Pei Xuanjing instinctively refused the villagers' requests. But this was a dream, and how could Lin Yibai allow Pei Xuanjing to go against her wishes?
So Shen Qing and Li Xian were tied to wooden crosses, and thick firewood was laid beneath them.
The sky, which had been drizzling hazily, suddenly stopped raining. A few cold winds blew by, and the wet firewood under their feet instantly dried up.
Lin Yibai stood in front of Shen Qing, holding a torch. The dancing flames illuminated her face and those of the villagers, making them all look like evil spirits hiding in the shadows.
"You've strayed from the right path and been invaded by evil monsters. We have no choice but to burn you to death."
"Shen Qing, don't blame me."
Shen Qing squinted at Lin Yibai's face in front of her, as if trying to engrave her appearance deep into her mind.
"I've seen you before, haven't I?"
Lin Yibai was taken aback. A flash of fear crossed her eyes. Thinking that Shen Qing had regained her memory, she forced herself to defend.
"How could it be? I've never seen you!"
"Definitely not!"
Seeing Lin Yibai so flustered, Shen Qing already had the answer in her heart.
They knew each other, and their relationship was quite deep.
But she really couldn't remember what deep hatred there was between them that made Lin Yibai hate her so much.
Li Xian struggled to break free from the ropes, but it was in vain.
He looked at Shen Qing, who was confronting Lin Yibai beside him. A sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart. He had someone he wanted to protect, but once again, he failed to protect her.
But then, Li Xian was stunned.
Again?
Why did he say "again"?
"Alright, I won't waste any more words with you!"
Lin Yibai angrily threw the torch onto the firewood pile under Shen Qing's feet. The firewood had been doused with kerosene, and the fire spread instantly.
Shen Qing smelled the burning fabric on her body. But the blazing flames didn't make her feel afraid. Instead, the memories in her mind became clearer.
She turned to look at Li Xian. Her eyes, illuminated by the fire, were as bright as the stars in the night sky.
"Li Xian, next time you have to find me faster!"
Li Xian was shocked. They had only known each other for an afternoon. How did this little girl in front of him know his name?
But his memory, following Shen Qing's call, came flooding back like a tide after the seal was broken. Just as Shen Qing was completely engulfed by the fire, he finally remembered who the person in front of him was.
"Shen Qing..."
Seeing that Li Xian finally remembered, Shen Qing smiled. She closed her eyes and let herself be devoured by the burning tongues of fire.
Li Xian's eyes were bloodshot with rage. But his own situation wasn't much better. After Shen Qing was swallowed by the fire, his body was also set ablaze.
Lin Yibai looked at the two charred corpses in front of her. Although she felt a sense of pleasure in her heart, she also felt extremely uncomfortable.
Why, even though Shen Qing had died a miserable death again, did she feel panicked in her heart? It seemed that some things were slowly getting out of her control.
With a turn, Ji Zhongming appeared beside her.
"Xiaobai, why do you have such an expression? Aren't you satisfied with Shen Qing's death like this?"
"Then in the next life, let's make her death even more miserable, shall we? Being betrayed by everyone, being devoured by monsters, or being betrayed by her closest people. How do you want her to die?"
Lin Yibai didn't answer. Instead, she turned around and tightly grabbed Ji Zhongming's sleeve, looking uneasy. "Brother Zhongming, will Shen Qing regain her memory? Will she remember that this is just a dream?"
Seeing that Lin Yibai was really scared, Ji Zhongming quickly comforted her. "How could that be?"
"This is the most precious treasure of the Demon Realm passed down by the previous Demon Lords. The Soul - Locking Banner can lock the souls of countless ghosts and make the souls sealed in it fall into a nightmare of reincarnation."
"If they could easily regain their memories, how could it be a nightmare?"
"Don't worry. The situation you're worried about won't happen."
Ji Zhongming said confidently. But secretly, he felt a bit overwhelmed. Because to maintain the operation of the Soul - Locking Banner, a large amount of demonic energy was needed.
He had been seriously injured before, and because his mind was always on Lin Yibai, he had neglected his cultivation. It had already taken a great deal of his demonic energy to capture Shen Qing and Li Xian into the Soul - Locking Banner.
But in front of Lin Yibai, he didn't want to be looked down upon, so he boasted.
There was still a glimmer of hope in Ji Zhongming's heart. Because the Soul - Locking Banner had always functioned normally in the hands of the previous Demon Lords. There had never been a case of the souls sealed in it regaining their memories.
So he arrogantly thought that Shen Qing and Li Xian would definitely not regain their memories.
When Shen Qing woke up again, she thought she would still be in Xiaolin Village. But when she opened her eyes, she saw a familiar yet strange window.
Shen Qing looked around in surprise and found that this was actually the house in Qingyun Sword Sect before she moved out.
Coincidentally, she found that the moment she woke up was exactly the moment when she was reborn.
But now that Shen Qing had remembered all her memories, she didn't want to waste any more time. She grabbed her meager savings, slung the middle - grade black iron sword on her back, and planned to go down the mountain to look for Li Xian in the Five - Element Dao Sect.
They had to find a way to break this nightmare as soon as possible.
Although everything they had experienced was just a dream and not real, these experiences would be stored in their memories. For Shen Qing, those experiences were real.
For example, the atrocities the old cripple had committed against her the first time. She still remembered them clearly. Although she knew it was just a dream, she still felt disgusted and angry.
She had to admit that Ji Zhongming's move was really clever. If Ji Zhongming's demonic power had been a bit stronger, perhaps she and Li Xian would never have had the chance to recall their memories.
But since she had remembered, she was bound to take revenge.
There must be a loophole in this dream!
Shen Qing opened the door and walked down the mountain according to her memory.
At this time, her meridians were damaged and half of her Dao foundation was destroyed. She couldn't fly with her sword and could only walk on foot.
But misfortunes never come singly. Before Shen Qing had walked far, she saw Pei Xuanjing leading He Yu and Shen Chuyun blocking the middle of the road, not allowing her to pass.
He Yu angrily roared at Shen Qing. "Shen Qing, why do you keep framing Xiaobai..."
"Hey, hey, where are you going?"
"Shen Qing! I haven't finished talking yet!"
These scenes were all things that Shen Qing had experienced once. She didn't want to listen to these supporting characters in the dream chattering on and wasting her time.
So Shen Qing simply bypassed the three of them and continued down the mountain.
He Yu, who had been ignored, was so angry that his cheeks turned red. He stepped forward and grabbed Shen Qing's shoulder, wanting to humiliate her as usual.
But Shen Qing suddenly turned her head and stared at He Yu sinisterly.
"You must have been captured here too. I suppose your memories have been sealed."
He Yu just felt confused. "What are you talking about? Are you crazy?"
A cold smile appeared on Shen Qing's lips. She suddenly thought that it was really not worth it that only she and Li Xian had regained their consciousness in this place. If she wanted to take revenge, it would be better to stir up the waters even more.