Jade Flute paused at this point.
"Master didn't react."
"I panicked."
"I said, 'Master, you can't! If you dissolve your own true yang, you'll die. And Pipa isn't that sort of person. However much she hates you, she would never kill people who have nothing to do with her, much less want your life.'"
"I wanted to take Master by the arm and bring Pipa away with us."
"I said, 'If there really is something wrong with her, we can investigate it slowly once we're out. If we really can't figure it out, we can go to Eldest Martial Uncle.'"
"I don't think Master answered. He just looked at Pipa."
Jade Flute paused and raised his eyes to the others.
"But Pipa didn't give me a chance to keep talking."
"She looked at Master and said with a smile, 'Ruyi, I won't go with you. If I leave this place, I'll die. If you don't dissolve your own true yang, I'll die too.
"'Choose.'
"'Will you die, or will I?'"
Jade Flute closed his eyes.
"At that moment, I panicked."
"I immediately asked her why she would die, and who she really was."
"But no matter what I asked, she wouldn't answer. She just looked at Master like that, refusing to say another word."
"Master was silent for a long time."
"So long that I thought he would never speak again."
"But in the end, he did ask."
"'If I dissolve my own true yang, you won't die?'"
"Pipa said, 'Yes.'"
Jade Flute lowered his eyes.
"When Master heard that, he nodded and said, 'All right.'"
At this point, Bajie couldn't help sitting a little straighter.
"He agreed just like that?"
"Yes."
Jade Flute nodded. "I didn't try to dissuade him again, because I knew I couldn't stop him