Mo Tiange drew a deep breath.
She knew her luck had never been particularly good, but this time, it was an unprecedented level of misfortune!
Venerable Songfeng, the number one Late-Nascent Soul cultivator in Tianji Region—in his presence, she was nothing but an ant he could crush at will! Yet she truly couldn't accept it. She had just stepped over the threshold into the ranks of high-level cultivators, her future was bright, and... and she and Qin Xi had come to share mutual affection. This was the most beautiful moment of her life. How could she be willing to perish here?
"What does Senior intend?" Countless thoughts flashed through her mind, but in the end, Mo Tiange asked calmly.
Venerable Songfeng's icy voice came from within the black cloud, but what he asked was: "Little girl, are you Qin Shoujing's beloved?"
Mo Tiange was stunned. This... how did Venerable Songfeng know?!
Nie Wushang also showed a look of shock at the same time. She glanced at Mo Tiange, her mind filled with questions. After hesitating for a long while, she finally spoke to Venerable Songfeng with respectful caution: "Master, this... can't be possible, right?"
"Hmph!" Venerable Songfeng snorted with great displeasure. A gust of wind swept across her face, landing with a solid "smack" on Nie Wushang's cheek, leaving a conspicuous red mark.
Seeing this, both Mo Tiange and Jing Xingzhi frowned. Neither of them had expected this Venerable Songfeng to be so ruthless toward his own disciple. Just one sentence that didn't suit his fancy, and he would strike.
Whether she was used to being beaten or her personality was simply like this, Nie Wushang didn't make a sound after being hit, nor did she even raise a hand to cover her face. She merely lowered her head.
"You dare question me?!"
Nie Wushang lowered her head and replied calmly, "I wouldn't dare. This disciple was merely surprised."
"Hmph! What do you know!" This Venerable Songfeng showed no restraint in his disgust toward his disciple even in front of outsiders, his tone extremely impatient—even more so than when addressing Mo Tiange, the disciple of his enemy.
Mo Tiange and Jing Xingzhi exchanged a glance, both frowning. The relationship between this master and disciple... was truly bizarre.
"Senior." After some unknown thoughts, Jing Xingzhi spoke up, his voice respectful. "Please forgive this junior for speaking out of turn, but given Qin Shoujing's temperament, how could he possibly have a beloved? Might Senior be mistaken?"
Mo Tiange hadn't expected Jing Xingzhi to speak up for her in front of Venerable Songfeng. Though it might not be of any use, she felt a flicker of gratitude.
Unfortunately, Venerable Songfeng showed no courtesy at all. He snorted disdainfully and said, "Boy, this matter has nothing to do with your Ancient Sword Sect. You'd better not try to be clever, otherwise, I won't spare you out of consideration for that old fellow Yuan Ying!"
Killing a Core Formation cultivator meant nothing to Venerable Songfeng. He reckoned that Sword Sovereign Yuan Ying of the Ancient Sword Sect wouldn't seek revenge against him for the sake of a mere Core Formation junior, no matter how talented that junior might be. Jing Xingzhi understood this perfectly. Hearing these words, he clenched his fists but ultimately said nothing more.
Venerable Songfeng's invisible gaze fell back upon Mo Tiange. Though this Late-Nascent Soul cultivator before her had no physical form, Mo Tiange could tangibly feel this imposing pressure.
"Senior!" Under this pressure, she chose to speak first. "What exactly are Senior's instructions?"
"Qin Jinghe's disciple—how would I dare to instruct you?" Venerable Songfeng mocked, then said arrogantly, "Don't hold onto any hope. I happened to encounter Qin Jinghe and the others earlier. Your master clearly told others that Qin Shoujing already has a beloved, who is also his disciple. That Qin Shoujing also said he was separated from you here and was extremely anxious—it seems his beloved couldn't be anyone but you, could it?"
Hearing Venerable Songfeng's words, Mo Tiange felt a surge of joy in her heart. So, Senior Brother Shoujing and Master had already reunited? Then she could rest easy. With Master there, Senior Brother Shoujing would surely be safe.
Thinking of this, though the situation before her was still a dead end, Mo Tiange's mood improved. She smiled and said to Venerable Songfeng, "Since I've fallen into Senior's hands, this junior has nothing more to say. I wonder how Senior intends to deal with me?"
Her unusually relaxed, unusual calmness made Venerable Songfeng somewhat suspicious. "You're not afraid?"
"What good would being afraid do?" Mo Tiange said lightly. "Would Senior let me go if I were afraid? This junior has never bothered with such futile efforts."
The black cloud was quiet for a moment before Venerable Songfeng's laughter came from within: "Hahaha, you're quite an interesting little girl! What a pity, what a pity you just happen to be that old scoundrel Qin Jinghe's disciple!" His voice turned cold as he sneered, "Qin Jinghe's closed-door disciple, Qin Shoujing's beloved... Hmph, truly heaven is helping me! If I kill you, those two will surely be in unbearable agony, won't they?"
Venerable Songfeng's sinister voice sent a chill down Mo Tiange's spine. She steadied herself but said, "Senior overestimates me. My master and senior brother are both people of very firm Dao-hearts. If I were to die an unnatural death, perhaps they would grieve for a while. But for cultivators, the most important thing is the Immortal path. Nothing would change."
This statement wasn't merely an excuse; it was her genuine belief. If she died, of course her master and Senior Brother Shoujing would grieve for her. But they were cultivators. For cultivators, what was more important than The Great Dao? Even the most heartbreaking matters would pass; only The Great Dao was the supreme pursuit.
Thinking of this, Mo Tiange suddenly felt somewhat downcast. She couldn't help but mock herself—had she become sentimental after confessing her feelings? But what was so strange about that? They were cultivators. For cultivators, there might be unforgettable memories, but never unbearable agony.
"Master!" Nie Wushang, standing beside the black cloud, suddenly spoke. Her gaze fixed on Mo Tiange, she said, "If Master wishes to kill her, could this disciple be the one to do it?"
"Fellow Daoist Nie!" Jing Xingzhi couldn't help but exclaim. "You..."
Nie Wushang swept her gaze over him but didn't linger on Jing Xingzhi. She only looked respectfully toward the black cloud.
After a moment, Venerable Songfeng's voice came from within the black cloud: "You want to spar with her?"
Nie Wushang said calmly, "This disciple failed to defeat her decades ago and has held onto that grievance. I beg Master to grant me this wish!"
Mo Tiange couldn't help but glance at Nie Wushang. Her expression was very calm; it was impossible to tell if she truly wanted to grant Mo Tiange a chance. But if Venerable Songfeng agreed to this, it would definitely be to Mo Tiange's advantage. Though Nie Wushang was formidable, Mo Tiange could hold her own against her for a short while without problem. At that time...
"Hmph!" Venerable Songfeng's cold snort interrupted her train of thought. Then they heard him say, "Who said I was going to kill her?"
Hearing this, all three of them—Mo Tiange, Jing Xingzhi, and Nie Wushang—were stunned. Nie Wushang was especially dumbfounded for a good while before she asked somewhat uncertainly, "Master... isn't going to kill her?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, another gust of wind swept past, leaving another red mark on her fair cheek. Venerable Songfeng's impatient voice followed: "You dare speculate about my intentions?!"
Nie Wushang fell silent, lowering her head without another word.
This master and disciple pair truly didn't resemble a master and disciple at all. The respect Nie Wushang showed Venerable Songfeng was tinged more with fear, while Venerable Songfeng held not a shred of affection for Nie Wushang—one could even say that not even a servant would be treated so lowly captive, let alone a disciple.
Mo Tiange suddenly understood the words Nie Wushang had spoken when they first met. With a master like this, no wonder she envied Mo Tiange's good fortune. In comparison, her own fate was indeed far too fortunate. Her master had never spoken a harsh word to her and had always considered her well-being in everything.
She held no hatred for Nie Wushang, for they had always stood on opposing sides. It was perfectly normal for Nie Wushang to turn and report her whereabouts to her master. Of course, she felt no affection either, for Nie Wushang was her enemy. She wasn't one to waste sympathy casually. Now, seeing Nie Wushang stripped of all dignity before Venerable Songfeng, she only felt pity—pity that this woman, who possessed quite a bit of pride, was actually Venerable Songfeng's disciple.
"Hmph! Kill her? Of course, that would surely cause Qin Jinghe and Qin Shoujing great pain! But... that doesn't seem all that interesting either... Hmm, I need to think about how to deal with this little girl... Ah, I've got it!" The voice from within the black cloud suddenly turned very strange—triumphant yet sending shivers down one's spine.
Mo Tiange felt a powerful pressure envelop her, rendering her unable to move. A chilling fear suddenly enveloped her completely, enveloped her entire being.
"You're actually quite a pretty girl," the voice from the black cloud said.
"..." Mo Tiange suddenly thought of one possibility. Cold sweat instantly broke out on her skin. Could it really be what she was thinking?
"Tsk tsk!" The black cloud swayed, the voice unnervingly gentle. "Little girl, blame your Senior Brother Shoujing. Who told you to be so unlucky as to be loved by him? I want to see how he suffers after the one he cherishes is defiled... Hahahaha... Qin Shoujing, you killed my disciple, so I'll let you taste what it's like to swallow a fly! Hahaha..."
Finally hearing this confirmation, Mo Tiange felt her mind go numb in an instant, nearly losing all reason! In that split second, countless thoughts raced through her mind. In the end, she blurted out, "You... a Late-Nascent Soul cultivator, would actually stoop to such a vile act?!"
"Vile?" Venerable Songfeng's voice was icy. "Girl, in this dog-eat-dog world of cultivation, is there anything truly noble?"
"..."
"Be that as it may, Senior's idea is still far too... despicable!" The one who spoke was Jing Xingzhi, his expression extremely grim. "For a senior to do such a thing to a junior—isn't Senior afraid of becoming a laughingstock in the cultivation world?"
"Hahahaha!" Venerable Songfeng laughed heartily. "What do I care about being a laughingstock? Boy, can't you tell? The one who should be worried is you!"
Jing Xingzhi was taken aback. "...What do you mean?"
"Hmph!" Venerable Songfeng disdained to answer. The black cloud surged, and a great wind suddenly arose around Mo Tiange and Jing Xingzhi, carrying a biting, fierce energy that pressed down upon them.
Mo Tiange had no time to think of anything else. Her White Silk Handkerchief instantly flew out, protecting her entire body. Then she pressed between her brows, about to enter the Void Heaven Realm.
She wasn't usually so rash, but the mention of this by Venerable Songfeng had already robbed her of her composure! This kind of thing... was too repulsive!
But before a Late-Nascent Soul cultivator, how could she possibly have time? She only felt her entire body go numb, and instantly lost consciousness.