[Chapter 114 is a typical chapter heading and does not require translation.]

[Chapter 114 is a typical chapter heading and does not require translation.]

The sun was high, its golden rays illuminating the perpetual snow atop Mount Changbai, which was crowded with people coming to offer their prayers, yet the temple gates remained unopened beyond the appointed time.

Xie Zhigui stood in front of the altar, gazing out at the endless snowscape.

Dressed in a Taoist robe, Xie Qingyuan approached from behind, dusting whisk in hand, and patted him on the shoulder. Thinking he was admiring the view, she suggested, "Once this is over, stay here for a while. I'll show you the beauty of Mount Changbai."

Xie Zhigui shook his head, "I must return as soon as possible. Ming Fei Yu has awakened and will be looking for me."

Xie Qingyuan's lips moved as if to speak, but Xie Zhigui had already turned and walked into the altar.

"Let's begin."

Xie Sanxiao was like an old cunning rat, treacherous and sly, never poking his head out when sensing danger, preferring to hide in the shadows and cause mischief.

To deal with him, they needed to drive him out of Xie Zhigui's body. Thus, they procured a corpse, planning to expel Xie Sanxiao into it and then seal him in a specially made coffin, suppressing it under the temple to dissipate his soul after sixty years.

At first, the plan proceeded smoothly, with Xie Qingyuan securing several elders to oversee the process, ensuring a failproof execution.

But just as Xie Sanxiao was about to be completely expelled, Xie Zhigui suddenly spat blood and collapsed forward. Xie Qingyuan rushed to support him, only to find his eyes bloodshot, his face rapidly turning a mottled blue-black with veins, his lips darkening. She realized with dread that Xie Sanxiao intended to take Xie Zhigui down with him.

"Stop!" Xie Qingyuan urgently called out to the elders.

But the elders wore peculiar expressions, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads, "We can't... it won't stop!"

Xie Qingyuan paused, "What?"

As she spoke, Xie Zhigui, whom she was embracing, began to convulse, coughing up large amounts of blood, gripping her arm tightly, "Cough, cough... Sister, don't stop, he's almost at his limit, cough..."

Xie Qingyuan, seeing his face grow increasingly pale, asked with concern, "But can you hold on?"

"Continue..." Xie Zhigui's breath was weak, his head felt like it was about to explode, blood flowing backwards through his body at an inconceivable speed. This was their last chance, they couldn't give up halfway.

"Continue!" he roared hoarsely, seeing Xie Qingyuan's hesitation.

Xie Qingyuan closed her reddened eyes and gritted her teeth, "…Okay."

A deeper agony climbed from the soles of his feet, spreading to every corner of his body, his life force ebbing, blood turning cold yet boiling madly, hammering his veins and nerves. He felt intensely as if two souls were battling within him, his body seeming to be torn in two.

Just as his vision sank into darkness, the pain dragging him into the abyss, an anxious and mournful cry pierced his ears—“Xie Zhigui!”

A string in his mind snapped taut, and he woke as if from a dream, opening his eyes to find himself in a familiar and warm embrace.

"Ah, A-Yu."

Ming Fei Yu carefully wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He appeared calm, but only Xie Zhigui, pressed close to him, knew how the arms around him trembled.

Xie Zhigui attempted a smile to ease Ming Fei Yu's tension, to show he was alright, but the pallid attempt only increased Ming Fei Yu's distress.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was afraid of failing, that if I lost consciousness again, I might hurt you. If you weren't here, at least you wouldn't be injured."

Ming Fei Yu lifted him gently, patting his back tenderly, whispering over and over in his ear, "It's alright, it really is alright."

"No matter what happens, no matter how severe the failure, you can tell me, and we'll face it together."

"Hmm, I know." Xie Zhigui also wrapped his arms around him. "It won't happen again, it's all over."

The two embraced for a long time, conveying emotions in silence that words could not express.

It was only when someone coughed lightly that Xie Zhigui realized that the surrounding Taoists were watching them with complicated expressions. The elder Taoist said tactfully, "Ahem, you young couples seem quite affectionate, how about I find you a private room to talk in?"

The elder Taoist looked at them with a smile.

Xie Zhigui's face turned red in an instant, and he pushed Ming Feiyu away, standing up to bow and thank them, "Excuse us, thank you, esteemed Taoists, for your life-saving grace."

The elder Taoist waved his hand generously, "No thanks needed, you are Brother Qingyuan's kin, you're like family to us, it's what we should do."

"Eh? Where's Qingyuan?" The elder Taoist looked around only to find Xie Qingyuan standing in a corner with his head down.

He seemed strangely indescribable.

The elder Taoist walked over, calling out to her: "Qingyuan."

"Qingyuan?"

Xie Zhigui, looking at the motionless body on the ground, suddenly realized something and hurriedly stopped the elder Taoist, "Don't go over! She's not Xie Qingyuan anymore!"

But it was already too late, the figure was extremely fast and vicious, and before anyone could react, there was a clatter as bodies fell to the ground.

They would not suspect for a while that Xie Qingyuan, with her abilities, could be possessed by a wandering ghost.

Of course, it couldn't be just any wandering spirit, but this one was her biological father.

Xie Sanxiao, possessing Xie Qingyuan's body, was about to charge at him when Ming Feiyu stepped in front, advising, "Protect yourself first, don't come over," before engaging Xie Sanxiao in combat.

Xie Zhigui watched the fight anxiously, worried that Xie Sanxiao's unscrupulous cunning would injure Ming Feiyu, yet he did not want Xie Qingyuan's body to be damaged.

He began to understand how Ming Feiyu felt when faced with a lover who was both strange and familiar.

Xie Sanxiao couldn't completely suppress Xie Qingyuan's consciousness, with ruthless and sorrowful expressions fighting for dominance in his eyes. Even in a stronger body, he couldn't withstand ten moves against Ming Feiyu, who flung him against the wall. He spat out blood and slid down to the floor like a rag.

Ming Feiyu was about to deliver a finishing blow but was stopped by Xie Zhigui's shout.

"Wait, don't kill her yet!"

Ming Feiyu paused mid-step, and the fierceness in his eyes softened as he turned around, reassuring the anxious Xie Zhigui with a gentle "Okay."

Then he stepped aside to give space.

Xie Zhigui rushed over, cautious of internal injuries, he didn't dare to lift her up immediately but crouched beside her to observe her gaze. Relieved that it was indeed Xie Qingyuan, he asked urgently, "Are you alright?"

Xie Qingyuan nodded weakly, one eye bloodshot, her throat choked with blood, unable to speak. She shakily raised a finger towards the peach wood sword thrown in the corner, then back at Xie Zhigui.

Xie Zhigui understood the plea in her eyes but immediately shook his head in refusal, "No."

"We'll drive him out of your body, he's not worth your self-sacrifice. Just wait, I’ll wake the Taoist priest."

Xie Qingyuan clutched at him, shaking her head continuously, muttering something in a whimper.

— "Hurry, act now, or it'll be too late."

Xie Zhigui hesitated, and in those few seconds, Xie Qingyuan cried out in pain, her body contorting into a grotesque shape. When she opened her eyes again, the look was different; another soul had taken over, her gaze filled with malevolence and darkness. If not for her broken limbs that rendered her immobile, she would have bitten off a layer of his skin.

Xie Sanxiao dug his nails into the flesh of Xie Zhigui's palm, hissing a vile curse with a raspy voice, "When I return fully, you'll be the first I kill!"

"I'm going to kill you, kill you!"

"Why didn't I strangle you the day you were born!"

Xie Zhigui did not flinch or dodge; he just stared blankly at the face before him as blood dripped from his palm to the ground.

"It's dangerous, get away," Ming Feiyu, sensing trouble, hurried over to pull him up, but Xie Zhigui leaned aside to avoid his hand.

"Ah Gui?"

Turning, Xie Zhigui's eyes met Ming Feiyu's, filled with a tragic depth, a few drops of blood spattering beneath his eyes, giving the impression of bloodstained tears.

"Let me handle this."

Ming Feiyu watched him in silence, deciding to acquiesce. After all, the body was his sister's, the spirit, his biological father.

Xie Zhigui withdrew his hand, revealing five bloody holes, seemingly oblivious to the pain, he walked slowly towards the corner.

Xie Sanxiao, seeing Xie Zhigui pick up the sword, turned back with a cold, indifferent gaze as if looking at a corpse. Panic flashed in his eyes, a frightened twist in his body as he tried to retreat, desperately squeezing out pleading words from his raspy throat.

"Little Gui, you can't kill me, I'm your dad! Your own father!"

"Do you realize this is unfilial and inhumane!"

"I was wrong, it's all my fault, I take back my words. I will make it up to you, doubly so, alright?"

Alright?

No, it's not okay.

He did not desire belated compensation, nor did he yearn for the expired affection of a father.

He stood firm by Xie Sanxiao's side, sword raised above his head, his face expressionless. Seeing him like this, despair flickered in Xie Sanxiao's eyes.

"You cannot kill me," he struggled feebly, locking eyes with him, "You must not commit patricide! You will be damned by the heavens!"

So what if he would be? He was not afraid.

As the sword fell, the light faded from Xie Sanxiao's eyes, a veil of gray descending, and Xie Zhigui felt a burden lift from his shoulders, the pain that had accompanied him for twenty years was finally ended by his own hand.

Every day henceforth would be a rebirth.

Ming Feiyu embraced him from behind, withdrawing the sword from his grasp and holding it firmly, locking his fingers tightly with Xie Zhigui's, who gripped back in kind.

They exchanged a smile.

"Let's go home."

"Yes, let's go home."