Deviant: No Longer Human

Shen,after the loss of Ling'er and the hollow victory of his enemy's suicide, turned his heart fully toward cultivation.

He knew he still needed to avenge the death of his first wife, Bai, a task that seemed impossible given that her murderer was a level nine cultivator.

Shen, at his current level, was no match for such a foe.

Determined and driven by the desire for revenge, Shen began to plot meticulously.

He knew he needed to grow stronger, to rise through the ranks of cultivation if he ever hoped to face his enemy.

In the midst of his preparations, his second wife, Ning, returned to him.

She was stunned to find him alive after all these years, and seeing his unyielding determination, she lent him her strength, offering him not just her support, but her entire sect.

The sect had considerable power and resources, and under Shen's leadership, they made large movements that soon caught the attention of the evil cultivator—the very one who had taken Bai's soul all those years ago.

But tragedy struck again.

The evil cultivator, sensing the growing threat, kidnapped Ning, just as he had once taken Bai.

Shan was furious, driven to the brink of madness by the thought of losing another wife to the same enemy.

He waged war against the evil cultivator, but despite his best efforts, he was defeated.

His level six cultivation was no match for the overwhelming power of his enemy.

Ning's sect was destroyed, leaving nothing but ashes.

As Shen lay on the battlefield, bloodied and broken, it seemed his end had finally come.

But at the last moment, he was saved—by none other than Ling'er, his third wife.

Shen could hardly believe it. Ling'er, the girl who had once taken a deadly blow meant for him, had returned.

She had come for him.

Under the guidance of the Phoenix Palace, she had reached level eight in her cultivation.

But she had been forbidden to leave the sect until she reached ninth level, and all she could do was wait, honing her skills until the day she could return to him.

When she learned that Shan was in mortal danger, she broke the rules of the Phoenix Palace and came to his aid.

But in protecting him, she herself was gravely injured.

Together, they fled the battlefield, seeking refuge in the Phoenix Palace, where they hoped to find safety and a chance to recover.

But as Wang Xiao reached this point in the story, he suddenly fell silent.

Wang Xiao's silence left her on the edge of her seat, her mind racing with questions.

What would happen to Shan and Ling'er?

Would they find a way to overcome the evil cultivator?

Would Ning be saved?

The story had drawn her in completely, and the abrupt pause left her yearning for answers.

"Why did you stop? What happened to Ning? And what about that demon? Did Ling'er survive?" Yue's curiosity was growing, her heart beating wildly in excitement , and her eyes shining with anxiety.

Love stories, especially ones filled with such intensity, captivated her.

The idea of dying for love, of an unbreakable bond, was something that touched her deeply.

Wang Xiao smiled softly as he reached out to rub her head affectionately. "Do you think it matters?" he asked, his tone gentle but probing.

Yue blinked, taken aback by the question. "Why wouldn't it matter?" she responded, genuinely confused.

Wang Xiao's expression remained calm as he continued. "What if I told you that they both healed, and together they fought the demon? What if they defeated the demon, but in the process, Shan discovered that Ning had been raped by the demon long before and had already committed suicide in despair? And what if Ling'er, despite her strength, died fighting alongside Shan against the demon?"

"Booo~ you obviously have something against love! Why do you always mess with the endings?" Yue couldn't help but smile faintly, a mixture of exasperation and affection in her voice.

She knew her father well enough to recognize when he was doing something on purpose.

He always had a way of turning things upside down, especially when it came to stories with happy endings.

Wang Xiao sighed, looking at her with a mix of tenderness and seriousness. "People suffer, not because they want to suffer, but because they remain unaware of what causes their suffering in the first place. They keep making the same mistakes, trapped in a cycle of pain, repeating it over and over again."

He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "They get too engrossed in their suffering, or lost in moments of fleeting joy, that they fail to see the bigger picture—just like you didn't see the reasons behind the suffering in the stories I told you." He smiled softly at her, knowing that she needed guidance, a nudge in the right direction, to help her avoid unnecessary pain.

Suffering was unavoidable...

But pain—pain can be avoided.

Yue murmured, "Hmm... don't speak in circles," a trace of confusion in her voice as she tried to follow through.

With Wang Xiao, sometimes she would forget her calm, composed self and revert to the child she once was—seeking warmth and comfort in his presence, feeling safe enough to let down her guard.

Wang Xiao chuckled softly, the sound warm and soothing. "Why do you think, in the first story, the man who came from another world suffered and endured pain?"

Yue tilted her head slightly, thinking back to the story. "Because... the demon who took everything from him!" she answered, her voice hesitant yet firm in her belief.

Wang Xiao shook his head, his expression gentle but serious. "You can't control what others do... Could you?... The man suffered because of his lack of strength."

He paused, "He had a poisonous physique, a rare gift, but instead of cultivating it for supreme strength, he did everything else. The master would never have opposed him being with her disciple if he had been strong enough to protect her sect, to succeed her. She doubted him, not because he lacked wisdom, but because he lacked the power to back it up."

"If the man had been strong, the master would have seen him as a worthy partner—both for herself and for her disciple. She would have chosen him without hesitation, seeing his strength as the assurance she needed."

"The man would never have needed to become a servant when he fell into the new world if he had been strong. He wouldn't have needed to rack his brain to win the master's favor or solve her problems. Strength would have commanded respect from the start."

"The master herself was strong individually, but even she was weak when facing the collective forces of the world. She feared offending the world because she knew her strength alone wasn't enough to protect her sect."