Chapter 19: A Heart in Turmoil

The unformed secret realm was shrouded in some nameless gray substance, and visibility within it was less than half a meter.

Since entering, Bai Xiaoxiao actually hadn’t felt like much time had passed. The time in this secret realm seemed somewhat chaotic. If Shen Zhiyue hadn’t suddenly spoken, she’d never have realized night had already fallen.

At night, the Gu Poison was supposed to flare up. But this time, she felt no discomfort at all.

Bai Xiaoxiao was perplexed. “Your Eminence… has your Gu Poison… flared up?”

The Sea of Consciousness was quiet for a moment. After a long pause, a soft “Mm” came.

Bai Xiaoxiao immediately felt at a loss, the tip of her tail trembling.

“Then why am I—”

Could it be because of that early flare-up from the pool water earlier?

Bai Xiaoxiao was a little confused, but she quickly realized this wasn’t the time to ponder the cause.

A Gu Poison flare-up was no small matter. The System had also warned her that it was best not to suppress this poison; otherwise, it would flare even harder afterward.

But her current environment was hardly safe. She needed to find shelter quickly.

Bai Xiaoxiao perked up her head, saw nothing but gray, and felt a headache coming on.

This secret realm was truly bizarre. It seemed to have already developed mountains and forests, yet moving through it was eerily quiet—not a single insect chirp or bird call.

The only living thing was one that had mimicked her form, and it wasn’t even alive. Who knew what that snake was, or why it was following her?

Bai Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

“Your Eminence… you may need to endure for a bit. I’m no longer in the Flowing Light Spirit Cave. I’ve been dragged into a new secret realm that’s still forming.”

“A new secret realm? What happened?”

Bai Xiaoxiao was worried. “Your Eminence, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Go on.”

Shen Zhiyue’s voice seemed the same as usual, but her reply was much slower than normal—a clear sign the Gu Poison was taking a toll.

Worried about her condition, Bai Xiaoxiao quickly summarized what had just happened.

Then she flicked the tip of her tail—and sure enough, saw the little snake flick its tail tip too.

“Your Eminence, did you see that? There’s a snake beside me that looks exactly like me, and it’s copying me!”

Shen Zhiyue saw it.

That little snake did indeed look just like Bai Xiaoxiao. But when her consciousness returned to the Soul Fragment, she knew at a glance: it was a shoddy fake.

Bai Xiaoxiao needed to grow on her own. Shen Zhiyue couldn’t interfere too much. So she deliberately stopped paying attention, returning to her Main Body to cultivate and, in passing, calm her heart.

Shen Zhiyue had always considered her emotions light. In all her years of cultivation, she’d never experienced a time when her heart couldn’t find stillness—much less because of a little snake.

Instinctively, she didn’t want to think deeply about it. Like an escape, she returned to her Main Body.

As for Bai Xiaoxiao, Shen Zhiyue had left a thread of Soul Fragment behind. If the girl encountered a life-threatening situation, she would know at once.

So Shen Zhiyue left with peace of mind. But she, who usually entered meditation the moment she sat down, found herself, for the first time in her life, unable to settle into a state for a very long while.

Her thoughts were tangled, too disordered to allow her to cultivate. Time flowed on, and when the sun and moon shifted in their turn, Shen Zhiyue slowly opened her eyes—and felt a restless stirring within her body.

Night had fallen. The Gu Poison was beginning to flare.

At times like this in the past, a warm body would always carefully sidle close, gently soothing her.

But now, Moon-Gazing Peak held only her, alone.

Shen Zhiyue suddenly felt a discomfort.

It was too quiet.

In truth, even when Bai Xiaoxiao was there, she hardly made much noise; she wasn’t a lively sort. But it wasn’t until the girl was gone that Shen Zhiyue realized how strong her presence had been.

The restlessness inside her grew increasingly pronounced.

Yet only moments ago, the two of them had engaged in Divine Soul Dual Cultivation because Bai Xiaoxiao’s Gu Poison had flared early. She should have been able to suppress it.

She raised her hand, mobilizing Spiritual Power, and began to form a seal.

For some unknown reason, the Incantation she silently recited stopped midway. The Spiritual Power within her slowly flowed back into place.

Shen Zhiyue abruptly lowered her eyes. A lock of hair slipped from her temple and fell before her.

Why?

Back then, she hadn’t been in the throes of the poison at all, yet she’d indulged Bai Xiaoxiao’s actions. She’d heard those offensive words, yet she hadn’t slapped the girl to death with one palm.

Her gaze was murky and unreadable. The hand at her side clenched unconsciously.

She sat still for a long, long time, until the Gu Poison raged even more fiercely. Then, with a start, Shen Zhiyue came back to herself, closed her eyes, and sent her consciousness back to the Soul Fragment.

At night, the poison should flare. But there was no movement from Bai Xiaoxiao’s side at all.

Something wasn’t right.

Yet the moment her vision cleared, the first thing Shen Zhiyue saw was that little snake, identical to Bai Xiaoxiao’s original form.

But with one glance, she knew it wasn’t Bai Xiaoxiao. It wasn’t even a living creature.

Though the two snakes looked exactly alike, distinguishing them wasn’t hard. It was also then that Shen Zhiyue noticed Bai Xiaoxiao had shifted back into her original form at some point.

The surroundings had changed. She quickly judged that this wasn’t the Flowing Light Spirit Cave Secret Realm.

After listening to Bai Xiaoxiao’s explanation, a rare flicker of surprise also passed through Shen Zhiyue’s eyes.

Bai Xiaoxiao didn’t know what she was thinking. Seeing Shen Zhiyue not respond for so long, panic crept into her heart.

A Gu Poison flare-up was agonizing—Bai Xiaoxiao knew that very well from personal experience.

Perhaps night had fallen long ago. Perhaps Shen Zhiyue had already endured for a long time, and was now at her limit.

She couldn’t delay any longer.

Bai Xiaoxiao steadied herself and called out cautiously, “Your Eminence?”

After a long pause, she heard a soft “Mm.”

Bai Xiaoxiao suddenly let out a breath. At least Shen Zhiyue was still lucid.

But if she was going to find a safe place, what about that snake?

Bai Xiaoxiao couldn’t worry about that now. She quickly asked, “Does Your Eminence know what this thing in front of me is?”

“For now, it’s harmless, as long as you don’t attack it. Still, it’s quite lucky that you’ve encountered a secret realm about to form.”

Shen Zhiyue said slowly.

Bai Xiaoxiao flicked her tail tip. Whether it was lucky or not remained debatable.

For Rong Qingqing, it was certainly lucky—after all, it was her opportunity.

Bai Xiaoxiao sighed silently. “Does Your Eminence have a way? If I ignore this snake, it seems to follow me forever. This—”

“There’s no way. But no need to worry. As long as you don’t make a move, you’re safe.”

Bai Xiaoxiao thought it was strange, and the more she looked at the little snake, the more uncomfortable she felt.

“Mm… let’s go.”

Bai Xiaoxiao’s heart leapt, and she shoved the little snake to the back of her mind.

“Your Eminence! I… I’ll go find a place right away. Please wait a little longer.”

Bai Xiaoxiao scrambled down from the tree in a fluster. But everything before her was a wall of gray and impossible to make out, which made her even more frantic.

“Don’t panic. Follow my lead—keep going straight.”

Shen Zhiyue spoke up suddenly, though her voice was tinged with visible restraint.

Bai Xiaoxiao paused, then charged ahead without looking back.

Before long, she heard the sound of rushing water.

“Jump down. There’s a cave behind this waterfall.”

Shen Zhiyue’s voice was growing fainter, the kind that made one’s ears tingle.

Bai Xiaoxiao trembled, knowing the woman’s condition was worsening. She couldn’t care whether jumping would break her bones—she shut her eyes and jumped.

“Splash—”

Thank goodness she was tiny and could swim; otherwise, the waterfall’s current would have crushed her to the bottom.

She passed through the waterfall. Just as Shen Zhiyue had said, there was a small cave behind it—too small for a human, but just right for her original form.

With that in mind, Bai Xiaoxiao wasted no time. She found a dry spot and coiled herself up.

Before her consciousness sank, she saw that the snake identical to her had also coiled itself up like hers, as if it too was going to sleep. Her heart settled.

The moment she entered the Sea of Consciousness, Bai Xiaoxiao could tell Shen Zhiyue’s Soul Fragment was in bad shape. The little figure was flushed all over, as if she’d been boiled through.

One look told Bai Xiaoxiao that Shen Zhiyue had endured for a long time. If not, the Gu Poison wouldn’t have flared so violently.

Bai Xiaoxiao dared not delay another second. She gathered the woman into her arms and gently stroked her burning body.

“Your Eminence, let me help you…”

The Sea of Consciousness stirred once more—though this time, it clearly wasn’t as violent as before.

Bai Xiaoxiao’s mind was fully alert. She knew the priority was to suppress the flare-up first.

Perhaps because she wasn’t affected by the poison this time, Bai Xiaoxiao clearly saw a side of Shen Zhiyue she’d never seen before.

The woman’s eyes, clouded with desire, seemed full of mist. Her brows were faintly furrowed, as if in pain or pleasure—an expression she never showed in daily life.

The previous times, both of them had started under the influence of the Gu Poison, their minds clouded, unable to see clearly.

This time was different. Bai Xiaoxiao was completely lucid, but Shen Zhiyue, having suppressed her feelings for a while, was somewhat unable to control herself now that relief had come.

Bai Xiaoxiao watched her body tremble with desire, the corners of her eyes flushed red. When she looked at Bai Xiaoxiao, that gaze was so alluring it nearly dragged Bai Xiaoxiao under as well.

But the priority was to let Shen Zhiyue release. The outside world was unknown; it wasn’t good to indulge too deeply. So Bai Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed her own urges.

She repeatedly stimulated Shen Zhiyue’s sensitive spots, making the woman unable to hold back any longer, a soft moan spilling from her throat.

Bai Xiaoxiao felt the hands gripping her shoulders suddenly tighten, and the breathing by her ear grew heavier.

She was about to reach her limit.

The figure in her arms jerked violently, then slowly went limp.

Bai Xiaoxiao held her, withdrawing her hand as she lowered her head to press a soft kiss to Shen Zhiyue’s hairline, then her straight, elegant nose.

“Are you alright?”

A long while passed before a low voice answered. “Mm—”

Bai Xiaoxiao kissed her again. “Then rest well, Your Eminence. I’ll go out and take a look first. The situation outside is unknown, and I got separated from Senior Sister Ming and the others. I need to find them. This secret realm is dangerously strange, and Xingtong was taken in first. I’m worried…”

“Senior Sister? Xingtong?”

Shen Zhiyue’s tone was soft. “It seems your relationship with Jingqiu has grown rather close. And you’ve made a new friend as well?”

Bai Xiaoxiao nodded. “I have her to thank for the Stone Flower matter. Calling her Senior Sister is only right.”

“As for Xingtong…”

She gave an embarrassed laugh. “Xingtong is the disciple of Sect Master Yan, but she has a straightforward personality. We get along well. Besides, she even gave me a Storage Ring. By any measure, I can’t just leave her to fend for herself.”

Shen Zhiyue’s gaze dimmed slightly. “In that case, you go on, then.”

Bai Xiaoxiao didn’t notice anything off. She nodded, reluctantly letting go. “Then rest well, Your Eminence.”

Shen Zhiyue sat up and nodded expressionlessly.

Bai Xiaoxiao opened her eyes. Finding herself still in the cave, she breathed a sigh of relief. She stood and stretched, only to catch sight of that copycat snake again.

The snake was like a shadow—silent and unseen—but with Shen Zhiyue’s reassurance, she’d managed to start getting used to it.

Ignoring the snake, Bai Xiaoxiao burst out through the waterfall. But because she was so small, the torrent swept her straight into the pool below.

Dizzy and flailing, she was about to swim ashore when something in her peripheral vision caught her attention—something at the bottom of the pool.

She hesitated for two seconds, then swam over to look—and nearly scared herself to death.

It was a person!

Alive or dead, she couldn’t tell. Bai Xiaoxiao hurried closer.

But when she saw the person’s face, her mind went blank.

It was Rong Qingqing?!

What? Rong Qingqing had come in too? But why was she at the bottom of a pool? Was she alive or dead?

Bai Xiaoxiao’s brain short-circuited. She clearly remembered Rong Qingqing being so smug back in the Flowing Light Spirit Cave Secret Realm. How had she appeared here in the blink of an eye?

Her thoughts raced, and wariness filled her eyes.

But leaving the woman at the bottom of the pool wasn’t an option either. Bai Xiaoxiao hesitated for two seconds, sighed inwardly, and decided to save her first.

So she clamped her mouth on the person’s clothes and tried to drag her up.

Thankfully, that snake of unknown origin helped out—otherwise, she couldn’t have pulled the woman out on her own.

After quite the struggle, Bai Xiaoxiao climbed ashore, panting heavily, with an unconscious (or dead, who knew) Rong Qingqing in tow.

She wasn’t a water snake, after all. After such an ordeal, she collapsed and didn’t want to move.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the snake copy even that. Bai Xiaoxiao no longer had the energy to complain.

After resting a while, Bai Xiaoxiao recovered some strength and finally had the mind to examine the protagonist she’d fished out.

But looking closely, she realized this person didn’t seem to be Rong Qingqing after all.

“Huh?”

Bai Xiaoxiao crawled over to the person, felt it was inconvenient, thought a moment, and shifted back into human form. This time she could see much more clearly: this person indeed wasn’t Rong Qingqing, but she looked strikingly similar to her.

Like sisters.

Bai Xiaoxiao mused, then mobilized her Spiritual Power and cast the Water Control Art to dry them both off. She then examined the woman carefully and found she was still breathing—just weakly.

She rummaged through her Storage Ring, found a bottle of Qi Replenishing Pills, and fed the woman one, unsure if it would even help. Afterward, she let out a relieved breath.

She’d done everything she could. Whether this person lived now was up to heaven.

Still, she hoped the woman would live.

She looked so much like Rong Qingqing. Maybe there was some connection, and Bai Xiaoxiao felt there might be an unexpected gain.

She didn’t have to wait long. The unconscious woman suddenly coughed twice and slowly woke up.

Maintaining her guard, Bai Xiaoxiao spoke. “Fellow Daoist, you’re finally awake.”

The woman seemed slow to come around, her mind still hazy, her reactions sluggish. It was a moment before her eyes regained clarity.

Bai Xiaoxiao grew more wary as she saw the woman regain her senses. But the woman’s expression also flashed with wariness when she saw her.

“Who are you?”

Bai Xiaoxiao explained, “You were sunk at the bottom of the pool just now. I pulled you out. Do you remember what happened before?”

At that, the woman’s expression eased, and she said a little sheepishly, “I see. Thank you for saving me, Fellow Daoist.

My name is Rong Yuzhuo, from a side branch of a small family in the Central Continent. To be honest, I’m just unlucky. I stumbled into this place while on a task.

At first, I didn’t notice anything wrong. But while I was searching for a way out, I ran into a woman who looked very much like me. We exchanged blows, and I was knocked into the pool.

Don’t laugh at me, Fellow Daoist, but I’ve been afraid of water since I was young, so… after that, I lost consciousness. If not for you, I’m afraid I’d have returned to heaven and earth.”

Rong Yuzhuo spoke with lingering fear, and her thanks were sincere—not like pretense.

Bai Xiaoxiao felt her head spinning. She tried to process this.

“Wait, you… your surname is Rong?”

Rong Yuzhuo nodded, a flicker of confusion in her eyes. “Is there a problem with my surname?”

Bai Xiaoxiao paused. “It’s not that… well, if I may ask, is there only you in your family, Fellow Daoist Rong?”

Rong Yuzhuo did think it was a bit impertinent, but this was her lifesaver. It was odd, but she still nodded. “Yes. My branch indeed only has me.

Cultivation goes against heaven’s path, so having few descendants is only natural. Not just our side branch—I’ve heard the main line only has a handful as well.”

After saying this, she asked amiably, “So, would you mind telling me why you asked?”

Bai Xiaoxiao smiled awkwardly. “Don’t mind me, Fellow Daoist Rong. It’s just that you look very much like an acquaintance of mine, so I asked a rude question.”

Rong Yuzhuo grew curious. “An acquaintance? Does this acquaintance of yours look a lot like me?”

Bai Xiaoxiao nodded, thinking, “A lot” was an understatement. If someone didn’t know either of them, they’d probably think they were twins.

So… was there really no connection between them?