Chu Qingchuan had long grown accustomed to the reverence and admiration of others.
With his striking looks, unparalleled talent, cultivation of the supreme techniques in the immortal realm, and being the sole direct disciple of the Taiqing Sect’s sect master, he was a figure others could only look up to, no matter where he went.
Xu Wanci was merely one of his many admirers.
The only reason she left any impression on him was because her infatuation was so blatantly obsessive—her actions so vile that the mere thought of her filled him with disgust.
But—
Recalling the events that had just unfolded in the Enforcement Hall, Chu Qingchuan abruptly halted his steps, his usually arrogant face now tinged with a mix of humiliation and anger.
Xu Wanci… didn’t love him?
Details he had never paid attention to before suddenly flooded his mind:
Whenever he appeared, Xu Wanci’s gaze never strayed from him for even a moment. When he suffered even a minor injury, she would produce elixirs so precious they could move even a Mahayana-level expert. To win him over, she had even dared to harm Qiu Ning…
That burning gaze, those frenzied actions—
Had they all been for someone else?!
Immortal Venerable Qingyan…
He silently repeated the name, his hands slowly clenching into fists.
Long ago, he had known that his quasi-divine artifact, the Soul-Refining Tome, had once belonged to Immortal Venerable Qingyan.
But he had never imagined that the Thousand Elixir Transformation technique he cultivated was also created by him.
Through the Thousand Elixir Transformation—a divine-tier technique that disregarded innate talent—and the Soul-Refining Tome, which even Tribulation Transcendence experts feared, he could faintly glimpse a fraction of Immortal Venerable Qingyan’s former glory.
The more he learned of Immortal Venerable Qingyan’s might, the more complicated his emotions grew.
As far as he knew, all records of Immortal Venerable Qingyan had been sealed away by the Taiqing Sect for a century.
How did Xu Wanci know things… that even he and the Taiqing Sect were unaware of?
Could it truly be that she…
Chu Qingchuan’s gaze darkened, his aura uncharacteristically turbulent.
Just then, a young man with a plain but honest face hurried over.
Panting heavily, the youth stopped before Chu Qingchuan, his face twisted in indignation.
Seeing Chu Qingchuan’s expression, he assumed he was equally displeased with the elders’ judgment, and his resentment grew.
But though his mouth opened and closed several times, all he managed to blurt out was:
"The elders are too… How could they just let Xu Wanci go like that?!"
Not daring to criticize the elders further, he redirected his anger toward the true culprit:
"She’s utterly despicable!"
"Even though we all knew Xu Wanci was shameless and delusional, dreaming of clinging to Senior Brother… no one could have imagined she’d be so vicious! She’s a disgrace to the Taiqing Sect!"
"If it were up to me—"
Listening to Song Hongyu’s familiar ranting, Chu Qingchuan frowned imperceptibly.
These were words he had heard countless times before, yet for some reason, they now grated on his ears.
Misinterpreting his expression, Song Hongyu assumed Chu Qingchuan shared his disgust for Xu Wanci.
Taking a deep breath, he declared with righteous fury:
"A scheming wretch like Xu Wanci deserves to be flayed alive, stripped of her cultivation, and thrown into—"
Before he could finish, Chu Qingchuan snapped, his voice sharp:
"Enough."
Song Hongyu froze mid-sentence, blinking dumbly at him.
Seeing the suppressed anger on Chu Qingchuan’s face, he suddenly understood—
Senior Brother Chu must be so furious he couldn’t even bear to hear Xu Wanci’s name.
Hastily shutting his mouth, Song Hongyu couldn’t resist adding one last muttered remark:
"People who go mad for love are terrifying!"
"At least we saw her true nature in time. Who knows what else she might have done…"
Though Song Hongyu rambled on, Chu Qingchuan seemed to hear only one thing.
His gaze distant, he asked lightly:
"You think Xu Wanci loves me?"
Song Hongyu’s eyes widened in disbelief.
"Huh?"
Xu Wanci’s infatuation with Chu Qingchuan was common knowledge in the Taiqing Sect.
Her outrageous actions had left everyone speechless.
After all she’d done for him, how could it not be love?
Baffled, Song Hongyu replied, "Senior Brother, are you joking?"
"How could Xu Wanci not love you?!"
Hearing his certainty, Chu Qingchuan’s frown eased slightly.
Yes… how could Xu Wanci not love him?
When he defeated opponents above his level, she was there.
When he triumphed in the sect’s grand competition, she was there.
When he quelled a spirit beast rampage and saved countless cultivators, she was still there.
If not for love, why else would she have stayed by his side all this time?
The tension in his brow smoothed away completely.
Clearing his throat, he said sternly:
"The elders’ decisions have their reasons. Do not question them."
After dismissing Song Hongyu, Chu Qingchuan watched his retreating figure before turning absentmindedly in another direction.
Before he realized it, he was standing outside Xu Wanci’s courtyard.
Chu Qingchuan paused, intending to leave, but his feet refused to move.
Though Xu Wanci had done wrong, she had already suffered severe mental and physical injuries—punishment enough.
Besides… there were extenuating circumstances.
As her fellow disciple, it was only right for him to check on her.
With that thought, he stepped forward and entered the courtyard.
Xu Wanci’s temperament was cold and withdrawn, and her residence lay in a secluded corner, devoid of visitors.
The wooden gate was slightly ajar, revealing a slender figure in blue robes.
Her slightly disheveled hair fluttered in the breeze, framing a breathtaking profile as she tilted her head up, smiling softly at something unseen.
The emptiness and sorrow she had shown in the Enforcement Hall were gone, replaced by quiet longing.
Staring at the curve of Xu Wanci’s lips, Chu Qingchuan froze, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.
She was… smiling?
It was an expression he had never seen on her before—free of obsession, free of forced flattery.
Just a gentle, hopeful smile.
So pure and radiant it left him momentarily dazed.
Unconsciously, he took a step forward.
Then—
A faint glow flickered from the protective artifact at his side.
An instant later, a violent surge of spiritual energy erupted within the courtyard.
Blinding white light, carrying power capable of shattering a Golden Core cultivator’s soul, swallowed Xu Wanci whole in the blink of an eye.
Chu Qingchuan’s mind blanked, only one thought flashing through it:
Soul-Severing Bone?
Xu Wanci had used… Soul-Severing Bone on herself?
Before he could react, two streaks of light shot through the air like lightning, and the overwhelming pressure of Tribulation Transcendence cultivators enveloped the courtyard.
Amid the chaotic spiritual fluctuations, the Elder Grandmaster and Elder Second Master—their robes singed, their faces pale—barely managed to snatch Xu Wanci back from the brink of annihilation.
Even with two Tribulation Transcendence experts joining forces, they had only just saved her life.
Xu Wanci had truly left herself no chance of survival.
Chu Qingchuan gazed at Xu Wanci, whose face was nearly translucent yet wore a relieved smile at the corners of her lips, and suddenly clenched his fists.
In that instant, he realized—Xu Wanci truly did not love him.
Everything she had done was for Immortal Venerable Qingyan.
Approaching him was. Choosing death was too.
Perhaps because she had long grown accustomed to pain, when the Soul-Severing Bone pierced her soul, Xu Wanci still managed to maintain the perfect expression expected of her.
She even found the clarity to mock herself inwardly:
The pain of the cultivation world doesn’t seem much worse than the modern world’s.
Then, she lost all consciousness.
When she regained awareness amidst the chaos, only one thought remained:
She had gambled—and won.
She had known for a long time that at the brink of despair, death could also be a bargaining chip.
A heavy one, heavy enough to turn the tide.
The hardest part wasn’t choosing death, but surviving it.
The scrutiny of the Elder Grandmaster from the Enforcement Hall posed an extreme danger to her.
Yet when she chose to die for love, it became her advantage.
In the original story, the Elder Grandmaster was righteous and principled—he wouldn’t let her die before uncovering the truth.
The Elder Second Master adored romantic tales and was easily moved; witnessing her martyrdom, he would surely intervene.
Moreover, her ties with Immortal Venerable Qingyan carried karmic weight—they couldn’t ignore her actions.
They would keep her alive.
All she had to do was be ruthless enough—ruthless enough to convince everyone she sought death.
Ruthless enough that they wouldn’t dare provoke her further.
The original host’s luck might pale compared to the male lead, Chu Qingchuan, but among cultivators of her rank, she was exceptional.
That was why she became a named supporting character by his side.
That was why she possessed the Soul-Severing Bone, a treasure even rare in the entire cultivation world.
The Soul-Severing Bone was a seventh-grade artifact, capable of challenging foes beyond one’s realm—able to shake the souls of even Mahayana or Tribulation Transcension cultivators.
Once activated, it meant annihilation. Certain death.
Had the two elders not wielded transcendent power and acted swiftly, she would never have survived.
But the closer she danced to death, the greater her gains.
Now—
The shock of the Soul-Severing Bone should have struck deep.
The Elder Grandmaster likely believed six-tenths of her lies.
Enough to let her live. For now.
But it was only temporary.
The commotion of the elders saving her wouldn’t go unnoticed. Others would be waiting when she awoke.
Cultivators who hadn’t witnessed her earlier performance.
The dangers after waking would be no lesser than before.
Feeling her soul solidify and sink, Xu Wanci’s heart grew heavy.
She fought against her soul’s instincts, slowing her awakening—deliberately, painstakingly.
She needed this time. To plan every reaction upon waking.
Every breath. Every expression. Every flicker of emotion. Every word.
Not a single misstep could follow.
