On the way back, Ji Liang and Shen Ruochu were both aware of each other’s presence, yet neither spoke.
Only after passing through one teleportation array after another and arriving at Transcendent 001 did Shen Ruochu’s young voice finally break the silence.
“So your life is in his hands as well?”
Her small face was tight, expressionless.
“…Yes,” Ji Liang replied, her tone slightly awkward.
Not long ago, she had promised to help Shen Ruochu take revenge. And now, in such a short time, she herself had fallen into Gu Chengxing’s control.
Shen Ruochu fell silent.
Ji Liang frowned slightly. “How did he discover me? My Divine Soul was clearly…”
Shen Ruochu did not answer.
Ji Liang had briefly suspected Shen Ruochu but quickly dismissed the thought.
It should not be her.
“Did he say anything?” Shen Ruochu asked.
“He told me to guide your cultivation,” Ji Liang answered bluntly.
“Oh.”
“My name is Ji Liang. I come from the ancient Immortal Emperor clan. At my peak, I reached Half-step Emperor Realm. I was only a step away from the true Emperor Realm.”
Her self-introduction carried an unmistakable air of grandeur.
“Mm.”
After that, Shen Ruochu did not speak again.
It was as if she completely ignored the person hidden within her.
Ji Liang had not expected this reaction.
Was the blow too heavy?
When Ji Liang first awakened, she had reviewed Shen Ruochu’s memories and knew the complicated relationship between her and Gu Chengxing.
“Did something happen?” Ji Liang wondered.
She attempted to browse Shen Ruochu’s memories again.
The moment the thought arose—
Buzz!
Ji Liang’s remnant soul cried out in alarm.
At the same time, Gu Chengxing’s voice sounded.
“You are not allowed to look at my disciple’s memories again. Otherwise, I will look at yours.”
“Everyone has a forbidden domain they do not wish to be touched. Shen Ruochu is no exception.”
“This is a warning.”
While Shen Ruochu had been absorbing the Soul-Hidden Flower, Gu Chengxing had already placed a layer of restriction upon her Divine Soul.
A stronger restriction would have harmed Shen Ruochu.
If Ji Liang forcibly searched her memories, it could not truly stop her.
But this was enough.
If Ji Liang had a physical body, her expression would likely have been quite interesting.
Far away in the Gravekeeper Forbidden Ground, Gu Chengxing lifted his gaze slightly in a certain direction.
He felt somewhat displeased, yet also faintly pleased.
Displeased at Ji Liang’s attempt to search Shen Ruochu’s memories.
Pleased…
He was not entirely sure why. Perhaps because, in some way, he had protected her.
In any case, there was a trace of satisfaction.
Ji Liang took a deep breath.
Shen Ruochu was equally surprised. She had heard the warning as well.
After all, in her Soul Sea, she was the true master.
Her emotions stirred subtly.
As she continued interacting with Gu Chengxing, a strange feeling began to take shape in her heart.
She could not see him clearly.
She truly could not see what kind of person Gu Chengxing was.
After this incident, the silence between Ji Liang and Shen Ruochu deepened.
After a long while, Ji Liang finally spoke. “He wants me to guide your cultivation. Will you learn?”
“Learn,” Shen Ruochu replied without hesitation, her voice resolute.
“Mm. From now on, I will be your Master.”
Shen Ruochu refused immediately. “No.”
“Why?” Ji Liang asked, genuinely curious.
What was this eight-year-old child thinking?
In the past, she would have simply searched her memories and not needed to ask.
“You do not truly wish to take me as a disciple. You are being forced.”
“Whether by your current condition or by his coercion.”
The “he” referred, of course, to Gu Chengxing.
Her voice was young, but certain.
Ji Liang was startled.
“But I did intend to take you as my disciple before he discovered me,” she said.
“It’s different,” Shen Ruochu replied softly. “You only did so because you are a remnant soul and need my help. If you were whole and unharmed, you would not spare me a glance.” Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
“You would see me as an ant.”
“I am merely suitable, not irreplaceable. You only wish to use me. At best, we are partners. We cannot be Master and disciple.”
Ji Liang understood her meaning and laughed lightly. “Life is shaped by many factors. If you think this way, then sincerity does not exist in this world. Everyone would just doubt one another.”
She found Shen Ruochu’s thoughts childish.
But Shen Ruochu’s next words made her uncomfortable.
“I have no need to take you as my Master,” Shen Ruochu said calmly, like a strategist in control. “If he had not discovered you, I might have had a reason. But now, whether I take you as my Master or not, you must teach me.”
“You are under someone else’s roof, so you must bow your head.”
“You already intended to use me. Why become my Master? If anyone is to be my Master, it would be him.”
“At least, up to now, I still cannot see what he truly wants…”
“But no matter what, I will kill him.”
Ji Liang found herself speechless.
“You… You do not sound like a child,” she muttered.
“But I must tell you this. Even if I teach you, I will have my own considerations. If you are not my disciple, why would I pass on everything I know?”
Shen Ruochu’s tone remained steady. “What difference does it make if I become your disciple? What you intend to hide, you will still hide.”
“And besides—”
“Compared to you, I trust him more.”
“I want to kill him, but that does not mean I do not trust him.”
“He controls your life and death. What you should teach me will still be determined by him. Everything is decided by Gu Chengxing. How would you conceal anything?”
Ji Liang fell silent for a long time.
She steadied her unsettled heart.
She had been rendered speechless by a seven-year-old.
For a moment, she felt as though her countless years of existence had been wasted.
No.
It was not that she could not argue.
It was that she recognized Shen Ruochu’s words were true.
At that thought, Ji Liang suddenly laughed.
She did not know why.
After a while, unwilling to admit defeat, she asked, “If you obey Gu Chengxing in everything, how will you take revenge?”
This time, Ji Liang finally gained the upper hand.
Shen Ruochu had no answer.
Because she did not know how.