Hearing that cold and piercing response from her Senior Brother, Luo Baizhi felt a sharp pain in her Transparent Sword Heart—a heart rarely stirred by emotion.
Even the depths of her beautiful eyes began to mist with tears.
She couldn’t understand. Why had her once gentle Senior Brother become like this just because of a misunderstanding?
Not only was his attitude cold, his words had grown unbearably harsh. And the way he looked at them now—he didn’t even see them as people, let alone fellow disciples.
Beneath those icy eyes, she could feel nothing but disgust and rejection.
But… back then, that incident had so many suspicious details.
It wasn’t entirely her fault.
It was true that she had doubted him, but wasn’t that understandable?
“Master and Senior Sister were right… that incident must have dealt too great a blow to Senior Brother, damaging his Dao Heart and destabilizing his mental state…”
“That’s why his whole personality has changed so drastically…”
“If we can find a way to restore his Dao Heart and mental state, Senior Brother will definitely return to his old self…”
Wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand, Luo Baizhi refused to give up.
She flew after Gu Han on her sword, not wanting to let him leave the sect for good without turning back.
However, she deliberately kept a certain distance.
Because the current Gu Han… made her feel afraid.
…
Wenjian Sect, Scripture Pavilion.
In its heyday, the Wenjian Sect had flourished, and thus the number of ancient manuals and techniques it had collected was vast.
Looking up, a spiral staircase stretched high into the air—so high that one couldn’t see where it ended.
The faint scent of books, which should have been ethereal and intangible, had under the immense presence of ancient texts, condensed into something nearly tangible.
At the very top of the Scripture Pavilion, a white-robed beauty stood out strikingly.
“No…”
“I remember it clearly. There was a record in the sect’s Scripture Pavilion… a manual that explained how to restore the Dao Heart. Why can’t I find it?!” This story is hosted at g.com.
Mu Bailing’s flawless and icy face was filled with anxious panic. Her slender fingers pulled out book after book. Her eyes darted across pages rapidly, only to shove the books back one after another in frustration.
The elders assisting her couldn’t help but frown.
In their memories, Mu Bailing had always been calm and composed, never one to lose her temper.
But ever since that incident, she seemed like a completely different person.
Compared to the Dao Heart problem she claimed Gu Han was suffering from, they felt that it was Mu Bailing herself who had the real problem.
…
Demon Suppression Tower.
“Senior Sister! Please understand! The Demon Suppression Tower is currently off-limits to sect disciples!”
Several disciples in Law Enforcement Hall robes stopped Chu Youwei and Liu Ruyan, who both looked visibly distressed.
No matter how hard they insisted, they weren’t allowed in.
And when the guards finally threatened to drag them to the Law Enforcement Hall for interfering with official duties, the two women had no choice but to grit their teeth and leave, clearly unwilling.
“Senior Sister… what do we do now?” Liu Ruyan’s eyes were red, her voice choked and hoarse.
“They say that the demon sealed on the sixth floor of the tower has the power to pierce through one’s inner heart, and might even help a cultivator restore a damaged mental state…”
“But the tower is sealed off, and no one knows when it’ll open again…”
“Senior Brother has been so frightening these days… I just want him to return to how he used to be…”
“I promise I’ll never be willful again, never falsely accuse him… sob sob…”
Listening to Liu Ruyan’s soft weeping, even the always calm Chu Youwei felt her head pounding.
“Right now the tower is heavily guarded… entering it is nearly impossible—at least not for the next few days.”
“We’ll wait until the guards let their guard down a bit, then we’ll figure out a way…”
A look of resolute determination also flashed through Chu Youwei’s eyes.
Their Senior Brother was only suffering from a damaged state of mind.
As long as they could fix it, he would definitely return to the gentle Senior Brother they once knew!
Tianhuang City was extremely remote, located deep in the most desolate region of the Great Desert Continent.
There was no such thing as rules or order here.
Only two kinds of people existed—strong and weak. Human beings and two-legged sheep.
But honestly, the future Blood Moon Demon Lord rising from a place like this to become a top-tier powerhouse who shook the world… even Gu Han had to admit, it was somewhat admirable.
Unfortunately, this seemingly invincible female villain ended up getting killed off by the plot—what a load of nonsense.
Then again, it made sense.
These ancient “cool-blooded genius” webnovels always followed the same pattern. The protagonist soared all the way to the top, and no matter how deadly the danger, he would never die. He’d only fall temporarily, then come back even stronger to crush all enemies.
Anyone who opposed him became cannon fodder, and none ended well.
Especially those villains who were moved by a few words from the protagonist, had a sudden change of heart, and willingly let themselves be killed—absolutely ridiculous.
Soon, an enormous ancient city came into view on the horizon. Its towering black walls weathered by sun and sand, and atop a broken plaque, three ancient characters read—Tianhuang City.
As for these grey market dealings, Gu Han was familiar with them from his past life.
So it didn’t take him long to locate the slave camp in the Northern Wastelands.
“My lord, all of these have been carefully selected from the wild. Their bone structures are excellent!”
“Whether you plan to use them as medicine primers, or train them as death guards, they’re all excellent choices!”
“Look at that girl—she used to be the young lady of a noble clan. Fair skin, beautiful face, and her talent is extraordinary too. You could use her as a cauldron—only 2,000 spirit stones!”
In a dark and shabby courtyard, a middle-aged man with shifty eyes and a greasy smile was enthusiastically promoting his stock to Gu Han.
Looking around, the yard was filled with boys and girls in rags, emaciated to the bone.
Some had horrifying scars all over their bodies—clearly, they had endured brutal mistreatment.
Gu Han ignored the man’s sales pitch.
His dark eyes scanned the broken yard until they landed on a girl, about eleven or twelve years old, curled up in a shadowy corner, hugging her knees like a frightened kitten.
Her disheveled black hair dragged on the ground, matted with filth. Her clothes were tattered, revealing large patches of skin smeared with dirt and dust.
Despite her miserable state, her delicate facial features showed she was undeniably a stunning beauty in the making.
But what stood out most…
Were her eyes—crimson like a blood moon, exuding a dangerous charm that felt both ominous and mesmerizing.