Qu Yaoyao felt that Qingxi Immortal Venerable wanted to strangle her.
His fingertips were icy cold and devoid of warmth, the force encircling her neck was heavy, as if the slightest displeasure in her words would cost her life in his grasp.
The inexperienced Little Snow Lotus was terrified, her eyes misting over with tears. She whimpered, not daring to speak the truth, "I, I don't know…"
Before she could finish, Qu Yaoyao felt the pain in her neck intensify and quickly changed her words: "I know, I know!"
"Please, don't kill me." Someone who had died once had no desire to experience death a second time.
Qingxi Immortal Venerable loosened his grip slightly, unmoved by the girl's soft pleas. His tone, spoken close to her ear, was frigid. "This lord's patience is limited."
Without patience, this person would lose her life.
Qu Yaoyao sniffled, frantically thinking of a plan in her heart. She hesitated—should she tell Qingxi Immortal Venerable the truth? He seemed genuinely concerned about the Frozen Pond Snow Lotus.
Little Snow Lotus wasn’t particularly clever, but she still possessed a basic sense of danger.
In an instant, she dismissed the idea of telling the truth. After all, the Immortal Venerable before her seemed too terrifying. There was a saying: "You may know a person's face, but not their heart." With her life at stake, who knew whether his intense concern for the Frozen Pond Snow Lotus stemmed from genuine care or ulterior motives?
"That snow lotus was indeed stolen." Before clarifying Qingxi Immortal Venerable's intentions, Qu Yaoyao decided to lie first.
She wasn’t skilled at lying, and the only plausible excuse she could fabricate now was to use that painting. She stammered, "The Immortal Venerable guessed correctly—the one who stole Little Snow Lotus is the person in the painting."
"Oh?" Qingxi Immortal Venerable's tone was flat.
He didn’t believe Qu Yaoyao’s words and asked calmly, "How do you know this?"
"Be… because…"
"Because I know the person in the painting—she’s my younger sister!"
"Younger sister?" Qingxi Immortal Venerable scoffed.
Qu Yaoyao, with her back to him, couldn’t see his expression but sensed he might have smiled faintly. The slightly loosened grip tightened again. Qing Xi grasped the back of Qu Yaoyao’s neck firmly, leaning close to her ear and murmuring, "How is it that this lord doesn’t recall Qu Third Miss having a younger sister?"
Sect Master Qu Yingsi of the Xingyang Sect had only three children—two daughters and one son. Qu Yaoyao was the youngest; there was no younger sister beneath her.
Seeing Qing Xi’s murderous intent flare again, Qu Yaoyao instinctively closed her eyes. Driven by a fierce will to survive, she quickly fabricated a lie. She said:
The girl in the painting was indeed her younger sister, but very few people knew about this. All along, this younger sister of hers had been elusive, rarely appearing in public. She was closest to Qu Yaoyao and occasionally shared small secrets between sisters.
"Illegitimate daughter?" Qingxi Immortal Venerable interjected.
Qu Yaoyao was momentarily stunned, first confused about what "illegitimate daughter" meant, then quickly understanding and affirming, "Yes, she’s my mother’s hidden illegitimate daughter in the Xingyang Sect!"
Xie Qingxun believed her a bit more, his tone tinged with danger. "Why did she steal the Frozen Pond Snow Lotus? Was it Qu Yingsi’s idea?"
One lie required countless lies to cover it up. Perhaps driven by her survival instinct, Qu Yaoyao reacted quickly now, lies tumbling out one after another. "It wasn’t my mother’s doing—my younger sister stole it on her own."
Since she had already decided to pin the blame on ‘herself,’ Qu Yaoyao absolutely could not implicate the Xingyang Sect. So she fabricated a story: “My younger sister said she had contracted a strange illness that only the Frozen Pond Snow Lotus could cure, and she had long ago decided to steal it.”
“I thought she was just joking before, but who knew she was serious.”
Once these words were spoken, the rest followed naturally.
Qu Yaoyao explained that the reason she came to find Qingxi Immortal Venerable was because her younger sister had gone missing, and she wanted to use this opportunity to gather information. Who would have thought that as soon as she entered, she happened to see a portrait of her own ‘younger sister’?
“Even though she stole the snow lotus, she is still my sister after all. I… I don’t want anything to happen to her.” That was why she had run as soon as she saw the portrait, intending to conceal the truth.
“Then what about those strange words you said earlier…”
“That was to gauge the importance of that snow lotus in the Immortal Venerable’s heart, so I could decide whether or not to tell the Immortal Venerable about my sister.”
All the lies were neatly woven together. Xie Qingxun fell silent, suddenly without a sound.
Qu Yaoyao dared not relax, cautiously asking, “Can the Immortal Venerable release me now?”
Her dress was loose and flowing, originally resembling a butterfly spreading its wings, but now it was tightly coiled by the magical snake, revealing the curves of her figure. Even though she knew the magical snake was formed from Qingxi Immortal Venerable’s magic, Qu Yaoyao was still somewhat afraid.
She timidly negotiated, “Even if you won’t release me, could the Immortal Venerable at least make that magical snake leave?”
“I… I’m scared.” She truly was afraid, her tone trembling and hoarse with a sob, impossible to fake.
Xie Qingxun’s gaze fell on her delicate neck, his eyes dark and contemplative as he weighed whether to kill her or let her live.
Under Qu Yaoyao’s weak and pleading call of “Immortal Venerable,” Xie Qingxun grew somewhat annoyed. Without much gentleness, he grabbed Qu Yaoyao’s shoulder and turned her to face him directly.
As a Frozen Pond Snow Lotus, her original form possessed a thousand years of cultivation. Though not strong enough to rival an Immortal Venerable, she at least had the ability to struggle and escape. But Qu Yaoyao’s body was too weak—this vessel had no foundation in cultivation. Little Snow Lotus needed time to merge her cultivation with this body.
It was precisely because she was currently powerless that she could only allow Qingxi Immortal Venerable to bully and control her. The sudden turn caught her unprepared, and as she stumbled into Qingxi Immortal Venerable’s embrace, he ruthlessly pressed her against the screen, trapping her between his arms.
“Mmm…” Qu Yaoyao’s face was lifted as Qingxi pinched her chin.
She was still a tender young girl, her face plump and slightly chubby with baby fat. Now, with Xie Qingxun pinching her cheeks, they puffed out adorably. Her misty eyes were tinged with red, adding a touch of pitifulness.
Qingxi Immortal Venerable, the master of all immortals, examined Qu Yaoyao’s face as he held it. His imposing gaze slowly traveled from her forehead down to her eyes and lips. After a long while, he finally curved the corners of his mouth slightly and said, “You do resemble her somewhat.”
He hadn’t noticed it before, but perhaps because Qu Yaoyao had recently gained some weight, Xie Qingxun realized she truly resembled the girl in the portrait.
The same clear, bright round eyes, the same plump, rosy lips—even the expression of panic and fear was strikingly similar to the girl in the portrait. Xie Qingxun carefully recalled every detail of the girl in the painting, belatedly realizing that he had only met that little girl once, yet her appearance was deeply engraved in his bones.
So, was it truly she who stole the snow lotus?
Through Qu Yaoyao's face, Xie Qingxun seemed to see the 'younger sister' she spoke of. No wonder he had caught the scent of lotus amidst the thick blood that night—it wasn't a delusion born of madness after all.
Unfortunately, she was already dead. He had scattered her soul to eliminate any future trouble, leaving no chance of survival.
And this older sister… would soon die as well.
"Master, I have urgent news to report!" Just as Xie Qingxun was about to strike and kill Qu Yaoyao, Gu Tianci's voice suddenly rang out from outside the door.
Xie Qingxun halted the half-formed killing technique. Upon hearing the words 'Yaowang Sect,' he dispersed the spell, lifted his hand to remove the Restriction Seal on Qu Yaoyao, and decided to spare her life for the moment, as something else came to mind.
Qu Yaoyao was not blind to Xie Qingxun's murderous intent. So once freed, she pushed him away and fled swiftly toward the hall's exit.
This time, she didn't crash into the screen again. Her robes fluttered, the jewels on her body tinkling, and the ends of her hair brushed against the back of Xie Qingxun's hand. Xie Qingxun allowed her to escape, coldly watching her retreating figure without reaction.
Just as the hall doors swung wide open, allowing the wind to flow through, the girl with fluttering skirts suddenly came to a halt.
Outside the hall lay over a dozen corpses brought in by the Yaowang Sect.
The bodies were covered with glaring white cloths. When Qu Yaoyao pushed open the hall doors, a gust of wind swept over a corpse near the entrance, lifting the white cloth to reveal the body beneath—it was the long-dead Young Sect Master of the Yaowang Sect.
Qu Yaoyao's eyes widened, and her legs nearly gave way beneath her. She recognized that corpse!
On the night she transformed into form, the blood-soaked youth she had stumbled upon in the dense forest was him! So that night, the Immortal Venerable who had fallen into demonhood hadn't killed only the youth—he had slaughtered dozens!
No wonder there had been so much blood on him…
That night, already chilling enough to make her shudder, now bore the weight of dozens of lost souls, growing even more horrifying and bone-chilling. Qu Yaoyao had failed to save the youth, and guilt had already weighed on her. Now, seeing his mutilated corpse, she instinctively stepped back, afraid to draw closer.
With that step back, she retreated into someone's embrace.
Under the weight of multiple shocks, the tears Qu Yaoyao had been holding back could no longer be contained, soaking her long lashes and streaming down her face. When she looked up and saw who stood behind her, her legs buckled, nearly sending her collapsing to the ground again. A pair of hands steadied her firmly.
"Be careful." Xie Qingxun wrapped one arm around Qu Yaoyao's waist and grasped her right arm with the other. He exerted a slight force to lift the half-collapsed figure, lowering his gaze to whisper gently by her ear, "Miss Yaoyao, be careful."
Be careful with your life—if you dare speak recklessly, it may not be spared.
The soft, harmless girl did not make a scene when she broke down in tears. Her faint, delicate sobs only evoked pity and compassion.
Qu Yaoyao's skin was milky white, so her crying made the corners of her eyes and the tip of her nose excessively red, as if brushed with rouge. Hearing the warning in Qingxi Immortal Venerable's words, she let out a sob and pushed against Xie Qingxun's arm, her voice filled with anger, grievance, and helplessness as she said, "I don't need you to care."
The butterfly in his embrace had flown away.
Xie Qingxun watched all this unfold calmly, making no attempt to stop her.
The great hall stood open, its steps strewn with corpses. Under the bright sunlight, Xie Qingxun, clad in pristine white robes, appeared coldly elegant and transcendent, his sinister and ghostly aura now restrained. It wasn't until Qu Yaoyao had run far away that she looked back and found Qingxi still standing atop the great hall.
A gentle breeze lifted the embroidered hem of his white robes. The man stood tall and straight, hands clasped behind his back. With a gaze both compassionate and lonely, he stared at the rows of corpses, quietly listening as the Yaowang Sect's leader wept and demanded justice for his son.
Qu Yaoyao felt it was all so tragic.
Whether she was grieving for herself or for others, the cruelest demon was right beside them, yet they all worshipped him as a lofty deity, praying and seeking salvation from him.
"Yaoyao." Qu Yaoyao heard someone calling her name.
Qu Yushu, worried after his sister had been gone for so long and learning that something had happened at Wangxu, hurried to find her, only to discover Qu Yaoyao in tears.
Before he could ask what was wrong, Qu Yaoyao threw herself into his arms with a sob.
"Brother—" Qu Yaoyao choked out.
Her dream had shattered.
The Immortal Venerable she had once adored and revered as a deity had also shattered.
Her entire world had crumbled along with it.
"…"
After returning to the sect from Wangxu, Qu Yaoyao fell seriously ill.
For days, she drifted in and out of consciousness, weak and delirious, frequently waking from nightmares only to slip back into a feverish sleep. Once again, Qu Yaoyao fell into a deep slumber and dreamed of the scene of 'her' death—being choked, unable to breathe.
It was an extremely pale hand, slender yet powerful, with straight, elegant fingers. If not for the sharp, pointed nails, it would have been a beautiful hand.
Qu Yaoyao still couldn’t see the face of the one who had killed 'her.' When she gasped awake, she found herself drenched in sweat but with some strength returning. Qu Yushu was sitting by her bedside, trying to feed her medicine.
"Yaoyao, you're awake?" Qu Yushu exclaimed with relief.
Qu Yaoyao had been asleep for days, and her voice was hoarse and weary as she called out, "Brother." Qu Yushu helped her sit up, sighing in relief. "It’s good you’re awake. The medicine Immortal Venerable sent truly has miraculous effects."
The mention of 'Immortal Venerable' instantly unlocked Qu Yaoyao’s sealed memories. Looking at the medicine bottle in Qu Yushu’s hand, she coughed anxiously. "What Immortal Venerable?"
"Wh-who sent this medicine?"
Qu Yushu gently patted her back, speaking softly. "It was Immortal Venerable Qingxi who sent the medicine."
Knowing how deeply his sister adored Immortal Venerable Qingxi, he had hoped this would lift her spirits and explained thoughtfully, "Immortal Venerable learned of your illness and specifically asked Immortal Lord Tianci to deliver the medicine, urging you to take good care of yourself."
Qu Yaoyao’s face, already pale, grew even paler. "Did I take it?"
"I gave you two pills yesterday and one just now, and then you woke up."
No wonder she had felt suffocated and uncomfortable.
"Should I take another pill?"
Qu Yaoyao dared not take any more.
Whether it was her imagination or not, ever since learning the medicine was from Immortal Venerable Qingxi, her sense of suffocation had intensified, making her deeply uncomfortable. Suspecting that Immortal Venerable Qingxi had tampered with the medicine, Qu Yaoyao immediately tried to reach into her throat to force out the pill she had just swallowed.
Qu Yushu quickly stopped her. "Yaoyao, what are you doing?"
He grabbed her wrist, his fingers easily encircling it. Qu Yaoyao looked down, noticing the clean, straight fingertips, and realized her brother’s hand was quite beautiful.
It looked rather similar to the hand from her nightmare.