After nine lifetimes of reincarnation, the yandere villainous heroine descends.

A quiet and secluded place!

After leaving the ruins of Yunzhou, Fifth Qinghan brought Shen Shuchou back to this forbidden area.

The palace of the Death Court is located in the dark abyss deep within the forbidden land.

This is also the place where Shen Shuchou first brought Fifth Qinghan several years ago.

This time, however, he was brought back here by Fifth Qinghan.

Fifth Qinghan did not return to the Death Court, but instead went to a familiar cave, the place where she had often secluded herself for cultivation over the past three years.

As soon as you step into the cave, a chilling aura hits you.

The cave dwelling was not large, and the space was somewhat cramped.

The interior was simply furnished, with rough and rustic stone tables and benches, and only a bed stood silently in the dim light.

Although the surroundings were cold and dark, she had kept them spotless, revealing traces of time everywhere.

Fifth Qinghan stepped forward slowly, her movements almost pious, and carefully placed Shen Shuchou in her arms on the bed.

On her long journey home, she never dared to look down at that sleeping face.

I was afraid that a single glance would completely awaken the grief I was suppressing in my heart.

Even now, Fifth Qinghan's empty eyes still trembled as they focused on that pale, paper-white face.

His lips, devoid of color, were tinged with a bluish-gray hue, and the shadows cast by his drooping eyelashes appeared particularly stagnant beneath his eyes.

In an instant!

A profound grief overwhelmed her consciousness.

The grief turned into scalding tears, which fell from the corners of his eyes onto Shen Shuchou's cold, hard clothes, leaving dark stains.

Her trembling fingertips traced his pale face, but she could no longer feel the warmth she remembered.

Fifth Qinghan's body trembled slightly. She never expected that their reunion after three years would be such a heartbreaking scene.

Once, she longed to have Shen Shuchou as her only wife, and this desire burned like a raging fire in her heart that never went out.

But now, the person she longed for day and night appeared before her in the form of a cold corpse.

Deep within that surging grief, a torrent of overwhelming hatred also coalesced, twisting wildly in the heart.

She hated everyone, everyone who had ever stood in the way of her being with Shen Shuchou.

Amidst this hatred, one person almost singled out the majority of it—her own sister, Fifth Shushuang, who was connected to this body by blood.

With her last strike, she did not take Fifth Shushuang's life.

The purpose of doing this was to make the other person live in immense pain for the rest of their days, and to make her pay the price for everything she had done.

At the same time, Fifth Qinghan was also very clear that Fifth Shushuang would definitely come looking for her again.

At that time, she would no longer care about blood ties, nor would she show any mercy.

She would use the demonic blade in her hand to personally end the life of Fifth Shu Shuang, sacrificing her life to Shen Shu Chou.

Fifth Qinghan's eyes reddened, and tears welled up in them. She gazed at Shen Shuchou, her voice trembling with longing: "Brother Shen, Qinghan still beats my sister and gets you... but this result is not what Qinghan wanted."

As soon as she finished speaking, she slowly climbed onto the bed, her movements so gentle as if she were afraid of disturbing something.

Once she was lying shoulder to shoulder with Shen Shuchou, she gently turned over, rested her head against his arms, which had long since lost their warmth and heartbeat, and slowly closed her eyes.

......

On the other side, upon hearing these words, Shen Xuejian was struck dumb, frozen in place, unable to move.

Her heart clenched with pain, and Shen Shuchou's face involuntarily appeared in her mind.

She could hardly believe that her younger brother, whom she felt such complex emotions and cared so deeply for, had suddenly vanished from this world.

What pierced her heart even more was that the sword that had taken her brother's life was in the hands of Fifth Book, with whom her brother had once been engaged.

After a moment of stunned silence, endless grief and murderous intent surged into his heart like a tidal wave.

She instantly drew her longsword, the blade pointing directly at Fifth Shushuang's face, her killing intent almost bursting forth.

However, at the very moment she was about to draw her sword, reason acted like a shackle, abruptly halting her movement.

In Shen Xuejian's view, Fifth Shushuang would never have killed Shen Shuchou without a reason; there must be another hidden reason.

The root of all this tragedy is undoubtedly Fifth Qinghan.

Even if she felt a surge of hatred in her heart, it should have been directed at Fifth Qinghan, not Fifth Shushuang.

Especially after Shen Xuejian heard about the aftermath of the incident and learned the whole story, her hatred for Fifth Qinghan surged even higher, like a raging fire.

Pick up your sword.

Shen Xuejian's gaze was icy cold as she stared straight at Fifth Shushuang, her voice so cold it seemed to freeze into ice.

She knew in her heart that perhaps all of this could not be entirely blamed on Fifth Shushuang, but Fifth Qinghan was, after all, her sister.

The series of tragic events that Shen Shuchou experienced were all inextricably linked to the woman with her head bowed in front of him.

Therefore, her tone at this moment carried an unprecedented coldness and determination.

Fifth Sister lowered her eyes, her vision blurred by tears. She just sat there quietly, without making any movement.

At this moment, she was like a little girl who had fallen into an endless abyss, isolated and helpless, filled with despair.

She had once been trapped in this abyss, but back then, a pair of warm and strong hands pulled her up.

But now, she has personally pushed that person into the abyss of death, and then personally imprisoned herself in this dark abyss once again.

"Self-blame can't save him, and tears can't wash away his sins."

Shen Xuejian stepped forward, the scabbard slamming heavily against Fifth Shu's feet. "What you should do is grip this sword tightly and kill her!"

The words "Kill her" exploded like thunder. Fifth Shu Shuang trembled violently and slowly raised her bloodshot eyes.

These words seemed to awaken Fifth Shushuang. In the stagnant air, she trembled as she picked up the longsword, and the blade suddenly emitted a sharp hum.

The moment the fingertips touched the hilt, the sword trembled violently.

Immediately afterwards, a mournful "clang" of a sword suddenly resounded in the silent space.

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed!

On this day, the Shen family in Fangzhou City seemed to be shrouded in a huge gray curtain, with every inch of air filled with grief and sorrow.

The once bustling and cheerful mansion now resembled a city sealed away by sorrow.

Before the mansion's gate, layers of white silk were wrapped around two thick gateposts, fluttering gently in the breeze.

Stepping inside the mansion, one is greeted by a scene of pure white.

Along the long corridor, white silk ribbons meandered along the railings, like two white silk ribbons.

Under the eaves, strings of white paper banners fluttered in the wind, making a rustling sound.

Ever since Shen Xuejian and the others returned to the Shen family with sorrowful expressions, the news of Shen Shuchou's death has been circulating.

Like a raging hurricane, it swept through every corner of the Shen residence with lightning speed.

Upon learning the news, Shen Shuchou's adoptive mother, Wang Lan, fainted on the spot due to excessive grief.

The physician in the manor rushed to her aid and pulled her back from the brink of death, but she seemed to be completely consumed by grief, locking herself tightly in her room and refusing to see anyone.

Shen Zhoucheng, the head of the Shen family, also temporarily put aside the mountain of complicated affairs piled up in the family.

In just one night, the two elderly people seemed to have aged ten years, with more white hair and a haggard appearance.

Li, who usually had a strained relationship with Wang Lan, was also immersed in grief at this moment.

In the past, she had a deep conflict with Wang Lan, and even took out her anger on the young Shen Shuchou.

However, as time went by, Shen Shuchou was ultimately a child who grew up under her very nose.

Hearing the devastating news now, all those old grievances have turned into deep sorrow and regret.

Amidst the overwhelming grief of the Shen family, Fifth Shushuang became the target of everyone's criticism and resentment.

For the past three days, she has endured all the insults and abuse from everyone in the Shen residence.

Some people pointed their fingers at her and called her an ingrate, saying that Shen Shuchou should never have brought her back to the Shen family mansion in the first place.

Some people cursed her as a jinx, and even believed that if it weren't for her, Shen Shuchou wouldn't have died.

Even worse, some wanted to kill her to relieve their grief, and this person was none other than Shen Shuchou's second brother, Shen Jianxing.

Faced with the sharp accusations from the crowd, Fifth Shushuang remained silent, not uttering a single word of rebuttal.

She had anticipated this and was prepared to face all sorts of criticism before even stepping into the Shen residence.

At this moment, all she wanted was to talk to Wang Lan.

However, no matter how earnestly she pleaded to see him, Wang Lan was determined to avoid her, refusing to even grant her a single meeting.

If it weren't for Shen Xuejian's intervention, the family head, Shen Zhoucheng, would probably have already kicked her out.

Once upon a time, Fifth Shushuang was a highly regarded member of the Shen family.

Now, she has become a complete outsider, going from being highly valued to being despised.

This drastic change, coupled with Shen Shuchou's death, struck her heart like a heavy hammer, shattering her world.

This unexpected turn of events was like a key, unlocking a hidden door deep within her heart that she had never been aware of before.

She used to consider herself the eldest sister, regardless of what Fifth Qinghan was like, she was still her younger sister.

Whether it was fine clothes and delicacies or rare treasures, she wanted to share half of everything with her younger sister.

Even though her engagement to Shen Shuchou came out of nowhere, and even when they were discussing marriage, her heart was still set on sharing this marriage with Wu Qinghan.

Even later, when Fifth Qinghan did many things that caused her great distress, her words and actions became so unfamiliar that it was as if she had become a completely different person.

She could only weep silently; after all, she was still her sister.

But now, the hatred burning in the eyes of everyone in the Shen family, the words of disgust constantly reaching their ears, and the departure of Shen Shuchou.

It was like a bucket of cold water being poured over her head, instantly sobering her up.

She suddenly realized that if it weren't for Fifth Qinghan's interference, everything would have gone in the best possible direction.

In these past few years, she has given birth to many children for Shen Shuchou.

The thought that all the happiness that was once within reach had been destroyed by Fifth Qinghan caused a dark emotion to quietly erode Fifth Shushuang's heart, and her mind gradually became distorted.

This change naturally did not escape Shen Xuejian's notice.

Back when she was at the Haoyue Sword Sect, Shen Xuejian had already noticed that Fifth Shushuang's sword intent was chaotic and disordered.

Now, she can clearly sense that the "sword" in the heart of the Fifth Book is re-condensing in a strange and distorted way.

For those who cultivate swordsmanship, this is undoubtedly a dangerous sign of falling into demonic possession.

If left unchecked, once the demonic embryo is fully formed, Fifth Book Shuang will not only be trapped in the abyss of demonic energy within his heart, but may also lose his life as a result.

However, Shen Xuejian merely watched coldly, her eyes showing no intention of intervening.

In her opinion, both Fifth Shushuang and Fifth Qinghan should die.

After Shen Shuchou completely disappeared from her world, Shen Xuejian finally understood the tangled mess in her heart that had been entangled for so long.

It was a kind of affection that wasn't explicitly stated, though it was unclear when exactly this affection had slowly begun to take root in her heart.

Perhaps it was in a moment when Shen Shuchou was isolated and bullied as a child that he didn't cry and make a fuss like other children, but silently endured everything.

His quiet demeanor, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirred ripples in Shen Xuejian's heart, making her truly notice this younger brother who was not related to her by blood for the first time.

However, what truly brought this affection to the surface from the depths of my heart was that scene from several years ago.

That day, that cold night, she stood alone in the snow, thinking for a very long time.

She wanted to figure out the source of that inexplicable emotion in her heart, but no matter how she thought about it, the answer seemed to be obscured by a thick fog, and she could never see it clearly.

Now, she finally understands that the emotion lingering in her heart was actually liking someone.

But this belated realization came too late.

Her affection for Shen Shuchou was buried deep in her heart after his death.

Now all she needs to do is not let either of the two sisters go.

Fifth Shushuang was unaware of the turmoil in Shen Xuejian's heart beside her, and even if she had known, she would not have uttered any resentment.

At this moment, all she could think about was killing Fifth Qinghan, reclaiming Shen Shuchou's body, and finally paying for it with her own life.

Unnoticed by either of them, a pair of deep eyes were quietly watching everything below.

Looking at the lingering sorrow in the Shen family compound, the owner of that gaze sighed softly, as if he had a thousand words to say, but in the end, they all dissipated into a sigh in the wind.