Standing Next To You-Chapter 540: Collapsed web of fate

Bei Sangyun stared at him, refusing to back down. What did he mean by ’the answer has already found her’?

This was only getting more confusing.

On the side, Maid Ye Zhai held her teacup frozen in midair.

...Cursed fate... Rebirth?

Did she hear them correctly?

Bei Sangyun exhaled. "Did you swear an oath or something? Is that why you can’t tell me the details?"

The monk sighed. "Something like that."

Bei Sangyun kneaded her temples. This monk was really testing her patience. "Fine. Let’s say the answer has already found me, and all that’s left is for me to look for it. But since this ’answer’ has found me, does that mean I can... can I finally get close to Fei Chuan? Be around him? Touch him? And nothing will happen? Are we finally free from this cursed fate?"

"I can’t say for certain that you’ve escaped the cursed fate entirely. I can no longer read the stars or predict fate the way I once did. But there is one thing I am certain of."

The old monk gazed at her solemnly. "With the alignment of the stars changed, so too has the fate of this world. The predestined will no longer be predestined. The fate of each person is now in their own hands. With the old web gone, people must weave their own strands."

Bei Sangyun paused, her heart racing. The old monk’s cryptic words were finally starting to make sense, making her heartbeat quicken.

Then... did this mean that the so-called dragon fate, the one that had killed her in the past and was now killing Fei Chuan, might not happen this time?

The world seemed to go still, and fear crept into her chest. This was too good to be true.

"...What caused this?" she asked in a hoarse voice, trying to contain her excitement.

"That, I cannot tell you." The old monk shook his head. "Knowing more would do more harm than good."

"...I see." Bei Sangyun nodded, accepting his answer. She fell silent for a moment, trying to calm her racing heart. Taking a deep breath, she asked again, "This ’answer’ you speak of—can you at least give me a hint?"

The old monk smiled. "I believe you already have the hint you need. It’s closer than you think."

Bei Sangyun stared at him. Wow. What a big help. Note the sarcasm.

But there was nothing she could do. She couldn’t force the answer out of him.

But it was fine. She had heard what she needed to hear. At this moment, she could forgive anyone. She could even smile at an enemy with genuine warmth.

Because finally... she no longer had to restrain herself. She could finally get close to Fei Chuan without fearing that she might bring harm to him.

She stood up, her heart burning with determination.

"Alright. I’ll find it. Thank you for your help. I’ll continue sending my donations."

The old monk’s smile deepened. "I am not materialistic, but I certainly won’t refuse your generosity."

"Oh, please. Wipe that smirk off your face when you say that."

The old monk chuckled. He stood as well and led them to the temple’s entrance.

"I won’t see you out. I trust you know your way around here."

"I do." Bei Sangyun said her goodbye. She couldn’t wait to see Fei Chuan. Even if he was still mad at her, she would do everything in her power to ease the pain and anger in his heart. She would win him back no matter the cost. Even if she had to kneel and beg.

"Ms. Bei." The old monk suddenly called out.

Bei Sangyun turned around.

The old monk smiled. "You have changed greatly. I may no longer be able to read the stars, but I can still read a person’s aura. The darkness that surrounded you when you first came here was heavier than the storm that passed a week ago. But now... you are like the sun—radiant, exuding light, bringing change to those around you."

His smile deepened. "The chance at life was not wasted on you. You did well."

Bei Sangyun was stunned. She hadn’t expected to hear such words from him.

A smile slowly formed on her lips. "It’s thanks to the people around me."

They exchanged a quick farewell and left.

The old monk watched as Bei Sangyun and Maid Ye Zhai disappeared around the corner.

In his eyes, the dark karmic threads that reeked of death—threads that had long surrounded Bei Sangyun—had been severed. The darkness was slowly unraveling, turning into bright, golden strands.

The first time he had met her, she had been completely entangled in those dark threads—bound in a suffocating, intricate knot of fate. But now... she had changed.

Not just her. The world itself had changed.

That was right—he could no longer read the fate of this world.

The predestined paths that once existed, the immutable threads of past and present that gifted monks like him could trace through the stars, had been severed. The great web that had held this world together had collapsed under the force of an interference—one that had borrowed power from the heavens themselves.

It was both a blessing and a curse.

For some, it would bring fortune. For others, misfortune. But one thing was certain—their fates were no longer written in stone. No longer dictated by an unseen force. Instead, they would be shaped by their own actions.

The karmic ties that once bound them in a tangled web had been cut. And now, new threads would form—slowly, uncertainly, weaving a future that could not yet be read.

Whether this was a good thing or a disaster waiting to unfold...

Only time would tell.

The old monk turned and walked back into the temple. However, instead of returning to his own quarters, he went straight to the room beside his.

Inside, the beggar-looking man who had earlier delivered their tray was already waiting. He was gazing outside the window, his thin figure casting a shadow across the wooden floor.