Chapter 377: Final Words

Stepping onto the smooth, mirror-like bluestone tiles and following the spacious corridor forward, they soon arrived before the largest private room in the Hunting Arena.

The path wasn’t long, yet the Void Emperor walked exceptionally slowly. Several times, he paused, as if wanting to say something to Gu Ning’an beside him, but in the end, he never spoke.

Gu Ning’an, however, saw through his hesitation with absolute clarity. Besides the Void Emperor’s wife, who else could make this great demon—who had secluded himself in the desert, never appearing in the world—waver so much?

Yet since the other party remained silent, Gu Ning’an naturally wouldn’t bring it up himself.

All living beings must bear the consequences of their choices.

Before the redwood door, adorned with intricate depictions of dragons and phoenixes, the Void Emperor took a step ahead. Just as his hand reached for the door, he hesitated and withdrew it, turning to Gu Ning’an with an awkward smile.

“Mr. Gu, are you hungry?”

Gu Ning’an shook his head and smiled. “Not hungry.”

“Not hungry, huh? That’s good…” The Void Emperor made another move to push the door but pulled back again. “Then are you thirsty? How was that tea earlier?”

Gu Ning’an replied, “The tea was quite good. I drank plenty already, so I’m not thirsty.”

“Ah, good tea, huh…” The Void Emperor furrowed his brows, his mind racing. “Since you liked it, why don’t I go get you some more?”

Before Gu Ning’an could answer, Doubao, perched on his shoulder, interjected, “Void Emperor, are you really hot? Why is your forehead sweating?”

“Sweating?”

“I, a great demon, sweating? Impossible—”

As he spoke, the Void Emperor wiped his forehead—only to find his palm damp with cold sweat.

Instinctively, he rubbed his hand against his robe, gripping the door with his other hand. Just as he was about to find another excuse to stall, his expression suddenly stiffened, and he abruptly pushed the door open!

Creak—

The hinges let out a long, drawn-out sound as the wooden door slowly swung open, revealing the room beyond.

At the very center of the room, where an array of delicacies and fine wines had once been set, now remained nothing but a single, pristine jade basin.

The jade basin was roughly the size of two palms, its surface smooth and lustrous, with a gentle, pale green hue.

Within it, a vibrant green plant stood out conspicuously. Upon closer inspection, its stem was slender and elegant like a jade hairpin. Looking further up, layer upon layer of petals unfolded—pure white as snow, beautifully contrasting with the golden-yellow stamens at their center.

The Void Emperor strode forward, his movements stirring a faint breeze that caused the dignified and graceful mountain lotus flower to sway gently.

“Liuying…” Gazing down at the mountain lotus, Void Emperor fell into silence.

Gu Ning’an, following behind, closed the door softly.

Even before stepping inside, he had already caught the unique fragrance of the mountain lotus. The Void Emperor, overwhelmed by emotion, had failed to notice—the room had long since been devoid of any living presence.

She had willingly dispersed her soul, returning to the cycle of nature.

It seemed the Madam Xu had made this choice on her own, fearing he would be forced into a difficult decision.

For a long time, the Void Emperor remained motionless. When he finally spoke, his voice was low:

“Mr. Gu, Liuying left before me, giving closure to those she had wronged… Would you permit her to remain in this form, lingering in the world?”

The Void Emperor knew very well that Wei Liuying’s act of dispersing her spirit was, in essence, suicide. The lifeless plant she left behind could never return to what it once was.

Even if plants could one day develop sentience, the consciousness that emerged would no longer be Wei Liuying—it would be a brand-new demon.

Thus, whether he asked or not, it made no difference.

And yet, for some reason, he felt compelled to ask. He believed that if Liuying were still here, she would want him to ask.

Gu Ning’an nodded. “The karmic ties have unraveled, the ill-fated entanglements are gone. There’s no reason not to keep it.”

At these words, the Void Emperor nodded slightly, murmured his thanks, and gently brushed his hand over the mountain lotus.

In an instant, the flower, along with the jade basin, vanished as he stored them away.

With the jade basin gone, a letter—previously pressed beneath it—was finally revealed.

The envelope was boldly inscribed with: “To Mr. Gu, personally.”

Void Emperor picked up the letter, handed it to Gu Ning’an behind him, and gave a sheepish smile. “Sir, this should be from Liuying for you.”

Taking the letter, Gu Ning’an opened it on the spot and pulled out the paper to read.

The contents of the letter were as follows:

“By the time you read this letter, Wei Liuying will have already dispersed her spirit, taking responsibility for the sins she has committed.”

“Although I know you are a reasonable man and will not take out our sins on Lord Kui, I still cannot set my mind at ease. That is why I have left these final words, troubling you for a moment to read them.”

“First, please rest assured… All those who practiced the Half-Demon Technique have been executed, and all books have been completely destroyed, leaving not a single page behind.”

“Secondly, I wish to tell you about the Void Emperor’s slumber.”

“I was blessed by the Heavenly Dao, born with a wisp of Heavenly Source Obscuring Qi—a natural gift with an exceptional effect… Once, I used it to conceal my whereabouts from the two True Immortals of Huangtian, and they never noticed me in the slightest…”

“Later, when I met Lord Kui, he took an interest in my Heavenly Source Obscuring Qi and openly asked me for it. I gave it to him without hesitation.”

“Not long after that, Lord Kui began to sleep constantly, even on the days he gathered incense offerings. His true body remained in deep slumber, leaving only a trace of his spirit to consume the offerings.”

“Even when I was lucky enough to see him awake, we only exchanged a few words… And each time, he would mutter to himself.”

“He would say things like: ‘Do I want to do this?’ ‘Is this really what I want?’ ‘Why do I think this way?'”

“And after saying those words, he would hurriedly retreat back into sleep…”

“I could see that the Void Emperor seemed to be afraid of something. The reason he slumbers and seeks Heavenly Source Obscuring Qi is purely to escape… Yet every time he acts, it feels as though he is saying—’There is nowhere to run.’”

“Not long ago, when I was alone with Lord Kui, he even slipped up and said, ‘Great demons are nothing special.'”

“The Great Demon Realm is considered the pinnacle of the world, yet why would it be ‘nothing special’ in his eyes?”

“It must mean that Lord Kui has encountered an existence that sees Great Demons as mere ants…”

“Therefore, though I know I have no right to ask, I still wish to plead with Mr. Gu—unless it is absolutely necessary, if Lord Kui is unwilling, could you allow him to remain hidden…?”

“Lastly, I have one small favor to ask.”

“If Lord Kui mentioned that I left a letter for you but not for him, please do not reveal the contents of this letter to him. Simply burn it.”

“If he did not say anything, then let him read it.”

That was the end of the letter.

After reading the final line, Gu Ning’an instinctively glanced at Void Emperor, who was watching with a face full of curiosity.

Seeing Gu Ning’an look over, Void Emperor quickly asked, “What did the letter say?”

After a brief pause, seeing that Gu Ning’an remained silent, the Void Emperor gave an awkward laugh and waved his hand. “Ah, Liuying, even at the very end, she didn’t think to leave me a letter…”

Hearing this, Gu Ning’an couldn’t help but chuckle. With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed the letter into the air.

With a sudden whoosh, flames ignited. In just a moment, the letter was reduced to ashes, scattering across the floor.