“I will definitely marry Qin Zhizhi,” Jun Wuya’s promise was resonant and powerful, carrying the unique passion of youth.
Even Pei Songzhou was so shocked that he let out a sharp breath. He looked first at Jun Wuya, then at the dumbstruck Qin Zhizhi, and finally let his gaze fall upon Xie Yutai.
Xie Yutai’s entire aura had completely frozen, resembling an upright, silent abyss that struck dread into everyone’s hearts, making them feel as if they were walking on thin ice.
Even someone as insensitive as Pei Songzhou instinctively felt the danger, inadvertently tightening his grip on his saber hilt. Seeing his movement, Pei Lanzhou quietly pulled him behind her back.
This was also the first time Qin Zhizhi had received such a public confession, and she stood frozen on the spot.
She did not believe that Jun Wuya truly liked her all that much. In fact, she had absolutely no idea why he had suddenly become so persistent toward her.
After all, Jun Wuya had not shown much affection for her original identity before. He was a favored darling of heaven; how could he have taken a liking to a useless person with no spiritual roots?
His current transformation was truly quite puzzling.
Jun Wuya was indeed an enigmatic man.
She absolutely could not keep up with his bizarre train of thought.
Qin Zhizhi pondered for a long moment and was just about to speak when Fu Xingyun beat her to it.
Faced with the promise just now, Fu Xingyun did not even lift his eyelids. “Are you finished speaking?”
Jun Wuya’s face flushed bright red, whether from embarrassment or anger as he stared blankly at Fu Xingyun.
Fu Xingyun said, “Now that you are finished, you can leave.”
Even the best-tempered person would be provoked by Fu Xingyun’s blatant lack of respect. Jun Wuya said with some irritation, “What on earth does Sect Master Fu mean by this?”
He had long heard that Fu Xingyun was an unforgiving person who held a high position and was a true, undisputed favorite of heaven. He treated everyone this way, regardless of whether they were juniors, sect masters, or elders. However, the members of the Heguang Sect were all exceptionally polite and gentle like a warm spring breeze. Having grown up in such an environment since childhood, Jun Wuya had never encountered anyone like Fu Xingyun, who refused to yield to either soft persuasion or hard pressure.
The other man was also a master of one of the Three Sects, possessing noble status and formidable strength. For a moment, he actually had no way of dealing with him.
“You want to marry Zhizhi, and I have already given you my answer,” Fu Xingyun’s voice was calm. “I do not agree.”
Jun Wuya stared with wide eyes, saying unwillingly, “Our marriage was arranged by our parents and facilitated by a matchmaker. How can Sect Master Fu interfere?”
Fu Xingyun replied, “A teacher for a day is a father for life.”
Qin Zhizhi: ?
Where had she heard those words before?
These two had argued and argued, only to wind up right back at the starting point.
“You do not need to waste your time here. Since you have finished speaking, you may leave,” Fu Xingyun was unwilling to speak further with Jun Wuya and directly dismissed him.
Where did this brat come from? To think he dared to come marry his junior sister with only a Fasting stage cultivation?
What a joke.
The only reason he hadn’t directly unleashed his power to blast the boy out was because he was giving the Heguang Sect an immense amount of face.
Seeing that Fu Xingyun was completely obstinate, Jun Wuya flung his sleeves back in anger and stormed off, shouting furiously before leaving, “I will definitely ask my master to go to Wudu City to propose marriage upon my return! When the time comes, with proper matchmakers and formal betrothal gifts, you will have no reason to stop us even if you want to.”
The moment he turned around, the tassel of his zither slapped heavily against the instrument’s body, rustling loudly. When he reached the door, he accidentally tripped over the threshold because he wasn’t paying attention. Before he could recover his balance, he was run into hard by a gate-guarding disciple who was rushing in.
This young master of the Heguang Sect, who was usually as clean and clear as the breeze and the moon, was clearly enraged to the absolute limit.
The gate-keeping disciple who had run into Jun Wuya flusteredly tried to help him up, but was violently brushed off. The disciple did not mind, walking straight to the door. Seeing him, Pei Lanzhou walked over and quietly inquired about the situation.
Meanwhile, Qin Zhizhi stared at Jun Wuya’s slightly disheveled back, falling into deep thought.
This matter seemed to concern her, yet also seemed to have nothing to do with her.
But if she were to speak up and put a stop to it, it also seemed rather inappropriate.
She looked thoughtfully at Xie Yutai, who was still standing in the main hall.
Having just dealt with one, Fu Xingyun, who was now in the mood to handle the next, also looked toward Xie Yutai. “And what personal matter do you have?”
Xie Yutai turned a deaf ear to what had just transpired and spoke slowly, “Regarding the events that occurred at the Mount Sabo Sect, I must trouble Sect Master Fu to prove my innocence.”
Fu Xingyun’s movements paused. He had not expected Xie Yutai to be here for this. In truth, the affair at the Mount Sabo Sect had not been publicized. The Sect Master of Mount Sabo had not stepped forward, and Luo Hou had not made any moves either. The matter seemed to have been minimized and swept under the rug.
However, out of consideration for Qin Zhizhi, Fu Xingyun had still sent a letter to the Sect Master of the Guiyuan Sect.
To Fu Xingyun, this did not count as much of a chore.
Fu Xingyun replied flatly, “It was a minor effort.”
Xie Yutai added, “However, only a few people knew of the matter that day. I wonder how Sect Master Fu came to learn of it?”
Only a few people? Excluding Luo Hou and his group, the only people who knew were Xie Yutai and Qin Zhizhi.
Fu Xingyun swept a seemingly casual glance over the silent Qin Zhizhi beside him.
Xie Yutai did not seem to require Fu Xingyun’s answer, because he already knew the truth clearly in his heart.
“Therefore, this time, I must also thank Miss Qin.”
As expected.
For some reason, hearing these words did not surprise Qin Zhizhi.
When Xie Yutai mentioned a “personal matter,” she had felt that he had come specifically for her.
Standing behind Fu Xingyun, Qin Zhizhi lowered her head slightly. “Since it was a matter I promised Immortal Cultivator Xie, I would naturally do my best to fulfill it. There is really no need for you to be so polite.”
Xie Yutai nodded. “Miss Qin is indeed a person of her word.”
Qin Zhizhi was speechless.
The more she pondered these words, the stranger they felt.
Seeing Xie Yutai speaking with Qin Zhizhi, Pei Lanzhou took the opportunity to walk over to Fu Xingyun and whisper something. Hearing it, Fu Xingyun’s brows furrowed.
When he looked up at Xie Yutai again, there was a trace of hostility in his eyes. “Are you finished speaking?”
Xie Yutai pressed his lips together and did not speak.
Qin Zhizhi, however, hastily said, “Immortal Cultivator Xie is finished speaking with me.”
“No,” Xie Yutai said.
Qin Zhizhi thought she was hallucinating, her tone filled with surprise. “What?”
Xie Yutai said, “My conversation with Miss Qin is not yet finished.”
What else could she possibly have to discuss with Xie Yutai?
Qin Zhizhi scratched her head. “Then go ahead and say it.”
Xie Yutai’s movements stiffened. After a long silence, he said word for word, “This matter concerns only the two of us. It is inconvenient for others to know.”
Concerns only the two of them? Wasn’t that about the Corpse-Pinning Talisman? But the way Xie Yutai said it, those who didn’t know better would think they were incredibly close.
“Inconvenient for others to know,” Fu Xingyun scoffed directly. “Well, today, I insist on hearing exactly what kind of matter it is.”
Pei Lanzhou’s eyes flickered slightly, and she leaned down to whisper a few more words in Fu Xingyun’s ear.
Fu Xingyun was filled with impatience. “What’s wrong with letting him wait a moment?”
Seeing him like this, Pei Lanzhou did not persist in advising him further.
Xie Yutai spoke, “I must ask Sect Master Fu’s understanding.”
Clearly, if Fu Xingyun remained, he had no intention of speaking.
Fu Xingyun laughed in extreme anger. “Xie Yutai, how is it such a coincidence that Elder Yanchen has come at this exact moment?”
Elder Yanchen was Xie Yutai’s master, and currently the only Tribulation-Passage powerhouse. He had been guarding the Liantian Abyss, detached from worldly affairs. How was it that Xie Yutai had just arrived, and his master immediately followed to discuss business with him? If there wasn’t a setup here, Fu Xingyun would write his name backward.
However, there was nothing he could do. Who in the cultivation world would not show some respect to Elder Yanchen? What’s more, Elder Yanchen had come claiming he had important matters to discuss, so Fu Xingyun could not refuse.
After thinking it over, he turned to Qin Zhizhi. A smile played on his face, but his eyes were sharp and bright. “Very well. It so happens there is business in the front hall, so I will leave this place entirely to the two of you.”
He emphasized the word “entirely” very heavily, which made Qin Zhizhi’s heart skip a beat.
“Xie Yutai, to think you could do all this for a mere substitute. I truly feel pity for my junior sister.”
“Did you ever hold my junior sister in your heart even for a split second?”
The next moment, Fu Xingyun brushed his sleeves and stood up. Like a gust of wind, he swept past Xie Yutai, his sleeve cuff brushing heavily against the back of Xie Yutai’s hand.
Seeing their master stand up, Pei Lanzhou and Pei Songzhou glanced at the two remaining in the hall and followed him out.
Left standing in place, Qin Zhizhi watched Fu Xingyun sweep away like a whirlwind, her eyes still holding a trace of blankness. However, Fu Xingyun’s words had already crashed down upon her heart like a violent storm.
Did you ever hold my junior sister in your heart even for a split second?
If this question were put to Xie Yutai, the answer would naturally be no.
So Qin Zhizhi thought.
His current preoccupation with this so-called “substitute” was, at most, born of three parts pity, three parts guilt, and four parts due to the connection of the Corpse-Pinning Talisman.
Achieving the state of “Great Love is Ruthless” meant forgetting affection and having no feelings.
Qin Zhizhi never felt that Xie Yutai truly had any feelings for her.
Nor did she dare to think so.
Since he had no heart for her in the past, what right did she have to expect him to have one now?
She quickly adjusted her mindset. Although she knew Xie Yutai could not see, she still put on a slight smile and spoke to him: “The matter that concerns only the two of us must be the Corpse-Pinning Talisman, correct? Besides that narrow escape during the trip to the Mount Sabo Sect, did Immortal Cultivator Xie have any other findings?”
Actually, there was no harm in speaking of this in front of Fu Xingyun, unless the method to undo it was very strange? Or was there some other reason? Xie Yutai must have his own considerations.
Xie Yutai, however, did not answer her question. “You do not need to call me Immortal Cultivator Xie.”
Qin Zhizhi smiled forcedly. “I am used to calling you that, so it is hard to change it all at once.”
However, she did not need to dwell too much on the form of address; it was not the main point.
“So, can the Corpse-Pinning Talisman be undone?”
Xie Yutai turned a deaf ear to Qin Zhizhi’s question and did not answer.
Qin Zhizhi could not tell if he hadn’t heard clearly or wasn’t paying attention. She tilted her head and looked at him closely, calling out in a very small voice, “Senior… Senior Brother Xie?”
Among the Three Sects, the Guiyuan Sect was the leader, and among the younger generation of the Guiyuan Sect, Xie Yutai was the foremost. Therefore, most core disciples of the Three Sects called Xie Yutai “Senior Brother.” Moreover, because of his formidable strength, he was widely regarded as the Eldest Senior Brother of the Three Sects. In the past, Xie Yutai had been unwilling to let Qin Zhizhi call him Senior Brother simply because she clung to him too tightly. In reality, most core disciples, especially the younger ones, would respectfully address him as “Senior Brother Xie” upon meeting him.
Hearing Qin Zhizhi call him, Xie Yutai finally turned his head and asked, “What?”
So he hadn’t heard clearly.
Qin Zhizhi let out a long sigh of relief and smiled. “Regarding the Corpse-Pinning Talisman, did the Mount Sabo Sect have any way to undo it?”
Xie Yutai’s aura froze slightly. For a long time, just as Qin Zhizhi began to wonder if he had missed her question again, he finally replied, his voice flat: “There is no solution.”
“Ah.” Although she had long expected that Tan Wuning’s talisman would not be so easy to break, hearing this definite “no solution” still sent a sudden chill through Qin Zhizhi’s heart.
This matter was indeed quite difficult to handle.
Neither the Yasheng Sect nor the Mount Sabo Sect had any good methods. Whom else could they turn to? Surely they couldn’t just march straight into the Demon Realm?
Qin Zhizhi sighed, “It is fine. Master also said he would help look into it. There will always be a way.”
However.
“So, Senior Brother Xie wanted Master to leave just to speak of this?” Qin Zhizhi looked at Xie Yutai, her clear, black-and-white eyes like autumn water, clearly reflecting his figure.
This didn’t make much sense, did it? Could he be afraid that the moment Fu Xingyun heard there was no solution, he would beat him out of the sect on the spot?
Xie Yutai remained silent.
The corners of his robes stirred without any wind, and his sword tassel swayed along with them.
“I heard that the Tiantong Sect’s Meidai Ice-Cream is a superb delicacy. I have not tasted it in a very long time.”
Qin Zhizhi: “Huh?”
Meidai Ice-Cream was a unique food of the Tiantong Sect. It involved heating a butter-like dairy cheese until it was nearly melted and soft, then dripping it onto a plate while carving it into the shape of mountain peaks. Once frozen in an ice cellar, it was adorned with fruits to resemble mountain ridges. The icy texture combined with the rich, milky flavor of the cheese and because the ingredients included spiritual herbs and immortal fruits offered great benefits to cultivators who consumed it. It was beautiful, delicious, and useful.
Qin Zhizhi was not boasting. Who among the Three Sects, Six Sects, and Twelve Cities did not envy the Tiantong Sect’s dining hall? Many disciples who visited the Tiantong Sect on business would make sure to grab a bowl of Meidai Ice-Cream before returning home satisfied.
Qin Zhizhi was also extremely fond of it. In the past, whenever Xie Yutai visited, she would inevitably drag him along to eat Meidai Ice-Cream.
Of course, the final result was always her eating while Xie Yutai watched from the side.
“Just for this?” Xie Yutai, your cold and aloof sword cultivator persona has completely collapsed. You never seemed to love eating it so much in the past.
Xie Yutai explained with a normal expression, “If I were to propose it, Sect Master Fu would definitely not agree.”
That actually made a lot of sense.
Indeed, Fu Xingyun’s face was currently written with a giant word: “annoyed” whenever he saw Xie Yutai. How could he possibly let him into the Tiantong Sect’s dining hall to eat Meidai Ice-Cream?
The last time Xie Yutai had come to the Tiantong Sect was to propose marriage.
At that time, Qin Zhizhi was still lying in bed recovering from her injuries, and Fu Xingyun was also worrying day and night because of her severe wounds. Who would have thought to serve Xie Yutai a bowl of Meidai Ice-Cream?
Thinking about it this way, Xie Yutai’s awkward, lingering hesitation suddenly made sense.
Qin Zhizhi almost laughed aloud. She truly had not expected this! Back then, when she forced him to eat it, he hadn’t shown much liking for it on his face. Now that she was gone, he had actually grown to miss it.
He seemed to imply that if he couldn’t eat it today, he wouldn’t leave.
In any case, it was about time for her to eat, so taking Xie Yutai along would not be much trouble.
“Fine, then Senior Brother Xie can come with me.” With this thought, Qin Zhizhi bypassed Xie Yutai with light steps, the red hair ribbon on her head swaying with her movements, gently brushing against his shoulder.
She was so bright and vivid.
The dining hall was not particularly far from the main hall. The two of them walked one after the other. The trees on both sides were lush and green, and the occasional chirping of birds coupled with the gentle sunlight made the atmosphere incredibly warm.
Qin Zhizhi kept her hands behind her back, her ten fingers moving idly for some reason. After a long moment, she finally could not help but turn around, her face carrying an unconcealable playfulness. “Does Senior Brother Xie really love eating Meidai Ice-Cream that much?”
“My wife loved eating it.”
Upon hearing these words, Qin Zhizhi felt as though she had been struck by lightning.
Her entire body went numb.
Shock, bewilderment, and disbelief washed over her.
What did he mean? Who was this wife? What did this mean?!
Qin Zhizhi was incredibly grateful that Xie Yutai’s eyes were currently blind, because she had absolutely no way of maintaining a normal expression. She stopped her steps, turning back to look at him with a strange gaze, as if looking at some sort of monster.
She opened her mouth, feeling her voice grow somewhat strained, and immediately closed it again.
Only after swallowing the complex mix of emotions in her heart did her voice ring out as though nothing had happened: “Oh? Senior Brother Xie’s wife? Is she the girl everyone says I look very much like?”
She spoke so casually, lightly glossing over it as if telling someone else’s story.
Xie Yutai replied, “Yes.”
Qin Zhizhi laughed softly. “What kind of person was she, after all?”
A thorn had grown in her heart. Usually, she was fine, but she would occasionally be pricked by it unexpectedly. At first, it wasn’t very painful, but after being pracked many times, it gradually spread into a vast ocean.
Xie Yutai, what kind of person was she truly in your heart?
Was she arrogant, annoying, and unreasonable?
Or was she… an unavoidable, inescapable, and heavy shackle?
Qin Zhizhi had also harbored unrealistic expectations once.
After surviving the danger in the Kunlun Cave Heaven, she had opened her eyes having barely escaped death. Hearing the widespread rumors outside, she learned that Xie Yutai had single-handedly slain six Golden Core demon beasts. He had fought bloodily, his sword edge stained with gore, resembling an executioner. When he emerged from the secret realm, he held the person in his arms as if she were a precious treasure.
At that time, Qin Zhizhi had thought happily to herself that as expected of favorability exchanged with her life, Xie Yutai had better marry her quickly. What was he waiting for?
But he didn’t.
She waited for one day, two days, ten days, half a month, but Xie Yutai never appeared.
Until Fu Xingyun went to the Guiyuan Sect.
Xie Yutai finally came to propose marriage.
By then, the rumors outside were already flying wildly. They said the Tiantong Sect’s female cultivator Qin Zhizhi was using her saving grace to demand repayment, forcing Xie Yutai to “offer his body” in return. The crowd spoke with both teasing and mockery.
Qin Zhizhi had pondered left and right, and she had even sent a letter to Xie Yutai, asking him to meet.
If he truly was so unwilling, or if it was merely for the sake of this debt of gratitude, then there was no need.
She was the one who wanted to go to the Kunlun secret realm, and she was the one who wanted to help Xie Yutai. What’s more, Xie Yutai had eventually brought her out in the end. Qin Zhizhi did not feel that Xie Yutai truly needed to bind himself to her for this matter.