Even Cassie Cao's eyes betrayed a trace of disappointment; Luna Cui's answer was not what she hoped for. Even a fool could see through the pretense in her response.
Feeling the disbelief from Cassie Cao and Andy Hou, Luna Cui lowered her head in silent surrender, not bothering to defend herself. No matter the circumstances, both Marlon Mao and Andy Hou had suffered from her schemes. Consumed by remorse, she wished for death rather than make excuses.
"I believe what she said," Joe Di suddenly interjected.
As Cassie Cao and Andy Hou looked at Joe Di in confusion, Joe Di continued, "From my memory, cultivators of extremely high skill can leave behind a remnant Primordial Soul after death. This remnant soul can occupy another's body and devour the host's soul spirit—a process known as Soul Possession. It's very likely Luna Cui was possessed by a powerful cultivator, which would explain her actions."
Soul Possession?
None of the three—Cassie Cao, Andy Hou, or Luna Cui—had ever heard of such a thing. They stared at Joe Di, confusion etched across their faces.
It was Cassie Cao who spoke up, "I believe what Joe Di said. Luna Cui must have been forced against her will..."
Cassie Cao originally wanted to ask about Marlon Mao's condition, but hesitated and chose not to. Luna Cui was already suffering enough; asking about Marlon Mao now would only add salt to her wounds.
Luna Cui wanted to thank Joe Di for trusting her, but when she thought of Marlon Mao, she couldn't utter a single word.
But Joe Di pressed further, "What puzzles me is this: if you were possessed, how are you still unharmed? Where did the Primordial Soul that possessed you go? If you tell me the soul left you on its own and spared you, I simply can't believe it. If a soul departs, it would surely devour your soul spirit before leaving."
This was precisely the source of Joe Di's confusion. If Luna Cui had truly been possessed, then the primordial soul that seized her body would have had no reason to let her go. Even if that soul chose to leave, it would have devoured Luna Cui's soul before departing. The thought that Luna Cui could turn the tables and consume the soul herself was nearly impossible—such a chance was less than one in ten thousand.
Luna Cui had never cultivated before. Facing a primordial soul that had schemed for ages, how could she possibly resist or retaliate? Even if the soul couldn't devour her spirit right away, it would wait patiently, growing stronger, until one day it would seize her soul entirely.
Luna Cui herself was lost in confusion. She remembered the moment the soul left her body, but as for why it hadn't devoured her soul, she had no answer.
"Don't be afraid, Luna. Just speak slowly and tell us everything. Joe, Andy Hou, and I will stand by your side," Cassie Cao said softly, her voice gentle and reassuring.
Though Andy Hou still didn't grasp the concept of Soul Possession, Joe Di's explanation had eased much of his resentment toward Luna Cui. Yet, the memory of Luna's own hand plotting against Marlon Mao left him unable to fully accept her.
Luna Cui nodded, her eyes filled with regret. "When Andy Hou was trying to escape, the soul inside me tried to force my body to chase him down and finish him off. But in that moment, I fought desperately for control. I had already wounded Andy Hou so severely in the first attack—how could I allow myself to hurt him again? In that fierce struggle, Andy Hou managed to escape..."
As Joe Di spoke of the primordial soul, Luna Cui started to recount her own experience with that soul.
Only now did Andy Hou understand why Luna Cui hadn't chased after him while he was gravely injured and fleeing. At that time, he was leaving a trail of blood and moving slowly, yet she never came after him.
Luna Cui continued, her voice trembling, "After Andy Hou escaped, the soul in my mind commanded me to kill Marlon Mao. I raised my blade, but in a desperate struggle, I slashed at my own neck instead..."
"Luna..." Cassie Cao anxiously grasped Luna Cui's hand, at a loss for words. Her worried gaze lingered on the deep scar that crossed Luna's neck.
Luna Cui’s eyes brimmed with tears as she spoke, "That soul grew furious, and tried to devour my consciousness—my very thoughts. I fought back with everything I had, knowing that if my mind was swallowed, I would be the first to kill Marlon Mao. Perhaps realizing it could not overcome my resistance, the soul gradually fell dormant. I suspect it was waiting for the moment I let my guard down."
I pleaded with Marlon Mao, 'Run! Something unknown is controlling my mind, and I can't fight it. I don't know when I might turn on you again.' Marlon Mao struggled to escape the stone cave, and after that, I lost track of what happened..."
Luna Cui's voice grew thick with guilt. Marlon Mao was gravely wounded—worse than Andy Hou. In such a state, escaping would be nearly impossible, especially with savage beasts prowling outside.
"Maybe Marlon Mao is still alive... Luna, I'm sorry. I always thought you were the villain and cursed you countless times in secret. I..." Andy Hou faltered, raising a hand to smack his own forehead in regret.
Luna Cui shook her head wordlessly. Even if Andy Hou and Marlon Mao could forgive her, she could never forgive herself.
"How did you end up here? And is the soul that possessed you still inside?" Cassie Cao asked, her voice trembling with nervousness.
Luna Cui replied, "The soul realized that as long as I didn't harm Marlon Mao or Andy Hou, my resistance wasn't so fierce, so it spared them and left the stone cave to focus on its own cultivation. Over time, I learned a few ways to resist its influence. For reasons I cannot comprehend, even as its power grew, it never fully consumed my mind. Eventually, it came to Tianhuang City."
"Did Da Huang Mu attack you the moment you arrived in Tianhuang City?" Joe Di guessed, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Luna Cui nodded. "The soul didn't know that Da Huang Mu and many powerful cultivators in Tianhuang City were searching for you. They had already discovered that I went to Tianhuang District with you. So when I appeared in the city, I was immediately surrounded and easily subdued. I had resigned myself—being killed by those cultivators was better than being possessed by a mysterious soul."
What I never expected was that, after I was restrained, the soul actually left my body..."
"How did you know, Luna?" Andy Hou asked, his voice full of curiosity and concern.
Luna Cui replied with certainty, "I always wished I could drive that soul out of my body, so I became deeply familiar with its presence. The moment it left, I sensed it instantly. My whole body felt lighter, as if a great weight had been lifted... and, and..."
"And what?" Joe Di pressed, leaning forward with urgency.
Luna Cui hesitated, then continued, "I suspect that after leaving my body, the soul possessed another girl. Her father was pushing her along, probably wanting her to witness the excitement of Tianhuang City. She was so thin and fragile, like a dry twig that could be snapped by the wind. I remember seeing her father in the newspaper—he seemed to be Zeng He, the head of the Zeng Group..."
"So that's it," Joe Di murmured, the realization dawning on him. No wonder Zeng He's daughter, sickly for so many years, suddenly recovered—it was far too strange to be a mere coincidence.
What's more, the girl suffered from Nirvana Essence Disease—a rare affliction that, without someone like Joe Di to clear her meridians, could only be cured by the highest cultivation legacy or supreme techniques. Otherwise, how could she possibly recover?
Cassie Cao asked, "Did Da Huang Mu hang you up in order to force you to reveal Joe Di's whereabouts?"
Luna Cui nodded, her voice resolute. "Yes, they wanted to know where Joe Di was. He and I went to Tianhuang District together. Even if they killed me, I would never betray his location. Da Huang Mu tortured me in every way, suspending me from the city archway—keeping me barely alive, interrogating me every day."
"Luna, I'm sorry. I thought you had betrayed us." Andy Hou said, his voice heavy with remorse. Now that the truth was revealed, his heart was filled with guilt toward Luna Cui.