At this moment, Yan Ruyu didn't know what to say either.
All he could do was stay by Ning'er's side, gently patting her on the back, trying to pull her out of her grief.
"Buran, why? Why? She clearly had a chance. She didn't have to die. She could have entered the reincarnation cycle. We could have helped her. Why did she—"
Why did she choose this path?
"Ning'er, this was her choice. It's not your fault."
"It's my fault. It's all my fault. You don't understand, Buran. You don't know. Luo Qiu was born with high expectations. If her mother hadn't applied cinnabar on her and had someone set up a restriction on her, she would have been a pretty good alchemist. Her biological mother ruined her, and her father treated her coldly because she couldn't cultivate her spiritual power."
"Buran, all the sufferings she endured should have been mine. It was me who took her identity. It was me who became Luo Qiu, while she became Luo Feiyan."
At this moment, Zhao Shuning...
Having just lost Mo Bai and then watched Luo Qiu die right in front of her eyes, her mind was in a complete mess.
She knew that those things were not done by her, nor were they caused by her.
But she just felt that...
If she hadn't appeared in that era and been born in the Ruoqiang Marquis Mansion, everything might have been different.
"Ning'er, calm down."
Zhao Shuning forced herself to calm down.
Her heart...
Was still pounding non - stop.
Before...
When Buran hadn't arrived, she knew she could only rely on herself. So although she was panicked, she never showed it.
Later...
When Luo Qiu was injured, but Buran said he could help her enter the reincarnation cycle. Once in the reincarnation cycle, with a new life, she could go and find Luo Qiu again.
There was, after all, still a glimmer of hope.
But...
She didn't understand.
Why did Luo Qiu prefer to choose death rather than enter the reincarnation cycle again?
"Ning'er, Luo Qiu had lived for hundreds of years. She had her own choices and principles. You may not understand the decision she made, but you should respect it."
"Ning'er, I'm still here with you. You have me, and you also have them."
Them?
Zhao Shuning looked at the dozens of people behind Yan Ruyu.
Their faces...
Were all full of worry.
Right!
She still had these kids.
They had all grown up now. They could be her trump cards and her helpful friends.
"Sister."
"Sister Ling."
"Senior."
"You still have us."
"Just like Senior Luo Qiu, you are also indispensable to us."
Zhao Shuning nodded gratefully, but then worriedly said, "You shouldn't have come."
"Of course we have to come. How could a younger brother stand by when it comes to his sister's matter?"
Ye Xingchen had a beaming smile on his face.
When facing Zhao Shuning, he always smiled so brightly.
Although his body could only remain in the appearance of a sixteen - year - old, his abilities and his status in Shuiyunsheng were indeed beyond doubt.
"Xingchen—"
"Sister, after we finish this tonight, remember to take me to eat candied haws again. I haven't eaten them for a long time, and I'm starting to crave them."
Ye Xingchen's tone...
Was just like a young brother pouting and whining to his sister.
Zhao Shuning nodded.
"Okay, sister promises you."
"Senior, I, Xie An, will never forget your help in the Anze Land. If it weren't for you, I would have died at the hands of Zhang Tianyuan long ago. Now that I've survived and established Shuiyunsheng with your help, my life belongs to you, Fairy. Now that you're in trouble, if I, Xie An, sit back and do nothing, how can I still be worthy of living in this world?"
Xie An's expression was firm.
He had always been standing beside Ye Xingchen.
Zhao Shuning took a look.
The two of them really made a good match.
Yes.
If the poisonous snake were the kind of person who watched from the sidelines and refused to help, then she wouldn't have rescued him from the tiger's mouth back then.
"Xiao An, thank you."
"With this title from you, Senior, even if it means going through fire and water, it's my duty."
It seemed these two weren't going to leave.
What about the others?
Before Zhao Shuning could say anything, Gu Zhiruo and the others quickly said,
"Sister Ling, you can't refuse us. When you were in trouble back then, we weren't by your side. Even now when we think about it, we still regret it every night. You pulled us out of the pile of dead people. Now it's our turn to do something for you. You can't push us away at this moment."
Chu Wen and Chu Nuan quickly echoed,
"Empress, back then, my sister and I failed to guard the royal city well and protect you. It was our negligence that brought such a great disaster to you. We, brother and sister, are extremely guilty. This time, we will never make the same mistake again."
Zhao Shuning knew...
These people...
Had accompanied her all the way.
She had witnessed their growth.
If they didn't come tonight, perhaps for the rest of their lives, they wouldn't be able to live in peace. That kind of life would be the most painful.
"Sister Ling, have you forgotten about me? Or do you think I'm not qualified to be part of your plan?"
As the voice fell, a familiar figure appeared in front of Zhao Shuning.
Behind him...
There was another gray - robed monk.
It was Dongfang Yuxi and Gu Hanxun.
No wonder Dongfang Yuxi was able to enter the palace through the powerful blood - vine killing formation set up by Mo Yan. It turned out that Gu Hanxun had also come.
The scepter in Gu Hanxun's hand emitted a cold light under the moonlight.
"It seems that Ningning never regarded me as a friend. For such a matter, Luo Qiu was informed, but I wasn't."
The two spoke one after another.
Hearing this, Zhao Shuning could only reply with an apologetic smile.
"It happened suddenly. I didn't want to drag you into it."
"But now, the situation is out of control, right?"
Zhao Shuning nodded.
"What about Luo Qiu?"
Seeing the tear - stains on Zhao Shuning's face, Gu Hanxun also roughly understood.
Luo Qiu...
Was probably no longer around.
"That was her choice. You don't have to blame yourself."
"I know."
"Sister Ling, I, Dongfang, don't know how difficult the matter you're about to do is, but you shouldn't have hidden it from us and treated us like outsiders."
"Xiao Qiu came here after seeing the strange phenomenon."
"No wonder."
"You guys?"
"Tonight, Senior Gu and Senior Luo Qiu originally had something to discuss. But when it reached the third watch, Senior Luo still didn't show up. Senior Gu thought there was something fishy about it, so he followed some clues and chased all the way to the royal capital. That's when he saw the blood - vine killing formations all over the palace and thought that something might have happened to you guys."
"This is a pit of fire. You should have known how dangerous it was, yet you still jumped in."
There was a hint of a bitter smile on Zhao Shuning's face.
"So what if it's a pit of fire? Since I, Dongfang Yuxi, have come, there's no way I'll back down."
Gu Hanxun also said, "So will I."
"Where's Senior Luo's body?"
Zhao Shuning looked in the direction of the big tree.
Her eyes were originally full of desolation and grief, but when they fell on the place where Luo Qiu had been lying before, a strange sight occurred.