I let out a cold laugh. "Do you really think I know nothing?"
"What?"
The leader of the valley looked somewhat shocked. "Impossible, you can't know!"
I cast a disdainful glance at him. "You weren't content with living such a short life, so you raised the Tree Spirit to extend your own life."
"And yet, you didn't expect it to backfire."
"You still couldn't accept it, so you set your sights on us."
"Using my father, using my mother, causing Sister's death, and theirs as well."
"Weren't you always wanting your parents dead? I'm just helping you!"
His words sent a jolt through me.
It was true; I had thought that way.
I had never been happy growing up. If it weren't for the valley leader's company, I would have been dead long ago.
"But you used me too."
I forced a bitter smile. "You told me about the Tree Spirit just so I would inform my mother and father, letting them know its purpose."
"And you wanted our family to extend its life."
"You said my father is the Heavenly Lacking Person who needs life extension, but in reality, it's you who needs it."
"You are the one destined for a short life."
The valley leader shook the bell in his hand. "Zhou Ming, you're smarter than I imagined."
"Since you've figured it out, you should understand that your lives have been in my hands from the very beginning."
"All that awaits you is death."
As soon as the words of the Valley Master fell, her eyes were unveiled.
A tree-like single eye appeared before me, with a mouth full of sharp fangs in the center. The eye emitted a dark aura, and the surrounding vines suddenly thickened several times. I was surrounded by the Tree Spirit.
"Zhou Ming, do you have any last words before you die? I will answer them all for you."
"What’s wrong with your eye?"
The Valley Master touched her own eye. "This was caused by the poison of the Tree Spirit when I was young. This bell is something I specially made to control the Tree Spirit."
"I see."
I glanced at my father in the cocoon. "My father is also a Person of Heavenly Shadow, right?"
The Valley Master nodded. "That's right, your father is also a Person of Heavenly Shadow. He was brought to me to extend his life; he was destined to be short-lived."
"This is all because of you."
I let out a bitter laugh. "Our family has suffered so much because of you."
My father's voice from within the cocoon turned into a whimper, and suddenly, the Valley Master's body elongated several times, tightly wrapping around the cocoon. My father's voice quickly faded away.
I knew that my fate would be the same as his. Our lives had been in someone else's hands from the very beginning; all that awaited us was death.
"Zhou Ming, if you have anything else to say, hurry up. Out of our past connections, I'll let you die with clarity."
The Valley Master squinted at me. "Make it quick; I’m in a hurry to refine."
I remained silent for a while before finally looking up at the Valley Master. "Did you ever feel a shred of regret when you killed Sister?"
The Valley Master wore a disdainful expression. "To survive, one can do anything."
"So that's how it is."
I looked into her eyes. "Since you anticipated that Sister would be divided into parts within each tree, then you should know that you didn’t kill me; you killed Sister."
"I was the one chosen at that time, while it was Sister who became part of the trees."
"What are you talking about?" the leader said impatiently.
"Actually, you've always known; you just don't want to admit it."
I forced a bitter smile and continued, "You’ve always felt guilty towards me, which is why you treat me well. But you also want to survive, so you chose to raise me as a tool for prolonging your life."
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