Yu Qianqiu was seething with rage.
He had previously received reports that Yu Sui Sui was on friendly terms with Xie Rong Jing, but he hadn’t paid them much mind.
He knew this eldest daughter well—timid, mediocre in talent, and utterly unremarkable compared to her younger sister.
Even if left to her own devices, he doubted she could stir up any trouble.
Who would have thought she’d spout such nonsense in front of so many people?
If it were anyone else, Yu Qianqiu would have long found an excuse to toss them into the Abyss beneath Moonfrost Bridge. But since she was his own flesh and blood, he merely smashed an exquisite Spirit Jade ornament beside him, glaring at her with a darkened expression.
“Do you still have the face to call me Father?”
Alright then, Uncle Yu.
She promptly amended the address in her mind.
Yu Sui Sui was not the original owner of this body—such tactics had zero effect on her.
Seeing her remain silent, Yu Qianqiu assumed this typically docile daughter had realized her mistake, and his expression softened slightly.
“You must understand—you are the eldest young lady of Tian Zhao Sect. Your every action represents the sect’s dignity. Is that clear?”
Ah, this…
Not really…
Are we in Tian Zhao Sect supposed to say one thing and do another?
Yu Qianqiu’s anger hadn’t fully subsided: “Starting today, you are forbidden from leaving Zhu Yi Residence without my permission.”
This she understood—it was just house arrest.
Yu Sui Sui adopted a universally perfunctory tone: “Sui Sui understands.””
After all, one couldn’t win against overwhelming power. House arrest was house arrest—it didn’t mean she couldn’t sneak out.
Yu Qianqiu was satisfied with her response, his expression softening further. “How is your qin cultivation progressing?”
“Still at the second realm.”
Yu Qianqiu frowned, wanting to say something but holding back.
“Never mind,” he said. “One year from now, our Tian Zhao Sect will host an exchange conference. Outstanding disciples from various sects will attend.”
“By that time, if you haven’t reached the third realm, feign illness and don’t show yourself to the guests. Understood?”
Yu Sui Sui repeated her standard response: “Sui Sui understands.”
After voicing these harsh words, Yu Qianqiu’s anger had mostly dissipated.
He remembered this daughter had always been frail and sickly, and today she seemed to have sat through the entire Sect Celebration.
“Your health has indeed improved,” Yu Qianqiu praised.
He had never studied medical principles—an outstanding cultivator should focus entirely on one path of cultivation, which had always been Tian Zhao Sect’s guiding belief.
When Yu Sui Sui was first diagnosed with congenital deficiency, he hadn’t been particularly concerned.
Yu Qianqiu stood too high. Before becoming sect leader, he harbored lofty ambitions, cultivating daily while awaiting his chance to shine. After assuming leadership, there were too many matters demanding his attention—naturally, he had no time for such trivial details.
Congenital deficiency not only caused frailty and frequent illness but could also lead to stagnant Spiritual Qi and even life-threatening risks if careless.
Through explanations from medical cultivator advisors, Sect Leader Yu came to understand the severity of this condition, yet he never felt any particular sense of crisis.
Their Tian Zhao Sect was one of the four great sects, abundant with rare treasures and resources. They even had nearly a dozen fifth-realm medical cultivators recruited. If his daughter had a weak constitution, they could simply nurture her meticulously—what major problems could possibly arise?
Facts proved him right. Yu Sui Sui now had rosy cheeks and steady breathing, clearly well cared for.
“Mhmm.” Yu Sui Sui nodded. “I’m completely fine now.”
“Truly?” Yu Qianqiu asked in surprise.
He lightly tapped his index finger, summoning a cluster of golden flame.
“I have already dispatched Golden Fire to summon Physician He. You should rest a bit later tonight.”
Yu Suisui knew Physician He – he was the most skilled among the medical cultivators recruited by Tian Zhao Sect as guest advisors, just one step away from the Sixth Level. He had been the one who previously treated the original host.
Before long, Physician He arrived.
He was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man with a lean build and a goatee, appearing slightly older than Sect Leader Yu.
“This… this is simply extraordinary…”
Physician He used his spirit energy to examine Yu Suisui’s pulse, his black bean-like eyes widening in astonishment.
Yu Qianqiu asked: “What do you mean by that?”
Physician He became so excited he could barely speak coherently: “Young Miss… Young Miss has actually recovered completely! You must understand, only a medical cultivator above the Seventh Level performing meridians cleansing could completely cure this condition.”
He looked toward Yu Qianqiu: “Sect Leader, could we request Physicians Zhang, Wang, Li and others to come examine her? Faced with such a miraculous phenomenon, I fear my medical skills might be insufficient and I could misdiagnose something.”
Yu Suisui understood completely – her current situation was essentially an otherworldly version of a medical miracle. Of course they would want to convene a panel of experts.
When the Fifth Level medical cultivators gradually gathered in the main hall, each wore identical expressions of astonishment.
“Has Young Miss noticed any unusual physical sensations recently?” the medical cultivators asked.
In their eyes, Yu Suisui saw blazing flames of curiosity. If not for her father’s presence, they would have wanted to examine her inside and out.
This was a question she could answer.
The biggest abnormality was that she had long since changed her core consciousness.
But if she didn’t want to be dissected for research, she absolutely couldn’t say that.
Yu Suisui began crafting her story: “Well, a few months ago, I found a strange colorful fruit.”
“Where did you find it? What did it look like? Is it still here?” Physician He asked urgently.
Yu Suisui replied: “It fell from the sky, was seven-colored and star-shaped. I thought it looked quite unique, and it smelled fragrant… so I ate it.”
“Oh my dear Young Miss, how could you eat something so recklessly!”
The medical cultivators beat their chests in frustration.
They had never heard of such a fruit as the Young Miss described, but since it could even cure congenital deficiencies, it must have been something extraordinary.
If only she had saved a bite for their research!
“Good, good, good!” Yu Qianqiu didn’t really understand these details – as long as eating it hadn’t harmed her, that was fine. This would also allow him to worry less and focus more on other important matters.
He repeated “good” three times and generously rewarded all the medical cultivators present.
The hall remained brightly lit as both hosts and guests enjoyed the moment.
Yu Suisui looked outside – it was already the late night.
“Is Sui Sui tired?” When others were present, Yu Qianqiu always maintained his kindly, affectionate fatherly image.
The higher their cultivation level, the less cultivators needed sleep. Everyone present except Yu Suisui could substitute cultivation for rest.
They weren’t tired, but Yu Suisui’s eyelids were already beginning to droop.
Fortunately, she had managed to sleep a bit during the daytime celebration, otherwise she wouldn’t have lasted this long.
“I’ve troubled you all.” Yu Qianqiu clasped his hands behind his back. “Sui Sui has just recovered from serious illness and needs rest to recuperate. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take her to rest now.”
The medical cultivators withdrew as instructed, not forgetting to praise the Sect Leader’s meticulous care for his daughter before leaving.
Yu Qianqiu was quite pleased, and even looked upon Yu Suisui – this eldest daughter who had previously brought him shame – with considerably more gentleness.
Yu Suisui: “…”
“I’ll be heading back too.” She bid farewell to her father along with the medical cultivators: “I’ll recuperate properly at Zhu Yi Residence and won’t wander around.”
She absolutely didn’t want to stay overnight in the guest rooms here.
Besides, Xie Rongjing was still waiting for her outside.
Yu Qianqiu had only mentioned it casually and didn’t stop her, instead nodding slightly as he watched his eldest daughter depart.
“Something terrible has happened! Sect Leader!”
Just as Yu Suisui reached the entrance, an unfamiliar male cultivator rushed toward her, his expression panicked as he nearly knocked her to the ground.
It was precisely that steward who had previously been sent to deliver orders to Gongsun Lan.
Yu Qianqiu frowned displeased: “What matter has you so flustered?”
“Lord Gongsun… something has happened to Lord Gongsun!” The steward shivered all over recalling the scene he had just witnessed: “His entire body is covered with his own talismans… so densely packed that even the whites of his eyes are covered…”
Gongsun Lan was considered one of the top talism cultivators recruited by Tian Zhao Sect. Yu Qianqiu stood up from his seat: “How is he now?”
“Not well.” The young steward reported truthfully: “Lord Gongsun appears to be in extreme pain. According to other lords, if we want to preserve his life… we can only disperse all his cultivation…”
Overhearing this gossip, Yu Suisui couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
How unpredictable life is—this truly is an immortal cultivation world.
Gongsun Lan was arrogant and conceited about his talent. If centuries of cultivation were to vanish overnight, he would likely never recover from the blow.
After all, not everyone was like Xie Rongjing—even with severed meridians, he could still become the ultimate villain.
She didn’t stay to listen to the two men’s discussion further, walking out of the hall overflowing with spiritual qi.
Xie Rongjing stood beneath the starry sky.
He was standing before a flying horse, gently stroking its snow-white coat, presenting a picture of serene tranquility.
“Gongsun Lan seems to have suffered a backlash from his own talismans.” Yu Suisui shared this news with the great villain with concern.
“Oh?” Xie Rongjing’s hand movements imperceptibly paused for a moment, “The young miss seems quite worried about him.”
That was indeed true.
Yu Suisui admitted openly: “Of course. I wonder if Tian Zhao Sect has any talism cultivators higher-ranked than him who can remove the talisman on you.”
Gongsun Lan really… he should have at least resolved the trouble he caused before something happened to him.
Hearing this, Xie Rongjing turned and gave her a gentle smile.
His black hair flowed loosely, white outer robe casually open, starlight casting a faint halo around him.
“Look here.” His fingertip lightly touched his own forehead.
The great villain’s forehead was smooth, with a few stray hairs falling across it—not a trace of any talisman to be seen.
Yu Suisui carefully examined it twice, confirming there were no major issues.
“Could it be that when Gongsun Lan lost control, his spirit energy became ineffective?”
“It appears so.” Xie Rongjing smiled in agreement with her words.
Just as Yu Suisui breathed a sigh of relief, a strange feeling suddenly came over her.
This feeling arrived without any basis—if she had to describe it, it resembled some small animal’s instinctive intuition when approaching danger.
Looking at the seemingly harmless great villain before her, she felt that something wasn’t quite right.
…Could it be related to him?
“What are you thinking about?” Noticing her prolonged silence, Xie Rongjing asked with concern.
She was probably overthinking it.
Yu Suisui shook her head.
No matter how detestable Gongsun Lan was, he remained a nearly fifth-level Talism Cultivator. Xie Rong Jing would likely gain little advantage facing him—the verbal curse still lingering on his body was the clearest proof. Besides, Xie Rong Jing had spent the entire night with her; when would he have found time to target Gongsun Lan?
“It’s getting late, let’s head back first,” Yu Sui Sui said. “I’ll escort you to North Peak.”
She must have been too exhausted, letting her thoughts run wild like this.
Xie Rong Jing gave a slight nod.
He sat in the carriage with hands folded, a gentle smile gracing his relaxed expression. He seemed exceptionally pleased.
But it wasn’t merely a loss of control.
As North Peak drew nearer outside the window, Xie Rong Jing’s smile remained light, yet tinged with a cruel delight. Leaning against the window, he unconsciously traced his forehead.
Xie Rong Jing was a Demon, and thus naturally inherited some of their peculiar abilities. His particular gift was called 【Demon Blood】.
Demon Blood could record any injuries Xie Rong Jing sustained within three days and, when he willed it, reflect them entirely back onto the caster.
A single verbal curse couldn’t kill Gongsun Lan—not even ten would suffice. But what if the accumulated damage from hundreds, even thousands of spells over those three days erupted all at once?
Though cursed, Xie Rong Jing felt no resentment. On the contrary—it was an unexpected windfall. In solitude, he repeatedly provoked the curse, teetering on the edge of death. As long as he clung to life, even by a thread, he could meticulously store up those injuries—saving them for tonight, this moonless night.
This reckless method of harming the enemy at great cost to himself made him unable to suppress a radiant smile whenever he recalled it.
Still alive? How fortunate… no, how unfortunate for him.
Those sufficiently ravaged by Demon Blood would eventually be assimilated by the Demons. If Gongsun Lan managed to cling to life, he would discover—slowly, inexorably—that he was transforming into a human with Demon bloodline, becoming the very thing he despised most.
Demons could intermarry with humans, and the two races could even produce offspring. Mixed-blood Demons were ostracized and scorned in both Demon and human societies, rejected by both sides and labeled as half-breeds.
One could easily imagine how other humans would treat Gongsun Lan, this “mixed-blood Demon hiding his identity.”
How truly… fascinating.
Xie Rong Jing smiled joyfully, as if his dull life had finally rippled with intrigue.
People often spoke of returning kindness with greater kindness, questioning where righteousness lay.
Under the night sky and starlight, Xie Rong Jing’s sickly pallor had vanished, replaced by a face of breathtaking brilliance. His lips parted slightly, as if whispering soundlessly into the wind.
So, did you like my first gift?