Chapter 51 Give Me Your Hand Since that's the case, I'll grant your wish. ...

(51)

Yan Xinbai had never been slapped by anyone in his life, and Chu Li was the first person to have the audacity to insult him like that.

Several veins bulged on his forehead as he slowly looked at Chu Li and slapped her across the face without any politeness.

Chu Li was caught off guard and knocked to the ground, her face covered in a noticeable red mark.

"What right do you have to hit me?"

Yan Xinbai's voice was cold and deep, filled with barely contained anger, clearly he was extremely angry with Chu Li, "You are just like him, a useless daughter of the Yin Heaven. You have not been able to lift the curse for seven years. In the end, you proud sons of heaven are just favored by the Heavenly Dao. If the Heavenly Dao were not biased, you would be no different from trash."

Her face burned with pain, Chu Li's eyes were red-rimmed, her fingers clenched tightly, but her eyes were fixed on him without blinking.

Seeing the furious expression on her face, Yan Xinbai scoffed lightly, "You can resent me all you want, and you can go to Shang Xinglan to seek justice for you. Remember to tell him that I destroyed your immortal bones."

He leaned down and pinched Chu Li's angry and resentful face. "I'm also very curious. With Shang Xinglan's current half-baked cultivation, is he really capable of killing me for you, or perhaps, I'll be the one to kill him?"

Chu Li's expression changed drastically. Hearing the threat in his words, she struggled desperately, shouting, "You traitor, die! Die!"

Yan Xinbai shoved her away forcefully and said coldly, "From now on, don't let me see you again. Next time, I won't consider our past relationship."

Bridges are bridges, roads are roads. Shang Xinglan's life or death is no longer his concern.

Yan Xinbai took out the medicine he had found for Shang Xinglan and burned it to ashes with the demonic mist.

After a pause, as if remembering something, he hesitated for a moment before taking out an ancient book from his robes and tossing it in front of Chu Li.

"I suppose there won't be a next time. Goodbye forever."

The door opened and closed again, and autumn leaves drifted down to the ground, melting into the deep night.

The world was completely silent.

Chu Li wiped her eyes and got up from the ground.

The ashes have been blown away by the wind, and even if a god came, he could not restore the immortal bones.

She not only failed to help, but also ruined Shang Xinglan's immortal bones.

Why do things always turn out the way they want?

Sitting blankly in the chair for who knows how long, the pain on her face had long since subsided. Chu Li looked at the small table in the Linshui Pavilion. When Shang Xinglan was a child, she used this place to apply medicine to him after he was beaten.

He had already worked very hard. In order to ascend to immortality, he needed to cultivate for nine hours a day and could only sleep for three hours a day. He had to get up before dawn and was trapped in this small shop. He didn't even have anyone to talk to. He could only see his parents and younger brother once a year.

No one deserves to ascend to immortality more than him.

There must be something that can be done to remedy the situation, and perhaps there are other ways, as long as she thinks patiently...

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the ancient book that Yan Xinbai had left behind. She frowned and picked it up from the ground.

She remembered that Yan Xinbai had brought this book back when they were at the Cangshan Sect, when he went to help Shang Xinglan find a way to restore her cultivation.

Why did he leave this book behind?

Chu Li turned the pages one by one, puzzled. They were full of obscure and difficult words, but fortunately she recognized all the characters.

Suddenly, the words "Soul Cleansing Spring" flashed before her eyes. Chu Li quickly turned back to that page and tried hard to understand the meaning of the words, barely managing to figure out what was written on it.

Those who enter the Soul-Cleansing Spring to wash away demonic energy will have their cultivation restored within seven days.

She knows that.

There was another line of smaller print at the end. Chu Li frowned as she read it down and murmured, "However, the stronger one's cultivation, the greater the loss of lifespan."

She was stunned.

Below that was another string of words, which described how much lifespan a person at each cultivation level would lose.

Chu Li's heart began to race, her breathing quickened, and she couldn't help but look down. She remembered that Shang Xinglan was in the Tribulation Transcending stage.

Those who are undergoing tribulation have only one month left to live.

Are you kidding me?

Chu Li slumped into the chair in a daze, unwillingly picking up the book again and reading it carefully once more.

How is that possible?

He was already a dying man, so why did God treat him like this?

As dawn broke, the sky remained overcast, as if shrouded in a layer of fog.

Chu Li sat in the Linshui Pavilion all night, flipping through that ancient book, and also the one that Xiao Shang Xinglan had once read.

So-called fate is what is predetermined.

If she were a woman of the Yin Heaven, she might know at this moment how Heaven has arranged things.

Unfortunately, she wasn't. What Yan Xinbai said about her being a chosen one of heaven and a useless person didn't matter to Chu Li, because she was a fake to begin with.

She doesn't believe in fate.

If I believed in fate, I don't know how many hundreds of times I would have died.

After watching all night, Chu Li pushed open the door of Linshui Pavilion and, as usual, walked along the cobblestone path back to the East Courtyard. She climbed onto the soft couch, lay down next to the little boy, and gently hugged him.

After placing a kiss on the cub's forehead, Chu Li seemed to regain some strength and drifted off to sleep.

When she woke up in the afternoon, she heard a commotion outside the door.

Chu Li slowly walked to the door and saw Shang Xinglan teaching the cub swordsmanship.

"Who uses a sword with both hands like that? Do you think it's an axe? Holding it with one hand?"

The little boy retorted defiantly, "You're tall, so of course you can hold a sword with one hand. I'm still small."

Shang Xinglan reached out and rubbed his head hard. Just as she was about to say something, she looked in Chu Li's direction as if she had noticed something. Seeing that she had woken up, she smiled at Chu Li and said, "Ah Chu, your son is not listening to me again."

Hearing his complaint, the little boy quickly turned to look at Chu Li and said anxiously, "Mother, he's being unreasonable. I can't lift this sword anyway, it's very heavy!"

Bamboo leaves drifted down, and the afternoon sun leisurely shone on them, as if adding a soft halo.

Chu Li was lost in thought for a long time, until the little one called her again in confusion. She smiled and said, "Let's rest first. I'm hungry. Come with me to eat."

"Okay," Shang Xinglan scratched the tip of the kid's nose and said with a smile, "For your mother's sake, I will let you go for now. You will continue to practice swordsmanship with me tomorrow. If you dare to hold a sword with both hands, I will beat you."

The little boy made a face at him, then ran quickly to Chu Li's side, took her hand, and said, "You wouldn't dare hit me, Mommy will beat me up for me!"

Shang Xinglan walked over to them and muttered under her breath, "See, it's all your fault for spoiling him. He's not afraid of me at all anymore."

Chu Li took his hand and said softly, "Why are you afraid of me? Yin Yin isn't afraid of me, and she doesn't listen to me very much."

Shang Xinglan choked, unable to think of a rebuttal to Chu Li. In terms of teaching the little one, he was indeed not as good as her.

“Ah Chu is right,” he said meaningfully, “wake up so late today, what were you doing last night?”

Chu Li's expression froze slightly, and she said in a low voice, "You knew all along?"

"Of course, I can tell if a living person runs away right under my nose," Shang Xinglan said with a light laugh. "What, you searched all night at Linshui Pavilion and still couldn't find them?"

Chu Li's breathing trembled slightly, and she nodded.

"If you can't find it, then forget it. You have to believe in me." Shang Xinglan spoke gently, patiently comforting her. "Your husband was able to reach the Tribulation Transcending stage once before, so he can reach it a second time."

Chu Li opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but after a long while, she said nothing and just nodded silently again.

Shang Xinglan noticed that she wasn't in a good mood and asked with some concern, "What's wrong?"

"fine."

Shang Xinglan stared at her suspiciously, then patted her head. "If anything happens, be sure to tell me. How about I treat you to Fengyi Tower today?"

Chu Li looked away from his face, shook her head and said, "I don't want to go to Fengyi Tower. I want to eat your cooking."

Hearing this, Shang Xinglan relaxed a bit and smiled, "Okay, I'll make whatever you want to eat."

Soon, the steaming hot food was served. Chu Li ate without tasting it, only smiling occasionally when Shang Xinglan glanced at him.

After finishing his meal, Shang Xinglan went back to his cultivation. He had been working increasingly hard lately, spending most of his time in the bamboo forest.

Chu Li sat not far from him, watching him quietly, until the setting sun, hidden behind the treetops, shone on his shoulder.

She whispered to herself, "Just one more day, just one more day."

Seven days passed, and Chu Li knew it was time; she couldn't delay any longer.

She called out to Shang Xinglan, who was on his way to cultivate in the bamboo forest, and led him to the desk.

Give me your hand.

Chu Li spoke softly, as if she were talking about something extremely ordinary.

Shang Xinglan looked at her with a smile and obediently offered her her hand. "What do you want? Do you have a gift for me?"

Chu Li held his hand, feeling the warmth emanating from his palm.

She lowered her eyelashes, took out a piece of paper, and placed it on the table.

Shang Xinglan's smile faltered slightly as she looked at the paper, puzzled. Before she could even read the words on it, her fingertips suddenly stung.

Chu Li grabbed his finger and pressed it onto the paper without hesitation.

Now, Shang Xinglan finally saw clearly that it was a divorce agreement.

He abruptly turned his head to look at Chu Li, seemingly not quite understanding what was going on. "What do you mean?"

"You should be able to understand the divorce agreement." Chu Li's voice was very soft, and she had already pressed her fingerprint on it.

Shang Xinglan's face grew increasingly grim, her eyes filled with disbelief and a hint of anger. "What do you mean?"

Chu Li avoided his burning gaze and said in an even lower voice, "Your immortal bones were destroyed. Yan Xinbai burned them and left me a book that said you would die in a month. Of course, now there are probably only half a month left."

Upon hearing her words, Shang Xinglan's forehead throbbed. She grabbed her wrist and pulled her close. "Yan Xinbai? What did he tell you?"

“It doesn’t matter.” Chu Li finally looked up at him, cupped his face, and said in a gentle, persuasive manner, “I’ve thought of a better way. It doesn’t matter if the immortal bones are destroyed. Go find Chu Shuyi; she can help you ascend.”

Shang Xinglan shook off her hand, clearly on the verge of exploding in rage. He tore the divorce papers to shreds and slammed another piece of paper onto the table.

He dipped his brush in ink, picked up the pen, and wrote the new Heavenly Marriage Contract word by word.

Chu Li looked at him silently for a long time, then gently placed her hand on his wrist and calmly said, "This is the best way. I'm doing this just to let you survive first. As long as you survive, everything will be resolved..."

"You've never asked me if I wanted to!"

Shang Xinglan interrupted her loudly, shaking off her hand again, staring intently into Chu Li's eyes, and said hatefully.

"They didn't ask me if I wanted to die before they pushed me off the cliff, and they haven't asked me if I want to live now!"

"You have never trusted me. You spoke so confidently, but it was all just your own self-righteousness!"

Chu Li was stunned by his scolding and stared at him blankly.

"How could you do this to me? What right do you have to treat me like this?"

Shang Xinglan turned her head, the tip of her pen outlining ink marks on the paper, each character trembling violently, its force penetrating the paper.

After writing the last word, he grabbed Chu Li's hand, about to press it down, when he saw Chu Li pick up the knife and chop it down hard on her own wrist.

He instinctively raised his hand and gripped the knife, staring at Chu Li in astonishment.

She acted without the slightest hesitation or fear; no one in the world could be more ruthless than her.

"You're determined to sever all ties with me, aren't you?" His voice trembled as he snatched the knife and threw it far away.

Chu Li looked at his reddened eyes with pity and said softly, "After you ascend, perhaps you can come back to see me and Yinyin again..."

Shang Xinglan chuckled coldly, pinching her face and forcing her closer to him. "No, I will never see you again, not even on the road to the underworld!"

Chu Li reluctantly grasped his hand; she didn't understand.

Hasn't she become kinder and more selfless? Why is Shang Xinglan even more tormented?

Survival is more important than anything else. Love, hate, and grudges can only exist if you survive—this was the last sentence that remained in her mind as she sat alone in the Linshui Pavilion all night.

As if remembering something, Chu Li took out a small stone from inside her clothes and placed it on the table.

“This is a towering stone. I looked up its effects last night. It can not only store memories, but also take away some memories,” she whispered. “If you don’t want to remember the past, you can forget it.”

Hearing her words, Shang Xinglan laughed in anger. He took a deep breath and released her. "I remember telling you that you are not allowed to mention the word 'divorce' again, otherwise I will never forgive you."

Chu Li lowered her eyes, her fingers, hidden inside her sleeve, digging into her palms.

Shang Xinglan stared at her intently for a long time, but still couldn't get a response.

He suddenly chuckled, took the towering stone from Chu Li's palm, and said in a cold voice,

"In that case, I will grant your wish."