With a flash of light, Xiang Wan found herself on a mountain peak outside Shuiyao Town when she opened her eyes again.
A pale moonlight shone down from the sky, casting shadows on everything around them, but Shuiyao Town and Blackwater Lake had vanished without a trace. As far as the eye could see, all that remained was a misty haze, with swirling water vapor.
As Xiang Wan leaped towards Shuiyao Town, a hand suddenly grabbed her arm. The coldness seeped through her clothes and into her body, making her shiver involuntarily.
"Let go!"
The hand didn't move; instead, it gripped tighter and tighter, so tight that it felt like it was about to break Xiang Wan's arm.
"Pluto, are you bored?"
Xiang Wan turned her head, and the moonlight shone on her face, making it appear icy.
Hades slowly approached, his eyes slightly closed, the darkness of his pupils like a bottomless pit or a whirlpool, firmly drawing Xiang Wan's mind in, making it impossible for her to break free.
"Look, you can't even break free from a simple soul-capturing spell, how will you save your life?"
Hades was not breathing, and his words and tone were cold.
Xiang Wan's eyes flashed, and she calmly said, "Sacrificing oneself for the greater good is true immortality."
"Heh! Heh heh!"
Hades suddenly laughed, but the laughter didn't reach his eyes. "Deceiving me will come at a price."
Xiang Wan lowered her eyes, turned her head, and faced him with her profile. "Moths fly into the flame, chase the wind and the moon, these are all part of life. You are not human, how can you know the joys of humanity?"
In Shuiyao Town, howls echoed, and flashes of white light appeared intermittently. That was Feng Wuyan fighting the evil spirits in Blackwater Lake, while Leng Qingxue protected the town's residents.
The idea that the male and female protagonists are saviors and great heroes in the eyes of the world began to spread from here.
However, although Shuiyao Town was ultimately saved, the price paid was considerable.
Xiang Wan suspected that Feng Wuyan and Leng Qingxue's visit to this place was not solely for the purpose of rescuing people.
Seeing that Xiang Wan's eyes remained fixed on the direction of Shuiyao Town, Hades released his grip, walked up to him, and pointed at Blackwater Lake. "Do you know why this lake is called Blackwater Lake?"
Xiang Wan's ears twitched, and she listened attentively.
Hades seemed quite satisfied with Xiang Wan's attitude at this moment. He flipped his hand and brought out an object, which turned out to be a miniature version of Shuiyao Town, formed by gathering Yin energy.
These yin energies constantly changed form as Hades narrated.
“A thousand years ago, this place was a blessed land, rich in natural resources and talented people. Strangely, everyone here lived a long life and very few died of natural causes. Outsiders who came here would inexplicably have their lifespan extended unless they left this place.”
"How could I, the King, sit idly by when the underworld has no jurisdiction? I sent ghost messengers to investigate, but they all disappeared without a trace, as if they had entered a world outside the underworld. Guess why it turned out this way?"
The Yin energy in Hades's hand continued to shift, and Xiang Wan, based on its changing appearance, said, "Heaven sent down punishment, splitting Shuiyao Town in two. One half sank, and with the accumulation of rainwater, it became Blackwater Lake. The other half became the present-day Shuiyao Town. However, as time passed, the lake grew larger and larger, while the land grew smaller and smaller. Most of the residents of Shuiyao Town died or were injured, and the survivors built the present-day Shuiyao Town according to the pattern of Yin and Yang and the Eight Trigrams, attempting to stop Heaven's punishment of Shuiyao Town."
"When things reach their extreme, they reverse. The greater the protection Shuiyao Town received before, the greater the disaster it will suffer later. I suspect that the feng shui master who guided Shuiyao Town delayed this disaster. The origin of Blackwater Lake must be related to him."
Hades withdrew his hand and nodded slightly, saying, "You guessed half right. As for the other half..."
He turned around, glanced at Xiang Wan, and shook his head, saying, "Even if you know, what can you do? If Heaven wants to destroy it, what can you change?"
"No, you're wrong." Xiang Wan pointed in Feng Wuyan's direction and said, "Since that expert was able to delay the destruction of Shuiyao Town, he must have been able to foresee that someone would come to the rescue when the great disaster struck. They are variables, and so am I. As for you, you are just an accident."
"An accident?" Hades laughed, and the wild beasts and birds hidden in the grass and trees scattered and fled.
"Compared to me," Hades stopped laughing and suddenly reached out to ruffle Xiang Wan's hair that hung down her chest, "you are the accident."
Xiang Wan frowned. She didn't seem to be that familiar with Hades. She couldn't help but reach out and pull out a strand of hair, taking a step back and saying, "Back then, Hades seemed to enjoy seeing me suffer. Why did he bother to save me?"
Hades paused, his tone turning cold, "In that case, don't let me hear it a second time."
Xiang Wan tightened her grip on the exorcism sword and changed the subject, saying, "I've subdued Black Impermanence. Do you want me to take him back?"
Hades glanced at Xiang Wan's chest and shook his head, saying, "There are plenty of ghosts in the underworld, one more won't make a difference. Keep him; he might still be useful to you."
Xiang Wan didn't know what to say about this person who clearly didn't want to save Hei Wuchang but used the excuse of "it's for your own good."
"Deliberately extinguishing the fire of life on your own shoulder, using yourself as bait to divert trouble eastward. The method isn't sophisticated, but it's effective nonetheless. If I don't intervene, what will you do?"
Suddenly exposed by her risky actions, Xiang Wan blinked innocently and said, "The King of the Underworld is all-seeing and should know that some people are born out of necessity, while others are just cannon fodder."
"Cannon fodder?" Hades pondered for a moment, then nodded. "That's right. So, where did you come from? And where are you going?"
Xiang Wan's eyes flickered, and she asked in return, "Then why did Hades save me? I am nothing but an ant, not worth dying for."
Hades said seriously, "I just happened to be passing by and saved her on a whim. Do you need a reason to pick a wildflower if you see it by the roadside?"
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