She always felt that this woman had an inextricable connection with her. If not a clone, then it must be a sister.
When Lian Xin said she was her sister, she believed it, but was only looking for a plausible explanation.
If not born of the same father and mother, then they must be half-sisters. If not half-sisters, then they must be half-brothers!
If not even that, then what other possibilities were there?
To think of sisters from a past life, how had she not considered it?
"Alright, then take me to find Shopkeeper Mo," Xue Ying said readily.
Her readiness surprised even Lian Xin.
"Why are you looking for Shopkeeper Mo?" Lian Xin asked, feigning ignorance.
"I am ill, and only he can cure me."
Lian Xin snorted, thinking, *As if I'd believe that!*
Afterward, Lian Xin concealed her presence, and Xue Ying went to bid farewell to Xue Renkui.
Xue Renkui was relieved to see her spirits had improved so much and that she could even get out of bed by herself!
After a moment's hesitation, he agreed to Xue Ying's request.
It was too dangerous for her to go out alone!
But staying home was even more dangerous; it was a slow death.
Weighing the two, he felt it was better for her to go out.
He could see that she desperately needed Mo Qi.
The mere motivation of finding Mo Qi could transform her from a listless invalid to someone vibrant and energetic.
It was conceivable that upon seeing Mo Qi, she would be fully revived!
She might not be able to find Mo Qi, but he hoped she would live on with this motivation, living brilliantly and freely.
Even if he never saw her again, at least she would be alive!
As long as she was alive, that was his greatest happiness!
After clearing the battlefield, Mo Qi organized everyone to rebuild the city walls and fortifications.
Once the fortifications were completed, Mo Qi set up defensive formations and assigned them to Lu Pinghou, Yin Tiancheng, and others to guard.
Mo Qi then led his troops to continue their campaign, marching to conquer the Western Guard.
As soon as they set foot in the Western Guard, many heard the call of the異魔軍 (Yi Mo Jun) rebelling against the Demon Emperor. They raised banners of righteousness and responded in kind, creating a great stir.
The detoxification spirit stones refined by the 異魔軍 had already spread through various channels among the populace, allowing many poisoned individuals to cure themselves.
Besides the Western Guard, many poisoned people in other regions not yet reached by the 異魔宗, such as the East, Southeast, and South, also found ways to detoxify themselves.
The situation was initially very promising, but as the 異魔宗 attacked and occupied territories in the Western Guard, the dormant demons and other races that had been lurking there began to stir.
Consequently, what should have been a simple conquest became complicated.
Mo Qi led his troops to pacify several mining areas and a few cities. However, as soon as they left, the demon race sent troops to occupy them!
Mo Qi was forced to divide his forces to counter the demons.
With this division, the Demon Guards seized the opportunity to counterattack, plunging them into a desperate struggle on two fronts. They barely managed to break free.
From then on, the battles in the Western Guard became exceptionally difficult, and the war entered a stalemate, no longer the unstoppable, overwhelming advance of before.
Time flowed by unnoticed. Mo Qi had spent five years in the Demon Realm and had long since abandoned the idea of returning to the New Barren Lands, deciding to establish a career in the Demon Realm.
Whether others understood or not, he was doing the right thing.
Meanwhile, General Zheng of the New Barren Lands was still waiting patiently, hoping he would one day return to his post.
Shui Han had hinted to him more than once that Mo Qi was still alive and would return, so he waited with unwavering loyalty.
Mo Qi remained entangled with various forces in the Western Guard.
Gradually, after countless encounters, Mo Qi discovered that the focus of all the factions was actually on Longdong City.
The forces other than the Demon Guards were also extremely exhausted. Without anyone noticing, they all began to entertain the idea of peace talks.
Mo Qi also led his main army to encamp near Longdong City, then invited Shi Siyao, Huo Chengfeng, Niu Jiye, Xin'er, Teng Mai, and others to discuss strategies for dealing with the enemy.
Over the years, although the 異魔宗's achievements in conquering territories in the Western Guard were not significant, their ranks had grown steadily.
Many reclusive masters from the Demon Realm came to pledge allegiance to Mo Qi, actively serving this righteous army.
Teng Mai was one of these individuals.
Mo Qi began by saying, "Since entering the Western Guard, our progress has been arduous. We have encountered many factions. I would like to ask everyone, are these many factions harassing us in the Western Guard targeting us, or targeting the Western Guard itself?"
Huo Chengfeng stated with certainty, "They are targeting the Western Guard. This place is truly a strategic stronghold, rumored to have an entrance directly to the Celestial Realm, though no one knows its exact location. Furthermore, there is a mine outside Longdong City called the Jin Mine, which is rich in rare spirit stones and sometimes yields heavenly treasures."
Longdong City was now occupied by the demon race. They had recaptured it from the 異魔宗 just a few days prior.
Before that, the 異魔宗 had defeated the Demon Guards, captured the city, and after a brief rest, left a portion of the garrison before marching on to conquer more territories.
However, as soon as the army departed, the demon race, having gathered a large force, recaptured the city.
Subsequently, various factions such as the beastmen, demon-men, and half-beastmen converged with their troops towards Longdong City.
"I see!" Mo Qi nodded in understanding. "Then does anyone have any suggestions?"
Shi Siyao suggested directly attacking Longdong City.
Mo Qi shook his head.
Huo Chengfeng said, "We cannot win by force. There are too many factions, and if you attack one, the others will unite against you. It would be better to invite all parties for negotiations, as our true enemy is the Demon Emperor."
Mo Qi nodded, "That is a good idea. Then who should be appointed as the negotiator?"
Everyone lowered their heads.
"Then Xin'er and I shall make the trip," Mo Qi said with a sigh.
When Xin'er heard she would be going with Mo Qi, she nodded.
Shi Siyao said, "I'll go too."
Mo Qi tried to dissuade her but to no avail, so he agreed to let her accompany them.
Mo Qi first wrote a letter requesting negotiations and ordered it to be shot into the various camps.
Then, he waited for good news in his camp.
That night, he had a very, very long dream.
It was a dream sent by Mo Shan. First, he told Mo Qi that Wu Wan'er was the reincarnation of Zhen Zhen.
Then, Mo Qi went to another place, as if returning to a past life.
In that place, he was called Li Fan, and this place was a gathering spot for the remnants of the Witch tribe.
And this era was when the Demon Emperor and the remnants of the Witch tribe were enemies.
Li Fan had a sister named Li Xin'er, who was taken a fancy to by Lian Min, the Demon Emperor's son. Lian Min, using despicable means, abducted Li Xin'er.
Li Fan wanted to forcibly marry Xin'er, but Xin'er refused and committed suicide.
Lian Min learned the art of Soul Shaping and used it to cast spells on Xin'er's soul, attempting to control her. However, Xin'er's soul, based on witchcraft, gained sentience and escaped at the first opportunity.
Li Fan, unaware of Xin'er's fate or whereabouts, infiltrated the Demon Palace alone to rescue her. By chance, he met Lian Xi, the Demon Emperor's daughter.
The two fell in love and secretly pledged to marry. Lian Xi told him that Xin'er had escaped and helped Li Fan return to his tribe.
As they parted, Lian Xi told Li Fan that she would find an opportunity to escape the Demon Palace and then go to the Witch tribe's settlement to find him.
Li Fan waited earnestly, his longing unfulfilled.
Persistence pays off. One day, Lian Xi finally arrived, and Li Fan was overjoyed.
However, it was not Lian Xi who arrived, but her twin sister, Lian Xin, who had come to kill Li Fan.
Caught off guard, Li Fan was ambushed and killed by Lian Xin.
Li Fan died, and Lian Xi, unwilling to live on, also committed suicide!
As for Li Xin'er, she later used witchcraft to possess a body and reincarnate, becoming the current Wu Xin'er.
Mo Qi woke up covered in sweat. Although it was a dream, it resolved all his questions and connected all the fragments into a perfect, unassailable whole.
He finally understood that Feng Jiu was not his past life, but one of his countless past lives. His past life was called Li Fan, a member of the Witch tribe.
He found it ironic that someone who had an irreconcilable hatred with the Witch tribe was reborn among them.
However, in that life, he had not resolved the enmity between himself and the ancestors of the Witch tribe.
His appearance seemed to have undergone countless changes, and in this life, he had returned to his original form.
It turned out that You Qiong was indeed the Demon Emperor's son, and he called himself You Qiong, claimed to be a prince, called Xin'er his wife, and twisted right into wrong, calling black white. He was utterly shameless.
Shameless!
He didn't know who had imprisoned him there, but it was truly a service to the people!
The first time he saw Lian Xin, he felt she resembled Xue Ying.
It turned out that Xue Ying was the reincarnation of her twin sister, Lian Xi!
Now, he finally believed in fate.
From the beginning, he felt that his acquaintance with Xue Ying was a karmic entanglement from a past life.
When she was suffering from illness, why did his heart ache?
After curing her, why did he worry about her, staying outside her door late at night to gather information?
It turned out that all of this was due to the karmic ties formed in a past life!
In this life, could these past karmic ties be resolved?
But who was that Yin Ling, who claimed to be Xin'er's clone?
These questions could probably only be answered by the principal party.
Mo Qi issued an order for Xin'er to come to the camp.
While waiting, Mo Qi was excited. These were his relatives!
Thinking carefully, he had gone through reincarnation, essentially becoming a different person.
But Xin'er had reincarnated by possessing a body; her soul was still the original Xin'er, unchanged!
Therefore, they were actually very close!
No wonder her cultivation was so high!
No wonder Wu Qixian had concealed the fact of her high cultivation.
Firstly, it was to prevent the Demon Emperor and his son from finding her through any clues, and secondly, to prevent the people of the Witch tribe from using this matter to their advantage.
However, now that he knew this fact, from now on, he would protect her, his sister.
As for the Demon Emperor Lian Min, sooner or later, he would annihilate them!
As his thoughts surged, Xin'er walked in.
Mo Qi looked at her slightly immature face, his heart touched, and he couldn't help but call out, "Sister!"
After a few moments of stunned silence, tears welled up in Xin'er's eyes: "You've finally awakened!"