"Senior Sister, Senior Sister, wake up!" An anxious voice sounded in her ear.
She struggled for a long time in the black void before finally waking up groggily.
The blurred scenery before her gradually came into focus. The first thing that entered her sight was a delicate-looking woman with tears still hanging on her face, who looked overjoyed upon seeing her awake. "Senior Sister, you're finally awake!"
Her expression was somewhat dazed. "What? What did you call me?"
The woman was taken aback. "Senior Sister, what's wrong with you?"
"I..." She pressed her forehead and said softly, "My head hurts terribly."
"Then rest for a while," the woman said. "Uncle-Master said you suffered a blow, that's why..."
"A blow..." she murmured, then suddenly her head hurt again. Countless memories rushed into her mind, as if trying to tear her entire head apart.
"Ah—"
"Senior Sister, Senior Sister!" The woman panicked. "Wait here, I'll go get someone!"
A moment later, a man and a woman rushed in. The woman cried out, "Tian Ge, Tian Ge!"
The influx of memories stopped, and her headache vanished instantly. She raised her head and looked at the three people before her.
This refined middle-aged scholar was her father. Beside him, the beautiful young woman with a loving expression was her mother. Behind them, the delicate young girl who had been taking care of her was her junior sister, Nie Wushang.
The "blow" that her junior sister mentioned referred to something that had happened not long ago.
When she formed her Core, she had become Daoist companions with a certain Senior Brother. They had been a loving couple for a hundred years and advanced to Nascent Soul together, hailed as a beautiful tale in the cultivation world. Unexpectedly, not long ago, this Senior Brother suddenly attacked their master, Dao Lord Jinghe, stole the sect's treasure, and defected. Only then did they realize he had harbored ill intentions all along.
Her father looked at her, anger appearing on his face. "Why are you still grieving for that traitor?"
Her mother grabbed her hand, tears falling. "Silly child, silly child..."
She felt somewhat bewildered. It was indeed tragic that the person she had shared a pillow with for a hundred years turned out to be a traitor, but why did she feel so numb about it...
Just as she thought this, a sudden, wrenching pain gripped her heart—boundless sorrow—and tears involuntarily fell in large drops.
Seeing this, her mother hugged her and burst into loud sobs.
Her father frowned deeply. "What are you crying for? That villain who harbored evil intentions—good riddance that he's gone."
Her mother said angrily, "Tian Ge is grieving right now. Can't you be more understanding? What kind of father are you?"
Her father retorted, "If she's grieving, you should be comforting her. Acting like this only makes her grieve more."
"You—"
Her father and mother started arguing. Her junior sister whispered to comfort her, "Senior Sister, don't be sad. I don't believe Senior Brother Qin would do such a thing. There must be some hidden reason."
She lowered her head, tears falling. "What hidden reason could there be? He told me himself..."
"But do you believe it? Do you believe Senior Brother Qin is that kind of person?"
She hesitated. "This..."
"Senior Brother Qin has always been kind-hearted. How many fellow disciples have received his kindness? Feng Xue, Qing Yu... they were even saved by him. I don't believe that Senior Brother Qin is a petty, ungrateful villain who betrays trust and repays kindness with enmity."
"..." She glanced secretly at her parents. Seeing they were still arguing, she nodded and said softly, "Alright. Come find me again later."
Not long after, her parents finally remembered her presence. Her mother comforted her for a while before she excused herself, saying she needed to rest, and sent her parents away.
Only the two of them remained in the cave abode. Her junior sister said urgently, "Senior Sister, let's go quickly. I have Patriarch Jinghe's token."
She nodded. "Alright."
Patriarch Jinghe was the master of both her and that Senior Brother Qin. She and Nie Wushang called each other senior and junior sister because Nie Wushang's master was her father's junior brother. As for her, due to her exceptional talent, she had been taken as a disciple by Patriarch Jinghe at a young age. Within the sect, her seniority was equivalent to her father's. Later, after forming her Nascent Soul, she even surpassed him. Of course, among family, they only used the junior generation's titles; her father couldn't possibly call her Aunt-Master.
Thinking of this, she suddenly felt confused. Her father was a Core Formation cultivator, but what about her mother? She was now nearly two hundred years old. Logically, her mother should at least be a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but she hadn't sensed any Spiritual Qi from her mother earlier...
"Ah..." A sudden pain shot through her head. She let out a low cry. Her junior sister, who was leading the way ahead, was startled and quickly grabbed her. "Senior Sister, is your head hurting again?"
She shook her head. "It's nothing."
Her junior sister, still worried, cautioned her, "Senior Sister, be careful to restrain your cultivation and disguise yourself as Core Formation... no, Core Formation cultivators are countable. Better disguise as Foundation Establishment."
She softly agreed. This junior sister of hers was also outstanding—her master was only a Core Formation cultivator, yet she had formed her Core before she was a hundred years old and now had the potential to reach Nascent Soul. With her leading the way, it would be easier for her to pass through disguised as a Foundation Establishment disciple.
Because a Nascent Soul cultivator had defected, the sect's protective mountain formation was fully activated. Low-level disciples were not allowed to enter or leave at all. Even Core Formation cultivators needed tokens from the two Nascent Soul Dao Lords, Zhenyang and Jinghe.
Disguised as a Foundation Establishment cultivator and using a transformation technique to slightly alter her appearance, she easily left the mountain gate. Then, a flying Magical Treasure carried her and her junior sister, flying eastward at a leisurely pace.
After traveling a hundred li, they descended. Her junior sister asked, "Senior Sister, do you know where Senior Brother Qin might have gone?"
She shook her head blankly. "I don't know. He doesn't have any other residence outside the sect..." Suddenly, she thought of a possibility and murmured, "Could it be there?"
After a moment's thought, she flicked her sleeve and summoned a small boat, taking her junior sister aboard. "There's one place he might have gone."
After several days of travel, they arrived at a towering mountain.
The mountain was extremely high. At its foot were dense forests. From the mountainside upward, it was tinged with white. At the summit stood numerous snow-capped peaks, crystal white and breathtakingly beautiful under the sunlight. This was the number one perilous place in the Tianji region—Tianmo Mountain.
"Tianmo Mountain?" Her junior sister exclaimed in surprise. "Senior Sister, is this the place you meant?"
"Mm." She nodded lightly. Tianmo Mountain was where they had pledged their love. Perhaps, just perhaps, he would come here... Moreover, Tianmo Mountain was a first-rate hiding place. With its restrictions not yet opened, if he hid inside, who could find him?
"But, Senior Sister, the Tianmo Mountain Restriction isn't open. How do we get in?"
"I know a place where we can enter." She steered the boat to a mountain col. This was the weakest point of the Tianmo Mountain Restriction—something he had told her.
She took out an ancient-looking long sword from her bosom, poured all her Spiritual Qi into it with all her might. The sword body flashed with golden lightning as she slammed it fiercely against the weak point of the restriction. With a thunderous roar, the restriction cracked open. She put away the sword and, with her junior sister, slowly flew in on the boat.
Inside the restriction, it was like another world. The sky was dim, lightning flashing everywhere. The reddish-brown earth was scarred and devastated. Fierce winds blew like knives. Scattered restrictions, broken Magical Treasures, and scattered white bones were everywhere.
Without stopping, she slowly flew toward a mountain peak. That peak was called Wanren Peak. Their memories were there.
The flying boat beneath her feet didn't stop, soon reaching its destination. Wanren Peak had collapsed halfway during the last conflict; the other half had become flat, no longer possessing its former perilous and majestic appearance.
Arriving here, her heart trembled. She looked down.
Amidst the biting cold wind, a person sat with his back to them among the scattered rocks. He wore a tall hat and broad sash, his posture upright and straight. No matter when, he was always this calm, as unshakable as a mountain.
"Senior Brother Qin!" On the boat, her junior sister had already called out.
Previously, when thinking about the betrayal, it had always felt like listening to a story, unable to immerse herself. Only now, looking at his back, did she realize her heart was filled with love—it couldn't be fake.
The flying boat landed. She gazed gazed longingly at his back, walking toward him step by step.
"Halt!" An angry shout came from above. A woman in red descended from the sky on a red lotus, landing between her and him.
She stopped. "You..."
The red-clothed woman's pretty face was stern. "If you take another step forward, don't blame me for being impolite!"
She stared at this woman and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you? What does my meeting with my husband have to do with you?"
The red-clothed woman snorted coldly. "My name is Feng Qing. The husband you speak of is my husband. Do you think it has anything to do with me?"
She was stunned. "What?"
Fairy Fengqing turned around and called out softly, "Husband Qin, you tell her."
Under her gaze, that back slowly stood up, turned around, and walked toward her step by step.
She looked at his face—still those handsome features, still that captivating demeanor—but the look in his eyes as he gazed at her was different from before, deep and unfathomable.
"Husband Qin," Fairy Fengqing took his arm and looked up. "You tell her what our relationship is."
"I..." A trace of hesitation flashed in his eyes. The arm she held instinctively wanted to pull back. What was wrong with him? He shook his head, thinking, Qingmei and I grew up together. She sacrificed so much to help me take revenge. How could I not want to be close to her...
But the woman opposite him looked incredibly familiar at first glance. He even couldn't help but want to step forward and take her hand... How could this be? Had he started to take the fake act for real?
"Senior Brother Qin, how could you do this?" Her junior sister rushed forward, shouting. "You betrayed the sect, ambushed Patriarch Jinghe, injured Patriarch Zhenyang, stole the sect's sacred treasure, and now you're involved with another woman. You... you're too shameless!"
After shouting, her junior sister pulled her sleeve. "Senior Sister, Senior Brother Qin has changed. He actually betrayed you. Kill him quickly!"
"He was always like this," Fairy Fengqing said, holding his arm, her head held high, throwing her a contemptuous glance. "Everything about you and him was fake. His ancestor was killed by Qin Jinghe. That's why he endured humiliation and entered the Xuanqing Sect, waiting for the right moment to take revenge in one fell swoop. Unfortunately, that old thing Qin Jinghe escaped. He didn't betray you or the sect—it was fake from the very beginning."
"No, impossible..." she murmured to herself, finally staring into his eyes. "You tell me, is it true?"
Facing her gaze, he shrank back slightly, then finally turned his head away and said softly, "Yes."
"All of it was fake? Your feelings, your actions—all fake?"
He answered again, this time more firmly than before. "Yes."
"Senior Sister, kill him, kill him!" her junior sister shouted from behind. "He's no longer Senior Brother Qin! He's a traitor who betrayed the sect, his wife, and his friends!"
She clenched her fists, just staring blankly at him.
"Senior Sister, have you forgotten Uncle-Master's instructions? Have you forgotten Patriarch Jinghe? Kill him quickly!"
She unclenched her fists. Spiritual light flashed on her right hand, and a radiant, colorful fan appeared in her grasp.
"Husband Qin, kill her, and you can completely sever ties with the Xuanqing Sect!"
Seeing the long sword burning with True Fire appear before him, she finally felt despair. She raised the Heaven-Earth Fan. "Since you're just a traitor, let us sever all ties today!"
The Heaven-Earth Fan and the Three Yang True Fire Sword simultaneously unleashed astonishing killing intent. The next moment, it seemed they would perish together—