Gu Jianlin swore to the heavens that ever since he learned about the curse on his family, he never planned to develop a romantic relationship with any girl, let alone consider anything like marriage or having children. He avoided them as much as possible.
But who could have expected that Youzhu would like him so much, even to the extent of fearing nothing—even the curse.
Youzhu's original words were: "Since I already like you, what else can I do? If a mere curse could make me give you up, then it would only prove that I never truly liked you."
She said it so plainly, but he could only interpret it as the naïveté of a young girl.
But he could not afford to be that naïve.
Adding to this, he was born with a cold nature and had little interaction with women throughout his entire life.
Recently, he had been constantly brainwashing himself.
"Women will only slow down your blade!"
"A heart free of women lets the blade move like a god's!"
Just as he was fortifying his mental preparation, a delicate scolding voice rang in his mind!
"Heart free of women? And what of the Lord?"
Jiuyin's sharp voice echoed.
Gu Jianlin's hand trembled. He genuinely wanted to curse. What kind of broken blade was this?
On the military cot scattered with clothing, Tang Ling's bare, fair, and smooth jade-like back was exposed. Her spine carried a faint dark green hue, even enshrouded in a delicate layer of frost, creating a shocking sight.
"I can feel your hands trembling. Are you that nervous?"
Noticing the boy's abnormality behind her, she tried her best to feign calmness and said, "Have you not seen a girl's back before? I heard boys your age are all experts, with hard drives boasting hundreds of gigabytes of waifus."
In fact, she felt incredibly embarrassed.
Mainly because she had just narrowly avoided being fully exposed a moment ago.
And also because, politeness aside, she hadn't expected him to actually agree to apply the medication for her.
"Sorry, I truly haven't. I'm not interested in those fake things staged for photography." Gu Jianlin took in a deep breath, muttering under his breath like a sage reciting a mantra. He carefully applied the ointment to his fingertips, cautiously touching her spine as he evenly spread it. The sensation beneath his fingers was exquisitely smooth.
Tang Ling asked curiously, "What are you chanting?"
Gu Jianlin replied earnestly, "The Great Compassionate Mantra."
Tang Ling's beautiful eyes sparkled with a hint of annoyance. "Why are you chanting that? It makes me feel like some kind of demonic woman, while you're pulling off this abstinent, deadpan Taoist look."
Gu Jianlin replied expressionlessly, "Dead Taoists don't apply ointment for demonic women."
Tang Ling let out a light snort, "What if a Taoist falls for a demonic woman?"
She spoke casually, but after saying it, she felt that the words carried too much ambiguity.
Gu Jianlin, slow to react, found nothing unusual and replied calmly, "If a dead Taoist falls for a demonic woman, then it wouldn't just stop at applying ointment—it would lead to even more forbidden storylines."
Tang Ling held her clothes, glancing at her scattered intimate apparel like her camisole and bralette.
A flush of red crawled up her snowy and flawless face.
Gu Jianlin was about to say something when he suddenly felt Jiuyin's low hum.
"Well said! Quickly take down this Female Sacrifice. This woman isn't ordinary. I can sense the loathsome aura of the Bai Ze Clan on her, and it's incredibly strong. It makes me feel extremely uneasy! Though I don't recognize that Extreme Thunder artifact she holds, there's not a single decent thing from the Bai Ze Clan!"
Jiuyin's voice came like the devil's whisper: "Find some way to devour and defile her. Ruin her pristine body! The Bai Ze Clan's ascendance relies on maintaining an immaculate physique. These idiots think they're the purest and most incorruptible beings under heaven, their minds unwavering and their wills indomitable. Whatever plans the Bai Ze Clan has for her, breaking her purity would shatter them!"
Gu Jianlin, thoroughly annoyed, retorted in his mind, "Can you shut up for once?"
Jiuyin replied, "Devour this Female Sacrifice, and I'll shut up!"
Gu Jianlin had a flash of inspiration. "If I do this, then where would that leave the Lord you've been praising so much?"
Jiuyin froze, unexpectedly rendered speechless.
"May I ask you something?"
Gu Jianlin focused on applying ointment to the girl.
Tang Ling gave a soft hum of assent.
"Who are those people outside?"
Gu Jianlin was very curious about the black-clothed individuals.
Tang Ling hesitated for a moment. "They were initially meant to be confidential, but it doesn't matter if I tell you. Those people are from the Lishan Tiyan Pavilion, cultivated by the Bai Ze Clan. They're artificial members of the Ancient God Clan."
Gu Jianlin raised an eyebrow. "Artificial Ancient God Clan?"
"The Bai Ze Venerable fell into slumber ten thousand years ago. But before that, using Their own bones and blood, They created a doppelganger bestowed with human emotions and thoughts. Of course, compared to the original, this doppelganger was considerably weaker, probably only as strong as a Primordial. However, it became a close friend of the Emperor."
Tang Ling explained softly, "The Bai Ze Venerable and the Emperor had an agreement. It was that two thousand years later, during the apocalypse, They would assist humanity in overcoming the calamity. This is why the Lishan Tiyan Pavilion came into existence."
Gu Jianlin thought to himself, So that's the story.
"Because the Bai Ze Clan is closely aligned with humanity, the Ether Association's higher-ups consist mostly of those from the Sword Sect Path."
Tang Ling gathered her long hair as she said, "Due to the unique nature of the Sword Sect Path's ascension ritual, most swordsmen have a stable disposition and tend to be emotionally detached, making them well-suited for maintaining order."
Gu Jianlin considered her words and found them to be true.
Divines lean toward madness; Ghost Slayers are deeply obsessive.
Other paths all seem to have their issues to some degree.
Only the swordsmen of the Sword Sect appear the most normal.
"Then you don't seem to resemble a Sword Sect disciple at all."
He suddenly said this.
Tang Ling raised her meticulously sculpted brows. "You think I'm crazy too?"
Gu Jianlin said coolly, "Crazy isn't necessarily derogatory."
Tang Ling pouted and said, "That's why I still haven't ascended to the Fifth Rank—it's all because of me."
Gu Jianlin had heard rumors about her and asked, "So what does the Lishan Tiyan Pavilion want you to do?"
Tang Ling fell silent for a moment. "An experiment."
"Hmm?"
Gu Jianlin blinked, caught off guard.
"An experiment related to the Heavenly Power, and they also want me to integrate the powers of an Evolver."
Tang Ling whispered. "This plan started when I was just a child—the moment my great-grandfather sold me to the Sword Tomb. There, I began my cultivation in the Sword Sect Path, earned the recognition of Extreme Thunder, then returned to the Ether Association to undergo the baptism of Heavenly Power."
Her voice grew soft, her gaze somber. "Soon after, I'll head to the Lishan Tiyan Pavilion to cultivate for a long time, until the day of the apocalypse, when I'll take up the position of President."
Gu Jianlin froze in place. "You're leaving soon?"
"Mm."
Tang Ling said quietly, "I actually received the message before entering the Sea of Eternal Life. They told me I'd spend a long, long time training at the Lishan Tiyan Pavilion. Don't let them calling me 'Princess' fool you. I've never truly been free—whether it was going to the Underwater Palace, accepting the Returning Burial Forest mission, or accompanying you in investigating the Bren Hill…"
"Even this journey to the Sea of Eternal Life was just my last act of rebellion."
Her voice was cool and emotionless, leaving it unclear whether she was happy or resigned. "It was all quietly allowed by the President."
Gu Jianlin finally understood. She had always been a bird in a cage.
She had never been free.
And before fully resigning herself to her fate, she simply wanted to struggle one last time.
She wanted to meet someone who had once been most important to her.
And ask him why.
That person was Tang Zijing.
"At the age of six, I was sent to the Sword Tomb and had virtually no contact with the outside world. Besides my parents occasionally visiting, there wasn't anyone else. My great-grandfather was likely my only lingering attachment."
Tang Ling suddenly said, "Thank you."
Gu Jianlin casually asked, "Thank me for what?"
"For letting me see him twice. Even though I didn't uncover the truth, it doesn't matter anymore."
Tang Ling said softly, "Over time, I'll naturally forget."
Gu Jianlin's fingers trembled. "Are you giving up?"
"I won't have time to delve into these matters anymore."
Tang Ling bit her lip. "After I leave, you shouldn't continue being so reckless. Stop taking such dangerous risks. The Ether Association is preparing to take down the gatekeeper boss now. If the Kui Dragon Ancestor gets killed, its Divine Servants will also perish. Tang Zijing has committed so many atrocities—he deserves to die."
"I understand."
Gu Jianlin didn't argue further. He applied the final bit of ointment to her back and fastened the bandage for her.
"It's done."
He turned his back to her. "You can get dressed. I won't look."
Rustling sounds came from behind him.
"All done."
Tang Ling was now dressed in a loosely fitting white shirt paired with a gray knitted sweater. Her long, shapely legs were tucked into jeans, her snow-white hair cascading down, exuding beauty.
"Is Zhang Xuzhi dead?"
She inquired.
"Yes, I killed him myself."
Gu Jianlin nodded.
Tang Ling tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "With your current weight in the Ether Association, they won't hold you accountable. Still, try not to kill people like him openly. If you have to, do it discreetly."
Gu Jianlin let out a quiet chuckle. "Got it."
"Now that it's over, Uncle Mu and the others should gain their freedom, right?"
Tang Ling asked seriously, "With your abilities, it shouldn't be difficult."
"Yes,"
Gu Jianlin replied, "It won't take long."
Tang Ling gave a slight nod. "That's good to hear."
Silence fell between them.
Neither knew what to say next.
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
Gu Jianlin hesitated briefly. "I still have something to do."
Tang Ling inclined her head slightly. "Safe travels."
Gu Jianlin picked up Jiuyin and left her tent.
In the prolonged quiet, Tang Ling watched his back disappear without saying a word.
After some time, she suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The deep, vivid red soaked the ground.
Picking up a makeup mirror, she thought back to her premonition about the future.
She had assumed she'd encounter a fatal danger in the Sea of Eternal Life.
But now, it seemed otherwise.
"Your body can't hold on any longer. Without merging with the Heavenly Person Seed, my power will completely crush you."
In the mirror's reflection, a sharp and alluring feminine face spoke in a cold tone.
Tang Ling murmured, "In my view, the odds of a successful fusion are slim. I'll likely die anyway."
"Your foresight predicted your death, but you never saw your own corpse. Even with slim chances, survival isn't impossible. It's unnecessary to be this pessimistic."
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