Shen Qing bit her lower lip tightly, so hard that the skin broke and the taste of blood filled her mouth.
But even so, her rationality continued to slip away. Then, her knees went weak and she knelt directly on the ground.
Seeing this, Li Xian wanted to help Shen Qing up, but was pulled by the force of her falling. He himself lost strength and fell to the ground.
Seeing the two struggling and looking so embarrassed, Qing Qing laughed merrily.
"Look, weren't you so righteous when you tried to persuade me just now? But now you're in such a mess. It really makes me feel great."
"However... my enemies are not you two. It's Qing Dai! It's everyone in the Green Wood Sect! I'll kill all those who looked down on me and laughed at me one by one!"
Shen Qing was shocked. If the demonic Qing Qing really killed everyone in the Green Wood Sect, then it would be truly over.
"Qing Qing... stop. You can't go!"
A sarcastic sneer curled Qing Qing's lips: "If you want to stop me... get up from the ground first."
Watching Qing Qing walking further and further away, Shen Qing got anxious and threw Wu Wang out immediately: "Wu Wang! Cut down those flowers!"
After spinning around twice, Wu Wang flew steadily towards the flowers. But when it was about to get close, it suddenly stopped in mid - air and didn't move forward anymore.
The sword body wobbled a few times, and Wu Wang transformed back into a dragon shape, staggering and falling towards the ground.
"Why is this sword spirit in the shape of a dragon? Never mind. Anyway, nothing can escape the poison of the Great Mandala pollen."
Qing Qing gave Wu Wang a sidelong glance and was about to turn away.
Li Xian called out in a deep voice: "Qing Qing, do you still remember the first time we met?"
"At that time, I was covered in wounds. It was Yu Xuzi who asked Elder Lian Shan to bring you to treat me. But I threw you into the water without even asking. Yet you didn't get angry. You just climbed out smiling and applied medicine to me."
"You said that most people in this world are involuntary. Only by firming one's Taoist heart can one move forward in this vast world without losing oneself."
"I got through those days. But why, why have you lost yourself now?"
Qing Qing's steps faltered. His hands hanging by his sides trembled, and a look of confusion flashed across his eyes.
He turned back to look at Li Xian, muttering: "Who am I? Who on earth am I?"
Li Xian shouted: "You're Qing Qing, my friend. But no matter who you are, you'll always be yourself. Don't indulge in hatred. You still have a lot of things to do. Are you willing to give up like this?"
"I... I'm not willing." Qing Qing shook his head. Struggle flashed in his eyes, and the scarlet color slowly faded.
The next second, he suddenly squatted on the ground, covering his head with both hands and crying.
As he struggled internally, the vines and flowers around him began to tremble violently.
"But I'm in so much pain. Why do I have to bear all this? Is it my fault that I can't refine the elixir of immortality? Is it my fault that I want to change my constitution? Why? Why?"
Qing Qing's rambling exposed his long - hidden vulnerability. Although he was a man, he dressed in women's clothing, imitated women's gestures and grooming, suppressing his own nature. Over time, it formed distorted thoughts.
Seeing Qing Qing in struggle, Shen Qing took the opportunity to console him: "Qing Qing, do you know? Lan Qiu has successfully become the young sect master. She passed all three rounds of the selection and became the champion through her own efforts. You know, the position of the sect master in the Beast - Taming Sect has always been passed down to men, not women. But she successfully broke this tradition!"
"Lan Qiu is amazing, and so are you. So don't belittle yourself. Traditions are not set in stone and unbreakable. As long as we work together, there's nothing we can't achieve!"
Qing Qing looked up in surprise: "Did Chu Lan Qiu really succeed?"
After getting affirmation from Li Xian and Shen Qing, Qing Qing suddenly felt enlightened, and a lot of his resentment dissipated.
There was a voice in his heart telling him that as long as he killed all the annoying people, he could easily get what he wanted.
But then, another voice denied it. If he got what he wanted by improper means, he would never be able to turn back.
Qing Qing kept wavering between these two voices. But the magnified hatred in his heart drowned out his rationality, making him choose the approach of the first voice.
Shen Qing's words gave him hope. Since others could do it, so could he!
"Goodness!"
"Qing Qing, you've gone demonic. Wake up quickly!"
Jiang Zhiyun's voice suddenly came from behind. Shen Qing turned around. Before she could remind her not to get close to these flowers, she saw Jiang Zhiyun's figure flash by and directly pounce on Qing Qing.
Jiang Zhiyun hugged Qing Qing tightly. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her eyes were full of distress.
"Qing Qing, how could you become like this? Did Ban Fenghe say something to you?!"
"Why are you so stubborn? Don't you care about yourself at all, or my feelings either?!"
"I've accompanied you for so long and encouraged you so much. But you only listen to Ban Fenghe's words that belittle you. Are you really that unconfident? I must be blind. Why did I fall in love with you?!"
Qing Qing looked at Jiang Zhiyun, who was crying in his arms in surprise. When he heard her say that she loved him, he was stunned and even forgot what he was about to do.
"You... what did you say?"
"You love me?"
"Don't you think I'm a monster, or even a pervert? I'm a man, but I wear women's clothing, imitate your every move, get close to you, and discuss topics you're interested in."
"I'm just like a despicable villain, living a stolen life with a stolen identity..."
Jiang Zhiyun's eyes were red with anger. She punched Qing Qing hard in the chest. Although shy, she still firmly told Qing Qing: "I love you. Even if you wear women's clothing and imitate girls' actions, you're still Qing Qing. It's because you're you that I love you!"
"Look, even if you wear women's clothing, you can never become a girl. You can't understand girls' minds, so you don't realize that I've loved you for a long time!"
"You're not a monster at all. You're my great hero in my heart!"
Qing Qing's eyes instantly lit up. The vines and flowers behind him withered quickly.
All Things' Life quickly returned to its normal size and shrank back into Qing Qing's hand.
The scarlet color in Qing Qing's eyes completely faded. The leaves of All Things' Life trembled twice and affectionately twined around Qing Qing's wrist.
"Look, All Things' Life has chosen you. It truly acknowledges you as its master from the bottom of its heart!"
"You idiot, idiot, idiot. Do you know you went demonic and almost died!"
Qing Qing hung his head guiltily. When he saw Shen Qing and Li Xian lying on the ground, his face was full of shame.
"All Things' Life, go and detoxify them."
The little sprout happily trembled twice and then turned into huge vines with yellow flowers blooming on them.
After Shen Qing and Li Xian inhaled the fragrance of the yellow flowers, their symptoms slowly disappeared.