But now, he was telling such a lie for the first wife who had driven her away all those years ago. All she felt was amusement, nothing more.
"Alung, I don't understand what you mean," the Elder said.
Alung calmly observed the Elder's confused, yet slightly anxious expression, and let out a cold laugh. "Don't think I can't see it. For these decades, you've been using me."
"You..."
"No 'you's. Just tell me, how long have we been living here?"
"..." The Elder didn't understand why Alung was speaking like this and furrowed his brow. "Alung, why are you asking this?"
"The year I met you, if I recall correctly, you were only twenty-three."
"What are you trying to say?"
"You're seventy this year. From the very beginning, I was always by your side. You wanted to do business, I accompanied you. You wanted a quiet life, I followed you here. And yet, in the end, you sided with your wife and disregarded my life."
"That year, you were the one who asked me to divorce you."
Hearing the Elder's sudden words, Alung's heart felt as if it were pricked by needles, causing her pain. She said, "I admit, I asked you to divorce me. I..."
"You said that only then would your feelings for me not change," the Elder interrupted.
"...."
Alung had never imagined the Elder would remember her words so clearly.
At this moment, looking at the Elder's serious expression, and recalling his recent decision to sever ties with her for his wife, her heart began to waver.
The Elder said, "It was because you said that I wrote the divorce letter. But you, for twenty years, never appeared. What do you take me for?"
For those entire twenty years, she had hidden within the candlelight, witnessing his transformation into an old man.
During this time, so as not to disturb his life, she would only transform into her human form after he fell asleep, then walk to his bedside to quietly look at him.
Now, listening to his words and seeing his agitated expression, her heart softened.
It was like that year, before she received the divorce letter, she had been fully prepared to leave him.
But who knew that the moment she took the divorce letter, he cried. Seeing him cry, her heart softened, and from that day on, she began to guard him.
He was even killed in the end.
Thinking about it, she felt rather disheartened.
"...." She lowered her head.
The Elder, seeing Alung unwilling to speak, and thinking of the deadline given by Mu An Xiao, said, "Why aren't you speaking, Alung?"
Upon hearing this, Alung took a deep breath, slowly raised her head, and looked at the Elder again. "I accompanied you for a full twenty-seven years, while your wife only had twenty-one or twenty-two. If we talk about affection and shared experiences, mine and yours are much longer than yours and hers. However, the only difference between me and her is that you and she have children, while you and I only have that unrealistic... feeling. I said before that I was always by your side..."
"What I want is you, accompanying me, not what you transform into," the Elder said agitatedly. xxs壹贰
Alung said, "Alright, setting aside other things, I once swore to protect you completely and ensure you lived a long life. But reality did not allow it. So, for my own sake, you tell me," she hardened her heart, "what do you want me to help you with?"
"In my heart..."
"Don't tell me you still have feelings for me. Hurry and say what you want me to help with. I really don't want to waste any more words with you," Alung interrupted.
Between being moved and unmoved, for her, it was merely a matter of a single thought.
Just now, she had indeed been touched by his words, even considering reconciling with him.
However, the moment she was about to soften and believe him, she thought of his wife again.
Therefore, she admitted defeat.
Now, she only wanted to help him one last time, and then... leave this place forever, cultivate her demonic form properly, and oppose Mu An Xiao.
The Elder, seeing Alung's heartless demeanor, still showed hesitation. "I..." He scratched his nose, unsure how to continue his words.
Back when the Elder had to choose between his wife and her, he had displayed this same hesitant look. Now, it was the same. At this moment, she finally understood his true intentions.
So, she said, "Are you asking me to save your wife?"
"I..." The Elder was still hesitating.
Alung said, "You know I hate indecisive people. You had better make things clear now, or I won't help you."
Upon hearing this, the Elder's heart sank. He looked up at Alung and said, "Please, save my wife. I want her to live."
"..." Alung had long been mentally prepared for this. She then feigned an indifferent demeanor and said, "My demonic arts are limited, I cannot help you."
"No demonic arts are needed," the Elder said, agitated.
Alung's brows furrowed, a sense of foreboding rising within her. "No demonic arts? Then tell me, how do you want me to save her?"
The Elder said, "With your blood. Just a little bit will do."
"A little bit... you want me to use my demonic blood to save you..." Alung clearly had no room for acceptance. "Save your wife."
"Please, if you don't save her, she will have no hope."
"Who told you that?"
"Feng Qi Shi."
"Feng..." Alung uttered the word, then lowered her eyes and mused, "Then, by that logic, I can save you too."
"..." The Elder shook his head. "Don't save me, save her."
At this moment, Alung truly regretted not meeting Feng Qi Shi sooner. If she had, perhaps the Elder would not have died. If he hadn't died, she wouldn't be so heartbroken now, nor would she have had to see this cruel reality clearly.
But it had already happened, and there was no use in dwelling on it.
She thought that even if she took it upon herself to save the Elder, and he lived while his wife died, he would surely hate her.
In her helplessness, she still chose to compromise. "Alright, I will save her."
"Are you sincere?" the Elder asked, looking at Alung cautiously.
Alung replied, "You mean, if I'm not sincere, it's useless?"
"Yes," the Elder nodded.
"Then I cannot save her."
"You... What do you want me to do, then, for you to be sincere?"
"..."
Seeing Alung remain silent, the Elder spoke again, "If possible, I am willing to cultivate demonic arts with you and accompany you forever. What do you think, is that okay?"
"The thought of having someone like you, who is so ungrateful, by my side is just sickening," Alung said. Then, considering his wife's condition, her heart softened again. "Stop the nonsense, let's go."
"Go..." The Elder, sensing Alung's hatred for his wife, felt a pang in his heart. "But Feng Qi Shi said that if you are not sincere, even using a lot of blood will be a waste. My wife... she won't survive."
"Whether I am sincere or not is not for you to say," Alung stated. While the Elder was deeply conflicted, she cast a spell to restore the ground to its original state and walked past him, taking the lead.
The Elder's body stiffened. He turned around and, without uttering a single word of protest, followed Alung.