Wei Jin clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as the old soul's words reverberated in his mind.
He stared at the horizon, the faint glow of the moon illuminating the darkened path ahead.
The soul's voice rang out once more, sounding smug and irritating.
"You should use the system," the old soul suggested, its tone brimming with confidence.
Wei Jin groaned, rubbing his temple as if to alleviate the growing headache.
"Use the system? Do you even understand what you're saying? It would require me to interact with a lot of women," he muttered, his voice laced with frustration and hesitation.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" the old soul erupted, its voice tinged with jealousy. "I'm so jealous! Your system is helping you! Use it, you fool!"
Wei Jin's brows furrowed as he looked toward the faint shimmer of the old soul. "But... but..." he stammered, struggling to form a coherent argument.
The old soul seized the moment, cutting him off. "Don't tell me," it sneered, "you want Ru Shaonian to come running instead of some other girls, don't you? Because your whole world still belongs to her, right?"
Wei Jin's expression darkened, anger flashing in his eyes. "What do you mean by that?" he demanded, his voice rising.
"I know too well," the old soul replied knowingly. Its tone softened, as though it was speaking from personal experience. "You're hoping—no, praying—that this divorce will make her realize your worth. That in her heart, she'll finally find you special."
Wei Jin froze. The words struck a chord deep within him, unearthing the very thoughts he had buried under layers of denial.
"You're hoping," the old soul continued relentlessly, "that she'll regret everything. That she'll beg you to take her back. But—" it paused, its tone turning sharper, "—you also want her regret to fuel your rise in power. To make you stronger, so you can reject her and have the last laugh."
Wei Jin's jaw clenched, his breath coming in short, ragged bursts. He couldn't respond. He couldn't deny it, because it was true. Every word the old soul had spoken was a reflection of his innermost thoughts.
The old soul chuckled darkly, as though savoring Wei Jin's turmoil. "How do I know?" it asked mockingly.
"Because I was the same! My wife on Earth… she was just like Ru Shaonian. I spent decades thinking she loved me and was hoping that in her after life, if she had any like me, that she would regret her decision. But that is toxic."
Wei Jin's eyes flickered with disbelief. "Toxic?" he echoed, his voice low and strained.
"Yes, toxic," the old soul snapped. "Wanting leverage over someone, hoping they'll regret their choices and come crawling back—that's not love. It's just a game. And you're playing it with yourself."
Wei Jin remained silent, his gaze fixed on the ground. The old soul wasn't done.
"But," it added with a cruel laugh, "what if she doesn't regret it? What if your Ru Shaonian doesn't care about you at all? What if she moves on, becomes a harem member of the protagonist, and is proud of you someday—not because she loves you, but because you're just a footnote in her grand tale?"
Wei Jin's heart twisted painfully at the thought. Anger surged within him, but he couldn't direct it anywhere—not at Ru Shaonian, not at the old soul, not even at himself. He clenched his fists tighter, his knuckles turning white.
"Shut up," Wei Jin growled, his voice trembling. "You don't understand anything."
The old soul laughed again, unbothered by Wei Jin's anger. "Oh, I understand perfectly. I watched you today, demanding that divorce and storming out like a tragic hero. All because your heart couldn't take the pain. It was almost poetic, really—like something out of a drama."
Wei Jin's hand shot up, his finger glowing with a faint trace of energy. "Old soul," he hissed, his voice low and threatening, "do you want your soul to scatter and disappear right now?"
The old soul immediately panicked, its faint light flickering wildly. "No, no, no! Of course not!" it shouted, its tone frantic. "I have a solution!"
Wei Jin rolled his eyes, lowering his hand slightly but not dispelling the energy. "A solution? You're full of solutions, aren't you?"
"I'm serious this time," the old soul insisted. "What you did earlier—demanding the divorce, walking away—that was commendable. But it's not enough."
Wei Jin's heart skipped a beat. "Not enough?" he repeated, his voice barely a whisper.
The old soul's tone softened, almost as if it were pitying him. "You won't be happy, Wei Jin. You'll always remember this day. The pain, the humiliation—it'll haunt you. Even if you rise to the heavens in power, the wound in your heart will remain."
Wei Jin swallowed hard, his throat dry.
He knew the old soul was right.
No matter how much he tried to suppress his emotions, the thought of Ru Shaonian, of her indifference, of her potential happiness without him—it would always linger.
"So," the old soul continued, "what do you think is the best way forward?"
Wei Jin closed his eyes, taking a deep, shuddering breath. The system's notifications, the old soul's words, and his own swirling thoughts collided in a chaotic storm within him.
"I don't know," he admitted finally, his voice heavy with despair. "I don't know what the best way forward is."
Suddenly, the old soul would whisper something.
Wei Jin's aura flared violently, the air around him crackling as his cultivation surged to a dangerous level. He clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. "You want me to treat her as some kind of game?" he growled, his voice a mix of fury and disbelief.
The old soul flickered weakly, as if struggling to remain cohesive under Wei Jin's oppressive presence.
"No," it replied calmly, though its tone carried a trace of urgency. "You misunderstand. I'm not asking you to degrade her or yourself. I'm telling you to stop burdening your heart so much. Stop expecting everything to revolve around love and perfection."
Wei Jin's glare remained sharp, but he didn't unleash his full wrath just yet. He wanted to hear the soul out, even if every fiber of his being screamed to obliterate it.
"Think about it," the old soul continued. "Why do you think you can't awaken your inverse eyes? Why, after thousands of attempts, are you still stuck?"
Wei Jin's lips parted slightly, but he didn't respond. The question pierced his chest, striking the very core of his insecurities.
"It's because you're burdening yourself too much," the old soul explained, its tone softening. "You've tied everything—your cultivation, your self-worth, your entire identity—to this singular idea that you must succeed. That you must be worthy. That you must be loved by Ru Shaonian."
Wei Jin's body trembled as the words washed over him. He wanted to argue, to deny it, but the truth was undeniable.
"Accept it," the old soul urged. "You're not the best. You don't have to be. Accept that you cannot control everything—not love, not respect, not even your own cultivation path."
The old soul paused, as if letting Wei Jin absorb the weight of its words. When it spoke again, its tone was more deliberate.
"And that's why I suggested treating Ru Shaonian as a target—not because she's a game, but because it will free you from the chains you've placed on yourself. Accept that she's not yours anymore. Accept that you may fail. And then… try."
Wei Jin's eyes narrowed. "Try? To what end? To make myself look like a fool chasing after someone who doesn't want me?"
"No," the old soul said firmly. "To prove to yourself that you've done all you can. To let yourself see her as a person, not an idol or a savior. And to understand, if it comes to that, that she truly isn't meant for you. But until then, why let her go without giving it your all?"
The words struck a strange chord within Wei Jin.
A part of him rejected the idea vehemently—how could he demean himself by continuing to chase after someone who clearly didn't see his worth? But another part of him, the one still deeply tied to Ru Shaonian, latched onto the possibility.
The old soul wasn't done yet. "And think about this: you're married to her. She made vows, just as you did. Yet, what did she do? She remained entangled in her first love, that so-called protagonist. Didn't she pour her efforts into raising her cultivation, not for you, but to help him break his curse?"
Wei Jin's teeth clenched, his anger reigniting. He had tried to ignore that truth, but hearing it spoken aloud tore through him like a blade.
"She disrespected you, Wei Jin," the old soul continued, its voice hardening.
"She took your devotion for granted. So yes, I'm saying accept that you might lose her, but don't give up on her so easily. Don't let her make you think you're the one who failed her. You owe it to yourself to try, and if you truly cannot win her, you'll at least walk away knowing she wasn't meant for you. That's better than living with the regret of never knowing."
Wei Jin's aura wavered, his cultivation energy flickering erratically as his emotions churned. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "You speak as though this is easy," he muttered, his voice low and strained. "But it's not. None of this is."
The old soul let out a dry laugh. "Of course it's not. If it were, I wouldn't be here, would I? But that's precisely why you need to try. You're already at your lowest, Wei Jin. You've got nothing to lose."
Wei Jin opened his eyes slowly, his gaze filled with a mix of pain and determination. "If I do this," he said quietly, "it won't be for her. It'll be for me."
The old soul flickered brighter, as if in approval. "Exactly. That's the point."
Wei Jin remained silent for a long moment, his thoughts swirling like a storm. Finally, he lowered his cultivation energy, letting the oppressive aura dissipate. His clenched fists relaxed, though his heart still felt heavy.
"You're lucky I haven't turned you to ash," Wei Jin muttered, his tone laced with both irritation and resignation.
The old soul chuckled. "Oh, I know. But you'll thank me later. Trust me."
Wei Jin scoffed, shaking his head as he turned to leave the secluded spot. His steps were slow, deliberate, as though each one carried the weight of the decision he had just made.
Though his heart still ached and his mind remained clouded, a small flicker of resolve burned within him. He didn't know if he could truly let go of Ru Shaonian or if he could ever find the strength to face her again. But for now, he would take the old soul's advice, no matter how begrudgingly.
He would try. Not because he believed he could win, but because he needed to know. Because even in his pain and despair, Wei Jin still refused to let his story end without a fight.