Chapter 1585: Chapter 965: The Jade Mystery

"Why? Is it so surprising?" Fang Geyu captured Baili An’s expression.

"A bit... since you say so, she was created by your mother.

The purpose of her existence was to guard you, given that...

Why would she harbor the thought of wanting to destroy Shifang City?"

Fang Geyu felt like he heard something utterly ridiculous.

"Guard me? She was merely following the master’s orders.

To seal the True Ancestor Evil God within the Ten Directions Sword, my mother’s body was already spent.

At that time, although I was young, my capacity for causing trouble was significant, and my father was not of the Immortal Bloodline’s natural brilliance.

If I wanted to control Shifang City and earn the trust of my mother’s old subordinates, I had to exert myself a hundred times more than normal to handle the city’s affairs, and naturally had no energy left to care for me.

So Jiushijiu and Little Five, they were existences created by my mother to control me.

The Puppets only act upon the master’s orders, they have no redundant emotions or missions, their existence is only to obey the master, whether to guard or kill is not up to them, like a sword held in the hand.

After my mother’s death, they became masterless objects, and it’s not frightening for a masterless object to develop autonomous consciousness.

The frightening thing is that they are fundamentally not human; as their creator, it wouldn’t occur to me to teach or instill worldly moral standards into a heartless puppet.

A puppet with no heart, will feel neither guilt nor fear, nor discern right from wrong.

In their eyes, killing is as trivial as crushing stones on the ground, thus, puppets born out of Shifang City, how would they comprehend how to ’guard’ something?

Because to them, without the confines of ’orders,’ destruction is far simpler than protection."

For the sake of those who passed, destruction is pursued.

If Jiushijiu acts so extremely out of spite towards Shifang City for the master’s death...

This reason seems plausible.

Yet, the Jiushijiu Baili An encountered in the tavern that night felt far more complex than the pure simplicity Fang Geyu described.

In interactions with Jiushijiu, Baili An could sense her deep scheming mind, her terrifying insight no weaker than Ning Feiyan.

Despite showing her true face, admitting her identity, purpose, and intentions openly,

the mysterious aura around her was reminiscent of Three Rivers Wang Yi’s elusive reality.

Thus, Baili An could be very certain that Jiushijiu’s actions were not merely for the sake of destruction.

Baili An suddenly sighed gently, smiled, and said, "Fang Geyu, you really understand her well."

The night snow grew heavier, falling on their shoulder and hair, giving them a shared white-haired semblance.

Fang Geyu dusted the snow off her shoulder, black hair like ink, wind filling her sleeves.

The pendant box hanging on her neck struck with a crisp sound as she stood, drawing Baili An’s gaze.

The snowflakes fell between the young girl’s delicate brows, Fang Geyu seemed disinterested: "Between similar beings, feeling empathy, what’s wrong with that?"

Baili An’s eyes slightly trembled, seeming touched: "Similar... beings?"

Fang Geyu slowly exhaled a balanced breath, the warm white mist visibly clear in the snowy night, she gently tapped the box with her fingers.

"Feelings sealed, yet possessing independent consciousness, able to think and distinguish right from wrong, besides this flesh being able to feel pain...

Do you think there’s any big difference between me and Jiushijiu?"

Baili An: "..."

"If forced to distinguish, my memory isn’t sealed, I know my situation and understand my mission.

The biggest difference between me and her is that the command my mother gave, I have not yet completed.

This leaves me more clear-headed, knowing what I should and shouldn’t do."

Fang Geyu’s eyes slowly narrowed, looking at Baili An: "Get what you want from Jiushijiu, fulfill the conditions, take the reward, and leave Shifang City, that’s the wise choice."

"That does make sense."

Baili An shook off the wind and snow from his clothes, looking up at Fang Geyu, his eyes bright:

"But since it’s collaboration with others, shouldn’t I wholeheartedly complete what she has entrusted to enjoy my reward with peace of mind?"

Fang Geyu’s nonchalant smile faded slightly, she slowly bent down, looking at Baili An closely.

Her pair of black eyes as if moistened by water, radiated gem-like dim light, clear as frost in snow, starkly black and white, purely revealing no trace of emotion.

She softly said, "Put away your extravagant thoughts, I don’t deny our past acquaintance, I once held special feelings for you."

This was tantamount to acknowledging she once liked him.

Such frankness, straightforwardness, greatly differed from the proud, awkward Fang Geyu of the past.

But this frankness was like a small blade, lightly and quickly cut a wound across Baili An’s heart, a faint ache spreading in that spot.

For he knew, only when truly liking someone would one be evasive.

Once freely speaking openly about a liking, it’s merely waking from a sweet dream, seeing through the days of old.

Fang Geyu’s hand gently rubbed her waist’s sword hilt, her gaze direct and unabashed.

"Since you’ve already confronted the True Ancestor Evil God, you should understand why she had the opportunity to occupy my body, staying here would only bring me great trouble.