Ning Menglan watched Jiang Ze’s carefree retreating figure with a furrowed brow.
A man as indifferent to life and death, as arrogant and aloof as Jiang Ze—
Should he really be allowed to live across from Xu Wanci?
His gaze drifted to the nearby pavilions, grand yet exquisitely crafted, before he pensively looked away.
Jiang Ze’s obsession with the path of cultivation was common knowledge.
Now that Xu Wanci was his once-in-a-millennium opportunity, he would never let anything happen to her.
Even today, he had never intended for Xu Wanci to be harmed.
Yet no one could have anticipated her actions…
Recalling Xu Wanci’s movements at the time, he exhaled faintly, almost imperceptibly.
Within the Taiqing Sect, few knew of her connection with the Immortal Venerable. He and the elders were already stretched thin, unable to monitor her every move.
If another accident occurred, having Jiang Ze nearby would ensure immediate intervention.
With this thought, he dismissed the idea of sending Jiang Ze away.
But…
His worried eyes settled on Xu Wanci. Though her first attempt had been a deliberate act of self-destruction, the subsequent incidents had all been circumstantial.
And therein lay the problem.
She would not seek death, but neither did she cling to life.
If another accident like today’s occurred, could Jiang Ze save her once more—especially if she willingly embraced death a second time?
Ning Menglan’s frown deepened as he mentally scoured the Taiqing Sect for top-tier defensive artifacts.
If the last one hadn’t been powerful enough, perhaps a demi-immortal-grade artifact could protect Xu Wanci properly!
At that moment, Xu Wanci seemed to sense his gaze. She lifted her head and offered him a calm, respectful smile.
The smile was achingly familiar—identical to the one she had worn after awakening from the Soul-Severing Bone.
Even the curve of her lips was unchanged.
The pain and confusion she had shown earlier might as well have never existed.
To all appearances, she was still the composed, gentle Xu Wanci everyone knew.
But they all knew the truth: this was merely her mask. Beneath it lay agony so profound that even glimpsing a fraction of it was unbearable.
Unbeknownst to him, Ning Menglan’s attitude toward Xu Wanci had shifted—from calculated regard to genuine concern.
Xu Wanci, however, paid no heed to his change in demeanor. Or rather, she seemed indifferent to everyone’s feelings.
With a slight bow, she distantly yet gracefully addressed Ning Menglan:
"Wanci thanks the Sect Master for your rescue."
Before she could lower her hands, Duan Ziwei, snapping out of his daze, hurriedly reached out, hovering his palms three inches below her injured left hand—
Not daring to touch, yet unwilling to let go.
"Your injuries haven’t healed yet, you shouldn’t—" He looked up, but the words died in his throat at the sight of her detached expression, utterly unconcerned with her own wounds.
Xu Wanci took a step back and offered Duan Ziwei the same measured courtesy:
"My thanks also to Senior Brother Duan for the medicine."
Duan Ziwei had never expected gratitude from Xu Wanci.
He knew everything he did was one-sided.
In fact, he suspected the spiritual treasures and elixirs he lavished on her were nothing but… obstacles.
She had no will to live; he was the one who wanted her alive.
The thought made him glance at her again. Her serene, polite demeanor revealed no trace of suffering. Silently, he lowered his gaze.
"They were just common remedies… As long as you’re unharmed."
His eyes wandered to the courtyard—the table he had carried in, the spirit stones beneath it, the blessed soil sprinkled with Ten-Thousand Flora Earth.
Every detail bore his handiwork.
Would she ask him to take it all back?
Panicked, he blurted out:
"My peak is overflowing with treasures—there’s no room left!"
Before she could respond, he hastily retreated, his voice rushed:
"Just days ago, I gave Liu What’s-His-Name a bundle of artifacts and sent several storage bags of herbs to Alchemy Peak…"
"I just remembered—urgent matters await!"
By the time he reached the gate, he had already vanished from Wan Jian Peak.
Ning Menglan cleared his throat at Duan Ziwei’s abrupt departure.
"The Duan family’s wealth is vast. These things are but a drop in the ocean to him. You needn’t dwell on it."
Xu Wanci listened, her lashes casting faint shadows.
Needn’t dwell on it?
Her indifferent gaze swept over the transformed courtyard.
In her plans, the yard had never needed alteration. Every injury she sustained had been accounted for long before it occurred.
Duan Ziwei’s efforts were meaningless to her.
Utterly meaningless.
Yet her fingertips twitched almost imperceptibly.
"The Sect Master jests," she replied evenly, betraying no gratitude. "Everything here—please return it to Senior Brother Duan on my behalf."
"As for the medicines…" She paused, a flicker of self-mockery and relief crossing her eyes.
"If the day comes when my body perishes and my soul scatters, my bones and golden core might still prove useful."
Ning Menglan’s already tense nerves tightened further.
"Absolutely not!"
He coughed, adopting a stern tone:
"Don’t speak recklessly. With your talent, you have millennia ahead of you. Why dwell on mortality now?"
Xu Wanci froze at his words, then wearily averted her gaze.
Millennia.
Ning Menglan rarely saw her express emotion when she was lucid.
Ah.
A thousand years—for other cultivators, a blessing. For her, perhaps just a burden.
Noticing the exhaustion in her eyes, he opened his mouth to speak, but she had already regained her composure.
Her voice was serene, tinged with the detachment of one who had seen through life and death:
"The world of cultivation is fraught with peril. Accidents are inevitable."
Ning Menglan’s chest tightened at the word "accident." He took a deep breath, his mind settling on one resolve:
True. If Xu Wanci could be gravely injured within the Taiqing Sect…
What if she left its protection?
A demi-immortal artifact clearly wasn’t enough!
He would ransack his private vault for something better.
And if nothing sufficed—he’d resort to quantity!
Dozens of high-grade defensive artifacts layered on Xu Wanci—surely that would keep her safe.
Accidents?
There would be none!
