Chapter 53: Gu Ruohan Arrives

Her face was deathly pale as she collapsed to the ground, wracked with pain so intense her whole body convulsed, grit and sand slicing open her snow-white fingertips.

Elder Qi Si saw her fall, and instead of ceasing his ridicule, his scorn only grew harsher.
“Look at yourself now—can’t even withstand a little pain. How laughable!”
“With your weak cultivation, even if you marry into the Gu Feng Mountain clan, you’ll be of no help whatsoever to the Young Emperor’s power. You’ll be left to consort with those nascent soul cultivators at best.”
“And now, on the eve of your wedding, you’re still so willful. Clearly, you need someone to teach you a lesson in the future!”

Biting her lip, Xie Yingying endured the barrage of mocking, belittling words, struggling to rise and feign innocence and obedience. But suddenly, the voices faded into the distance, replaced by the measured, unhurried yet forceful footfalls of someone else approaching at leisure.

The scene before her shifted. The forest, the singing birds, the blooming flowers, and the bustling passersby all vanished. Instead, before her stood an exquisitely carved wooden table adorned with delicate jade and porcelain teacups—luxurious, yet understated. In the void, a window lattice slowly appeared, and by it stood Bai Shengyun, exuding a menacing aura.

She stared in astonishment, still dazed, when Bai Shengyun stepped forward, his brows dark, his golden eyes cold and fathomless as he fixed his gaze upon her.
“Where do you think you’re running off to?” His tone was ice-cold.

Still reeling from the force of the primordial energy and Bai Shengyun’s sudden appearance, Xie Yingying could not find her voice to reply.
Seeing her silence, Bai Shengyun’s expression grew even darker, his fury mounting. Without warning, he seized her arm and wrenched it from its socket.

The crisp crack of bone echoed; Xie Yingying screamed in agony.
“Still thinking of running?” Bai Shengyun demanded coldly.

Rage flared within her at his words, stoked by the humiliations she had suffered at the hands of the Gu Feng Mountain household. Anger and grievance overwhelmed her restraint. Clutching her shattered shoulder, she shouted, “Why should I have to be controlled by you and everyone from Gu Feng Mountain? Besides, I never wanted to marry you in the first place—who do you think you are, to rule over another person’s life at will? Scoundrel!”

Bai Shengyun’s fury surged at her outburst, but then, abruptly, he began to laugh.

Seeing him laugh out of rage, Xie Yingying’s heart pounded with alarm.
At some point, Bai Shengyun had produced a bone-cleaving knife, its blade so sharp it could sever anything with ease.

In the space of a single breath, a flash of red burst in Xie Yingying’s vision. Blood spattered across the wall, its warmth splashing over her face.

Her lashes fluttered. In a daze, she looked down at the gaping wound on her arm; beyond the elbow, there was nothing but emptiness.

Half her body went numb from the pain. Still stunned, she saw the cold gleam of the blade rise again. She fell back desperately, her vision spinning, and finally crashed to the ground with a heavy thud. She saw, with chilling clarity, the headless corpse before her.

A shriek tore through the silence of the bedchamber.

She jerked upright, gasping for breath, drenched in cold sweat, unable for a long moment to come back to herself.

In the courtyard, Gu Ruohan frowned at the sound of her scream, rose, and strode quickly toward her chambers.

Xie Yingying was icy all over, her mind still in turmoil, the image of the headless corpse vivid before her eyes. She thought perhaps a walk outside, among the flowers, would calm her nerves.

But as she opened her door, she found Gu Ruohan—who had been waiting there for some time—raising his hand to knock.

Xie Yingying arched an eyebrow and said quickly, “The divorce letter and judgment have been left in your quarters.”

Not a second after finishing, she made to slam the door closed, her voice utterly resolute.

Gu Ruohan reached out, blocking her from closing it.

She tugged at the door with all her strength, but it did not budge. At last, she gave up, leaning against the wooden panel, her expression cold and weary. “What do you want?”

“What do you want? I’ll bring it to you,” he replied with a gentle laugh, refusing to engage with her words.

His response nearly drove Xie Yingying to despair, her temples throbbing. She had to lower her head and compose herself before speaking again.

Soon, she lifted her head, her gaze steady and unwavering. “I want nothing from you. There’s no feeling left between us. Let’s just go our separate ways. If we meet again, we might nod in greeting and praise each other’s freedom.”

“No feelings left?” Gu Ruohan’s eyes reddened, disbelief thick in his voice. “We’ve been together for so many years—how can you say there’s nothing left?”

Xie Yingying sighed, her heart vexed. She could not understand why Gu Ruohan clung to her so desperately—surely mere affection would not make someone so abject?

Remembering what had happened on Gu Feng Mountain, Gu Ruohan grasped her hand, his face pale as he explained, “Is it because I didn’t save you that day? Are you angry? I thought you’d gotten mixed up with Bai Shengyun, and I was jealous, so I decided to cut things off. But I regretted it immediately and went back to look for you, but you were gone.”

Xie Yingying wrenched her hand free, unwilling to say another word to him, impatiently trying to shut the door again.

Seeing this, panic overtook him. He blocked the door once more, then suddenly brightened, hurriedly taking a jade pendant from his robes and showing it to her.

The pendant was luminous, clearly carved from the finest jade. Its center was hollowed out and bore the merged characters for “Ying” and “Han.”

“This is our token of love. Our names are carved right here—”

Before he could finish, she snatched the pendant from his hand and, with a sharp movement, hurled it away. It shattered in all directions—no longer whole, the names obliterated.

Gu Ruohan’s pupils quivered as he stared in disbelief at the scattered fragments on the floor.

Xie Yingying looked at him impassively, her eyes devoid of emotion, though deep within she felt a trace of reluctance and sorrow. But she knew clearly that these feelings were not her own—they belonged to the previous Xie Yingying, who had already vanished.

“Is there truly no hope for us?” Gu Ruohan’s voice trembled.

“There isn’t,” Xie Yingying answered decisively.

At her words, Gu Ruohan looked up at her, something dark and turbulent flickering in his eyes.

Seeing her unwavering resolve, watching her destroy their token of love without a second glance, the last lingering hope—that she was only jesting—was utterly shattered. The truth stood clear before him: Xie Yingying’s determination was absolute.

She closed the door once more. This time, Gu Ruohan did not stop her, only watched her silently.

He turned, descending the steps, and said quietly, “You can come out now.”

From the shadows, Huo Tianqing emerged, hands clasped behind his back, as relaxed as ever.

“So, after watching for so long, what are your thoughts?” Gu Ruohan glanced at him.

Huo Tianqing shrugged. “Sorry, I have none.”

Gu Ruohan recalled Xie Yingying’s cold, resolute expression, her indifference toward his departure, and a bitter smile touched his lips. “It seems Yingying has already fallen for Bai Shengyun. That’s why she wants nothing to do with us.”