No More of You

Hayes Carter could hear my system. The system said, "Host, your affection is maxed out. Do you wish to return to reality?" After hearing that, his expression turned grim immediately. However, he did not hear my choked reply, "I won't leave. I want him." Thus, he left me on our wedding day and fed the ancient snow lily to his junior, Tessa Laughlin, who had just scraped her skin. He thought that as long as he lowered my affection for him and made my mission fail, I would never be able to leave him. It was why he allowed Tessa to destroy my mystical talent. Even on the day Tessa was meant to go through her trial, he allowed her to shatter my Soulsword. She stepped on my broken sword, laughing innocently. "Luna Williams, Hayes can't bear to see me in pain, so I could only use you to shield me." Hayes used Immortal Shackles to bind me tightly to the Lightning Pillar. A barrage of lightning struck, and I collapsed onto the Immortal Execution Platform, covered in blood. The system rang again. "Your affection is about to reach zero. Shall I reopen the exit passage?" This time, I did not hesitate. "Yes." Chapter 1 I lay in the blood, my flesh pressed against the iron chain. Even the slightest movement would cause searing pain. Hayes Carter stood not far away. His eyes remained indifferent, but those eyes that had once kissed my forehead now looked over me and focused on Tessa Laughlin first. Tessa was shielded behind him, wearing his cloak. Her face was as pale as snow. "Hayes, is Luna Williams still blaming me?" She gently grasped the sleeve of Hayes' coat. "I really didn't know that sword was her Soulsword. When the lightning fell during my trial, I was so scared that I used it to block it." Hayes muttered, "You haven't fully recovered. Talk less." He gathered her cloak gently. His movement was very light. He had also helped me gather my clothes like this on countless cold nights before. I looked at him, a mouthful of blood rising in my throat. "Hayes, my sword is broken." He frowned slightly. "I know, but a broken sword can be recast." I suddenly smiled. It turned out that to him, life was nothing more than a broken object that could be repaired. "You knew?" I raised my right hand, my fingertips still stained with blood from the backlash. "Then you should also know that a shattered sword is like a broken life. When you asked me to take the lightning for her, did you ever think about how much pain I would feel?" Tessa's eyes reddened. "Luna, I didn't ask you to take the lightning for me..." Hayes' expression darkened. "Luna, Tessa almost died from the lightning trial. She didn't do it on purpose." He was giving the same excuse again. My sword could shatter, my blood could flow, and my life could be used as a stepping stone for her. The system voice sounded in my mind, "Your health is below 20%. Immortal Soul damaged. Preparing for exit." Hayes seemed to have heard it too. I saw his fingers stiffen slightly. However, he quickly got over that slight lapse. His eyes seemed even colder than before. "It's that voice again." He walked up to me, looking down at me. "Luna, you're always using this to pressure me, aren't you?" I froze. He thought I was pressuring him. Hayes leaned down and lifted my chin. He gently wiped the blood from my lips, his touch still carrying a hint of past affection. However, his tone was as cold as ice. "If you really wanted to leave, you would have left already." I looked at him, my chest feeling like it had been ripped open. "Hayes, I'm not using this to force you." "Then what do you want? Do you want me to abandon Tessa in front of everyone and save you first?" His voice was extremely low. I could not speak for a moment. Not because his question was harsh but because the old Hayes would always save me first. Even if I had only broken a teacup, he would have held my hand and looked at it for a long time. Now, I was covered in blood, but he thought I was vying for his favor. Hayes released me, his expression returning to normal. "Apologize to Tessa." I looked up at him, the light in my eyes slowly fading. "Why should I?" Tessa hurriedly said, "Hayes, no need. Luna is injured—" "It's precisely because she's injured. She should know better," Hayes interrupted her. He looked at me, his eyes filled with disappointment and weariness. "Luna, you weren't like this before." I suddenly laughed. "What was I like before?" He did not answer but simply raised his hand, and a disciple of Disciplinary Hall stepped forward, pressing a Mystic Suppressing Nail against my wrist bone. My face paled instantly. Once that thing entered the body, it would seal mystic energy, preventing the wound from healing itself. Hayes looked at me, his voice indifferent. "Stand outside Tessa's courtyard. You'll be released when you apologize." I tried to sit up, supporting myself with my hands, but the backlash from my broken sword had not subsided. The moment my right hand touched the ground, the Mystic Suppressing Nail pierced my bone. I shuddered in pain, my fingers buckling limply. With a crack, my bone fractured. A flicker of emotion crossed Hayes' eyes as he reached out to help me, but Tessa coughed softly. His hand froze in mid-air before withdrawing. I understood at that moment that he was not unaware of my pain; he just thought I could endure it. The system rang again. "Your affection level has decreased. Current affection points: 12." Hayes' expression grew even colder upon hearing this. As if his pride had been wounded by the notification, he turned and took Tessa's hand. "Take her away." After taking a few steps, he stopped. "Spare her life. Don't let her die before tomorrow's ceremony." Chapter 2 When I was dragged outside Tessa's house, the sky was beginning to brighten. Snow was falling softly in the mountains, landing on the stone steps and soon turning my blood into a pale red color. The disciple guarding the gate placed his sword sheath against my shoulder when he saw that I could not keep my balance. "Luna, the sect master instructed you to stand upright." I glanced up at him. In the past, they would respectfully call me 'Lady Luna' whenever they saw me. A day had barely passed, and I was already being addressed differently. The door opened. Tessa emerged, dressed in a white wedding dress. I saw the cuff of her dress and was stunned for a moment. In the center of the lily flower was a tiny 'H' symbol, which I had embroidered there myself. I had spent seven sleepless nights preparing for the wedding ceremony. Hayes would sit by the lamp, massaging my sore wrists and saying, "Luna, don't worry. There's still a long way ahead." I believed him. Later, I learned that whether life was long or short was not up to fate but to the heart. Tessa glanced down at the wedding dress and then quickly covered it with her sleeve, as if remembering something. "Luna, don't misunderstand." Her voice was soft. "Hayes said this dress was originally prepared for the ceremony, and it would be a waste to leave it unused. I was just trying it on. I didn't intend to steal it from you." She spoke aggrievedly, her fingers gently tracing the lily pattern on the cuffs. I looked at her and suddenly felt a little tired. "Keep it on." Tessa froze. My voice was barely audible. "Besides, you look like you don't feel awkward wearing something you stole." Her face paled, and tears quickly rolled down her cheeks. "Why would you say that about me?" Felix Payton came over, his expression immediately darkening upon seeing this. "Even now, you refuse to repent?" He slapped my shoulder. I was already unsteady on my feet, and the impact sent me tumbling down the stone steps. My back hit a stone beast, and blood gushed from my throat. Tessa rushed forward but stopped after only two steps, as if startled. "Felix, don't hit her. I know how much Luna has been suffering." She lowered her eyes, her voice soft with almost pity. "She used to have mystical talent, her soulsword, and you. Now, she has none of that, so it's no wonder she blames me." Every sentence was spoken softly, reopening my wounds. Hayes had ruined my mystical talent himself. That day, Tessa's heart was invaded by demonic energy, and the healer said she needed a pure mystical talent to suppress it. Hayes sat by my bedside all night. When I woke up, his eyes were bloodshot. He held my hand and whispered, "Luna, Tessa won't make it to dawn." I asked him, "So?" He remained silent for a long time before finally leaning over and kissing my fingertips. "Your cultivation is advanced. Losing a portion of mystical talent won't cause fundamental harm." The pain from that night was excruciating. It was so painful that I bit half of the pillow. When Tessa woke up, she sobbed and said that she could not bear it. Hayes held her, his voice gentle. "It's over." His remark concluded my flesh and blood. From then on, my hand trembled whenever I held a sword. Later, the sword shattered. I still remembered the day she stepped on my broken sword, her eyes wet as she asked, "You won't blame me, right?" I closed my eyes. When I opened my eyes again, Hayes was already in the yard. He saw Tessa crying and saw me covered in blood, but his first question was, "What did you say to upset her this time?" Looking back now, it was not surprising at all. I slowly sat up, using the stone steps for support, and looked up at the wedding dress on Tessa. "I wish you happiness." She froze. "I wish you happiness wearing my wedding dress, wielding my mystical talent, stepping on my broken sword, and growing old with Hayes." Silence fell over the yard. The color drained from Tessa's face. That was when Hayes arrived. He walked quickly, his pant legs stirring up the thin layer of snow on the steps. Tessa threw herself into his arms almost immediately. "Hayes, I really didn't want to upset Luna." Hayes supported her, his gaze falling on my face. At that moment, I thought he would ask if I was still in pain, but he only said, "Luna, the ceremony's today." I chuckled. "So?" His gaze darkened. "Do you really want to make a scene in front of the entire sect?" Make a scene? He thought I was just making a scene. I looked at him and retorted, "Hayes, you're so respectable." His expression changed slightly. I continued to chuckle. "You used my life to heal her wounds, and my wedding dress as your dowry. In the end, you blame me for not being quiet enough." Hayes gripped my wrist, the force so heavy it felt like he was crushing that Mystic Suppressing Nail. He whispered, "Enough. Luna, don't say such hurtful things." My heart trembled when he mentioned my name. I would always relent when he called me like that in the past. This time, all I felt was a chilling emptiness. Tessa cried and tugged at his sleeve. "Hayes, maybe I shouldn't marry you. This way, Luna won't hate you." Hayes was silent for a moment. He raised his hand and wiped away her tears, the gentleness almost stinging my eyes. When he looked at me again, only indifference remained in his eyes. "You must live to see the ceremony." My fingertips went cold. He paused, his voice even lower. "If you still have complaints after seeing it, I'll explain to you again." However, I did not want to hear it anymore. The system rang softly. "The host's affection points decreased. Current affection points: 7." Hayes heard it. A flicker of panic crossed his eyes, but he quickly looked away, as if he still refused to believe it. Chapter 3 There was the smell of oud in the room. It used to be my favorite fragrance. When Hayes ordered me to be locked up, he also instructed the housekeeper to make the room warmer. "She gets cold at night." The housekeeper replied in acknowledgment. I leaned against the bed and suddenly smiled when I heard his instruction. He still remembered that I was sensitive to the cold and that I loved the smell of oud, but he forgot that I lost a portion of my mystical talent and could not withstand the wind on Repentance Cliff. Nor did he remember that my Soulsword was broken and that my Immortal Soul felt like being pricked by fine needles at every moment. The system's voice would ring out once in a while. "The stability of the Host's Immortal Soul has decreased. Preparation to exit is underway." After hearing this, Hayes at the door froze for a moment. I looked up at him. "You heard it?" He did not deny it. Instead, he walked up to me and looked at me condescendingly. "Luna, how many more things are you hiding from me?" I was taken aback. Even now, this was still the first question he asked. I whispered, "What have I hidden from you?" He looked at me, an indifference deep in his eyes. "You're not from here." My heart sank. Hayes smiled. The smile was faint yet chilling. "So what was your mission in approaching me, marrying me, and staying in the Unfettered Sect from the very beginning?" I looked at him, finally understanding after a long while. He heard the system, but only heard the half he feared most. He thought my love was a mission, that I could leave at any moment, and that I had never stayed because I wanted to. It felt as if a lump of cold snow lodged in my throat, impossible to swallow or spit out. "Hayes, would you believe me if I said it's not true?" He did not answer, but his silence was more hurtful than disbelief. Suddenly, light footsteps rang outside the door. Tessa pushed open the door and entered while carrying medicine. She had changed out of her wedding dress, wearing only plain white. Her eyes were red, looking extremely fragile. "Hayes, I've come to deliver Luna's medicine." Hayes did not stop her. Tessa walked up to me and handed me the bowl of medicine. "Luna, drink this. You're so badly injured. Hayes must be heartbroken." I looked at the bowl of medicine. "Heartbroken?" Tessa lowered her voice, so only I could hear her. "Luna, Hayes stayed by my bedside last night and didn't sleep a wink." She chuckled. "He said you're stubborn, and that you'll relent after some suffering. After the ceremony, he'll sort you out." 'Sort me out?' I wondered, almost laughing out loud. I had been his wife for 300 years, and all I got in the end was to be 'sorted out'. Tessa suddenly twisted her wrist. The bowl of medicine fell to the ground, the shards of porcelain cutting the back of her hand. A tiny bead of blood oozed out. Hayes immediately grabbed her hand. "Why were you so careless?" Tessa shook her head, crying. "It's not Luna's fault. I didn't hold it properly." Hayes looked at me. His gaze contained reproach, weariness, and the kind of disappointment I used to fear most. "Luna." I interrupted him, "I didn't touch her." He said, "I know." I froze. He knew, yet he still sided with Tessa. Hayes looked down at me, his tone flat. "But the ceremony is imminent. I can't let Tessa be frightened again." I looked at him and suddenly understood everything. He was not being deceived; he simply chose not to pursue the matter each time—all because I was the one who was wronged and I always forgave him in the past. The system rang. "Current affection points: 3." Hayes paled slightly. I stood up, gripping the edge of the bed. "Hayes." He frowned. "What are you going to say now?" I looked at him and slowly added, "I don't want the northern snow anymore." His eyes froze. It was a promise he had made to me. "I don't want the ceremonial wine anymore, nor the Everlasting Lamp." I raised my hand, touching my empty waist. "I don't want the name you engraved on my sword hilt either." Hayes' expression finally changed. "Luna, don't say that just because you're upset." I shook my head. "I'm not." I looked at him. "You said you'd never betray me. I'm taking your words back for you." His grip was incredibly strong, but his eyes were chillingly cold. "Who gave you permission to take it back?" My shoulder ached from his grip, but I still looked at him and smiled faintly. "Hayes, you've already betrayed me long ago." His eyes darkened. Tessa sobbed softly at the side. "Hayes, it's all my fault. If it weren't for me, Luna wouldn't hate you like this. She's injured; understandably, she harbors resentment. Don't hold it against her anymore." The more she pleaded, the colder Hayes's expression became. He stared at me, as if finally fed up with my demeanor. "Luna, I've spoiled you for too long, haven't I?" I stayed silent. The system rang out. "Current affection points: 1." A moment of silence fell over the hall. Hayes had obviously heard it too. Instead, he let out a low scoff. "You're using the same old tricks again." He released his grip. "When you used force to coerce me in the past, I was still willing to appease you once. Even now, you still insist on using this ridiculous trick over and over again?" I stared at him blankly. Even now, he still thought I was faking it. Hayes looked down at me, his tone tinged with a cold disappointment. "Luna, if you were truly capable of leaving, you wouldn't have to make me hear this every time. All you've done is try to force me to give in during the ceremony and make me abandon Tessa in front of everyone to coax you. Aren't you overestimating yourself?" Every word felt like a dull blade slowly cutting into my heart. I looked at him, suddenly losing even the will to argue. Yes, I had told him the truth countless times. He had never believed me once. With reddened eyes, Tessa tugged at his sleeve. "Hayes, don't chide Luna like that. She won't be able to take it..." Hayes closed his eyes briefly. When he reopened them, his expression was as cold and hard as ice. "Send her to Repentance Cliff." He did not look at me again, only saying flatly, "She's not allowed to come out before the ceremony." A guard came in and dragged me away. As we reached the door, I heard Hayes whisper, "Remember to bring your cloak." I suddenly laughed. The laughter was not loud, but it silenced the hall. Hayes looked up at me, displeasure already evident in his eyes. I looked at him too. "Hayes. If you were really worried I'd be cold, you shouldn't have left me alone in the snow in the first place." His expression darkened. "Luna, how long are you going to keep this up?" I did not answer and only stared at him silently. In that instant, it felt like something in my heart finally broke for good. It turned out the person I desperately tried to keep by my side found my last bit of truth too noisy in the end. Chapter 4 Repentance Cliff was cold. The guards threw me onto the cliff edge and covered me with Hayes' cloak. There was still his chilly fragrance on it. I used to love it. Whenever he returned from his seclusion, I would hold his sleeves and inhale this scent. He said I was like a small animal that only recognized its master. I got annoyed back then. Looking back, those past scenes seemed to be shrouded in a layer of mist, and I could no longer grasp them. The Unfettered Sect in the distance was brightly lit. White silk stretched all the way from the steps to the main hall, and wedding bells rang repeatedly. I sat on the broken bridge, taking out an emerald pendant from my pocket. It was a token of love that Hayes gave me. The back was engraved with one word—Luna. The roses had been in full bloom then, and he had tied the emerald pendant around my wrist. His features were clear and refined, but his tone was earnest. "If I betray you, you can smash it at me." I laughed at him. "Would the sect master ever betray anyone?" He held my hand and whispered, "I don't know about the others, but I won't betray you." It turned out the least trustworthy words were the ones spoken with absolute certainty. The system rang. "Affection points: 0. Counting down from ten." I looked at the emerald pendant in my palm. "Nine." The officiant announced from afar, "It's almost time..." "Eight." I remembered the first time Hayes shielded me from a sword. His white robes were stained with blood, yet he still smiled and said, "Don't be afraid." "Seven." I remembered him warming my hands before we married, saying he would never let me suffer the cold alone from then on. "Six." I remembered the system asking me if I would leave that night. He had been standing outside the door and only heard the first half of the sentence. "Five." He did not hear me sobbing and answering, "I won't leave. I want him." "Four." He misunderstood me for 300 years. "Three." He also tormented me for 300 years. "Two." I pressed the emerald pendant against the stone. "One." The emerald pendant broke, and the broken part cut my palm, yet I felt no pain. The system's voice finally became clear. "The host's affection points have been reset to zero. Exit passage activated. Confirm departure?" I gazed at the distant hall. The lights were as bright as day, and it was bustling with activity. However, there was no longer a place for me there. I whispered, "Yes." As soon as I finished speaking, the wind suddenly stopped, and the pain in my body gradually subsided. I saw my body leaning against the cliff edge, my white robes stained with blood and the cloak half-fallen. My eyes closed peacefully as I had finally fallen asleep. ... Hayes was about to accept the ceremonial wine in the hall afar. The moment the glass touched his fingertips, he suddenly froze. The next instant, the glass fell to the ground. The hall fell silent.