Chapter 484: Goodbye, Without Love

Liu Churan lashed out with her whip again, but “Gu Qingcheng”, while holding Qiao Ni, deftly dodged. Liu Churan seemed slightly concerned about Qiao Ni, so she held back from using her full strength. Watching as “Gu Qingcheng” relied on Qiao Ni like a shield, Liu Churan coldly remarked, “Are you even a woman? Come, face me properly.”

“Gu Qingcheng” found this amusing and casually replied, “I’m fifteen.”

Liu Churan froze at those words, while Qiao Ni looked surprised and delighted upon learning that “Gu Qingcheng” was the same age as her. Excitedly, she asked, “So you’re fifteen, Xiao Hei? With your tone and looks, I thought you were thirty-five!”

Qiao Ni’s unintentional jab was as cutting as a knife for “Gu Qingcheng”. Just when she thought her humor had made things awkward, the whip flew towards her again. This time, Liu Churan didn’t hold back or care about Qiao Ni’s presence.

Perhaps Liu Churan had realized that “Gu Qingcheng” was intent on protecting Qiao Ni, no matter the cost. So, without hesitation, she struck down hard. “Gu Qingcheng” couldn’t dodge, and was forced to endure the whip’s powerful blow head-on.

Still, she refrained from using Flower Burial, leaving her with a pitifully limited set of techniques. Fortunately, the Buddhist technique Golden Dome Shield blocked most of the attack, allowing “Gu Qingcheng” to securely protect Qiao Ni in her arms.

In the next second, however, another sharp lash came, shattering a portion of her mask. Considering its poor quality, it couldn’t withstand such a fierce assault.

Sensing danger, “Gu Qingcheng” quickly turned and retrieved another mask from her bag of holding. This one was a simple opera-style mask she had previously used for fun when she was with Gu Xiangsi. Never had she imagined that she’d be forced to rely on such a flimsy item, in a moment of crisis like this.

After securing the mask, she prepared to take Liu Churan more seriously. However, she noticed Liu Churan’s movements had come to a sudden halt. Her expression was filled with disbelief, as if that brief glimpse of “Gu Qingcheng’s” face had been enough for her to recognize her true identity.

“Qingcheng?”

“Gu Qingcheng” felt a wave of helplessness wash over her. She had tried her best to keep her Demon Lord identity hidden, especially while being bound to Qiao Ni. Yet, reality had gifted her a cruel blow.

Her cover was blown. The only small mercy was that Madam Yu was still unconscious, unaware of the situation. As “Gu Qingcheng” processed this, she heard a faint voice—someone else sensitive to the name Qingcheng.

“Gu Qingcheng?”

When she turned around, she saw Madam Yu had awakened. Unlike Liu Churan’s expression of shock, Madam Yu’s was filled with an overwhelming surge of emotion. Her face brightened as if she had just found the hope she needed to keep going.

“Gu Qingcheng” remained silent. If she could, she would have fled and continued to live as Ye Wenxin, instead of being Demon Lord Gu Qingcheng, trapped between two sisters. But the harsh truth was that she still couldn’t separate from Qiao Ni. Even if she ran and transformed back into Ye Wenxin, Qiao Ni’s presence would expose her.

“You’re talking about who? Xiao Hei is Gu Qingcheng? That demoness, Gu Qingcheng?”

Qiao Ni was completely clueless. She couldn’t understand why her mother acted as if she’d lost her soul every time this name came up, or why her aunt, Liu Churan, became so unnerving.

Naturally, she rejected the name outright, and when she heard both of them mention it in connection with Xiao Hei, she instinctively wondered if they were hallucinating.

If Xiao Hei was really Demon Lord Gu Qingcheng, how could she have fallen so low as to become a mere thief?

Qiao Ni looked toward “Gu Qingcheng”, hoping for an explanation.

“Gu Qingcheng” let out a long sigh, regretting her decision to take the easy route and not alter her appearance. But it seemed she had no choice now.

Like some cosmic joke, the four of them had gathered in one room, leaving “Gu Qingcheng” no more chance to escape. Under three expectant gazes, she took off the mask, revealing her face.

The face that provoked furious hatred among the immortal sects, and garnered reverence from the demon sects.

In this quiet night, a family reunion unfolded in the most understated way. Liu Churan, unable to hold back her emotions, threw herself into “Gu Qingcheng’s” arms, her eyes brimming with tears. For a moment, she seemed to transform back into the girl “Gu Qingcheng” once knew.

On the other hand, Madam Yu remained where she stood. She suddenly realized that she didn’t even have the right to embrace “Gu Qingcheng”. All she could do was give her an acknowledging nod. Just a few glances—a few more glances were already enough.

She didn’t dare to be greedy. Even if she was, her body wouldn’t allow her to enjoy it. Madam Yu tightly clutched her skirt, trying to control her trembling, suppressing the emotions threatening to spill out, and holding back from bringing up that past event.

It was on a dark, windy night, when she had not yet known that Gu Qingcheng was the Demon Lord. However, the words remained unspoken.

Gu Qingcheng, on the other hand, stayed silent and cautious in the face of Liu Churan’s tearful outburst. She feared that Liu Churan might use the moment to pull out the Immortal Sealing Ring, and trap her for life. Fortunately, Liu Churan was only venting her emotions, accusing Gu Qingcheng of being cruel and hiding from her for over a year.

As for Qiao Ni, she continued to watch curiously while numerous questions floated in her mind. She wasn’t part of this reunion, but due to the mysterious force pulling them together, she had no choice but to remain by “Gu Qingcheng’s” side.

Up in the air, Ghost Mother watched Liu Churan and Gu Qingcheng embrace, feeling a pang of jealousy. She wasn’t sure if she envied her old friend for finally finding her one and only Gu Qingcheng, while she herself no longer had her master, Ye Wenxin.

Or perhaps, her jealousy stemmed from the fact that no matter what, she would always just be a ghost, unable to replace anyone…

For a moment, the room fell quiet, as if time itself had frozen. Everything had happened in a snap, and ended just as quickly. “Gu Qingcheng” finally hardened her heart.

The Demon Lord was already gone from this world. In her place, only a minor character called Ye Wenxin remained.

After holding Liu Churan for a brief moment, “Gu Qingcheng” pushed her away and said, “I have to go.”

Liu Churan hadn’t expected that after all this, “Gu Qingcheng” would only manage to squeeze out a farewell. She was frustrated, knew that it couldn’t be helped, yet she just had to try one last time.

“Qingcheng, please come back with me, alright? I won’t be bad anymore. Whatever you want, I’ll agree to it; just please don’t abandon me.”

Liu Churan continued to plead. Whether it was ruling the demon sects or everything she had done until now, it had all been to strengthen her power so she could search for Demon Lord Gu Qingcheng. If she had Gu Qingcheng back at her side, then nothing else mattered anymore.