Abrupt Halt to the Anomaly, Qing Wan Inquires About the Origin Mystery

The wind swirled at the well's opening, stirring half a withered leaf.

I stood in the shade of the parasol tree, the residual warmth of that golden light still on my palm. The door to the medicine hut was ajar, the candle still lit, illuminating a slender figure standing motionless before the table, as if she had been waiting for a long time.

I knew she wouldn't leave.

Tapping the ground lightly with my toes, I walked slowly into the medicine hut. The wooden door closed silently behind me, and the scent of medicine washed over me, mixed with a faint hint of bitterness—the aura of the Blood Phoenix Body after excessive use. She had just forcefully activated her bloodline senses, and her meridians were still trembling slightly. Her fingertips were tinged with blue, the mark of medicine and spiritual sense intertwined.

She didn't turn around, but her voice rang out, "You can't hide."

I didn't answer, merely flicked the cuff of my sleeve. The last trace of golden light sank into my skin, completely concealing the aura of the Pseudo-Primordial Body.

"That black energy just now wasn't ordinary demonic poison," she turned, her gaze like a blade. "It was devouring divine souls, and the power you used... wasn't suppression, it was sealing. You could cut off the source of the mutation, even make it flow backward. This isn't healing, it's rewriting fate."

She walked closer step by step, then suddenly reached out and grabbed my wrist.

The moment our pulses met, her pupils contracted. The Blood Phoenix Eye had opened, capable of perceiving spiritual energy flows imperceptible to ordinary people. But what she saw was a dead stillness within me—my meridians empty, my spiritual platform sunken, as if I were truly a cripple with no fluctuations.

But she didn't believe it.

"You're hiding," she lowered her voice. "Not your cultivation, but your 'source.' The power in your body is like a well, dry on the surface, but with an undercurrent surging below. It doesn't follow the usual meridians, nor does it return to the Dantian, but... directly seeps into the bones."

I let her hold me, not struggling.

"Do you think I would sacrifice myself to kill him?" I retorted.

"You're not trying to kill him," she stared at me. "You're afraid that after he becomes a puppet, he'll say something he shouldn't."

The air fell silent for a moment.

I chuckled, then suddenly reversed my grip, holding her wrist. The force was not heavy, but it prevented her from pulling away. My palm grew warm, a faint golden halo slowly appearing beneath my skin, spreading like a thin mist. The aroma in the medicine hut seemed to freeze, and even the candle flame flickered and paused, as if held still by some invisible force.

Her breath hitched.

"In three months, the Primordial Ruins will open," I said softly. "There's an ancient stele there, inscribed with 'Those with broken bones are forbidden entry.' But I will still go in."

She frowned. "Are you crazy? That kind of restriction would directly crush your Sea of Consciousness."

"That's why I need someone who can protect my Divine Soul," I looked at her. "And you are the only one who has seen through my disguise and is still alive."

She abruptly pulled her hand away, stepping back half a pace. "You want to use me as a shield?"

"I want to take you with me," I stepped forward, blocking her between the medicine cabinet and my arm. "Haven't you always wanted to know my secret? The answer isn't here, it's in the depths of the secret realm. There lies a skeleton, wearing the same robes as me, with a crack on its chest—exactly where my Dao Bone was shattered."

Her expression changed.

"What did you say?"

"I said, that night three years ago, it wasn't just me whose Dao Bone was destroyed," I leaned close to her ear, my voice very soft. "Another person died in the same place, at the same time. And their body has never been found, even now."

She bit her lip, her knuckles turning slightly white.

"Why do you think I would believe you?"

"Because you're still standing here questioning me," I took a step back. "If I truly wanted to silence you, I wouldn't have pulled you away on the rooftop last night."

She was silent for a moment, then suddenly sneered, "So you're using the truth as bait, to have me scout the way for you?"

"It's cooperation," I took a crystal from my bosom and offered it to her. It was pale gold all over, with fine patterns flowing within, like a solidified vortex—it was a Remnant Dao Crystal condensed from the Heaven-Slaying Origin, one of nine.

"It can protect the Divine Soul, and it can resonate with the ancient stele," I said. "If you don't believe me, take it. If I lie to you inside, this thing will backfire and burn through my heart on the spot."

She stared at the crystal, not reaching for it.

"What exactly do you want to do?"

"I want to know who made the move three years ago," I put the crystal away, my gaze calm. "My cousin was just a pawn. The person who truly ordered the destruction of my Dao Bone is still sitting in the Elder Hall, drinking tea, watching me live like a cripple."

She finally spoke, "Then why don't you take revenge now?"

"Because I don't want his life," I looked out the window. "I want him to kneel and watch me step through that door he personally sealed."

The medicine hut fell into a brief silence.

The wind rustled the curtain, and the candle flickered.

She suddenly raised her hand, her fingertip brushing across the faint red scar on my left cheek. The touch was light, as if testing, or perhaps confirming something.

"This wound... it wasn't left during a sword fight, was it?"

I didn't move.

"It was the day of my awakening," I said slowly. "The price for the System recognizing me as its master."

She withdrew her hand, the golden light in her eyes flashing. "You said 'System'? What is that?"

I paused.

"It's something you'll never read about in any scripture in your lifetime," I avoided her gaze. "It doesn't teach cultivation, only how to 'survive.' The weaker you are, the safer; the more you endure, the stronger you become. It made me pretend to be a cripple for three years, just waiting for a chance to strike."

She stared at me for a long time, then suddenly said, "Aren't you afraid I'll tell someone?"

"You won't," I said. "Because you, like me, have long seen through the hypocrisy of this family. You think you're hiding well? You know how your mother died. And the reason you've never dared to act is because you're also waiting—waiting for someone who can break the rules."

Her pupils contracted sharply.

I said nothing more, just gently placed the pale gold crystal on the medicine table.

"It will disappear tonight," I said. "If you don't want to miss out, meet me at the back mountain cliff at midnight in three days. I won't force you, but remember—once you step into the secret realm, there's no turning back."

She didn't look at the crystal, only stared at me.

"Are you sure you can come out alive?"

"I'm not sure." I turned and walked towards the door. "But I'm sure that if I don't go, I'll be a piece of trash my whole life."

As my hand reached the bolt, she suddenly spoke:

"You just said that skeleton was wearing the same robe as you?"

I stopped.

"Yes."

"And on that robe... were there any patches?"

I looked back at her.

"On the left shoulder, there was a cloud pattern embroidered with blue thread, like a woman's work."

Her fingers tightened around the Medicine Pestle, knuckles turning white, her lips trembling slightly.

"That was my mother..." she said, her voice very soft. "When she was alive, she sewed winter clothes for all the young masters of the Ji Family's Direct Lineage."