Only One Way: Storming the Underworld for Their Souls (1)

Ivy Shen's desperate, heartbroken cries echoed through the freezing night, unbearably mournful, making even the hardest listener weep.

"Come out, come out, I beg you, please come out! If you want my life, take it! Just take it!" She threw her head back, letting endless snowflakes fall on her face and body, numb to it all, only knowing to keep calling and calling.

"Come out, come out..." Ivy Shen gradually bowed her head, kneeling on the ground, her body shaking uncontrollably. Besides grief and pain, she no longer knew what else to do.

"Liam, Liam..." Colin Kerr's severed arm was still bleeding, staining the surrounding snow bright red, but he didn't care at all. He just kept calling out to the stiffening Liam Willow in his arms.

"I’m a hero now, just like Little Snowball! Open your eyes and look at me, please, just look, okay? Liam, Liam..."

Colin Kerr's voice trembled as he wailed nonstop. He refused to believe it—he'd just seen Liam being so strong a moment ago, he saw it with his own eyes. No, he couldn’t be dead. He must just be sleeping. As long as he shouted loud enough, Liam would definitely get up, definitely!

“Flowers, flowers, for whom do you bloom? Spring leaves, spring returns, again and again. The flowers say they wait for someone, but helplessly, the flowers fall; the swallows return as if they've been here before. In the garden, on the path, I wander alone... Flowers, flowers, for whom do you bloom? Spring leaves, spring returns, again and again. The flowers say they wait for someone, but helplessly, the flowers fall; the swallows return as if they've been here before. In the garden, on the path, I wander alone...” Suddenly, Ivy Shen's clear, empty singing cut through the night.

On this silent, freezing night, Ivy Shen was like a lost lamb, crying out her sorrow to the world.

I’m singing—can you hear me?

You always said you loved hearing me sing, loved my voice the most. Now I’m singing—can you hear it?

Spirit Crane, every time I sang, you always played accompaniment for me. Why am I singing alone now?

At this moment, the three struggled to look at each other, helped each other up, and slowly made their way to Ivy Shen's side, sitting down beside her.

"Ivy..." the three called out, voices thick with tears, clearly having just cried their hearts out.

Hearing them, Ivy Shen stopped singing, finally noticing how the three were covered in wounds and blood, yet their faces were full of worry.

"Adrian... Lucian... Ethan..." Ivy's tears flowed again, endlessly like the sea.

Adrian pulled Ivy into his arms, hugging her fiercely; Lucian and Ethan each gripped her hands, holding tight... very tight.

"Adrian... are they really dead? Are they really gone?" Ivy sobbed in his arms, her voice choked with tears.

"Ivy..." Adrian's tears began to flow uncontrollably at her words.

Just yesterday, everything was fine; we were eating hotpot, talking about hometowns... Adrian, why did they lie to me? Why did they have to lie? It hurts so much, I can't breathe, it hurts so much..." Ivy clung to Adrian's collar, lost and helpless like a child.

"Ivy..." Lucian and Ethan called out in pain, voices thick with tears.

Do you know why Liam Willow can fight? It's because of Black Reaper... Ever since Little Snowball was born..." Ivy Shen muttered to herself, starting to ramble, her words shocking the three men.

I promised them—if I killed Cao Wan’er with my own hands, I’d go with them, as long as you were all safe. But why, why did they lie to me? Why?!" Ivy’s voice rose to a scream, furious and anguished.

"No, they didn’t lie to you!" Adrian grabbed her shoulders, straightening her up and wiping her tears, forcing a smile. "Silly girl, we all love you, we’d never lie to you!"

"Really?" Ivy stared at him, then looked at Lucian and Ethan.

"We’re not lying!" Lucian and Ethan nodded together.

"Ivy, we once said, no matter the ends of the earth or heaven or hell, we’ll always be together. Without you, life isn’t worth living. If the King of the Underworld likes our family so much, let’s just move into the underworld!" Adrian said seriously.

Hearing this, Ivy's brow furrowed, her heart skipping a beat. "What do you mean?"

"Ivy, since the Black and White Reaper want to take you, why don’t we all go together? That way, our family can be together again!" Lucian said quickly.

After hearing what she said, the three men all reached the same conclusion at once.

"What nonsense!" Ivy suddenly shoved Adrian away, staring at them in surprise. "What are you trying to do? What are you trying to do?"

"Ivy..." The three men were stunned by her intense reaction.

Do you think I haven’t suffered enough? What more do you want—do you want to stab me in the heart again?" Ivy Shen screamed through her tears. "Everything I’ve fought for was for you, for your safety—do you understand? Just safety!"

Hearing they wanted to die, her heart hurt so much she could barely breathe.

"Ivy..."

"Don’t call me that!" Ivy screamed like she’d lost her mind, slapping away their outstretched hands. Pointing at Adrian, she shouted, "Your son just turned one month old—do you want him to have no mother and no father?"

And you—your Chu Kingdom just stabilized! What are you trying to do, throw everything away? Your sister hasn’t settled yet; do you want her to be lonely forever? Do you want your people to suddenly lose their emperor?

And you—if you’re gone, who’ll teach Little Snowball about poison, who’ll teach him not to be tricked?" Ivy’s voice choked up again.

"Ivy..." The three men’s tears kept flowing.

Please, I’m begging you—don’t do anything stupid, okay? I can’t take any more pain. I’m already a dying person; I never really belonged here. I’ve already killed four people, I don’t want to lose you too, I don’t!" Ivy covered her face, feeling utterly wronged.

"Ivy..." Adrian stepped forward and hugged her tightly again.

Promise me—don’t do anything stupid. None of you can leave. You still have so much to do... Song Zhijue’s matter isn’t resolved, and I want you to take good care of Little Snowball, live well..." Ivy sobbed in Adrian’s arms.

"Ivy..." Her words made the three men deeply uneasy.

Raising her head, Ivy quickly sealed their acupoints, moving with lightning speed.

You can’t leave. You still have so much to do. I never belonged here—I’m just going back to where I should go." She gazed up at the pitch-black night sky, smiling bitterly. "The underworld is so cold; the four of them must be so lost.

Turning, she walked to each of them and kissed them one by one, then gave her brightest smile. "Promise me, live well for my sake, live well—because you still have Little Snowball!"

The three, their acupoints sealed, wanted to speak but couldn’t make a sound. They could only stare at Ivy, their eyes filled with deep worry.

It’s all over, it’s all over..." Ivy muttered. In the next moment, before anyone could react, she grabbed the knife from the ground and aimed it at her throat, ready to cut. She was going to the underworld to find them, to force Black and White Reaper to give them back!

No----

The three men screamed in their hearts, No----

Just then, a thunderous boom echoed from the sky, and a huge sphere crashed down beside Ivy Shen, sending snow flying everywhere.

The powerful burst of qi instantly unlocked the three men's acupoints.

The giant sphere hit the ground with a plop, golden light flashing inside. In the center, a person was curled up, who slowly stood, dusted himself off, and grinned: "Haha, I’m finally back!"

Seeing this, Ivy’s sword clattered to the ground, tears streaming down her face again.

"Shifu!" Ivy cried out, tears of joy streaming down her face.

Her shout stunned everyone. Shifu—wasn’t Ivy’s master Daoist Xuanluo? Could it be—could he be the Serpent Realm Immortal, Daoist Xuanluo?!