The means of an immortal was not something a mortal could compare to. Yin Li took Gu Bai and left in the blink of an eye.
It was only when they returned to the imperial palace that he forcefully struggled free of the other's confinement. Abandoning pretence, he looked at the gloomy and complicated man before him with alienating eyes.
"Didn't I say you shouldn't go out alone?" Yin Li's voice was rough and hoarse, Gu Bai's estranged gaze making him a little out of sorts.
"Why can't I go out alone? Scared I'll find out about the existence of Ye Cang?"
Gu Bai massaged his wrist and smiled lightly. His gaze was calm, and his tone was calm, yet it had a sort of coldness that made one's heart shrink, making Yin Li's breathing stutter.
"You've always been lying to me… Starting from the moment I opened my eyes, you've been lying to me. The past you told me about was absolutely incomplete."
Yin Li's entire body stiffened, and his gaze sullenly fixed on Gu Bai. His hands, hidden in his sleeves, curled into fists, and it took a long time before he hoarsely spoke.
"I'm sorry… I didn't tell you because there are some memories that, for you, are better off not remembering."
"Why not? My memories, good or bad, are my own business. What right do you have to decide for me?"
Gu Bai coldly laughed. Regardless of whether or not he had his past memories, he could ascertain that he would not like this place. Because to him, this place was filled with too many secrets and lies, as well as hidden malice.
Surveying the enormous immortal palace, Gu Bai no longer pretended and laughed lightly.
"You don't need to weave a story anymore, because I've never trusted you. Moreover, you've never trusted me either. I don't believe that you've never noticed me thinking of as many methods as possible to acquire information from the servants and maids during this time. After all, you're the master of the immortal world, and you possess remarkable abilities. But why did you have to act like this? Why didn't you stop me? Let me guess…"
Gu Bai kneaded his temples, as if he was contemplating. The sound of his light laughter made Yin Li's heart tighten again.
After waiting a few breaths, Gu Bai put down the hand massaging his temple and looked at him again before slowly and calmly speaking.
"I'm thinking… Are you not also sounding me out? You're checking to see whether I truly lost my memories or not. But why did you have to check this way ne? Wouldn't this make me harbour suspicions toward you? Do the gains make up for the losses?"
"So… I also guess that maybe you're setting a trap for me ne. If you confirmed that I truly lost my memories, this trap would thus end. If I didn't, perhaps this trap would only begin. This course of events truly is incomparably complicated, but your motive is, in fact, very simple. You just want to wipe away all my memories about Ye Cang, right?"
His voice was unhurried and his tone was as calm as before, yet Yin Li felt a burst of fear in his heart. His breathing halted again. He looked at Gu Bai, seemingly unable to speak as he trembled and paused.
"You&#k2026; re-remembered it all&#k2026;"
"No, I really don't remember&#k2026;"
Gu Bai shook his head, his clear eyes still possessing the clearness that could reflect one's figure. However, it was extremely dreamlike, like an enormous whirlpool, able to reflect while simultaneously absorbing one's soul.
He continued to maintain a light smile while gently speaking.
"I truly no longer remember the past, nor do I know whether I'm the Yin Gubai you speak of or not. I really know nothing at all… But, before I met you, I had already met Ye Cang, and… I fell for him."
Yin Li suddenly raised his head, his breath instantly turning ice-cold.
When Gu Bai saw his reaction, the smile on his face grew even more.
"If I had never met Ye Cang, perhaps I would've believed your story and treated the beautiful lies as reality… However, even if I believe your story, believe that I'm Yin Baigu, I wouldn't believe the love between Yin Baigu and Yin Li."
His final words were like a short and sharp blade, piercing Yin Li's chest and shredding his heart into mincemeat, hurting it just like before.
He looked at Gu Bai's smiling and tranquil face, his clear eyes the same as before, and even the coldness in his partly hidden smile was the same, making it hard for him to breathe and destroying his willpower and spirit.
A fishy sweetness rushed up Yin Li's throat, but he lowly laughed again. His laugh was filled with pain and agony, as well as clinginess. He reached out and caressed Gu Bai's face, a madness in his eyes that made one fearful, and he gently smiled.
"You're still just as smart as before. You're right, I only have one goal — to erase your memories of Ye Cang. Regardless of the past, there's still the present, there's still the future. I absolutely will not allow you to keep remembering him…"
Gu Bai brushed away his hands and did not speak, silently expressing his resistance.
Right as this time, accompanied by a burst of immense noise erupting from a distance, the entire immortal palace suddenly trembled.
Gu Bai instantly felt his connection with Ye Cang in his soul restore itself. Surprise and joy burst in his eyes. Yin Li's eyes tightened, followed by an imperial bodyguard rushing in and kneeling down to report.
"Your Majesty, ba-bad news. The seal has broken and Ye Cang has escaped. All of the men guarding Jiuyou Abyss have perished. Your-Your Majesty, what do we do now…"
The imperial bodyguard's face was deathly pale and frightened. Even though he was kneeling, he was so scared he was soon unable to kneel steadily, his legs trembling.
"Have people stop him first! Immediately notify each elder to wait for me at the court hall…"
Yin Li gloomily gave an order.
"Bu-but… Yes, this subordinate shall obey."
When the imperial bodyguard heard his order, though he had an awkward expression, he could only obey and hurried to withdraw. At this very moment, he also had no other way and could only obey his order.
When the imperial bodyguard rushed away, Gu Bai looked at Yin Li again. His bright eyes curved, as a small bewitching smile unexpectedly appeared on his delicate and pretty face.
"Your Majesty Yin Li, I feel like you can consider letting me go now. If not, I think my man may kill off all of you…"
"You aren't his! You aren't!"
Yin Li sharply cut off Gu Bai's words, his aura freezing up again. Instantly, he turned everything and all the maids and servants in the palace into ice sculptures, aside from Gu Bai, before he flung his sleeves and left with a trembling body.
Gu Bai stared at his back, the smile on his face disappearing. He surveyed the entire immortal palace before coldly laughing.
He still had one thing he did not tell Yin Li. That is, the person who understood himself the most in this world would forever be himself. If he truly was Yin Baigu, he definitely would not believe that he would be perfectly happy to be fooled by these people.
Since he had already laid his cards on the table, Gu Bai naturally would no longer continue pretending. When he saw Yin Li, he stopped concealing his opposition and lack of regard. This display caused Yin Li a lot of pain, but he still continued being extremely dedicated, coming every day to be abused.
Having done so many missions, Gu Bai was not surprised that Yin Li would behave this way. Even if he was the emperor of the immortal realm, he was ultimately human, a human who had once cultivated from the mortal world to immortality, and possessed the emotions and desires of a person.
There was no choice but to cancel the dao companion ceremony due to Ye Cang's sudden escape. The atmosphere in the entire heavenly palace instantly became tense and grave.
Though Gu Bai was unable to leave the imperial palace, from the expressions of the maids and servants serving him, he could still guess that perhaps Ye Cang had created a lot of trouble and fear for these people.
But, though he could sense Ye Cang's aura through the contract, he was unable to see the other. Gu Bai couldn't move about and could only patiently wait. That was the only thing he could currently do.
In reality, the situation outside was much more tense and severe than Gu Bai had guessed. Everyone in the immortal realm had already gone into a state of terror.
They had already experienced Ye Cang's madness and terror a thousand years ago. Three thousand years of raging inferno in Jiuyou Abyss couldn't even burn him to death. Now, with his return, his might was even greater than before. With his new enmity added to his old hatred, how could that madman let them off?
The immortals in the main hall each felt that they were in peril. Thinking of the past devastation, they practically felt a chill go down their spines.
"Your Majesty, that lunatic Ye Cang merely wants Lord Baigu. Actually, he's still very easy to deal with. Let's… Let's give that person to him, ba."
All the immortals stared at Yin Li's gloomy eyes and summoned their courage to advise him in unison.
They could not be blamed for their fear. Anyone who experienced the matter from three thousand years ago was like this. Faced with a person like Ye Cang, they simply had no force to go against him.
Ye Cang was not afraid of death, but they were, ah. Aside from a few second-generation immortals in the immortal realm, who had not painstakingly cultivated in the mortal world for a thousand years before ascending into immortality? Who would want to die?
But seeing Yin Li's unconcerned expression, it was very obvious that he had no plans to give this person up. Everyone's faces were filled with anxiety, and they felt worried, unable to help but simultaneously kneel down and request once more.
"Your Majesty, that madman Ye Cang would do anything. That year, it was due to great luck that we were able to seal him, and even more so, it was thanks to the aid of the other four realms…"
"But now, Ye Cang's strength is much greater than before. Don't even mention helping us, the other four realms are too busy activating realm-protecting spells as preventative measures. Even the evil flames of Jiuyou Abyss could not burn that madman Ye Cang to death; who could still kill him? Also, those people in the demon realm who are struggling at death's door would ignore the past and support Ye Cang again. Your Majesty, please take pity on the people of the immortal realm and release Lord Baigu ba…"
Everyone crawled and knelt on the ground, sincerely requesting him.
Yin Li coldly gazed at the immortals in the main hall, his handsome face filled with ridicule. He spread the mighty pressure around him bit by bit, his voice deep.
"Take pity on the people of the immortal realm? This emperor will tell you that if this emperor hadn't taken pity on you, would you still be able to live till now? If it weren't for you, would Baigu have had the chance to get to know Ye Cang back then? You're all afraid of Ye Cang, so could it be that you're treating this emperor as decoration? I'll tell you, Yin Baigu is someone I absolutely won't release. Whoever dares to disobey me again — Ye Cang can exterminate the immortal realm, but this emperor can do so as well. You'll all accompany me to the grave! Now, if you don't wish to die, go open the heavenly palace protection array to resist the enemy!"
With that, Yin Li stormed off, leaving behind a crowd of immortal officials limp on the ground with fearful faces.