Chapter 18: The Heroine’s Last Stubbornness.

Qian Junyou lay on the bed and stretched lazily.
Today he had woken up so early—did he need to go back to sleep for a bit?

“Just say the Young Master is too tired and fell asleep. Let her wait!”

Qian Junyou’s feelings toward Bai Shuxi were somewhat complicated right now.
He didn’t know what mood he should use to face her.

“Young Master, the ceramic kettle you wanted is ready!”

So fast?
Never mind. In an immortal cultivation world, there was no point nitpicking such things…

“Bring everything over, including the jar I brought back that day.”

His room was fairly spacious.
Qian Junyou planned to conduct the experiment directly inside it.
Although he had already guessed what it was, to be safe and maintain a rigorous attitude, he still needed to verify it.

Tubing, alcohol lamp, condenser tube, kettle lid with a U-shaped tube, and he even made a Kipp’s apparatus…

He also had people bring over a brazier, a pure gold needle, the samples he brought back, and the filtered clear limewater he had ordered prepared yesterday afternoon!

This kind of junior high school chemistry experiment was ridiculously simple.
Qian Junyou glanced at the brought-back sample.
The previous white powder had basically turned into colorless crystals, just as he had thought.

First, he used the clear limewater to confirm the presence of carbonate ions in the sample.
Then he performed a flame test with the gold needle.
After fussing around for the entire afternoon, he could finally roughly confirm the murder weapon of the fire—

Metallic sodium!

Of course, it could also be potassium, but the principle wouldn’t differ much, and without blue cobalt glass, there was no way to distinguish them.

Judging from the amount of white powder at the scene, quite a lot of metallic sodium must have been mixed into the dry grass at the time.
Once the villagers poured water on it, the fire would have been no joke…

The reason it turned into white powder and colorless crystals was mainly because the location was beside the river.
Influenced by the season, the humidity was especially high.
The portion of sodium that had luckily not been burned quickly deteriorated.

But how did they produce the sodium?
Most methods for producing sodium involved electrolysis, but current technological standards clearly couldn’t achieve that.

Non-electrolytic methods for producing sodium were either using metallic magnesium to burn sodium hydroxide—but metallic magnesium was also difficult to produce—or the extremely dangerous—

“Gay-Lussac method for sodium!”

It was said that the scientist had blown himself onto the bed and lay there for forty days back then… quite the risk-taker.

Although the apparatus was already prepared, Qian Junyou didn’t want to blow up his own room, so he planned to try it another day in an open area.

Five elements generating and restraining each other?
Hah, this Young Master will open your eyes!

He walked to the window and realized the sky had already turned dark.

“Has Miss Bai left?”

“In reply to Young Master, not yet…”

Qian Junyou prepared to go down and meet her again, lest his father return later and cause trouble.

“It’s Miss Bai! Making you wait so long was truly rude.”

Bai Shuxi, face ashen as death, twitched the corner of her mouth and sneered coldly:

“Young Master overstates it. It is only right.”

Qian Junyou always felt this girl spoke a bit strangely, as if… there was a hint of thorns in her words?

“Although I roughly know why you came, let’s still hear it. What do you plan to do by coming to find me?”

He sat down in the chair and habitually took a sip of tea.

“Young Master has won. Shuxi is at your disposal. However, I still hope you can spare the rest of the Bai family.”

Bai Shuxi, face full of despair, kept her eyes fixed on the ground.
She slowly rose and knelt down, like a puppet with cut strings, and spoke coldly.

Today the Bai family had submitted an imperial petition and slandered a prince.
The punishment they would face was the implication of the three clans—men sent to the border, women sent to the Teaching Department.
The entire Bai family would be completely finished.

The two suddenly fell into silence.
Qian Junyou’s eyelid twitched.
He furrowed his brows tightly and looked at her with a trace of anger.

But he was also somewhat unsure if he had misheard?
He froze for a long time.

The atmosphere stiffened for at least two minutes.
The young master before her forcefully suppressed his dissatisfaction and the anger that wanted to erupt, and asked slowly:

“Miss Bai, please explain clearly—what do you mean by… ‘spare’?”

Qian Junyou leaned forward, arm propped on his knee.
The two words “spare” sprayed out coldly from between his lips and teeth.

Could this girl still believe that he had deliberately harmed the Bai family?

“Isn’t it? Young Master? You have gotten your wish and taken revenge for Shuxi’s previous disrespect toward you.
Now Shuxi has no choice but to kneel and worship before you…”

Bai Shuxi didn’t know who to believe anymore…

Was she wrong?
The witness was fake?
There was no evidence either…

Was there a problem with the Heart-Questioning Sword?
Had Prince Rui suppressed the evidence?

Or… had she been deceived by her uncle from the very beginning?

But why had Qian Junyou known about the fire in advance?
No, it wasn’t just that he had known about the fire beforehand.

Why would a playboy like him inexplicably run to the fire scene?

Why had he said “the Bai family should pray for their own fortune” in the Hall of Ten Thousand Spirits?
He seemed to have known long ago that her father would be imprisoned…

Three days ago he had still greeted her with a smiling face.
Why had he changed completely the moment the fire happened?

Why had he suddenly lost interest in her in an instant?

He was like a hunter watching his prey about to fall into the trap—calm and confident!

Either he had a guilty conscience and had planned everything long ago, or… he had been replaced.
He was not Qian Junyou!

But the truth no longer mattered.
Because she already had nothing left.
This was an endless nightmare.

Furious, Qian Junyou turned his head and let out a contemptuous laugh.
The sound of grinding teeth traveled from his mouth to his ears as he asked angrily:

“So… you still believe that all of this was done by me? That I deliberately wanted to harm your Bai family?”

“…Isn’t it?”

“You think… I killed over eight hundred innocent disaster victims just to obtain you?”

“…Otherwise?”

“Then do you think… the Heart-Questioning Sword I received today was just an act!?”

“Shuxi… dares not speak recklessly.
Now whatever Young Master says is what it is.
It was Shuxi who was rude… I will listen to everything you say.”

Bai Shuxi was like a puppet, like a doll.
Her eyes were hollow and lifeless.
She stared at the ground, her mind completely empty.

But no matter what she said now, it was all the same, right?
Like a broken pot that had already shattered, she answered every question.

Yet she had no idea she was plucking at every sensitive nerve of Qian Junyou.

Why had Qian Junyou received that Heart-Questioning Sword?

It was to prove his innocence!

Even if he had to walk through the gates of hell;
Even if he risked his soul scattering and perishing!

He had still been unwilling to admit a crime that did not belong to him!

Not even for one second!

Yet even now, in Bai Shuxi’s eyes, he was still a criminal?
His emotions gradually lost control, like a volcano about to erupt.

“Then I’m quite curious—when those ministers were slandering and spreading filthy rumors about your Bai family today, and I told them to shut up… what were you thinking?”

“…”

Bai Shuxi seemed startled.
Her expression suddenly changed.
She pinched her own fingers, remained silent for a long time, then slowly asked:

“Then what about Mengyao?
Have you ever felt even a shred of guilt or remorse for what you did to Mengyao?”

“Sorry, I don’t know any Mengyao!”

“Heh! Perhaps… Shuxi remembered wrongly!”

Bai Shuxi gave a bitter laugh.
Over the past month, she had mentioned Mengyao to him many times, but he had always brushed it off.

Now he said he didn’t know her?
He was already planning to deny it?
So it had all been an act!

He had even shamelessly apologized before!
Now that she had become a toy in his hands, he could just deny it outright?!

As a member of the powerful nobility, even lying in court could be laughed off.
How could he possibly care about a mere maidservant?
Sure enough, a bad person was ultimately a bad person.

“Miss Bai, tell me—do you think those things were done by me?”

“If Young Master believes he didn’t do them, then they never happened.”

Furious, Qian Junyou’s tightly clenched fist seemed about to snap the tendons in his hand.
At this moment he even felt the urge to kill!

But what would killing her achieve?
In the end, he was instead angered into laughter.

“Hah… hahaha—fine! What do you want me to do?”

“When I came earlier, Shuxi heard that Father will be sent to the death row.
Shuxi has no other requests. I only hope you will not implicate the rest of the Bai family.”

Bai Shuxi’s powerless voice was like a withered leaf swaying in the autumn wind.
She prostrated on the ground and performed a kowtow.

“Hmph… that’s it?”

Qian Junyou’s forehead veins bulged.
A ferocious and contemptuous smile appeared on his face as he spoke to Bai Shuxi word by word:

“Good! Miss Bai, rest assured.
Your Bai family—I will not save a single one of you!”

“Why?!”

Bai Shuxi suddenly raised her head.
Her bloodshot eyes stared at Qian Junyou in disbelief.
Using all the strength in her body, she cried out in grief and indignation:

“Why—?! What exactly are you still dissatisfied with?!
Shuxi already has nothing left!

Must you watch Shuxi be sent to the Teaching Department?
Watch my father be sent to the guillotine?
Watch the Bai family destroyed and its people dead before you are willing to stop?!”

“Crash—”

Enraged, Qian Junyou suddenly stood up, raised the teacup in his hand, and smashed it heavily onto the ground.

The servants beside them were all startled.
Bai Shuxi also froze suddenly.

Immediately after, Qian Junyou roared with a voice like crashing waves:

“Bai Shuxi, let me tell you!
I, Qian Junyou, will not help your Bai family—!

Do you think you’re very smart?
Do you think you understand me?!

Do you think whatever you believe is true?
You only believe what you want to believe!

Listen well! I don’t care whether you believe it or not. I will only say it once!

This fire has absolutely nothing to do with me—!

I have no interest in framing the Bai family, and even less interest in you—!

Yes, I knew about the fire in advance, but does that prove I’m the culprit?

I was the one who sent Old He, but I sent him to put out the fire. Is that also wrong?!

I went to the scene to tamper with evidence?
I studied for seventeen years! Seventeen years!
The knowledge I learned, you’ve never even heard of—!

Go call those people from the Court of Judicial Review over to compare with me?!
Let’s see who knows more!? Huh?!

Not only that, I have already figured out the cause of the fire!
But I will not help your Bai family!

Your Bai family can go wherever you want! Give up—!”

He roared out everything in one breath.
Qian Junyou felt his throat had gone hoarse.

The entire hall fell into dead silence.
Only he, who had just finished roaring, was still panting heavily.

“Young Master…”

Bai Shuxi’s dazed eyes revealed fear and a trace of regret.
This was her last life-saving straw, but unfortunately it was too late…

“Get out—! Never let me see you again—! Go wherever you’re supposed to go!”

After the outburst of roars, Qian Junyou turned and left, leaving Bai Shuxi kneeling alone on the ground, tears streaming down her face.

She had already been placed under house arrest and could not leave the capital.
Tomorrow morning the family would be raided and she would be sent to prison for detention.

Once the handover was complete, her cultivation would be abolished and she would be transferred to the Teaching Department.
Not just her—the entire family would suffer the same fate.

Looking at the furious Qian Junyou, Bai Shuxi felt he seemed… somewhat familiar, but she couldn’t remember why.

In the previous loop, it had also been here.
The two had been ten meters apart.
At that time, Qian Junyou had only wanted to get rid of her entanglement and live well.

Qian Junyou just hadn’t expected that this time the relationship would become so stiff.

But she was one of the female leads!
Even if he didn’t help her, the protagonist would!

After returning to his room, Nalan Xueya brought over a pot of freshly brewed tea and placed it on Qian Junyou’s table.

Qian Junyou looked at Xueya’s cold gaze and sighed tiredly in his heart.
There was still a female assassin by his side…

“Young Master still has an appointment with Miss Su tonight. Will you go?”

“Miss Su…”

“Mm, from the Court of Judicial Review… I think her name is Su Qingyan?”

Holding his throbbing forehead, he thought for a long while and still decided to go see what was going on with this Miss Su.
He always felt she… knew something about his affairs?

After the coachman prepared the carriage, Miss Bai had already left.
A light drizzle was falling in the sky, but because it was nighttime, he hadn’t noticed earlier.

“So… it rains on the night of the third day.”

The carriage swayed as it headed toward the Jade Reverence Tower, but Bai Shuxi’s figure kept lingering in Qian Junyou’s mind.

When reading the novel, he had really liked this character.
Although in the early stages she had pitted the protagonist and seemed a bit heartless, later her lively, cheerful, mischievous yet brave image had left a deep impression…

“Transmigrating and destroying the original work is even worse than adapting it into a drama!”

The carriage reached the side of the canal.
The end of this canal was the eastern market of the inner city.

It was called a canal, but the river’s history was even older than the entire capital.
Legend had it that it had been slashed open by the divine sword Xuanyuan, severing all spiritual power.
Before the river water was introduced, it had also been called the Falling Immortal Cliff.
The river surface was a full five hundred meters wide.

It had once served as the final line of defense in countless immortal-demon wars.

At this time of night, there was no one around.
The black river water was like a deep universe, leading to another world…

Qian Junyou, distracted and at a loss, sat in the carriage quietly watching out the window.

“Bai Shuxi, your desperate appearance when trying to save your father hasn’t changed…
Unfortunately, I am not the protagonist, and with you… there is no fate.”

“Young Master, ahead… someone is standing by the bridge. It looks like they want to jump into the river!”

The coachman interrupted Qian Junyou’s thoughts and shouted in panic.

“It seems… to be Miss Bai! Young Master, what should we do?”

Qian Junyou’s heart skipped a beat. He felt a stir of emotion…

Sure enough, the moment he went out he ran into her again.
But he still gritted his teeth and hardened his heart:

“Drive your carriage! Why bother with so much nonsense!”

The carriage slowly crossed the bridge, passing behind Bai Shuxi.
The light breeze carrying fine rain lifted the carriage curtain.

The restless Qian Junyou inadvertently raised his head and saw Bai Shuxi’s frail and powerless back.

He saw the despairing girl tie a stone to her waist and slowly lean her body forward.

“Splash—”

The sound of water splashing came from below the bridge, but it failed to disrupt the rhythm of the carriage hooves on the bridge, like two unrelated worlds, two melodies with different beats.

Bai Shuxi slowly sank to the bottom of the river.
Despairingly, she exhaled all the air from her lungs, ending her short yet proud life, waiting for her painful death.

Was it over?
She had worked so hard for so many years, yet it all vanished like a bubble…

The version of herself who had diligently practiced qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting?

The promising young talent who had shaken the capital?

Perhaps she really had wronged Qian Junyou.
She had been too arrogant, too stubborn.
Even when he had spoken up for her in front of the ministers, she had still doubted him.

Although he had harmed Mengyao, this time she had wronged him. She owed him an apology…

But it was too late to say anything now.
Repentance on the verge of death held no meaning…

Bai Shuxi released her breath, allowing the river water to surge into her lungs.
It burned fiercely, as if her entire lungs were on fire.
Her brain began to lack oxygen, cutting off her spiritual energy.

Even an immortal cultivator who voluntarily gave up life wouldn’t last long.

A revolving lantern flashed scene after scene before her eyes, rapidly recalling her entire life.

Suddenly, in a fragment from that dream, a familiar young man blocked a fatal arrow for her.

Who was he?
The image gradually became clear… the familiar figure and face slowly overlapped with her memories.

Prince Rui’s heir? Qian Junyou had saved her? What was going on? Why was it him?

Memories unfolded like a majestic painting scroll.
Branching from the day of the Hero Soul Festival, two completely different sets of memories appeared in Bai Shuxi’s mind.

That Qian Junyou who had agreed to help her.
That Qian Junyou who had sacrificed one arm to save her…

Her nose suddenly felt sour. She didn’t know if it was from the river water flooding her nostrils or from tears.
She suddenly realized there was still something she hadn’t done!

No, she couldn’t die yet!
She began to flail her limbs, trying to swim up, trying to figure out exactly what was going on?!

But it was too late to regret now.
Her consciousness began to blur. Her body lost control and slowly sank, leaving behind only an illusion, an unreachable back figure.

…………

Qian Junyou sat in the carriage as it slowly departed, yet Bai Shuxi’s appearance kept floating before his eyes—

That arrogant, peerless, talented and beautiful Bai Shuxi!

That cold and aloof girl who dared glare coldly and speak harshly to the number one powerful family in the capital!

That stubborn girl who disregarded her reputation and, to save her father, did not hesitate to run to the Teaching Department to beg him!

That fearless young lady who submitted a petition to the Emperor and verbally battled the ministers in Taiqing Palace without any fear!

That dead girl who, despite being slandered by everyone with tears in her eyes, still argued with reason and fought back…

She was finally going to die…

Did it feel satisfying?
But wasn’t this punishment a bit too heavy?
At this moment, he suddenly felt time was passing so slowly. Why hadn’t the carriage left the bridge yet?

As an ordinary university student who had only transmigrated not long ago, watching a living person die right beside him without doing anything still carried enormous psychological pressure.

Someone was about to die. A life was slipping away behind him…
Was he really planning to turn a blind eye?

He felt a stifling pain in his chest, as if something was clutching it. Why was he so restless?

The carriage finally left the bridge. Qian Junyou slapped his own face hard to sober up.

He suddenly recalled that back in school, when he had obtained his lifeguard certificate and received the “Lifeguard Registration Certificate,” he had sworn an oath upon the word “life”…

“Useless moral concepts…”

Stop thinking about her. Tomorrow will be better!
He didn’t want to be some saint!

“Clop—clop—clop—”

The carriage gradually moved away from the bridge, but no matter how many deep breaths Qian Junyou took, he couldn’t calm his frantic heartbeat.

One step, two steps, three steps, four steps…

“Why am I counting horse hooves?! Am I sick…”

Was he not going to save her? Of course not!
Yet the sound of her jumping into the water kept echoing in his ears. Her despairing expression kept appearing in his mind.

Maybe he could call someone else to save her? No, it was pitch black. Where would there be anyone?

Let the protagonist save her! He didn’t have the ability. He shouldn’t risk his own life again!

But… what if the protagonist didn’t come to save her? Was he really going to watch her jump into the river and commit suicide like this?

No, right now he still had to go find Miss Su. Only if Bai Shuxi died would he not die!

Was he exchanging her life for his own? No, she had jumped herself.

But why did he feel so flustered and uneasy? A chill slowly crawled over his entire body. At some point, he had pinched his own finger until it bled.

In this world, there were all kinds of miraculous pills and medicines, but there was no medicine for regret!

The carriage grew farther and farther from the bridge. Time ticked by second by second, constantly interrogating his soul. The sound of horse hooves kept disrupting his heartbeat.

What surfaced in his mind was the previous loop—
the instant Bai Shuxi had suddenly turned and blocked the black-clothed man’s sword for him. Those soft hands had painfully gripped his shoulders…

And in the Hall of Ten Thousand Spirits, when she had pulled him back…

‘Qian Anhao, no matter who she is, she is about to die.’

If she doesn’t die, I can’t live!

‘What exactly do human lives mean to you?’

Qian Junyou grew farther and farther from the bridge… The carriage continued forward.

“Stop the carriage!”

A wild gust of wind swept through the street, raising dust and swallowing his voice.

“Young Master, what did you say just now? The wind was too strong, I didn’t hear clearly?”

The coachman slowed the carriage’s pace, turned around, lifted the curtain and said:

“Young Master? The wind was too strong just now. You said…”

Only to find the carriage empty.
Only the unclosed door swayed in the wind.