Destiny is ashes

Chapter 1190 Another Future (Unfinished, please don't read yet)
Life without peace and tranquility is much more boring and cold.

She still knew Gu Yeqi, Cang Linzu, and everyone else, but apart from Gu Yeqi, her relationship with everyone else was just so-so... This was natural, as she had lived in the wilderness since childhood, was illiterate and uneducated, and had never even lived in the social environment of Da Chen. Her mannerisms were more like those of a barbarian than a child.

During sparring, almost no one could withstand her attacks; everyone was seriously injured, so much so that no one wanted to spar with her, and only the instructors could take her down.

But once the instructor made a move, it was Bai Qinghan who got injured—the instructors of Xuanming Manor didn't care about stopping. An Jing was able to escape unharmed because An Jing's skills were very strong, even stronger than the instructor's from the beginning, but he just didn't know martial arts.

Bai Qinghan didn't possess that innate skill, so naturally he could only get injured.

It was Gu Yeqi who was willing to take care of her after she was injured.

Moonlight streamed through the window, and a young girl sat on the windowsill, applying medicine to another girl. Her tone carried a hint of complaint: "Bai Manzi, why do you always use so much force? I know you had a hard life in the past, but you're safe here in the village now."

Bai Qinghan's lips twitched, and she said softly, "...I didn't want to either...but my body just started moving on its own."

"I understand, I understand. Just like a cat will instinctively hiss in response to stress, you will also react when you encounter danger."

Gu Yeqi looked enlightened, but still shook his head: "But you're a human being, you have to control yourself, you can't just hiss like a cat."

Bai Qinghan buried her head in the blanket and mumbled, "I... will try my best."

Ye Qi...

Upon witnessing this scene, Bai Qinghan lowered his eyes slightly.

Her few friends, her few...best friends.

Is that how ordinary people address each other? She didn't quite understand, but in the 'present' moment, Gu Yeqi was indeed her best friend besides An Jing. This girl from the Northern Frontier Medicine Manor taught her how to groom herself, how to comb her hair, how to live, and how to deal with others in a normal way.

Although she was always somewhat wary because of her secret feelings for An Jing, Bai Qinghan could tell that the other party was just experiencing some stress because she had lost an important family member in the Frost Tribulation.

They were the same, so Bai Qinghan never cared.

In the timeline without An Jing, her relationship with Gu Yeqi was equally close, and even went further.

The two girls support each other and walk together, growing and progressing in this unfamiliar manor.

These days were almost as wonderful as reality, and the two even began to imagine that after leaving the manor, they would go to the market in the city to buy some things and have some fun.

It was an afternoon when, after their practice session, the two sat back to back under the shade of a tree, silently writing down the scriptures for their cultural studies class. Gu Yeqi finished first, closed the notebook, and exclaimed excitedly, "Qinghan, you haven't seen the market in Dachen yet, have you?"

“Not interested.” Bai Qinghan lowered her eyes and wrote in an ugly handwriting that was completely opposite to her appearance: “Everything belonging to Da Chen deserves to die.”

“Although those officials deserve to die, everyone is different. People are actually very kind, and the market is a lot of fun!” Gu Yeqi was already used to Bai Qinghan’s hatred for Da Chen. She said indifferently, “In the end, I and everyone else are also people of Da Chen. Most people are different from the master. Qinghan, if you want to take revenge in the future, don’t kill too many ordinary people. They are also very pitiful.”

At this point, Gu Yeqi seemed to be thinking of some people again, and he sighed heavily.

"...I understand. The master is different from ordinary people."

Hearing her friend's sigh, Bai Qinghan put down her pen. She pondered for a moment, then sighed, "A market? I've never seen one before... but I'm not particularly interested in it either."

Hearing this, Gu Yeqi was no longer depressed. She turned around, giggled, and reached out to grab Bai Qinghan's waist-length hair: "Don't be shy, your hair is so soft and smooth. I must dress you up properly... Hehe, I was particularly good at making dolls with grass and hemp rope back in the manor. Now I have a real one."

"...I can't be your toy doll."

That's what they say, but on this timeline, Bai Qinghan also harbored expectations.

Perhaps... there are still some things to look forward to in this world.

but……

Ye Qi is dead.

That was the final trial of the Suspended Life Manor, a test to awaken one's destiny.

Unlike reality, they were facing the 'Fear Demon' summoned by the Deputy Medicine Envoy and others using the power of Subduing Evil and the power of Heaven.

By following the ritual, slaying the Heavenly Demon, refining it into Xuan Yuan Qi, and then applying the stimulation of Subduing Evil, there is a high probability of activating one's destiny.

This is a well-established process that has undergone numerous experiments and has had many successes.

The only drawback is that there will inevitably be 'consumables'.

Facing the attack of the Fear Demon, Bai Qinghan tried her best to dodge. As the main force of the team, she needed to take on the main output, so the Fear Demon's attention was always focused on her. However, without An Jing training with her, the team members of the Suspended Life Manor in this timeline had very poor coordination. Many times, the help and support she needed did not appear in time, which led to her being injured in no time. She was hit in the left arm by the Fear Demon and fractured on the spot.

Despite the excruciating pain, she calmed down, and even a strange feeling began to emerge.

Without a doubt, she began to awaken her destiny. Unlike the initial awakening back then, this was more vast and thorough. The mysterious Yin energy in the world began to flow towards her naturally. This mysterious feeling stunned the girl for a moment.

In battle, a single moment can mean life or death.

The Demon of Fear struck with its arm, but Bai Qinghan herself was unharmed. She was simply pushed to the ground by a tremendous force. She looked up in a daze and saw her friend coughing up blood, and... only half of her body remained.

In the instant Bai Qinghan was stunned, the Fear Demon seized the opportunity, broke free from the entanglement of the other children of calamity, and struck down with a palm towards the most dangerous girl. This strike even caused the air to ripple. If it landed, even solid rock would be shattered, and the person would be turned into mincemeat on the spot.

But at this critical moment, Gu Yeqi, who was there to provide support, lunged forward without thinking and pushed Bai Qinghan away.

But in the end, he was the one who got hit.

Bai Qinghan's eyes widened. She had witnessed countless deaths and deaths. In the Vast Sea Demon Realm, countless people had been killed by demons using similar methods. She thought she was used to it, but at this moment, a huge sense of bewilderment made her unable to move, stand up, or speak.

Gu Yeqi didn't say anything, but looked at her with an incredibly complicated gaze, as if annoyed, as if resentful, as if somewhat happy, but also as if somewhat regretful... but there was no time to see clearly or make things clear.

Her breath quickly faded, and in the end, she murmured a single word.

"dad……"

What happened next was not clearly remembered by Bai Qinghan on this timeline.

But the real Bai Qinghan saw it.

She saw a dazzlingly bright star rising behind her.

The stars were deathly pale and icy cold, their phases shifting like a constantly opening and closing eye.

It cast down its light, like tears, or like blood, and these tears and blood dripped down, then condensed into frost, transforming into five stars.

The five planets moved in reverse order, and then Yin gave rise to Yang, thus giving birth to the seventh planet.

A sun, burning fiercely, yet its light is cold.

In that instant, all the instructors, guards, pharmacists, and deputy pharmacists in the entire Suspended Life Manor stood up abruptly, their eyes wide open.

They stared at the seven great stars with astonishment, disbelief, and extreme surprise, watching Bai Qinghan, who was wailing, conjure wind into a sword and cleave the fear demon and half a river in two with a single strike, freezing them solid.

Then, in the next instant.

Above the sky, a sky full of stars lit up.

Then, the leader of the Heavenly Will Divine Sect, Daoist Xuan Yi, along with the Heavenly Will Divine Sect's Left and Right Life and Death Grand Masters, the Upper Universe Spirit, the Four Extreme Dharma Kings of Heaven and Earth, and all the gods and goddesses, all descended upon this small Suspended Life Manor in that instant.

The celestial universe is shielded from all senses. Centered on the Suspended Life Manor, the surrounding mountains for thousands of miles have been transformed into a secret realm isolated from all senses.

In the very center of this secret realm, before Bai Qinghan, who was gripping his sword and numbly watching the slowly dissipating corpse of the Fear Demon, Xuan Yi Daoist and a group of high-ranking members of the Heavenly Will Divine Sect slowly descended. Ling Xiao, who was looking down at the girl who was stroking her friend's cheek, knelt on one knee without a care and bowed in greeting.

[Xuan Yi, leader of the Heavenly Will Sect, pays respects to the Holy Maiden of Heavenly Mandate!]

Behind her, the two ministers on either side, the four Dharma Kings, and all the gods and goddesses respectfully bowed: "The followers of the Heavenly Will pay homage to the Holy Maiden of Heavenly Mandate."

Bai Qinghan didn't pay any attention.

Or perhaps she didn't hear it.

At that moment, she simply bent down, embracing the body of her only friend, whether with sorrow or anger, bewilderment or pain, it was impossible to tell.
"do not leave Me……"

Her words were almost a plea, yet also as resolute as a command.

Immediately afterwards, Gu Yeqi's body, like snow melting under the blazing sun, melted in her arms.

Then, a hazy, ethereal girl's figure appeared behind Bai Qinghan.

(End of this chapter)