Chapter 107: A Smile Wipes Away All Resentment

  Before they even reached the entrance of the Phantom Realm, Shen Baili had already heard the sound of clashing steel, and his heart sank. He exchanged a glance with Liu Mengli, both of them feeling uneasy, and quickened their pace.

  Passing through a large area of purple crystal forest that was taller than people, Liu Mengli exclaimed and her footsteps stopped. Shen Baiying's hand pressed on her shoulder, his eyes had already swept over her head to the empty space in front.

  Only a few people and monsters were seen fighting in a group on the empty ground, at this time Shen Baili and the other two were only about ten feet away from them, looking very clearly. In the battle group, a tall and strong man with white hair like a waterfall and holding a golden spear was actually Gui Xie. Behind him, there were two monsters following, although they were all bare-handed, but their sharp claws were shining brightly, swallowing and spitting out purple awns, not reducing their ferocity at all. The soft hair on the long tail of the monster on the left had already been blown up. Shen Baili recognized it as the pair of Qiong monsters that blocked him and Meng Li outside Xuanmeng City that day.

  Yao brothers, the eldest brother Yao You's eyes were filled with hatred. His parents had been killed by a swordsman from the Qionghua Sect nineteen years ago, and he had an unrelenting vendetta against humans. The Musk Deer tribe was born with purple pupils, but at this moment, his eyes shot out extreme hatred, making him look ten times more terrifying.

  Shen Bailian followed his gaze and looked around, her eyes falling on the other three people in the field. At a glance, she was taken aback and exclaimed that Liu Mengli knew someone had entered the demon realm without being surprised. Those three people were actually her old acquaintances. It had been over ten days since they last met, and all three of them looked dusty and worn out, but when the dark and quiet one summoned a claw, the messy-haired boy and the red-clothed girl dodged with extremely agile and nimble movements. Occasionally, their moves were even exquisite, not falling behind at all. Another young man in a jade crown and Taoist robe fought alone against Gui Xie, occasionally summoning one or two flashes of lightning to protect his companions. The sound of crackling continued, striking the ground and sending dust flying everywhere.

  Shen Bailian only watched for a while, and the more she looked, the stranger it became: Mu Rongziying's Taoist skills were not weak, but how could Yun Tianhe be so fierce? Last time they met, his sword had only a hint of coldness, but now it was suddenly cold and then hot, this... wasn't this the sign of going crazy from practicing too much, yet he looked like nothing was wrong with him at all?

  As the battle on the empty ground grew more intense, Gui Xie suddenly let out a loud shout, his muscles bulging high on both arms, and the golden light on his golden spear burst forth. The tip of the spear flashed with cold light, and as he exerted force in his hand, a whistling wind sound arose, sweeping towards the three people in the arena. This spear thrust was fierce and powerful, the dense and rich demonic energy wrapped around the spear almost taking physical form. The surrounding purple mist had not yet come into contact with the spear body when it was already stirred up and split to both sides. If this were to hit a person, it would necessarily strike them so hard that their tendons would break and their bones shatter.

  In the arena, whether human or demon, all had a great connection with Liu Mengli. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on the battle situation, and when she saw them fighting for their lives, she finally couldn't hold back and shouted: "General Gui Xie, please stop!"

  The evil power was indeed impressive, and when Liu Mengli shouted to stop, he immediately withdrew his hand. The golden spear had already swept in front of Yun Tianhe's face, just a few inches away, and the demonic energy on it had already made his cheeks red and swollen, but it managed to stop just in time.

  Yun Tianhe, however, was not in the least concerned about his own narrow escape from death. He wiped his face with one hand and turned to look around, and when he saw Liu Mengli standing behind a cluster of purple crystal stones, he suddenly exclaimed with great joy: "Mengli!" The red-clothed girl behind him also showed an extremely joyful expression, and if it weren't for the few demons blocking her way, she would have rushed over.

  Liu Mengli saw the three people suddenly appear in front of her, and she naturally guessed that they had come to find her. She was both moved and surprised, but the joy only flashed through her heart before turning into heavy worries. Her face gradually became solemn, but her footsteps didn't stop as she walked up to Yun Tianhe and Han Qingsha.

  Shen Bailian was smiling as she watched Liu Mengli walk up and chat with a few friends, when she suddenly felt two gazes like substance scanning her face from time to time. She turned around, but was taken aback. The blue-shirted youth in white stood among the crowd of friends, but did not participate in their laughter and conversation. Instead, he stood at a distance, silently staring at her. His handsome face was still cold, but the expression in his eyes was complex and difficult to discern, yet it was completely different from the hatred he had shown her in their previous encounters.

  Seeing Shen Baiying, Mu Rongzi's eyebrows suddenly appeared with a frown, his lips moved slightly, wanting to speak but stopping himself. Those phoenix eyes remained steady and unwavering, not avoiding or hiding, but fixed intently on him, refusing to withdraw their gaze.

  Until Liu Mengli led those people to leave, the two broke their gaze. Shen Bailong only knew on the way that Liu Mengli actually invited Yun Tianhe and others to meet in Xuanmeng City despite Guile's opposition. Guile failed to persuade him, so he had to take Tong You and Tong Ji to patrol elsewhere.

  They walked in silence until they entered the city, when Yuntian River and Han Qing saw that the scenery of the houses was vastly different from the mortal realm. Being young, they were naturally curious, looking around left and right, and occasionally pulling on Liu Mengli to ask a few questions. Shen Bailian took this opportunity to slow down his pace, walking shoulder to shoulder with Murong Ziyin.

  Sensing his approach, the cold-faced youth's breathing seemed to have suddenly become disordered. Shen Baiying deliberated for a moment before slowly opening her mouth to say: "Mu Rong Zi Ying, you..."

  Before he could finish, a cold voice interrupted him: "You once said that if we met again, you would tell me everything. Now I'm here." Murong Ziyin's gaze was like lightning, quietly staring at Shen Bailian, with no hatred or anger in his expression. "I have also thought carefully about our acquaintance and did not detect any evil intentions from you. Those things... perhaps you have some difficulties, say it, this time... I will listen carefully."

  Shen Bailian's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he gazed at Murong Ziyu, his eyes filled with astonishment. He had never thought that one day he would hear this young man speak to him so calmly and gently, with a hint of understanding. This was completely opposite to the youth's previous attitude, and it was beyond Shen Bailian's expectations. Shen Bailian couldn't help but size up Murong Ziyu again, shaking his head as he said, "Truly astonishing, Young Master Murong seems like a different person altogether. Could this be what your human tribe means by 'after three days, one should look at someone with new eyes'?"

  Murong Ziyin's face flashed with a hint of unease, and after a long silence, he said: "This time, in order to come to the Demon Realm to find Liu Mengli, we went to the Ghost Realm to borrow the Shadow Branch. On the Wheel Turning Mirror Platform, someone told me something that made me think deeply..."

  Shen Bailian heard him suddenly mention something unrelated and felt a little surprised, asking casually: "What did that person say to you?"

  He said, 'If you are a human in this life and a demon in the next, then isn't what you hold onto in this life laughable?' Murong Ziyu said, "It wasn't until that moment that I realized, whether one is human or demon, after death they all become ghosts, the evil ones receive punishment, the good ones reincarnate, and there fundamentally isn't a distinction between humans and demons."

  Shen Bailian nodded slightly, with a deep sense of feeling: "What that person said does make some sense."

  Murong Ziyin sighed, "I've heard and learned since I was young that 'monsters harm the heavens and reason, and the world can't tolerate them.' Such words are unheard of. After that, I thought a lot and didn't know if what I did before was right or wrong. I thought all monsters were evil, but when we went to sea together to find treasure, we met a sea monster who didn't abandon me. We sailed on the lake together, and you were sincere with me... You're a monster, but you haven't been bad to me at all. On the contrary, it was I..." He suddenly raised his head and said very seriously, "In my life, my relationships are very shallow, and my close friends are few. Although we've only known each other for a short time, we get along very well. It's my fault that I broke off our relationship without reason and blamed you..."

  Shen Bailian shook her head before he finished speaking, saying: "No, that's not your fault either. The Qing Hua Sect's rules and teachings are indeed misleading, others may not know, but I...". She stopped mid-sentence, swallowing the second half of the sentence "don't you know?"

  Murong Ziyin didn't think much of it, and stared steadily at Shen Baiyun: "Shen Baiyun, no matter if you're human or demon, I only ask you one thing, during the days we've interacted, were your intentions towards me truly sincere?"

  Shen Bailian's eyes involuntarily widened slightly, and a surge of warmth suddenly rose from the bottom of his heart, rushing straight to his eyes, forcing him to open his mouth lightly: "Of course... it is absolutely sincere, without any falsehood!"

  As soon as the words fell, I saw a smile unfolding on that cold face in front of me, as if overnight, the pear blossoms bloomed all over the tree, and instantly, the ice and snow on the mountain melted into a spring. The person who had never laughed with an open heart before was so touching when they smiled. Or perhaps, it's because the smile came from the heart that it was especially captivating?

  In a daze, Shen Bailian only heard the person opposite him say with a smile: "Bailian, since you have treated me with sincerity, Murong Ziyin will also return to you with sincerity. Even if you are a demon, I, Murong Ziyin, will never regret being with you!"