Shen Miao’s half-true, half-false words had indeed succeeded.
Shen Yan, who had been calm, suddenly furrowed her brows.
"Brother-in-law?"
She frowned tightly, exchanging glances with Aunt Mei and Dugu Fang.
"What brother-in-law?"
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"Who is your brother-in-law?"
Dugu Fang and Ruan Mei asked simultaneously.
The spectral girl quietly stuck out her tongue, whispering to herself—sorry, brother-in-law, but since you helped me pass this test, I will speak well of you!
Since you’ll never see my sister in this lifetime, you’re going to take the blame just this once, and your little niece will be forever grateful!
After silently apologizing to her brother-in-law, the girl raised her head, resolutely saying to Shen Yan,
"Brother-in-law is Li Muyang! You almost got married."
"And he has always been helping you in secret!"
The spectral girl spoke with increasing certainty, "He was the first to detect my presence and rescued me."
"He also discovered that Fang Yingtian was plotting against you, wanting to harm you."
"That Fang Yingtian is really despicable, sister. You helped him so much, yet he still wanted to harm you and monopolize power."
"Thankfully, the brother-in-law secretly helped, thwarted Fang Yingtian’s evil plan, led the elders of the Refinement Demon Sect into the city, and killed that old thief Fang Yingtian."
"Otherwise, once that old thief Fang Yingtian’s plan came to fruition, sister, you would have been doomed!"
The spectral girl’s tone was exaggerated, but her description was vivid.
She detailed the sinister actions that Fang Yingtian had taken—at last, she had been an observer.
The huge secrets revealed by Shen Miao made the three people on deck shift their expressions slightly.
Although from the beginning, Shen Yan had sensed Sect Hierarch Uncle’s alienation and had timely evacuated during the unrest.
But such a detailed malicious plan described by Shen Miao was unknown to them.
After listening, Dugu Fang snorted coldly, saying, "That old thing... deserved to die."
It was Ruan Mei who focused on another matter.
She looked at the spectral girl in surprise, asking, "You said Li Muyang has been secretly helping your sister... then why did he betray us and return to the Demon Sect?"
This was the biggest loophole in the spectral girl’s story, and also the most crucial point.
But Shen Miao had already thought of an excuse.
She said regrettably, "Brother-in-law has always loved my sister. He once told me that my sister is the most virtuous, intelligent, and wise woman he has ever met in his life."
"If possible, he wanted to wander the world with my sister and spend the rest of his life together."
"Unfortunately, he is a disciple of the Refinement Demon Sect, his family and relatives are hostages in the hands of the Demon Sect, and he has also kindled a soul lamp within the sect, unable to escape the Demon Sect’s pursuit."
"If he were to betray the Demon Sect and follow my sister, he would only bring endless pursuit to everyone."
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"So, when Tianjiao City fell, he left my sister and returned to the Demon Sect."
"But after returning to the Demon Sect, he locked himself in his room, unwilling to meet anyone."
"Even though the Refinement Demon Sect promoted him to a direct disciple, his face showed little joy."
"Even though he became a highly sought-after young talent of the Refinement Demon Sect, with countless people visiting and flattering him, he still refused to leave that small room."
"He often told me, the more people pleased him, the more his heart ached."
"Because the glory and wealth he has now are obtained through betraying and selling out the person he loves, carrying shame and tears."
"If possible, he would rather not have this glory and wealth."
The spectral girl spoke, sighing with pity, "Occasionally, brother-in-law would stare at the distant mountains at sunset, looking in the direction of Tianjiao City, reminiscing about everything back then."
"He told me he doesn’t believe in the teachings of the Blood Lotus Sect and doesn’t agree with sister’s ideals."
"But sister’s persistent righteousness and her struggle for it moved him and made him yearn for it."
"His actions in Tianjiao City initially stemmed from his heart, with many merely acting to please."
"But those acts of pleasing were just to make the woman he loves happy... he said, he didn’t want to see a look of disappointment and sadness on my sister’s face."
At this point, the ghostly girl sighed once more, speaking with a trace of sorrow.
"He said after Tianjiao City was destroyed, he no longer had the face to meet you all again in this lifetime."
"Now that the Blood Lotus Sect is headed to the new world beyond the Misty Sea, he is destined not to follow."
"But I am different from him, I can keep up, I can reunite with my sister, and together, we can go to that new world where cultivators are rare."
"These past few days, I’ve been hesitating about how to reveal myself and make my identity known, but I never expected that sister would find me first."
As the ghostly girl spoke, tears welled up in her eyes as she outstretched her arms and embraced Shen Yan.
At that moment, Shen Yan’s eyes shimmered, seemingly swirling with countless complex emotions.
Eventually, her gaze regained clarity.
But she did not push away the sister in her arms.
"So..." Shen Yan stood quietly on the deck, softly saying, "It was Li Muyang who destroyed the foundation of the Four-Quarters Cauldron, and it was because of him that the power of the cultivators within Tianjiao City was lifted."
The ghostly girl lowered her head timidly and was silent for a long while before she timidly said,
"But brother-in-law did that to save me and to protect you, sister..."
"If Fang Yingtian’s plan had been allowed to happen..."
The ghostly girl tried to "defend" her brother-in-law.
But Shen Yan had already shaken her head and pushed her away, saying, "No need to say more, I understand."
She turned around to look at the pale foggy world before her, and at the gigantic demon beast looming through the mist.
Shen Yan let out a gentle breath and murmured.
"You and Aunt Mei go down and rest first, let me have some quiet time."
At this moment, Shen Yan’s mind was churning with thoughts, her gaze sorrowful.
So this was the truth...
While she could sense his disdain and hostility towards the Refinement Demon Sect, he still refused to leave the Demon Sect and follow her.
So he dared not.
Because it was he who destroyed the Four-Quarters Cauldron.
The million followers of the Blood Lotus Sect had also perished because of him.
He carried the sins of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, deeply mired in guilt...
Shen Yan leaned softly against the railing of the ship, her gaze distant as she looked out at the vast ocean.
This moment, she finally knew the whole truth.
She learned more about that man’s sins.
Yet from that moment on, the disgust and loathing she felt towards that man began to dissipate...
Gazing at the vast white mist behind her, Shen Yan spoke softly to herself.
"We will never meet again in this lifetime... is that it?"
At that moment, she stood atop the ship, looking back, her gaze seemingly spanning temporal distances, envisioning the figure of the man who, since returning to the Sect, was adorned with glory and riches yet never stepped out of his house.
So he never left the house for this reason...
"...Do you feel guilty, you liar?"
Shen Yan whispered softly.
Above the vast Misty Sea, the white fog churned, gradually obscuring the massive ship.
The departing ship grew increasingly distant from the land beyond it.
Meanwhile, at Fairy Watching Valley, Li Muyang suddenly sneezed several times.
"Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!"
As he rubbed his nose, Li Muyang felt somewhat puzzled: "Who is cursing me?"
Why does he feel inexplicably guilty?
As if someone was thinking about him...