"So you came here… for Baiheng?"
Seeing that Jingliu was finally willing to communicate normally, Su Ran stopped deliberately provoking her.
Although the power of Harmony could temporarily suppress the effects of mara—
If maintained too long, it still wouldn't be good for her.
"Yes. That is one of my reasons."
Despite how hostile she'd been moments ago, Jingliu now sat calmly inside the room as though nothing had happened.
As if the murderous intent from before had never existed at all.
She remained deeply haunted by everything that happened during the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae.
And because of that, she harbored intense resentment toward resurrection itself.
Especially when it concerned a close friend.
To arbitrarily decide another person's life or death—
In Jingliu's eyes, that was an act of unbearable arrogance.
Naturally, she grieved Baiheng's death.
But allowing others to manipulate her friend's life and death likewise disgusted her.
Yet…
There was one thing Su Ran had said that struck her deeply.
Did Baiheng herself want to live again?
If she did, then reviving her would merely be respecting Baiheng's own wishes.
And based on Jingliu's understanding of Baiheng—
Baiheng absolutely would want to live.
So no matter how furious Jingliu felt about the matter, she ultimately restrained herself from attacking.
Because if she stopped Su Ran—
Wouldn't she then be denying Baiheng's own desire to return?
But how could the dead speak?
And because of that contradiction, Jingliu had silently accepted Su Ran's absurd proposal.
Resurrect Baiheng first…
Then allow Baiheng herself to decide whether she wished to live.
Ridiculous as it sounded—
It truly was the only way to let Baiheng choose her own fate.
Though in Jingliu's heart, she already knew the answer.
"Hey. Earth to Jingliu~"
Su Ran waved a hand before her eyes.
Those ruby-like eyes of hers were extremely to his liking.
A pity he couldn't just pluck them out.
"My second reason… was to ask you… to cure my mara…"
When speaking of this second matter, even Jingliu herself turned her head away awkwardly.
One moment she had been trying to kill him—
The next she was asking him for treatment.
No matter how frozen Jingliu's heart had become, she still felt somewhat embarrassed.
"How did you even know I could cure mara? Didn't you just arrive?"
To know about his ability to cure mara immediately after arriving—
Jingliu's information network on the Luofu was surprisingly good.
"I have a phone. There was news coverage."
Jingliu calmly held up the phone she carried with her.
"…Keeping up with the times, huh."
A cold and aloof sword immortal holding a smartphone while speaking expressionlessly—
That really was a bizarre sight.
Only on the Luofu could one witness something like this.
But hearing that she learned everything from the news made Su Ran feel oddly defeated.
People could do that now?
"Fine then. Sit on the bed and take your clothes off."
Jingliu frowned slightly.
"The news never said that was necessary."
Why was her treatment different from everyone else's?
The reports clearly stated Su Ran hadn't even removed the Cloud Knight's armor during treatment.
"Because you're a beautiful woman, so you get special treatment!"
Kafka couldn't help laughing at that.
Such shamelessly unreasonable behavior really was amusing.
"Shameless rogue!"
After scolding him, Jingliu still obediently sat down on the bed.
Then calmly removed her outer garments and equipment.
"…That compliant?"
Under normal circumstances, no mentally sound woman would accept something like this.
Unless she'd fallen for him because he was handsome.
But Jingliu clearly wasn't that sort of person.
Surely she wasn't lovestruck too?
"The former Sword Champion of the Luofu died long ago."
"What stands before you now is merely a mara-struck wraith seeking to raise its blade against the gods."
"If you desire this body, then take it."
Jingliu paid no attention to Su Ran's astonishment.
There wasn't even the slightest blush on her face.
She had truly severed herself from all emotion and desire.
At this point, killing Yaoshi was the sole driving force left in her heart.
"I mean, I'd like to…"
"But this is a little too chilling…"
Su Ran brushed a hand across Jingliu's smooth back.
Only for the icy coldness of her skin to freeze his hand stiff.
This was his first time.
He really didn't want it to be this frigidly exciting.
"Let's discuss that later. Better deal with your mara first."
"It's just a blessing from Abundance. Don't act like Xianzhou immortality is some advanced technology."
Kafka watched the scene with great interest.
This was her first time witnessing someone cure mara.
Though she wondered whether Blade could also be cured.
But thinking about Blade's current condition—
She felt curing his mara might no longer hold any meaning.
After all, what he desired now was merely death.
Still, if Su Ran truly resurrected Baiheng—
Would Blade's wishes change?
That was a genuinely fascinating question.
The process of curing mara itself wasn't especially complicated.
It mainly involved adjusting and purging the blessings of Abundance.
But unlike the Cloud Knight from before—
Jingliu had been insane for centuries.
The timespan was simply too long.
The fact she could maintain even temporary lucidity was already extraordinary.
Su Ran took back his earlier thoughts.
Jingliu's mental resistance was actually quite impressive.
It was merely that her resistance toward Harmony was somewhat lacking.
Perhaps because she had only ever prepared herself to fight Abundance—
And never considered mental attacks from other Paths.
Or perhaps because the mara had already consumed too much of her willpower.
"What a shame. Such a cold beauty."
Virtually every aspect of Jingliu perfectly matched Su Ran's preferences.
White hair and red eyes aside—
A cold and aloof sword immortal was incredibly appealing too.
Though she was a little older.
But after tens of thousands of years, what difference would that tiny age gap really make?
"…"
Su Ran's constant murmuring beside her ear irritated Jingliu greatly.
So she deliberately changed the subject.
"You said you resurrected three people before…"
"Was that true?"
The act of returning the dead to life—
Such things were not entirely unheard of on the Xianzhou.
The Ten-Lords Commission possessed similar methods.
Though those cases were special and not true resurrection.
And the duration of their return was extremely brief.
"Of course it's true."
"And one of them was also a white-haired fox girl."
"Especially her personality…"
"She was probably quite similar to Baiheng. Very lively and energetic."
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