Chapter 401: Sounds Like Last Words

Lu Sangjiu knew that asking him this was rather cruel to Xie Ningyuan.

But she had to go alone, which meant she had to force one of them to give her their approval first.

And undoubtedly, the most suitable person for this was Xie Ningyuan, the one closest to her.

If he was the first to agree and something happened to her, Xie Ningyuan would undoubtedly be the one to bear the brunt of everyone else’s anger.

But she knew Xie Ningyuan would agree.

Sure enough, Xie Ningyuan stared into her eyes for a long moment before finally, slowly, nodding his head.

"...Go do what you feel you must."

His voice was low and somewhat hoarse, and Lu Sangjiu could feel the torment in his heart as he spoke those words.

He had already lost his master and the Abbot, the two people closest to him. He had watched helplessly as countless sect members died before his eyes, and the sect where he had grown up had changed completely overnight.

He was already in so much pain.

If he were to lose her now, Lu Sangjiu dared not imagine what state Xie Ningyuan would be in.

Even though she was the one forcing his hand, Lu Sangjiu’s heart ached all the same.

Unable to resist, she threw her arms around him in a tight embrace.

"Xie Ningyuan, I promise you I will survive... Please, take care of yourself, and take care of my master and the others for me."

The rims of Xie Ningyuan’s eyes were red, but he slowly raised his arms to hug her back, his grip a little tight.

"Remember your promise to me... If you break your word, I will never forgive you."

They had been together for some time now, but they rarely showed affection in front of others.

But now, they couldn’t be bothered with such things. Deep down, they both knew this goodbye could very well be their last.

No matter how many promises they made, they ultimately had to face an utterly ruthless Transcendance Tribulation Stage expert. Life and death rested on his every whim.

The human heart was always the most difficult thing to fathom.

Luo Linlang had already reached the Nascent Soul Stage; the effects of her Cultivation Technique meant she rarely cried.

But watching the two of them now, she felt her eyes begin to burn.

"...Little Junior Sister, do you really have to go?"

Her quiet voice was laced with misery and hurt.

Lu Sangjiu pulled away from Xie Ningyuan and turned to Luo Linlang, a gentle smile gracing her face.

"Senior Sister, this isn’t a final farewell yet. What are you crying for?"

With that, she bowed to Duan Xingyun. "Master, if I don’t make it back on time, I’ll have to trouble you to take care of things here."

Duan Xingyun was also saddened. "Little Jiu... I won’t stop you, but you must protect yourself."

"Staying alive is more important than anything else, do you understand?"

Lu Sangjiu smiled and nodded, then exchanged a few words with Li Qiancheng and the others before finally turning to Gu Jue.

"Mr. Gu, I won’t bother with words of thanks or blame with you."

"I know that your decision to help us, just like your decision not to return to the sect with that Supreme Elder from the Lingjian Sect, came straight from the heart."

"I’m so glad to have a good friend like you... Take care of yourself from now on!"

Lu Sangjiu didn’t want to make this sound like a final testament, but she felt if she didn’t say something now, she might regret it later if she never got the chance.

Gu Jue looked at her and said slowly, "...Mr. Lu, meeting you has been the blessing of three lifetimes."

"But I believe that you will come back alive. I’m certain of it."

Lu Sangjiu beamed at him. "Then I’ll count on those lucky words!"

After exchanging a few words with everyone, Lu Sangjiu turned to Xie Ningyuan. "Walk me a bit?"

Xie Ningyuan didn’t say a word. He simply took her hand and tore through space.

Now that the great war had begun, the borders were nothing but battlefields, so Xie Ningyuan took her directly to the Divine Tomb Sect.

"You said you have a personal score to settle, so you won’t let me escort you all the way. But there’s no problem with Fa Shan accompanying you, right?"

"I know Fa Shan might not be able to stop Cangming, but at least he’s involved in this. Who knows? At a critical moment, a single word from him might be enough to make Cangming see reason."

Lu Sangjiu shook her head helplessly. "If only it were that simple."

"But it’s true that Cangming won’t be hostile toward Fa Shan, so it’s safer than you going with me. I’ll take him along. You should go back and wait for me."

Xie Ningyuan looked down, his eyes filled with deep emotion. He raised a hand and gently stroked her head. "Little Jiu... you are the most radiant pearl I have ever seen."

"I was never supposed to have romantic feelings, yet I couldn’t help but fall for you... In my eyes, you are wreathed in light."

Lu Sangjiu had never been told such mushy sweet nothings to her face, and for a moment, she was a little flustered.

Although she was touched, she couldn’t help but say, "What’s gotten into you? Did you take the wrong medicine or something?"

But Xie Ningyuan’s gaze remained serious. "I’m just saying... someone as special as you won’t die an obscure death here, right?"

The awkwardness on Lu Sangjiu’s face faded as she keenly felt the anxiety in his heart.

Nodding emphatically, she said, "That’s right. I’m too special to die."

"Don’t you worry. At the very least, I’ll keep myself alive and wait for you to rescue me. Go back and focus on your cultivation. You’ve been at the Body Integration Realm for a long time, haven’t you? It’s time for a breakthrough!"

Xie Ningyuan chuckled softly and nodded.

He glanced at Fa Shan, who had been waiting patiently nearby, and said, "I’m leaving now."

As she watched him turn to leave, Lu Sangjiu suddenly called out, "Wait!"

Xie Ningyuan turned back, and before he could react, Lu Sangjiu quickly rose onto her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his lips.

Then, without waiting for him to respond, she shyly spun around and ran toward Fa Shan.

"Okay, we can go now!"

Watching her wave without daring to look back, Xie Ningyuan touched his lips, at a loss for whether to laugh or cry...

’Tsk. So caught up in all this, we haven’t even had time to properly enjoy being in love... To think our first kiss was initiated by her. How embarrassing.’

Watching her retreating figure, he made a silent promise to himself: ’The next time we meet, I’ll be sure to return that kiss properly.’

Fa Shan didn’t take Lu Sangjiu directly to the Cold Crow Sect by tearing through space. Instead, they flew there on a Magic Treasure.

Along the way, she had time to explain the current situation to him.

After listening, Fa Shan’s eyes filled with worry. "So... are you going to tell him your identity?"

Lu Sangjiu shook her head. "It depends on the situation. If I can’t persuade him through normal means, then I’ll have no choice but to try that."

"But what if he..."

Lu Sangjiu knew what he was about to say and sighed. "He can’t possibly hate me that much, can he? I’m just a weak little thing at the Nascent Soul Stage now. No matter how you look at it, he wouldn’t go so far as to kill me on the spot."

"However, if he insists on detaining me, don’t confront him directly. Just leave and send word to Xie Ningyuan. He’ll figure out a way to save me."