She placed her hand on his back, feeling his spine stiffen, an ice-cold sensation that churned her blood seeping from her palm into her heart.
Cheng Hong remained motionless, the space around him seemingly frozen, even the tips of his hair rimed with frost.
Gu Junshi parted her red lips.
"You are the one who is wrong."
Compared to Gu Junshi, Cheng Hong was like a child facing a giant. The moment she approached, he found himself utterly unable to mobilize his stamina or spiritual energy, all of it locked down by her.
His resistance was effortlessly stripped away, leaving him to watch helplessly as his lower body turned to ice. The pervasive, uncontainable chill made his voice tremble uncontrollably.
"I'm not wrong…"
His tone was calm.
"Having died by my hand, you still believe you are not wrong?" She lowered her eyes, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
He smiled too.
His lips, purple and white from the cold, curved into a faint arc tinged with a sigh.
This was his fate.
He said, "I didn't trust you; I trusted myself."
Gu Junshi froze.
He exhaled a puff of white mist, and as blue ice crept over his face, he slowly closed his eyes.
"If it is indeed wrong, then so be it."
Cheng Hong had completely transformed into a sculpture of ice. His eyes were gently closed, his hands clasped in prayer. His face was serene, devoid of joy or sorrow, as if enshrined in a temple. He wished to cast aside worldly affairs, human joys and sorrows, and earthly injustices, offering himself like the Buddha cutting flesh to feed a hawk.
Gu Junshi glanced away expressionlessly, letting him fall downwards, eventually disappearing into a swirl of cold, damp mist.
"Gu Junshi, have you lost your mind?!"
Behind her, Wei Li stared at her with disbelief.
The Human Emperor and Dan Ya stood on either side, their faces stunned, also looking at her with unfamiliar and shocked expressions.
"Such familiar eyes…"
Gu Junshi raised an eyebrow, her eyes narrowing as she recalled.
"In some forgotten rebirth, when you saw me slaughter an entire immortal sect, you looked at me with the same expression."
Wei Li's lips trembled, his gaze on her as if she were a murderer. "Which lifetime? What are you talking about?"
"Didn't I warn you long ago that I am not who you imagine me to be? You cannot accept the real me. You see, this is exactly how it is." She spread her hands helplessly towards him.
"Why did you summon the true demon? Why did you destroy this realm? Why did you kill Liu Jiang Fusheng and your child? Why did you kill Cheng Hong? Why…" he asked in a daze, as if unable to believe it: "Why did you do all this? Do you have some hidden suffering, or was someone forcing you?"
Gu Junshi remained calm. "Because I wanted to, I did it. If you cannot accept this answer, you can find your own reasons. You never truly understood me; the Gu Junshi of this lifetime is merely a role I play. When one lives too long, one must find ways to amuse oneself."
"I won't let you do this!" Wei Li gritted his teeth.
He knew the consequences of the Demon God arriving in this realm. He was not some orphan who appeared out of nowhere. He had a father and mother, brothers and sisters, a clan, and friends. How could he stand by and watch others destroy the spirit realm!
His hair instantly turned silver-white, and he transformed into a purple light, lunging towards Gu Junshi. But before he could move, a black shadow whipped out, binding him and dragging him before her. With a wave of her hand, she forcibly reverted him to his true form.
"You still carry my karma, so I will not kill you easily. For now, you shall reside within my consciousness space."
With that, she collected him without waiting for Wei Li's objection.
"Did you agree to marry me just for this moment?"
The Human Emperor wiped the blood from his lips, a forced smile on his face, his crimson eyes fixed coldly on Gu Junshi.
Gu Junshi suddenly asked him, "Do you know why the demon tribe came to Fengdu to break the demon tribe's seal?"
The Human Emperor narrowed his eyes. "Because Fengdu is the only place not governed by the immortal sects."
"That's not entirely wrong, but more importantly, it's because Fengdu lies between the Yin and Yang realms. A thousand years ago, Fengdu had the River of Death to communicate with the underworld, and it was also a place where Dao and Buddhist cultivators pursued ascension. This place possesses pure Yin energy, as well as the divine and demonic power left behind by the ancients. It is the most suitable location for the Demon God's descent."
"So, what are you trying to say?"
"What I mean is…" Her deep, dark eyes shifted, a flowing radiance in them. "The demon tribe has been planning for over a millennium. No one can stop the Demon God from escaping its confinement. Since that is the case, why shouldn't I go with the flow? After all, I don't want to die alongside you all in this spirit realm, where spiritual energy is depleted."
The Human Emperor found himself momentarily speechless.
Anyone with a brain analyzing the situation would understand that they were like mantises trying to stop a chariot against the true demon. The true demon was an ancient god with power far exceeding that of immortals, while they, as cultivators, fundamentally belonged to the human category.
As the saying goes, even ants cling to life. Gu Junshi, having no attachments, was unwilling to perish with them, which was understandable. However, she should not have actively fueled the flames while they were desperately trying to prevent this catastrophe. If she had merely stood by, he wouldn't have thought her heart so cold.
At this moment, Dan Ya spoke, "Do you believe that once the true demon descends upon this realm, it will consume the mortal plane, exhausting its power, and that all you are doing now is to pledge your allegiance to it?"
Gu Junshi savored his words and did not refute them. "There is an old saying in the mortal world: the wise know when to adapt."
"You are right."
Gu Junshi had expected him to lecture her, like the others, believing her actions were evil or sinful. To her surprise, he agreed with her wholeheartedly.
Dan Ya said, "I wonder if only those who have achieved immortality are worthy of the Demon God's attention. I consider my talent to be quite good, and with a little more time, I am certain I can ascend. I would like to ask Ah Yi to introduce me when the opportunity arises."
He was perhaps the most seamless traitor.
Everyone present, whether they knew him or not, fell silent.
Seeing that he was even solemnly cupping his hands towards her, appearing eager to join her ranks as a great villain, Gu Junshi suddenly smiled.
"That you think this way… you are indeed a talent worth nurturing. However, to prove that your words are true and not some act of feigned loyalty, why don't you show me the greatest sincerity you can muster?"
Dan Ya smiled slightly and asked, "What do you want me to do?"
"It seems many people still disapprove of what we are about to do. I have important matters to attend to. Why don't you handle these troublesome issues?"
"Including dealing with your former fiancé?" Dan Ya looked at her deeply.
Gu Junshi said calmly, "Including anyone."