Luan Ling propped her chin on her hand, her expression slowly turning distant.

 

This strange sense of déjà vu felt oddly familiar…

 

“He even went so far as to violate heavenly law, secretly hiding a mortal in the Celestial Realm. Wasn’t it all so he could use that mortal woman’s body to extend your life? He’s done all of this for you—how could he have changed?”

 

Miss Attendant, I haven’t even finished investigating yet, and you’ve already spilled everything.

 

Luan Ling’s mind went into overdrive.

 

“Humans live only a few short decades and still change their hearts. Why should gods be any different?” the fairy asked wistfully, gazing into the distance.

 

“But gods are different from mortals!”

 

“How are they different?”

 

The fairy gave a sorrowful smile.
“When it comes to love, all living beings are the same. Gods are no exception.”

 

“Fuli has changed. Guan Mo has changed. Even you have changed.” She looked gently at the maid.

 

“Everyone thinks it would be better if I died, don’t they?”

 

“No! You’re kind and beautiful, Immortal Peach Blossom. Who would ever want you to leave?”

 

“You’re lying.”

 

The fairy raised her hand and gently brushed the fallen petals from the maid’s hair, her gaze complicated.

 

“The immortal attendants resent me. Because of me, their just and upright lord violated heavenly law.”

 

“Guan Mo has grown colder toward me. Because of me, he has stained his hands with mortal blood and done things against his conscience.”

 

“And Fuli…”

 

“Fuli has fallen in love with the mortal woman meant to be nothing more than a vessel. He couldn’t overcome the guilt in his heart, so he used me as an excuse—when in truth, he was chasing his own desires.”

 

The fairy let out a soft laugh, her eyes filling with warm mist.

 

“I don’t want to live anymore, Xiao Ying. My time has come. There’s no need for me to go on.”

 

Even if she disappeared, another flower immortal would eventually be born. This endless entanglement was nothing but torment to her.

 

Her chin-supporting hand grew sore, so Luan Ling switched hands.

 

She’d expected drama, but not that the main character would be this pitiful.

 

She more or less understood the situation now. This Lord Fuli had gone completely rogue—hiding a mortal with a special fate, intending to use her as a vessel to keep his former lover, the Peach Blossom Immortal, alive. Then things spiraled out of control: he fell in love with the mortal, and now everyone was stuck in an unbearably awkward mess.

 

It all sounded absurdly familiar—like something she’d secretly read in forbidden storybooks behind the Empress’s back.

 

Tch. Regardless, any immortal who violated heavenly law deserved righteous judgment.

 

These people were utterly lawless. Falling in love and dragging out such horrific schemes—if she didn’t put a stop to this, how was she supposed to save the world?

 

Fuming, Luan Ling jumped down from the rooftop. Before she could steady herself, she felt herself collide with something. Turning around, she saw a pale, fragile-looking “herself” collapsed nearby.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

She hurriedly helped Si Zhuo up, glanced around, and dragged him behind the mansion’s must-visit stealth location—the artificial rockery.

 

“I came to find you. Didn’t expect you’d be so clumsy even climbing a wall,” Si Zhuo said, rubbing his dizzy head.

 

“Clumsy? Good students never climb rooftops. You only think that because I’m too outstanding.”

 

Si Zhuo snorted, then suddenly grew serious.
“That mortal woman… she’s pretty miserable.”

 

“How so?”

 

“I overheard a few maids talking. They mentioned the mortal.”

 

“So everyone in this manor knows about the soul-vessel business.”

 

Soul possession? The genre just shifted from immortal angst to supernatural horror.

 

“That mortal woman has a special fate—she carries divine potential but can’t bear it. In every life, she’s born into wealth and prestige, but at age ten disaster strikes. Whether she survives or not, she never lives past twenty.”

 

Luan Ling found that kind of carefully designed tragedy baffling.
“What about this life?”

 

“This time, she was born the daughter of a high-ranking official. When she was ten, her family fell from grace, and she was punished by being made a… government courtesan.”

 

“How could mortals do that?!” Luan Ling had only learned about the mortal world from books—she couldn’t comprehend its true filth and cruelty.

 

“At first, she only played music. Later, as she grew older and more beautiful, she was to be forced to serve men. That’s when Guan Mo found her and offered to save her family.”

 

“And so she was brought to the Celestial Realm and turned into a vessel to extend the life of Lord Fuli’s lover,” Luan Ling said, fitting her half of the story into place.

 

“You already knew?”

 

“Not only that—I know the bastard’s already changed his heart, trying to have both sides, while the supposed female lead doesn’t even want to live anymore.”

 

Si Zhuo fell silent.

 

“I thought the one on my side was the protagonist.”

 

A special fate. A tragic background. Sacrificing herself for her family. Knowing she was doomed to die, yet still fleeing to the Celestial Academy, refusing to give up hope.

 

A perfectly orthodox protagonist setup.

 

“…But my side has a beautiful, powerful, tragic immortal—respected by all, betrayed by her lover, with a revenge arc. That sounds even more like the protagonist, doesn’t it?”

 

Luan Ling felt something was off too.

 

Si Zhuo didn’t know what to say.

 

What kind of twisted love story was this? He really wanted to kick someone.

 

The Celestial Realm was full of lunatics.

 

“Achoo—”

 

Luan Ling eyed him suspiciously.
“Feels like you were just insulting me.”

 

“When you do enough stupid things, you start thinking everyone’s mocking you,” Si Zhuo shrugged and walked out.

 

“Hey, shouldn’t we find Senior Sister first?”

 

“Aren’t we heading there now?”

 

.

 

Zhu Yin looked at the arguing pair, bored, and turned away.

 

They’d been bickering forever. Someone was about to die—could they stop chatting?

 

So annoying.

 

She looked at the mortal woman lying on the ice bed, considering which formless state she should use later.

 

After some thought, she decided on the konghou. If she killed the two in front of her, she could go back to class.

 

If she couldn’t win, killing the mortal first would also work—at least she’d be able to reincarnate. Much better than being trapped here.

 

With that thought, murderous intent slowly rose in Zhu Yin’s eyes.

 

“She shouldn’t have to suffer like this!”

 

This was the first time Guan Mo had ever defied his superior—over a mortal, no less. A year ago, he’d never imagined things would end up like this.

 

“If you truly wanted to resurrect the Peach Blossom Immortal, that would be one thing. But you know she doesn’t want to live, and you can’t bring yourself to act—yet you still insist on harming A Ruan!”

 

“Afraid to admit you’ve changed, you blame A Ruan one moment and Peach Blossom the next. Why don’t you just go die yourself?!”

 

Furious, Guan Mo shouted, “You’re despicable!”

 

Zhu Yin’s hand paused.

 

She found the scene oddly entertaining.

 

Watching people tear off their masks sparked her creative impulse.

 

“Senior Sister!”

 

Luan Ling cautiously sent her divine sense over, moving beside Zhu Yin along with Si Zhuo.

 

Zhu Yin nodded calmly, betraying no sign that she’d harbored killing intent moments ago.

 

“You have no parents—of course you don’t understand how hard A Ruan’s life has been!”

 

Why were they dragging family into this…

 

Watching two grown men engage in crude verbal combat, the three of them exchanged looks, each with a different expression.

 

“She did all of this willingly. I never coerced her,” Fuli said calmly.
“And you’re hardly innocent yourself. To stand there preaching righteousness is rather laughable.”

 

“And what about Peach Blossom? You claim everything was for her—but did you ever ask what she wanted? Does she truly wish to live like this?”

 

First of all, Peach Blossom genuinely didn’t want to live. Second, Luan Ling glanced at the still-bleeding woman and thought that if these two didn’t stop their tragic monologues soon, A Ruan would really be dead.

 

She had no idea where they found the energy for so much nonsense at a time like this.

 

“No one expected things to turn out this way,” Fuli said, his voice tinged with something indescribable.

 

“The only one I ever intended to save was Peach Blossom. Since the mistake has already been made, the best outcome now is naturally to preserve the immortal’s life.”

 

He pointed in a direction.
“If you don’t believe me, ask them. If they were to decide, what choice would they make?”

 

Huh?!

 

If Luan Ling wasn’t mistaken, he was pointing at… them?

 

Suddenly being called out, she froze—like being randomly singled out by a teacher while still hoping it was actually her deskmate.

 

“It’s you three. Stop pretending.”

 

A suffocating feeling crept over Luan Ling. They might have underestimated a divine lord’s power.

 

Si Zhuo stood first. Then Luan Ling and Zhu Yin followed.

 

“What would you choose?”

 

Fuli’s tone was calm, but it wasn’t really a question—it was a demand.

 

Si Zhuo stared at his hair. Another name was being added to his mental arson list.

 

“My lord, they’re just children—you—” Guan Mo tried to intervene, but Fuli silenced him with a cold glance and a spell.

 

“Well?”

 

He needed validation—perhaps because he was an absolute, exalted divine lord.

 

Luan Ling shuddered, organized her argument, and stepped forward.

 

“Who gives you the right to decide their lives?”

 

You make a mistake and refuse to own it, then drag everyone else in to seek approval—what kind of nonsense is that? Did he really think he was the protagonist?

 

Today, she—the would-be savior of the world—was going to teach him how to be a god.

 

Si Zhuo shot Guan Mo a look, signaling him to feed the oranges quickly, or the woman really wouldn’t make it.

 

“I’ll tell you this: neither of those women is at fault. The only one wrong here is you—you shit-stirring bastard!”

 

Zhu Yin cooperatively lifted her flute and played a series of fart-like sounds.

 

Luan Ling froze in awe at her senior sister’s refined technique, then continued,
“You have only one choice now: follow the natural order. Without harming anyone, respect the choices of both women.”

 

Fuli turned away in disappointment.
“You are all still too young. You don’t understand how a true god should act, nor what love truly is.”

 

Luan Ling: ?

 

So she’d talked for half a day and none of it landed?

 

Do all divine lords come with their own warped worldview?

 

“Brother, I’m asking you to let them go—not to lecture me on love. Can you please listen to the actual point?”

 

Fuli gazed at them in silence.

 

In reality, speaking one’s mind often leads to only one outcome.

 

They were thrown out.