a facade. But you—you have nothing. No one loves you, no one cares about you. You’re just a puppet dancing to his tune.”

“Shut up!”

A surge of demonic energy erupted from Ji Xing, but it was quickly reined in before it could reach Ji Lingyue. Ji Xing glared at her, her shoulders trembling as she let out a bitter laugh. “Ha… you’re trying to provoke me?” She shook her head: “Too bad. No matter how pathetic I am, I’ll never be as pathetic as you.”

Ji Lingyue frowned, her eyes fixed on her.

“Have you forgotten how your family and friends died?” Ji Xing eyes curved into a smile. “It’s all because of you. I liked you so much, I protected you, but you angered me. That’s why I killed them. You were the one who brought me into your life, who kept me by your side even after discovering I was a demon. You made me crave things I couldn’t have. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have bothered to kill…”

Ji Lingyue clenched her fists: “Shut up.”

“You can’t bear to hear it?” Ji Xing grinned. “But it’s the truth! You brought this upon yourself. You killed them. You’re no better than…”

Long, slender fingers suddenly closed around Ji Xing’s neck. She gasped, her face turning red, but her eyes remained fixed on Ji Lingyue. “Cough… you think being with Lan Wu will let you forget the past and live a happy life? Don’t even think about it! As long as I’m alive, you’ll never escape your sins. Look at yourself now—a demon. How many have you killed? How much blood is on your hands? How dare you call me cruel…”

Ji Lingyue’s face was cold, her eyes gradually turning red, and the demonic energy within her was stirring. But just when Ji Xing thought she was about to explode, she suddenly released her. “That wasn’t my fault.”

Ji Xing collapsed to her knees, coughing violently.

“Saving you wasn’t my fault. Treating you well wasn’t my fault,” Ji Lingyue closed her eyes, her voice hoarse: “I won’t blame myself for others’ mistakes anymore. It’s not worth it.”

Ji Xing looked up sharply: “How is it not your fault? If it weren’t for you…”

“Don’t you find it strange?” Ji Lingyue interrupted. “Why are you so relentless? Why do you want me to share your guilt? Why?”

Ji Xing paused, and Ji Lingyue leaned down, staring directly into her eyes. “You want me to live in perpetual guilt, to suffer without relief. In the end, you just want me to become like you—so you won’t be alone in your misery.”

The cat demon’s pupils narrowed to slits. “I’m not pathetic—”

“Say what you will, but I won’t sink into this anymore,” Ji Lingyue said softly. “You said you did those things because you liked me, but the truth is, you did them because you wanted to. I understand that feeling—using love as an excuse to hurt the ones you care about. I used to be like that too. But I realized that truly loving someone means not wanting to hurt them. Otherwise, it’s just mutual torment.”

Tendrils of demonic energy crept up the woman’s pale neck, leaving red marks like burns. Ji Lingyue said coldly, “I will keep moving forward. I will kill you, and then I will forget you. My life will no longer be affected by you. From now on, even my hatred is something you can’t have.”

Ji Xing stared at her, seemingly oblivious to the pain caused by the demonic energy.

“You can stay trapped in the past, alone.”

The sound of footsteps approached, and the silver-haired mermaid appeared behind Ji Lingyue. “Ji Xing.”

Ji Xing’s eyelashes trembled, as if snapping out of a trance. She lowered her head in a panic. Lan Yuan looked at the top of her dark head and asked hesitantly, “Why did you get involved with Lan Zhichuan? What is your relationship with him?”

Ji Xing remained silent. The cold blade of a sword rested against her neck again.

Lan Yuan said, “I told you last time we met that one day, I would take your life.”

The woman unconsciously clenched her fist. “Why?”

“Why? Have you forgotten what you did to Lan Wu?”

“Lan Wu?” Ji Xing sneered. “She’s not dead, is she?”

“When you tried to kill her, you didn’t expect her to survive.”

“Me? Kill her?” Ji Xing slowly tilted her head, her blood-red eyes fixed on Lan Yuan. “I wasn’t the only one who wanted her dead. Lan Yueyao, Lan Zhichuan, and even some of the merfolk—they all wanted her dead! If you care so much about her, why don’t you think about why your dear sister is so despised?!”

Lan Yuan was surprisingly calm. “I know why they hated Lan Wu. Lan Yueyao blamed Lan Wu for our mother’s death, and Lan Zhichuan fears the prophecy that he will die by her hand. But I don’t understand you. ” She lowered her gaze. “You never had any contact with her. You could even say you were complete strangers. Why do you hate her so much?”

As she finished speaking, a layer of tears welled up in the Ji Xing’s red eyes. She curled her lips as if smiling, but it looked more like crying. “Of course you don’t understand. You only care about your weak little sister. Everyone else is irrelevant to you, not worthy of your concern. You don’t understand what I hate, what I crave, because you’ve already forgotten everything. The things you said, the things you did—they’re just fleeting memories to you… Only I, only I…”

“Ah Xing,” Suddenly, a beautiful voice interrupted her spiraling emotions. Ji Xing froze, and after a long moment, looked at her in disbelief.

Lan Yuan frowned, her beautiful blue eyes filled with sadness. “Are you Ah Xing?”