“Hmm? Why is it a pink-haired little girl?”
Yu Yi frowned, suddenly realizing something seemed off.
When she had recalled some memories earlier, the image that appeared in her mind was a purple-haired little girl, wasn’t it?
But why had a pink-haired one just flashed into her head?
With a hint of confusion, Yu Yi tried hard to recall that memory, finally piecing together the scattered fragments into a complete picture.
Horses’ hooves moved forward; wheels rolled.
A carriage slowly entered a valley.
Surrounded by towering mountains, large stretches of cherry trees covered the peaks. The endless River of Forgetfulness divided the land in two.
On the riverbank, red spider lilies bloomed silently, enchanting yet exuding a deeply somber aura.
The carriage came to a slow halt. A pair of small feet stepped out from the sedan and onto this land.
The girl was petite, with short, shoulder-length pink hair that made her look especially obedient and quiet.
She wore a pure white dress, her slender limbs exposed to the air, her pale skin seemingly devoid of any trace of blood.
Just then, a gust of wind swept through the valley, lifting the girl’s hair and white dress. She did not press down on her hem, instead allowing the view beneath her skirt to be exposed to the sky and earth.
Then, she slowly turned her head and looked at the stunningly beautiful woman riding the horse, asking expressionlessly:
“Master, do you like it?”
She had deliberately shown Yu Yi what was under her skirt.
Yu Yi remained silent. A faint sadness flickered in her eyes. She dismounted slowly, walked to the girl’s side, gently stroked her hair, and said reluctantly:
“Kui, you don’t actually have to go back.”
“I… must atone,” Gui Buyu Daokui replied. “So I have to go back.”
Although her tone carried no fluctuation, Yu Yi could feel her determination.
Yu Yi decided to respect her choice.
***
The two arrived before the River of Forgetfulness. The surrounding yin energy surged.
Kui’s pink hair gradually turned to light purple, deepening as the yin energy intensified.
She looked back at Yu Yi, her purple-cherry-colored pupils sparkling.
“We will meet again, won’t we?” Gui Kui asked Yu Yi.
Yu Yi nodded slightly.
“Master will forget Kui?”
Yu Yi shook her head.
“From now on, your name shall be ‘Zi Kui.’”
Yu Yi looked at the girl with full seriousness and said word by word:
“Since I, the Grandmaster, have bestowed a new name upon you, how could I ever forget you?”
Kui, who had become Zi Kui, twitched her stiff little face, as if trying hard to show a happy smile.
Though it looked a bit awkward, it was still very adorable.
Zi Kui gave one last bow to Yu Yi, turned around, and stepped her feet into the waters of the River of Forgetfulness.
She did not sink. Deep, profound purple qi formed a wooden boat beneath her feet, carrying her further and further away.
Her small back bore a burden beyond mortal imagination.
Yu Yi watched her until she disappeared into the thick fog on the water. She lingered for a long time before reluctantly leaving.
The memory ended there, and Yu Yi returned to reality from her distant thoughts.
In her heart, Yu Yi silently recited the name the original host had personally given her.
‘Kui… Zi Kui?’
Yu Yi also realized at that moment: since Zi Kui was in the River of Forgetfulness, she could use her ability to borrow the bodies of those whose souls she controlled. That explained why, back at the Fengqing Sect, Yu Yi had caught a faint familiar aura in Fuxi’s eyes.
That was Zi Kui using Fuxi’s eyes to watch Yu Yi.
Yu Yi also remembered that every time she went to Mingyue City for a stroll, she felt gazes from all directions.
At first, Yu Yi thought it was simply the people loving and watching her.
But now, it seemed… could it be…?
“Master! Master!!”
Suddenly, Huang Doudou’s voice came from outside.
She ran in and quickly reported to Yu Yi:
“The city is haunted! Four households in the east, south, west, and north are asking for help. They claim that one of their relatives has been possessed by a ghost!”
It was exactly as Yu Yi had thought.
In the four districts of Mingyue City, there were Zi Kui’s “eyes.”
No wonder Yu Yi always felt like someone was secretly watching her—she had been under surveillance from all angles!
But if Zi Kui missed Yu Yi so much, why didn’t she find a chance to borrow someone’s body and talk to her?
Earlier, when Zi Kui attached her consciousness to Fang Xiaoyu and was discovered by Blue Ling’er, she asked Ling’er to keep it a secret and not tell Yu Yi. Why was that?
Yu Yi couldn’t figure out these questions for now.
A more important issue now stood before Yu Yi.
Fang Xiaoyu, Fuxi, and the other “eyes” had fallen into a frenzied state. Did that mean Zi Kui’s power had become unstable, making it hard for her to control those souls?
Looking at the timeline, by the time Yu Yi had sent Zi Kui back to the River of Forgetfulness, they should have already engaged in Dual Cultivation.
If Zi Kui had already Dual Cultivated with Yu Yi, how could such a mishap occur based on her abilities?
A sense of foreboding rose slowly in Yu Yi’s heart.
She suddenly stood up and looked out the window, her expression solemn and worried.
“Master… could it be that those people’s loss of control was caused by something happening to First Senior Sister?”
Beside her, Blue Ling’er, seeing Yu Yi’s expression, also realized the situation and asked softly.
Yu Yi pondered for a moment and replied:
“It’s very possible.”
The air fell into silence.
Huang Doudou, with a look of “Did I come too late?” scratched her head, also a bit dazed.
Chi Ming was also somewhat stunned. She had just received a massive load of information—like the fact that her close friend Fang Xiaoyu had already “died” once—and her brain was struggling to keep up.
She had missed many crucial details, and the first thing she heard upon arrival was that the mysterious First Senior Sister, whom she had never met, had encountered trouble. She couldn’t react in time.
But whether it was Chi Ming or Huang Doudou, no matter how confused they were, they understood one fact:
“First Senior Sister… probably needs our help now, right?”
“I plan to go to the River of Forgetfulness,” Yu Yi said with a slight nod.
“Master means First Senior Sister is at the River of Forgetfulness? Isn’t that the origin of the Everlasting Tribulation Sword’s power that Senior Ji mentioned?”
Blue Ling’er frowned in thought and said:
“Could it be that the mastermind behind the scenes has been excavating the root of the Everlasting Tribulation Sword’s power there, not only causing the beast rampage across the provinces but also greatly affecting First Senior Sister?”
Blue Ling’er’s deduction was almost spot on.
But seeing is believing. Regardless, Yu Yi had to go to the River of Forgetfulness herself.
Both to root out the masterminds behind the beast rampage who wanted to frame Yu Yi, and to confirm the situation of her eldest disciple, Zi Kui.
“Chi Ming, I permit you to go to Yunzhou to check on your friend’s condition. Doudou, it’s been a long time since you’ve traveled far. Accompany your little junior sister this time.”
Yu Yi instructed the two.
“Thank you, Master!”
“Disciple obeys!”
After each bowed, they exited the main pavilion.
“Ling’er, have you fully absorbed those four soul essences?”
Yu Yi then asked Blue Ling’er.
“Reporting to Master, after absorbing them, my cultivation has reached the King Wu nine realm.”
Blue Ling’er replied. She had absorbed the four soul essences right before Yun Qianxue’s “visit.” Among all the disciples, she was also the fastest and most efficient at absorbing soul essences.
Don’t ask why—just say she was eager for Dual Cultivation.
But from the current situation, it seemed Blue Ling’er’s wish for Dual Cultivation would have to be postponed again.
“Ling’er, I promised you…”
“I understand, Master.”
But Blue Ling’er did not complain. She smiled and bowed:
“Before everything is resolved, I will wait patiently.”
Of course, Blue Ling’er knew that helping First Senior Sister was more important than her own desires.
Yu Yi nodded in satisfaction.
Strict with herself, mature, sensible, and never unreasonable—Blue Ling’er was indeed the most reliable!
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