Chapter 167 Goodbye
"Xiaozhi!" Rong Xie stepped forward.
When Xiaozhi turned her head and saw Rong Xie, a look of joy appeared on her face, but it was quickly replaced by a faint sadness.
A sense of impending separation welled up in Rong Xie's heart. He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
"The person has been found." Lu Yingqi's emotionless voice came from the side, interrupting the silent exchange of glances between Xiaozhi and Rong Xie.
Xiaozhi nodded and replied emotionlessly, "Thank you."
Lu Yingqi: "..."
“Young Master Rong, you have done so much for me, and I have never had a chance to thank you,” Xiaozhi said, looking at Rong Xie with a warm gaze. “Thank you for letting me know that someone like me can also be cherished.”
Rong Xie felt a pang of sadness: "What are you saying? Of course you deserve to be cherished. When I didn't know what to do, you listened to me carefully and promised to help me find Lu Yingqi. Everyone should cherish someone as good as you!"
Xiao Zhi's pure white soul was enveloped in red light. Upon hearing Rong Xie's words, he seemed to blush, and the blush on his cheeks intensified. He lowered his gaze and whispered, "Actually, I didn't help much... and I also had my own selfish motives..."
“I know. Your selfish motive is nothing more than Lu Yingqi.” Rong Xie sighed. “Everyone has selfish motives, especially someone like you… a selfish motive that doesn’t even count as a selfish motive. Speaking of which, I also have selfish motives. I only said those things to you to gain your sympathy.”
In order to get in touch with Lu Yingqi, Rong Xie told Xiao Zhi a sentimental story about his past to evoke her empathy. He did this in order to change his fate of being proven immortal, and it was not a selfless motive.
“Yes, I see,” Xiaozhi chuckled. “Sword Saint Shen is actually quite good.”
"Hmm?" This time it was Shen Bingsi's turn to be puzzled. How come he was involved in this?
“Hehehe…” Rong Xie avoided meeting Shen Bingsi’s gaze, “That was only changed later.”
"..." Shen Bingsi was certain that Rong Xie had complained about him to Xiaozhi at the beginning, which explained why Xiaozhi always looked like she had seen a ghost when she saw him.
“And…” Xiaozhi frowned slightly, “I misunderstood you about the matter of proving the Dao. I thought you were also on Elder Bai’s side and were planning to abandon me for the greater good.”
“That’s not how it is,” Rong Xie said.
“I know now,” Xiaozhi said with a relieved smile. “I feel a little regretful. If I had known sooner, perhaps I would have chosen someone who cared more about me, instead of…”
Xiao Zhi's gaze lingered on a certain angle. If he moved any closer, his field of vision would almost reach Lu Yingqi's location. He stopped abruptly, unwilling to look in that direction even once more.
Lu Yingqi exuded an even colder aura.
"But this is my fate; I don't have many choices." Xiaozhi lowered her eyes, seemingly somewhat dejected.
"I understand." Rong Xie thought to himself, if he and Xiao Zhi had the same background, who knows what would have happened.
“However, it’s fortunate that I met Young Master Rong,” Xiaozhi raised her eyes, tears welling up in them, and smiled with relief. “I have a life with little choice, but I unexpectedly met someone who never gave up on me from beginning to end. I guess it’s God’s last bit of mercy on me.”
Rong Xie looked at Xiao Zhi, his heart aching with unspeakable sorrow.
At that moment, a sneer came from the sky: "Hey, what did he do now? I was the one who was channeling spiritual energy into you from beginning to end!"
The voice was full of mockery, and Rong Xie had never heard it before, so he didn't realize who was speaking.
But he quickly realized that it was the original voice of the mimosa flower fairy.
The mimosa flower fairy was very dissatisfied: "Are you done talking? If you're done, come with me!"
As he spoke, the red thread binding Xiaozhi's spirit body tightened, pulling him toward the cliff behind him.
"Wait!" Rong Xie shouted, "Where are you taking him? In broad daylight, how dare a prodigy abduct a Xuantian Sect disciple within the Xuantian Sect's territory?"
The mimosa flower fairy scoffed, "I kidnapped him? Ridiculous! Ask him if he came with me willingly?"
Rong Xie looked at Xiao Zhi, who calmly said, "I did it voluntarily."
"What? Why?" Rong Xie's voice rose. "You must have been bewitched by it. The fragrance of mimosa flowers has hallucinogenic effects. No matter what, we will not let you go with a monster!"
As he spoke, Rong Xie took out a talisman, and Shen Bingsi also summoned the Shengxie Sword.
Rong Xie glanced at Lu Yingqi out of the corner of his eye. With Lu Yingqi's abilities, taking down the flower demon would be a piece of cake, but he didn't seem to be making any special moves, not even drawing his sword. He wondered what Lu Yingqi was thinking.
"Senior Brother Lu, didn't you say this is your karma? Are you just going to stand by and watch Xiaozhi be taken away by the flower demon?!" Rong Xie spoke up to remind him, as Lu Yingqi was the one most deeply involved here!
Lu Yingqi finally turned around and faced Xiaozhi directly. He didn't do anything special, but an invisible spiritual pressure pulled Xiaozhi's spirit body.
Even with all her might, the mimosa flower demon couldn't budge the twigs an inch.
"Damn it..." The teasing voice turned low, "Lu Yingqi, your fate with him is over. If you continue to drag it on, it will only ruin your cultivation! I advise you to let go."
Lu Yingqi remained silent, then increased the force pulling on Xiaozhi, causing Xiaozhi to slowly leave the cliff edge and fly towards him.
"Hey, say something!" the mimosa flower fairy urged impatiently.
"..." Xiao Zhi looked up, and for the first time in a long time, he looked at Lu Yingqi directly. However, there was no admiration or tenderness in his eyes, only deep weariness. "Young Master Qi, our fate has come to an end. Let me go."
Lu Yingqi remained silent, but his grip on the small branch did not loosen in the slightest.
“Young Master Qi, why bother?” Xiaozhi’s voice was full of weariness. “Didn’t you say that even if I died, I would become one with heaven and earth, turning into flowers, grass, and trees, and be with you? If that’s the case, why not let me go? No matter where I go, you can consider me as being with you. What does it matter?”
"..." Lu Yingqi's cheek muscles tightened. He was expressionless, but it was as if he was enduring something.
He was speechless in response to Xiaozhi's words.
Rong Xie really wanted to ask him what he was thinking. In the first half of the day, he could use the small branch to prove the Dao without any pity, but in the second half of the day, he became confused again.
However, those who have been swayed by the ruthless path are beyond saving and cannot be reasoned with. Rong Xie did not want to waste his time on them.
He just wanted Xiaozhi to come back.
Rong Xie looked at Xiao Zhi again. Xiao Zhi was looking at Lu Yingqi with his brows furrowed, looking very resistant. His emotions were very clear, and he was definitely not bewitched by the flower fairy.
If Rong Xie reasoned with him and appealed to his emotions, perhaps she could bring him back.
“Xiaozhi, if you’re not coming back because of Lu Yingqi, then it’s unnecessary and not worth it! The world is vast, the world is bustling, there are so many places to go, so many beautiful sights to see, and so many people—it’s really not worth it to avoid Lu Yingqi. You’ve already moved on. If you come back now, Elder Bai will definitely be grateful for your kindness, and he will grant you any request you make. If you don’t want to stay in the Xuantian Sect, you can come to my place. I have a small house in Lanyuan, you can live with me, or if you prefer to be alone, the place next door called Bingsi is available to you. By the way, you haven’t been to Shengjing yet, have you? There are many delicious foods and fun things to do there. We can go together then. There are still many fun places in the world that you haven’t seen yet!”
"Uh?" Shen Bingsi wanted to express her objection, but Rong Xie silenced her with a look.
"..."
Rong Xie's suggestion was so tempting that Xiao Zhi's brows relaxed, and a dreamy expression appeared on her face.
"Stop dreaming." The mimosa flower demon grinned maliciously through gritted teeth. "You've already missed your chance. You promised me..."
The red thread wrapped around the twig suddenly tightened, the red light dissipated, and countless white lights flew out from the twig, making its appearance blurry.
The next moment, the red thread wrapped around the little branch's spirit again, and demonic power was injected into it.
Although it only stopped for a moment, Xiaozhi's spirit body thinned out at a visible speed, and Xiaozhi showed a painful expression, her outline as if it had fallen into a thin mist.
Lu Yingqi's lips tightened, and his face darkened.
"Hahaha, go ahead and pull hard, let's see if he can hold on until you put him back into his body! The way of heaven is irreversible, killing a person is as easy as saving a person!" The acacia flower demon laughed loudly.
"Is that so?" Lu Yingqi said in a deep voice, "Then killing you should be easy too."
"..." The mimosa flower fairy's laughter choked. "Young Master Qi, you really have a silver tongue. Don't be fooled by your silence; you're perfectly shrewd. Unfortunately, Xiaozhi is destined to be mine. He doesn't want you anymore. Can't you see that? Aren't you ashamed to keep dragging this on?"
"It's just an illusion," Lu Yingqi said coldly.
The mimosa flower demon laughed so hard she could barely breathe: "...Whether it's an illusion or not, can't a powerful cultivator in the Nascent Soul stage tell the difference?"
Lu Yingqi pursed his lips.
Even Rong Xie found Lu Yingqi unsightly.
The twig let out a painful groan.
In the struggle between Lu Yingqi and the flower demon, only he suffered. His spiritual body was already fragile, and he was being pulled between a powerful cultivator in the Nascent Soul stage and a demon who had cultivated for a long time. If this continued, his spiritual body would likely be torn in two, making it impossible for him to be resurrected or even reincarnated.
"Stop it! Don't pull anymore!" Rong Xie said urgently.
"What should I do? Should I chop the flower demon down?" Shen Bingsi held the Shengxie Sword, unsure of where to direct her strength.
Lu Yingqi had been keeping a close eye on Xiaozhi. Suddenly, he raised his hand and withdrew his spiritual power. Xiaozhi flew backward and landed in the flowerpot.
Lu Yingqi tossed the silver flying sword into the air, and the silver flying sword transformed into a huge silver cage, trapping the acacia flower demon inside.
The silver cage tightened continuously, protruding many tiny sword blades toward the mimosa flower demon. If Lu Yingqi exerted just a little more force, he could pierce countless transparent holes in the mimosa flower.
“Let him go,” Lu Yingqi said. “I will spare your life.”
By saying this, Lu Yingqi was already giving the mimosa flower fairy a free pass.
Using the life of a small branch to exchange for the life of a great demon is a serious violation of cause and effect; in fact, it violates not only the cause and effect of one person, but the cause and effect of countless people.
A demon has escaped, and who knows how many lives it will take in the future.
If Lu Yingqi had been unable to do so, or if he had to resort to this desperate measure to save innocent people, it wouldn't have had such a significant impact.
However, his actions were driven by selfish motives, which greatly affected his karma and could very well prevent him from ascending to immortality, or cause him to develop inner demons and ultimately shatter his Dao heart.
Therefore, when Lu Yingqi said this, not only Shen Bingsi, but Rong Xie was also taken aback.
"Hahahaha..." The mimosa flower fairy was overjoyed, laughing so hard she could hardly breathe. "Lu Yingqi, listen to how ridiculous your words are! Now that things have come to this, why are you still putting on this hypocritical face?"
"..."
"Little branch, if you don't speak, I'll speak for you," the mimosa flower demon sneered.
Xiao Zhi's spirit had become distorted, and his voice seemed to come from a very far place. He had been lying among the petals with his eyes closed, as if he had no strength left to get up. Hearing the flower fairy's urging, he opened his eyes and looked at Lu Yingqi: "Young Master Qi, I'm leaving. The thing I hate most in this life is meeting you. I will never see you again for all eternity."
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