"I've been pretty lucky, you know. Without the Ten Thousand Venoms Hand, I probably wouldn't have scared those people off. Even if I'd made a snap decision to take everyone and leave, there's no guarantee we could've broken through those tough enemies. With the Ten Thousand Venoms Hand, I can force the poison down for a while, and that's how I've lasted this long." Joan actually started comforting Simone: "I've had a good run these days, got to enjoy some of the happiness I missed out on before. I'm content. You've been around the block too, used to be a boss yourself, so life and death shouldn't weigh so heavy on you. Don't let it get to you."
Simone fell silent. Even her chest stopped moving, like she'd turned into a stone statue. After a long pause, Simone finally took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Is there really no way? The world is huge, full of talented people—I can't believe no one can cure your poison. It's not time to give up yet."
"I know my own situation best. Look—" Joan raised her hands. Under Simone's gaze, her once smooth, delicate hands seemed to age in an instant, shriveling up as if they'd been through centuries.
An ominous, murky aura tangled through every vein like a spiderweb, covering every inch of skin from fingertips to wrist, and spreading like a virus up toward her elbow. That dark energy had already crept over two-thirds of her forearm—it wouldn't be long before it reached her elbow.
Anyone else would probably lose their mind seeing this, but Joan just looked calmly at her frightening hands. "This is how I really am now. Honestly, it hurts—a lot. Feels like endless venomous bugs crawling and biting me. I have to use all my strength and focus just to keep it in check, so I can't sense you like I used to."
"What if you chop them off?" Simone suggested, her expression complicated and ruthless. "If you force all the poison into your hands, I'll cut them off for you. Losing your hands is better than losing your life, right?"
"Wouldn't work. The poison's already spread through my whole body. I'm just using the Ten Thousand Venoms Hand technique to keep it down for now—the venom isn't really just in my hands. If I lost them, it'd actually backfire and I'd die instantly." Joan sentenced herself: "It's not like I don't value life. In the beginning, I tried everything, thought through every option. But trust me, if I can't suppress it with a hundred and thirty-six years of skill, no one alive can cure it."
"Trust you?" Simone suddenly gave a bitter laugh and sighed. "Boss, this time I really don't want to trust you. By the way, why haven't you told Jill Young about this?"
Joan let out a long, quiet sigh. "I'm done for anyway. Not telling her just saves her some grief. Better a quick pain than a long one—let her find out at the end. For now, I just want to spend these last days right, finish the things only I can do, and then I can go in peace."
Simone's fingers gripped her skirt tighter and tighter, until—rip!—she tore the hem clean off.
Suddenly, she exploded—so worked up she couldn't control herself, yelling like she'd lost her mind: "No way! I won't accept this! Why should I? Who says you're hopeless, who says you're doomed? You're not some miracle doctor! If we put our heads together, there's nothing we can't beat! Hey, Jill Young is pretending to be the head eunuch now, right? She can round up every top healer in the land. I'll take your blood and find her right now—no way we can't cure you!"
With that, she lunged for the jade bottle. But Joan waved her hand—there was a blur, and the bottle shifted, leaving Simone grabbing at thin air.
Simone froze, then gritted her teeth and threw everything she had at it. Purple shadows spun, red light danced—she moved like a thousand-armed goddess, her hands everywhere, filling the room. But Joan just flicked her fingers a couple times, casually tugged here and there, and the jade bottle bounced around like it was alive. No matter what Simone tried, she couldn't catch it.
Boom! Purple-red light exploded. Simone glared at Joan, teeth clenched, but Joan just smiled: "Don't underestimate me. I'm not so weak you can push me around. They say there's great terror between life and death, but once you see through it, your skills shoot up. Honestly, I'm stronger now than ever."
Simone was mad and impressed at the same time. She spun on her heel and stomped out: "I'm getting her over here. We'll see who's pushing who."
"Stop right there." Joan finally frowned and barked, "Don't you dare!"
"You think you can stop me now?" This time Simone was the one with the upper hand. She pointed to her throat: "Even if you could hold me back, you can't silence me. If I really let loose and yell, the whole city of Lin'an would wake up. You know I started training my voice to sound the alarm—it's my specialty."
"Sigh..." Joan let out a long breath. Voice masters are a real pain in situations like this. Since she couldn't win by force, she had to reason with her: "If you care about her, don't tell her. If Jill Young finds out, who knows what she'll do. Whatever it is, it's bound to be risky. She's not strong enough yet—not unbeatable. There are still people and things out there that could kill her. If she charges into danger, who knows what might happen."
"I'm already doomed, so why make her take risks?"
"If something happened to her, how could I ever rest easy?"
"So, Simone, don't tell her. Just treat it as my last wish."
Simone's lips parted, words stuck in her throat. She struggled, over and over, then finally stomped her foot in frustration: "Last wish, last wish—you're breaking the rules! I don't get it, I really don't! Why are you doing this? It's normal to want to live. Who doesn't fight to survive? All those dangers, those risks—they're just possibilities! Why give up just because of a maybe? That's not right, that's not normal!"
Joan gave a faint smile. "You don't get it?"
That faint smile drove Simone even crazier. "I don't get it, I just don't! Explain it to me! If you can't make it make sense, I don't care about your last wish!"
"Someday, when you meet someone you'd risk everything for—someone who makes you forget life and death—you'll understand." Joan's eyes sparkled, like a dazzling dream: "She's not just my friend. She's given me more than you could ever imagine."
"Without her, I'd have died on Snow Mountain ages ago—ground up and eaten."
"Without her, Lingjiu Palace would've fallen long ago, and the palace girls would probably be sold off as slaves in Persia by now."
"She's the savior of everyone in the Xiaoyao Sect."
"But it's not just about saving lives. She's the one who showed me that what I chase isn't some impossible dream. She let me see that my goals aren't just wishful thinking. When she made 'Unrivaled Under Heaven' a reality, I saw hope—so clear, so bright, right within reach."
"She's a wonder, really. There's this special glow about her—makes everyone around her like her, trust her. If she says 'We can do it!' then you just know it's true. If she says 'It's possible!' then it is. That trust and affection bring more and more people to her side, so when she says 'Forward!' we all move forward together."
"She's like a blaze, giving everyone warmth and strength."
"Only a fire like that could light up the whole world. Only someone that extraordinary could cut through every river and barrier in the way."
"All my life's dreams are tied up in her."
"But that fire's still small—it needs more fuel before it can really roar."
"Simone, you must've felt it too—things are awkward and weird for us now. And at the heart of it, it's because we've got two tigers on one mountain. I've told everyone to treat her like they treat me, raised her position as much as I can, but this is the limit."
"Lingjiu Palace and Unrivaled Under Heaven—who's really in charge?"
"The Supreme Leader and the Young Palace Mistress—whose word counts?"
"When something big happens, do you report to her first, or ask me?"
"Even for you, having two bosses—doesn't it get confusing?"
"Don't argue, don't explain—I know. The kids are drawn to that fire, they're already following her. But because I'm still around, there's still confusion and hesitation. Even you—officially you're servant to both of us, but honestly, you're closer to her. She loves to mess with you, but I see it—you're fond of her too. I can tell you've changed a lot because of her."
"But I'm not the same. I didn't get it before, but after everything, now I do."
"I can't command the world or see the big picture. To most people, I'm just a half-decent martial artist. To the Xiaoyao Sect, I'm just a soft-hearted matriarch. Even if I was unbeatable, it wouldn't change the world. I know myself—no matter how determined I am, I can't lead everyone through every trial, can't take more people where they want to go."
"I realized it when we restructured the Xiaoyao Sect—even when she and I gave the same order, there were still two camps underneath. When the Feiying Division moved out, it was even clearer. Sometimes, the girls like Ying Qianhua didn't know who to go to first, didn't know who the real leader was. If you don't plan ahead, trouble's sure to come. My presence is out of place now—it just leaves room for scheming and hidden dangers in the future."
"One sky can't have two suns, one people can't have two rulers—makes sense, doesn't it?"
"Simone, I might look young, but don't let appearances fool you. I'm already old, don't have many good years left. Even at my best, I barely had forty years. Now, I'm burning through what little life I have just to hang on. Even if I cure the poison, I've only got a moment left. So, really, I'm the perfect piece of firewood."
"Don't pity me, don't feel sad for me. In ninety-six years, this is the first time I've felt so satisfied."
"I don't care about power, or clinging to youth. I'm just an ordinary woman."
"You're right—once a woman falls for someone, nothing belongs to her anymore."
"I'm the same way."
"She's my hero—my champion above all others."
"All I want is to tie her cloak, say a few words, and send her off when my hero rides out."
"I want to watch her laugh at the world and ride wherever she pleases."
"I hope one day, in heaven or on earth, she'll stand above everyone else."