Now that the Dawn Eclipse Clan’s space had vanished, the power used to establish its foundation returned to Ni Yueying.
This power was too vast and profound. The moment it entered her body, it stimulated the demon poison within her, so she had no choice but to seek out Ye Xi in front of everyone and share the power with her.
Ye Xi did not stand on ceremony with Ni Yueying.
Ni Yueying was right; she did indeed need power badly.
Both revenge and protecting the important people in her life required power, so Ni Yueying’s willingness to give it to her could not have been better.
Vast amounts of life force surged into Ye Xi, and the overwhelming vitality enveloped her body in a warm, comforting aura.
It was as if her body had been wrapped in warm water. Her skin received nourishment, her bones were moistened, her injured ankle healed rapidly, and her power grew exponentially.
Feeling the depth of this power, Ye Xi finally understood why Shen Shuyun had said that Ni Yueying at her peak possessed the strength to annihilate any one of the human or demon clans.
The power Ni Yueying had given to the Dawn Eclipse Clan had been consumed over thousands of years in that space, yet this much remained upon its return, showing just how profound the power she had parted with back then had been.
And she had ten such portions of power.
If she had not needed to stabilize the survival of the common clansfolk of the Eleven Clans, and had instead ruthlessly reclaimed all her power back then, she might have single-handedly confronted the Extraterritorial Demon Clans.
Ni Yueying was even more powerful than they had imagined.
She, who was hailed as the Earth Mother, truly seemed to possess power comparable to the gods of legend.
Ye Xi gradually came to believe in Ni Yueying’s selflessness and boundless love. With the power she held at her peak, if she had even a shred of selfishness, she could have easily forced both clans to obey her commands, with no need to waste time achieving peace between them.
She could have simply killed those who stirred up conflict and those who refused to listen.
She had the strength for it; she had no need for rules.
Ni Yueying was simply too tolerant, too patient, willing to spend vast amounts of time persuading the leaders of both clans, befriending those who wished for harmony between humans and demons, gradually convincing the demon and human clans, and even sharing her power for everyone to use.
In hindsight, the rules Ni Yueying had established did have many loopholes, but she was not the only one who had formulated them.
Every rule currently used by the General Bureau was the result of discussions between her and the leaders of the human and demon clans at the time. Dozens of people had participated in those decisions, and it was unfair to push all the blame onto her alone just because she was the only founder still alive.
Nor could they deny their original intentions due to flaws in those founding decisions. Ni Yueying and her old friends had all sincerely wanted stability and harmony between the two clans, including Ye Muli back then.
The only thing to blame was the inscrutable hearts of demons and the unpredictable nature of human hearts.
No normal person or demon would hate physicians, nor hate the savior who had freed them from chaos.
Ni Yueying could restrict their actions but not control their minds.
The power that returned to her body differed from additional growth in power. To create a demon space that closely mimicked a natural environment required complete life force, and the power Ni Yueying had initially given out consisted of the Life Source from the Wanling Tree.
This was also why there were no weather changes in Half-Mountain Spirit Garden, yet they could feel the breath of nature in Wanghe Village.
Shen Shuyun’s accusations against Ni Yueying were unfounded. Ni Yueying did not favor only the human clan; the separation of humans and demons into different living areas had been a collective decision by all the founders at the time. After the decision was finalized, she had done her utmost to make the atmosphere in the spaces resemble the human world as closely as possible, even at the cost of her Life Source.
She had done her best.
Yet in the end, she could not make everyone feel it was fair.
Ye Tan’s heart had been chilled through, and Ni Yueying’s had as well, but her identity destined her from harboring such intense hatred.
Tolerance was etched into a mother’s soul, unfair as it was to the Ye Clan whose interests had suffered, but it was the innate nature set by the Wanling Tree.
Ye Tan understood this, which was why she understood Ni Yueying even as she hated her.
It was like the child in a family who always suffered the most losses yet never cried or complained, shouldering all the burdens without resentment.
Depositing the Life Source differed from fully transferring it to another person. As long as the deposited power was not exhausted, Ni Yueying’s body would show no issues, but transferring it to Ye Xi was equivalent to preemptively depleting that portion.
As the power transferred, strands of white appeared in Ni Yueying’s black hair, and her smooth, porcelain skin lost some of its luster.
Her complexion grew even paler, and she even seemed to age.
Ye Xi’s condition was the complete opposite. Her wounds healed, her skin became even tauter, and she looked more spirited.
Her already youthful face grew even younger, her power more abundant, and the pink fur rabbit she had separated even fused directly into her body.
Fusing a separated body with the main body was something that required long cultivation, but now Ni Yueying had directly advanced her cultivation progress, allowing her to fully integrate the pink fur rabbit and gain power surpassing that of an ordinary demon bone physician.
As she grew more powerful, her heart grew greedier.
Ye Xi rubbed the mark on her hand, and many faces flashed through her mind. “Bureau Chief Ni, can I use this power however I want?”
“You…” Ni Yueying knew Ye Xi lacked the gentleness of traditional physicians. If Ye Xi had been born thousands of years ago, she might have seen it as a flaw, but born at the end of the Ye Clan’s decline, it was an advantage.
Fatigue was etched in her eyes. “It belongs to you now. Use it however you wish.”
Ni Yueying’s face showed no obvious signs of aging, yet Ye Xi felt as if she were an elderly woman nearing the end, bereft of the strength to discipline a wayward child. Helplessness bound her tightly; she wanted to change things but was powerless.
That youthful face clouded Ye Xi’s vision, and for the first time, she considered Ni Yueying’s age.
She truly was very old.
Her appearance showed no change, but her soul had long since grown weathered.
Ye Tan’s heart and soul remained young, her hair deliberately dyed white, while Ni Yueying appeared healthy and youthful everywhere, but her inner self and soul had long aged, even her bones and heart afflicted.
The demon poison gnawed at her like termites silently hollowing out an ancient tree.
Ye Xi held back for a long time but finally could not resist asking Ni Yueying, “Bureau Chief Ni, will you die?”
After giving all the Life Source reclaimed from the Dawn Eclipse Clan to Ye Xi, Ni Yueying felt even greater fatigue in her body. As the glow faded, her body was no longer transparent, and the ravaged state of her heart vanished from view.
Her hand stroked her chest as she glanced deeply at Ye Tan. “I don’t know.”
Ye Xi saw the reluctance in Ni Yueying’s gaze toward Ye Tan.
Ye Tan saw it too, but she stubbornly averted her eyes, sparing Ni Yueying not a single glance.
Ye Xi stepped closer to Ni Yueying and took her hand of her own accord. “I don’t want you to die.”
“…”
Ni Yueying wanted to make some promise too, but she said nothing more.
She raised her hand and gently stroked Ye Xi’s face.
Reluctance, attachment, and guilt.
Ni Yueying’s body was like a landmine ready to explode at any moment; even she did not know if her living brought more benefit to all beings or if her death would bring greater stability.
Ni Yueying silently withdrew the green vines. Before they vanished, she released Ye Xi’s hand and put distance between them.
In the narrow, enclosed space without prying eyes, she could lavish maternal love on Ye Xi freely.
Once the green vines disappeared, she would no longer be Ye Xi’s mother alone.
Heaven had granted her immense power along with a mission of boundless love; she and Shen Minghuan were polar opposites.
Her love was too much, Shen Minghuan’s too little.
The moment Ye Xi and the others emerged from the green vine barrier, the gazes of the Shen family members locked onto them.
Shen Mingjin, in particular, unable to bear Ye Xi’s prolonged absence, walked toward her.
Avoiding Ye Xi was a helpless choice, but caring for her was instinct.
What Ye Xi saw was Shen Mingjin approaching her proactively, so without thinking, she went to meet her, only stopping when Ye Tan grabbed her wrist.
Ye Xi was not without temper, but unlike most who brought their bad moods home, she had no habit of venting on family.
She had endless patience for important people.
Ye Tan’s repeated obstructions did not anger Ye Xi, but neither could she ignore Shen Mingjin’s worried gaze. She tried to negotiate with Ye Tan. “Grandma, can I just say one word to my sister?”
“No.”
Ye Tan’s attitude brooked no discussion. As Ye Xi organized her words, Ni Yueying suddenly glanced at the busy crowd.
The green vines piled up again, this time enclosing the Shen family members in the sealed space as well.
She pressed her weary brow and reached out to grab Ye Tan.
Ni Yueying’s tolerance was useful at certain moments; at least she would not let Ye Tan’s emotions sway her into seeing Shen Mingjin as a sinner.
Having secured Ye Tan, Ni Yueying granted Ye Xi her freedom. “Go ahead.”
Ye Tan would not yield. She struggled fiercely to pull Ye Xi back.
Ni Yueying’s expression unchanged, she embraced Ye Tan, her arms encircling her waist and confining her in her hold.
Ye Xi nervously swallowed, but her longing to check on Shen Mingjin overpowered everything, and she trotted toward her.
With her body restrained, Ye Tan’s voice sharpened. “Ni Yueying, don’t force me to hate you!”
“Cough cough.” Having just transferred the Life Source to Ye Xi and now needing to control the agitated and frenzied Ye Tan, it was not easy for her. Her low cough carried exhaustion. “A-Tan, give me a little leeway.”
Hearing Ni Yueying’s cough and feeling her breath cooler than usual, laced with faint chills, Ye Tan’s body stiffened in her embrace.
Her eyes watched Ye Xi, observing Ye Xi’s intense desire to approach Shen Mingjin. Red rimmed her eyes, and a drop of crimson tear rolled down her cheek, resentment and grievance intertwining. “Ni Yueying, why won’t you give me a little leeway?”
Ni Yueying tightened her grip on Ye Tan’s waist, her soft, powerless voice sounding by her ear. “A-Tan, Mingjin may be a demon, but she’s a good child. She would risk her life for Ye Xi, just like you. She loves Ye Xi as much as you do. Can you really bear to tear them apart?”
Ye Tan did not answer Ni Yueying. She turned her head slightly, her scarlet eyes glaring fixedly at her. “Ni Yueying, if you keep blocking me, I really will hate you.”
Ni Yueying gazed at Ye Tan with gentle eyes. “Then hate me.”
Her look was all-encompassing and serene, as if it could soothe all wounds.
Ye Tan hated such eyes. Her hatred gathered in her teeth, sharp fangs emerging as she bit through the fabric of Ni Yueying’s qipao, piercing deeply into her flesh.
She tasted blood.
It was very bitter.
Ni Yueying did not struggle, merely furrowing her brow slightly.
She slowly raised her hand and gently stroked Ye Tan’s disheveled white hair, mingled with a few black strands.
As Ni Yueying touched those black hairs, she suddenly recalled the Ye Tan who had lost her parents, eyes red as she told her that though she was still young, she would shoulder the Pacification Department and begged Ni Yueying to entrust it to her so she could uphold her parents’ ideals.
That year’s Ye Tan had been fourteen; the one in her arms now was two hundred ninety-four.
The difference between them was not just the added white hair, but a heart thoroughly chilled. “A-Tan, you should hate me.”
