When the last greedy Golden Core cultivator dissolved into a cloud of blood within the dark purple trail of silk, silence returned to the valley. Only the thick scent of blood lingered in the air.
Xie Zhaolin flicked her wrist, and the ribbon wrapped around it trembled gently as if alive. Every trace of blood scattered to the ground, and it regained its radiant, lustrous sheen, obediently resting against her wrist.
Her expression was calm and still, as if the brutal one-sided slaughter just now had nothing to do with her. She lowered her head and brushed her fingers along the ribbon's surface, feeling its spirit that resonated with her bloodline and heartbeat. A glimmer of satisfaction flashed in her eyes.
The biggest goal of this trip had been flawlessly achieved.
She lifted her gaze and looked at Luo Xinglan, who was still staring in shock.
Luo Xinglan's face was pale, yet her eyes shone brightly. She looked at Xie Zhaolin, then at the ribbon on her wrist. Her lips parted slightly, like she wanted to say something but didn't know how to begin.
Her gaze was full of excitement, reverence, and a yearning that words could never express.
Xie Zhaolin sighed inwardly. She could guess what the girl was thinking.
"Master Luo," she said, her tone returning to its usual calm. "The artifact's complete. Thank you. Since everything's settled, we should take our leave."
She gestured for Mo Yan to clean up the traces of the battle and prepared to depart.
She never liked staying anywhere for too long.
"W… wait!" Luo Xinglan panicked the moment she saw her leaving. She rushed forward, her voice trembling. "You're leaving? Going… where? Can I… can I go with you?"
She lifted her head and stared at Xie Zhaolin without blinking. Her face was filled with desperate hope. "I… I can be your exclusive artifact refiner! I'll forge everything you need! I… I don't want any payment! Just… just let me follow you!"
Her gaze burned with determination, like she'd grabbed the most important thing in her life.
Everything she saw today, the familiar method of combat, that breathtaking ribbon technique, made her even more certain that the person in front of her must be deeply connected to Shi Yue Zhēnjūn.
She didn't want to miss the opportunity again.
Xie Zhaolin looked into her clear eyes and sighed softly inside. "As expected."
She gently but firmly pulled her sleeve from Luo Xinglan's grasp.
"No." Her voice was soft, but carried an unshakable finality.
The anticipation and passion on Luo Xinglan's face froze instantly. She stared at Xie Zhaolin in disbelief, eyes reddening at once. Her voice quivered with hurt. "W… why? Did I do something wrong? Or… do you think I'm too weak? I'll work hard! I'll…"
Tears welled up rapidly, about to spill.
Xie Zhaolin watched her helpless look and sighed again.
She wasn't made of stone. She could clearly see that Luo Xinglan wasn't good at interacting with people, and just being able to take the initiative to plead and ask to follow her must have taken immense courage.
But she'd been sheltered too well. Her heart was far too pure. She probably believed that following someone "suspected to be related to Shi Yue Zhēnjūn" would let her continue chasing her dream and devotion.
Yet she didn't understand what kind of road she was choosing.
It wasn't that Xie Zhaolin despised her. On the contrary, precisely because she recognized her talent and pure heart, she couldn't let her follow.
"Master Luo, your talent in artifact refinement is extraordinary, and your heart is genuine. With time, you'll definitely become a grandmaster. My path is filled with blood and slaughter, a path that walks on blades and dances with conspiracies. Scenes like today are just ordinary to me. If you follow me, you'll never know peace."
Her eyes hid a faint, complex emotion even she didn't fully notice.
Ahead of her lay the schemes of Hehuan Sect, the hostility of Medicine King Valley, countless enemies from her past life, and the blades and frost of the entire Cultivation Realm.
Even she walked cautiously, one step from disaster. How could she drag along a girl whose world revolved around forging and pure devotion?
It wouldn't be protection. It would be cruelty. It would drag her into endless danger and darkness.
This girl, whose entire heart was filled with admiration for Yun Qingyue, whose world was simple and full of passion for forging, had already had her destiny changed by being accidentally saved once.
Xie Zhaolin wouldn't, and couldn't, drag her into her world of revenge and struggle again.
She knew the girl needed storms to grow, but…
She wouldn't be the one to bring that storm. Not everyone should be forced to face storms.
Luo Xinglan had talent and passion. She should stay peacefully in Heiyan City, or somewhere safer, to study her ribbons and become a true artifact master.
Not wander with her, living every day under the threat of death.
People like her, from the moment she was reborn, were destined to walk razor edges, to accompany schemes, to dance with death. People around her rarely met good ends. She wouldn't drag the only remaining light in the darkness into the same abyss.
And Luo Xinglan's pure admiration for Yun Qingyue… let it stay frozen in the most beautiful moment. If she followed her, one day she'd see the blood on her hands, the cold cruelty she used to reach her goals… Wouldn't that be another form of cruelty?
Let her stay safe, and do what she loves. That was the best ending.
"No… I'm not afraid!" Luo Xinglan shook her head hard. "I can learn! I can get stronger! I can…"
"No need." Xie Zhaolin cut her off, her voice turning distant and cold. "Our paths diverge. Forcing it will only hurt us both."
Luo Xinglan stared blankly, tears finally rolling down her cheeks. She'd heard the finality, and also the faint protection behind the refusal. Her lips trembled like she wanted to say something, but it only turned into quiet sobs.
Xie Zhaolin didn't speak again. She took out a prepared storage bag from her ring and placed it in Luo Xinglan's hand. "There are cultivation resources and spirit stones inside. They might help you."
She looked deep into her eyes. "Take care. I hope one day, I'll hear news of your brilliance."
Then she turned away without hesitation and nodded slightly to Mo Yan.
Two streaks of light shot into the sky and disappeared.
Luo Xinglan stood frozen, clutching the heavy storage bag, staring at the sky where Xie Zhaolin vanished.
The wind lifted her hair and dried her tears. She didn't understand why a chance to chase the light was given to her then taken away. But she faintly felt that she was being protected in a way she didn't yet understand.
She lowered her head and saw the hundreds of thousands of high-grade spirit stones packed tightly inside, and recalled the ribbon that dazzled her and that lone figure who stood wielding it…
After a long silence, she wiped away the last tear. Her gaze turned firm. It was fine. She still had her contact method. Maybe she'd never get a reply, but it would be something to hold onto.
She wouldn't give up.
She'd keep researching and forge an even greater ribbon.
She'd become the strongest artifact grandmaster. She would.
And maybe one day… she'd have the qualifications to stand before her again.
===
I'm thinking about picking up a new novel to translate soon, and right now I'm considering two titles: "The Fortune Pawn Shop: A Life to Sale" and "I Built My Own Inheritance."
The first one follows a girl named Ning Xia, who only has one week left to live. She suddenly inherits a mysterious pawnshop with one rule: give what you value most, and you'll receive what you desire most. It's eerie, dramatic, and full of emotional deals and secrets. I really love the premise.
The second story is about Su Wan, whose phone suddenly updates with this game called "My Ancestors' Era." Inside it, she can interact with people from the past and help them survive, build their family, and improve their lives. Every time she succeeds, she receives real antiques in the present.
Then her parents call her home to inherit the family property, and she realizes the incredibly wealthy and powerful family she helped build in the past... is actually her own. The fortune she is about to receive is the direct result of her own actions. I find this concept super fun and refreshing.
Both novels are currently serialized and have around 100 chapters, so they're still relatively short. I think I can catch up to the latest raw chapter within a week. As usual, I'll publish the translations on my AO3 account, and I'll share more detailed previews on Discord before I officially start.
Join: discord.gg/75sprU6DdD
The second novel is written by Chen Yuqing, who also wrote "With Double the Initial Opportunities," "This Isn't Exile, It's Clearly a Vacation," "I Turned Trash into Treasure in the Cultivation World," and "Space Check-in: I'm Farming in the Apocalypse." I've read some of their work before, and honestly, I might pick up another one in the future. Like Feng Ling, they focus on strong female MCs and No CP stories, which is exactly my taste.
I know my schedule is a little chaotic right now. On Webnovel, Stealing Luck, True Heir (Feng Ling's), and Troublemaker's Guide are all running low on drafts, and my AO3 projects How I Fed and My VR Games haven't been updated in a few weeks. Plus, I'm still busy organizing the Discord server and updating more than 100 C.AI characters (help me lol). It's a lot all at once, and I really need more time to get everything sorted before things go back to normal. It might take a month, maybe even longer.
I'm really sorry for the messy update schedule recently, especially on Webnovel, since I used to update pretty consistently. Thank you for your patience and for understanding. It means a lot to me. ♡