Chapter 172: Chapter 172

"Li Tianyao, Gu Shifang knows your secret, and you didn’t want him to speak out, so you dealt him a heavy hand, right?"

The man turned sideways, meeting her gaze.

"Why would you think that?"

"Gu Shifang has been begging for death. Even when he cursed you so harshly before, you endured it. It makes no sense that you couldn’t bear just being called non-human! So, what is it that he didn’t say out loud?"

Li Tianyao lifted his hand to brush the Buddha Beads on his wrist.

"I guess what you don’t want him to reveal is that you’re just like him! You can both be reborn, right?

"You said that every time Gu Shifang dies, he takes the ring with him, which means you’ve seen him die and take the ring.

"But the ring has been in my possession since I was two years old. I’m certain it has never disappeared. So where does the conclusion come from that Gu Shifang takes the ring with him every time he dies?

"Unless you can also be reborn, and you’ve tangled with him several times!

"Gu Shifang’s requirements for his rebirth hosts are karmic compatibility. And your requirements, could it be blood relations? You only reincarnate into members of the Li Family, right?

"So, the successive heads of the Li Family have, in actuality, all been you after you’ve been reborn, right?"

An Yan looked fixedly into his eyes.

Li Tianyao laughed. He knew the young girl was very smart.

"When I mentioned Gu Shifang was a eunuch, his reaction was intense. The practice of eunuchs began in the Qin and Han dynasties, and in your dream, I saw you wearing clothes that seemed to be from the Tang Dynasty.

"Which means, the scenes in your dream weren’t just constructs of your subconscious; they actually happened!

"You were made into a medicinal puppet by Gu Shifang back in the Tang Dynasty, right? That means you must be... over a thousand years old by now?"

An Yan stared at him, her mouth agape in shock!

The concept of Immortality was always something she didn’t believe in, but the logic of her deductions was impeccable.

An Yan looked at Li Tianyao, slightly nervous, not sure whether she hoped his answer would be ’yes’ or ’no’.

His fingers instinctively moved toward the Buddha Beads but didn’t spin them. Instead, he pinched them, his knuckles white from the pressure.

Shock filled the girl’s eyes. Her red lips parted slightly, as if stunned silly by the revelation.

"So, you’re saying that both you and Gu Shifang, you two will never die? Even if you do, you’ll be reborn in someone else’s body?"

No wonder Gu Shifang said he wasn’t human!

With such ability, haven’t they transcended the realm of humanity?

Li Tianyao extended his hand to caress her face, but she suddenly pulled back, increasing the distance between them.

"Are you afraid of me?" His brows darkened.

"After you two are reborn in someone else’s body, what happens to the original person? Were they killed by you?" An Yan asked.

"Are you asking about Gu Shifang, or me?"

"Is there a difference? Aren’t you both the same?"

"We’re not the same! Gu Shifang is the one with Memory Rebirth! When he reincarnates into someone else’s body, the other person’s consciousness might be erased by him, or it might remain, like with Qin Song. He didn’t erase Qin Song’s consciousness, so what your fortunetelling reads is indeed Qin Song!"

"I do not have Memory Rebirth! I simply do not die! You guessed correctly. Every successive head of the Li Family has been me! After a certain period, I stage a death so everyone knows the head has died, then I return as the new head of the family."

"And nobody notices?"

"To prevent detection, every head of the Li Family is enigmatic! Not to mention outsiders, even members of the Li Family themselves rarely dare to look directly at the Head of Family!"

An Yan was speechless.

"Are you scared?" he asked.

"I am an immortal monster!"

"If I were scared, would you let me go?"

The man’s lips suddenly pressed into a thin line, his amber eyes clouded with a thick layer of dark clouds, as he coldly said,

An Yan looked at him speechlessly.

If you won’t, then why ask!

The man reached out and pulled her into his embrace.

"Little girl, it was you who just said that I am the partner you are willing to accompany for a lifetime!"

The man’s fingers gently traced her cheek, his eyes and brows tinged with a hint of possessiveness.

Indeed, that’s what she had said because, once again, he was willing to hurt himself for her sake!

Facing a man who valued her more than himself, which girl wouldn’t be moved?

But she had not expected that he would be someone with Immortality!

His chest was warm and comforting, his skin temperature just like any normal person’s.

His pectorals were firm, his heartbeat regular.

If a person wanted to achieve Immortality, they had to ensure their body’s cells remained forever young.

An Yan’s fingers instinctively moved towards his body.

She wanted to take some samples, to investigate!

Li Tianyao looked down at the little girl nestled against his chest. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novèlfire.net

Her small hands fumbled on his body, her translucent fingertips slipping into his clothes, pressing lightly against his chest with a slight coolness.

He hadn’t wanted to pay attention to it, but the sensations in his body were awakened by her touch.

The man’s eyes darkened, and he lowered his head to kiss her lips unceremoniously!

An Yan was taken aback. Huh?

Her actions might have given the wrong impression!

But since she had lit this fire, what could she do? She could only quietly let him take what he desired.

During their time together, she had figured out that Li Tianyao was someone who could be coaxed but not coerced.

The more she defied him, the more he wanted to control everything!

Her senses were enveloped by his breath, and memories flashed through her mind like a movie.

She thought of his dream.

It must have been intentional for him to let her into it.

His purpose must have been for her to discover the problem, so she could deduce the truth!

An Yan’s heart filled with a bittersweet mix of emotions.

She was touched by his protection and care for her, yet conflicted by his dominance.

Perhaps she should let down her guard and fully immerse herself in this relationship to give it a try?

Maybe, with her wholehearted devotion, he would soften and grant her the freedom she desired?

"What are you thinking about?"

Realizing the girl’s distracted state, the man finally let go of her lips.

An Yan maintained their hugging posture, looking up at him.

"If you knew all along that I could figure it out, why did you still kill Gu Shifang!

"Shouldn’t you have kept him alive so he could reveal his forces?

"Now that he’s dead, what if he goes straight to rebirth and regroups his forces? Aren’t you just handing him his starting equipment?"

Li Tianyao’s fingers moved from her shoulder to her earlobe, lightly pinching it.

"Don’t worry. Each of his rebirths requires a certain amount of time, enough for our people to dig out all his forces."

"Still, it would have been less trouble and effort to have him confess everything himself!" An Yan lamented.