Qian Yu stopped speaking, but Gu Qinghan understood what she meant.
She understood her Master’s personality well. If forced to absorb her excess Providence, her Master would not say anything.
But if asked to actively strip Providence from her, her Master would absolutely prefer to dissipate rather than agree.
‘So… before finding a solution, does rescuing Master early actually harm her?’
In that instant, Gu Qinghan thought of many things.
For example, when Yingning agreed to go with her in this life, she had shown a bit more hesitation than in the previous one.
It was no wonder that in this life, Yingning’s cultivation plan for her was not only stricter and more urgent than in her previous life, but she had even gone as far as actively pointing out her Dao Heart flaws and emotional turbulence.
One had to remember that in the previous life, even if Gu Qinghan were on the verge of death, Yingning would still clap her hands and tease her.
As for emotions and the Dao Heart, she had let them be entirely, allowing Gu Qinghan to realize things for herself within the mortal world without interfering in the slightest.
Gu Qinghan had originally thought this was just a difference caused by the different amount of time spent with her in the two lives, but now it seemed…
Was it all because Master knew she could not exist for much longer?
Rebirth had caused Gu Qinghan to consume too much Providence, but why did her Master never tell her?
Why did she allow herself to be rescued even though she knew she could not endure?
If it were not for Qian Yu, she would not have even known that her Master’s existence required the absorption of Providence!
At this moment, Gu Qinghan’s mind was flooded with a thousand thoughts.
That beautiful face, which always looked like a moonlit immortal detached from the world, was turning pale at a visible rate.
The fact that she had personally brought her most beloved Master toward destruction, while remaining completely unaware and even feeling joyful about it, made her heart tremble with intense panic and dread.
She knew that many things in this world also carried Providence, but those items had either vanished into the long river of history or were things only a Venerable or even a Saint could touch.
For example, the Ancient Heavenly Fox was also hailed as a favorite of the Heavenly Dao.
Even if the Providence on such a being was dense, it was the deepest foundation of the Demon Race’s Saint Realm.
How could they possibly lend it to her?
The more she thought, the more chaotic her mind became, and the paleness on her face grew.
Suddenly, a thin but warm hand reached out from the side and grasped her own.
Gu Qinghan’s body trembled slightly.
It was Qian Yu’s hand.
She heard a slightly youthful but incredibly reassuring voice:
“Don’t worry, Senior Sister. From the moment you rescued me from the Secret Realm, I have been looking for a way to repay you. And now, I think I have a solution.”
A dagger shaped like a fox’s tail was placed into Gu Qinghan’s hand.
It was very warm, carrying a faint power of Providence.
As mentioned before, Qian Yu’s mental defenses were very deep, and her sense of security was severely lacking.
Even without any evidence, as long as there was a possibility of a crisis, she would take preemptive action to test the waters.
Therefore, when Gu Qinghan had taken the initiative to come to Cloud-Weave Star Venerable’s side to fetch her yesterday, Qian Yu had already made a guess.
The reborn Gu Qinghan was someone who valued her life extremely highly.
Even if she relied on her past knowledge of Cloud-Weave Star Venerable to guess that Qian Yu might be in danger, it was unlikely for someone of her character to actively get involved in such a matter.
After all, Gu Qinghan did not even like her.
There might be some support hidden here that she did not know about, such as that soul-body Master of hers — Yingning.
Qian Yu knew there was a high possibility the woman had not been rescued yet, but from the moment she entered Gu Qinghan’s Cave Residence, she had assumed the woman existed and was hiding inside the ring to watch.
This was exhausting, but she was not like Nalan Yunyan who had a background, nor was she like Gu Qinghan who held Heaven’s Mandate.
If she took one wrong step, she would fall into a bottomless abyss.
This dagger — this Life-bound Spirit Tool refined from the Rank 3 peak Fox Tail Sword Spirit given to her by Nalan Yunyan — was the Certificate of Loyalty she was handing over to Yingning.
She knew Gu Qinghan would not take it, but she had to offer it.
Even if it was just for show.
—
Yingning, who was inside Gu Qinghan’s ring, knew nothing of Qian Yu’s little calculations.
The woman, who had been overflowing with killing intent just a moment ago, had fallen into a deep silence.
With her experience, she could naturally see the true nature of this dagger.
From the aura on it that was completely synchronized with Qian Yu, she could tell — this was Qian Yu’s Life-bound Spirit Tool.
Setting its power aside, it was something truly linked to her life.
By bringing it out, the girl was essentially placing half of her life into someone else’s hands.
If Gu Qinghan had even the slightest ill intent, Qian Yu would be left dead or crippled.
But that was not the most important part.
The most important part was the significance of Qian Yu bringing it out at this moment.
As a Life-bound Spirit Tool refined with the Heavenly Fox Bloodline, it had been intertwined with the Providence on Qian Yu’s body from the moment it was born.
Qian Yu’s intention in bringing it out now was clear — if Gu Qinghan found her Master in the future, she could rely on the Providence connected to this dagger to survive.
The blood-colored talismans dimmed, and the thick killing intent became sluggish.
Looking at the Fox Tail Dagger in Qian Yu’s hand, a look of great complexity flashed through Yingning’s eyes.
Just a short while ago, she had wanted to kill the girl, yet what the girl gave back was a bond of life.
Even if she had to give up that bit of thin Providence brought by the Heavenly Fox Bloodline, she was still sincerely willing to let Yingning remain in the world.
Time seemed to slow down at this moment.
Through the ring, Yingning looked at the silver moon in the sky.
A sense of guilt made her feel her own filth.
Had she become so desperate for Gu Qinghan to attain the Dao that her mindset had changed, leading her to harbor subconscious bias and malice toward Qian Yu?
It was interesting how a person’s mindset could determine their thoughts.
Even for the same matter, when one’s mindset changed, the perspective through which they viewed it could produce completely different ideas.
When Yingning instinctively wanted to eliminate Qian Yu to clear the obstacles on Gu Qinghan’s path to the Dao, everything the girl did was malicious.
Every word the girl spoke was interpreted by her subconscious as hypocritical and ill-intentioned.
But when she was touched by the Life-bound Spirit Tool that Qian Yu had offered, the facts she had subconsciously ignored — that Qian Yu had grown up alone since childhood and lacked a sense of security — resurfaced in her mind.
Yingning began to think that perhaps these subconscious disguises were not malicious.
Qian Yu was simply accustomed to using these carefully designed facades so that people would not dislike her, thereby reducing her chances of being hurt.
She had no ill intent; she was just used to behaving this way.
This was the survival strategy of Qian Yu, this poor and helpless little Half-Yao.
Yingning’s soul felt somewhat obstructed.
Now, when she looked at Qian Yu again, what she felt was no longer hypocrisy, but an indescribable heartache.
Just what kind of environment did the girl grow up in to develop such a habit of disguising herself?
At this moment, she only wanted to give Qian Yu a hug.
As for the possibility that all of this was just an act by Qian Yu…
First, Yingning was certain that no one could detect her existence, so there was no need for Qian Yu to perform.
Second, even if the girl guessed she might exist and deliberately put on this show, there was no need to bring out a Life-bound Spirit Tool.
This was something cultivated with one’s very life.
It was not worth taking such a massive risk just for the small possibility that she was nearby.
What if Gu Qinghan actually took it?
It was not like the girl had some mental instability.
Qian Yu did not know if she had mental instability or not, but she knew she had gambled correctly.
Just a moment ago, a mysterious and profound sense of enlightenment flooded her heart.
As if a heavy burden had been lifted, her spirit suddenly relaxed.
A sense of great ease and freedom enveloped her entire body, bringing a comfort that made her want to moan.
All the dross on her soul and the dust on her heart were eased and swept away in this instant.
This was Yingning’s “apology” for “judging a noble heart with a petty mind.”
Yingning did not believe that Qian Yu’s so-called prophetic dreams could reveal the methods she possessed, but after Qian Yu felt this extremely comfortable Dao Rhythm, she knew exactly where this power came from.
Bringing out the Life-bound Spirit Tool was not in vain.
‘That Yingning really was hiding in the dark watching the whole time. I, Qian Yu, am indeed a genius! Hehehe…’
Qian Yu was happy, and in the next moment, after feeling the specifics of this power, she became even happier.
It could only be said that as expected of someone who was once half an immortal, she was truly generous.
She had made a huge profit.