017 Two Extremes

“I disagree.”

Qu Zhan Yi suddenly sat up, her expression darkening instantly.

If it weren’t for her soul being shackled by nine layers of the “Soul Binding Cuffs,” she wouldn’t have been trapped in the Nether Abyss for tens of thousands of years.

Now, just as one lock was finally undone, another was being fastened again. Qu Zhan Yi was both anxious and furious.

She loudly protested to the system, “I didn’t kill anyone! This time doesn’t count… Please forgive me…”

Three sentences, three tones—from firm to cautious, from resolute to pleading.

But Qu Zhan Yi’s concession did not move the system in the slightest.

[Protest invalid. The ‘Cursed Key’ has been reclaimed.]

The cold, mechanical voice echoed like a bitter curse in her mind.

Qu Zhan Yi watched helplessly as the shackle pierced through her scapula with a sharp “clink.”

The sound was like a surgical blade scraping bone, making her soul tremble in unbearable pain.

“I know I was wrong, please forgive me, just this once.”

Qu Zhan Yi finally relented, yet received no response.

Everything seemed to revert to how it was when she first crossed over.

The emptiness and silence of this hospital room were no less than the prison that held her soul captive, and this body had become as immobile as her spirit.

She sat still on the bed, watching the sun set and the night fall.

The clock’s hand reached half past ten.

With a soft “click,” the room suddenly brightened.

Qu Zhan Yi lifted her eyelids and saw Xu Xinqi, causing a flare of anger to rise within her. If not for this guy, she wouldn’t have wasted her efforts for nothing.

Come to think of it, taking care of a child was basically a semi-permanent task. Maybe it was because of him that she was placed in this body?

With a thought, Qu Zhan Yi reached with her left hand toward the disposable chopsticks on the bedside table.

[Please acknowledge your own mistakes and understand the meaning of kindness.]

The system’s mechanical voice exploded in her mind. Detecting Qu Zhan Yi’s murderous intent, it immediately paralyzed her body halfway.

Qu Zhan Yi had no choice but to abandon her killing thoughts and sit on the bed, fuming alone.

However, her anger only lasted a few seconds before it was replaced by the aroma of roasted meat brought by Xu Xinqi, causing her stomach to grumble uncontrollably.

She tried to console herself: “No matter what, I have no reason to kill a child who knows nothing and even brings me ‘offerings.’ I’m a witch, not a pervert.”

Qu Zhan Yi took the roasted meat, pinched a piece between her thumb and forefinger, tilted her head back, and swallowed it whole.

---

“Perhaps, in this world, only good food remains somewhat decent.”

Though she thought so, she had little desire to savor the roasted meat before her, as its ingredients were far from fine. Even if heavy seasonings were used, her palate could not be fooled.

Xu Xinqi sat silently nearby.

He had intended to explain, but his sister’s silence left him unsure how to start.

“Maybe, sister doesn’t want to burden me.”

His gaze kept darting toward Qu Zhan Yi, opening his mouth several times but never speaking.

Qu Zhan Yi noticed and guessed the boy probably hadn’t eaten. She handed the roasted meat toward him.

“You haven’t eaten either, have you?”

Xu Xinqi shook his head. “I already ate.”

After a pause, he muttered, “They said you… that’s why I fought.”

“Huh?!”

Qu Zhan Yi was momentarily stunned but soon realized Xu Xinqi was explaining the reason for his fight.

Yet the only thing she truly cared about was that he lost.

The cause was irrelevant, the process could be omitted; only losing was unforgivable.

She firmly warned Xu Xinqi, “Find a chance to fight back.”

“Ah!?”

Xu Xinqi thought he misheard. His sister, who always prioritized harmony even at her own expense, when did she start ‘fearing no authority’?

Though her personality had grown stronger after the incident at Qiongshou Mountain, she had never said anything about hitting back after being struck.

Xu Xinqi secretly eyed his sister, suspecting again that she might be possessed by a ghost—and this feeling was even stronger than before.

His reaction did not escape Qu Zhan Yi’s notice. She hadn’t intended to explain, but the system’s voice was about to explode inside her head.

[Detected Xu Xinqi’s morality score: -7, -14, -21… Please take immediate measures to prevent his descent into darkness.]

[Xu Xinqi’s morality score: -28; sense of responsibility +100.]

System: ?

[Target is rapidly darkening… yet possesses a strong sense of responsibility…]

System: Nearly crashed.

[Please take urgent action immediately.]

Qu Zhan Yi pressed her throbbing temples and stared darkly at Xu Xinqi. “What? You think I’m possessed?”

Xu Xinqi suddenly looked up, his hands nervously twisting together. He opened his mouth hesitantly but truly didn’t know what to say.

---

Qu Zhan Yi placed a hand on his shoulder, her expression solemn.

“Xu Xinqi, we are simply too weak.”

Xu Xinqi gazed steadily at her, his eyes gradually lighting up.

Qu Zhan Yi continued, “We must become strong. We must have the courage to draw our swords. I’ve come to understand that nothing in this world is truly frightening—only weakness, which invites contempt.”

After hearing his sister’s words, Xu Xinqi’s mind buzzed.

He had never imagined hearing such words from her, let alone that the sister who used to always lower her head would one day become so resolute.

His heart was instantly filled with complex emotions.

His eyes reddened slightly, his voice hoarse.

“Sister, you have really changed.”

Qu Zhan Yi raised an eyebrow. “Afraid?”

Xu Xinqi’s gaze shifted from hesitation to determination. Shaking off the chaotic thoughts in his mind, he said earnestly, “No, you’re still my sister—and you’ve become even better. That’s enough.”

Watching Xu Xinqi’s morality stabilize, the system broke into a virtual sweat.

Xu Xinqi left the hospital just as the dormitory doors were about to close.

The ward was left with Qu Zhan Yi alone once more.

She continued negotiating with the system. No matter what, she was determined to reclaim the ‘Cursed Key.’

…

The first snowfall of winter shattered the stillness of the small town.

Snowflakes landed on the windowsill and melted instantly.

Snowmelt trickled down the walls…

Qu Zhan Yi stared at the droplets as they fell to the ground, mixing with the muddy earth until they could no longer be distinguished.

She had no intention of leaving the hospital. Although the nurses hinted she should go, it did not deter her resolve to stay through the entire winter.

There was only one reason: it was far too cold outside.

The damp, chilly dormitory at school was enough to make anyone shiver just thinking about it. Even if she survived a week, returning home meant being trapped in smoke and fire that made her cough uncontrollably.

The hospital was different—warm, clean, and free of charge. It was a perfect place for hibernation.

Qu Zhan Yi sat cross-legged on the bed, holding an orange she had eaten a third of. On the bedside table lay half a banana and last night’s leftover boxed meal.

During the four days of her hospital stay, she tried various breathing and meditation techniques to cultivate her energy, but she could neither calm her mind nor circulate the energy through the meridians.