Chapter 7: It Should Have Been Me

"You scoundrel, let me die instead!"

Fu Hongying was overwhelmed with grief and indignation. Seeing her lover’s finger sliced open and blood dripping down, her heart felt as though it were being torn apart. These complex emotions once again left her in a state of agonizing turmoil. Otherwise, even if her spiritual energy were exhausted, her formidable physical strength would have been more than enough to slay Chen Ping'an, who possessed only a mortal body. As it stood, if she moved her fingers even a fraction of an inch, the razor-sharp blade would sever her lover’s finger completely.

The beauties who had fainted on the plaza earlier had now regained consciousness. Seeing such a tragic scene unfolding before them, they all trembled, their eyes brimming with tears. They ached for their man. Even though they hadn't been formally wed or officially chosen, these women had long since considered themselves the women of the Qingyun Sect's Patriarch. Watching their man bleed, they felt immense pain in their hearts, yet they were helpless; most of them were merely mortals, with the strongest among them having reached only the Blood and Qi Realm.

Looking at that exquisite face twisted in ultimate agony, Chen Ping'an felt a mysterious pang in his own heart, and a flood of beautiful memories surged into his mind. Yes, he was a scoundrel. But back then, he had been a victim too, hadn't he? Shouldn't the true culprit be the Red Dust Empress? With grief, anger, pain, and resentment surging within him, Chen Ping'an suddenly found himself weeping.

System: "Host, please do not forget your mission. If your ex-girlfriend forgives you, you will receive a reward."

A mechanical voice dragged the emotional Chen Ping'an back to reality. Damn it... he had been too immersed; he had almost been swayed by his own feelings. Chen Ping'an regained his composure in an instant. Even if Fu Hongying made such a scene, it was child's play to him. Girls, after all, were made of water; their hearts were always soft.

"Xiao Ying, you shouldn't die. The one who deserves to die—is me!"

Just as everyone was watching with bated breath, Chen Ping'an, fully embracing his role as a master actor, let out a roar. He suddenly snatched the sword away and drove it straight into his own thigh.

*Puff!*

The blade pierced through his entire thigh, leaving blood pouring out.

"Xiao Ying, I am sorry."

Chen Ping'an offered a miserable smile. With a single downward stroke of the blade, a piece of flesh was severed from between his legs.

"Ah—!"

Countless women shrieked. No one could believe the sudden turn of events: this Patriarch of the Qingyun Sect had actually castrated himself! Everyone in the Qingyun Sect was dumbfounded. For a man to personally sever his own lineage—it required immense courage and resolve! Watching the flesh arc through the air, many men felt a chill in their own groins, a sense of inexplicable horror. The hopeful beauties, witnessing this terrifying scene, widened their eyes, their breathing coming to a complete halt. It was over! Their beautiful dream of becoming concubines was shattered!

The Qingyun Sect's Patriarch... he... he was no longer a man!

*Thump, thump...*

These women, filled with dreams of nobility, fainted once again, and the entire plaza descended into chaos.

"Patriarch..."

Du Rulong felt the pain as if it were his own, his face covered in tears. He felt so much heartache for the Patriarch. The Patriarch was a mortal; the agony he endured far surpassed that of a cultivator with a hardened physique!

"Patriarch!"

The Xuan Ancestor’s tiger-like eyes were filled with tears; in this moment, he seemed to have aged a thousand years. With his cultivation, he could easily kill that woman now, but he dared not. She was the Patriarch's ex-girlfriend, and without the Patriarch's command, he dared not even touch a hair on her head. Fortunately, the Qingyun Sect possessed miraculous elixirs; as long as the Patriarch still had a breath left, his severed limbs could be reattached.

"He's ruthless. The scoundrel has finally awakened." Ning Yao, standing in the crowd, sighed softly, her complaints toward the Patriarch fading away.

"Wang Ye, you..."

Gazing at the familiar yet strange sight of the severed flesh, Fu Hongying was stunned. Her mind was buzzing, chaotic and messy, as beautiful memories surfaced in her mind, one after another.

*Puff, puff...*

Before anyone could react, Chen Ping'an struck again and again. He swung his sword at his limbs and torso, sending chunks of flesh flying. Blood splattered everywhere, staining the ground red.

System: "Wow, Host, the Oscar for Best Actor is yours without a doubt."

Chen Ping'an: "Get lost!"

In order to gain his ex-girlfriend's forgiveness, he had been forced to resort to a bitter scheme. It wasn't easy. At this moment, there wasn't an intact spot on his body, and the extreme pain had blurred his consciousness. Yet, Chen Ping'an was not afraid. In his previous ten thousand years, he had died so many times—which death had been without pain? He was used to dying.

"Xiao Ying, I am using the Nine Sword, Six Slices method to atone for my sins. There is still one strike remaining..."

Chen Ping'an closed his eyes and slowly raised the sword toward his chest.

"Patriarch, you must not!"

A thunderous shout shook the heavens. In an instant, a massive aura descended from above, suppressing everyone until they couldn't catch their breath. At this moment, the Xuan Ancestor had acted.

"Retreat."

Chen Ping'an opened his eyes and spoke the word softly. The oppressive aura vanished in an instant, and everyone returned to normal.

"Ah—!"

The helpless Xuan Ancestor sat on the ground, covering his face, and wailed like a wounded beast. He dared not disobey the Patriarch, but he couldn't bear to watch him die. Qin Jian was also sobbing uncontrollably.

Watching her former lover torn apart, covered in blood, his face pale and his breath fading as he slowly drove the sword toward his heart, Fu Hongying suddenly came to her senses. The hatred in her heart vanished in that instant.

"Wang Ye, no!"

Fu Hongying let out a sharp cry and rushed forward to grab the sword.

*Grab the sword?* If the sword were taken, wouldn't all this pain he had endured be for nothing?

*Puff!*

Chen Ping'an exerted his remaining strength, driving the tip of the sword into his chest. Blood followed the blade, dripping onto the ground. His aura withered instantly, and he looked as though he were at death's door.

"Don't come over!" Chen Ping'an wheezed weakly.

Fu Hongying watched helplessly as her lover committed suicide, unable to stop him. Overcome with agony, her body went limp, and she knelt on the ground, head bowed, tears streaming down her face.

"Xiao Ying, I am a bad person." Seeing that the mood was perfect, Chen Ping'an sighed.

"No, you are a good person." Fu Hongying looked up suddenly, her face full of pain. She regretted it. If she had known her lover was this good, she would never have caused such a scene at the concubine-selection ceremony, leading to this uncontrollable outcome.

System: "Ding! The ex-girlfriend has said 'You are a good person.' The 'Good Person Card' has been automatically activated. Host's cultivation has risen to the first level of the Blood and Qi Realm. Note: The host's cultivation will not disappear upon death."

Wonderful!

Chen Ping'an thought to himself, "System, keep those Good Person Cards coming in the future!"

System: "..."

"Xiao Ying, I had no choice but to leave back then. Now that so many years have passed, can you still forgive me?"

As his consciousness became increasingly blurred, Chen Ping'an knew his body couldn't hold on much longer, so he hurriedly uttered the line he most wanted to say. Once upon a time, he had abandoned his ex-girlfriends by simply dying. While that method was simple and crude, it was filled with agony, so he sometimes changed his approach—like leaving a letter, finding a woman to pose as a mistress, or claiming his parents didn't approve...

"I..."

After only a second of hesitation, Fu Hongying said through her tears, "Wang Ye, I forgive you. Please, don't die. Give me the sword, will you?"

Ha, forgiven!

*Puff!*

Chen Ping'an could no longer hold on. He mustered his final strength to plunge the sword deep into his chest, shattering his heart. The next moment, his energy dissipated, and he collapsed onto the ground.

He was dead.