Lin Mucí was a mess, her heart a tangled knot of panic.
Follow the plot—
She sighed internally.
It truly wasn't easy. The little system had suggested she skip this part, but she refused. She wanted to witness his breakdown, his despair firsthand—to see him killed by her own hands, to watch him develop a true inner demon, to see him transform into a demon.
It was all interconnected.
Everything was fated.
She was the task executor, and she knew—the main mission was irreversible. The executor's duty was to complete the mission, not to get overly entangled with personal emotions, and certainly not to speak of love and hate too much.
If she truly were in this world, truly became Si Mú Cí, even if she had genuinely fallen for him, she would make the exact same choice.
Without any hesitation.
She would simply—act without thinking, without a second thought. But now, Lin Mucí's fingertips trembled slightly as she turned and embraced him.
Since the severance of love was destined to erupt.
And the person was destined to be killed—
Then let the love and hate be even more intense.
She was not afraid.
...
The young emperor declared that the sixth day of the next month was a propitious day chosen by the Imperial Observatory.
It was indeed an excellent day, suitable for all endeavors.
The palace maids no longer dared to chatter in front of her. They presented her with a wedding dress, a complete set of phoenix coronet and ceremonial robes. She wondered if the young emperor had found the finest embroiderers in the mortal realm.
That outfit was truly breathtakingly beautiful. Lin Mucí silently gazed at the phoenix coronet and robes as the palace maids styled her hair.
Her appearance in the mortal realm was, in truth, far from beautiful.
If one were to speak of beauty, Ling Qianhe, that demon, possessed a charm that could topple kingdoms. Lin Mucí's features were rather ordinary, but she had a natural, ethereal elegance. Her eyes, in particular, were the finishing touch, elevating her appearance by several levels.
The palace maids cautiously stole glances at her, knowing she had a good temper and was quite gentle, so they dared to speak a few lighthearted words in her presence.
“Is my lady ready to become Empress?”
“I hear His Majesty has been resting in my lady’s chambers every night… He hasn't even glanced at the memorials submitted by the court to open the palace gates and select concubines.”
“His Majesty truly cherishes my lady. Even at the risk of falling out with the court officials, he insisted on enfeoffing my lady as Empress—he protects my lady dearly, truly living up to the affection he has held since his humble beginnings.”
These palace maids were filled with envy for Lin Mucí. Yet, they knew in their hearts that envy was useless—after all, Ling Qianhe's gaze was clearly fixed only on Lin Mucí.
Moreover, though there were thousands of palace maids, the abandoned prince in the cold palace back then, bullied by everyone, suffering immense hardship, almost torn to shreds, was only kept company by the current Empress.
How could such a bond be compared?
The palace maids who had previously tormented His Majesty were all dead. Those remaining were merely newly recruited, honest, and well-behaved individuals who had been taught proper conduct.
They absolutely dared not show any disrespect in her presence.
Lin Mucí actually didn't care much about these things—
She merely thought to herself:
Since Ling Qianhe was going to die, this would be fulfilling one of his wishes before his death.
Although, this would not diminish his resentment in the slightest. She sighed and slowly walked out of the grand hall.
...
The wedding ceremony of an emperor in the mortal realm was, naturally, incredibly elaborate. She didn't know how Ling Qianhe managed it, but throughout the entire process, he didn't let Lin Mucí worry about anything.
She was like a puppet, guided by the palace eunuchs and governesses, step by step completing all the intricate rituals.
And when she entered the grand hall, the young man in the dragon robe, smiling at her, slowly lifted her veil and met her gaze.
She heard him say.
“My Empress is most beautiful.”
His praise was genuine.
The surrounding palace maids slowly withdrew.
It was an open secret that this Empress had also come from the ranks of palace maids. She was not from a prominent family, nor was her beauty exceptional. It was only due to her shared experiences of hardship and disaster with His Majesty that she had become Empress.
Mortals, of course, would never know—how unattainable her status was, how even the Demon Emperor of the demon realm and the Human Emperor of the heavens found it difficult to win her heart.
And Ling Qianhe watched her, his eyes barely blinking.
He said.
“Do you like it? Do you think you'll like the enthronement ceremony I prepared for you?”
Only when he saw Lin Mucí nod did his smile deepen. He leaned closer, a faint scent of pear blossom wine emanating from him, mingling with the surrounding dragon's breath incense, making one feel dizzy.
Outside, in the sky, streaks of purple light seemed to be emerging, yet they were not attention-grabbing.
Lin Mucí bit her lip in silence. She knew, deep down, that the heavenly tribulation was imminent. Yet the young man before her slowly caressed her cheek with his fingertip, and in that instant, seemed to sigh.
“You are my wife, and I am your husband.”
He never thought the ways of mortals had any merit. He had been a prince who lost his protection in his youth. Despite his noble status, he had to eke out an existence under the torment of eunuchs and palace maids, living a life worse than a stray dog.
He did not believe in justice or kindness in the heavens and earth, nor did he care if there were gods or saints above. He only cared if his own strength was sufficient.
And now, his fingers traced her cheek inch by inch, his breath almost melting into her face.
“Mortals have their merits.”
“Tonight is our wedding night—I have lit the eternal lamps, and I have also had tens of thousands of lanterns released inside and outside the palace, all bearing the same wish: I wish to grow old with you, to be together forever, I wish to form a bond with you, and be devoted forever.”
In front of her, he was no longer a solitary figure.
He was a young man who loved someone to the point of death.
His heart pounded wildly in his chest.
He wished for a kiss that would last an eternity, wished for time to forever remain at this moment. The maiden’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and then she looked into his eyes and slowly tilted her head up.
Her lips met his.
But the emotions in her eyes were not merely passion; there was also a trace of helplessness.
Thunder rumbled overhead.
She embraced him, his breath mingled with hers—he clearly touched her, yet felt an immense distance between them. A flicker of confusion crossed his eyes.
But in the next moment, he understood what was happening.
She reached out—
A golden dagger appeared in her fingertip.
A blood-red lotus began to rise from his chest—on this joyous day, his severance of love had erupted.
And in the maiden opposite him, her eyes revealed a hint of pain and reluctance.
She looked at him.
His body was bound by strange silver-white spiritual light. He gasped for breath, looking at her in agony.
She met his gaze.
The jade token of Xuanyuan Yuting appeared on her body—how could it be? Hadn't that jade token been destroyed?
Then he heard Xuanyuan Yuting’s voice.
“Xiao Ci… seize this opportunity, when this demon is at his most vulnerable, kill him!”
“Didn't we painstakingly set up this trap just for this demon’s true heart? Only when he truly falls in love with you, cherishes you, will he develop a flesh-and-blood heart. If you can just gouge out his heart—he will never be able to become a demon!”
“Xiao Ci, you can do it now. That dagger is the Heavenly Realm’s supreme treasure, the Sword of Evilslaying, specifically designed to counter his demonic energy.”
“Dig out his heart—kill him!”
“Xiao Ci, what are you hesitating for?”
“You never had any feelings for him from beginning to end. This is all a lie, from the moment you descended to this realm, didn't we agree? As long as you can trick this demon’s heart, the myriad demons in the Atlas of Mountains and Seas can be reborn.”
“You will become the new Emperor of the Demon Tribe, and the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon clan will no longer be able to suppress your Phoenix clan—”
“Xiao Ci, hurry up and do it!”
Ling Qianhe stared at her blankly.
He was still wearing his wedding clothes, the robes like blood. A trace of tragic, cold blood trickled from his lips, but he ignored his bleeding and looked up at the maiden opposite him.
“Is it all fake?”
“Is the true heart also fake?”
“I don’t care… what your purpose is. But—can you, forever… stay by my side, don't go?”
“I’ll dig out my own heart and give it to you, please, don't go, can I?”
He hadn't expected to reach such a humble state, so humble that his entire soul ached. Perhaps the pain was so extreme that he had become numb.
And the maiden opposite him gritted her teeth. She looked at him, but in her eyes, he saw a coldness he couldn’t comprehend.
She said.
“Who would covet a demon’s true heart.”
“That is merely a laughable thing.”
She slowly raised her head. She looked at the blood flowing from his lips, and her breathing ached. These were the lines she had to say, these words sharp as blades, she had to speak them, word for word.
Otherwise, the system would control her body.
And eject her consciousness.
She looked silently at the boy whose eyes were red. She knew he was in great pain, because she had to endure half of all his suffering.
Thank goodness.
He didn't know about this matter.
He Lian Lan Yan hadn't told him that they phoenixes possessed such abilities.
At least, at this juncture, this was truly for the best.
“Making you misunderstand that I was severely humiliated was to make you think we were of the same kind. But I am the daughter of the high and mighty Demon Emperor, the youngest disciple of the Dao Ancestor of the Heavenly Realm. What are you, that you are worthy of me showing you my true feelings?”
“It is you, this utterly foolish demon, who truly fell for me.”
“You dream of marrying me, of forming a celestial bond with me—look at yourself now, with your demonic energy erupting, like a monstrous demon, have you any trace of celestial grace left?”
“Are you worthy of being my husband?”
“He Lian Lan Yan, Xuanyuan Yuting, which one of them isn't a thousand, ten thousand times better than you?”
She watched the redness creep into the corners of his eyes. Once, those dark pupils had been full of joy, but now that joy was shattering inch by inch. She clenched her teeth, and to make him give up, she had to utter even more cruel words.
“You think I didn't know about the severance of love within the Jade Bone Lotus?”
“I intentionally harmed you from the start.”
“To think you considered me a benefactor—heh heh, it’s more interesting to give you hope and then shatter it.”
“You deserve to be a good-for-nothing your entire life!”
“You fell in love with me, and developed a flesh-and-blood heart. I want to dig out your heart and grind you to ashes. You, this demon, are destined to die without a burial place!”
Such cutting words, spoken from the lips of this cold and aloof maiden.
Ling Qianhe felt as though he no longer needed her to dig out his heart—his heart, riddled with a thousand holes, ached so much he could barely breathe. His exceptionally beautiful eyes, with a hint of daze, looked into hers. After a long silence, he finally asked her softly.
“I just want to ask you one thing.”
“From beginning to end, from the moment you met me, you never felt even a flicker of affection?”
The maiden let out a cold laugh. In the depths of those exquisite eyes, there was no trace of tenderness, nor any reluctance or pity.
“Naturally, never.”
“You, this demon, forced me, possessed me, I only felt disgust!”
“I wish I could perish together with you!”
“Your death would be for the best, bringing peace to the world, tranquility to the four seas.”
“In this life and all future lives, I will forget you, this demon!”
As the young man listened to her heartless words, the redness in his eyes deepened.
He opened his mouth. The piercing pain surged wave after wave, eroding his heart, making him somewhat delirious. His breathing quickened, and in the next moment, he even opened his mouth and spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood!
Lin Mucí turned her head away, unable to bear watching his pained expression.
Her lifelong acting skills had to be employed at this moment.
She was practically dying of pain.
She hadn't let the system block the pain, so she knew what kind of torment it was—she knew all of this was inevitable, and she also knew she shouldn't have too many emotions for the characters in the plot. She just had to treat it as an act…
But still, she felt heartache. Her heart felt as if it were being squeezed, and a similar sweetness of blood rose in her throat, which she forcibly suppressed. Her face instantly turned as pale as snow.
It would still hurt, wouldn't it? The pain that pierces the heart, she had to bear it herself.
She clutched the dagger. Although the dagger was already pressed against his chest, the young man extended his pale hand and grasped her wrist.
With the severance of love acting up, the veins on the back of his hand were clearly visible.
His fair chest rose and fell, the lotus flower blooming with ultimate allure. She bit her lip, her fingertips turning white from the force, and in the next moment, she heard the boy’s shrill laughter, almost reaching the peak of pain, which caused such—crazy and desperate laughter!
As if the world had suddenly turned black and white.
He used force, gripping her palm with his own hand, and then plunged it fiercely into his own chest!
Blood gushed out, and he said.
“You wanted my heart, didn’t you—come and see for yourself.”
“The heart that loved you, the heart you disdained, what does it look like.”
“Only this one, and there will never be another.”
“I want you to remember forever, that even a demon has a true heart.”
“Which you personally dug out.”
“Forever and ever, never again.”
“As expected, the most ruthless in this world are women.”
His fingertips stained with his own blood, the celestial sword pierced his chest, and the severance of love erupted simultaneously. His spiritual veins fractured inch by inch. His expression was one of utter desolation, yet tinged with an ultimate, dreamlike, magnificent beauty. He looked into her eyes, his resentment an unquenchable force that could not be wiped out by all the mountains and seas.
The heavens and earth crumbled.
He would have no heart anymore.
Demons were meant to be heartless.
It was his foolish yearning; he should awaken.
[Don't feel sorry for Qianhe, hahaha, and don't blame Xiao Ci either. What Xiao Ci did in that small world for the first time was actually to save him. She thought this was the only way to truly cleanse his demonic energy, and she was also forced to do it for the mission—呜呜呜, and Xiao Ci even shared the pain for him! Later, she was cruelly abused by brother Qianhe, and after being caught by Qianhe, she suffered all sorts of torment, 嘤嘤嘤, our Xiao Ci is also a victim!]