Once Yue Chan departed, a familiar silhouette filled the cell's entrance—Xue Mo himself, standing tall and composed, his presence radiating quiet authority.
He waited patiently as the jail guard fumbled with his keys, the clinking metal echoing off the stone walls.
When the heavy door finally creaked open, Xue Mo stepped smoothly inside, his two guards remaining stationed just outside, alert and silent.
Xue Mo's gaze swept the cramped cell before settling on the figure slumped within. His voice, low and unwavering, broke the thick silence.
"Gong Xie, it's been a month since we last spoke. How are you feeling?"
Gong Xie didn't respond. He kept his eyes locked on the cold, uneven ground, jaw clenched, posture rigid with defiance.
Xue Mo exhaled softly, clasping his hands behind his back as he paced a slow, measured line across the cell.
"The way I've locked you up, I wouldn't blame you for holding a grudge."
At that, Gong Xie finally looked up. His eyes flashed, sharp and unyielding, as he let out a derisive sniff.
"What do you think?" he replied, his voice brittle. "I just lost my spiritual core—I'm not crippled, not yet. But in your eyes, I was always useless. And now I'm locked away, kept in the dark like some shameful secret."
Xue Mo paused, his expression unreadable. He nodded, accepting the accusation without protest.
"I'd rather have you confined here than forsake you entirely. Your life was at stake. You should be grateful, Gong Xie. After all, I chose to keep you alive."
A mocking laugh escaped Gong Xie's lips, hollow and sharp.
"Grateful? That's rich, coming from you. You can't even apply that to yourself, can you?"
Xue Mo's tone softened, but remained firm.
"I understand your anger, Gong Xie. But I am—still—your master."
Gong Xie's shoulders shook with a dry chuckle. He straightened, finally meeting Xue Mo's eyes fully.
"Master? Maybe I called you that once. Things are different now. Don't expect me to use that title just to make you feel respected."
Xue Mo arched an eyebrow, his posture unmoved.
"Are you trying to provoke me?"
With a sneer, Gong Xie rose deliberately to his feet, his movements slow but filled with defiant energy.
He squared his shoulders and faced Xue Mo, eyes blazing.
"If that's what you want—then go ahead. Punish me!" He threw his arms wide, an open challenge.
Xue Mo's eyes narrowed, studying the rebellious stance before him.
Gong Xie had never confronted him with such boldness before.
Noticing that Master Xue Mo didn't so much as flinch—his face unreadable, his body still—Gong Xie slowly lowered his arms.
A sudden, almost wild laugh burst from his lips, echoing in the narrow cell. The sound was sharp, edged with something between mockery and pain.
Xue Mo's eyes narrowed with suspicion, his gaze probing Gong Xie as if searching for the truth beneath the bravado.
"You've changed," he observed quietly.
Gong Xie's laughter faded, replaced by a cold, knowing smile.
"Of course I've changed. People do. No one stands still forever—sooner or later, everyone has to move, guided by their own will."
His tone turned pointed, challenging.
"What about you, Master? Haven't you changed?"
He took a step closer, voice rising with the intensity of old wounds laid bare.
"Back then, you praised me—you called me your prodigy, your favored disciple. I made you proud, didn't I? Winning tournament after tournament, always coming out on top. But the moment you saw me defeated, broken, your view changed in the blink of an eye."
His eyes met Xue Mo's, unflinching.
"Tell me—why shouldn't I change too?"
Xue Mo's eyes dimmed, the sharpness in his gaze giving way to a shadow of regret.
He drew in a slow, steadying breath, suppressing the storm of emotion brewing beneath his composed exterior.
After a moment, he stepped forward and placed a firm but gentle hand on Gong Xie's shoulder—a silent attempt to bridge the widening distance between them.
"Gong Xie, calm yourself," Xue Mo said, his voice low and even. "This isn't as grave as you think. There's no need to burden yourself with such stress."
Gong Xie scoffed, the mockery clear in his tone as he leaned in, eyes flashing.
"Stress myself?" he spat bitterly. "Fine. I'll stay calm—on one condition."
The words made Xue Mo's eyes flick sharply toward him, wary.
"Tell me," Gong Xie demanded, his voice unwavering. "Tell me about my origin—who I truly am. Where I came from. My family. Anyone who knows me, besides you."
For a heartbeat, Xue Mo's composure cracked. His eyes widened, and he stood frozen, thrown off-guard by the sudden demand.
He hadn't expected Gong Xie to press so insistently, not today—not after what he had revealed recently.
Why was Gong Xie so desperate for the truth now?
Xue Mo tore his gaze away, staring at the far wall as he let out a sigh, his denial heavy with avoidance.
"I don't know," he replied, voice tight.
Gong Xie's anger flared, his fists clenched at his sides.
"Liar!" he snapped. "You told me before that it was because of my bloodline you kept me here! And now you say you don't know? Master, how unreasonable can you be?"
"I didn't lie to you!" Xue Mo snapped, his voice rougher now, barely keeping his anger in check. "Even if you do learn the truth one day, there will be no turning back. As for everything else—there's no point searching. No one has the right to ask! Do you understand?"
Gong Xie threw back his head and laughed, the sound ringing off the cell walls—a laugh void of real joy, laced with bitterness.
He shook his head, eyes closed, as if Xue Mo's words were nothing but a grand joke.
Xue Mo's patience wore thin.
He drew a sharp breath, fists curling tightly at his sides as Gong Xie's laughter grated on his nerves.
There was nothing amusing in this confrontation, yet Gong Xie seemed to savor it, mocking the very effort Xue Mo made to hide the truth.
His voice was cold, clipped.
"What's so funny about what I said?" he demanded, jaw clenched.
Gong Xie's laughter faded, his expression turning somber. He met Xue Mo's glare with tired, searching eyes.
"I just find it entertaining—how desperately you struggle to keep everything from me. How confident you are, thinking you can hold back everything forever."
Xue Mo's tone hardened, his authority flaring.
"This isn't a time for jokes, Gong Xie. Show some respect!"
Gong Xie's eyes sharpened, his posture stiffening as he cut in, voice low and intense.
"I'll show you respect, if you tell me who I really am." He held Xue Mo's gaze, refusing to back down. "Master, tell me—" his words slowed, heavy with meaning—"is my real name… Xiao Dan?"
Xiao Dan.
The name hung in the air like a thunderclap, freezing Xue Mo in place.
For a long, fraught moment, he stood utterly silent, his eyes wide with shock.
The tension in his shoulders became visible, his composure slipping as he drew in a shaky, uneven breath.
"Xiao… Dan," he whispered, almost as if the name itself pained him. His gaze darted away, unable to meet Gong Xie's probing eyes.
A heavy silence stretched between them before Xue Mo finally spoke again, his voice brittle and distant.
"I don't know him."
Gong Xie's voice cut through the air, laced with accusation.
"I notice things, yet you still have the nerve to lie to me? Master, don't push your luck."
Xue Mo's eyes flashed with a sudden edge. He fixed Gong Xie with a piercing stare.
"Who told you that name?"
A sly sneer curled on Gong Xie's lips as he gave a slow, deliberate nod.
"Surprised, are you? Master, you've always been clever and cunning—always two steps ahead. I know you well, almost everything about you. But not everything. Someone managed to slip me that piece of information, right under your sharp gaze."
Xue Mo's composure finally shattered.
In a swift, merciless motion, he seized Gong Xie by the front of his robe, yanking him close until their faces were inches apart. His grip was iron, voice low and trembling with anger.
"Gong Xie, my patience is wearing thin. Don't test me!" he warned, his eyes blazing.
But Gong Xie didn't even flinch.
He stared back, defiant and unafraid, a mocking smile tugging at his lips.
"As a useless, former prodigy disciple, what are you going to do?" Gong Xie taunted, his tone icy. "Kill me? Go ahead! If what I've said isn't true, then why are you acting as vicious as a beast?"
At that, Xue Mo's grip faltered.
He released Gong Xie's robe and stepped back, though his eyes remained razor-sharp, their intensity unwavering.
Frustration etched deep lines across Xue Mo's face as Gong Xie began to chuckle, the sound needling at his nerves.
Then, as if a heavy curtain had fallen, silence filled the cell.
Gong Xie's laughter faded, and his demeanor shifted—his expression turning grave, every trace of mockery gone.
"The informer approached me on purpose," Gong Xie said quietly, his voice steady. "She told me that last night, she dreamed about me. In her dream, I was pleading with her—to take care of someone."
Xue Mo's face changed instantly, a flicker of unease crossing his features at the revelation.
"She also said," Gong Xie continued, his eyes narrowing, "that in the dream, she knew me. But she didn't call me Gong Xie—she called me by another name. Why is that?"
Xue Mo could not find words to answer.
He forced himself to maintain composure, but Gong Xie's revelations left him visibly unsettled.
Gong Xie's tone was unwavering as he pressed further.
"Xiao Dan... that's my real name, isn't it?"
"You shouldn't listen to a stranger's words!" Xue Mo snapped, his voice sharp with desperation. "They're just trying to bewitch you, to turn you against me!"
Gong Xie's eyes narrowed, his tone turning cold and accusing.
"And what about you, Master? The way you lie to me—how is that any different from bewitching? The reason I can't remember anything from my past… is that your doing as well?"
Xue Mo stiffened, his mouth tightening into a hard line.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied flatly, though his voice wavered at the edges.
Gong Xie pressed on, gaze unyielding.
"You don't know, or you simply don't dare admit it? Why, Master? Are you afraid I'll uncover the truth? Is it really so loathsome to you?"
"You should only trust me! Not some outsider!" Xue Mo roared, his indignation echoing off the stone walls.
Suddenly, he surged forward, gripping Gong Xie by both shoulders with a forceful urgency.
"I won't let anyone poison your mind. You matter to me more than you know. Tell me—who is this informer? I'll make sure she never dares meddle with you again!"
But Gong Xie only looked at him with pitying amusement, shaking his head slowly as a weary sigh escaped his lips.
"The informer was… truly captivating," he replied, a hint of reluctant admiration coloring his voice. "Her beauty is unlike anything I've ever seen—no one in all of Jianhu could hope to compare. She seemed almost otherworldly, her elegance unforgettable. Even you, Master, would be left speechless."
Xue Mo's eyes narrowed as he tried to read between Gong Xie's words, searching for any clue in the description.
"But it was just an illusion," Gong Xie continued quietly. "Yet it felt so real. There was this strange sense… as if I've known her for a very long time."
"Who is it?" Xue Mo demanded, his voice hoarse with urgency.
"She…" Gong Xie hesitated, the memory flickering in his eyes. "She wore a plain white robe, fastened with a silver cloak. Her hair was long and curly, adorned with delicate white jade flowers. She was radiant—so dazzling and alluring, I couldn't tear my gaze away from her."
The words struck Xue Mo like a physical blow.
His knees buckled, and he slumped to the ground, a wave of unease washing over him as Gong Xie's description echoed in his mind.
Gong Xie watched him carefully before leaning in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
"Master, do you… do you believe in goddesses?"