Then there was no need for him to deceive himself.

So this matter is very contradictory.

After finishing the meal without tasting any flavor, Gu Qiaoqiao took her to the Treasure Room.

The Treasure Room, as usual, was filled with a comforting aura, which greatly alleviated some of Xiao Wen’s negative emotions. Here, Xiao Wen felt the pain in her chest ease a little.

And that Phoenix Clan artifact was still quietly resting on the Third Layer of the Treasure Room’s shelf.

Gu Qiaoqiao went to look at the wooden bead bracelet, while Xiao Wen stood in front of the Red Phoenix.

To be honest, since bringing this artifact back, she had only looked at it twice.

But what she hadn’t expected was that this artifact could involve so many lives, yet the Red Phoenix before her looked the same as it did the last two times she saw it.

The artifact has power, but she is not from the Phoenix Clan, she cannot activate it, yet she knows it contains things beyond her control.

And all this began when Qiaoqiao helped put the bead back into the mouth of the Red Phoenix. Logically speaking, if she had a connection with the artifact, it should have reacted when it saw her, since she is the same person now as before.

Her second viewing was also with her father, Elder Sima.

She remembers asking at that time, but her father said the artifact was still the Phoenix Clan’s and should be returned to them in the future. The rest she needn’t worry about, so she never thought much of it. But now, who knew such a thing would happen?

Although Sima Xiaowen seemed to have regained some sense, her mind was still a mess, just that she appeared quite calm.

She stared at it for a long time, but couldn’t make any sense of it.

During this time, Gu Qiaoqiao was holding the wooden bead bracelet, deep in thought. The bracelet appeared unchanged, but inexplicably, a force inside seemed to have strengthened, and there was a feeling it wanted to break free.

Gu Qiaoqiao thought about it and placed the wooden bead bracelet back.

No matter what the wooden bead bracelet wanted to do, with so much Spiritual Energy pressing down here, no problem would arise.

But what did this change signify?

Gu Qiaoqiao thought about it but couldn’t figure it out.

She knew she had to keep a regular watch on it in the future.

She didn’t even know what happened to Chang Qing, as she had lost contact with him for a long time now. Gu Qiaoqiao sighed and turned to see Xiao Wen standing in front of the Red Phoenix, dazed.

Judging by her appearance, it seemed she gained nothing.

Gu Qiaoqiao walked over and stood beside Xiao Wen, asking softly, "Sister Xiao Wen, did you remember anything?"

Sima Xiaowen shook her head, "No, I didn’t remember anything."

"Let me try then."

Gu Qiaoqiao said as she placed her hand on the forehead of the Red Phoenix, feeling that this was the place where the force could be sensed most clearly.

Xiao Wen stepped back slightly to allow Gu Qiaoqiao a better sense of whether the Red Phoenix held any oddities.

Gu Qiaoqiao gently closed her eyes.

She then felt the air in the room change slightly, concentrating even more intently, and let her fingers slowly reach the bead in the Red Phoenix’s mouth.

The bead was the one she placed there, and at the time, there was no unusual shift. But now she felt the force inside the bead had been strengthened.

Could it be because it has been in the Treasure Room for a long time?

Gu Qiaoqiao gently closed her eyes, plunged into darkness, trying to interpret these changes and open a door in the dim space.

Would it then be possible to see the world connected to the Red Phoenix?

This artifact is very old; while it cannot speak now, it must have witnessed countless vicissitudes and everything having once flashed before it, leaving some trace.

Yet, the darkness still loomed, only occasionally presenting fractured images that Gu Qiaoqiao could not capture because she wasn’t Xiao Wen. She lacked the Phoenix Clan’s bloodline, and thus couldn’t truly empathize with these visions.

Moreover, the fragmentary images were too fast, disappearing almost instantly and then only were left with spots of starlight.

Eventually, the starlight gathered into a light ball, violently exploding as Gu Qiaoqiao attempted a closer look, leaving darkness behind again.

Gu Qiaoqiao felt as though she had been jolted; she instinctively grabbed onto the Duobao Pavilion’s shelf. At that moment, Xiao Wen stood behind her and immediately supported Gu Qiaoqiao when she saw her sway. Then Gu Qiaoqiao opened her eyes, and Xiao Wen anxiously asked, "Qiaoqiao, are you alright?"

Gu Qiaoqiao sighed deeply, "I’m fine, Sister Xiao Wen. I seemed to see your shadow, but nothing else."

Sima Xiaowen’s eyes brightened for a moment, then dimmed, and her head started to ache.

She reached up and rubbed her forehead, "Qiaoqiao, don’t look anymore. You don’t have Phoenix Clan blood, no matter how strong you are, the Red Phoenix will repel you."

"Yes, although I saw your shadow, it was fleeting, and I saw nothing else, nor did I discern the background behind that shadow."

Xiao Wen went silent for a while, her gaze inscrutable, her heart heavy with bitterness, yet feeling restless—why was she the only one who remembered in this love affair?

And that Chu Chengfeng who loved her deeply, had his consciousness vanished or was it consumed by the current Chu Chengfeng?

Or were they two separate entities!

However, according to the Phoenix Clan’s bloodline power, the existence of two entities is impossible; it’s the same soul, only continually undergoing Nirvana.

She had countless questions for Chu Chengfeng, but she knew, given his attitude toward her, she would get no answers.

Because in the instant Chu Chengfeng grabbed her hand, she saw murderous intent in his eyes.

This murderous intent was most clear to Sima Xiaowen.

For she had experienced it before.

But never did she imagine she would see it from Chu Chengfeng.

In other words, in that critical moment, if not for worrying about her father or because of Gu Qiaoqiao, Chu Chengfeng might have killed her.

Thinking of this possibility, Sima Xiaowen felt suffocated.

It was agonizing to bear, and infuriating!