Don't mess with the little apprentice sister! She is greedy and immoral

Qin Zhen turned her head away so as not to let Lao He see her red eyes.

Jingxing didn't say anything, but walked silently to Lao He's side and sat down next to him.

Elder Fu Yao did not disturb them but just stood outside the courtyard, leaving this small world to the three of them as his final farewell.

"Have I... caught up?"

Jing Xing was silent for two seconds, then nodded heavily: "Well, if it weren't for you, my sister and I would have died a long time ago."

"That's good, that's good, at least... we made it this time." Lao He responded and then stopped talking.

Qin Zhen didn't even dare to ask what that missed time meant.

Only the gentle breeze blew through the yard, and everything returned to silence.

In the huge City Lord's Mansion, most of the pavilions and towers have collapsed, and only the South Garden remains the same as before.

"On the day of Yunniang's wedding, I could have made it in time, but I was angry with her and refused to go to watch the ceremony. I only watched from afar. Who would have thought that this one look... would be our farewell forever."

Qin Zhen opened her mouth, wanting to comfort him, but couldn't find the right words.

The regret has already been caused, and any regret or comfort at this moment is nothing but self-deception.

"After that, I had countless opportunities to see her, but for the sake of so-called face, I didn't come once. Yunniang... probably hates me to death."

"No." Qin Zhen whispered.

After saying that, as if she felt that this was not enough, Qin Zhen calmed down and loudly refuted again firmly -

"no!"

Neither Lao He nor Jing Xing expected Qin Zhen to suddenly have such a reaction, and both of them were stunned for a moment.

Especially Old He, who had originally had a sad look on his face, was frightened by Qin Zhen's words and his expression became a little dazed.

Seeing Lao He looking over, Qin Zhen opened her mouth and finally said, "Lao He, do you... want to see her again?"

Almost at the moment Qin Zhen finished speaking, the withered Epiphyllum in the yard continued to grow like crazy.

One of the branches grew particularly fast and whipped directly towards Qin Zhen.

It was as if he was blaming Qin Zhen for saying such things.

Qin Zhen allowed herself to be whipped by the flower branch without fighting back. She just looked at Lao He steadily: "Do you want to?"

"miss you!"

"Even if she is nothing like you remember her?"

"Yes!"

"Even though she is no longer in this world?"

"At least, let me take her home."

Lao He's eyes had already turned red, and at this moment, those old and cloudy eyes burst with unprecedented hope and expectation.

The flower branch trembled slightly, and finally stopped whipping Qin Zhen, but wilted.

But the withered Epiphyllums bloomed one after another, extending all the way outside the courtyard gate.

The faint fragrance of the night-blooming cereus led Lao He to take Yunniang home.

"Let's go." Qin Zhen said softly, but took the initiative to move aside, indicating that Lao He should go first.

Jingxing wanted to help Lao He, but Lao He shook his head and refused.

"At least I want to go to see her on my own."

His steps were so unsteady that he had to stop and catch his breath after taking two steps, like a broken bellows that had fallen into disrepair.

However, his steps were so firm. They were the steps he had always wanted to take but had not been able to take for so many years.

Qin Zhen's nose felt a little sour, and she followed Lao He silently.

Watching him walk step by step towards the pavilion in the lake, that is where the core of the entire City Lord's Mansion's defense formation is located.

The pure white Epiphyllum turns into petals and floats onto the water with the wind.

The rippling water seemed to be telling something, or responding to something.

Jing Xing outside the water pavilion seemed to have thought of something, and suddenly raised his head and looked at Qin Zhen.

Qin Zhen nodded, and then nodded heavily.

"Surprisingly, it's here." Jingxing said in a low voice.

Then, the magic was cast and the lake water turned into rain flowing backwards towards the sky.

Under the dried-up lake, there lay quietly a slender and fragile body wearing a mask.

Because she had been attacked by the evil spirit in the formation for many years, her body had already undergone abnormal changes.

That beautiful face had long since turned into a hideous ghost face. Even with the mask covering it, one could still see the unnatural purple color underneath it.

And her body... was full of holes.

Qin Zhen could tell at a glance that apart from the wounds caused by the evil spirit, some of the wounds were clearly caused by herself.

It was as if he wanted to solve Qin Zhen’s doubts.

The night-blooming cereus petals that fell beside Yunniang exuded an even richer fragrance.

The next second, the surrounding scenery changed instantly and turned into the scene at the bottom of the lake.

In the illusion, Yunniang was cutting out the horrible tumor that had grown on her.

Every time she gouged one out, she became a little weaker.

A distant voice bewitched her, "It hurts, doesn't it? If you accept me, you will never feel this pain again. You will live as long as the heaven and earth, and shine as brightly as the sun and the moon. All it takes is a small thought... on your part."

Perhaps it was the blessing of the formation, all the invisible objects in the City Lord's Mansion seemed to have a trace of consciousness and could speak human language.

Even the evil spirit that had gathered and then been suppressed was no exception.

Yunniang ignored it.

The voice continued to tempt her, and Yunniang finally spoke: "After so many years, aren't you tired? If you really have that ability, why are you suppressed here?"

The voice choked for a moment, and then said angrily: "Humph, I can't explain it to you clearly."

"Then stop talking, please."

Even though he was being asked for something, he couldn't feel happy at all: "..."

However, it was completely restless. After being silent for a moment, it spoke again: "What's the point of digging out those things? When you were alive, your father never came to see you. Now that you are about to die, it is even less likely that he will come to see you."

"What are you afraid of? Are you so afraid that he will see you in this weird state and abandon you?"

Yunniang was already very weak at this time. She ignored the provocation of the evil spirit and just closed her eyes to rest.

When the evil spirit saw this, it was as if it had finally hit Yunniang's sore spot and became extremely excited.

"Did I tell you right?"

"Hahaha, indeed. Look at how ugly you are now. Who would dare to want you?"

"If your father comes, he won't even recognize you. He might even yell 'monster', 'monster' and run away in a hurry."

"I recognize her." Yunniang, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke.

Upon hearing this, the evil spirit immediately imitated Yunniang's voice and said in a veiled tone, "Can you recognize it? If you really can recognize it, you will still bear the pain and cut off those things. Aren't you afraid that you will not even have a human form anymore?"

Yunniang was not angry at the evil spirit's weirdness. She just answered seriously:

"No matter what I become, even if I turn back into a small clam shell, Dad will definitely recognize me at a glance. I cut those off just to make Dad feel less regretful."