Chapter 52: Prefer Death to Marriage—The Cruelst Heart of a Woman

All people are equal. No one has the right to deprive others of their dignity or life. (Gu Long)
……
“Ahh…” A pained scream.
But it clearly wasn’t Liu Yi’s voice, as he was standing opposite July, staring at the cold sword. July, who had just attacked, had already withdrawn her sword and put it back at her waist.
Liu Yi suddenly realized something—this woman seemed taller than him. Could she be an alien species?
July asked without any expression, “What is it, Shuang Rou?”
At that moment, a voice from outside the door said, “My lord, they are two spies from the Divine Gate. After Shuang Rou dealt with the people from the Secret Gate, she found them eavesdropping at the door.”
July’s expression changed, and she quickly asked, “What about those from the Divine Gate? Were they killed?”
Shuang Rou paused before answering, “One was killed; the other was injured and fled.”
July stamped her boots in anger, “Damn those creatures!”
Liu Yi quickly bowed and said, “Miss, if you won’t kill me, then Liu Yi must take his leave. His friends are probably waiting anxiously for him.” He sounded quite anxious himself.
July glanced at the anxious Liu Yi, narrowed her eyes, and said, “Don’t think I can’t kill you.”
Liu Yi quickly bowed his head and said, “Of course not. It’s my fault for being rude first. I never thought you wouldn’t dare kill me.”
Seeing Liu Yi’s urgency, July realized there might indeed be something serious, but she wasn’t about to let this man go. She said coldly, “I give you two choices: first, die; second, marry me.”
Liu Yi waved his fan frantically and said, “I certainly won’t agree to the first option. I’m just an ordinary man who can’t resist worldly desires. I naturally have deep attachments to the world and wouldn’t commit suicide.”
July looked at Liu Yi and said, “So you choose the second option? To marry me!”
Liu Yi waved his fan even more anxiously and said, “That’s even worse! Absolutely not! I already have a fiancée. How could I marry you? Please reconsider, miss. Let me go, or perhaps you should find someone else downstairs to marry. This isn’t the right time!”
July quickly drew her sword and snapped, “You foolish scholar! Are you trying to trick me? As if I’m begging you to marry me! Today, I’ll take your head!”
Suddenly, the door was pushed open violently, and Shuang Rou rushed in, saying, “My lord, don’t…”
July demanded angrily, “Why not?”
Shuang Rou stepped beside July and whispered, “My lord, the spies from the Divine Gate saw this. Word will spread quickly in the martial world—bad news travels fast. If you kill him now… your reputation could be ruined.”
July put down her sword, stamped her foot, and snapped, “If those from the Divine Gate dare speak nonsense, July will flatten Mount Kunlun!”
Shuang Rou said, “That might not be possible. But your plan earlier was actually a good idea. As long as you marry him, no matter how many mouths the Divine Gate has, they won’t be able to insult your reputation at all.”
July looked at Shuang Rou, then at Liu Yi, and snapped, “You heard that too. This stupid scholar would rather die than marry me. He even says he has a wife. How could I, the ruler of the Demon Gate, not find a husband? It would only become a laughingstock if this gets out.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Yi thought to himself, “The lord of the Demon Sect? The demon lord is Ao Tian—so she must be Ao Tian’s daughter, Ao Qiyue? Damn it, why did I get involved with people from the Demon Sect again? I can’t even handle those from the Secret Sect, how can I deal with them now? Is it true that Tianzhen wants to destroy me, Liu Yi?” Just then, Shuang Rou quickly turned in front of Liu Yi and returned to Ao Qiyue’s side, saying, “My lord, Shuang Rou has a good plan. It will prevent rumors among the martial world and also make this scholar disappear forever.” Clearly, fearing that Liu Yi might run away, Shuang Rou had already blocked his meridians. Ao Qiyue sheathed her sword and looked at Shuang Rou in surprise, asking, “What’s the good plan? Tell me quickly.” Shuang Rou took out a silver round bottle and said, “This medicine is called ‘Piercing Intestines.’ If taken internally, it can cause the intestines to rupture and death; if applied externally to a wound, it will prevent the wound from healing, leading to death from blood loss.” After a pause, Shuang Rou took out a half-foot-long dagger from her waist, slowly approached Liu Yi, picked up his right index finger, and made a light cut—fresh blood flowed out. Her gaze toward Liu Yi was filled with fear. She then took out the silver bottle and poured a drop of water-like transparent liquid onto Liu Yi’s cut… Shuang Rou returned to Ao Qiyue’s side and said with a smile, “I’ve done this before. It takes two hours for a person to die this way, without any pain. By the time all the blood is lost, there will be no wound left, so it can be blamed on natural disasters or strange illnesses.” Ao Qiyue suddenly smiled and nodded, saying, “I understand. After we marry, he can die. I just need to claim that my husband fell ill—thus, everything will be resolved without any rumors.” Shuang Rou bowed and said, “My lord, you are truly wise.” Ao Qiyue looked at Liu Yi, used the sword to lift his face, and smiled seductively, saying, “Look at my poor husband. He’ll disappear from this world in two hours. Tsk, tsk, how pitiful.” Liu Yi glared at Ao Qiyue. If looks could kill, ten Aos Qiyues would have died under his gaze. Ao Qiyue tilted her head and asked, “Do you really want to speak?” Then, she tapped the sword twice beside Liu Yi’s throat. Liu Yi coughed violently and said, “I’m not pitiful. It’s you who are pitiful. You all claim to be the legitimate descendants of the demon race, the leaders of the Demon Sect, but all you know since childhood is killing and scheming. Think about what you’ve gained over the years—have you ever done anything that brought you joy? Aren’t you even more pitiful? Hahaha!” “Although Liu Yi is just a first-tier mortal, he’s had a fulfilling life over the past twenty years—enjoying flowers and the rain, getting drunk with wine. He has friends and brothers by his side. We’ve gone through storms together, seen rainbows, and endured life’s hardships to grow up. Liu Yi isn’t lonely—he has Jili. Do you know what love is? Over the past decade or so, you probably don’t understand anything; you’re just tools, tools for killing. You’re the most pitiful, the most ridiculous, the most…” “Shut up!” Unable to listen any longer, Ao Qiyue raised her sword and blocked Liu Yi’s meridians. She casually said, “Shuang Rou, go prepare wedding clothes. Before he dies, I want to marry him.” With that, she turned and left…

Shuangrou watched July walk away, then approached Liu Yi. Looking at him, she said coldly, “I want it too, but fate has already determined the path I must take; I have no choice.” With that, she turned and walked outside.
Liu Yi watched the two of them, heartbroken, thinking, “Fate is in your own hands; everyone has a choice. If you have the courage to leave the Demon Gate, you can break free from fate…”
As the time approached when humans and ghosts would go their separate ways, Liu Yi suddenly thought of Jillian. How was she now? Was she doing well? Suddenly, he remembered something—when could he take Jillian to the ends of the earth to watch the sunrise and sunset together, to drift with the currents, to gaze at the moon and stars together, to enjoy the breeze among the flowers… Was that just a dream? Liu Yi’s thoughts grew blurred.