Returning to the main hall, Qin Xi was sitting there in a daze.
Mo Tiange also sat down and asked, "What about Bai Yanfei? Is he alright?"
Qin Xi snapped back to attention. "Couldn't be worse. It's not just a temporary setback—I'm afraid it's become an Inner Demon."
"Oh…" Mo Tiange pondered this. "Is this considered revenge?"
"Junior Brother Bai has had it rough. First, he was crushed by you, and now he's encountered this. However, for him, it might not necessarily be a bad thing. Destruction precedes creation. He was already firmly trapped by his Inner Demon; this latest blow might just push him to the brink of death and back to life."
"I hope so." Mo Tiange held little hope, unless Bai Yanfei truly could undergo a metamorphosis.
Afterwards, Bai Yanfei stayed holed up in his room. Knowing he needed time, they didn't disturb him and had Feifei take his place in training the cultivators.
In comparison, Wu Feishuang's situation was good. Although her arm couldn't be restored for the time being, and her injuries wouldn't heal overnight, she was in excellent spirits, even cracking jokes occasionally.
Mo Tiange thought silently to herself: this Senior Sister Wu was probably truly exacting revenge, though she was being very direct about it, making it clear she wanted Bai Yanfei to never forget. She didn't sympathize with Bai Yanfei in the slightest—the kid had it coming. Who told him to not keep her in his heart for over a hundred years? Even if he didn't love her, he should have treated her well. But what did he do? Because of him, Wu Feishuang—an elite among elites—was stuck at Foundation Establishment nearing two hundred years of age. No wonder Uncle-Master Miaoyi was so resentful.
But this was also good. Previously, Bai Yanfei was already plagued by his Inner Demon; now that he was completely trapped, perhaps he could truly see the light and add another Dao Lord to the sect. Even if he didn't, Wu Feishuang, having shed this burden, was certain to achieve Core Formation.
Thinking this, Mo Tiange diligently went to visit Wu Feishuang again.
"Uncle-Master Qingwei." Wu Feishuang was still lying down, her complexion not as ghastly as a few days ago, showing a hint of color.
Mo Tiange nodded with a smile. "How are you?"
Wu Feishuang replied, "Senior Brother Hanruo said I don't need to participate in any more battles from now on. I'll lie here until we return to the sect."
Mo Tiange nodded. "You've suffered severe injuries, so naturally you won't be fighting."
"Yes, thank you, Uncle-Master."
The two had never been close, so they now sat in awkward silence.
Mo Tiange thought for a moment and decided to ask directly: "Niece Wu, by doing this, aren't you afraid Nephew Zhifei will fall into demonic obstruction?"
Wu Feishuang gave a bitter smile. "I deliberately wanted to give him an Inner Demon."
Seeing Mo Tiange's surprised expression, she continued, "My master is Dao Lord Miaoyi. I'm not that easy to bully. Since he married me, he shouldn't have treated me this way. My patience has limits. Over these past few years, I've been thinking about how to leave him to teach him a lesson. Now, I've finally found the opportunity."
Mo Tiange's expression turned odd. "…Niece Wu, if I hadn't arrived in time that day, wouldn't you have lost your life? For the sake of revenge, would you really gamble with your life?"
Wu Feishuang said calmly, "I knew my master had entrusted me to you two Uncle-Masters. I figured you wouldn't let me die by accident—even if I really did die, it wouldn't be a big deal. On the path of cultivation, danger lurks everywhere."
"…" After a long silence, Mo Tiange sighed. "You're truly bold…" She had underestimated this Senior Sister Wu before—no, everyone had underestimated her.
Come to think of it, she was Dao Lord Miaoyi's disciple. This personality wasn't strange. Don't be fooled by Dao Lord Miaoyi's gentle and amiable exterior; deep down, she was extremely… cunning…
She recalled the stories about Dao Lord Miaoyi's past she had once heard from Luo Fengxue.
"When it comes to scheming, among our seniors, Great-Uncle Zhenyang goes without saying—an old fox. The other one is Uncle-Master Miaoyi," Luo Fengxue had said knowledgeably.
Back when they were both only at Foundation Establishment, Mo Tiange had exclaimed in surprise, "Uncle-Master Miaoyi? No way? She's so gentle."
"That's the surface," Luo Fengxue said, leaning in. "Let me tell you something, but you have to keep it a secret."
Mo Tiange nodded hurriedly. Luo Fengxue's gossip was usually sect secrets.
Seeing her agreement, Luo Fengxue continued, "What do you think of Uncle-Master Miaoyi's appearance and temperament?"
Mo Tiange answered, "Uncle-Master Miaoyi's appearance, while not country-toppling, is still picturesque, elegant, and refined. As for temperament, I've only met her a few times, but she seemed quite gentle. She didn't get angry even when disciples made mistakes."
"You're right. Uncle-Master Miaoyi is both beautiful and good-tempered, and she's a Nascent Soul cultivator. Think about it: how many female cultivators are there among Nascent Souls? Many male Nascent Soul cultivators' Dao Companions are at Core Formation! A female Nascent Soul cultivator like Uncle-Master Miaoyi—how many would fight over her?"
Mo Tiange nodded, deep in thought. "That seems true, but Uncle-Master Miaoyi doesn't seem to have any romantic entanglements."
"Of course. She nipped all those budding romances in the bud."
Mo Tiange was curious. "What happened?"
"This goes back to when Uncle-Master Miaoyi was still a Core Formation cultivator…" Luo Fengxue began her launched into a lengthy tale tale. "When Uncle-Master Miaoyi was at Core Formation, she once discussed marriage with a male cultivator. That male cultivator was a Core Formation cultivator from the Ancient Sword Sect. It's said his bone structure was exceptional, advancing to Core Formation in just over a hundred years. Without mishap, he would definitely achieve Nascent Soul Formation by three hundred. Uncle-Master Miaoyi was also renowned as a genius, a perfect match for this male cultivator."
"So, the two of them were a perfect pair?"
"Exactly! Back then, they were the envy of everyone!"
"And then?" Mo Tiange was curious. "Did they become Dao Companions?"
"They came so close." Luo Fengxue said. "The two knew each other for a century, their feelings deep, and planned to become Dao Companions before forming their Nascent Souls, using the power of Dual Cultivation to advance to Nascent Soul. Just when their Dual Cultivation ceremony was all prepared, Uncle-Master Miaoyi suddenly returned and said she wanted to cancel the wedding."
Luo Fengxue continued, "Guess why? It turns out this male cultivator, outstanding in cultivation and handsome in appearance, was carefree and unrestrained in nature, attracting many romantic interests. Uncle-Master Miaoyi had known about this before, but didn't know this male cultivator kept lingering ties with those interests, secretly meeting them behind her back."
Mo Tiange couldn't help but say, "If that's the case, why did he still want to become Dao Companions with Uncle-Master Miaoyi? Wouldn't it be more carefree to be single and gallivant around?"
"That's true, but where else could he find a Dao Companion like Uncle-Master Miaoyi? Outstanding aptitude, beautiful as a flower, gentle temperament, and backed by the mighty Xuanqing Sect—completely flawless!"
"Was Uncle-Master Miaoyi kept in the dark like this?" Mo Tiange felt indignant.
Unexpectedly, Luo Fengxue said, "How could that be? Uncle-Master Miaoyi is clever! Besides, Great-Uncle Zhenyang and the others were overjoyed Uncle-Master Miaoyi wasn't marrying out. They had cultivated such an outstanding disciple themselves; to marry her off to another sect for nothing, only to have to share her future Nascent Soul achievements—that would be a loss."
"So, Uncle-Master Miaoyi had known about the male cultivator's philandering all along, but pretended not to, and even took the initiative to propose becoming Dao Companions. The male cultivator was overjoyed and quickly reported to his elders, preparing the Dual Cultivation ceremony. Then, Uncle-Master Miaoyi secretly kept watch. Just when he was in the throes of passion with one of his romantic interests in his cave abode, Uncle-Master Miaoyi suddenly appeared as if she had just arrived for a visit. In such a situation, how could he dare tell others? So she barged right into the cave abode."
"And then?" Mo Tiange's eyes shone with excitement, never imagining Uncle-Master Miaoyi had such deep scheming.
Luo Fengxue continued, "Then, of course, this male cultivator wanted to clear things up. Uncle-Master Miaoyi didn't say she already knew, pretending she had just found out. She left, heartbroken, and upon returning, said she wanted to cancel the wedding. The male cultivator naturally chased after her to explain, but Uncle-Master Miaoyi shut her door and refused to see him. He could only return dejectedly."
"And then…" Luo Fengxue couldn't hold back her smile. "Not long after, Great-Uncle Zhenyang sent someone with a message saying Uncle-Master Miaoyi had nearly taken her own life."
"…" Mo Tiange asked, "How did that person react?"
"Naturally, he was filled with regret. Uncle-Master Miaoyi also had someone relay a few words, saying she would sever all ties with him from then on and focus solely on the Great Dao. In short, she made him feel that because of him, Uncle-Master Miaoyi was devoid of joy and deeply hated men. Though a philanderer, he genuinely admired Uncle-Master Miaoyi, and thus was filled with remorse. Not long after, when Uncle-Master Miaoyi achieved Nascent Soul Formation earlier than him and her fame soared, the regret in his heart evolved into an Inner Demon."
Luo Fengxue said with great satisfaction, "Originally, just canceling the wedding only left him with regret. But later, seeing Uncle-Master Miaoyi achieve Nascent Soul Formation even earlier than him, he became obsessed with forming his own Nascent Soul. With such an obsession, how could forming a Nascent Soul be easy? That Inner Demon grew deeper and deeper."
"What happened to him later?"
"Later? Haven't heard about him in a long time. Seems he's still at Core Formation."
Recalling this past event, Mo Tiange sighed inwardly. How similar were the methods of this master-disciple pair? It seemed simple on the surface, yet it directly targeted the other's nature. That male cultivator from the Ancient Sword Sect, with the potential to form a Nascent Soul at a young age, must have been exceedingly proud. Yet he lost out to Uncle-Master Miaoyi. Moreover, he had previously wronged her and even nearly caused her demise. These two complex emotions evolved into an Inner Demon.
As for Wu Feishuang, she had also picked the perfect timing to treat Bai Yanfei this way. Now that Bai Yanfei's temperament had drastically changed because of her, losing confidence in forming his Nascent Soul, she delivered this blow. No wonder Bai Yanfei developed an Inner Demon.
However, these two men weren't actually bad at heart. If they were truly unscrupulous men, a harder approach would have been needed.
Wu Feishuang lowered her gaze. After a while, she whispered again, "I did deliberately seek revenge against him, but if he can break through his Inner Demon, he will definitely achieve Nascent Soul Formation. That wouldn't be unfair to him."
Mo Tiange looked at her and suddenly asked, "If Bai Yanfei truly reforms, will you forgive him?"
Wu Feishuang shook her head gently. "I never blamed him in the first place. He's just… just hasn't grown up yet…"
Mo Tiange fell silent. She had originally thought Bai Yanfei choosing Wu Feishuang was worse than choosing Jiang Min, that the two might develop feelings. Now it seemed Wu Feishuang was still the one suited for him.
Just as she was thinking this, Qin Xi's voice suddenly transmitted into her mind: "Come here. Something important."
Qin Xi had just gone to inspect the perimeter. Had something happened? Mo Tiange hurriedly stood up, bid farewell, and returned to the main hall.