Chapter 22: The Ultimate Betrayal


    Ji Yaoge stood quietly, waiting for him to speak.


    The evening wind howled atop the cliff, ruffling Bai Yan''s hair into disarray. The sky, not yet fully dark, disyed a faint crescent moon, much like his pale lips.


    He seemed bothered by his messy hair and raised his hand to push it back. With his hand still in his hair, he pressed his forehead against his knuckles andughed, "What are you talking about, Senior Sister? I don''t understand."


    "Bai Yan, blocked meridians and reversed energy flow can lead to your body exploding. Do you want to die?" Ji Yaoge remained calm andposed, neither in a hurry nor angry.


    Bai Yan leaned back against the cliff wall, some hair falling loose again. Far from being angry about being exposed, heughed even more brightly, his lips stained with blood, making him look almost demonic.


    "When did you find out? Or did you regain your memory?" He stopped pretending.


    "No," Ji Yaoge answered coolly. "I started suspecting when the medicine went missing from Cangling Pavilion."


    The theft was the work of the previous Ji Yaoge. She didn''t sell the stolen medicine or use it herself, so it had to be for someone else. "Ji Yaoge" was a low-level cultivator, quiet and unassuming, with few close friends. Observing her interactions, the only ones she was close to were Jiao Tao and Bai Yan. However, their cultivation levels didn''t match. The stolen medicine required a cultivator at least at the seventh level of Qi Refinement to use. Neither Jiao Tao nor Bai Yan was at that level.


    So, even though she suspected Bai Yan, she couldn''t be certain until he attacked Ren Zhongping. That level of skill wasn''t something a Qi Refining cultivator could possess. When she examined his body earlier, she confirmed he had long surpassed the Foundation Establishment stage but had been hiding it.


    He had only been in the sect for twelve years. Reaching Foundation Establishment in twelve years was almost as fast as her own progress, but unlike her, he had no exceptional talent or sect support.


    The only exnation was that he had forcibly enhanced his cultivation with drugs.


    "Twelve years to reach Foundation Establishment, a speed few in the entire cultivation world could match. To avoid jealousy and suspicion from fellow disciples, you chose to hide your cultivation. Everything was going smoothly until you didn''t realize forcibly enhancing your cultivation with drugs could cause your meridians to block and your energy to reverse, risking your body exploding. So you set your sights on the Tongtian Pill, the only medicine you could ess that could cure this condition," Ji Yaoge continued to reveal the truth.


    "So what? Senior Sister and I were in love and had nned to be Daopanions. She stole the medicine willingly. What are you trying to say? That I used her?" Bai Yan coughed a few times, looking indifferent.


    Ji Yaoge remembered the rebellious junior brother from Wanren Mountain, even punished, always with that same nonchnt attitude.


    Talking about dual cultivation brought her second suspicion.


    From the moment she met Bai Yan, he had been particrly affectionate toward her. Recently, he had even suggested bing Daopanions. It all seemed genuine—his feelings, the intimacy of lovers, even the jealousy of a man. But he didn''t know that the previous Ji Yaogecked feelings.


    Gao Badou mentioned that the previous Ji Yaoge was a "Double Absolute Body" (双绝体).


    She could never have loved Bai Yan.


    So if there was no emotional attachment, the only reason to be Daopanions was for cultivation. But Ji Yaoge''s physique wasn''t suitable for cultivation; no male cultivator would want to marry her. Her only useful trait was her ess to the Cangling Pavilion.


    "Dual cultivation might be true, but it was never out of love. It was merely a transaction," Ji Yaoge said.


    She helped him steal medicine for cultivation; he agreed to be her Daopanion and protect her.


    That''s all it was.


    The previous Ji Yaoge wasn''t foolish; she was actually quite smart and pragmatic. This was evident from how she managed Cangling Pavilion so well and stole medicine without anyone knowing. A smart woman like her wouldn''t willingly live a life of mediocrity if she could help it, but since she couldn''t cultivate, she had to find another way.


    Jiao Tao had said that if one had low cultivation and wanted a better life, the best bet was to find a powerful backer. Even if cultivation remained unattainable, at least life would be stable within a limited lifespan. Ji Yaoge, being too ordinary, couldn''t find a powerful backer, so she had to raise one herself.


    She helped him cultivate; he provided protection.


    The so-called deep affection was just a facade for their respective ambitions and goals.


    Both of them were motivated by worldly and selfish calctions.


    This world was crueler than Ji Yaoge had imagined. Her previous life had been toofortable and secure to understand why Bai Li Qing would betray her for a body or why Bai Yan would use emotions as a weapon for a few pills.


    But now, she gradually understood.


    The dangers of demonic beasts were nothingpared to theplexities of the human heart.


    The Tongtian Pill was the wedge that created a rift in their transaction.


    With Ji Yaoge''s pragmatic personality, why would she risk everything to steal the only Tongtian Pill from the Cangling Pavilion for Bai Yan?


    But without the Tongtian Pill, Bai Yan''s life was in danger.


    "So when I got injured and lost my memory, you thought it was your chance." Ji Yaoge squatted in front of him, her clear eyes devoid of the familiarity he once knew. "Rtionships based solely on mutual benefit are hard to maintain, and you couldn''t control me. So you nned to make me fall in love with you while I was amnesiac, hoping I would steal the Tongtian Pill out of love, like you just tried with your act. Bai Yan, you could have easily blocked that Yin Ghost''s strike. You didn''t need to save me with your life, did you?"


    Most people believe that once emotions are involved, rationality will be clouded, causing individuals to do irrational things for love. He hoped she would steal the Tongtian Pill out of love.


    Because once in love, she''d do it without hesitation.


    Unfortunately, Ji Yaoge was now more rational than ever. Her heart was like a clear mirror, seeing everything inly and detached. This made her seem cold and unfeeling. Ji Yaoge didn''t like this about herself. Being emotional had its benefits; at least emotions were real, and so were the feelings and experiences.


    Cultivation is about enlightenment. If one forcibly cuts off emotions and desires, how can they "enlighten"? Only by experiencing them can one truly understand.


    That was the essence of the "Enchanting Bone Technique" (媚骨诀) and her current realization.


    Bai Yan turned his head, looking at the distant mountains. After a long silence, he supported himself on the sharp cliff wall and stood up. His injuries were severe, making even standing difficult. Coughing hard, he spat out blood and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. Stumbling, he began to walk back the way they came.


    "Where are you going?" Ji Yaoge asked.


    "Now that you''ve seen through me, what''s the point of staying? I''ll return to the sect and find a ce to die," he said without turning back, slowly walking along the cliff wall.


    Ji Yaoge watched him, his back covered in shocking wounds, but said nothing.


    After a few steps, he stopped abruptly and asked with his back to her, "Can I ask you something? Ren Zhongping said he killed you. What happened?"


    "Your Senior Sister Ji is dead. I''m not her. Ren Zhongping used a Yin Soul Technique to extract her soul. I was possessed, and my soul escaped, finding her empty body after her soul was taken..." Her calm voice narrated the events as if they were the most ordinary thing.


    Bai Yan''s hand, gripping the cliff wall, tightened suddenly. His knuckles were cut by the sharp stones, and blood dripped down.


    "Is that so?" His tone was faint, "So she really is dead."


    Even though he had guessed, hearing it confirmed was different.


    Ji Yaoge took two steps toward him, and he shouted, "Don''te closer!"


    "Don''te closer..." His second warning was weak. He leaned his head against the cliff wall, shoulders trembling uncontrobly, andughed, "Hahaha... that fool really is dead?"


    Hisugh was unrestrained.


    Ji Yaoge listened silently.


    After a longugh, he spoke again, "Do you know how Ren Zhongping tricked her the day she died?" He paused, then added, "It was with the Tongtian Pill."


    After speaking, heughed again, his voice uneven, "Do you think she was foolish?"


    Ji Yaoge remained silent. Gao Badou had said she was a Double Absolute Body, born without emotions. What aboutter? Did she ever fall for Bai Yan? Or at least have a fleeting affection? This question would never have an answer, but Ji Yaoge was curious. She was missing part of her soul and hadn''t thought about Gu Xingzhi for a long time. If she were to meet him one day, she didn''t know what would happen.


    Heughed for a long time without turning around. Only when he couldn''t stand anymore and began to slide down did he stopughing, "Hey, I did genuinely want to be Daopanions with her. I wanted to protect her. Everything I promised was true. Do you believe me?"


    This had nothing to do with love. Twelve years ofpanionship, support in their humble beginnings, the bonds formed over countless days... His promises were never false.


    "I believe you," Ji Yaoge said without hesitation.


    Despite all the ugliness, there was always a sliver of truth left untouched—that was the initial intention.


    Just now, she had felt his emotions. She hadn''t reached the level of easily sensing others'' feelings, especially not with someone as cunning and guarded as Bai Yan. But just now... his emotions had beenid bare, unable to be concealed.


    To Ji Yaoge, it felt like standing in a vibrant field of blooming flowers during spring, but feeling as if she were in the dead of winter, icy cold. What she saw was false; what she felt inside was the truth.


    Crying for joy,ughing for sorrow.


    Hisughter was the epitome of grief and pain.


    "Thank you," he said, supporting himself on the wall and taking another step.


    "I can heal your injuries," came the calm voice behind him.


    Bai Yan stopped again, but Ji Yaoge walked briskly past him.


    Her voice was indifferent, "Don''t put on that act in front of me again. I don''t like it. Let''s go. We''ve been out too long. We should check on Ren Zhongping."


    He was stunned but saw her walking ahead, neither helping nor looking at him.


    So, she didn''t see the vulnerability and fear in his red eyes.


    ————


    The night was deep, heavy with dew, and the mountains were shrouded in moonlight.


    A shadownded in the forest where Ji Yaoge and Bai Yan had fought earlier. The forest was pitch ck, with no moonlight reaching in, yet he moved effortlessly, as if it were daylight.


    After a few steps, he squatted down, reaching his hand to the ground. He picked up a bit of ash and sniffed it before shaking it off.


    "Yin Ghost?" He murmured, his voice low and pleasant.


    "Heh..." After a moment, heughed again, "Hiding in Wanhua after all these years. No wonder I couldn''t find you in the ghost realm. Interesting..."


    ————


    The crescent moon hung low, and the countless peaks of Wanren Mountain seemed dusted with frost, appearing soft and gentle from afar.


    Bai Li Qing stood on the Star-Gazing tform, wrapped in a cloak. The wind chilled her cheeks but couldn''tpare to the coldness in her heart.


    The surroundings were silent and empty, except for the person kneeling in the magic circle before her. Their face was deathly pale, movements stiff—none other than the Yin Ghost Bai Yan and Ji Yaoge had let go.


    The Yin Ghost held up a jade ring.


    "A Tianxiao Sect''s Violet me Ring. Did Xiao Wu Henge himself?" She muttered, gripping the ring tightly, almost crushing it.


    Fear flickered across her face, quickly reced by overwhelming hatred.


    The stars twinkled, the gxy far and vibrant, more vivid and enchanting than the barren skies of memory, yet she still longed for that ruggednd.


    It was the homnd she could never return to.