Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses

Dark clouds cloaked the sky, and a drizzle fell unceasingly.

Between the mountains, trees were toppled; pits and holes covered the landscape, reeking of the burnt aftermath that extended for a hundred miles—a testament to the battle that had occurred.

At this moment, three women stood in a standoff: Zhen Qin, Jiang Qiong, and the Ghost Mother of Ephemera, each bearing injuries.

The Ghost Mother of Ephemera, with disheveled hair, stood amidst the wreckage, her face smeared with blood as she scanned her surroundings, trapped by an array of eight flags.

Outside the formation, Jiang Qiong hovered in the air; her injuries were not as severe as the Ghost Mother's, but her heaving chest betrayed her exhaustion.

Zhen Qin stood atop a cliff, wielding a treasure sword, surrounded by spinning blades that glittered with golden light.

She looked down at the Ghost Mother of Ephemera with a gaze cold as ice.

The Ghost Mother of Ephemera turned to Jiang Qiong and gritted her teeth, "Sect Leader, after I have supported you for so many years, do you truly intend to help an outsider kill me?"

Jiang Qiong sneered back, "How do you know that she is an outsider, and you are not?"

The Ghost Mother of Ephemera took a deep breath and said, "Aren't you afraid of the Supporting Dao Sword Venerable's return?"

"Don't you know that she is the Supporting Dao Sword Venerable's disciple?"

Faced with Jiang Qiong's mockery, the Ghost Mother of Ephemera fell silent.

Zhen Qin raised her sword and declared, "Ghost Mother of Ephemera, today I shall avenge my senior brother Su Han!"

Upon hearing the name Su Han, the face of the Ghost Mother of Ephemera did not change; she lowered her head, seemingly resigned to her fate.

Immediately, Jiang Qiong cast a spell. The flags around the formation fluttered violently, whipping up a fierce wind that stirred chains of cyan to bind the Ghost Mother of Ephemera, who did not resist.

Zhen Qin charged into the formation, her sword slashing through, its frosty light shattering the forest.

With one slash, blood spurted and the head of the Ghost Mother of Ephemera floated into the air.

Zhen Qin stood behind the Ghost Mother of Ephemera, slowly straightening up; she turned her head and saw not only blood spurting from her neck but also flames of a golden blaze.

The soul of the Ghost Mother of Ephemera emerged, unable to escape from her severed neck.

Zhen Qin, looking upon this, felt no joy, only a sense of relief followed by an overwhelming fatigue.

Years had passed, and she no longer hated the Ghost Mother of Ephemera; avenging Su Han had become her obsession.

Jiang Qiong descended from the sky, looking at the golden flames at the neck of the Ghost Mother, she clucked in wonder, "Are you trying to make her soul disperse? Where did you learn such an evil skill?"

Zhen Qin, devoid of expression, replied, "To deal with an evil demon, one naturally uses evil methods."

The soul of the Ghost Mother of Ephemera struggled in agony, silent, but her twisting form was horrifying to behold.

A breeze passed, scattering the golden flames around her neck, which alarmed both Zhen Qin and Jiang Qiong, prompting them to instinctively look around. Continue your journey with My Virtual Library Empire

"Let's end it here. This life's grievances have been settled."

A voice sounded, and upon hearing it, Zhen Qin stopped mid-sentence.

This voice belonged to Gu An.

Jiang Qiong showed surprise and looked around in search of Gu An.

The soul of the Ghost Mother of Ephemera flew out from her corpse; Zhen Qin's sword was no ordinary sword—its slash severed all her lifelines, leaving her either to find a new vessel or wait for reincarnation.

Her soul knelt beside her body, as if paying homage to Gu An.

"You have two choices," Gu An's voice spoke again, detached as if a god spoke, "Reincarnation, to let go of this life's karma and start anew the next life, or redemption, to lose your freedom and continue living."

The Ghost Mother hailed from the Ephemera Sect. Though not affiliated with the Ephemera Sect that caused chaos in the Tai Cang Continent, she had harmed many in her lifetime, Su Han being only one; even when she founded the Gathering Flower Sect, she resorted to wicked methods.

The reason why Gu An offered her a choice was that, at her core, she believed she acted for the Supporting Dao Sword Venerable, that she belonged to him.

After following the Sword Venerable, she had indeed restrained her methods and attempted to incline towards goodness.

Gu An did not wholly shield her, not just because of Su Han, as Su Han had long since severed ties with him, but because she genuinely had committed evils. Stopping evil actions did not erase past deeds like smoke.

One must bear the consequences of their choices.

The Ghost Mother of Ephemera immediately looked up and shouted loudly, "I am willing to follow you, even if I lose my freedom forever!"

No sooner had her voice faded than her soul vanished into thin air.

Peace then returned to all of Great Heaven and Earth.

Jiang Qiong pursed her lips and looked toward Zhen Qin, offering comfort, "Regardless, she is considered dead and probably won't be at ease in the future."

Zhen Qin took a deep breath and said, "I know. Master said she wouldn't let her be free, and she certainly won't."

The Blood Prison Great Saint was the perfect example; when Gu An said to make him a mount for a thousand years, he indeed suffered for an entire millennium.

Seeing that Zhen Qin was not fixated on the matter, Jiang Qiong also felt relieved and then asked, "What are your plans now?"

Zhen Qin looked into the distance and replied, "No plans."

After her words fell, her body suddenly leaned backward.

Jiang Qiong's eyes widened as she instinctively reached out.

However, a hand moved faster to catch Zhen Qin's shoulder. Zhen Qin looked up and a smile appeared on her face involuntarily.

"Master..." Zhen Qin said weakly.

Gu An looked at her and sighed softly.

Zhen Qin had reached the last year of her maximum lifespan; today's battle had thoroughly drained her vitality.

Jiang Qiong was pleased to see Gu An, but she didn't speak, choosing to give the time to the master and disciple.

Zhen Qin was too weak to speak and soon closed her eyes, her hand naturally falling. This made Jiang Qiong frown.

Gu An looked toward Jiang Qiong and said, "The Ghost Mother of Ephemera is dead, and the Gathering Flower Sect must be personally managed by you."

Jiang Qiong nodded and replied, "I know, I will go back soon."

She stepped forward, sizing up Gu An, and said, "Everyone says you've left the Celestial Spirit Great World, but I didn't think you were still here. I said to myself, how could you leave without telling me."

Facing this woman who had greatly helped him in his early years, Gu An said with a smile, "If you ever run into trouble in the future, just call for me in your heart."

He could hear Jiang Qiong's heart's voice and knew she was not one to leave the secular world, so he did not invite her to the dojo.

Jiang Qiong stared at him and asked, "Can I summon you if I miss you?"

Gu An rolled his eyes at her and replied, "I am very busy!"

Jiang Qiong huffed coldly and said, "Take her away quickly, don't let her die."

She couldn't see the end of Zhen Qin's lifespan but she could feel her life force rapidly draining, a sure sign of ill.

Gu An nodded slightly, then disappeared from the spot with Zhen Qin.

Jiang Qiong didn't leave immediately but walked toward the corpse of the Ghost Mother of Ephemera. After working together for over a thousand years, she didn't want the Ghost Mother's body to be left in the wilderness.

...

Zhen Qin had a very long dream where she returned to her youth, a time when she, Su Han, and Ye Yan lived carefree in Profound Valley.

Back then, they all aspired to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm.

When Zhen Qin awoke, she opened her eyes to the blue sky.

She sat up instinctively and then saw Gu An sitting at a stone table not far away, with an ice coffin next to her.

Seeing Gu An, her heart settled down instantly. She stood up immediately, ready to go and pay her respects.

But as soon as she stood up, she saw the scene inside the ice coffin and froze completely. She couldn't help but blink, but no matter how many times she blinked, the scene inside remained unchanged.

"How can this be..."

Zhen Qin became agitated, her body shaking slightly.

Inside the ice coffin lay Su Han's body, intact.

She looked back at Gu An, who was sipping tea, not looking at her.

In that moment, Zhen Qin's heart was filled with emotion and shame, and a thousand words were stuck in her throat, unable to be spoken.