One Body, Two Spirits (2)
He would never allow anyone to disrupt Xuan Luoqing’s awakening.
Xia stood at the doorway, sword in hand, a beautiful face flitting through his mind. He had watched her hatch from the magic egg, growing step by step into the powerful and peerless demon cultivator she is today.
But he was also indirectly responsible for her death. He had personally replaced the sleeping pills Xuan Luowan had ordered for the wine with the demon world’s aphrodisiac.
Xia recalled Lin Qianshuang’s tragic death in Xuan Luowan’s arms, a pang of sorrow hitting him, but he had no regrets.
His Majesty wanted to restore her true form and bring her unconscious younger sister back to the beast cultivation realm, but Xia would never allow that to happen.
His Majesty could not afford any more weaknesses. She could not make the same mistake again, letting her emotions get in the way.
The beast cultivation world, chaotic for years, needed an iron-fisted, cold-hearted emperor, not a sentimental, weak woman.
“Little Junior Sister, it’s a pity you’re the one His Majesty desires. Since you can’t stay away and let him forget you, I can only kill you. Otherwise, I would protect you.”
Xia mused, a hint of regret in his voice, as he gazed towards the forbidden area. By now, His Majesty should have retrieved the Cold Cicada Zither. He wondered if it was the Young Master (Xuan Luowan) or their Demon Emperor (Xuan Luoqing) who would emerge.
In the forbidden Refining Valley, Xuan Luowan, transformed into a white fox, carried Lin Qianshuang’s unconscious body, a white streak of light against the cliffs and forests, stopping before a cave entrance.
The Heavenly Demon Pillar in the distant main hall of the Jiuchong Demon Palace, clicked as it unlocked. Two marks engraved on the pillar lit up, and the forbidden area’s door swung open.
Xuan Luowan, carrying Lin Qianshuang, entered the cave. Icicles stood in disarray within. Deep inside the uncanny cave, the Cold Cicada Zither was frozen within a towering icicle. The seven strings vibrated with excitement, sensing a familiar presence.
Xuan Luowan used her demonic power to sever the icicle horizontally. It collapsed and floated on the ice water. She laid Lin Qianshuang’s body on the fallen pillar, then sat beside it, gazing down at her face. Her fingers traced Lin Qianshuang’s features, lingering on her cold hand, which she clasped in her own.
To save Lin Qianshuang, she had to extract the power sealed within the Cold Cicada Zither, and her sister would awaken with it.
The art of soul restoration required using someone’s soul as a medium.
The entanglement with Han Shengyao had severely damaged Xuan Luowan’s vitality. Only her sister could perform this technique, and she could only connect the two as the living eyes of the formation.
She didn’t know if she could escape the spell’s erosion. The worst outcome was that she would sleep in this body for a long time until she recovered and was awakened again.
“So what if you never truly liked me?”
Xuan Luowan’s face drew near to Lin Qianshuang’s on the ice, resting against her forehead. A light kiss landed on her closed eyes and lips.
Knowing there would be no response, Xuan Luowan stubbornly kissed her with increasing intensity, until the cold face frozen by the low temperature gradually warmed.
She clasped Lin Qianshuang’s cold fingertips with one hand and whispered in her ear, “Lin Qianshuang, remember, you owe me, Xuan Luowan, your life. You owe me a debt that can never be repaid. If we meet again, I will not hesitate or choose to let you go. I will make you fall in love with me, and I will make you redeem your whole heart.”
Xuan Luowan and Lin Qianshuang’s cold bodies lay together for a long time before she released her grip on Lin Qianshuang’s hand and walked to the icicle where the frozen Cold Cicada Zither lay.
“Sister. You’ve been watching my jokes for so long, it’s time to come out.”
Xuan Luowan addressed a point in the air, her palm pressed against the ice. A wisp of demonic energy spread, melting the ice. The Cold Cicada Zither flew out of the melting ice, hovering above her head.
The harp’s sound reverberated, a silver light flooding Xuan Luowan’s body, engulfing her in its glow.
When the light faded, Xuan Luoqing, the captivating Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts with silver hair, stood there, holding the Cold Cicada Zither.
Xuan Luoqing’s silver hair was styled in a dignified and elegant bun, adorned with pearls and jade that hung between her temples, adding a touch of nobility and grandeur to her already alluring presence. The rest of her hair cascaded down her shoulders like moonlight, rippling with a silver aura as she moved.
She wore a fox fur cloak, a daring and sensual garment that exposed her shoulders and partially veiled her chest. Her long, straight white legs peeked out from beneath the irregular hem of her skirt, exuding a captivating charm that reached deep into the soul.
Xuan Luoqing frowned, absorbing Xuan Luowan’s memories. She couldn’t help but think to her sister, “Xiaowan, you’re truly foolish, risking your life for a demon cultivator.”
“Sister, you’re the only one who can save her now.”
“I told you beforehand, if you cast the forbidden spell, you might disappear.”
Xuan Luoqing reprimanded, “Do you really want to risk your life for this demon cultivator?”
“Sister, you call me foolish, but how are you any different? You split me from yourself, lost the Cold Cicada Zither, and then I had to suppress you for hundreds of years.”
Xuan Luoqing, stung by the mention of the past, snapped, “Alright, alright, no need to say more. You want to leave me, and I’m happy to let you go. We won’t have to fight over our bodies anymore.”
Xuan Luoqing, always direct and true to her word, set up the formation and pulled Xuan Luowan’s soul from her own body, placing it at the formation’s center.
She casually picked up Lin Qianshuang’s body from the ice, intending to throw it into the formation. But as her fingers brushed against the cold skin, a familiar sensation flooded her.
Thousands of years had passed, and she had long forgotten the face of the one she had loved for so long. Only her scent remained, a memory she held close.
Xuan Luoqing’s red eyes trembled as she stared at Lin Qianshuang’s face, disbelief clouding her gaze. Her arms tightened around the body, and she muttered in a voice laced with both joy and confusion, “How is this possible? Didn’t she die thousands of years ago? And I, as the ’target’ she spoke of, was already ‘conquered’ by her, as she promised. So why is she here?”
“Could this be before Qianshuang entered the Beast Cultivation Realm’s Heaven and Earth Legacy Mansion?”
Yet the Qianshuang of the present didn’t recognize her now, nor had she died in front of her thousands of years ago.
Xuan Luoqing activated the magic circle, initiating the soul-restoration technique, her gaze fixed on Lin Qianshuang. The joy that had bloomed in her heart quickly withered, leaving only a long silence.
For thousands of years, she had yearned for time to rewind, just to save the one she loved. Now, Lin Qianshuang stood before her, alive. But if history repeated, her fate would still be sealed – death.
“If I can keep you alive, I will never allow you to step into the Beast Cultivation Realm again. I would rather never see you for the rest of my life.”
Xuan Luoqing stared at Lin Qianshuang’s face, now regaining its healthy color, and made a silent vow.
The soul-returning technique began to take effect. Xuan Luowan’s soul, gradually fading, was drawn into the Cold Cicada Zither as the magic circle completed its task.
Beep beep beep…
On the system’s favorability screen, Xuan Luoqing’s avatar had been unlocked, but strangely, there was no favorability bar beneath it. In the task bar, the only thing displayed was the locked, blood-red name “Xuan Luowan.”
Lin Qianshuang stood in the void of the system world. Since her death in the book world, she had not been erased but brought to this space.
She had asked the system if she was still alive, but the system denied her.
The system explained at length why she hadn’t been erased. “[Host, do you remember what I told you, that changes to the characters in the book could affect the plot and even create a butterfly effect?]”
“[After the character (Xuan Luowan) was affected after crossing paths with you, the Heavenly Dao has patched up the plot logic loopholes, and for this reason, the system has also changed the difficulty of your strategy and the mission. Your death, however, was also due to the character’s (Xuan Luowan) plot development producing variables, and thus this system did not wipe you out.]”
Lin Qianshuang had a hidden answer in her heart and said to the system, “Now that the Beast Emperor Xuan Luoqing’s strategy interface has changed, could it be that Xiao Wan is related to the Beast Emperor’s strategy mission?”
“[Host, this system can seriously tell you that the Demon Emperor Xuan Luoqing is one body and two souls, but Xuan Luoqing is the main soul. Therefore, the moment the character (Xuan Luowan) appears, the strategy prompt cannot light up.]”
Lin Qianshuang scrutinized the Beast Emperor’s task box on the favorability interface, a nagging feeling settling in her gut that this would be a formidable challenge.
Suddenly, a powerful force pulled her backward, and a blinding light assaulted her eyes.
Was this the end? Was she going to be erased?
“[Host, rest assured. You have been rescued and will re-enter the novel world of “Conquest of the Four Realms” in ten seconds. Wish you a successful strategy!]”
The system’s notification brought a wave of relief. She couldn’t die. She had to remember her parents, waiting for her in the real world.
A frigid air filled her lungs as she lay on the ice. She awoke, gasping for breath, the biting cold searing her trachea. She coughed involuntarily, a deep, hacking sound.
“You’re awake.”
A familiar female voice reached her ears.
“Xiaowan!” Lin Qianshuang thought, “She’s still alive!”
Relief washed over her, followed by a pang of self-reproach. She had been so foolish. The system had said Xuan Luowan and the Beast Emperor shared a body, two souls. The Beast Emperor was an important character; she wouldn’t have been easily killed off.
Lin Qianshuang sat up, her eyes focusing on the woman before her. A strange feeling crept in. The silver-haired beauty had Xuan Luowan’s face, but her attire and aura were entirely different. This woman exuded a mature, fiery sensuality that Xuan Luowan, with her innocent charm, could never possess.
This couldn’t be Xuan Luowan.
There was only one possibility: Xuan Luoqing.
Feigning ignorance, Lin Qianshuang looked at Xuan Luoqing with a confused expression. “Why am I here? You’re not Xiaowan, who are you? Why do you look exactly like her?”
Xuan Luoqing rose, taking the Cold Cicada Zither in hand. “You needn’t ask me,” she said, “I do not know why you are here.”
Her crimson eyes burned with fierce hatred as she continued, “I only know that Xiaowan sacrificed her soul to revive you with a spirit-returning spell. She is now trapped within the Cold Cicada Zither, and it is unknown when she will awaken.”
“Xiaowan… she sacrificed her soul for me?” Lin Qianshuang was stunned, her feigned confusion dissolving into genuine worry. “Is she alright? Can I see her?”
Xuan Luoqing spun away, dodging Lin Qianshuang’s outstretched hand, her voice laced with disdain. “She is far from alright. I don’t know what kind of mind-control spell you, a vile and repulsive demon cultivator, cast upon her. She’s so obsessed with you that she’s willing to pay the ultimate price, the price of non-existence.”
The realization struck Lin Qianshuang like a bolt of lightning. Xuan Luowan had saved her from oblivion, but now she herself was in grave danger. Guilt washed over her, replacing the joy she had felt with a heavy burden of sorrow.
Xuan Luoqing’s gaze lingered on Lin Qianshuang, scrutinizing her every movement and expression. Scrutinizing Qianshuang’s crimson eyes, filled with a deep restrained love. After a long moment, she turned away, her voice sharp with anger. “You hurt Xiaowan, nearly taking her life. As the sovereign of the beast cultivator realm, I will not tolerate such an offense against my sister. You owe her your life. Are you willing to save her?”
Lin Qianshuang, consumed by guilt, looked at Xuan Luoqing with earnest concern. “Of course I am willing. I just don’t know how to save Xiaowan.”
Xuan Luoqing, holding the Cold Cicada Zither, separated it into two seven-stringed instruments. She presented one to Lin Qianshuang without turning around. “This zither holds Xiaowan’s shattered soul. Only the finest spiritual energy can restore it. I have tested your body, and you possess the Phoenix Yang spirit, which can help her. With time, you may be able to reshape her soul.”
Lin Qianshuang took the harp, bowing her head respectfully. “Please be assured, I will return Xiaowan unharmed.”
Xuan Luoqing’s gaze hardened, her voice laced with disdain. “There is no need to return her. The beast cultivator world will not accept a deceitful, low-character demon like you.”
Lin Qianshuang felt a pang of discomfort as she met Xuan Luoqing’s disapproving stare.
“It’s good that Xiaowan is gone. If you help her reshape her soul, you can find another body for her. Then I won’t have to worry about my sister coming back to fight me for my body.”
Lin Qianshuang was confused by Xuan Luoqing’s disdain. She had a sudden realization.
Yes, in the original novel, Xuan Luoqing had a human cultivator lover. But now she had absorbed Xuan Luowan’s memories. Xuan Luoqing must be emotionally sensitive and couldn’t accept that her alter ego had fallen in love with someone else. This was the source of her dislike.
Lin Qianshuang felt awkward. They were the most familiar strangers. They had never met, but they had spent months together in Xuan Luowan’s memories.
“Your Majesty, the Demon Realm has discovered our location. Please leave immediately!”
Xia stood at the entrance of the teleportation array, addressing Xuan Luoqing. He looked at Lin Qianshuang with disbelief, then his eyes flickered suspiciously.
Xuan Luoqing was worried about leaving Lin Qianshuang alone in the Demon Realm. She had seen in Xuan Luowan’s memories how aggressive the Lord of the Demon Realm was towards her.
She was about to take Lin Qianshuang’s hand and lead her out of the Demon Realm when Xia suddenly stepped forward, pulling Lin Qianshuang aside and kneeling. “Your Majesty,” he said, “please leave quickly. I will take the little one out of the Demon Realm myself.”
“Take her out of the Demon Realm?” Xuan Luoqing’s red eyes narrowed as she glared at Xia. “I think you want to keep her locked up in the Demon Realm forever.”
Cold sweat broke out on Xia’s back. “Your Majesty, how dare I disobey your orders?”
Xuan Luoqing’s face softened into a seductive smile, but her tone remained sharp. “You haven’t disobeyed my orders many times? I told you to break the barrier in Shuangshuang’s room, but you didn’t even try. Instead, you poisoned her. I asked you to get sleeping pills, but you gave her aphrodisiacs. Do you really think I’m oblivious?”
Xia was stunned. He knelt with his head bowed, unable to meet her gaze.
“Xiaowan and I remember your years of service,” Xuan Luoqing said, “and we gave you a chance to redeem yourself. But you didn’t cherish it. I’m very disappointed in you.”
Desperate, Xia grabbed Xuan Luoqing’s arm. “Your Majesty, I’m doing this for your own good. You can’t keep this woman! One day, she will destroy you.”
Lin Qianshuang was so shocked that Xia pointed at her nose, unable to believe that the person before her was the same patient and gentle senior brother from before.
He wanted to harm her, even to take her life!
How could there be such hatred and resentment between them? Where did this hatred come from?
If you want to accuse someone, you need a reason.
Lin Qianshuang felt like she was being unjustly accused. She had become a scapegoat for no reason, and she was deeply wronged.