Chapter 28 Qingning's Anger "So, these ten years we've been together..."
Zhou Fuling looked at him for a while, then left Zou Qin aside.
Xu Qingning: "Please give him the medicine."
Zhou Fuling: "What is our relationship now? Do I have to listen to you?"
Xu Qingning felt a sharp pain in her chest. He stared at her coldly without saying a word, like an angry, trapped beast.
Zhou Fuling walked over, and the two looked at each other.
She wore a light blue dress, looking graceful and lively.
As for Xu Qingning, even though he was bound hand and foot, he still stood tall and straight, like an immortal lord untouched by worldly dust.
Zhou Fuling's head was at the same height as his shoulders.
She looked up and met his clear, cold eyes, but her hand went around his waist and pressed against his palm like a nimble snake.
"I shouldn't have brought these with me." A beam of green light, and Zhou Fuling dispelled the talisman that Xu Qingning had left in her palm.
"Trying to ambush me?"
Xu Qingning felt a surge of suppressed anger, her chest heaving, but since she had noticed, she turned her head away and remained silent.
Zhou Fuling: "Come inside with me. I don't intend to talk to you in this freezing weather."
...
After a short while, the two entered the Hidden Heaven Studio.
Hidden Village is very similar to Jade Pot Courtyard, where the two used to live together.
For a moment, if an outsider were to look at it, they would only think that it was as if they had returned to the past.
Snow is falling outside the window.
Inside, the familiar bookshelf held the same writing implements, incense burner, and sachet as always, with fresh plum blossoms placed in the bronze vessels by the people of Bingjian Peak, their fragrance wafting gently.
The walls were covered with bells, tripods, swords, and other valuables, all belonging to the two of them, each keeping them in their own place.
Zhou Fuling was pouring tea, but she only poured it for herself.
Xu Qingning sat on the couch with her hands bound behind her back, yet she remained upright and aloof, her lips pale and bloodless.
After a long pause, Zhou Fuling asked, "How did you find out?"
Xu Qingning coldly replied, "If you don't want people to know, then don't do it in the first place."
His tone was extremely cold. Seeing this, Zhou Fuling also sneered and crossed her arms: "You found out I was faking it, so you don't care about our past relationship at all?"
Xu Qingning looked up in disbelief: "Affection?"
He slowly scanned Zhou Fuling's face, remaining silent for a long while.
Then, he lowered his eyes and sneered, "What feelings could we possibly have? All that's left is deception."
Zhou Fuling frowned warily: "Deceive? So what else did you deceive me about?"
Xu Qingning raised her head again: "…………"
He kept telling himself to stay calm and composed when dealing with Zhou Fuling.
However, upon hearing her say those words, my mind went blank.
A surge of anger rushed into his mind and heart, and Xu Qingning felt as if he was going to go crazy with anger and pain.
Zhou Fuling then realized that Xu Qingning was referring to the ten years she had lied to him.
It's because she rarely reflects on herself.
Looking down, she met Xu Qingning's obsidian eyes, which were now red with anger. He pursed his lips, his anger filled with hatred and pain, as if he wanted to bite her to death.
A blood-red snake tail gushed out from under the bed.
It tightly bound Xu Qingning's boots and waist.
Xu Qingning raised her head angrily, her beautifully shaped waistline tensing in her extreme rage.
The snake's tail was as thick as a man's waist, and its scales shimmered, just like in the videotape, and just like when I was young in the Heavenly Abyss.
His hands and feet became even colder.
Zhou Fuling stood up, hands behind her back, and strolled slowly: "So what? Aren't you deceiving me too? Back then, when you fell into the Heavenly Abyss, I told you to stay. You ran away."
Xu Qingning closed his eyes.
...It really was her. She admitted it.
In the dimly lit Tianjue Gorge, the sound of the demon's body surging and the cold touch all resurfaced in my mind.
He looked up, his face ashen: "What brings you here?"
"..." Zhou Fuling looked at him without answering, the atmosphere frozen.
Xu Qingning pondered for a moment amidst her chaotic thoughts, then looked around.
Even now, Zhou Fuling showed no sign of any inside help. He pursed his lips and probed, "So, who did you come here with? The Li family of the Demon Realm or the Demon Emperor? Why did you target Ning Tingyue?"
"None of those," Zhou Fuling snorted coldly. "I don't take orders from anyone."
After she finished speaking, as if she had realized something, her expression changed slightly, and she looked at Xu Qingning with a cold expression.
Xu Qingning thought to herself, "Just as I expected."
When asked why she was so moved, Zhou Fuling avoided answering.
Xu Qingning should have gotten to the bottom of this, but after a moment of silence, he raised his head.
He looked directly at Zhou Fuling: "Then why did you approach me?"
He had been thinking about it the whole way here. The system had given him the answer.
This question kept echoing in his mind.
Although he had guessed everything, he couldn't help but ask her one more time.
Ask him personally to find out.
The two looked at each other. Zhou Fuling didn't speak for a moment, while Xu Qingning didn't blink.
After a moment, Zhou Fuling lowered her eyes, clasped her fingers together, and lightly tapped the small table between the two of them. A blush flashed across her face: "...It's because I like you. A meeting a hundred years ago, unforgettable for a lifetime."
Her eyes were brimming with affection, just like her junior sister in the past, conveying love and seduction.
Xu Qingning suddenly froze, feeling somewhat at a loss. Her fingers stiffened, and her face paled.
"Pfft." Zhou Fuling covered her mouth and chuckled. "Look at your reaction, Senior Brother. It's really interesting."
Her voice carried a hint of gleeful mockery.
Xu Qingning also instantly regained her senses, her mind going blankly as if she had been pulled out of a quagmire.
He looked up angrily.
Zhou Fuling stood opposite them, her eyes sparkling and smiling.
Obviously... she's talking nonsense and playing him for a fool.
At this moment, Xu Qingning's anger surged into his mind again, far exceeding that before.
Besides that, there was also a strong sense of shame, as if something buried deep in her heart had been dug out by her words.
This pain even stirred up hatred in his heart, and to hide it, he closed his eyes and pursed his lips, remaining silent.
“Look at you, young sect leader, so green.” Zhou Fuling approached him, her breath cool. “Since you want to ask, then I will tell you the truth. I originally wanted to kill you to avenge your escape, but the aura of your shattered immortal bones was pure enough to cover the demonic aura on my body. Since I needed to stay in the immortal sect, I have been following you.”
"..." Xu Qingning pursed her lips, her eyes reddening as she asked, "Then what brings you to the Immortal Sect?"
Zhou Fuling still didn't answer, only glancing at him, "And then..."
“I want to cultivate the method of killing one’s own relatives to attain enlightenment, and you have just recovered your cultivation and are once again striving to reach the first rank. After careful consideration, I think you are a good candidate, so I will stay by your side.”
"..." Xu Qingning clenched her fists tightly.
It's one thing to guess what someone is saying, but quite another to hear it with your own ears.
He seemed to hallucinate the scene at the bottom of the ravine that day again—the icy spring water, the swaying snake tail… the long-lost suffocation, the controlled chill resurfaced;
But unlike the past, his junior sister's voice and appearance seemed to be right before his eyes. Zhou Fuling, his junior sister, gently hugged him, saying she liked him, wanted to be with him forever, and said she would never leave him.
Xu Qingning felt as if a knife had been plunged deep into his chest, and he couldn't breathe.
Before he came, he told himself to stay calm, but now he couldn't stay calm and couldn't think straight at all.
He could only rely on a cold gaze and downcast eyes to ensure that he did not reveal his true emotions.
Zhou Fuling looked down and saw that Xu Qingning's face was pale and his eyes were cold, just like Xue Shenqinghui.
After an unknown amount of time, he slowly raised his head, and their eyes met. His eyes, however, were burning with starlight.
His eyes were red, and he said in a hoarse voice, "So, all these ten years we've lived together were just a scheme, all about killing me?"
"You waited a full ten years before taking action because of past grudges? Why?"
There was a questioning look in his eyes, as if he were searching for a different answer.
Zhou Fuling squinted, looking somewhat surprised that Xu Qingning would ask this.
“The technique of killing one’s own family is not something that can be used easily. It takes quite a bit of time,” Zhou Fuling said. “I have to wait too. Besides, doesn’t forming a partnership require your consent?”
Xu Qingning's face seemed to have been drained of all color. He abruptly turned his head away, revealing his cold profile.
After a long pause, Xu Qingning coldly said, "Yes. You did ask me to be your partner. But I'm glad now that I've never really been interested in you."
“…Is that so?” Zhou Fuling chuckled again, placed an object in front of Xu Qingning, and shook it. It was a beautiful and exquisite jade pendant.
"Young Sect Leader, are you telling the truth?"
“I remember this jade pendant was a gift from your uncle. You treasured it the most and never shared it with anyone else. Yet, before this Wanshan Banquet, you gave it to me, saying you wanted to avoid suspicion.”
"..." Xu Qingning immediately straightened up like a cat with its fur standing on end, as if she wanted to struggle again, but was restrained by the snake's tail once more.
Xu Qingning closed his eyes.
He felt as if fire was burning his entire body. Even though he repeatedly told himself to stay calm, Zhou Fuling could always ignite his anger and humiliation with just a few words.
"Think what you will. Deceive yourself if you wish." Xu Qingning finished with a cold laugh, leaving these words behind. "I have never had any feelings for you. Now... I only regard you as an enemy from the Heavenly Abyss. I have no other thoughts."
[Villain's favorability -5%]
The system screamed: [Host, -100% favorability is very likely to be erased and restarted! What are you doing?! You're trying to win her over, not trying to win an argument by being two-faced, or trying to anger her by being stubborn!]
[...]
Xu Qingning clenched his teeth and pressed his lips together, but suddenly smelled a faint fragrance. He was startled to find that Zhou Fuling had approached him and touched his chin.
Her gaze was deep as she looked at him: "However, what you think now, whether you're willing or not, is no longer important. I no longer cultivate 'killing relatives,' I cultivate 'killing with affection.'"
"You're perfect, let me give it a try."
Xu Qingning no longer liked her scent. He frowned, shook his head violently, and suddenly fell into an illusion.
Illusions upon illusions—
Many scenes suddenly flashed before his eyes.
Mother died unexpectedly during the great demon transformation...
My uncle and other relatives died tragically in the Tianjue Gorge...
And then there were those ten years in the cold prison, the icy cell, the frost-like sword. He had nothing, was powerless, was in pain, his sword bones were forcibly removed, and he was thrown to the bottom of the valley.
In the cold snow, a surge of despair and death welled up in his heart, but a clear voice called to him: "Wake up."
He was found.
After looking up several times, he finally saw her face clearly. She had also held his hand and let him touch her face.
"Remember, my name is Zhou Fuling."
But Zhou Fuling's figure was swallowed up by the giant monster's snake tail.
Xu Qingning felt a sudden, tearing pain in her chest.
—The most painful emotions and experiences of his life resurfaced and were stirred up again.
Xu Qingning looked up again and saw Zhou Fuling standing in front of him, smiling, with her hands behind her back, tilting her head and staring at his disheveled state.
The pain continued. Although his consciousness returned, the agonizing emotions and heartache of being slowly torn apart persisted, as if trying to rip his soul apart inch by inch.
"Did you see anything?" Zhou Fuling asked in a low voice. "I'm very curious. This is also my first time using 'Killing Passion'."
This is something she was thinking about on the way.
Killing for love, killing for love, what should be killed is affection.
Is it a cultivation technique that allows her to absorb the pain of others?
Currently, it seems that wisps of pure spiritual energy are indeed flowing into Zhou Fuling's spiritual veins. Just as she guessed.
But for some reason, Zhou Fuling also felt as if a dark cloud had been cast over her heart. It was as if something was destroying her.
She frowned, suppressing her murderous intent.
But then she saw a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of Xu Qingning's lips. Despite being drenched in cold sweat, his eyes were cold and misty as he stared at her, refusing to show weakness even at a time like this.
Besides the spiritual veins and the pain brought by the killing, Xu Qingning also felt a hidden pain deep in her heart.
Or rather... there was still a sliver of hope that he himself didn't want to admit.
hope……
The person in front of me is Zhou Fuling, and her side as Zhou Fuling surpasses that of her past villainous roles.
Now, all hope has vanished.
Xu Qingning lowered his eyes, but Zhou Fuling's hand brushed against his eyes.
Her voice was as gentle as ever: "Senior brother, you look very sad. Does my attack on you make you so upset?"
"..."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Xu Qingning: ...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com