To deny what Li Taiming said was true might just be self-deception. Since the Nangong family vanished, Xiao Shu had not received a single shred of warmth from her father, as if she had been abandoned by the entire world, forced to live in reality sustained only by memories. At least in those recollections, the home she once knew was warm, her childhood playmates were affectionate, and her adoptive mother had always defended her against the slightest hint of unfairness. However, that waking dream—the huangliang yi meng—had evaporated with the Nangong family’s disappearance, slamming her back into reality. Her father’s eyes, cold and utterly devoid of emotion, were a constant, stinging torment to Xiao Shu’s heart, making him yearn to escape that household at every moment.

Hearing Li Taiming’s words, Xiao Shu was lost in a daze, submerged in the past, until the sound of a clap on his shoulder jolted him back to the present.

“It seems my destiny is being continued through you,” Li Taiming sighed, a hint of sorrow clouding his eyes, as if lamenting Xiao Shu’s misfortune.

“No,” Xiao Shu paused in silence for a moment before firmly uttering a single “No” from his lips. “I know nothing of the previous generation’s affairs, but as of now, I have not trod down anyone’s old path; I have always been steering the rudder of fate according to my own will.”

Li Taiming nodded, replacing the mask upon his head, resuming the guise of the middle-aged man, and offering Xiao Shu a wry smile. “That is precisely what I intend to say. Today, I too am grasping the rudder of my own destiny. This vessel will carry us to a marvelous world, one possessing supreme power and unparalleled immortality. Will you join us?” Li Taiming extended his right hand toward Xiao Shu, intending a gesture of friendly grasp.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Shu recoiled, shrinking his entire body away, and replied to him, “The preciousness of life lies in the fact that each person only gets one chance. I once knew someone whose time in this world no one could ascertain; everyone respected her, regarding her as Empress. All who visited her had to perform the san bai jiu kou (three bows and nine kowtows). Yet, before her departure, she voiced her final wish: she hoped someone would help end her life.”

Bing Yu was particularly captivated by this tale, first letting out a sharp shiver, then glancing at the sickle in her hand, her palm instantly slick with sweat. Li Taiming shot her a glance, extended his large hands behind her, and swept her up around the waist, as if preparing for a quick getaway.

But Xiao Shu preemptively blocked the exit. “The sole purpose of my visit was to inquire about one person.”

“Ming Xiaoyu, right?” Upon hearing this, Li Taiming set Bing Yu down and let out a cold sneer. “It seems escaping today will be difficult. Trapped by my own nephew, I can neither leave nor fight, and unleashing a massacre is absolutely out of the question. What is it you want?”

“Take me to see him,” Xiao Shu’s brows tightly knitted, articulating each word slowly and deliberately.

“No, no, no…” Hearing this, Li Taiming raised the index finger of his right hand, gesturing twice before Xiao Shu.

“We are friends unto death; I only need to see him once.” Xiao Shu stepped forward, cornering both Li Taiming and Bing Yu against the wall.

“Precisely because we are friends, I believe you should respect his choice. Everyone has the right to determine their own destiny. Do not disturb him,” saying this, Li Taiming pointed toward his own head. “In here, he has his own thoughts.”