Xie Shuci could do what he told Xie An: regardless of whether Xie An lives or dies, since the Bixie could revive him using the Reincarnation Book. All he needs to do is find a way to prevent Xie An from going astray and then help him regain his memories.

But who can guarantee that Bixie will definitely be able to refine the Book of Reincarnation?

How long does it take to refine the Book of Reincarnation?

Decades? Centuries? Millennia? Bixie spent a full seven thousand years and still failed to refine the Reincarnation Book to revive Luo Jingyu. Does Xie Shuci have to wait another seven thousand years?

He couldn't wait any longer; he wouldn't let Xie An just disappear like that.

Anyway, Xie An has already forgotten him. It's fine if he dies during the Immortal Sect Selection. After death and reincarnation, no one will remember anyone else. At least they can live separately, in different places. Because they won't remember, there will be no sadness, grief, or longing. Isn't that good enough?

"Yes, isn't this great?" Xie Shuci sighed and looked up at the sky.

The winter sun shone brightly, yet it offered no warmth whatsoever. Xie Shuci took a breath, and a chill filled his lungs through his nostrils, making his limbs stiff.

Standing on the bustling street, Xie Shuci's legs felt frozen, and he stood there motionless.

Vibrant flowers covered the cracks in the bluestone path, grew up the walls of the houses, twined around the ancient pillars, and climbed to the roof. Butterflies fluttered in groups, creating a thriving scene.

The early bird catches the worm.

Some people hurried through the crowd, while others strolled leisurely through the woods. Some chatted and laughed, while others joked and played around. Occasionally, there were also sounds of arguments.

The air around Xie Shuci was filled with the scent of fireworks, as if time had stood still for Xie Shuci alone.

He stared blankly ahead, suddenly feeling that the world was still unfamiliar to him. He felt no sense of belonging and was out of place in this world.

If he dies, will he return to his original world?

If only I could go back to my original world...

His mind was sometimes blank, sometimes chaotic. When he gripped the slightly warm bead in his hand, Xie Shuci felt a tremendous pain in his chest.

It seems that it was only during the process of walking from Xie An's side to here that Xie Shuci truly realized that Xie An had forgotten him and sealed away all memories related to Xie Shuci.

He returned to the Guanhua Tower in a daze, and could hear the King's anxious cries from afar.

Xie Shuci seemed to be awakened by its voice, and he raised his head in a daze to look ahead.

Little Fairy Orchid held the King anxiously. The King cried and fussed in her arms, his voice particularly pitiful. Even though Xie Shuci hadn't shed a single tear while watching Xie An seal his memories and return here, Xie Shuci's eyes stung when she heard the King's cries. She lowered her head as if to hide her emotions, put the memory bead back into the box and placed it back into her small pouch.

Two lions at the entrance tried to appease the king, but he wouldn't listen at all, and his cries attracted the attention of many passersby.

Little Fairy Orchid looked at it helplessly, her eyes gradually reddening.

“Brother Xiao Ci…” Xiao Xianlan looked up and saw Xie Shuci, her eyes reddening even more.

With a loud "Aww," the king crawled out of Xiao Xianlan's arms, his face streaked with tears, and ran towards Xie Shuci.

Xie Shuci squatted down, caught it, rubbed its head, and picked it up from the ground, his voice hoarse, "What's wrong?"

Xiao Xianlan quickly stepped forward, looked at the tearful King with heartache, and explained, "Brother Xiao Ci, I don't know what happened. The King suddenly ran out of the room, crying very hard, and wanted to go find you by himself. I was afraid something might happen to him, so I held him and waited for you at the door."

"Awoooooo! Awoooooo!"

The king cried until his voice was hoarse, his two paws gripping Xie Shuci's clothes, his eyes filled with tears.

Xie Shuci raised his head, gritted his teeth, suppressed the bitterness in his heart, nodded to Xiao Xianlan, and said, "I...I'll take the King back to his room first."

"Brother Xiaoci..."

"It's fine, it was probably having a nightmare." Xie Shu said goodbye, his vision already a little blurry.

Xiao Xianlan pursed her lips, probably noticing that Xie Shuci's condition was not quite right, and didn't ask any further questions. "Okay."

Xie Shuci took the king back to his room. As soon as the door closed, the king immediately transformed into the appearance of a four or five-year-old child, wailing and crying, "Father! Mother... Mother is dead!"

Xie Shuci quickly set up a barrier around the room to prevent others from hearing the noise.

Xie Shuci put him on the ground, bent down to wipe away the tears on his face. His eyes were red and his voice was choked with emotion as he said, "He didn't die, but his soul returned to his body."

"Where is Mother? Why didn't Mother come back with Father? Where is Mother?"

Xie Shuci gently touched the corner of his eye with her fingertips, seemingly on the verge of tears welling up. She gritted her teeth and said, "He... he has other things to do and won't be coming back for the time being."

"No... I want my mother... I want to be with my mother... I don't want my mother to die..."

Xie Shuci lowered her head, pulled him into her arms, and rested her chin on his small shoulder. "Don't cry, okay?"

"Father..."

The intense sorrow emanating from Xie Shuci gradually silenced the king's wailing.

His lips trembled, his eyes were blurry with tears, and he gently patted Xie Shuci's back with his small hands, choking out, "Father... Father, don't be sad... Your Majesty, don't cry, Your Majesty, don't cry... Father, don't be sad..."

Xie Shuci held back her tears with all her might.

"I'm not sad, please don't cry anymore, okay? Where do you want to go? Is there anything else you want? I'll go with you, okay?"

The king frowned, choked up and hiccuped, and Xie Shuci patted him to help him catch his breath.

After comforting the king in the room for a long time, Xie Shuci washed his face. Thinking that no one in Tianzhu City knew them anyway, he simply took the king in human form out the door.

After Xie An wakes up, he will likely leave Tianzhu City immediately. Now that his injuries have healed, few in the cultivation world can rival him, and his speed will certainly be much faster than Xie Shuci's. Xie Shuci has decided to leave Tianzhu City tomorrow.

Head to Sangqi.

However, he has no intention of pursuing a business career.

Even if he were to die, it would only be during the Immortal Sect Selection. Without the Great King and Xiao Xun by his side, Xie Shuci wouldn't be afraid of anything. Besides, no one knows what he looks like.

But Your Majesty...

Perhaps it was because of Xing Tie's death that the king is now very sensitive to matters of life and death. Xie Shuci took his hand and, together with Xiao Xianlan, bought him many trinkets in the city.

The first time he went out in human form, perhaps because of his different perspective, he found everything around him very novel and gradually forgot about Xie An.

Xiao Xianlan spent half a day with them, and finally, seeing that the two of them were in much better spirits, she asked, "Brother Xiao Ci, where is Brother Xiao Xun?"

Although Xiao Xie An was younger than her, she still habitually liked to call him "brother".

Xie Shuci lowered his eyelids slightly, but his expression remained unchanged. He said, "He has some things to attend to and needs to leave for a while."

Before Xiao Xianlan could ask any more questions, Xie Shuci asked, "Where's that madman from before? I haven't seen him in the two days since he arrived."

Xiao Xianlan's expression darkened, and she lowered her head, saying, "He disappeared after Sister Changxuan passed through Tianzhu City. I don't know if he went with Sister Changxuan or if he encountered some accident."

The king was squatting in front of a roadside stall, catching fish with great enthusiasm. Suddenly, his nostrils twitched, as if he had smelled something, and he abruptly stood up from the ground.

"What's wrong?" Xie Shuci asked, frowning.

The king reached out his hands to Xie Shuci, wanting a hug, his eyes darting around as if searching for something.

Xie Shuci was a little confused, but still picked him up from the ground.

The king hugged his shoulders, his eyes slightly red, looking around nervously without saying what he was looking at. Xie Shuci had no choice but to look with him.

When he saw a white figure flash across the rooftop, he suddenly patted Xie Shuci's shoulder twice and wriggled in his arms, almost causing Xie Shuci to drop his arms.

"how……"

"Mother!!"

Xie Shuci was startled, his body stiffened, and his eyes involuntarily followed the king's gaze upwards.

The figure that had been sweeping across the rooftop paused for a moment. Hearing the king's voice and realizing that the king was calling for him, he gradually stopped and turned his head slightly to look in Xie Shuci's direction.

Their eyes met in mid-air, and Xie Shuci seemed to be taken out of his breath, standing there dumbfounded, without making a move.

That look, though all too familiar, froze Xie Shuci's breath because of the icy killing intent in his eyes.

“Thank you…” Xiao Xianlan exclaimed.

However, before she could finish speaking, Xie Shuci interrupted her in a deep voice: "Little Fairy Orchid!"

Xiao Xianlan paused, then looked at Xie Shuci with a puzzled expression.

The king froze when he saw the man's gaze.

Because of his innate fear of the path of killing, the Great King involuntarily shrank closer to Xie Shuci, tightly hugging Xie Shuci's neck with both hands, and looking at the person on the roof with teary eyes.

That face, that look in his eyes, it was exactly the same as when we first met.

But unlike before, Xie Shuci didn't feel afraid when faced with such a gaze; he only felt suffocated as if he were drowning.

Xie Shuci dared not look any longer; he could no longer bear the unfamiliarity in those eyes.

He turned around, holding the king, his voice dry and trembling, "He is not my mother."

The man on the roof glanced casually at Xie Shuci's back. Perhaps knowing that this was ordinary people's territory, he did not make a move directly. Instead, he quickly looked away and disappeared from the rooftop.

"Father..." the king cried out, his eyes red.

"Brother Xiao Ci..." Xiao Xianlan frowned, looking at Xie Shuci as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Xie Shuci's expression was very calm, as if his heart remained undisturbed even when facing such a stranger as Xie An.

"We'll talk about it when we get back," Xie Shuci said.

The king's throat tightened, "Father..."

Xie Shuci smiled and said, "Is there anything else you want? Father will buy it for you."

The king pursed his lips and shook his head at Xie Shuci.

Xie Shuci nodded casually and said, "Okay, let's go back then."

"……Um."

Carrying the large and small bags of things they had bought for the king, the three returned to the Guanhua Tower.

Xie Shuci let the king play with the two lion beasts at the door for a while, then took Xiao Xianlan inside and called Xiao Lian and Luo Xianyu to Xiao Lian's room.

Xie Shuci looked at them in silence for a long time, and they looked at Xie Shuci in return, without urging him to hurry.

"I'd like to ask you for a favor," Xie Shuci said.

Xiao Lian frowned and asked, "What is it?"

Luo Xianyu said, "Young Master Xie, please speak frankly. I will do my utmost."

Xie Shuci's expression was not good. He smiled at the three of them and said, "I want to leave for a while. I don't plan to take the King with me."

Xiao Lian pondered for a moment and said, "Are you going to the Immortal Sect Selection?"

Xie Shuci nodded and said, "Yes, the Siming Pavilion and the Hundred Gates want to arrest me and Xie An, but not Your Majesty. So I would like to leave Your Majesty here and ask you to take care of him for a while."

Xie Shuci paused for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Perhaps it's not a period of time, but rather... until it grows up, or until it meets its family, I'll have to trouble you to take care of it."

Xiao Lian and the other two were startled. "Young Master Xie, what's going on...?"

"To be honest, I'm afraid my trip to the Immortal Sect Selection is fraught with peril. So..."

Xiao Lian frowned and said, "You knew that going to the Immortal Sect Selection was a death sentence, so why did you still go?"

“If I don’t go, Xie An might be the one to die. As you all know, he cultivates the path of slaughter. If I die, I can be reincarnated, but if he dies, he will have nothing left. Therefore, I have to go.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xianlan's eyes instantly reddened. "Brother Xiao Ci, is there no other way? What if the King... what if it knew..."

Xie Shuci gave a bitter smile and said, "If there were any other way, I wouldn't want to go either, but there's no other way; it's all destined. As for the Great King, don't tell it the truth yet. Let it stay here for now. With you here and those two lion beasts, it will be very happy. It's still very playful at its age, so maybe it won't be so sad when it finds out. It's not troublesome either; it knows how to go and freeload when it's hungry. It's just like me—a little timid. It won't cause you any trouble."

"Brother Xiaoci!"

Luo Xianyu asked with a complicated expression, "Young Master Xie, have you thought it through?"

Xie Shuci's Adam's apple bobbed, and he lowered his head. "Mm."

Xie Shuci's eyes welled up with tears, and he said, "I have no other choice. I can't let it go to its death with me."

He took out a token from his small pouch, placed it in front of Xiao Lian, and said, "This is the token of the owner of the Laiqulou in Jiyue City. They receive a share of the profits every year. This is what I left for Your Majesty."

Xiao Lian looked at him and sighed, her eyes even welling up with tears.

Hongyi said, "You guys! You too, Ye Changxuan too, is it worth it for the sake of 'love'?"

Xie Shuci chuckled, "I'm the person involved. You ask me if it's worth it? Of course I think it is."

Perhaps not wanting the atmosphere to be too heavy, Xie Shuci joked, "Seriously, if I die and am reincarnated, should we set up a code? Something like 'odd changes, even remains the same', so you can recognize me? What if I'm extremely poor in my next life, can you help me out?"

Xiao Lian rolled her eyes and cursed, "May you die poor!"

Xie Shuci shrugged. "Anyway, that's all for now. I'm leaving tomorrow."

With red eyes, Xiao Xianlan asked, "Brother Xiao Ci, what do you plan to say to the King?"

Xie Shuci paused for a moment and then said, "I haven't decided yet."

After parting ways with Xiao Xianlan and the other two, Xie Shuci left the room in a daze.

Yes, how should he tell the king?

Xie Shuci walked to the door and called out to the king. Several people who recognized Xie Shuci jokingly asked him when he had such a big son, but they did not doubt the king's identity.

The king huffed and puffed as he ran up to Xie Shuci. His fair and tender face still had bits of candied hawthorn on it. Xie Shuci glanced at Xiao Jin's face and saw that the candied hawthorn had even gotten onto his beard.

Xie Shuci reached out and rubbed the king's head, saying, "Go back to your room, I have something to tell you."

"Aww!"

Xie Shuci led the king back to his room.

Returning to the familiar room, surrounded by familiar furnishings, but the familiar figure was nowhere to be seen.

In this room, Xie Shuci felt excruciating pain with every breath he took.

It seemed that after a day of buffering, Xie Shuci finally had the courage to look at the empty bed.

A peach blossom lay quietly on the bed, and even after several months, upon returning to Tianzhu City, the petals still shone as if they had just been picked.

Xie Shuci's eyes were dry, so he looked away and pulled the king to sit down at the table.

"Father, what do you want to tell me? And Mother..." The king's clear voice weakened, his expression turning somber, "Mother...does she...aren't we going to live with her anymore?"

Xie Shuci's heart skipped a beat, as if he had been pricked hard by a needle, "He..."

The king is a very sensible and good child. He has never made things difficult for Xie Shuci. Therefore, Xie Shuci actually knows how to make him stay.

Xie Shuci pulled the king onto her lap, rubbed his little face, and asked, "Do you miss your mother?"

The king looked at Xie Shuci with concern, afraid that his answer would displease his father. After a long while, he nodded and said, "Although both my stepmother and stepmother are very fierce, I miss my mother so much. Father, do you miss my mother too?"

Xie Shuci nodded. "Yes, I miss him too."

The king was overjoyed, "Then shall we go and find Mother and bring her back?"

"good."

"Then we..."

"Your Majesty," Xie Shuci interrupted it, speaking gently, "I'll help you find your mother. Why don't you stay here?"

"Father..."

The king stared at him blankly, his two large, grape-like eyes blinked rapidly, and two strings of tears rolled down his cheeks like beads.

"Your Majesty, as you know, many people are trying to capture us. I can't protect you, and if I take you with me... I won't be able to properly search for Xie An either. Why don't you stay here with Sister Xianlan and the others and wait for us to return?"

The king pouted, looking at Xie Shuci with teary eyes. His small shoulders twitched a couple of times, as if he wanted to hold back his tears, but he couldn't help it at all.

Tears streamed down his face as if they were free.

"Father, don't you want the King anymore either?"

The king's words were like a spear piercing Xie Shuci's heart, tearing it to shreds.

Xie Shuci gritted her teeth, her throat tightening, "No... how could I abandon you? I just... I just want to find your mother for you, but... I can't take you with me, it's too dangerous. Be good, wait for us to come back, okay?"

The king's eyes were filled with tears, his lips were pursed, and his eyes were full of grievance and sadness, but he did not make a sound. He just looked at Xie Shuci with those eyes.

Xie Shuci felt as if he had been ripped apart alive. His lips and teeth trembled uncontrollably, and a tear slid down from his right eye, down his pale, snow-white cheek, and down his thin chin.

The king reached out his little hand and patted Xie Shuci's cheek, saying in a childish voice, "Daddy... don't cry..."

"Your Majesty..."

"Father, don't be sad. The King is here waiting for you... waiting patiently for your return... Can you come back soon? The King will miss you... will miss you so much..."

Xie Shuci's tense nerves suddenly snapped. He hugged the king tightly, buried his face in his body, and almost burst into tears.

The king, like a little adult, gently patted Xie Shuci's back, saying, "Don't cry, Daddy, don't cry."

All night long, Xie Shuci didn't want to cry, but tears fell silently and uncontrollably.

He thought he was mentally prepared, but when he lay on the bed he had shared with Xiao Xun, remembering that the other person had forgotten him, tears silently streamed down his face.

Later, the king cried himself to sleep, and Xie Shuci stared at the bed curtains above his head, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.

The next day, at Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

Xiao Xianlan and her companions went to the city gate to see Xie Shuci off.

The king transformed into a puppy and was held in Xiao Xianlan's arms. He stared at Xie Shuci with teary eyes, but stopped crying.

Xie Shuci stopped, leading the crane, and turned to look at the group of people with solemn expressions.

"Brother Xiao Ci..." Xiao Xianlan was still young and couldn't help but lower her head immediately.

"Awooooo!"

Father, come back soon! The King is waiting for you!

Xie Shuci took a breath, the air he inhaled felt like thorns, pricking him painfully. "I entrust the King to you."

Luo Xianyu, her face veiled in white, bowed to Xie Shuci and said, "Young Master Xie, please rest assured, take care on your journey."

Xiao Lian glared at him irritably, then added, "If you encounter any danger, you can go to Ye Changxuan. Although that woman is a bit dim-witted, she is a grateful person and will definitely help you."

Xie Shuci's current status is special, and getting involved with any immortal sect or family would cause a lot of trouble. Of course, he couldn't possibly drag Sister Ye down with him, but he didn't want them to worry too much, so he said, "I understand."

Xiao Lian waved her hand, "Let's go, let's go. Here's the map, don't get lost."

Xie Shuci chuckled, "I won't get lost."

Luo Xianyu asked, "Young Master Xie, have you brought everything?"

Xiao Xianlan seemed to remember something, looked up at Xie Shuci's waist, and said, "Brother Xiaoci, I wanted to ask you yesterday, where's the bell you always wear? What happened..."

It turned into a peach blossom?

Xie Shuci paused for a moment, then said, "I'll put the bell away for now. I don't have anything else to take, so I'll be going now."

Luo Xianyu nodded, "Thank you, young master. Please take care."

"Take care of yourself."

"Awooo!"

The king nestled in Xiaoxianlan's arms and whimpered twice, looking at Xie Shuci with eyes full of reluctance.

Xie Shuci stepped forward and rubbed its head. "I'm leaving now. Be a good girl and listen to your sisters. Don't be naughty, don't make them angry, and most importantly, don't cause trouble, understand?"

"Aww..."

They found out.

Xie Shuci pinched its cheek again. "Then I'm leaving."

"Aww...woowoo."

"Alright, alright, you're a man, stop crying. I really have to go."

"Aww..."

Xie Shuci took a breath, rubbed its head one last time, turned around and mounted his horse, saying, "Farewell."

The crane carried Xie Shuci slowly forward. He didn't dare to look back, afraid that he wouldn't be able to hold back his emotions.

In his original world, Xie Shuci rarely contacted his parents, and he failed to understand the meaning of "separation".

But when he actually had to face it, he felt a throbbing, aching pain in his heart, worse than drowning. The air around him seemed thin and sharp, piercing his nostrils, making him feel...

Even breathing feels excruciatingly painful.

The biting wind blew against his face. Xie Shuci lowered his head, pulled the hood over his head, and squeezed the horse's belly with his legs. The crane sensed this, and the horse's hooves pounded the ground as it galloped forward.

"Ooh!"

Little Fairy Orchid hugged the King tightly, unable to hold back her tears.

At the end of November, there were 21 days left until the Immortal Sect Election.

The various immortal sects and aristocratic families from different continents, along with their most elite disciples, were fully prepared and approached Sangqi City with great momentum.

This year's Immortal Sect Election is different from every previous one.

The immortal sects and families from all over the Nine Provinces and even the Floating Pagoda Realm will gather in Sangqi City.

Undoubtedly, this will be an unprecedented and grand election for immortal sects, and it is destined to cause bloodshed and chaos.

This grand election of immortal sects is even more spectacular than the "Hundred Sect Leaders" competition that Luo Jingyu held years ago.

People are both wary and secretly hopeful.