Even when both hands had been cut open by blades, blood seeping from every wound, Jingliu's hands had never trembled in the slightest.
But now, the weapon that had once felt so light seemed unbearably heavy.
She was like a helpless child, clumsily gripping her sword.
How to hold a sword, how to swing it—those skills that had once been rooted in every cell of her body had all vanished, leaving behind a blank white world.
The world was silent, until... flowing blood stained that white world red.
The Soul Severance Sword pierced Bai Heng's body.
And at that moment, he bent down and kissed Jingliu on the lips.
His lips were so cold, and his movements so unpracticed.
Yet his pupils had drunk in the amber sky above the Sea of Stars Skiffs, reflecting it in Jingliu's eyes.
She clumsily reached out, wanting to embrace the sky, but her sky had grown so dim at that moment, as though it were enduring its final sunset.
Though it was only a step away, she seemed to chase the setting sun for a long, long time, until the sun fell beyond the horizon and boundless darkness swept across the entire world.
Fine frost fell upon the scorched earth.
Her eyes were lowered. There were no tears, nor were there any words of mourning left.
When the Alchemy Commission healers who had come as reinforcements tried to approach, taking several steps forward, the crisp sound of thin ice shattering rang out beneath their feet.
When they came back to their senses, they felt bone-piercing cold spreading from Jingliu's body. A layer of thin ice formed over the scorched earth, and the freezing air rushed at them, making it impossible to draw near.
Sorrow was like a sharp bone spur, slowly sinking into Jingliu's body, yet she turned that silent grief into a blizzard.
Specks of snow settled on her shoulders, gradually wrapping around her and drowning her sorrow.
In an instant, she seemed to have forgotten many things.
At the beginning of her life, what she had loved most was practicing swordsmanship. After that... it had been tasting the various fine wines he brought back from among the stars... He seemed to have told her of the stars he had passed, the wonders of his homeland, and amusing things he had encountered, but she could not remember any of it... Those memories spun and spun inside her head... yet no matter what, she could not find them...
Gradually, her dark red pupils were stained with blood. Her silver hair fluttered amid the snow, while the curtain of snow slanted across her bloodstained robes.
In the last moment of clarity, Jingliu tore the black silk from Bai Heng's cuff.
She used it to blindfold herself...
Simulation Ended Achievement Obtained: Life Like Summer Flowers (Perhaps the outcome was somewhat regrettable, but your life was brilliant enough.) Reward: Simulation Points +500 Achievement Obtained: Rebirth Through Destruction (Your aesthetics of destruction have earned Their approval.) Reward: Simulation Points +500 Achievement Obtained: Betraying Master and Ancestors (Sing a hymn for humanity's courage—perhaps it will succeed.) Reward: Simulation Points +500 Achievement Obtained: Suiyang Trainer (Successfully tamed a Suiyang. Young man, perhaps one day you can become a Suiyang Master too.) Reward: Simulation Points +500 Simulation Rating: S-. Reward: Simulation Points +3000 Distributing rewards: Longevity Lock (three stars), Sword Heart (five stars), Versatile (four stars). If you do not make a selection, the highest star rating will be chosen by default... "Sword Heart" (five stars) locked in. Simulation Points: 10000 (+5000) points (This currency can be used in the Simulation Shop.) New Attribute Points: 400 Panel Updated: Bai Heng Life Talents: Alluring Youth (five stars), Sword Heart (five stars) Vitality: 270 (Life Talent Sword Heart +100) Endurance: 270 (Life Talent Sword Heart +100) Strength: 270 (Life Talent Sword Heart +100) Agility: 230 (Life Talent Sword Heart +100) Spirit: 600 (Life Talent Sword Heart +300) Charm: 700 Note: For ordinary humans who are not Pathstriders, the average value for each attribute is 100. Current Simulations: 0. Refresh Time: 27 days
"Cough..."
Bai Heng, who had been lying facedown on a walnut table, jolted awake. His whole body was drenched in cold sweat, the back of his head throbbed with pain, and the bustling chatter of pedestrians and merchants' cries from the street below filled his ears.
It took him a long while to recover, and his vision gradually cleared.
Before him was still the inn room where he had been temporarily detained. Besides an overturned teacup, there was also a wooden food box on the table.
Looking at everything before him, Bai Heng still felt somewhat dazed, to be honest.
The scene in his sea of consciousness, as well as the final moment when she had pierced him with her sword, still felt vividly present.
And that final kiss... it was as if lingering warmth still remained on his lips.
"Master... Sister... could you please not bite people when you kiss... It really hurts..."
For no particular reason, Bai Heng muttered that to himself. He steadied himself and set the overturned teacup upright. Fortunately, there had been no tea inside, so the table had not been dirtied. Otherwise, he would have had to spend time cleaning it.
As for the food box, Bai Heng did not open it right away.
To him, the most important thing was figuring out the current situation. After all, he was being held at this inn as a suspect.
Bai Heng stood and walked to the door, pushing it open.
Just then, two Cloud Knights happened to be standing in the corridor.
But before Bai Heng could speak, one of the Cloud Knights—a sturdy-looking young man around twenty—smiled and took the initiative.
"Ah, you're awake."
"Just woke up." Bai Heng nodded slightly. Since he had not yet figured out the situation, he did not speak carelessly.
The Cloud Knight continued.
"I saw that you were asleep, so I didn't disturb you. There's dinner prepared for you over there. You saw it, right?"
"Yeah, I saw it."
"Haha." He scratched his head. "Little brother, here's the thing. The Ten-Lords Commission's interrogation results just came in. You weren't with those people selling prohibited drugs. You're just a tourist."
Hearing that, Bai Heng paused slightly.
"So I can leave now?"
"That's right. We made a mistake, and we're sorry. If you need compensation for your losses, you can file a report at the nearby Cloud Knight office." He habitually scratched his head, his expression genuinely apologetic.
Seeing this, Bai Heng said, "I understand. You have your own difficulties. The Xianzhou is an important place—if criminals were allowed to infiltrate it, outsiders like us traveling the star sea would be affected as well."
Since the misunderstanding had been resolved, there was nothing more to say. Bai Heng was known for having a good attitude.
Even when Xiao Si had flown the starship that badly, he could still console himself by saying that at least it had saved time.
Now, he had merely been detained by the Luofu for four hours. Naturally, he did not care, nor did he need to demand compensation for it.
After chatting with the Cloud Knight for a while, Bai Heng retrieved the belongings that had been held in custody and then left the inn.
But when he reached the crowded street and looked at the Xianzhou natives, Foxians, Vidya Clan members, and other outsiders walking through it, he felt a sense of belonging, as though he should have been one of them.
After all, he had lived in this place for fifteen years. Now, seven hundred years had passed, yet the Luofu had not changed much. Some shops had only gone through two generations of inheritance over those seven centuries.
"How nice... Since I have nothing to do today, I'll go to the Alchemy Commission for a foot massage..."
"Wait, why am I so familiar with this?"
The Xianzhou simulation was finally finished.
It's been too cold these past two days, and my hands were frozen stiff, so I could only do one update a day. (Jingliu definitely did this.) I'll make up for it later. I want gifts, hehe.
If you can't find it by searching the book title, try searching for the author—it may have just been renamed!
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