Don't cry
When Yun Qian regained consciousness, she found herself in an endless void.
The intense pain of having all the blood and energy drained from her body seemed to linger in every meridian, leaving her with lingering fear.
Yun Qian sat up, and a cold, mechanical voice echoed in the empty void:
"Congratulations, host, on completing the ultimate mission. Please select your ending:"
"First, let's return to the real world."
"Second, remain in the world of 'The Legend of Cangmin'."
As she spoke, two completely different scenes slowly unfolded in the void before her.
On one side was a ward in a modern hospital. The smell of disinfectant seemed to permeate the space. Lying on the hospital bed was a figure covered with various life-support devices; it was her body in another world, quiet and fragile.
On the other side lies the Cangmin Mountain, shrouded in mist and with snow-capped peaks stretching as far as the eye can see. The familiar jade platform and the silent courtyard—every scene carries her centuries of memories and emotions.
Yun Qian was slightly taken aback, a sense of absurdity welling up in her heart.
So... was all of this just a task that needed to be completed?
So, which of these two worlds is real? And which is fake?
What should she choose?
On one side are her beloved captain, her teammates who fought alongside her, and the weighty First-Class Merit Award she earned with her life—these are all the ties that bind her as "Police Officer Song Qian".
On the other side are Lin Huaiyu, the aloof and stubborn Qin Wu, the seemingly unruly but soft-hearted Bai Ji, the seemingly sickly but resilient Bai Chuan, the dog Zhi Hua who always bickers but is willing to shield her from heavenly lightning, and the little black dog that is always by her side.
Both sides are extremely important and difficult to give up.
Yun Qian raised her hand, her fingertips seemingly able to touch two completely different times and spaces, her eyes revealing a rare deep confusion and struggle.
In the long silence, a sentence that had been lingering in Yun Qian's heart echoed clearly in her ears.
"Do you truly love Lin Huaiyu, or... is it because I resemble Bai Yan that you..."
It seems she... still owes Lin Huaiyu an answer.
Yun Qian took a deep breath: "I choose..."
Cangmin Mountain.
Lin Huaiyu's temples throbbed with rage from the noise of Qi Mo's newly accepted disciples. He simply couldn't understand why Qi Mo, a sword cultivator himself, would insist on taking in a group of boisterous magic cultivators. Even more absurdly, Qi Mo couldn't teach them himself, so he dumped these noisy fellows on Lin Huaiyu to manage…
Lin Huaiyu was annoyed by the disciples who were asking him all sorts of questions. His aura turned cold, and he simply used his movement technique to disappear from the spot in an instant.
"Oh dear, our martial uncle has left again..." a disciple muttered to himself, looking at the empty space ahead. They were already used to this scene.
Lin Huaiyu appeared in a secluded spot on the back mountain. The mountain breeze ruffled his light blue robes and gently swayed the glass bottle hanging at his waist. He found a flat rock to sit on, trying to dispel the restlessness in his heart. However, when he subconsciously looked down and his gaze fell on the glass bottle at his waist, he was instantly frozen in place.
Inside the bottle, the remnant soul belonging to Yun Qian... has vanished!
How could this be?!
The color drained from Lin Huaiyu's face instantly, his expression froze, and his mind went blank. The next second, a huge panic hit him like a bucket of ice water, making him jump to his feet! He frantically tried to recall the places he had been that day, his figure transforming into a whirlwind as he began a frantic search of Cangmin Mountain, leaving no corner unchecked.
The disciples along the way were all stunned to see their usually aloof and composed senior uncle rushing about in a panic as if he had lost his soul. They had no idea what had happened.
Inside the Jinghe Courtyard, Zhihua, who was curled up asleep on the couch, was suddenly jolted awake by a strange tremor within its inner chambers. The injuries sustained from withstanding a heavenly tribulation a hundred years ago had not yet fully healed, making it increasingly lethargic. But this extraordinary tremor, seemingly emanating from the depths of its soul, jolted Zhihua awake.
Almost at the same moment, the Ink Soul Sword burst forth with an unprecedented dark light, emitting a clear and resounding sword cry. With a "whoosh," it transformed into a long, dark line, sped out of the window, and headed straight for the back mountain!
Zhihua's heart stirred, and despite her still weak body, she immediately jumped off the bed and followed Mo Hun's direction, heading towards the forbidden area in the back mountain.
Yun Qian opened her eyes, and what came into view was the familiar snow-covered landscape of Cangmin Mountain. The biting cold instantly enveloped her, making her shiver uncontrollably.
"Why... is it so cold?" She looked down at her hands and then checked her inner sanctum. It was completely empty, her spiritual energy was depleted... and she could even feel the heavy internal injuries left from her final battle with Yue Sheng.
Isn't the system being incredibly stingy? Since it brought her back, couldn't it have given her a perfectly intact body? Instead, it gave her this broken state, exhausted of spiritual energy and riddled with injuries?
Yun Qian silently complained in her heart. She breathed out white breath, hugged her arms, and shivered, preparing to find a place where she could stay warm and sheltered from the wind.
Just then.
A familiar black sword light, as if tearing through space, arrived from mid-air, carrying urgency and joy, and came to a steady stop in front of her!
It's Ink Soul!
Its blade trembled slightly with excitement, then quickly shrank back to the size of that familiar hairpin, skillfully and deftly inserting itself into the bun at the back of her head.
Immediately afterwards, Xiao Hei's long-lost voice rang out from inside the palace: "You're finally back."
"I thought you would never come back..."
Yun Qian raised her hand and gently touched the ink-black hairpin behind her head. The cool metallic touch on her fingertips brought her immense peace of mind. She smiled and responded with her mind, "I didn't expect this either." She never expected that there really was such a thing as a "system," and she never expected that she would actually be able to return to this place one day.
"I miss you so much." Xiao Hei's thoughts came again, simple yet profound.
"Me too," Yun Qian replied softly, her eyes slightly warm.
A little later, Zhihua, whose spiritual energy had not yet recovered and whose speed was a beat slower, also arrived. When it saw Yun Qian standing alive in the snow, its beautiful pupils widened instantly, quickly filling with tears, which rolled down in large drops, wetting the downy fur on its cheeks.
Yun Qian felt heartbroken seeing this, and quickly squatted down, opening her arms to it: "Oh, don't cry, Zhihua."
Zhihua let out a sob and suddenly threw herself into her arms, rubbing her fluffy little head against her neck, her body trembling slightly with excitement and grievance.
Yun Qian held it tightly in her arms, stroking its soft, warm fur again and again, "Don't cry."
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