Hundred Ghost Grass was a type of Spiritual Medicine, an ingredient used to refine the Hundred Ghost Pill.

Legend had it that the Hundred Ghost Pill could cure a hundred poisons, making it a divine medicine for healing and saving lives.

Now that Senior Sister Ye was imprisoned in the Erosion Wind Cave, the only thing he could do was find this herb and give her a surprise when she was released!

He also wanted to prove to Song Wanning that Senior Sister Ye could recover even without her Heavenly Yuan Nourishing Heart Pill.

"No, no, you misheard! There’s no Hundred Ghost Grass!"

The man at the next table quickly waved his hands, his nervous expression a dead giveaway that only served to dispel all of An Ze’s doubts.

A joyful look appeared on his face. He excitedly left the inn and, without a second thought, headed toward the mountains the man had mentioned.

Little did he know that as soon as he left, the people at the neighboring table exchanged a glance, a triumphant smirk appearing on their faces.

’What an impulsive fool.’

...

He reached the mountains ten days later, breathless and exhausted, yet his spirits were high.

The mountain range before him was called Ghost Mountain. According to legend, tens of millions of years ago, it was a battlefield and burial ground, littered with corpses and thick with soaring resentment.

Later, Ghost Cultivators began to appear, disturbing the peace.

It wasn’t until ten thousand years ago that things finally quieted down.

Today, Ghost Mountain had no ghosts, but it was home to many treasures.

He swallowed a Spirit Supplement Pill, glanced at the mountains with a determined look, and plunged inside.

"Hundred Ghost Grass... Hundred Ghost Grass..."

An Ze followed the path, searching everywhere for any sign of the Hundred Ghost Grass as he ventured deeper into the mountains.

An incense stick’s time later, Song Wanning appeared at the foot of the mountains, her expression indifferent.

As she gazed at the mountains before her, her hand trembled involuntarily as the tragic scenes from her past life surfaced in her mind.

’An Ze. I’ve been wanting to deal with him for a long time.’

Now that her Martial Uncle had ascended, she had no more reservations and would certainly not hold back any longer.

...

Deep within Ghost Mountain, An Ze’s expression grew more and more serious, and he couldn’t help but mutter to himself.

"Is this the place those two were talking about? Why haven’t I found anything after searching for so long?"

"Did I go the wrong way?"

’But those two described it so clearly, and I followed their directions to get here...’

Just as this thought crossed his mind, a sudden noise reached his ears.

"Who’s there?"

Startled, An Ze was sent flying before he could even turn around.

In his panic, he drew his Magical Treasure, but the creature charged again, knocking the weapon from his grasp.

"AHH—!"

He screamed as he slammed violently into a massive boulder, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood as the impact rattled his internal organs.

He looked back in terror, only to find it was a Wu Meng Beast.

The Wu Meng Beast was hideous, its facial features a chaotic mess. Three thick, hard horns grew from its head, caked in filth.

Then he saw the ring of fur on its neck, and his pupils contracted violently.

’This beast has reached the fifth rank!’

That was equivalent in combat power to the Golden Core Stage!

Without a second thought, An Ze turned and fled.

’There’s a High-level Demon Beast here! Why didn’t those two tell me?’

’Damn it!’

He cursed the two men as he ran, his heart filled with terror.

But the Wu Meng Beast had been hungry for a long time. It wasn’t about to let its prey escape.

Soon, An Ze was beaten to within an inch of his life by the Wu Meng Beast.

His agonized screams echoed through the forest. The Wu Meng Beast relentlessly battered An Ze with its enormous claws, sending blood splashing everywhere and snapping his bones.

The flesh on his body was torn to shreds, some parts even pulverized into a fine mince. It was a terrifying sight.

"No—!"

An Ze screamed.

The claw descending from above would surely kill him on the spot the moment it landed.

’I can’t accept this!’

’I can’t die here!’

He still had vengeance to seek and debts of gratitude to repay.

’I absolutely cannot die here.’

In the nick of time, a figure descended from the sky. The sheer force of their presence alone was enough to pin the Wu Meng Beast, rendering it immobile.

The claw failed to land. An Ze let out a sharp sigh of relief, lying terrified on the ground, his mind reeling in horror.

"Th... thank... you..."

He hadn’t finished speaking when the figure turned around, revealing none other than Song Wanning.

He froze instantly.

"Mas..."

The word "Master" slipped out subconsciously before he quickly swallowed it.

An Ze’s face fell. "H-how... how... is it... you..."

Even in such dire straits, he arrogantly averted his gaze, though in his heart, he was thinking, ’Song Wanning is here. I’m finally safe.’

’Even though I’ve been expelled from the sect, Song Wanning still worries about me. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be here.’

An Ze felt a surge of smugness. ’I’m so outstanding. How could Song Wanning possibly bear to give up on me?’

"I came to ask you a question," Song Wanning said, staring at the heavily injured An Ze as a dark glint flashed in her eyes.

"Why do you care so much about Ye Chuxue?"

An Ze didn’t even like Ye Chuxue, yet he stood up for her, sought medicine for her, and even tried to kill his own master for her.

She wanted to understand.

Hearing this, An Ze tried to curl his lips into a smirk but winced in pain instead.

"Ye... on a... mission... she... s-saved... my... life..."

With a hint of arrogance and pride, he haltingly revealed their connection.

Song Wanning understood. This was not far from what she had expected.

"And was I not good to you?"

She voiced the question that had been suppressed in her heart for so long.

Everyone has feelings and desires, and she was no exception.

How could she not care about all she had given in her past life?

If she didn’t care, she wouldn’t harbor such hatred in this life.

And so, she, too, sought a conclusion.

Song Wanning’s question stunned An Ze for a moment. He then looked at her with a bewildered expression. "You... being... good to me... isn’t that... what you’re... supposed... to do?"

"If you... hadn’t... valued my... talent... you wouldn’t... have... taken... me... in..."

To him, the fact that Song Wanning had valued his talent and accepted him as a disciple meant that her kindness was only natural. It was a transaction where both parties had something to gain.

But Ye Chuxue was different.

She was good to him for no reason.

Simply because she was kind.

An Ze blurted out his true feelings.

For a moment, Song Wanning was dazed.

In her past life, she had been hunted down and had hidden in Ghost Mountain. In her moment of crisis, she had sent a message to her disciples.

At that time, she didn’t know they had already betrayed her. She’d fantasized that her disciples would come to her rescue.

Just as she was falling into despair, An Ze appeared.

She thought reinforcements had arrived, but she never expected to be met with killing intent.

"Master, your disciple has heard that you have fallen to the Demon Path. Seeing you today, it is indeed true. Return with me to the sect at once to receive your punishment!"

"It’s not that I don’t believe you, but the Demonic Qi surging from your body is plain for all to see!"

"Unwilling to return? Heh, then don’t blame your disciple for righteously exterminating his own kin!"

...

An Ze had attacked her, disregarding any semblance of their master-disciple bond, his eyes completely devoid of respect.

Just like now.

Suddenly, Song Wanning smiled, a wave of realization washing over her.

Whether it was Bai Yang, whom she had raised by hand, or An Ze, who was often cared for by his senior brothers, they had both turned their blades on her because of her excessive indulgence.

Because she doted on them, because she never asked for anything in return, they had become utterly unscrupulous.

They even took her sacrifices for granted, and in turn, lost all sense of gratitude.

After she fell to the Demon Path, they had used the slogan of "exorcising demons and defending the righteous path" to hunt her down and eliminate a dissident, all to burnish their own reputations.

She had been wrong.

But her mistake wasn’t being good to them.

Her mistake was accepting them as disciples in the first place.