After the heavenly soldiers carried away Rong Wan's body, her vision darkened. The cloth doll containing her soul was casually tossed into a bag by Bai Zhi. Hiding behind Jingheng, Qingluan finally spoke, asking, "What kind of deep-seated grudge do you have with that woman to plot against her like this?"
Jingheng had already left the heavenly prison, but there were many soldiers outside, so he had to temporarily hide in a tree nearby. He knew Qingluan would follow him out, but he didn't expect Qingluan to be just a wisp of spirit.
In the demon realm, people who lost their bodies could rely on years of cultivation to maintain a wisp of their spirit, but it was only a fragment of consciousness. Once the energy ran out, they would truly be gone.
"I merely returned to her what she gave me," Jingheng said, taking out the spirit orb and looking at the faint spirit of Qingluan. "If you hadn't given me this, you might still be alive."
Qingluan sighed and replied, "But I couldn't survive in the Heavenly Realm."
Jingheng could understand his helplessness. Qingluan's spirit was just a shadow, but if he could see more clearly, he would notice that besides the helplessness, there was a deep sense of attachment—a sincere feeling rarely seen in this world.
"The fox returns to its den, and the horse seeks shelter. Since I was the lord of the Twelve Cities, even in death, I should die on the lands of the Twelve Cities," Qingluan said, sighing. In his youth, he had longed to leave his homeland, but now, dying in a foreign land, returning to his home was a distant dream. It was only in his dreams that he could find solace.
Jingheng watched the land from his vantage point. He didn't share Qingluan's sentiment; he felt a void in his heart. The demon realm was Qingluan's homeland, but the Heavenly Realm was the place that would never accept him.
He was the one with no place to go.
Jingheng lowered his head, then made a decision. "What if I send you back?"
"What?" Qingluan asked, surprised.
Jingheng looked at the spirit orb and extended his hand to Qingluan, saying, "I'll send you home."
Qingluan seemed taken aback by this offer. The wisp of his spirit grew quiet, then suddenly burst into laughter, saying, "I didn't give you this just because you offered to deliver a message for me."
The spirit wavered and then continued, "Most of the Twelve Cities in the demon realm were taken by the Heavenly Realm. Bai Zhi refrained from massacring the cities because Yinglong Si Gui traded Fengzhu Qingluan's life for the safety of the people in the Twelve Cities."
Massacre. Hostages.
Jingheng felt conflicted as he looked at the seemingly carefree spirit. Qingluan appeared to be free, but in reality, he was the most constrained.
"Do you regret it?" Jingheng asked, gazing at the spirit orb.
Qingluan grew serious for a moment, then answered after a thoughtful pause, "No, I don't regret it."
The spirit orb in Jingheng's hand shimmered, and a dark light flowed into his palm. As it moved, a wisp of dark energy was expelled from his body. Jingheng rolled up his sleeves to find that the dark marks had disappeared.
Qingluan seemed relieved, saying, "I really like you. The Phoenix Orb usually chooses its master, but it prefers kind-hearted people like you. You're naturally talented, but without proper guidance, you'll face many hardships."
With these words, the Phoenix Orb transformed into a stream of light and entered Jingheng's body. Qingluan nodded with satisfaction and solemnly said, "No matter what happens, remember that beginnings are easy, but maintaining them is challenging. When you asked if I had regrets, I thought about it, but I have no right to regret. The Celestial Way is the fairest thing in this world. Since I received the strongest power of the demon tribe, it was my duty to protect the demon tribe until I died. That's the way."
The way?
Jingheng felt a moment of confusion. He had spoken about the Celestial Way many times since his rebirth, but what exactly was the Celestial Way, and what was his true intent?
He looked at the green phoenix mark that appeared in his palm and began to ponder.