Chapter 34. So That’s It

Chapter 34. So That’s It

“A dog?”

“Yes, a dog.”

“Which dog?”

“I’m stopping here. You figure it out yourself.”

With that, Dao Yuan the spirit cat jumped up onto the bookshelf, curled up, and quietly watched Qin Shili.

It hadn’t provided Qin Shili with a clear answer. It really didn’t intend to get involved in such matters, but couldn’t help but let slip that it was written by a dog.

Specifically, a person even more dog-like than a dog.

It merely wanted to complain that the person was very dog-like.

Qin Shili felt confused. There were many spirit hounds in Xuanyun Sect, but spirit hounds weren’t allowed in the library, and despite being in the sect for so long and advancing to the seventh stage of the Spirit Realm, she had never seen a spirit hound with wisdom as high as Senior Dao Yuan’s.

Could it be that she was merely ignorant?

Qin Shili was perceptive; after pondering, she realized that Senior Dao Yuan wouldn’t directly tell her. Perhaps “dog” was just a metaphor. Dogs represent loyalty, maybe a kind-hearted person wrote that line.

Gifted and powerful, Qin Shili’s practice had always gone smoothly without setbacks, something every disciple of Xuanyun Sect dreamed of.

Yet she was a confused person; unlike those cultivators with a heart to save the world and uphold justice, her ambition was absent. Slaying demons and exorcising monsters felt merely like what her status required of her, aided by her family and masters, she walked a path already laid out for her.

She wasn’t interested in advancing her cultivation; even reaching the seventh stage of the Spirit Realm couldn’t excite her. The same went for love—despite being pursued by countless men, she felt no spark, becoming a cold and unfeeling woman.

She didn’t even know what she was pursuing. Possessing beauty, yet her soul felt like a walking corpse.

She often came to the library to read, seeking solace in books, longing for a higher spiritual realm to escape her confusion.

She had read many profound books, including “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” but no matter how many books she read, she remained lost, unable to find direction in life.

She once read a saying: If you’re lost, step out of your circle and experience new things; perhaps you’ll find the meaning of life.

She understood the logic; reading thousands of books is no substitute for traveling thousands of miles. She had been to many places, seen different customs, encountered many fresh things, but still couldn’t find meaning in life.

“Have you found your ideal book?”

A faint voice from Dao Yuan the spirit cat interrupted her thoughts.

Qin Shili lightly shook her head: “Not yet.”

“What book are you looking for?”

“I don’t know, I’ll keep looking.”

“No need; the book you yearn for isn’t here.”

“Why not?”

“Because your heart is aimed at the abyss.”

With great sincerity, Dao Yuan spoke, having already inferred Qin Shili’s thoughts from the line. Yet it wouldn’t bluntly lay it out; after all, it was just a leisurely spirit cat observing life’s myriad forms.

“Senior Dao Yuan, am I…?”

“I make no comments and offer no guidance. The road ahead is for you to walk; you may certainly follow your original intention.”

Dao Yuan casually replied, its principle being to remain neutral and not interfere.

Qin Shili wouldn’t write something like “I could have had the blue sea and sky, yet my heart aims for the abyss” without reason. Instead, it was her twisted thoughts that led her to feel lost among the countless books in Xuanyun Sect, giving rise to dark notions, gravitating toward the abyss.

However, Dao Yuan also didn’t know the specifics of Qin Shili’s twisted thoughts. She wouldn’t disclose them, nor would it pry.

Dao Yuan strolled lazily away, leaving Qin Shili alone, quietly seated at the desk, gazing at that piece of paper.

After numerous efforts, she still couldn’t find meaning in the future, and the dark thoughts grew even stronger. She knew if she let this twisted notion develop further, she would surely fall into the abyss.

Having once envisioned a bright future with blue skies and seas, aiming for the abyss meant her heart held intense twisted thoughts that couldn’t simply fade away.

This was her secret, a secret that couldn’t possibly be understood by anyone else, something she hid and dared not share. But as a flesh-and-blood person, despite her cold demeanor, she still yearned for someone to understand her.

She longed for an outlet, writing her innermost thoughts on paper and slipping them into a dry, incomprehensible book.

She had once fantasized about whether someone would come across that paper and understand her thoughts.

But her rational mind told her that was impossible.

Yet the reality…

This piece of paper bore the words: “Know your fate, but don’t succumb to it.”

Was this a response to her thoughts? But what did it mean?

Qin Shili’s insight far surpassed average folks. After closing her eyes and contemplating for a while, a spark of inspiration suddenly flashed in her mind, and she gained clarity.

So that’s it.