Hi. May this New Year brings you everything you want. (For me, it would surely be a very intersting year).

How have you welcome the New Year?

After so many years he was finally back to the Hall of Emotionless. Nothing had changed, just You Ruo was now a mature woman instead of the girl he had left behind. She carried many years, but here on the Chang Liu a century matters quite little. You Ruo had taken care of everything. None of his flowers had withered during his absence and the chambers were as clean as they used to be when they were inhabited. However, there was another place he had yearned for all those years.

Even after so many years, she hadn't changed at all. Centuries ago, he'd decided to preserve her body in ice. Back then, he'd imagined that she was only sleeping. But now he knew that there was no way to reverse death. He studied the spell once again. No matter how much he desired to see her again he had to think everything through. A single move could change a century. He had to be sure it would be the right move.

Everything was exactly how Bai Zihua had remembered. He knew every word, every gesture they were to make. All those years he'd endlessly dreamed about those very moments. He was a bit late. His past version had already refused her proposal of leaving with her and he was about to accept her challenge. How clear all those seemed to him now! Why couldn't he see through her words back then?

She was so beautiful as she tried to look dangerous, but was nothing else than a little girl wearing her mother's shoes. However, he'd been too blind then. He'd been so scared of what she'd be able to do that he'd forgotten that nothing of it was actually in her nature. Hua Qiangu had loved the world more than anyone else, even more than had he, and more than any of those so claimed saviors. With her power and her kindness, she could have turned the world into a much better place. Though, he didn't have time for regrets. If he didn't act quickly, Little Bone would be lost forever.

"Do not accept her challenge." Bai Zihua addressed to his past self. Now he had the attention of everybody. Even Little Bone was intrigued by his presence. It was clear that she- as well as everybody there- was confused to see two Bai Zihua-s and one of them to give words of advice to the other. "I've come back from the future. Listen to me. It is a trap. She didn't care about winning the battle, she only wants you to choose and, believe me, you'll make a terrible choice."

"He'd already make clear he wouldn't choose me. I doubt there's something to choose." She answered to him, but he could feel pain in her voice. "You chose the world, didn't you?" He didn't dare to say a thing. She smiled sadly. It was clearly she'd expected it.

"You knew. You knew that I would…." He couldn't continue. he didn't want to say the words.

"For your sect and your world, was there anything you won't do? Right is right, evil is evil. It shouldn't have been difficult, was it?"

"Little Bone." He called her gently.

"Don't call me like that." She threw at him. "You have no right to come here and ruin my plan. I don't want him to choose any differently just because you'll tell him what I am supposed to do. If he refused to take a decision, what am I supposed to do?" Her mask was gone. Little Bone was nothing but a scared girl that needed protection. Once again, he had hurt her. But he had to tell her. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to change the past."

"Didn't you say that you want me to leave with you? Don't you want him to choose you?"

"He won't." Hua Qiangu cut him harshly. "You hadn't and you never will."

"I was an idiot, but no matter how much I want to change it, this decision doesn't belong to me."

"Who are you? Bai Zihua would never use such devilish tricks only to come back for a woman." Mo Yan threw at him.

"You will soon understand how wrong you all had been. I wish I could spare her the pain of seeing it, but that's the only way." His past version was really confused all this time and he had hardly said a word. He wondered what had really happened, what error his future self was speaking about and why Little Bone was so upset that he'd revealed her plan. Her plan? He wished to know what her plan was. Soon, though, he wished he hadn't.

As his future self disappeared, images of things that had happened started to roll in front of them. He hardly had time to hear his future self, begging him to spare himself of that misery, that Bai Zihua saw himself face to face with Little Bone as he accepted her challenge. He heard her worlds as he saw them in front of Little Bone's house. What was she up to?

They all froze when they saw her killing every single of her former colleges and masters. Mo Yan couldn't help attacking her, but he was prevented by Sheng Xiaomo. "Let's see what's going to happen next." Sheng Xiaomo added as he kept his elder brother back. Eventually, Mo Yan calmed down and they all could hear her words. It was so much pain, so much betrayal and loneliness in her voice. But it ended soon and they were very close to find out that it was all an illusion, all apart the fact that she was dying and he kept being so stubborn that he still refused to acknowledged his love for her even at that time. Her curse was cruel, but so had been his actions for so many years. And she died alone, watching for the last time the birds flying…and her soul flow with them.

Bai Zihua was simply shocked. He could hear Zhu Ran's words, but he was unable to do a thing. The images disappear and now, not even the cruel Mo Yan was able to hold back his tears. He'd been wrong. He wondered if she would ever forgive him. It was quite funny. He'd come here to kill her and now was trying to gain her forgiveness. He watched Hua Qiangu. She was a standing there, still and quiet like a statue. Finally, Bai Zihua dared to face her yet he didn't know what to say. No matter how much he wanted to believe he would have never killed her, he knew that was how he would have acted.

"I'm sorry. I've been so wrong." He muttered to her and for the first time he dared to take her in his arms. Yet, she gave him no answer. She just stood there still, her mind far away.