The atmosphere in the bedroom was so silent one could hear a pin drop.
Ning Menglan, the sect master of the Taiqing Sect, who had already learned the full story, wore a grave expression tinged with a hint of peculiarity. He took a deep breath, lowering his head to straighten his already immaculate sleeves, which bore not a single wrinkle.
Three breaths later.
Unable to hold back any longer, he turned his head, his voice laced with barely suppressed strangeness:
"Elder Second, you just said…"
Elder Second nodded silently, cutting off whatever Ning Menglan had been about to say.
What a bizarre day it had been.
Just an hour ago, he had learned from his disciples that an inner sect disciple, Xu Wanci, had attempted to harm the young master of the Jiang Family, leaving Jiang Qiuning severely injured and unconscious.
As he fretted over how to give the Jiang Family an explanation, another disciple reported that Xu Wanci had walked out of the Enforcement Hall unharmed.
Before he could even inquire further with the Enforcement Hall elders, he sensed the turbulent spiritual energy of a Great Ascension Realm expert emanating from the Sword Peak.
Rushing over immediately, he dispersed the gathered disciples and was promptly informed by Elder Second that Xu Wanci and Immortal Venerable Qingyan were… exceptionally close.
Was that the end of it?
No!
Just as he was about to caution the two elders not to take hearsay at face value, he encountered Xu Wanci—rescued at the last moment, her will bent on death.
The Soul-Severing Bone!
Even a strike from such a weapon would leave him severely injured.
Though doubts still lingered, Ning Menglan found himself inclined to believe at least part of the story.
There was time yet.
If this was a deception, the truth would eventually come to light.
But if it was real—
Then the karmic debt the Taiqing Sect—no, the entire cultivation world—owed Immortal Venerable Qingyan from all those years ago…
At this thought, Ning Menglan’s tightly furrowed brows relaxed instantly.
Yet when his gaze fell upon Xu Wanci, lying pale-faced on the bed despite her body having been restored by medicinal pills, his brows knitted together once more.
Xu Wanci’s determination to die had been so resolute. If she awoke to find herself still alive, she might attempt it again.
With him and the two elders present, stopping her wouldn’t be difficult—the true challenge lay in persuading her to abandon such thoughts.
Ning Menglan glanced at Elder First, whose stern presence alone could silence a crying child, then slowly averted his eyes.
Next, he met Elder Second’s gentle, moved gaze, only to recall her obsession with romantic tales. If she were to counsel Xu Wanci… it might drive her to suicide on the spot.
Looking further back, his own personal disciple, Chu Qingchuan, stood frozen, staring blankly at the illusory blossom tree beyond the wooden door as if his soul had fled.
With a heavy sigh, Ning Menglan resigned himself:
It was up to him.
Just as countless words of comfort began forming in his mind, the faintest movement of fingers caught his eye.
All eyes turned to the bed.
Under their collective gaze, Xu Wanci slowly opened her eyes.
Recognizing her surroundings, she gave a self-deprecating smile before closing her eyes again in silence.
When she opened them once more, her expression had settled into calm—every emotion locked away in an instant, leaving only a stillness as lifeless as the grave.
No surprise, no questions, no tears, no hysteria.
She sat up quietly, turning slightly to bow to the gathered figures, her voice as composed and steady as ever:
"Many thanks to the Sect Master and Elders for saving me."
Faced with Xu Wanci’s demeanor, Ning Menglan’s prepared words of comfort died in his throat.
After a pause, he ventured cautiously:
"Earlier, you…"
Xu Wanci’s tone remained even and respectful: "It was merely an accident. This disciple has troubled the Sect Master."
An accident?
You accidentally used the Soul-Severing Bone?
Then gazed longingly, lips curved in a smile, offering no resistance as it took effect???
Ning Menglan studied Xu Wanci’s polite yet evasive response to the suicide attempt, utterly at a loss for how to proceed.
Everyone knew she was lying, yet none could challenge it.
Elder Second sighed inwardly:
Just how many disappointments had Xu Wanci endured to remain so composed after facing death itself?
To bury all love and hatred so deep that not a sliver escaped—
Compared to self-destructive fury, this silent suffering…
Was far more devastating, and far more heartbreaking.
Even Elder First, who had harbored doubts, now found himself half-convinced of her connection to Immortal Venerable Qingyan.
For once, he stayed utterly quiet.
Forget asking Xu Wanci to confirm her relationship with the Immortal Venerable—he didn’t dare even utter Qingyan’s name in her presence now.
After an extended silence, Ning Menglan cleared his throat, mustering his most benevolent expression:
"Ahem, an accident is good…"
"What this Sect Master means is… since it was accidental, you must take greater care in the future."
Smoothing his beard with deliberate care, he offered solemn yet kindly advice:
"Your talent is exceptional, your future boundless. The path of cultivation stretches bright before you—you must cherish yourself. Such ‘accidents’ cannot happen again."
Xu Wanci lifted her head, offering a smile so rehearsed it might have been polished a thousand times: placid, gentle, deferential, and utterly devoid of genuine feeling.
She hid her shattered soul with care, presenting only this flawless shell to the world.
A century of practice had made perfect.
With practiced grace, she bowed again, murmuring softly: "This disciple will remember."
Ning Menglan’s gaze caught on her fingers—pale to the point of bluish tinge—as she performed the gesture, and he looked away with another sigh.
Recognizing their presence as futile, he exchanged glances with the two elders before taking his leave.
Departing, he noticed his idiot disciple still rooted in place and delivered a mental slap via divine sense.
Where were his manners?
Couldn’t he see Xu Wanci least wanted to face him right now?
Chu Qingchuan finally snapped back to awareness, stealing a glance at Xu Wanci. "Master, she—"
Ning Menglan cut him off telepathically: "She’ll be fine."
"But—"
A single look silenced him.
Chu Qingchuan bowed obediently. "Understood."
Once he’d gone, Ning Menglan’s divine sense swept back, capturing the exact moment Xu Wanci’s smile faded.
Alone, she let all pretense fall away.
No joy, no sorrow—just emptiness.
She sat motionless, bathed in sunlight yet seemingly on the verge of being swallowed by darkness.
Even a man of Ning Menglan’s experience found the sight profoundly unsettling.
But he quickly schooled his expression and walked away.
As Sect Master, he had no need to understand Xu Wanci’s heart—only to ensure she lived.
A century ago, without Immortal Venerable Qingyan, the entire cultivation world would have faced catastrophe.
Every cultivator alive owed him a debt—one that could never truly be repaid.
If Xu Wanci truly was connected to the Immortal Venerable…
Then this might be the Taiqing Sect’s greatest opportunity.
As Ning Menglan departed, Xu Wanci let out a barely perceptible sigh.
Even though the sensation of being watched had faded, the expression on her face remained largely unchanged.
Her head lowered, she felt no relief in her heart.
Though she had managed to deceive the two elders of the Enforcement Hall, the Sect Master of the Taiqing Sect, and the male lead, Chu Qingchuan, those who wanted the original host dead were far more numerous than just these few.
The female lead, Jiang Qiuning, the Jiang Family, the other elders and peak masters of the Taiqing Sect…
If even one of them doubted her, they would find ways to test her.
Direct confrontation didn’t frighten her—what she feared was…
Xu Wanci’s left hand, braced against the bedside, tightened slightly before she quickly relaxed it.
The hardest step was already behind her.
No matter how treacherous the remaining dangers, they couldn’t compare to the ordeal she had just endured in the Enforcement Hall.
With her knowledge of the original story, she could take the initiative, dismantling their suspicions one by one.
No suspicions meant no need for verification.
Drawing on the original host’s memories, she carefully channeled spiritual energy through her meridians.
Just as she expected, all her previous injuries had fully healed.
But…
Xu Wanci lifted her gaze to the empty courtyard, her thick lashes fluttering faintly.
Would the Sect Master of the Taiqing Sect and the two Enforcement Hall elders truly leave someone who had once attempted suicide out of love alone here, unsupervised?
Keeping watch over her day and night would be too taxing—the simplest and most effective method would be to place a defensive artifact or restriction on her.
At this thought, Xu Wanci blinked slowly.
Though she was seventy percent certain, this was still just speculation.
When it came to her safety, she couldn’t rest easy without testing it.
A dramatic stunt like faking suicide for love could only be used once—any more would breed indifference or even annoyance.
So, she couldn’t harm herself again.
As if struck by a sudden idea, Xu Wanci’s fingertips twitched.
Suppressing the restless urge in her heart, she calmly turned her gaze toward the wooden door.
Countless disciples in the Taiqing Sect despised the original host. Now that they knew she was unharmed, surely many would come looking for trouble.
Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity for an experiment?
