The white light on the bracelet grew brighter and brighter, so much so that no one could keep their eyes open. In the midst of the white light, a Bagua diagram slowly appeared, constantly spinning, with countless ghosts who had violated heavenly laws imprisoned behind it.
The diagram grew larger and larger, and Lǐ Dàlù could barely keep his hand raised. However, if he didn´t open the door and rescue Shū er, Luò Wǎn would be sucked into the door.
The Bagua diagram finally stopped spinning, and there seemed to be a crack between the black and white areas, just wide enough to slip through. Without hesitation, the young master crawled in. Luò Wǎn and Shàngguān Liúyún were stunned by the scene.
It appeared there was no danger after all, as the diagram looked quite peaceful.
Soon, the young master's voice came from inside: "Hurry and assist me; I´ve found Shū er."
Luò Wǎn ran to the door excitedly and shouted, "We´re here!"
Suddenly, a huge force seemed to pull her entire body inward. Shàngguān Liúyún was shocked and desperately tried to pull her back, but it was as if only Luo Wan could feel the immense force. Neither Shàngguān Liúyún nor Luò Wǎn stood a chance against this overwhelming power.
Lǐ Dàlù thought to himself, "This is bad."
The Ghost-Suppressing Talisman must have heard Luò Wǎn's voice and mistaken her for Shū er, trying to pull her in to imprison her.
Lǐ Dàlù rushed over to grab Luò Wǎn's other hand, but her face showed increasing pain. If this continued, she would be torn in half. Sensing the danger, Lǐ Dàlù let go of Luò Wǎn and ran to the crack between the black and white areas, intending to sever the force pulling at her.
But as soon as he stood there, a powerful force struck him in the chest. His throat tightened, and he tasted blood, spitting out a mouthful. It seemed that the force had weakened slightly.
This was the blood of a Tiānmù, the very blood of the creator of the Ghost-Suppressing Talisman. The talisman had long become a sentient entity, and it retreated slightly, no longer daring to be as forceful.
Luò Wǎn began to bleed from her mouth, her grip loosening slowly. Seeing the situation worsen, Lǐ Dàlù suddenly remembered a dream he had once had.
In that dream, he had found something on his forehead to save a woman, and she was rescued as a result.
Old Master Shànqīng's words echoed in his mind: "Follow your instincts; those with Tiānmù have intuition and have a natural ability."
Lǐ Dàlù released Luò Wǎn's hand and picked up a sharp wooden stick, slicing it across his forehead. A deep crimson mark appeared, blood flowing down, but it seemed something golden fell away. Lǐ Dàlù had no time to examine it; he tossed it into the crack. At the same moment, a blue object flew into the crack and nudged the door.
The force behind Luò Wǎn disappeared. Shàngguān Liúyún pulled her back with all his strength, and she fell heavily to the ground, spitting blood. Shàngguān Liúyún rushed over to help her up, noticing that the red strings on her hands had completely snapped, yet she could still open her eyes. He felt relieved, knowing she was okay.
Luò Wǎn slowly sat up from the ground, surveying the scene, which was in disarray.
After the crack closed, the Bagua diagram vanished into the white light, returning to the bracelet.
Not far away, Lǐ Dàlù lay on the ground, and Luò Wǎn crawled over to him, lifting him in her arms. His face and head were covered in blood, making it hard to recognize him.
She felt for his breath and sighed in relief when she found he was still alive. Together with Shàngguān Liúyún, they helped staunch the bleeding from his forehead, sitting on the ground, panting.
At that moment, Luò Wǎn finally realized she had survived and escaped. She remembered that, just at the crucial moment, something blue seemed to have nudged the force of the green door away. She wondered what it could have been.
She searched for the blue object and spotted a small blue butterfly hiding on a jasmine flower. Could it be that this butterfly had helped her?
Meanwhile, the severely weakened young master, on the verge of losing his spirit, weakly said, "Quickly, this is Shū er's soul. You need to place it by the well; that´s where she died, and only there can she find release. She´s been trapped by the green door for so many years, and her spirit is almost gone. If you wait too long, it´ll be too late."
Upon hearing this, Luò Wǎn quickly cradled the small blue butterfly. Shàngguān Liúyún supported the severely injured Lǐ Dàlù, and the three of them hurried toward the well.
Along the way, Luò Wǎn silently prayed to the heavens for Shū er to find peace. After enduring so much peril, Shū er must not give up now.
However, the beautiful blue butterfly slowly became transparent under the moonlight, like a droplet of water, as if it were about to evaporate. Luò Wǎn shouted, "No, don´t go, Shū er, hold on!" as she quickened her pace toward the well.
At that moment, the blue butterfly resembled a soap bubble blown to its fullest, radiating a stunning light all over, yet it could vanish at any moment.
The well was almost in reach, and Luò Wǎn quickened her steps. However, she stumbled over some rough ground and fell heavily, causing the fragile blue butterfly she had been cradling in her palm to vanish in an instant.
Luò Wǎn sat up frantically, searching around her. It couldn´t be possible—she was so close to the well! Just one more step, and she could return Shū er to the bottom of the well.
After enduring so much hardship and suffering, to be unable to save the unfortunate woman at the very last moment made Luò Wǎn's heart ache like it was being torn apart.
She searched inch by inch through the rough underbrush, looking for Shū er's soul, but there was not a hint of blue to be found anywhere. Shàngguān Liúyún rushed over, supporting Lǐ Dàlù from behind. Seeing the scene before him, he realized they were still too late, and his heart sank. His legs gave out, and he fell to the ground beside Lǐ Dàlù.
The young master also managed to follow, but knowing they had failed, he felt neither joy nor sorrow. After years of persistent waiting, he had grown accustomed to the whims of fate.
But Luò Wǎn was not accustomed to this. She leaned over the edge of the well, shouting desperately, "Shu´er, come out! You have to forgive the young master! You need to believe in love! You must understand that those who hurt you are also the ones who love you the most. Shū er, please, you absolutely cannot give up!"
Her voice choked with emotion: "Shu´er, no matter what hardships you face, you must believe that true love exists in this world. You and the young master are not siblings; you haven´t broken any heavenly laws. In your next life, you can be very happy together. Please, come out!" Her voice echoed within the well for a long time, filled with profound sorrow.
Shàngguān Liúyún went over to pull the distraught Luò Wǎn away. As they struggled, both of them fell to the ground. Luò Wǎn suddenly collapsed, crying out in anguish, "Why? Why, after everything we've done, is there no outcome?"
Amid her tears, Luò Wǎn suddenly noticed that the young master was becoming increasingly transparent. He had been holding on just to see Shū er find peace, but now that hope had faded, and his strength was gradually dissipating. In no time, he would vanish completely.
