Early the next morning, not long after Qin Zhizhi woke up, Su Qingyi arrived at her room and handed over a small storage bag.
“Master asked me to give this to you. He hopes you will accept it.”
Qin Zhizhi took the bag and cast a casual glance inside, discovering that it was entirely filled with medicinal pills capable of extending lifespan and enhancing spiritual energy, as well as two life-saving golden cores. Presumably, the Sect Master had caught wind of her five-spiritual-root situation, felt pity for her arduous tribulations along the journey, and noted that Jun Wuya had come to find fault with her the moment she returned.
The Heguang Sect was certainly quite generous.
Failing to be enthusiastic when there are free perks to be gained means there’s a problem with one’s brain. Qin Zhizhi did not overthink it and happily accepted the bag, smiling broad as she said, “Please pass along my immense gratitude to Sect Master He.”
“What is there to be polite about?” Su Qingyi beamed back. “The matter you asked me to handle has also been completed. When shall we begin?”
Qin Zhizhi tilted her head with a mischievous grin. “The stage is completely set, so naturally, the curtains open right now.”
Yesterday, she had delivered a letter to Qin Zhijie, inviting her to meet at Longchi early this morning to chat about matters concerning Jun Wuya. Regarding any other subject, Qin Zhizhi wouldn’t be entirely sure if Qin Zhijie would take the bait, but when it came to Jun Wuya, she bound to be unable to remain indifferent.
The Heguang Sect possessed two water features: one called Longchi and the other called Fengzhao. The scenery was pleasant, but both were remote locations perfectly suited for resolving private affairs. The surface of Longchi was exceptionally clean and tranquil. Especially when the morning sun first broke, the sunlight would cascade into the water, and the surface would become as clear as a mirror, capable of reflecting the sun right back into the sky. Though somewhat hazy and blurred, it had long been a unique and wondrous spectacle of the Heguang Sect.
By the time Qin Zhizhi arrived at Longchi, Qin Zhijie was already waiting there. Yesterday’s punch had truly been rather heavy; even with the application of medicine, the bridge of Qin Zhijie’s nose remained slightly bruised and swollen, making her look thoroughly wretched and pitiful. Qin Zhizhi took only a single glance before she couldn’t restrain herself from letting out a snort, bursting into laughter. She truly hadn’t expected Qin Zhijie to look so comical.
Gnashes her teeth, Qin Zhijie stared at her and said, “Qin Zhizhi, how do you have the face to laugh? Isn’t it entirely your fault that I ended up like this?”
Qin Zhizhi acted somewhat innocent. “If you hadn’t tried to strike me, how could you have encountered such an incident?”
Qin Zhijie sneered, “Yesterday was merely a coincidence. Do you truly believe you can do anything to me? A mere piece of waste with a mixed spiritual root actually possesses the courage to invite me here alone, are you truly not afraid of death?”
In Qin Zhizhi’s eyes, Qin Zhijie was simply a brainless creature, and wasting time with this sort of person was entirely unnecessary. She had no desire to entangle herself further and only wanted a swift resolution. Consequently, she didn’t pick up that conversational thread, but merely drew a talisman from her robes, speaking slowly, “Isn’t it quite a coincidence? Yesterday, I obtained a transmission talisman flying toward Wudu City.”
She brandished the talisman in her hand. “Does it look familiar to you, Qin Zhijie?”
Qin Zhijie’s expression changed slightly. Why would the transmission talisman she sent to her mother land in Qin Zhizhi’s hands? But turning her thoughts to what she had done last night, her face relaxed slightly. Even if she held a transmission talisman, so what? How could she guarantee that the one she caught was the actually useful talisman?
Seeing Qin Zhijie’s expression, Qin Zhizhi knew exactly what she was thinking without even having to think. She crushed the transmission talisman, but the anticipated voice did not sound; there was only the rustle of the wind, and absolutely nothing occurred.
Qin Zhizhi let out a small cry of surprise. “Oh my, why is there nothing at all?”
Qin Zhijie’s brow smoothed out. As expected, this fool hadn’t caught the right one. She couldn’t help but mock, “Qin Zhizhi, are you playing people for fools?”
Qin Zhizhi rummaged through her pocket. “Wait a moment, I still have another one.”
Qin Zhijie was instantly choked with anger. “You!”
Qin Zhizhi produced another transmission talisman identical to the first one, examining it carefully beneath the sunlight for a long time. “It should be this one.”
Qin Zhijie’s brow twitched as she subtly evaluated her opponent.
Qin Zhizhi crushed the talisman, resulting in another dead silence.
“Apologies, it seems I grabbed the wrong one.” Qin Zhizhi tossed it away, lowering her head to rummage again.
Qin Zhijie raged, “Qin Zhizhi!”
Qin Zhizhi pulled out a handful of four transmission talismans bearing the seal of Wudu City, blinking at Qin Zhijie as she murmured, “That makes six. There’s bound to be one that contains it, right?”
Qin Zhijie was greatly alarmed, extending her hand to snatch the transmission talismans from Qin Zhizhi’s grasp. Qin Zhizhi naturally wouldn’t grant her that opportunity. She had originally been standing opposite her across Longchi, and the moment she saw Qin Zhijie move, she crushed all four talismans simultaneously.
Qin Zhijie’s voice instantly echoed clearly from one of them.
It was merely a few brief sentences delivered in a sorrowful, desperate tone, which could be summed up in one line: Mother, our plan failed! That little vixen Qin Zhizhi actually didn’t die! She escaped from the black market and was even rescued by the people of the Heguang Sect. What should I do? Teach me quickly!
Qin Zhijie’s face warped with shock.
How could it be possible? To deceive onlookers, she had specifically prepared six transmission talismans last night to be sent out to Wudu City at different intervals. How could it be so incredibly coincidental that every single one of them fell into Qin Zhizhi’s hands?!
“You are very surprised, aren’t you, Qin Zhijie?” Qin Zhizhi rubbed the fragments of the talisman from her hands, raising her eyelids to look at her.
The matter of selling Qin Zhizhi off hadn’t been orchestrated by Qin Zhijie alone; Qin Zhizhi was entirely aware that there was a stepmother behind the scenes who had never shown her face. Otherwise, relying on this little brat Qin Zhijie alone wouldn’t have been enough to pull it off. Now that the secret was out and Qin Zhizhi had actually been rescued by the Heguang Sect, even if she didn’t speak of it, Qin Zhijie was bound to be panicking internally. Isn’t it completely normal to seek out a parent the moment an issue arises? Thus, she had asked Su Qingyi to find a way to keep an eye on Qin Zhijie to see if she would make any moves.
Sure enough, starting from midnight, a single transmission talisman flew out during the first hour, two during the second hour, until three flew out simultaneously during the third hour—making a grand total of six transmission talismans, each bearing the seal of Wudu City. Only one of them truly contained Qin Zhijie’s message. If Su Qingyi hadn’t been extra mindful and sought Lu Yuandao’s assistance, it would have been impossible for her alone to intercept all six talismans perfectly.
Intercepting the transmission talismans was headache-inducing enough. These talismans carried the seal of Wudu City, meaning that unless one was a direct lineage relative of the Wudu City Lord, others would need a cultivation level higher than the City Lord to open them.
In the current world, a Golden Core intermediate cultivation level was sufficient to become an elder of the three sects and six factions or the lord of one of the Twelve Cities. The Wudu City Lord was precisely at the peak of the Golden Core stage. But who among those with a cultivation level above Golden Core would be bored enough to intercept a transmission talisman meant for children’s games? They could, but it was truly unnecessary. As for disciples with lower cultivation levels, even if they had the intention, they lacked the strength to open it.
Qin Zhijie had calculated beautifully, launching six talismans in succession during the dead of night. In theory, if it weren’t for someone deliberately staring at her window for an entire night, the matter would have succeeded.
Unfortunately, Qin Zhizhi had anticipated it early on and would certainly not let Qin Zhijie get away with it easily.
As a direct relative of the Wudu City Lord who had laid out a dragnet beforehand, not even a single strand of hair from Qin Zhijie’s room could dream of escaping.
Seeing that the matter had been exposed, Qin Zhijie bared a fierce expression. “What exactly do you want?!”
Qin Zhizhi tucked away the remnants of the talismans, tilting her head with her hands behind her back. “I don’t want to do anything; I merely wanted to know what your plan was.”
Hearing this, Qin Zhijie instantly felt it was somewhat laughable. “Since you intended to intercept my transmission to my family, you clearly already harbored suspicions toward me. That’s right, your being sold to the lands of the demon cultivators was orchestrated by me. What of it?”
Qin Zhizhi listened quietly, her tone flat. “You harmed me to this extent all for the sake of a man?”
Hearing this, the corners of Qin Zhijie’s lips curled into a smile. “What do you understand? Why did he have to marry you of all people?! I have liked Brother Jun since childhood; from the very first moment I saw him, I liked him. I like him so much that I would do absolutely anything for him!”
Qin Zhijie’s voice continued to echo.
The morning light broke gently, cascading over Qin Zhizhi as if coating her in a faint golden glow. Her face carried no expression as she merely opened her mouth to say, “Degenerate.”
Qin Zhijie wiped her face, mocking, “Bullcrap! Wasn’t the Qin Zhizhi of the Tiantong Sect exactly the same? Since she could marry the Immortal Lord Xie of the Guiyuan Sect, why can’t I do it?”
Qin Zhizhi was startled.
What on earth? Had she misheard? Did Qin Zhijie just mention the Qin Zhizhi of the Tiantong Sect? She had never known that she could become a negative textbook example for others.
However, back when she was pursuing Xie Yutai, she did possess a bit of a “going crazy for him, going wild for him, blocking massive blades for him” vibe. For a moment, she truly didn’t know how to refute it.
Steadying her emotions, Qin Zhizhi’s tone paused slightly before turning solemn in the next instant. “But Immortal Lord Xie did not have a fiancée, and Qin Zhizhi never harmed anyone. What do you possess to compare yourself to them?”
Qin Zhijie said, “My absolute sincerity toward Brother Jun can be witnessed by the sun and moon. It won’t be a single fraction less than what that person from the Tiantong Sect felt for Immortal Lord Xie!”
“Heh.” Qin Zhizhi sneered. “So the original Qin Zhizhi died; are you going to die as well?”
The past Qin Zhizhi had climbed mountains of daggers and plunged into seas of flames to complete her mission, using every means available. She loved humbly and insignificantly, which was why she died.
That’s right, Qin Zhizhi died as well. What she lost was merely her life, but what you stand to lose is love, Qin Zhijie, how noble and grand.
Qin Zhijie raised both eyebrows. “Want me to die? Qin Zhizhi, you aren’t worthy. Right now, your reputation is completely ruined, so Brother Jun can certainly never marry you. Father is also still furious with you, and it will be difficult for you to return home. The current you is nothing more than a stray dog.”
Indeed, even if this matter was seen through by Qin Zhizhi, there was no one else here to listen. She still had her mother to devise strategies for her, and her father had always doted on her. It remained uncertain who the people of the Heguang Sect would choose to believe. Qin Zhizhi was entirely alone; what did she have to fight her with?
Before Qin Zhizhi could think of a retort, a voice suddenly echoed from behind the two of them, its tone laced with implicit fury: “Who says she cannot marry me?”
Both Qin Zhizhi and Qin Zhijie turned toward the newcomer in astonishment.
His sashes swayed in the wind, bright and pure as a jade tree. Jun Wuya stood there quietly gazing at the two of them, a tempest brewing beneath his eyes.
Behind him, apart from Su Qingyi and Lu Yuandao, there were numerous other disciples of the Heguang Sect, all staring open-mouthed at the Qin family sisters. This was precisely the second matter Qin Zhizhi had asked Su Qingyi to arrange—to find a way to bring Jun Wuya over.
When exposing a conspiracy, how could there not be an audience to watch the show? But she hadn’t expected Su Qingyi to be so effective, dragging along so many random onlookers to enjoy the gossip.
The crowd was filled with astonishment. They only knew that the younger Qin sister liked Senior Brother Jun and that the older Qin sister had eloped for love, but they hadn’t anticipated that the entire affair behind the scenes was a conspiracy. Thinking about it this way, the older sister, Qin Zhizhi, truly suffered terrible misfortune. If it weren’t for a stroke of good luck, her life or death would genuinely be uncertain right now, and who knew what kind of torment she would be undergoing!
Jun Wuya bit his lower lip tightly, that soft sigh from Qin Zhizhi yesterday suddenly echoing in his mind.
“Immortal Master Jun… did you know? I almost died.”
At that time, she truly must have experienced a narrow escape from death. How did someone who had never stepped past the main gates since childhood endure such an ordeal, and how did she manage to survive? If Senior Brother Lu and the others hadn’t happened to pass by and rescue her, what would have happened? Jun Wuya didn’t dare to imagine.
Yet yesterday, he had actually reprimanded her without distinguishing right from wrong…
Jun Wuya’s eyes turned slightly red. “Zhizhi.”
Qin Zhizhi was speechless.
She took only a single glance before turning her head away. Alright, alright, what on earth is this man thinking? She hadn’t even cried yet, so why did Jun Wuya look as if he were about to burst into tears?
Qin Zhijie’s legs went soft. She hadn’t expected so many people to be present, only now realizing that she had fallen into Qin Zhizhi’s trap. Qin Zhizhi had always been taciturn, only ever suffering bullying; since when did she possess such meticulous thoughts?
She looked toward Jun Wuya, wanting to tug at the corner of his sleeve, tears cascading from the corners of her eyes in a thoroughly pitiful display. “Brother Jun, listen to my explanation.”
Jun Wuya took a step back, his lips pressed into a tight line, completely unwilling to even look at her.
Qin Zhizhi had no desire to watch Qin Zhijie put on a show. Lowering her eyes, she said, “Today’s matter has been witnessed by all the Immortal Masters. I won’t say any more; as for who is right and who is wrong, I believe you all have your own judgments.”
“Although I, Qin Zhizhi, am a piece of waste, I am not someone to be insulted at will. It just so happens that today, all the Immortal Masters can serve as witnesses,” she raised her head, her smile clear and captivating. “I, Qin Zhizhi, sever all ties with my stepmother and younger sister today, completely cutting off association. From now on, she can walk her broad avenue, and I will cross my single-plank bridge.”
Although it was a family matter, Qin Zhizhi had been harmed first and had her reputation ruined afterward, having endured an unknown amount of mistreatment from her stepmother and younger sister in secret. Cultivators inherently viewed mortal attachments with indifference, let alone a stepmother and stepsister. Hearing this, they all clapped and voiced their approval.
Qin Zhizhi tilted her head and instantly caught Jun Wuya’s gaze. Without retreating, she met his eyes. “As for you.”
Yet before the words could leave her mouth, she suddenly felt a piercing pain in her chest, as if her very heart were about to be gouged out. She unexpectedly vomited a mouthful of blood right then and there.
“Zhizhi!” Su Qingyi and Jun Wuya were both greatly alarmed, stepping forward to support her.
Qin Zhizhi’s eyes went dark from the intense pain, a burning sensation like fire spreading from the back of her neck throughout her entire body. She clenched her teeth and clutched her chest. It isn’t my own problem, absolutely not. The Corpse-Freezing Talisman, Xie Yutai, something happened to Xie Yutai!