The improved female villains regained their memories.

"Once one becomes a true member of the Xiangliu clan, one can see the truth that was concealed by the ancient sages of the human race. At the same time, Bai Ze will fulfill the agreement and take that person to the original location of the Xiangliu clan, so that he can replace the Xiangliu clan."

Ye Buxin looked at Wang Jingxing and said calmly, "These were all recorded by the ancestors of the Chu royal family using a special method. I don't know if they are true or false."

Wang Jingxing looked at her and asked, "Then why did you arrange all this? Is it because you have many fragments of the Xiangliu clan's soul in your bloodline, so you plan to merge with the southern earth veins and become a true member of the Xiangliu clan?"

Ye Buxin shook her head: "You're wrong. On the contrary, the Xiangliu clan soul fragments in my bloodline are almost non-existent, so I don't know the royal secrets of Chu."

"Then why did you do these heinous things?"

"Of course, it's to find the truth."

Ye Buxin snapped his fingers, and the witch god beside him understood and activated a switch. Immediately afterward, a rumbling sound rang out, the secret passage changed, and the stone wall behind the statue opened, revealing a wall full of light.

Those lights, like stars, were fragments of Xiang Liu's soul.

"Let me tell you something interesting. I discovered that the records of the Chu royal family are wrong. It's not that the bloodline of the Chu royal family contains fragments of Xiangliu's soul, but rather that both the Chu people and the Baiyue people possess fragments of Xiangliu's soul." Ye Buxin looked at the wall full of light, as if admiring his own work, and said with satisfaction, "I suspect that Xiangliu's death here was a place it chose. The entire south, from the local people to the human population, has been affected by it. By collecting these soul fragments, I might be able to trace the essence of its supernatural powers and find its true face. In that case, I might be able to control Xiangliu."

"As long as I control the Xiangliu clan, I will be able to find out what those people were hiding back then."

"Why was the Guardian Heaven Sect established? What is written in Bai Ze's rules? What are the things that the ancient sages of the human race have concealed? Wang Jingxing, don't you think it's interesting to explore these things?"

"...Is that interesting?"

What about those who died?

Where is her compassionate mother at her feet now?

What about the little boy who is about to lose his mother?

"Ye Buxin, you said it's very interesting..."

She trembled, clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and said, word by word:

"If you find this interesting, then I'll tell you."

"You've successfully angered me."

Chapter 631 Why Fight?

The cypress boat floats on the current.

I couldn't sleep, as if I had some hidden worries.

If I had no wine, I would indulge in revelry and wander aimlessly. — "The Cypress Boat" from the Book of Songs (Bei Feng)

The world is vast, isn't it?

But for Wang Jingxing, the world was too vast.

The last rays of the setting sun bathed the ancient town, its narrow, winding streets mirroring the bewildered thoughts of a young girl. She stood at the bustling street corner, surrounded by passersby—vendors carrying their wares, hawking their wares, and hurried travelers rushing home—yet no one gave her a second glance. Her eyes were filled with helplessness, her frail figure standing out starkly against the crowd.

She didn't know where to go.

Stepping out of the city, the outskirts were a desolate wasteland, a manifestation of her barren inner world. The withered grass trembled in the wind, and the vast wilderness seemed like a tiny microcosm of the world.

There were roads everywhere, but she didn't know which way to go.

The distant mountains stretched out in a continuous range, their outlines blurred in the twilight. The girl looked up at the endless mountain path.

The world is vast, and she is very small.

What can someone like her possibly do?

-------------

She has never met her parents.

From the time she became conscious, she was with her brother. They lived in a small courtyard surrounded by children in the same situation as them.

She was naturally withdrawn and disliked talking to people, preferring to timidly hide behind her brother.

Her brother was different from her; he was cheerful and talkative, and gradually became the eldest brother in the courtyard, the person the children trusted most.

She grew up under her brother's protection during her childhood.

When she cried, it was her brother who comforted her; when she was afraid, it was her brother who protected her; when she was helpless, it was her brother who helped her.

He was once the only person in her world.

Many adults frequently come and go from the courtyard. These adults force them to learn to read and practice cultivation. Sometimes they also bring new children, saying that they are there to keep them company.

The girl wasn't interested in any of these things; she was only interested in the magical artifacts they taught her about. She didn't study her writing or cultivate properly; she devoted all her attention to this.

Her brother helped her steal many magical artifact parts, and at night, alone, she would quietly huddle under the covers and assemble them.

The small ritual object emitted a faint spiritual light, and it held all of a girl's dreams.

She showed the ritual implements she had made to her brother, and at that moment her brother would laugh and praise her for making them well.

"Don't you want to try something else? You might not pass the test if you use a magical artifact," the older brother said with a smile.

The girl shook her head: "It's good if my brother can pass. It doesn't matter if I can't."

She never took the assessment seriously.

She just wanted to do her own thing and stay by her brother's side.

She didn't have such great ambitions or desires; for her, her brother's smile was the best encouragement.

However, at that time she did not yet understand the full meaning of that smile.

-------------

My brother likes to laugh.

He smiled at other children, he smiled at adults, he smiled at everything in the world.

Sometimes, she would accidentally break her brother's things and apologize to him in fear, but her brother would not get angry or sad; he would just smile and say it was okay.

He said that you are the only person he loves most in this world, so he won't be angry no matter what you do.

So she knew that her brother would accept everything about her.

Other children didn't want to play with her, this strange girl, but her older brother would. He would patiently sit next to her and listen to her tell how she overcame many difficulties to make such a glowing little gadget.

He didn't understand the ritual implements, but he was willing to listen.

When she went to sleep at night, her brother would pat her back and hum a lullaby—he said it was a lullaby that their mother sang to him.

She had never met her mother, so she believed what her brother said.

She said earnestly, "Brother, when I grow up, I won't hide behind you anymore. If something happens that even you are afraid of, then you can hide behind me."

The older brother smiled and said, "Okay."

He said, "Anything is fine, as long as we're together."

-------------

They will definitely stay together.

She didn't understand why her brother said that, and asked, puzzled, "Does that mean we'll be separated in the future?"

The older brother didn't answer, he just smiled.

That smile was hidden in the darkness; she couldn't see it clearly.

Whenever Wang Jingxing recalls that smile, she always senses different emotions.

Something that even my brother is afraid of...

She wondered, if this really happened, how should he face the past then, then, and then in the future?

How can we face the people he killed?

He should have killed her.

They killed her right then and there.

-------------

That day was just like any other day, nothing special.

As usual, she stayed in her room making ritual implements until the sun went down.

There wasn't a ray of light outside, and the hunger in her stomach pulled her back to reality. Usually at this time, it should be bustling outside, and her brother would bring food in.

But it was eerily quiet outside, without the slightest sound.

She shuddered instinctively. The faint spiritual light of the magical artifact flickered beside her, casting her shadow on the mottled wall. Outside the window, all was deathly silent, without a sound, except for the occasional breeze that gently stirred the windowpanes, like a distant and indistinct whisper.

crunch--

The door opened.

She looked up with delight, only to be enveloped by immense fear.

The familiar figure stood in the doorway, a strange smile on his face that looked particularly eerie in the dim light. He held a knife in his hand, and liquid dripped from the tip of the blade, making a dripping sound.

"Sorry I'm late today."

He spoke in a low voice, approaching as usual. The blade gleamed faintly in the darkness, captivating the girl's gaze. Something seemed to choke her throat; she tried to make a sound, but could only utter weak "woof woof" noises.

The darkness was like a giant curtain, completely obscuring something. The darkness seemed to possess an endless suction force; all light vanished without a trace upon reaching it, hiding behind her brother. She dared not imagine what lay hidden behind that darkness; only the faint smell of blood emanating from her brother made her stomach churn.

She watched as her brother approached, knelt down, and touched her face.

"It will be ready soon."

"soon......."

Pain shot through me as the cold light pierced my body.

She stared wide-eyed at the smile disappearing into the darkness.

She heard a sob, but the pain was so intense that she couldn't tell if it was hers or her brother's.

-------------

All she knew was that from now on, no one in the world would love her anymore.

-------------

It wasn't until she met her master that she realized that someone like her might have a purpose in life.

Since that day, no one has stood in her way anymore. She was forced to learn to face the world, but fortunately, she had the little trinkets she made herself. After her brother left, only those things could give her a little sense of security.