The Black Crow glanced at her, ignoring her. He looked up, pressing his foot against the wall, attempting to climb up by leveraging it.

However, once the conversation started, the Mercury Wooden Horse seemed unable to stop her desire to pour herself out: "We started to learn to read at the age of four. I learned two hundred words in just half a month, but you didn't learn a single one, not even recognizing numbers. Everyone realized you might be cursed by the Void Realm. Back then, I often comforted you, hugged you, but after a few days, I saw you seeking out the Master to train your body, looking completely unfazed. That's when I began to resent you."

"Later on, I summoned my first Technique Spirit and became a Mage. I was excited to share the news with you, only to see you shatter a giant stone with a punch, and suddenly I wasn't happy anymore."

"I unexpectedly received the Prophetic Faction inheritance and was officially appointed as the White Crow. I had barely felt any joy for a few days when I heard the news of you defeating the Judgement Warrior. Fortunately, the sect still didn't agree to let you become a Warrior. You have no idea how delighted I was to hear that—as if tasting honey—but soon you disappeared, and when I saw you again, you were dragging back the corpse of the Evil Crow."

"There are so many things, do you know how much I wished for you to die on missions, to die at someone else's hands? But you're like a cockroach, refusing to die no matter what, surviving every time, and becoming stronger each time. Do you know how gross you are, how detestable?"

"Why don't you just die and admit you're worthless? Why do you always live so strong?" As the Mercury Wooden Horse spoke, her voice gradually filled with resentment, and even her hands started trembling with anger: "You're just an ordinary person who can't even read!"

"Now, aren't you feeling satisfied, having the Mercury Wooden Horse of the Four Pillars God Sect in your grasp, with my life and death under your control? Achieving what countless others couldn't as a 'weakling', doesn't it give you a sense of accomplishment?"

The Black Crow, while struggling to climb, replied: "Because I want to protect you, I can't hesitate, I can't be lazy. Only by taking the strongest and hardest path can I stand beside you."

"Did I ever ask you to protect me?" The Mercury Wooden Horse said, "Wouldn't it have been fine for a worthless person like you to stay in the sect and cook?"

"You did say it."

"When did I ever say it?"

"When we were very young, perhaps right when we started learning to read," the Black Crow said. "We were playing outside and both fell, scraping our knees. You cried immediately, and I... I should have wanted to cry from the pain too, but when I saw you crying, I held it in, because I realized this was where I was stronger than you. Then I comforted you, promising I wouldn't let you get hurt again."

The blood hole in the palm of Mercury Wooden Horse's right hand was still oozing, trailing down her arm into her sleeve.

"Yes," she said. "I'm afraid of pain, afraid of fatigue, afraid of death, afraid of the dark, afraid of ghosts, afraid of thieves, dare not sleep alone at night, don't know any combat magic, and often burst into tears. I'm just a weakling."

"Which is why I hate you, hate you to death. We're identical twins, yet why are you so strong through all these misfortunes, maintaining a pure belief, while I'm so weak?"

"If you were afraid of death like me, maybe you'd join me..."

"Impossible," the Black Crow said. "Even if I'm afraid of death, I won't betray the sect."

"You would," said the Mercury Wooden Horse. "If you knew Ya Sha Jin was about to be destroyed."

"What do you mean?"

"Ya Sha Jin has offended too many sects. I've advised them multiple times, but nobody listened to me. Tribulation Fire Temple, the Rotating Light Sect, and several others have already teamed up to prepare for exterminating Ya Sha Jin," Mercury Wooden Horse said. "Ya Sha Jin won't compromise, you all aren't afraid of death, but I am, I don't want to die!"

"Even if I'm captured, as the White Crow I might still be killed. Even if I'm not killed, I would be shunned, unable to gain trust, perhaps even secretly murdered!"

"So when I was favored by the Gods of Four Pillars, becoming the touch of the Four Pillars God, I thought, since destruction loomed, why not make use of myself as a 'worthless person'? Starting development from a sect's small town, thankfully Ya Sha Jin had a good reputation, my initial evangelism was smooth-sailing, and then I infiltrated the sect… You know what happened after."

The Black Crow's grip slightly tightened, leaving a red mark on the Mercury Wooden Horse's wrist: "You didn't have to oppose the sect."

"But the sect would oppose me," the Mercury Wooden Horse said. "Ya Sha Jin and the Four Pillar God Sect are natural enemies. Rather than waiting for you to become my enemies, it's better to strike first. I'm afraid of you."

"If you didn't want to be buried along with them, why didn't you just run away?" the Black Crow asked. "Even if the others don't want to leave, I would definitely be willing to go with you!"

"We have no Great Skill. How do we survive in the Wasteland? Moreover, we're the Black and White Crow. After opposing sects destroy Ya Sha Jin, how could they not send people to hunt us down?"

"We could start anew, reorganizing the sect after Ya Sha Jin's destruction, and then—"

"See, this is what I hate most about you," the Mercury Wooden Horse gave a bitter smile. "How can you so easily say things I can't do?"

"I am the enjoyment-loving Tanomu, not the idealistic Tamasi."

Her body suddenly began to tremble violently: "I lied to you. The rebirth container isn't that simple. Preparations need to be made beforehand, I've only prepped this one container in two years. No matter where I die, I will just die, not reincarnate into any other person."

"Moreover," her teeth chattered, tears streaming down as she cried softly: "This time, a catastrophe—afraid everyone will die..."

She looked up at the Black Crow and sniffled, laughing through tears: "But you, Tamasi, don't seem affected… How laughable is it that a Void Realm insulator like you can survive such a great catastrophe?"

"Everyone has their own misfortunes, and their own fortunes. Who knows if misfortune won't be fortune?"

"Go ahead, do it." She trembled saying: "You hate me too, right? Rather than letting the catastrophe kill me, you'd prefer to personally kill me, wouldn't you?"

"I don't hate you," said the Black Crow. "I just resent you."

"Just like you can't truly hate me, you only resent me. The line between love and hate is inherently blurred, you just occasionally resent me, and frequently love me."

"I can still manage to keep going, without giving up."

"But right now, I really do hate you!" Tears sparkled in the Mercury Wooden Horse's eyes: "Can't you understand! I'm scared, I'm going to die, but I don't know what will happen—will it hurt, will it be uncomfortable—I'm so scared, I'm scared to death!"

"If you kill me, at least I can die without enduring unknown torment!"

"And after dying, there's still Hell... I'm so afraid..." She trembled all over: "Will there be many waiting to take revenge on me, will there be long-lasting torture waiting, and then, and then..."

She hiccuped as she cried, the snot bubbling up, looking at the Black Crow through tear-filled eyes.

"Tamasi, save me..."

The Black Crow looked at the person he was holding hands with. Once upon a time, they often held hands like this, but she was no longer the pure White Crow, not even who she used to be, just a notorious sinner.

Yet the Black Crow sighed, and said: "Look at me, don't move."

He shook his head, and the crow mask fell off automatically, spinning in the air for a round before landing on Mercury Wooden Horse's face.

"I don't know if it will work," Tamasi said. "But maybe dying with this mask on can scare away some people's retribution in Hell and gain some people's help."

"Go down first and wait for me, I'll probably soon be down to help redeem you."

However, the Mercury Wooden Horse just stared at Tamasi, saying: "Two years apart... you're still so beautiful, far more beautiful than me..."

"Perhaps that's also why I hate you, I always felt that during our gestation, I took away your knowledge but you took all the beauty and perseverance, I was left with less."

"You owe me so much, so I'll just take this mask." The Mercury Wooden Horse said, her body trembling more and more intensely, her words rushing: "I'll be waiting for you, don't need to redeem me, just being with me is enough, the thing I fear most is being alone... Are you really willing to come with me?"

At that moment, there was no deceit, no resentment on the Mercury Wooden Horse's unfamiliar face, just a sincere expression: "You really want to stay by my side?"

"Of course."

Tamasi watched as his sister turned to water, slipping through his fingers.

"I've been by your side all along, even before we were born."

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