Wayfarer

Chapter 938: A Thousand Years of Hatred

Within the Formation of the Mirrored Heart, after being rescued by Su Qingchan, Blue Jade encountered no further mirror images. She glanced at the small box that Su Qingchan had handed her, a deeply conflicted expression on her face.

Blue Jade hated Su Qingchan. As Blue Lantern's former fiancée, Su Qingchan had caused him immense suffering. He had been expelled from his sect and forced to endure a thousand years of torment. He had almost lost his life in the process.

She wanted to throw the box away, but in the end, her curiosity won out. Su Qingchan had saved her, after all.

The box contained nothing more than a single letter.

Perplexed, Blue Jade unfolded it and began to read. Her face quickly filled with shock.

To Blue Jade:

Blue Jade, you must have hated me for a thousand years. Don't you wish you could skin me alive to vent your hatred? But a thousand years ago, we were still the best of friends. We shared everything—our thoughts, our joys, even our love for the same person.

Back then, we both loved Senior Brother Blue Lantern.

You, as a direct disciple of Blue Lantern's lineage, had the advantage of proximity. I, a disciple of the faction of fire, could only admire him from afar.

When I became his fiancée, you envied me. But did you ever consider how I envied you, too? You envied me for holding the title of Qingdeng's fiancée and receiving his affection. I envied you for being able to stay by his side without any constraints.

You envied me, but you didn't know my torment.

My mother was a young lady of a prestigious family, deeply in love with her betrothed. But on the eve of her wedding, she was abducted by Su Tianxin while boating on a lotus lake. From then on, she became nothing more than his plaything. If she hadn't given birth to me, my mother would have long since succumbed to despair and died.

As an illegitimate daughter, I was tormented and ostracized within my family. Once, my elder sister beat me nearly to death. If Blue Lantern hadn't stepped in to save me, I would have been crippled—or worse.

Meeting you and Blue Lantern was the greatest fortune of my life. That time was the happiest I'd ever been. For the first time, I felt the warmth of the sun, the sweetness of the air, the hope of a future. For the first time, I saw light in my life—I saw Blue Lantern.

I knew you loved him. I loved him too.

Blue Lantern, a peerless prodigy with an innate talent for formations, could freely traverse the wild wastes hidden realm. As the most gifted disciple of the sect, he was destined to inherit its legacy. He was to receive all eight bronze compasses from the sect's founder.

He treated us well, and he clearly bore us both affection. But I used a little cunning to confess before you, winning his heart.

Blue Lantern, noble as a lotus, upheld his promise to me. After our engagement, he distanced himself from you, treating you only as a younger sister. My fortune was your misfortune—this is a debt I owe you.

For me, Blue Lantern knelt before his father for three days and nights, begging for permission to formalize our engagement. That day, you drank yourself into a stupor and cried endlessly. Your love was no less deep than mine.

But what happened thereafter, you do not know.

Within the sect, many harbored malicious intentions. Only Blue Lantern's father was righteous and wholly devoted to the sect. The other faction heads were cruel and treacherous, unwilling to relinquish their bronze compasses.

The plan to topple the pure yang pillar, opening the way for the other faction heads to explore external opportunities, was a conspiracy. They colluded with Su Tianxin, promising him treasures to coerce me into tricking Blue Lantern.

As Blue Lantern's fiancée, I would rather have died than betray his trust. But Su Tianxin used my mother's life to threaten me.

I thought toppling the pure yang pillar was the extent of the plot. I never imagined it would bring such catastrophe upon Blue Lantern.

I failed him. I cannot even bear to speak of marriage anymore—I am unworthy.

I then devoted myself to cultivation, striving to atone for my sins. I hoped not to win him back, but to one day help him out—to at least make up for my wrongs.

But Su Tianxin's cruelty didn't stop there. He sought favor with the Void Saint and forced me to become the saint's plaything, destroying my dignity and purity.

When my mother begged Su Tianxin to spare me, he killed her. To control me, he placed a soul-exploding curse on me.

I hate him. I hate him so much. @@novelbin@@

I was too weak to resist. I wanted to end my life but couldn't bear to let this demon go unpunished. I vowed revenge—for Blue Lantern, for my mother. I buried my pain, holding onto my hatred to survive.

One day, I learned Blue Lantern had returned. I was overjoyed, yet filled with despair. I wanted to see him, but I no longer had the courage to. What had happened to his father—in some sense, I was the culprit.

During the battle in the wild wastes hidden realm, I was captured by Xiao Nanfeng. Though outwardly composed, I felt a flicker of hope.

I hoped Qingdeng would kill me to avenge his suffering.

This Formation of the Mirrored Heart is my attempt at revenge. Within this formation, I will do everything to make amends. The faction heads who stole from Blue Lantern—I will help him reclaim what is rightfully his. Su Tianxin, who robbed Blue Lantern of everything—I will make him return it all.

What I do cannot erase Qingdeng's pain, but it is the best I can offer.

I know I will meet my end today. I trust no one in this world, except you, Blue Jade. You've loved Blue Lantern deeply, even after suppressing your feelings for so long. Now, you don't need to suppress them anymore.

Blue Jade, you are the only one who can warm his heart again. Please, don't give up, no matter how cold he seems. He doesn't deserve to live in loneliness.

He deserves brilliance, glory, happiness, and a beautiful future.

I have staked my life on today's events. If you're reading this, I ask that you not disturb my plans.

Blue Jade, I'm counting on you.

Blue Jade finished reading the letter, tears streaming down her face.

A thousand years of misunderstandings had been cleared away. She couldn't forgive Su Qingchan for what she had done, but she found that she could sympathize with the woman who had once been her best friend before things all went awry.

All her past resentment melted away. She no longer envied Su Qingchan. Beneath Su Qingchan's seemingly happy life was endless pain.

For over a thousand years, Blue Lantern had suffered. Su Qingchan had suffered with him. She endured torment, humiliation, and inner turmoil. Yet, she remained steadfast, dedicating herself to redeeming Blue Lantern's losses.

She took a deep breath, wiped the tears from her face, and listened to the sounds of battle between Su Tianxin and Blue Lantern in the distance. Before long, Su Qingchan joined the fray. At the most critical moment, she turned against Su Tianxin, assisting Blue Lantern in seizing all eight bronze compasses.

Su Qingchan's scream sent a jolt through Blue Jade's heart. Without hesitation, she flew toward the source of the sound.

Blue Lantern quickly attuned to the five bronze compasses he had just obtained. Though it was impossible to completely attune to them so quickly, he managed to erase the traces left by others and imprint them with his own spiritual signature.

"Give me back my bronze compasses!" Su Tianxin roared, charging at Blue Lantern.

Blue Lantern avoided direct confrontation. Rather, he summoned a dense fog to hide him. Su Tianxin's punch struck at the white fog and caused it to dissipate, but Blue Lantern was, by then, nowhere to be found.

"Come out! Get out here now!" Su Tianxin bellowed in rage.

His control over the formation was slipping, and panic quickly overtook him. Suddenly, he blanched. He shouted, "Everyone, stop operating the formation! Destroy its foundations! We need to break out!"

"Your Majesty, the foundations—they're gone!"

"Your Majesty, I was tossed aside by a strong gale. I can't find the foundations of the formation anymore!"

"The formation's been disrupted completely!"

Shouts of confusion and distress echoed from the thick fog.

Su Tianxin felt an ominous chill. Suddenly, he noticed that the mirror suspended at the center of the great formation was emitting large amounts of black energy, which surged in all directions. Soon, cries of alarm rang out from all around.

"Your Majesty, help! There's a mirror image of me!"

"Why are there mirror images of us? Save us!"

"Don't kill me! No!"

Anguished screams could be heard from within the fog.

"Blue Lantern, have you already taken control of the Formation of the Mirrored Heart? It can't be!" Su Tianxin yelled in terror.

"Now, it's your turn." Blue Lantern's cold voice came from the fog.

The next moment, black fog rapidly condensed around Su Tianxin, forming three mirror images of him.

"Die!" Blue Lantern shouted coldly.

"Die!" the three mirror images echoed in unison.

With a thunderous crash, Su Tianxin was forced back by his mirror images' coordinated attack. They showed no mercy. Their faces were twisted with aggression as they launched another assault.

"No!" Su Tianxin screamed.

He was completely overpowered by his mirror images.

Elsewhere, the three Boundless Immortals that Ye Sanshui was stalling encountered mirror images of their own, who relentlessly dogged them.

The tide of battle had turned. Despite his injuries, Ye Sanshui pushed on, assisting the mirror images in subduing the three Boundless Immortals. Soon, all three were defeated and had their cultivation sealed by Ye Sanshui.

At that moment, Blue Jade suddenly shouted from the fog, "Senior Brother, come quickly!"

Blue Lantern frowned. Thinking that Blue Jade was in danger, he rushed toward her location and found himself in a valley.

There, Blue Jade was holding onto Su Qingchan, who was barely drawing breath.

"Blue Jade? What are you..." Blue Lantern trailed off.

He frowned. He was filled with questions. He still didn't understand why Su Qingchan had helped him out.

Su Qingchan gazed at him without speaking. Blue Jade's eyes were red as she handed a letter to Blue Lantern.

Blue Lantern took it with a sense of foreboding as he began to read. As he did so, his body trembled violently. The truth he had been seeking—the reason why Su Qingchan, once his fiancée, had betrayed him all those years ago—was finally before him. He now understood that Su Qingchan had suffered even more than he had. His heart felt as though it was being torn apart. Unbidden, his eyes grew moist.

"Senior Brother, Qingchan's soul has shattered, and even her truesoul is fading. She's been hanging on because she has something she wants to say to you," Blue Jade said.