The sudden voice, as if possessing a soothing magic, gradually calmed the raging aura that had brought Ji Hongying to the brink of collapse.
Ji Hongying turned around, a few traces of crimson still lingering in her eyes. But upon seeing the figure before her, she was instantly brought back to her senses.
"You... why are you here!" Ji Hongying's tone was laced with panic, complexity, and a hint of desolation.
Her current expression was a stark contrast to her usual bewitching demeanor. Perhaps, this was an unknown side of her.
"Why can't I be here?" Ye Ming looked into Ji Hongying's eyes and calmly retorted.
Faced with Ye Ming's unwavering gaze, Ji Hongying dared not meet his eyes and instinctively began to dodge, a sense of unease swirling within her.
Seeing Ji Hongying deliberately avoid his gaze, Ye Ming advanced instead of retreating, taking a step towards her. With each step, there was an air of domineering arrogance that left Ji Hongying without the courage to evade.
Thus, Ji Hongying watched the man before her draw nearer. The panic in her heart intensified.
"You're afraid to see me?" Ye Ming approached Ji Hongying, gently lifted her delicate chin with his hand, and stared directly into her eyes, "Actually, I quite miss your passion that night. How about it, let me experience it again?"
As he spoke, Ye Ming's gaze fell upon Ji Hongying's alluring lips, and he leaned in to kiss her.
Seeing this, Ji Hongying's mind went blank. She hadn't expected Ye Ming to be so overbearing.
But as she watched Ye Ming draw closer, the indelible sorrow in her heart resurfaced.
She was unwilling, yet powerless.
She was furious, yet helpless.
She was lost, yet alone.
This was her life.
A tragic life.
In this way, fueled by various negative emotions, the deep wounds in Ji Hongying's heart instantly transformed into surging, furious grief.
A madness flickered in her eyes, and then she bared her teeth and bit down fiercely on Ye Ming's shoulder. In this bite, Ji Hongying spared no effort, releasing all her grief and grievances.
At this moment, she no longer considered the consequences.
At this moment, she only wanted to free herself.
Even if it meant paying with her life.
As Ji Hongying's teeth sank into Ye Ming's flesh, crimson liquid instantly flowed from her mouth. Some even trickled into her oral cavity, which she swallowed.
Yet, even so, the madness in Ji Hongying's eyes did not diminish. She continued to bite down on Ye Ming's shoulder, as if only by tearing off a piece of flesh could she fully express all the pain in her heart.
As the scarlet liquid continued to flow, Ji Hongying lost count of how much of the腥甜 (xīng tián -腥: fishy, raw; 甜: sweet; referring to the taste of blood) substance she had ingested. She only knew that at this moment, her body and mind had found an unprecedented release.
Then, the madness in her eyes slowly receded.
It was then that she suddenly realized why it was so quiet around her.
Logically, Ye Ming, having been bitten so ruthlessly, should not have remained silent. Yet, not only had he not made a sound, but he had also shown no signs of resistance.
"This..."
At this moment, recalling Ye Ming's overbearing behavior earlier, Ji Hongying seemed to understand something.
He did it on purpose!
Ji Hongying quickly released her bite and stared dazedly at the two wounds on Ye Ming's shoulder, about two centimeters deep. An indescribable emotion surged through her. Finally, frost gradually blurred her eyes.
"Wuwuwu! Why... why?"
Ji Hongying looked at the shocking bloody gashes and the crimson liquid still dripping down his collar. Her heart felt as if it had been pierced by a sharp knife, and a suffocating, sharp pain washed over her.
She grabbed Ye Ming's arm with trembling hands, not daring to lift her head, fearing she would break down.
"I haven't cried, why are you crying?"
At this moment, that familiar gentle voice reached her ears once more. Immediately after, her head was lifted by a pair of warm hands, and she saw a smiling face as warm as a spring breeze.
"Look at you! You look like a vampire!" Ye Ming gently wiped the crimson from the corner of Ji Hongying's mouth, teasing her intentionally.
Feeling Ye Ming's intimate gesture, Ji Hongying could no longer hold back. She threw herself into Ye Ming's arms, her hands clasped tightly around his waist.
"Wuwuwu..."
This time, Ji Hongying had no reservations, freely venting her tightly strung emotions. As she cried, her sobs seemed to resonate with the heavens. Drizzling raindrops began to fall from the sky, eventually burying Ji Hongying's cries in the downpour.
On the bridge, travelers passing by looked at the couple embracing in the rain with puzzled glances. However, due to the heavy rain, they did not stop and quickly disappeared into the rainy night.
"It's been a long time since I've been rained on. This feeling, it's truly nostalgic!" Ye Ming held the beauty in his arms, feeling the rain beat against his body, and couldn't help but sigh.
This rain, for both his body and mind, was not without its cleansing effect.
Since embarking on the path of immortal cultivation, when encountering wind and snow, he had become accustomed to protecting himself with celestial techniques, shielding him from the elements.
At this moment, Ye Ming realized: the further he cultivated, the further he seemed to drift from nature, from all things.
His heart!
It seemed to have changed!
Upon realizing this, the energy within Ye Ming began to flow on its own, coursing through every bone, every organ, and even every cell of his body.
Moreover, after circulating through his body, this energy did not stop but autonomously began to flow again, surging towards various parts of his body.
Thus, it went in cycles, returning after leaving, ceaselessly.
Ye Ming was also greatly shocked by these changes.
He truly hadn't expected to gain another enlightenment in such a short period.
Moreover, this enlightenment was clearly more precious than the "Stillness of All Things" he had previously understood.
"This..." He looked at Ji Hongying in his arms, his expression somewhat peculiar, and murmured to himself, "This is truly a solitary star destiny."
If he hadn't personally deduced it, he would have begun to suspect that Ji Hongying carried a "lucky star destiny."
...
At the same time, on a certain mountain peak, surrounded by rolling clouds and mist, a scene as ethereal as a fairy realm.
At the summit, a white-haired old man meditating suddenly opened his eyes. In his eyes, it seemed as if the changes of the four seasons, the shifting of seas into mulberry fields, and all things were present.
Immeasurably profound.
The white-haired old man seemed to be touched, then formed a seal with one hand, and occasionally uttered strange characters, leaving others perplexed.
"I cannot see through it, how can this be?" The white-haired old man frowned slightly, yet appeared thoughtful, "But why has the dormant red thread of Baiyi, which has been silent for so many years, been stirred at this moment?"
"Strange! Strange!"
The white-haired old man stroked his long beard, gazed at the mountains before him, and fell silent for a moment. Then, with the aid of a trace of supreme power, a serene voice emanated from the mountaintop:
"Baiyi, your mortal ties are not yet severed. You must enter the world and sever them before you can ascend to the celestial realm!"
At this moment, on another mountain peak, a woman dressed in a plain white dress gazed into the distance, watching the swirling red dust.
After a moment of contemplation, she withdrew her gaze. Then, her figure gradually vanished into the sea of clouds.