Chapter 42: Desperate Choice, Planning for Faking Death

The word "good" was like an invisible hammer, slamming down on the top of Shen Ye's head. The moment the words left his mouth, he felt his soul being pulled out of his body, leaving only a cold and numb shell suspended in this lightless underground palace.

He can't do it.

How could he possibly do that?!

Kill her? Kill Su Qinghan?

The mere outline of this thought in his mind was enough to wrench him to pieces. The dagger named "Momenta" had once blazed with brilliance to protect her; his hands, accustomed to darkness and blood, had once clumsily brewed medicine to heal her wounds; his heart, frozen for over twenty years by the "Lightless Heart Sutra," had learned to beat again because of her.

Let him use this heart, these hands, and this sword to end the person who gave them new meaning?

This is more cruel than letting him commit suicide ten thousand times.

The immense pain and extreme irony were like a boundless net that tightly wrapped around him and tightened madly, almost crushing his sanity and bones.

The malice of fate was fully displayed at this moment.

In order to become the ace of Tianji Pavilion, the first "pledge of allegiance" he took was to kill her father.

In order to escape from Tianji Pavilion and gain the freedom to love her, his last "mission" was to kill her.

His entire career as an assassin ended in such an absurd and vicious cycle with the blood and lives of her family.

It turns out that the light he longed for had always been built on her endless darkness.

Every bit of the warmth he stole was stained with her father's cold blood.

Chen Ye's body trembled slightly, a shudder that came from the depths of his soul. He felt like a puppet being pulled by fate's strings. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't escape those preordained strings. All his struggles, all his hopes, now seemed like a colossal joke.

what to do?

What should I do?!

His brain, that intricate machine that had calculated the optimal solution for him countless times in life-or-death moments, was now nearly broken by the raging torrent of emotions. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, and he rejected them one by one.

Take her on the run? The Tianji Pavilion's influence spans the entire world. That would only lead to her living a precarious life with him, and ultimately, she would perish in a hunt.

Confess everything to her? Tell her he was her father's murderer, and then beg for forgiveness? No. He knew Su Qinghan better than anyone. Avenging her father was the only belief that had kept her alive until today. If that belief were to crumble in such a devastating way, she would be completely devastated. He couldn't imagine the despair and pain she would feel knowing the man she loved was the source of their deepest hatred. That kind of hurt would be even more cruel than killing her.

Desperate situation.

This is a truly hopeless situation with no way out.

Time seemed to stand still. The candlelight in the underground temple burned silently, casting his lonely figure on the cold ground, elongated and distorted, like a sinner struggling in an endless hell.

He slowly closed his eyes, shutting out the outside world. That beautiful, peerless face emerged in his dark vision. There was the cold, veiled air of their first encounter, the faint smile they couldn't help but smile in the courtyard, the vulnerability of helplessly calling "Dad" during a high fever, and the anticipation of a future promised at their departure...

These images were once his only warmth against the cold world, but now they have become the ironclad evidence of his sins.

No.

It can't end like this.

If all roads lead to destruction, then he will carve a path for her before she is completely destroyed, even if that path has to be paved with his own flesh and blood.

In the endless darkness and pain, Chen Ye's heart, which had almost stopped beating, was forcibly driven by a stronger and resolute will that came from love.

suspended animation.

The plan he had originally designed for himself in exchange for the identity of "Ordinary Man Shen Ye" was now like a faint but extremely firm light, piercing through the fog of despair that enveloped him.

This plan must be implemented.

But its goal has changed fundamentally.

No longer for his own freedom.

It's no longer about a future of living together with him.

But for her.

For Su Qinghan.

The death of "candle shadow" is exchanged for the rebirth of "deep night".

No, that's not right.

It is to exchange the death of "Zhuying" for Su Qinghan's "safety".

The death of "Zhuying" was to completely sever all ties between her and Tianji Pavilion and Prince Ning, and to completely remove her from this huge conspiracy vortex!

A crazy yet clear plan quickly took shape in his top assassin's brain. Every detail, every variable, was being frantically calculated and deduced by him.

First, he had to accept this mission. This was the first and most crucial step in the plan. He had to deceive the Pavilion Master, convince him that he, "Zhuying," was still the sharpest and most obedient sword, but was simply undergoing an emotional "tempering."

Second, the assassination must happen. He must appear before Su Qinghan as "Zhu Ying".

Third, "Zhu Ying" must die. Furthermore, her death must be justified. Ideally, she should die at the hands of the Six Gates, before Su Qinghan. This way, from the Pavilion Master's perspective, the mission would be considered a failure, but the out-of-control sword of "Zhu Ying" would also be broken. The Tianji Pavilion had paid a price, a price sufficient to answer to Prince Ning. Furthermore, Su Qinghan's position within the Six Gates would be further solidified as the hero who "counter-killed" the Tianji Pavilion's chief assassin. Prince Ning would have to consider the Six Gates' wrath if he attempted to move against her again.

In this way, Su Qinghan's safety is maximally guaranteed.

And he, Shen Ye, will completely disappear with the death of "Zhu Ying". He can no longer look for her, can no longer disturb her life. He will use his "death" to repay the blood debt and fulfill her belief in revenge.

She would hate Zhuying, but she would also miss Chen Ye, who clumsily cooked for her in the courtyard. She would suffer, but the faith that kept her going would not collapse. She would carry on living well and safely, carrying with her nostalgia for Chen Ye and her hatred for Zhuying.

This is the last protection he can give her.

A protection forged with life and eternal separation.

When this plan was completely finalized in his mind, Chen Ye felt that the pain that almost tore him apart was replaced by a more grand and tragic calmness.

He no longer lives for himself.

From this moment on, the only meaning of his existence was to complete this final performance dedicated to her.

He slowly opened his eyes. The bloodshot and surging waves had completely faded, transforming back into a bottomless ancient well. The assassin's coldness and deathly silence enveloped him once again.

He recited the Lightless Heart Sutra, forcibly suppressing and freezing all the surging emotions. He straightened his spine, which was slightly bent due to pain, and every joint made a subtle sound, as if he was recalibrating a precision killing machine.

He raised his head and looked at the screen calmly.

"Subordinate, I obey your orders."

His voice was without a trace of emotion, as steady as a pool of stagnant water. It was as if the conflict between his psyche and his mind, the mental storm that could have destroyed anyone, had never occurred.

He folded the thin file carefully, yet with unwavering naturalness, and placed it in his arms. His movements were identical to those he had used hundreds of times before: practiced, calm, and professional.

He must deceive the Pavilion Master before this plan can be implemented.

Behind the screen, the Pavilion Master's voice, which was difficult to distinguish between male and female, finally contained a hint of a satisfied smile.

"Very good. This is my most perfect work. Remember, emotions are like rust on a sword's blade; they only dull it. Go, use the blood of this little girl from the Six Gates to wash away those things in you that shouldn't be there, and then come back. By then, you will be sharper and more perfect than before."

"yes."

Shen Ye responded again, no emotion in his voice.

He turned around, without any hesitation or lingering thoughts, and walked towards the exit of the underground hall.

His steps were steady and powerful, each one as precise as if measured with a ruler. His silhouette, illuminated by the candlelight, stood tall and isolated, imbued with the coolness and confidence of a chief assassin.

He was like a peerless weapon drawn from its sheath, about to carry out an ordinary killing.

Watching Chen Ye's departing figure disappear at the end of the dark corridor, the corner of the Pavilion Master's mouth behind the screen slowly curled up into a cold smile with the pleasure of controlling everything.

He thought it was a successful "knock".

He thought this was a necessary "polishing".

He thought that he had successfully erased the emotional flaws in his "work" with a most cruel task, turning him back into the heartless and ruthless killing tool.

Little did he know that he was not restoring his own work.

He was forcing this work towards the most heroic self-destruction.

He personally pushed his sharpest sword towards irreversible shattering. And the last ray of light that bloomed before the shattering would completely overturn all his cognition and control.