Xu Wanci's bloodied right hand rested lightly in Jiang Qiuning's palm, crimson and pale intertwining in a scene both hauntingly beautiful and shocking.
Everyone stood frozen in place, their gazes uniformly filled with astonishment and disbelief.
In their memories, Xu Wanci had always been obsessive and malicious.
She had stubbornly, even desperately, clung to her love for Chu Qingchuan, going so far as to scheme against Jiang Qiuning, the woman by his side.
But what had Xu Wanci been like before she fell for Chu Qingchuan?
No one remembered. No one cared.
Had she once been as serene and gentle as she appeared now? Had she always been this harsh on herself?
Had she, too, once been a kind and righteous disciple of the Taiqing Sect?
Perhaps she had merely… lost her way, only to awaken now.
Though everyone had once despised Xu Wanci, they now found themselves unconsciously justifying her actions in their hearts.
After all, she had paid a steep price, and Jiang Qiuning, the one she had harmed, had received the Frostbloom Orchid in return.
One disciple cautiously glanced at Ning Menglan:
Hadn’t the Sect Leader and the Second Elder already spared Xu Wanci?
Ning Menglan, however, paid no attention to the gazes directed his way.
His expression, as well as that of the Second Elder beside him, was deeply complicated:
They knew full well how rare the Frostbloom Orchid was, which made Xu Wanci’s actions all the more staggering—and all the more heartbreaking.
To risk crippling her own cultivation, even facing the threat of losing it entirely, just to retrieve the Frostbloom Orchid…
And then to dig out her golden core without hesitation…
Xu Wanci wasn’t merely resigned to death—she had relinquished all attachment to the path of cultivation itself.
Behind them, Qi Yun, the Peak Master of the Ten Thousand Swords Peak, stood in stunned bewilderment.
The one who had harmed Jiang Qiuning was a disciple of his peak, yet for some inexplicable reason, this disciple had returned unharmed.
When he sought answers from the Enforcement Hall, all he received was a terse "No comment."
As the Peak Master, he had come to apologize to Jiang Qiuning.
But the moment he stepped inside, he witnessed Xu Wanci wrenching the Frostbloom Orchid from her own flesh and blood. Before he could even process the shock of her possessing such a legendary treasure, he saw her begin to carve out her golden core—
By the time the dust settled, he could only think numbly:
At least now, he wouldn’t have to apologize to Jiang Qiuning.
By then, Jiang Qiuning had fully merged with the Frostbloom Orchid.
She felt the silent refinement of her spiritual roots, her long lashes fluttering slightly:
Though the Frostbloom Orchid had passed through two hosts, slightly diminishing its efficacy, with enough rare treasures, she could still achieve the results she desired.
With such a divine artifact, breaking through to mid-stage Nascent Soul was within her grasp.
In the world of cultivation, no cultivator would refuse the chance to advance.
Except—
Jiang Qiuning opened her eyes and stared at Xu Wanci, who knelt weakly by the bedside.
Her gaze held shock, but also a trace of confusion:
Why would Xu Wanci go this far?
If it was merely for atonement, she didn’t need to go to such extremes.
What kind of person… was she, truly?
In Jiang Qiuning’s mind, the image of a twisted, obsessive figure gradually faded, replaced by the quiet gentleness before her now.
Just as she lost herself in thought, she felt a drop of warm blood fall onto her palm.
The next moment, the hand resting in hers went limp and dropped.
Jiang Qiuning snapped back to reality, instinctively catching the severely wounded Xu Wanci as she collapsed.
Cradling her, Jiang Qiuning pressed one hand firmly against Xu Wanci’s bloodied palm, channeling spiritual energy into her. Her voice, usually composed, was uncharacteristically urgent: "Bring the healing pills—now!"
Before she even finished speaking, everyone sprang into action.
Chu Qingchuan’s hand instinctively went to his storage pouch, his expression betraying undisguised worry.
Ning Menglan and the Second Elder waved their hands, summoning spiritual herbs that would make any cultivator’s eyes gleam with greed.
But the quickest to react was Duan Ziwei. Before Jiang Qiuning had even spoken, he had already rummaged through his storage jade, retrieving every rare herb, pill, and spiritual artifact that could restore vitality or replenish energy.
Arms laden with treasures, he rushed to Xu Wanci’s side.
Staring at her blood-streaked form, he fumbled through his haul, muttering anxiously:
"She just used the Soul-Severing Bone on herself days ago—her body hasn’t recovered at all…"
"And her Sword Heart is shattered—the damage to her Dao Heart is immeasurable…"
"And today, she even—"
Jiang Qiuning stiffened.
She looked up at Duan Ziwei, wondering if she had misheard:
What did he mean… she used the Soul-Severing Bone on herself?
What did he mean… her Sword Heart was shattered?
Duan Ziwei, though reckless and arrogant, never spoke without certainty.
So… it was all true?
At that moment, the weight in her arms felt impossibly light—as if Xu Wanci might slip away at any second.
The other Taiqing Sect disciples, completely unaware, were even more bewildered than Jiang Qiuning.
The implications of Duan Ziwei’s words were so staggering that they didn’t know which part to be shocked by first:
Was Duan Ziwei mistaken?
Why would Xu Wanci use the Soul-Severing Bone on herself?
That was something every cultivator feared!
And what was this about…
A shattered Sword Heart?
Impossible!
Even if a sword cultivator lost their cultivation, their Sword Heart remained intact. How could anyone’s Sword Heart shatter?
Then, the Sect Leader’s voice cut through the silence, thick with disbelief:
"Duan Ziwei, did you say… her Sword Heart is shattered?"
The surrounding disciples exchanged glances:
See? Even the Sect Leader doesn’t believe it…
Wait—
Why wasn’t the Sect Leader questioning the Soul-Severing Bone part?
A few sharp-eyed disciples turned to stare at him:
So… Xu Wanci really had used the Soul-Severing Bone on herself?
Before they could process this, Duan Ziwei’s low reply came:
"I saw it with my own eyes that day."
Duan Ziwei bowed his head, silently pressing a Saintly Spirit Orchid into Xu Wanci’s bloodied chest.
The Sect Leader, taking in Xu Wanci’s condition, pushed aside his questions:
Right now, the priority was healing her wounds and replenishing her depleted energy.
In moments, the room was filled with treasures most cultivators would never see in a lifetime.
The Sect Leader, the Second Elder, Duan Ziwei, Chu Qingchuan, and Jiang Qiuning all contributed their most prized resources.
Under the influence of countless rare herbs and pills, the faintest hint of color finally returned to Xu Wanci’s pallid face.
Ever since Xu Wanci walked out of the Enforcement Hall alive, rumors had spread like wildfire through the Taiqing Sect.
Groups of disciples gathered after their daily training, eagerly speculating about how she had escaped punishment.
Now that news of Jiang Qiuning’s awakening had spread, many were placing bets on how much longer Xu Wanci had to live:
"To be honest, the elders must be waiting for Young Master Jiang to wake up so they can hand Xu Wanci over to him for judgment."
"Even if Young Master Jiang is magnanimous enough to spare Xu Wanci, the Jiang family won’t let this slide."
"The Jiangs are notoriously protective—they’ll never let Xu Wanci off the hook!"
One disciple sneered coldly:
"A vile snake like Xu Wanci is nothing but a disgrace to the Taiqing Sect."
"If the Jiang family really kills her, we should thank them for cleansing our sect of such filth—"
"Enough!" Jiang Yu, who had witnessed everything at Ruoxu Peak that day, clenched her fists, her voice trembling slightly:
"You don’t know anything. The truth is..."
Remembering the sect leader’s order forbidding them from speaking before taking Xu Wanci away, she took a deep breath and said slowly, "The truth is, Xu Wanci used to be... a very, very good person."
Another disciple who also knew the whole story nodded emphatically:
"That’s right. She was truly kind-hearted before, and even now, she owns up to her actions..."
The other disciples stared at them as if they’d lost their minds.
Xu Wanci? Kind-hearted? Owning up to her actions?
How could those words possibly belong in the same sentence?
One disciple couldn’t hold back: "But she schemed maliciously and harmed Young Master Jiang."
"Could it be..." Jiang Yu thought of Xu Wanci’s bloodied, deathly pale face and hesitated before saying, "that the problem lies with Senior Brother Chu?"
"If he hadn’t been so... unfairly handsome and failed to keep his distance from female cultivators, would Xu Wanci have fallen for him?"
"If Xu Wanci hadn’t fallen for him, would she have harmed Young Master Jiang?!"
...What?
Meanwhile, the alleged root of all trouble in Jiang Yu’s eyes, Chu Qingchuan, stood grimly by the gate of a small courtyard.
Recalling Ning Menglan’s words, his expression darkened further:
Xu Wanci’s injuries had already healed. She just... didn’t want to wake up.
At that moment, a familiar, flamboyant figure flashed into view, stopping abruptly before him.
Chu Qingchuan frowned almost imperceptibly at the sight of Duan Ziwei, who carried several storage pouches in his hands.
When Duan Ziwei ignored him entirely and moved to step into the courtyard, he spoke coolly:
"She needs rest."
Duan Ziwei froze mid-step.
As if remembering something, he slowly withdrew the foot he’d just raised:
Even though they had already used spiritual treasures to heal her physical wounds.
The loss of half her blood and bones, the repeated injuries she’d suffered, and the exhaustion of her spirit...
She truly needed proper recovery.
With that in mind, he still refused to look at Chu Qingchuan but carefully placed the storage pouches by the courtyard gate.
Then he tried to drag Chu Qingchuan away with him.
Chu Qingchuan stared at the pouches on the ground, his brow furrowing deeply:
"Aren’t you worried someone might steal these treasures if you leave them here?"
He’d assumed Duan Ziwei would place protective talismans or artifacts over them.
To his surprise, instead of acting, Duan Ziwei’s eyes lit up at the question:
"Does that mean I’ll have an excuse to come back with more treasures later?"
