Xie Zhaolin's fingertips trembled ever so slightly.
"Burning it is fine too…"
Her lashes lowered, hiding the cold glint in her eyes. The words sounded like concern, but the meaning beneath them was far from simple. If he truly cherished Ah Xiu, this house should've been her last refuge. Burning it down and erasing all traces—what about that could possibly be "good"?
Unless…
What he wanted wasn't Ah Xiu's survival, but her disappearance.
"Young Master Chu…" She raised her head timidly, letting the bruises around her neck stand out even more. "Where are we going?"
"Home." Chu Huaizhou's voice was low, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the faded peace charm at his waist. "Back to our home."
Her gaze sharpened for a moment. That answer was… unexpected.
"We were engaged from the start." Chu Huaizhou took out a marriage contract from his robes, the cinnabar seal on it still fresh. "Now that we're rid of Zhang Laosan…"
Her eyes flicked to the paper, where Chu Huaizhou's name sat neatly beside Zhang Xiuxiu's. A cold laugh stirred in her chest. Marriage contract? If this engagement really mattered to him, Ah Xiu would never have suffered like she did.
This wasn't protection. It was a gilded cage.
Seeing her dazed, Chu Huaizhou quickly added, "My father and mother… they've missed you."
Her fingers curled inside her sleeve, though her face lit with feigned anticipation. "Uncle Chu, Aunt Chu… are they well?"
"They're fine." His eyes flickered. "Mother even prepared new bedding for you, she said autumn nights are cold…"
Mockery flickered in her eyes. She didn't have Ah Xiu's full memories, but the fragments she'd inherited were enough to tell her how much Madam Chu despised Ah Xiu. That woman must've been the biggest obstacle to their so-called engagement.
And now she cared about whether Ah Xiu caught cold?
"I'm relieved to hear that…" She suddenly reached out and clasped his wrist, sending her divine sense quietly probing through his body. "But why's your palm so cold?"
The flow of spiritual power through his meridians made her brows twitch. This wasn't cultivation earned through proper practice. It was forced, as if someone had poured it into him. She withdrew her hand, masking her suspicion with concern. "You don't look well."
Chu Huaizhou forced a smile. "It's nothing, just fatigue from traveling."
The carriage rolled along the mountain road, leaving the burning courtyard far behind.
One day later.
A girl in pink robes stepped lightly across the charred beams, her embroidered shoes nudging aside a brittle shard of tile.
"Where are they?" Yu Xiaotang asked softly, her tone laced with faint impatience.
In her mind, a cold mechanical voice echoed:
[Warning: Current points insufficient. Tracking function unavailable.]
Her gaze darkened as she sneered inwardly. "Trash."
The system hesitated a moment before replying mechanically:
[Host may gain more points by completing Love Fate Missions. Once sufficient points are accumulated, further tracking will be available.]
Her nails dug into her palm.
Five years ago, when this so-called "Love Fate System" invaded her sea of consciousness, she thought it was a deviation in her cultivation, some heart demon. But then a Foundation Establishment Pill had appeared in her hand from thin air, helping her break through…
Now five years had passed. She'd long since seen the system's true face. It claimed to aid her, yet it shackled her at every turn. Still, she needed its power for now.
She couldn't tear off the mask yet.
Her eyes swept over the ruins. Nothing but ash.
"You're certain it's here?" she asked impatiently.
[Coordinates confirmed: last known location of the target.]
"Senior Sister, there's no trace of life here," a Hehuan Sect disciple reported.
"Search carefully," she said softly, though her voice brooked no refusal. "Don't leave a single piece of rubble unchecked."
The disciples spread out again, spiritual sense sweeping across the scorched ground. Suddenly, one of them froze near a shattered water vat. His expression changed. "Young Sect Master! Something's off here!"
Yu Xiaotang's robes swayed as she walked over. The disciple brushed away tiles, revealing loosened soil beneath. A faint stench seeped out.
"Dig." Her order was light, but absolute.
Several disciples formed seals, earth flying under spiritual control. Moments later, a mangled corpse surfaced, chest riddled with deep stab wounds, the flesh torn as if stabbed again and again.
The disciples exchanged uneasy looks.
"System," Yu Xiaotang commanded coldly in her mind. "Scan the corpse."
[Scanning…]
[Weak energy detected: traces of a Qi Refining cultivator.]
[No match with existing cultivator database.]
Her brows furrowed.
Qi Refining? Could she have been mistaken?
Her thoughts sharpened. "You're not lying to me, are you? How could Yun Qingyue still be alive?"
The system replied in its mechanical tone:
[Heavenly Tribulation record confirms: target 'Yun Qingyue' has perished.]
[However, fate transfer is incomplete.]
A cold smile tugged at her lips. "So my dear Senior Sister… even in death, you can't give me peace."
The system fell silent.
"Young Sect Master, what now?" a disciple asked carefully.
"Nothing," she said flatly. "Just a nameless nobody."
She flicked her fingers. Flames burst forth, swallowing the corpse in an instant.
"Let's go. We'll check elsewhere."
The disciples glanced at each other, but dared not question her.
Yu Xiaotang cast one last look at the ruins. A glint of malice flickered in her eyes. If Yun Qingyue truly wasn't dead… she wouldn't mind killing her again.
Meanwhile.
Xie Zhaolin leaned against the carriage window, tapping the frame with her fingertip.
Chu Huaizhou sat opposite her, his gaze glued to her face. His eyes lingered on the bruises around her neck, filled with pity and… guilt?
"Ah Xiu…" His voice finally broke the silence. "Are you hungry? I brought pastries."
She looked up, shook her head softly. "I'm not hungry."
With a sigh, he unwrapped an oil-paper bundle. "Your favorite osmanthus cake."
She accepted it, but didn't eat right away. Instead, she pressed it gently, testing the texture.
No poison. At least not on the surface.
She took a small bite, feigning gratitude. "Thank you, Young Master Chu."
Pain flashed across his face. "Ah Xiu, can you… not call me Young Master Chu?"
Her eyes widened with just the right touch of confusion. "Then… what should I call you?"
"Like before…" His voice turned hoarse. "Call me Brother Huaizhou."
She paused, then nodded softly. "Alright… Brother Huaizhou."
His eyes turned red, his breathing quickening.
She lowered her gaze, her long lashes hiding the sneer in her eyes.
Brother Huaizhou?
Ah Xiu had never lived to hear that from him.
And now that her soul occupied this body, the name rolled from her lips with ease.
Chu Huaizhou opened his mouth to say more—when the carriage suddenly jolted to a halt!