Gu Ruoyun lowered her head to plant a gentle kiss on Xiao Xun'er's icy-cold face. Her eyes were filled with tenderness and warmth.

"Xun'er, from now on, the two of us, mother and child, will never be apart! I'm sorry, if I had known that things would turn out this way, I should have spent more time with you."

Just as Gu Ruoyun was gently stroking her son's face, the room's door rattled. The sound caused her already sensitive mental state to tense up at once and she held the little toddler's body tightly in her arms.

"Who is it?"

Thump!

The door was pushed open and a purple-colored figure rushed into the room. The man saw the lucid and elegant woman who was seated on the bed and a wave of joy filled his purple eyes.

"Little girl, I've finally found you."

A light flickered within Gu Ruoyun's hopeless gaze when the man had appeared. She held Xiao Xun'er and quickly rose to her feet to approach the purple-robed man before her.

"Zixie, you're still alive! What about Xiao Ye, where's Xiao Ye?"

Zixie's handsome features froze. He glanced carefully at Gu Ruoyun and said, "I'm sorry, little girl, I could not protect Qianbei Ye. He's dead..."

He's dead.

Those words slammed violently into Gu Ruoyun's heart and caused her already numb heart to throb with even more agony. She stumbled backward and slowly closed her eyes.

The Four Divine Beasts have left me. Father, Mother, and Xiao Xun'er have all left me. Now, even Qianbei Ye has already...

Since the people I love most in the world have left me, there's no use for me to stay in this world anymore.

"Zixie, I will dissolve our contract and restore your freedom. Find a place to hide and don't reappear no matter what happens. Don't bother if the mainland lives or dies, don't concern yourself with anyone else. You must live on."

Gu Ruoyun's eyelashes trembled slightly. She had mentioned before that if Zixie was in danger, she would sacrifice her life to save him. However, when it comes to Qianbei Ye, she would choose to stay with him in life or death.

He's dead. I won't live on just for the sake of staying alive.

"Little girl, what are you thinking of doing?" Zixie quickly grabbed Gu Ruoyun's hand as a sense of worry appeared in his handsome features.

Gu Ruoyun laughed bitterly and smiled as if she saw death as a welcomed friend. "I want to perish with Cang Ming! Even if my death cannot destroy him, I will sever one of his limbs to commemorate my loved ones! Zixie, you and our companions in the Ancient Divine Pagoda need not take the risk with me. It's not worth it. I will now grant you your freedom. From now on, you are no longer bound to the contract."

Gu Ruoyun then gently shut her eyes and began to erase the imprint of their contract from her soul. This way, Zixie's freedom would be restored.

She would not allow her death to drag him down with her!

As Gu Ruoyun closed her eyes, she did not notice the cunning light which had flashed across the purple-robed man's eyes. His hand was placed behind her back and a sharp longsword suddenly materialized in the palm of his hand...

Gu Ruoyun, who was erasing the contract's imprint with all her heart, had not noticed a single thing. She remained with her eyes closed as she had absolute trust in this man who had accompanied her through several lifetimes.

Nothing could shake that kind of trust!

Wham!

Just as Gu Ruoyun had almost finished erasing the contract's imprint, a white light flashed across them and a tiny body suddenly crashed into the man before her. The man lost his footing and stumbled backward as the sword in his hand dropped onto the ground with a clang.

Squeak, squeak, squawk!

The little fellow placed its hands on its hips and stood on Gu Ruoyun's shoulder as it scolded the man in a violent rage. Its eyes were positively spitting with fire.

"Mengmeng, you're still alive?"

A sense of joy flashed in Gu Ruoyun's eyes when she saw the little fellow's appearance. She then noticed the longsword which Zixie had dropped on the ground and was startled.

"Zixie, what were you doing?"

The purple-robed man did not speak. He was glaring at the little thing on Gu Ruoyun's shoulder as he carelessly blurted out, "What are you doing here?"

What are you doing here?

Gu Ruoyun was shaken for a moment and furrowed her brows. A hint of contemplation flashed across her eyes as she, whose head had been muddled with rage, finally sensed that something was not right...

Zixie would never hurt me. Besides... When I had journeyed towards the Dark Earth Realm, it was Mengmeng who had saved me from the illusion back then. That means that illusions don't work on this fellow.

Illusions?

Gu Ruoyun suddenly came to her senses and remembered what Qianbei Ye had previously told her thrice...

No matter what, don't believe only in what you see!