The old woman’s words echoed repeatedly in the mind of the fake Li Bingyu, and Hou Dayong felt a pang of regret for the stab he had just dealt to Li Xiaoshu. He had intended only a small sacrifice to conceal his identity, planning to apologize to Xiaoshu once they rescued everyone. He never imagined the charade would collapse midway through, exposed by the tall and short brothers and the real Li Bingyu. No matter how perfectly Hou Dayong mimicked Li Bingyu, he couldn't replicate the depth of her love for Xiaoshu; just as Wang Jue, however subtly he imitated the tall man, could never grasp the bond between the two brothers.

Silence settled over everyone; only sincerity could tear down pretense. The true Li Bingyu, weeping, crawled to Xiaoshu’s side and slashed her own wrist, letting the bright crimson blood drip into the wound inflicted by the imposter. Xiaoshu bit down hard on his lip, refusing to let even a flicker of emotion show, yet traitorous tears still fell, landing on Li Bingyu’s gentle fingers.

“You’re crying?” Li Bingyu smiled, wiping the tears away, watching as Xiaoshu’s wound slowly knit itself closed. She stood up and slowly backed away, saying, “That is enough. There are no regrets.” With that, she pulled a black awl from seemingly nowhere and plunged it straight into her heart in one swift motion. As her despairing eyes cast one final glance of affection toward Xiaoshu, Li Bingyu convulsed, staggering sideways before collapsing onto the floor, curling into a ball. The contractions continued until her entire body shriveled to the appearance of a desiccated corpse, and then she was still.

Only then did the others snap out of their shock following Li Bingyu’s suicide. Xiaoshu’s teeth were clamped so fiercely on his lip that blood flowed incessantly from the corner of his mouth, joining the unstoppable tears in forming a small river down his neck. He turned back to look at the fake Li Bingyu; Hou Dayong had already reverted to his true appearance and muttered a quiet apology. The tall man who had accompanied Hou Dayong was revealed to be Wang Jue.

Xiaoshu instantly understood everything that had just transpired. He turned to Hou Dayong and said, “You came to save me; I have no reason to resent you, only I didn’t expect her to…” He took a deep breath, then glared fiercely at the two elders on the far side of the hall, “Are you satisfied now?”

The old man and woman exchanged a look. When they turned back to Li Xiaoshu, the old woman shifted her argument. “We only wished to find our daughter and did not want her to follow the path your mother took. If you love Yingzi, as Bingyu loved you, you should get her away from the Li family. We already told you the story of Xiao Linghua; you simply refuse to believe the truth because the ones who tormented and killed her were your father and your own brother. But look at Yingzi now; think of what you witnessed in the Sea of Lost Souls. She is feeding that ghost infant with her own blood, walking willingly down your mother’s road. Do you truly wish that fate for her? That ghost infant should never have been born, and Yingzi should never have met Li Xiaohao—it was all your father’s arrangement. We raised you for him, and he repaid us with a car crash. Do you think Yingzi will find happiness where they are? Will she truly not repeat your mother’s tragedy?”

The old woman’s speech rendered Xiaoshu speechless. He wanted to defend his father and brother, but facing their past deeds, he felt utterly helpless.

Seeing him remain silent for a long time, staring blankly at Li Bingyu’s corpse, the old woman softened her voice. “I believe you will save her. I will never force you to do anything again. You and those two spirits may leave. Remember what I said: Yingzi is only safe here. We are her birth parents; we will never harm her.”

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