Chapter Sixteen: The Death of the Silver Hook

Silver Hook's face turned furious as she exerted force with both hands, pulling the long-handled saber straight out of her body. Shi Jun was astonished to discover that there were not the slightest wounds on her body. Suddenly, words spoken by Yellow Sand back when they first arrived in the Demon Realm flashed through his mind—"This river is called Silver Hook... She is a spirit with an exceptionally powerful life force, as eccentric and troublesome as a madwoman. We'd best not provoke her..." Only then did he realize that the woman before him was not Chiyang at all, but rather the manifestation of the river demon named "Silver Hook."

At that exact moment, without any warning, the giant web beneath their feet suddenly shattered into fine dust. A tremendous force, carrying swirling black smoke, surged up into the sky. Shi Jun felt as though his entire body were being battered by thousands of massive hammers simultaneously, causing agonizing pain. Then, the sensation vanished as he helplessly watched his body being uncontrollably swept into the spinning smoke, colliding and tumbling endlessly within the cavern.

A substantive, pitch-black smoke came roaring forward, vaguely mixed with sounds resembling wailing ghosts and howling deities. It rushed toward Shi Jun with the force of an avalanche. At the forefront of the smoke, a blurry, vaguely smiling human face took shape. Terrified, Shi Jun exhausted every ounce of his remaining strength to cast a spell of defense, but his heavily battered body was already completely drained. No matter how he struggled, he could not lift even half a finger, and could only watch helplessly as the dark smoke drew closer and closer to swallow him whole.

At this critical juncture, a cluster of white mist shimmering with tiny silver lights suddenly appeared, enveloping Shi Jun from head to toe. Instantly, Shi Jun felt a refreshing coolness all over his body. Wrapped within that soft, damp mist, he felt an indescribable comfort, and his body regained sensation in an instant, beginning to ache.

"Do not move, whatever you do..." Silver Hook's urgent voice suddenly rang in his ear. Before Shi Jun could comprehend it, he felt the mist wrapping around him shudder violently, as if struck by a powerful impact. Yet, because he was wrapped so thickly within it, he felt no discomfort at all, and Silver Hook's voice abruptly cut off.

Amidst the flickering silver light, Shi Jun stirred and raised his hand, widening his eyes in surprise—at some point, his skin was also speckled with tiny silver points of light, gleaming like minuscule diamonds.

It was Silver Hook!

A sudden sense of foreboding welled up in Shi Jun's heart, and he shouted loudly, "Silver Hook! Silver Hook! What's wrong with you?"

Hearing no reply, and unable to see or hear the situation outside, Shi Jun grew anxious. Just as he attempted to push aside the white mist enveloping him, his body grew light, and the white mist carried him in a wild, spinning frenzy through the cavern once more.

Explosions as dense as popping beans burst out nearby. Although Shi Jun could not see what was happening outside, he could imagine that they had reached the most perilous juncture. He had witnessed firsthand what happened when the treasure of Nisu erupted in the snow valley, and he knew that if he didn't find a way to break out, death would be their only outcome.

Enduring the severe pain, Shi Jun used both hands and feet, struggling and thrashing desperately until he finally poked his upper body out of the soft white mist, instantly feeling dizzy and disoriented—

The massive cavern was currently operating like a churning washing machine. An extremely thick column of black gas spewed like a geyser from the bottom of the cave, shooting straight up toward the small opening at the ceiling. The continuous explosions originated from within this mass of black smoke. Encircling the black gas, giant boulders, plumes of black smoke, broken branches, flower buds, and countless other objects were stirred endlessly by an invisible giant hand, spinning uncontrollably in a dazzling and dizzying display.

At that moment, Silver Hook's weak and intermittent voice sounded in Shi Jun's ear once again: "Hurry... break through... any later, and it will be too late."

"Where are you?" Shi Jun shouted aloud, but searched the entire cave in vain; he could neither catch sight of Silver Hook nor hear her reply ever again.

Looking down at the white mist still enveloping him, Shi Jun suddenly thought: Could this be Silver Hook's true form? But why would she risk her life to save him?

Shi Jun forced himself to calm down, observing his surroundings as he spun with the swirling currents—moving upward seemed to be the only exit, but that powerful black gas bore a striking resemblance to Xiaotian's "Reversing Universe," capable of grinding anyone or anything caught within it to powder. He was certainly not arrogant enough to believe he could escape unscathed by sheer luck.

Looking further down, the abyss at the bottom of the cave where the black gas originated was pitch black and devoid of light. However, employing his insight to examine it closely, he finally noticed something unusual—

When the mass of black gas first rose, neither its rotational speed nor its momentum was all that violent; it only began to mutate and accelerate as it surged outward through the cave. Could that mean...

As he concentrated deeply on this thought, a mud-brown boulder hurtled straight toward him. Without a second thought, Shi Jun summoned a curtain of water that abruptly blocked the boulder's path. Suddenly, a wave of immense joy flooded his heart: he could finally use his magic freely!

Yet there was no time to hesitate. Gritting his teeth, Shi Jun shouted at the top of his lungs, "Silver Hook, I'm taking a risk! If you trust me, follow along!" He reached out and snatched a thick green branch nearby, squeezing it hard. Pale green liquid mixed with a faint fragrance immediately squirted into his palms. Following this, he crossed his hands before his chest, gathering all his strength as he lightly flicked his left hand to cast the defensive spell "True Water Shield," while his right hand struck out with "Three Foot Frost." In the blink of an eye, sheltered within the "True Water Shield," a pale green block of solid ice the size of half a room rapidly froze Shi Jun and the white mist together, plunging straight into the center of the black gas and descending swiftly with tremendous momentum.

Just as he anticipated, the black gas at the bottom of the cave was not violently destructive there; instead, it rose slowly and steadily at a constant, endless pace. The massive block of ice containing Shi Jun plummeted downward at an increasing speed, while the black gas he encountered only grew more abundant and dense.

Shrunk inside the ice formed by "Three Foot Frost," Shi Jun shivered from the cold. Watching the ice layer constantly chip away from friction against the black gas during the rapid descent, he grew secretly anxious, wondering when this endless falling would finally come to an end.

* * * * * * * *

At that moment, Shi Jun's vision suddenly brightened. A gentle force cushioned the block of ice, and looking through the glass-clear ice layer, he realized he had entered an even larger subterranean cavern. The brilliant light forced him to close his eyes.

With a soft "thud," the ice block landed gently on the ground, echoing loudly throughout the cavern.

This massive cave was bright and spacious, appearing entirely deserted. The rock walls and the ground were made of a gold-like material that shimmered with dazzling brilliance.

Holding his breath, Shi Jun waited for a long time without detecting any abnormal movement, while the black gas that should have originated from this cave seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Well, at least they were temporarily safe, right? Only then did Shi Jun feel his heart pounding wildly. Letting out a long breath, he chanted a mantra and dissolved the "Three Foot Frost."

* * * * * * *

The cluster of white mist that had continuously enveloped him slowly detached from his body, transforming into a pool of silver water that pooled on the ground for a moment. The next instant, speckles of silver light rose from the water stream, and Silver Hook, with her graceful brow and gentle smile, materialized before him.

"It really is you?" Having survived the catastrophe, Shi Jun felt an unexpected surge of joy upon seeing Silver Hook's face, which bore such a striking resemblance to Chiyang.

Silver Hook gave him a reproachful look and smiled faintly before turning to survey the cavern, staring in a daze for a few moments until her eyes suddenly flashed with joyous surprise, and she cheered like a young girl, "Ah, wonderful!" But the moment she jumped up, she collapsed back down beside Shi Jun.

"Careful!" Shi Jun quickly knelt to support her, letting her lean against his chest. Concentrating his gaze, he was shocked to find that Silver Hook's expression had drastically altered; her eyes were lifeless, and a faint black Qi was visibly seeping through her flawless, jade-like skin. Terrified, he asked, "What is wrong with you?"

"Alas! Nisu's curse is simply too powerful; I am going to die," Silver Hook sighed, a smile playing on her lips.

"What trick are you trying to pull now?" Shi Jun blurted out.

Silver Hook smiled faintly, "At a time like this, do you still have to be angry? Just hold me like this and talk with me for a bit, won't you? Consider it my plea!"

Shi Jun was stunned. Seeing the smile on Silver Hook's face, he suspected she was deceiving him again, yet the faint black Qi creeping across her body and face grew increasingly concentrated, looking genuinely ominous. Frowning, he looked down at her and remained silent.

"Do you not believe me?" Silver Hook murmured softly, reaching out a hand to gently stroke Shi Jun's face, her eyes filled with lingering attachment and reluctance.

For some reason, toward this bizarrely appearing woman who had lied about being Chiyang and deceived him, Shi Jun could not summon the slightest bit of hatred. Earlier, when he had stabbed Silver Hook with his saber and looked into those eyes sharing the exact same expression as Chiyang's, his heart had ached uncontrollably. Now, seeing Silver Hook's pale countenance and hearing her low whisper, he involuntarily shook his head.

"Indeed, I lied to you, but I did not deceive you entirely either," a sweet smile remained frozen on Silver Hook's face as she gazed at him unblinkingly, murmuring, "Ever since I gained consciousness, I have remained in the Demon Realm. Do you know? I am the embodiment of women's tears, but you surely do not know that these tears were all shed by women for the ones they loved."

Silver Hook smiled brightly, her dimples shallow, and her smile carried an indescribable sorrow.

"All this time, my cultivation was far easier than anyone else's. Do you know why? Because I barely needed to put in any effort to grow naturally—after all, those tears were simply so abundant."

At a loss for words, Shi Jun held Silver Hook in his arms, failing to understand why she suddenly brought up these unrelated matters, yet somehow unable to bring himself to interrupt her.

"Silver Hook never understood why women cried so much. Why did the ones they loved have the heart to make them weep? I understood even less what love truly was—why, knowing the pain, did you still insist on tasting it? Although I am a spirit born from emotion, having never left the Demon Realm, I could never comprehend it. But you see, the more I failed to understand, the more curious I became; and the more curious I was, the less I understood. Since my birth, I could laugh, feel angry, feel lonely, and feel sorrowful, but never, ever could I shed a tear."

Silver Hook widened her lovely eyes, gently rubbing the tiny points of silver light on her body and clothes, her seductive and tender face finally revealing a trace of innocence: "Look closely, every single one of these silver lights is formed from the tears of infatuated women. For thousands of years, I have read far too many love stories in their tears, and yours was among them."

Gazing at Shi Jun, Silver Hook smiled brightly, though her voice grew even more muffled and low, carrying an indescribable allure: "Tell me, what kind of soul-stirring, unforgettable past did the two of you share? Why, after the passage of so many years, does she still weep for you?"

Shi Jun was momentarily stunned, failing to grasp the meaning behind Silver Hook's words. Just as he was about to ask, the person in his arms trembled uncontrollably, and the previously faint black Qi grew even denser. At last, he believed what Silver Hook had told him earlier. Overwhelmed by a pang of heartache, he asked softly, "Did you... sustain these injuries to protect me?"

Silver Hook sighed softly, a trace of sorrow and melancholy lingering in her tone: "I was truly curious. From the messages within the tears, I learned that this woman and the man she loved had both arrived in the Demon Realm—a once-in-a-millennium opportunity! I simply had to see for myself, so that I might understand what kind of love could span a millennium with such unsparing, unregretting obsession."

Hearing Silver Hook's increasingly faint words, a sudden stirring arose in Shi Jun's heart. Vague, indistinct figures flashed before his eyes, ethereal as drifting ripples of water; yet when he focused his attention, all he saw was Silver Hook's affectionate gaze.

* * * * * * * *

"Just pretend that I too have loved once; in truth, I harbor no regrets whatsoever," the low whisper echoed in Shi Jun's ear. "An emotional entanglement spanning a millennium like yours is exceedingly rare in this world. My transformation into Chiyang was simply because I was moved by the tears she shed for you, prompting me to rush here to personally experience the taste of love... Who would have thought that upon seeing you, I would fall hopelessly? Yet I did not lie to you; once I saw you, my heart and my soul became identical to Chiyang's. Do you know?"

At this point, Silver Hook shifted slightly, a flush rising to her pretty face as she murmured softly, "Yet of all coincidences, we happened to meet at the treasure of Nisu! Alas, we could only spend such a brief moment together, and before we could exchange more words, I must leave!"

"Stop talking nonsense!" At this moment, Shi Jun was certain that Silver Hook must have transformed into white mist earlier to shield him from the black gas, suffering those violent impacts and grievous injuries as a result. He quickly freed one hand to grope through his treasure pouch, pulling out all the remaining Demon Realm herbs Zisheng had given him, laying them out in a pile: "Hurry and check which of these herbs can heal you! You can say whatever you like once you've recovered!"

Silver Hook's dimming eyes suddenly lit up with a moving, brilliant luster as she trembled, "You... you do care about me after all, even though I know your heart belongs to her, not me."

"Don't speak of this," Shi Jun closed his eyes, an indescribable grief gripping his heart. "Take the medicine first, will you?"

Silver Hook smiled infatuatedly, speaking in a carefree tone, "Yet I also harbor some regrets. All this time, I grew weary of my own existence—an unloved spirit surviving alone in this world, flipping through the tales of lovers while never knowing the taste of love herself. Today, I finally got my wish, only to reach the end of my life... Promise me you will no longer be angry that I deceived you, okay?"

"I won't!" Shi Jun said loudly. "Aren't your regenerative powers exceptionally strong? Earlier, when I stabbed you with my blade, you were fine; you will recover this time as well! As long as you heal, I promise I will never be angry again!"

* * * * * * * *

"...In truth, everything I did was simply what Chiyang would have done." Silver Hook bloomed into a smile, her face—growing increasingly consumed by black Qi—as radiant as a flower. "That was purely an instinctive reaction; I could not control it myself. If your blade had pierced her instead, she would not have resented you either; seeing you in danger, she would have shielded you with her life just as I did, without a shred of regret."

Chiyang! Could this truly be the genuine affection buried beneath your nonchalant exterior? Shi Jun felt a piercing agony in his chest, as if the person he held in his arms was no longer Silver Hook, but Chiyang herself. Tears welled up in his eyes uncontrollably, and he choked out, "No, I will not let you die!"

"Ah... did you... did you weep?" Silver Hook was startled, her face instantly blooming with an irrepressible, astonished joy. "You actually... you actually wept? Whether it was for her or for me, I... I am truly so happy..." As she spoke, her own eye rims gradually turned red.

"Foolish child!" An unfamiliar male voice suddenly rang out, echoing through the spacious cavern.

Shi Jun and Silver Hook were startled in unison, looking around in all directions, yet they saw no one at all, save for a faint, deep sigh lingering in the air.

* * * * * * * *

Silver Hook withdrew her searching gaze, gripping Shi Jun's hand with eyes full of tenderness: "I finally know what longing is, and what the taste of love is. It is both sweet and sour; sometimes clear, sometimes turbid; sometimes tranquil, sometimes wild. It brings happiness while redoubling the ache." With those words, her eye rims turned slightly red as she stared in a daze at Shi Jun, the corners of her mouth curling into a smile: "After this parting, the days ahead should hold boundless fair scenes... In endless reincarnations, you will meet countless women, but you will forever hold deep affection only for her, and from this day forward, you will never forget me..."

As her voice trailed off to a whisper, a single teardrop slowly slid from the corner of Silver Hook's eye. Her delicate head tilted backward, and a ring of white light rippled outward from her body, scattering into countless ascending, twinkling silver sparks. The jade-like beauty in Shi Jun's arms grew lighter and lighter, until she finally transformed into a wreath of white vapor that lingered around him endlessly.

A deafening roar echoed in Shi Jun's mind, accompanied by a voice screaming: "She's dead! She's dead!" His heart felt as though it were being relentlessly battered by a giant hammer, causing unbearable pain. Scenes of a familiar yet distant past flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern, growing increasingly vivid, while countless whispers, murmurs, laughter, and cries echoed in his ears... stirring his blood into a turbulent frenzy that drove him to the brink of madness.

The white mist gradually dissipated.

The teardrop shed by Silver Hook slowly rose into midair, hovering for a moment before descending, transforming into a perfectly round silver bead that rolled across the ground.

An unloved spirit of the Demon Realm, after traversing long ages in search of love, had become lost in another's emotional tale and unable to extricate herself, finally shedding a single tear before her death for a brief and wondrous romance (if it could even be called romance).

With a blank mind, Shi Jun slowly knelt and picked up the bead from amidst the scattered, varying-sized flower buds. Bringing it before his eyes, he stared fixedly at the nimble, flashing silver light expanding in concentric rings, feeling as though he were in a dream.

Following that, he noticed his own arms similarly flickering with tiny silver speckles. He reached out to rub them away, but the silver stars seemed deeply embedded into his skin, impossible to wipe off no matter what.

That was the mark Silver Hook had left upon him—a brand that would prevent him from ever forgetting this bizarre and deeply affectionate woman for the rest of his life.

Witnessing Silver Hook's death, Shi Jun gripped the bead tightly in his palm and closed his eyes in agony...

* * * * * * * *

"Young man, meetings and partings are simply the constant of human life; though your beloved has departed, there is no need for such profound grief!"

Unbeknownst to him, that earlier voice rang out once more. Shi Jun was startled—after all, being in such a perilous place, this strange voice carried a metallic resonance, powerful and resonant. Could it be another formidable demon? Quickly concealing the bead inside his tunic, he raised his voice and demanded, "Who is there?"

"Ho ho, interesting! Since you have entered my domain, how could you not know who I am?" That voice burst into hearty laughter, as if witnessing something immensely amusing. "Yet you possess quick wits, knowing how to court death in order to find a way to survive. Alas, among all living beings in the Demon Realm, not a single one thought of this; it seems that being born as a demon leaves one far inferior to humans in wisdom!"

His domain? A realization flashed through Shi Jun's mind as he blurted out, "Nisu! Could you be Nisu? Weren't you dead?"

Without the slightest warning, a mass of black vapor suddenly materialized before Shi Jun's eyes, from which thousands of tentacles as fine as steel wire shot out, lashing toward him in unison.

Having remained on high alert ever since hearing that voice, Shi Jun reacted instantly despite the sudden turn of events. Fearless, he pushed forward with both palms, raising the "True Water Shield" to forcefully block the tentacles. Simultaneously, he leaped into the air and spun around, verifying that nothing else had emerged from the black cloud. Landing gracefully, he drew a boundary barrier with a wave of his hand and laughed heartily, "Barging into your esteemed treasury was indeed presumptuous of me, but driven by urgency with no other choice, I acted rashly. Still, such clumsy sneak attacks hardly befit someone of your legendary renown as a demon wizard!"

The moment his words fell, that voice cried out in astonishment: "Netherworld magic! Young man, exactly who are you?"