Throughout Xianjian 4, Suyu was a remarkable woman. Although she didn't appear much, it had to be acknowledged that without her, the entire story of Xianjian 4 would have been completely different.
Despite the elders of the Qionghua Sect, including Xuanxiao, likely never expecting the usually gentle and soft-spoken Suyu to act so decisively, she did. It could be said that if it were someone else—like Han Lingsha, Liu Mengli, or even Yun Tianqing or Yun Tianhe—they might have had reservations about the Qionghua Sect's ascension plan, but they wouldn't have left the sect so resolutely.
After all, on one side were the demons they had just met, and on the other were their fellow sect members they had spent years with. Most people would hesitate before making such a decision. Yet Suyu acted quickly. Of course, part of this might have been due to Yun Tianqing's support.
However, what ultimately drove Suyu to make this decision was that she never wanted to cultivate immortality in the first place. Suyu had been brought to the Qionghua Sect because of her unique constitution, forcibly separated from her family and the mortal world. It was impossible for her not to harbor resentment.
Suyu was very different from people like Xuanxiao and Murong Ziying, who were firmly dedicated to the path of immortality. It was no coincidence that Suyu ended up with Yun Tianqing. The two of them were among the few in the Qionghua Sect who could truly understand each other. Yun Tianqing's desire to become a sword immortal back then was similar to Yun Tianhe's current mindset.
As for the relationships between Suyu, Xuanxiao, and Yun Tianqing, while Daniel wasn't sure about the nature of Suyu and Xuanxiao's feelings, there was no doubt that there was genuine affection between Suyu and Yun Tianqing. Otherwise, Suyu wouldn't have married him.
Judging by the timeline, the last time the demon realm appeared was nineteen years ago, and Yun Tianhe was now eighteen. This meant that shortly after Suyu and Yun Tianqing fled the Qionghua Sect, they likely got married.
Given Suyu's outwardly gentle but inwardly resolute personality, she wouldn't have married someone she didn't truly love. If their relationship hadn't been strong at the time, even if they had stayed together, it wouldn't have happened so quickly. Yun Tianhe might have been born a few years later.
Another thing that demonstrated the strong bond between Suyu and Yun Tianqing was that Suyu waited in the ghost realm until Yun Tianqing arrived and they met before she reincarnated.
Later, Yun Tianqing's decision to wait for Xuanxiao and apologize to him was his own choice, not Suyu's.
Of course, there was also the possibility that Suyu had married Yun Tianqing out of heartbreak after her falling out with Xuanxiao. While this was unlikely, it wasn't impossible. Even Yun Tianqing couldn't be sure this wasn't the case.
But this was something that could never be confirmed. Only Suyu herself knew her true feelings. Everyone else could only speculate.
"Alright, Tianhe, you don't need to worry about your mother anymore. She's probably already reincarnated. This life shouldn't be as hard for her as the last one. That's a good thing for her. As for this young lady's condition, I'm afraid you'll have to figure that out on your own. I don't know much about the Wangshu Sword, but her situation is much better than Suyu's was."
Yun Tianqing glanced at Han Lingsha and his son Yun Tianhe, sighing deeply in his heart. Although they had just met, he could already guess the nature of their relationship from their interactions.
"Senior, we didn't come here to ask about that," Han Lingsha quickly interjected.
"Then why did you come to the ghost realm?"
For Yun Tianqing, he had initially thought that Yun Tianhe and the others had come to the ghost realm to ask him how to resolve the issue with the Wangshu Sword. Now that he heard it wasn't the case, he was puzzled.
"Senior, do you remember Mengli? Liu Mengli from Shouyang County?" Han Lingsha quickly explained Liu Mengli's situation and then, after some hesitation, asked, "Is Mengli a demon?"
"So you've met Li'er. Yes, Li'er is from the demon realm. Back when the Qionghua Sect was fighting the demon realm, Suyu and I accidentally found her and took her with us."
Strictly speaking, Suyu and Yun Tianqing's decision to flee the Qionghua Sect was also somewhat related to their encounter with Liu Mengli. Before that, Yun Tianqing and Suyu's understanding of demons had been shaped entirely by the Qionghua Sect's teachings. They had never imagined that demons could also be children.
"So it seems Mengli won't be in danger if she enters the demon realm." Hearing Yun Tianqing confirm that Liu Mengli was a demon from the demon realm, Han Lingsha breathed a sigh of relief.
Han Lingsha's concern for Liu Mengli was no less than Yun Tianhe's. The reason they had gone through so much trouble to come to the ghost realm and find the Shadow Branch to enter the demon realm was because they were worried about Liu Mengli's safety. If they had known earlier that Liu Mengli was a demon and that entering the demon realm wouldn't be dangerous, they might not have come to the ghost realm at all.
As for whether or not to come to the ghost realm, Daniel didn't mind. Although the Shadow Branch was remarkable, it wasn't something he absolutely had to obtain. The main reason for finding the Shadow Branch was to ensure Yun Tianhe encountered the Candle Dragon and received his "cheat," as well as to resolve Han Lingsha's inner turmoil.
In fact, strictly speaking, entering the ghost realm wasn't particularly difficult. In Fengdu, there were ways for people to enter the ghost realm. In Xianjian 2 and Xianjian 3, the protagonists had also entered the ghost realm.
However, entering the ghost realm from Fengdu would make obtaining the Shadow Branch extremely difficult. Fengdu only allowed access to the outer regions of the ghost realm, while the Hall of Impermanence they were in now was located deep within the ghost realm.
"Senior Yun, I have a question that's been bothering me. Since Mengli is a demon, why did you save her back then?" After bowing respectfully, Murong Ziying asked a question that had been puzzling him.
If it had been the old Murong Ziying, simply knowing Liu Mengli's identity might have been enough for him to draw his sword and kill her. Back then, Murong Ziying's approach to demons was to exterminate them without mercy. Although his perspective had changed after traveling with Yun Tianhe and the others, he still harbored doubts in his heart.
"Hah, you're such a boring kid. You're clearly a product of the Qionghua Sect's teachings. What's the point of making such a clear distinction between humans and demons? Since you've come to the ghost realm, you must have seen some of what it's like.
Look around you. In the ghost realm, there's no distinction between humans and demons. Once your lifespan ends, you're all just spirits. You might be a human in this life, but in the next, you could be a demon. In that case, isn't what you've been clinging to all this time just laughable?"
Having spent so many years in the ghost realm, Yun Tianqing had naturally learned some secrets that ordinary people weren't supposed to know.
"A human in this life, a demon in the next..." Yun Tianqing's words left Murong Ziying in a daze, muttering the phrase over and over.
"Kid, think it over slowly. It's best if you come to a clear understanding."
If Yun Tianqing and Suyu had left the Qionghua Sect back then out of a sense of compassion, now they were completely certain they had done the right thing.
"Dad, about Xuanxiao—"
"Go, go! We've been discovered!"
Just as Yun Tianhe was about to ask more about Xuanxiao, Yun Tianqing's figure disappeared. Then, three small birds of different colors flew over, chirping loudly.
"Dad, where did he go?" Yun Tianhe looked around in confusion where Yun Tianqing had been standing.
"Who are you? Will the senior be alright?" Han Lingsha asked warily, eyeing the three birds.
"It's you who are in trouble. We came to warn you out of the kindness of our hearts. If we're discovered, we'll lose this month's salary again," the three birds chirped in unison.
"Feng, Ya, Song, you three silly birds." As they spoke, a figure dressed in the uniform of a ghost realm soldier walked up the steps.
"Who are you?" Han Lingsha asked, glancing at the three birds that had flown away in a panic.
"My name is Ren Gui. I'm a ghost soldier. You need to leave quickly. A large group of ghost soldiers will be here soon. Private meetings with spirits are not allowed at the Wheel Mirror Platform. They've already cut off the platform's spiritual energy.
Head south to the exit, and you'll reach the Abyss of Exile. It's a place where wandering spirits gather, and it's harder for ghost soldiers to search there. Hurry! I'll wait for you there."
The ghost soldier, who called himself Ren Gui, didn't wait for the four to respond before hurriedly leaving.
"What should we do now?" Han Lingsha looked at the other three, clearly reluctant to leave.
"Lingsha, he already said the spiritual energy of the Wheel Mirror Platform has been cut off. It probably can't be used anymore. We've already alerted the ghost realm. If we don't leave now, it'll be too late."
"Uncle..."
Despite her deep reluctance, Han Lingsha knew the dangers of the ghost realm. With a final, regretful glance at the Wheel Mirror Platform, the four of them quickly left and headed in the direction the ghost soldier had indicated.
"You've finally arrived. Ahead is the Abyss of Exile. If you pass through it, you'll reach the River of the Dead. There are often bamboo boats on that river that travel between the realms of the living and the dead. When you get there, just jump onto one of the boats by the shore, and you'll return to the human world."
When the four of them arrived at the southern entrance of a mountain range, the ghost soldier Ren Gui was already waiting for them, accompanied by the three birds. Upon seeing the four, Ren Gui immediately approached and explained how they could leave the ghost realm and return to the human world.
"Thank you. But why are you, a ghost soldier, helping us?"
The four had been struggling with how to return to the human world, so hearing Ren Gui's words brought them great relief. However, they were also puzzled as to why he was helping them.
"It's not exactly helping. Let's just call it good karma. Do you remember Xia Yuanchen from Jimo?"
"Scholar Xia? You know him?" Han Lingsha immediately asked.
"I don't know him, but I happen to know his adopted daughter."
"Lian Bao."
"That's right. That's the name she goes by in this life. We've had a connection over six lifetimes. She's died six times, and each time, I was the one who collected her soul. Over time, I couldn't help but take an interest in her, this silly, clumsy woman.
She's truly a foolish woman. Even though her bond with her past-life lover had long since ended, she refused to let go. Over six reincarnations, she's stayed by his side, sometimes as a tree, sometimes as a bird—never as a human. And now, in this life, she's finally human, but she's a simpleton. Sigh." Ren Gui sighed deeply.
"You want us to pass this information on to Xia Yuanchen, right? Unfortunately, I've already told him."
Ren Gui's detailed explanation made his intentions clear. Perhaps due to certain rules in the ghost realm, he couldn't directly tell Xia Yuanchen, but having someone else relay the message seemed to be acceptable.
"Wait, wait, wait. Are you saying Lian Bao is Jing Lan? Is she the reincarnation of Scholar Xia's lover?" Ren Gui's words made Han Lingsha exclaim in shock. The information was overwhelming.
"You're a clever girl, figuring it out so quickly. I just can't let her go. I often secretly go to see her, even though she doesn't remember me when she's not a spirit. Last time, I saw you save her, so this time I decided to help you."
"She must be in so much pain. Scholar Xia doesn't even recognize her anymore. Why does she keep clinging to him across lifetimes?" Han Lingsha, who had been shocked earlier, now looked deeply saddened.
"You're asking me? How should I know? Human emotions and love don't follow any logic. There are too many things people insist on doing even when they know they shouldn't. There was once a woman named Lady Jiang who came to the ghost realm searching for her husband. When she found out he had already reincarnated, she immediately went to reincarnate herself, even though their bond had already ended. Sigh."
"Lady Jiang? Could it be her?"
"Lingsha, who are you talking about?"
"I'll tell you later."
"This life's bond, to be continued in the next... What is love, that it makes life and death insignificant? With you by my side, I envy neither the mandarin ducks nor the immortals." Daniel suddenly murmured these lines, sighing deeply at the end. Compared to such love, he felt like a scoundrel.
Fortunately, this sentiment was just a fleeting reaction to the moment and would soon pass. Otherwise, it would have been troublesome. He had worked so hard to become stronger with the goal of enjoying life to the fullest, not to become some ascetic monk.
"Alright, the ghost realm isn't a place for the living to linger. You should leave as soon as possible."
"Thank you. We're deeply grateful for your kindness." Murong Ziying immediately clasped his hands in gratitude.
"It's nothing. No need for thanks. But if you return to the human world and have the chance, you could burn some paper money for me. A ghost soldier's salary is pitifully low, and we're all struggling."
"Oh, and those three birds—they're called Feng, Ya, and Song. They're the most meddlesome spirits in the ghost realm, but they've always had bad luck. If you can, burn some paper money for them too." With that, Ren Gui left with the three birds.
"Paper money? What's that?" Yun Tianhe looked confused.
"I'll explain it to you when we get back. Let's leave now."
Paper money wasn't actual currency. What was truly useful was the incense and faith power. Daniel, with the help of the Divine Mask, could also use this power.
However, since learning it, he had rarely used it. Firstly, incense was toxic. Secondly, he didn't have the ability to directly utilize such power. It was something only those at a certain level of mastery could handle.
The four of them quickly passed through the Abyss of Exile and arrived at the River of the Dead. Although the Abyss of Exile was filled with wandering spirits, they posed no threat to the four. Any spirits that dared to block their way were swiftly dealt with.
The Abyss of Exile was where the ghost realm banished guilty spirits. Those exiled here didn't even have the right to reincarnate.
"There really is a boat here. It seems Ren Gui arranged it for us."
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