Yan Chiling knelt on the ground, his ten fingers digging deep into his hair, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Those sealed memories surged forth like a flood bursting its banks, each segment like a sharp blade, turning his mind upside down.

The Qiankun Mirror in Su Yu's hand lit up again, reflecting a long-forgotten scene—

Fifteen-year-old Yan Chiling squatted by the stream, carefully catching many fireflies and putting them into a bamboo basket. The afterglow of the setting sun gilded him.

The bamboo basket glowed with a faint light, containing thousands of fireflies twinkling their dim glow.

Fourth Senior Brother, you were looking for me?

In my memory, Bai Ying wore a plain white disciple's robe, with only a simple wooden hairpin in her hair.

She stood by the lake, puzzled, the moonlight casting a silvery glow upon her.

"Close your eyes." The young man, Yan Chiling, smiled mysteriously and gently covered her eyelids with his fingers.

When Bai Ying opened her eyes again, fireflies filled the sky like a cascading galaxy.

Thousands of fireflies shot into the sky like golden meteors. They hovered in the air, gradually converging into a flowing ribbon of light, like a dazzling galaxy falling to earth.

A band of light swept across the lake, creating ripples.

The dreamlike scene was reflected in Bai Ying's pupils. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, like the fluttering of butterfly wings, and her eyes were filled with unbelievable amazement.

"This...this is..." The girl's voice trembled slightly.

"Happy birthday." Yan Chiling's voice trembled slightly. He reached out and brushed Bai Ying's hair, which was illuminated by fireflies. His fingertips touched the fine downy hair behind her ear, and a wave of tenderness washed over him.

"I heard that fireflies gather around the happiest people. Look, they've all come to celebrate your birthday with you."

Bai Ying suddenly grabbed his wrist; her fingertips were icy cold.

She looked up at the sky full of fireflies, a choked laugh escaping her throat: "I used to celebrate my birthday alone in my room, only able to make wishes by candlelight... So this is what real starlight is like." Her voice was filled with surprise and emotion, as if she were the happiest person in the world at that moment.

In reality, Yan Chiling curled up in pain; the memory was too vivid, so vivid that it suffocated him.

He saw how clumsily he caught each firefly, how he squatted in the grass until his legs went numb, all to give his beloved girl a surprise.

"Back then... you specifically asked me to write this down."

Su Yu's voice seemed to come from a great distance, "You really wanted to give Bai Ying your whole heart. She liked weapon crafting, so you searched all over the mountains for materials for her; she wanted to learn formations, so you stayed up all night studying ancient texts..."

"Senior Brother, please stop talking." Yan Chiling staggered backward.

His voice trembled slightly with resistance, as if he were running away from something.

How could this be? It shouldn't be like this!

The image in the Qiankun Mirror suddenly distorted, transforming into countless points of light, like fireflies that withered overnight, falling one after another. The Qiankun Mirror then returned to its original form.

Yan Chiling pressed his temples, cold sweat seeping through his fingers. A piercing buzzing sounded in his mind, as if countless knives were cutting through his memories.

"impossible......"

His voice was hoarse, tinged with despair.

In his current memory, there is only disgust for Bai Ying. The only things he can recall are images of Bai Ying bullying Ruan Xinrou and Ruan Xinrou crying and throwing herself into his arms.

These images are too disjointed from what was just shown in the Qiankun Mirror.

How could he possibly do such a thing!

Before he could finish speaking, a sharp headache struck, and he abruptly knelt on the ground, his forehead slamming heavily against the blue bricks with a dull thud. Blood trickled down his brow bone and into his eyes, staining the world crimson.

Yan Chiling knelt on the ground, his ten fingers digging deep into his hair.

Although he kept saying "impossible," the sealed memories surged forth like a flood, each one like a sharp blade, turning his mind upside down.

When the first memory surfaced, he saw himself, seven years old, hiding behind a pillar, peeking at his master leading a little girl through the mountain gate. The girl was about five or six years old, dressed in a plain white dress, timidly clutching the hem of his master's robe. Sunlight filtered through the clouds, casting a soft glow on her figure.

"This is your junior sister, Bai Ying."

His master's voice echoed in his memory. At that time, Yan Chiling was not yet able to hide his demon race characteristics, and the fox ears on his head twitched slightly with excitement. He saw his younger self peeking out from behind the pillar, meeting the little girl's curious gaze.

"You...you have ears on your head..." the little girl pointed at him timidly.

The image of Xiao Yan Chiling from her memory instantly flushed red, and she instinctively covered her fox ears. But then the girl suddenly smiled: "So cute!"

It was this one smile that brought two lonely hearts closer together.

They were both orphans, and both felt out of place in this vast sect. From that day on, two small figures could always be seen sitting side by side under the peach tree on the back mountain, one swaying his fox ears and telling stories, the other resting his chin on his hand and listening intently.

Fragments of memory flooded in like a tide, each one so clear it was heartbreaking.

When they were ten years old, two small figures sneaked into the herb garden that their senior brother had carefully tended.

Yan Chiling remembered Bai Ying tiptoeing, her small hands gently playing with the shimmering spiritual herbs, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Fourth Senior Brother, this glows!" Her delighted voice seemed to still echo in his ears. When his eldest senior brother's roar came, he instinctively grabbed Bai Ying's wrist, and the two ran in the sunset, their laughter filling the air. Bai Ying's hand was so small and soft that he couldn't bear to let go.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!