Breaking the Precept

Could it really be that simple?

Just moments ago, Jian Xiaolou learned from Chan Lingzi that curses could be transferred. According to Chan Lingzi, once someone was bound by the Soul Imprint Curse, their fate was essentially sealed. Yet here was Zhan Tianxiang, effortlessly bypassing it.

Perhaps fate wasn't entirely against her. The heavy gloom in her heart seemed to lift a little, and Jian Xiaolou squinted at the man in front of her.

Hmm, those long legs were flawless. His features were well-defined, and his posture upright—just like Zhan Tianming. But Zhan Tianxiang's eyes stood out—they were dark, bright, and pure, unmarred by any deceit.

Standing next to him, they looked like a perfect match—at least if judged solely by appearances.

More than that, his character was impeccable. He was attentive, diligent, and considerate. After sharing a room with him at the Fire Refining Sect for over half a year, she knew him all too well.

Meanwhile, Zhan Tianxiang was preoccupied with the curse, feeling both angry and sorry for Xiaolou. He hadn't thought about much else.

When he noticed her sly gaze darting around, sizing him up like prey, his nerves tightened. "What schemes are you plotting now?"

"Plotting against you, of course," Jian Xiaolou said with a teasing smile, poking his chest. "You see, only you are immune to my curse. My choices are either dying alone or being with you. The options are so limited—I should probably reserve you before some other little demon steals you away."

Her gaze was clear and sincere, devoid of mockery.

Under her earnest eyes, Zhan Tianxiang's heartbeat quickened. For some reason, a wave of nervousness rendered him speechless. He blurted out, "That won't happen."

"What won't happen?"

"I... I..."

The words "I only like you" were stuck in his throat, his mind grinding to a halt.

"Gah... ha-ha-ha-ha..." Xiao Hei, perched on Jian Xiaolou's shoulder, suddenly let out a series of raspy, mocking laughs.

"What are you laughing at, you fat bird?" Jian Xiaolou turned her head, puzzled.

Xiao Hei immediately shut its beak, returning to its usual dazed state.

As her gaze shifted away, its tiny black eyes blinked.

Strange. It wasn't funny, yet it felt compelled to laugh—mockingly, no less.

The rare ridicule from Xiao Hei snapped Jian Xiaolou back to reality. Long legs or not, Zhan Tianxiang lacked a Heavenly Soul, which sometimes made him slow to react. If she had Bai Lixi's intelligence, it might not have mattered. The problem was, her IQ often hovered around the passing line.

It wasn't that she despised Zhan Tianxiang's slowness—she simply admired highly intelligent people.

With a resigned sigh, Jian Xiaolou turned and trudged back toward the guest quarters.

Zhan Tianxiang followed behind her, looking equally dejected. When they reached the western guest rooms at Jialuo Temple, he pointed. "Miss Shui is staying in that room."

Jian Xiaolou nodded and approached the door.

After watching her knock and enter, Zhan Tianxiang lingered outside briefly before heading back to his own room. Sitting by the window and gazing at the rising moon, he began to mull over what had just happened.

The lack of a Heavenly Soul had always been a thorn in his side. Whenever things got complicated, it took him ages to sort them out.

Ever since childhood, he had to rely on himself, with no servants to guide him. If he left his courtyard, he'd forget the way back. If he put something down with his left hand, his right hand couldn't find it.

Every day was a cycle of "think, think, think" and "search, search, search."

Jiao Er had patiently taught him how to make marks when going out and how to organize his belongings methodically.

Over time, he developed habits: observe his surroundings carefully when outside and keep his belongings in fixed spots indoors.

As long as his environment wasn't chaotic, neither was his mind.

These methods ensured he didn't grow up a fool, though he remained occasionally slow-witted.

Despite his growing disdain for his family's conduct, Zhan Tianxiang came to understand that their harsh treatment of him as a child was well-intentioned.

Still, the absence of a Heavenly Soul was a source of deep insecurity. He had even secretly resented the heavens for this unfairness. Who would've thought today would present him with a reason to embrace it?

And yet...

Zhan Tianxiang worriedly rolled up his sleeve, revealing a faint black line on his wrist that pulsed faintly.

Should he continue searching for his Heavenly Soul, or not?

When Jian Xiaolou met Bai Lixi, she was momentarily stunned. "Zhan Tianxiang said your condition wasn't good—I thought you were injured."

"With Wuchang here, how could I get hurt?" Bai Lixi sat cross-legged on the bed. Her slightly rounded abdomen contrasted sharply with her frost-white hair and purple robes, and the fatigue in her black eyes was unmistakable. "It's just the early onset of aging."

"And besides that?"

"Exactly as expected—my spiritual power is entirely gone."

"So, the worst-case scenario has come true." Jian Xiaolou sat beside her, sighing. For high-level cultivators, conceiving a child was exceedingly rare. Pregnancy for a Foundation Establishment cultivator could last two to eight years, and for a Golden Core cultivator, even longer.

This meant Bai Lixi would remain in this state for a long time.

Fortunately, they were at Jialuo Temple under her master's protection, so safety wasn't a concern.

After chatting for a while and making sure Bai Lixi was asleep, Jian Xiaolou quietly left the room.

As soon as she stepped out of the restricted area, Wuchang's voice sounded. "Xiaolou, I hope you'll take some time to persuade the family head."

"Persuade her about what?"

"To abandon this child."

"Why?"

"I believe she's forgotten her original reason for wanting a child," Wuchang said somberly, his voice tinged with coldness. "She once said the Bai family needed an heir—a symbol of hope. So I went to great lengths to find a man with a pure Yang body for her. But now, with her vitality rapidly draining, she won't live more than thirty years after the child is born. How can a child that young support the Bai family? Where is her hope then? Yet I can't convince her—she's been overwhelmed by this thing called 'motherhood.'"

"Less than thirty years?" Jian Xiaolou was stunned. Didn't Guiyuan Daojun say two hundred years? How could it accelerate so quickly?

But Wuchang fell silent and seemed to leave.

Jian Xiaolou hesitated outside the door. Seeing the lights inside Bai Lixi's room extinguished, she decided to talk with her another day.