“Sister, are you leaving?”
“Ah Zhen, I will come back. You must keep this secret for me.”
Su Ningzhen walked out of Su Ningxi’s room in a daze, her mind echoing with only one thought—don’t let her sister leave.
She and her sister had been closely connected since before birth. The only time they were separated was at Two Realms Mountain when they got lost. At that time, she thought her sister had just lost her way, not realizing she had been abducted by a half-demon. How could she abandon her sister, who had been her lifeline for decades, for someone she had only known for two months?
She must have been bewitched and lost her senses. She would regret it. She couldn’t let her leave!
This thought repeated hundreds of times in her mind, growing stronger until finally, Su Ningzhen entered Venerable Miaohua’s meditation room and revealed the secret to her master.
Venerable Miaohua flew into a rage, smashing her huanghuali wood table with one palm. With a cold face, she said, “Su Ningxi dares to collude with demons…”
Su Ningzhen knelt to plead, “Master, it must be that half-demon who has bewitched my sister with his demonic arts. Please don’t blame my sister!”
Venerable Miaohua’s lips curled into a smile as she gently stroked Su Ningzhen’s hair. “You’ve done well… When and where did they agree to leave?”
Su Ningzhen replied, “Tonight at the first quarter hour after midnight, at Wind Rest Pavilion.”
Venerable Miaohua’s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. She flipped her palm and placed a red porcelain bottle in Su Ningzhen’s hand. “Ningzhen, tonight you will apply this Spirit-Capturing Flower juice to your neck and cheeks. Disguise yourself as Ningxi and lure the half-demon Sang Qi to his death! If you succeed, the position of Mirror Flower Valley’s Master will be passed to you.”
Su Ningzhen trembled, her hand holding the porcelain bottle stiff and pale as if unable to bear its weight. “Master, I don’t want the position of Valley Master… I just want my sister to be well.”
Venerable Miaohua chuckled softly, “Very well, I promise you, Ningxi’s transgressions will be forgiven.”
Su Ningzhen sighed in relief, gripping the porcelain bottle tightly, her eyes cold and resolute with killing intent.
That night, Venerable Miaohua trapped Su Ningxi with a magic formation, while Su Ningzhen changed into Ningxi’s clothes, took her sword, and waited early at Wind Rest Pavilion. She heard footsteps behind her, tensing up nervously. A slender hand rested on her shoulder, and the night breeze carried his deep, alluring scent.
“Ningxi…” The half-demon’s voice, cool and husky, called Ningxi’s name as if savoring it on his tongue, tender and affectionate. The scent of the Spirit-Capturing Flower on Su Ningzhen’s body confused his senses, making him mistake the person who bore a seventy percent resemblance to Su Ningxi for her.
Su Ningzhen turned sideways, seeing the man Ningxi couldn’t forget.
Silver hair, silver eyes, wolf ears—a human with wolf demon blood. No matter how handsome his appearance, it couldn’t hide his base and inferior nature. Was this how he had deceived Ningxi? Tricking her to betray her master and abandon her family?
Killing intent surged in her eyes. Without hesitation, Su Ningzhen drew the Spring Birth Sword and thrust at him with all her might. Caught off guard, he found himself facing the cold, disgusted eyes of his lover. A piercing pain shot through his right shoulder as the Spring Birth Sword viciously severed his meridians and cut off his right arm. The next moment, Wind Rest Pavilion lit up with a Beast-Trapping Formation, and seven or eight high-level cultivators flew out from the darkness.
—It was a trap. Su Ningxi wanted to kill him?
The wolf demon’s silver eyes looked at “Su Ningxi” with confusion and hurt, murmuring, “Why…”
Su Ningzhen gripped the Spring Birth Sword tightly and stepped back, leaving Wind Rest Pavilion.
“You disgust me.”
“Hehe…” Sang Qi suddenly laughed, his left hand covering the bleeding stump of his severed arm. His silver eyes gradually turned crimson, his features becoming beautiful yet fierce. “So… everything you said before was a lie to deceive me…”
Su Ningzhen fearfully took half a step back and said, “Yes… it was just to survive.”
Worried that Su Ningzhen might reveal Su Ningxi’s secret if she spoke too much with Sang Qi, Venerable Miaohua interrupted sternly, “Everyone, attack together! He’s a demon tribe priest, don’t underestimate him!”
Countless sharp sword energies slashed toward the half-demon trapped in the Beast-Trapping Formation. His black robe shattered into countless fluttering black butterflies, and blood dyed Wind Rest Pavilion red.
Su Ningzhen stood far from the battle, gripping the Spring Birth Sword, but those hateful silver eyes pierced through everyone, stabbing straight into her heart.
She hadn’t done wrong, she hadn’t done wrong, it was all for Ningxi…
Su Ningzhen told herself this, repeating it for twenty years until she believed it herself.
Sang Qi recalled that night, each scene still vividly etched in his mind. The sweet fragrance emanated from “Su Ningxi’s” body then, and her gaze now overlapped with Su Ningzhen before him. He finally understood…
“It wasn’t Ningxi…” His silver eyes suddenly softened, as if sighing. However, a moment later, his expression turned fierce again. “But she still married Gao Fengxu…”
“No, she didn’t marry Gao Fengxu.” Su Ningzhen’s shoulders trembled as if recalling something terrifying. Her face lost all color, tears streaming down as her voice broke, “Ningxi died, Ningxi died before the wedding!”
Sang Qi suddenly raised his head to look at Su Ningzhen, his voice faltering, “She’s dead?”
“Ningxi, Sang Qi is already dead. You should obediently marry into Bright Moon Manor. Master Gao doesn’t mind that you’re not a virgin, you should be sensible.” Venerable Miaohua tossed the severed arm on the ground, her voice seemingly gentle but utterly cold.
Su Ningzhen stood behind Venerable Miaohua, hiding the Spring Birth Sword behind her back, afraid Su Ningxi might smell the blood on it.
Su Ningxi slowly knelt, cradling the severed arm in her embrace, intertwining her fingers with the cold, stiff hand. She kept her head lowered, hiding her expression, as tears fell one by one onto the cold hand.
“He’s not dead,” she said, her voice trembling but firm. “You cut off his arm but let him escape, didn’t you?”
Venerable Miaohua’s expression changed as she coldly said, “He was surrounded and attacked by six great elders at Wind Rest Pavilion. Do you think he could survive? Ningxi, I know your abilities. You can regenerate severed limbs and revive the dead. Do you think I would give you his corpse? I’ve already ground his bones to dust and scattered them to the wind. You only have this arm, what can you do? If you obey, I can forgive your past mistakes. Otherwise, don’t blame your master for being ruthless.”
Su Ningzhen urgently said, “Master, Sister just can’t accept it yet. I will persuade her!”
Su Ningxi raised her head, her tear-stained face pale and her brows delicate. She frowned slightly, looking at Su Ningzhen with confusion, noticing her clothes and the Spring Birth Sword behind her back. Suddenly, she understood everything.
“Ah Zhen, it was you…” Su Ningxi took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and tears rolled down. “You disguised yourself as me and deceived him, didn’t you?”
“Sister…” Su Ningzhen lowered her head guiltily, not daring to look at her. “Sister, I did it all for your good…”
Venerable Miaohua frowned impatiently, “Su Ningxi, I’ll give you seven days to consider. After seven days, people from Bright Moon Manor will come to Mirror Flower Valley for the wedding. If you don’t get into the bridal sedan then, I have ways to make you submit!”
Venerable Miaohua left with a sweep of her sleeve. Su Ningzhen hesitated, wanting to step forward but afraid to see the disappointment in Su Ningxi’s eyes.
She saw Su Ningxi staggering as she tried to stand up and hurried forward to support her, but Su Ningxi ignored her help and slowly steadied herself by leaning on the table.
“Ah Zhen, please leave. I want to be alone for a while.” Her voice couldn’t hide a slight tremor, as if drained of all energy, weak and sorrowful.
Su Ningzhen left reluctantly, looking back repeatedly, but only saw her sister’s thin, lonely back. She closed the door but didn’t leave, leaning against the thin door panel, hearing muffled, suppressed sobs from inside…
She had never heard Ningxi cry like that before. Peeking through the door crack, she only saw her sister curled up in a ball, tightly hugging the cold, severed arm, her shoulders shaking as if in extreme pain, yet not daring to let anyone know.
“Sang Qi…”
She kissed the cold fingertips, trembling as she softly called his name. The life force within her frantically poured into the severed arm, trying to restore its warmth and sensation, but it was all in vain.
“It’s my fault that I harmed you…”
Su Ningxi locked herself in her room for seven days. After seven days, people from Bright Moon Manor arrived, bringing a bright red wedding dress to her room.
Su Ningxi’s fair and elegant face had thinned considerably, but she wore a faint smile as she watched people come and go as if she had already emerged from her grief. Su Ningzhen sighed in relief. After everyone left, she went forward and hugged her sister’s thin body. Resting her head on her sister’s shoulder, just like in the past, she said softly, “Sister, are you still angry with me?”
Su Ningxi gently stroked her hair and smiled, “Not angry anymore.”
Su Ningzhen asked again, “Are you still… sad?”
Su Ningxi blinked her moist eyes, her long lashes half-concealing her thoughts, and only said, “Not sad anymore.”
Su Ningzhen felt relieved and said with a smile, “Sister, let me help you with your makeup!”
Su Ningxi didn’t refuse. She obediently sat in front of the mirror, just like before, allowing Su Ningzhen to fuss over her soft hair. But Su Ningzhen had always been impatient and couldn’t properly style the hair. Su Ningxi smiled faintly, pulled down her hand, and sat her in the chair, saying gently, “Ah Zhen, let sister teach you one last time. Pay close attention.”
Su Ningzhen was startled, “What do you mean by ‘one last time’?”
Su Ningxi said, “If I get married, I won’t be able to help you with your hair every day anymore.”
“Oh, I see…” Su Ningzhen laughed in relief, blaming herself for overthinking. She then said, “Sister, even if you marry into Bright Moon Manor, I can still visit you often. I’ve heard that Gao Fengxu is handsome, cultured, deep, and gentle. He will surely treat you well.”
Su Ningxi smiled as she tilted her head, carefully styling her hair, not answering her words.
“Sister, these past few days… I’ve been very worried about you. Now that I see you’ve come to terms with everything, I’m really happy. I was afraid you would hate me… Do you?”
Su Ningxi said, “Ah Zhen, you are my most beloved sister, my closest family. I know you only want the best for me.”
Su Ningzhen couldn’t help but smile. “Sister, I’m glad you understand me.”
“In my heart, you’ll always be a child, but without realizing it, you’ve grown up and have your thoughts.” She gently styled her hair into a cloud-like bun, her voice soft and slow.
“I…” Su Ningzhen was eager to explain, but Su Ningxi pressed her shoulder, stopping her words.
“Ah Zhen, let sister finish speaking.” Su Ningxi said gently, “There won’t be such opportunities to talk to you properly in the future… Sister won’t be able to accompany you anymore. Remember to control your temper, don’t be too impulsive, lest you suffer for it. When practicing cultivation, being overly ambitious can be as harmful as not doing enough. If you fall into demonic cultivation, sister won’t be there to help you anymore.”
“Sister…” Su Ningzhen stared blankly at herself in the mirror.
“I wanted to leave before, but I couldn’t bear to part with you. I told Sang Qi that once we found a place to settle if you were willing, we’d bring you along. If you weren’t willing, this Mirror Flower Valley would still be your home. You’re diligent, ambitious, and very obedient. Master likes you, and your talent is the most outstanding among the disciples. One day, the position of Valley Master will be passed to you.”
“Ah Zhen, I promised to be with you forever, but I can only break that promise now. However, I can’t bear to deceive Sang Qi about the promise I made to him. You will become the Valley Master of Mirror Flower Valley, with many disciples respecting and loving you. In the future, you’ll also meet someone who understands and cherishes you. But Sang Qi only has me, and I can’t deceive him, nor do I want to…”
Something warm dripped onto Su Ningzhen’s face. She thought it was Ningxi’s tears, but when she wiped it away, it was a glaring red. Her pupils contracted, and she quickly looked up at Su Ningxi, only to see blood continuously flowing from the corners of her lips.
“Sister!” Su Ningzhen horrifiedly embraced the pale-faced Su Ningxi, but Su Ningxi just smiled lightly, raising her finger to her lips. “Don’t call anyone…” Her voice was faint and weak, “I don’t want anyone to know…”
“Sister, what’s wrong with you?” Su Ningzhen’s heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. She frantically tried to wipe away the blood from her sister’s lips, but it kept coming, more and more…
“Ah Zhen, I took Fangfei Jin three days ago.” She struggled to pull her lips into a smile, “Even my body finds it difficult to seek death.”
Fangfei Jin was the most potent poison in the world, making one’s heart endure thirty thousand knife cuts over three days before dying. She had the body of a Primordial Yin Divine Woman, possessing infinite vitality. Suicide was too difficult for her; only Fangfei Jin could make her suffer and die.
“Ah Zhen, you no longer need sister…” Su Ningxi’s breath gradually weakened, and she no longer had the strength to hold Su Ningzhen’s hand. “Will you promise me one last thing… Bury me and Sang Qi together… This life can only be like this… If there’s a next life, I’ll repay him for a lifetime…”
“Sister, sister, don’t die…” Su Ningzhen wept uncontrollably. “Sister, I was wrong. Don’t go. I shouldn’t have killed him. It was I who hurt your heart. You can hate me, blame me, but don’t leave me!”
Su Ningxi had endured excruciating pain for three days, her consciousness long blurred. A faint smile rippled in her eyes as if she saw that cold and handsome half-demon walking towards her again. He was cold and ruthless, yet also gentle and considerate. He was lonely and scarred, yet so easily satisfied, craving just a little warmth and kindness.
—Ningxi, come with me. Let’s go to the East Sea.
—But if you practice demonic arts, you can’t stay in the human realm for long.
—I’m willing to disperse my cultivation, as long as I can be with you.
—Sang Qi…
She carefully traced his beautiful, deep-feeling eyebrows and starry eyes, allowing him to embrace her. The warmth and love this world had never given him, she wanted to give him all of it.
But he was gone…
Killed by her dearest sister…
Su Ningxi’s beautiful eyes completely lost their light, her heart stopped beating. She didn’t hear Su Ningzhen’s remorseful and desperate cry: “Sister, he didn’t die, he escaped…”
But Ningxi could no longer hear.
She numbly held Ningxi’s body, letting tears flow endlessly. After an unknown amount of time, someone finally discovered Ningxi’s death.
She was dazedly pulled up and forcibly separated from Ningxi. She tried to grab Ningxi’s body like a madwoman but was knocked unconscious. When she woke up again, she had been changed into wedding clothes, lying in the bridal chamber of Bright Moon Manor.
“You’re awake.” Venerable Miaohua’s cold gaze fell on her.
Su Ningzhen thought she had a nightmare. She struggled to sit up on the bed, looking at herself and then around.
“Master, where is this… Where’s the sister…”
Venerable Miaohua said, “Su Ningxi is already dead. Tomorrow is the wedding day. Many people from the Immortal Alliance are coming to witness. You will pretend to be Ningxi and marry Gao Fengxu.”
Su Ningzhen widened her eyes and said tremblingly, “But the sister is already dead!”
“So what!” Venerable Miaohua angrily smashed a cup, her face twisted and terrifying. “How dare she seek death! Fangfei Jin, where did she get Fangfei Jin? A Primordial Yin Divine Woman died, it’s utterly ridiculous!”
Venerable Miaohua had always been dignified and restrained, rarely seen so angry and out of control. She clenched her fists, her venomous gaze piercing through Su Ningzhen’s face as if seeing Su Ningxi.
“Ningzhen, you are obedient. This concerns the face of Mirror Flower Valley and Bright Moon Manor. You can’t let others see through the deception.” Venerable Miaohua said sternly.
Su Ningzhen shook her head sorrowfully, “No… I can’t do it. I want to see my sister. Where is she?”
“After you complete the wedding ceremony, I’ll let you see her,” Venerable Miaohua said coldly. “Otherwise, you’ll never see her in this lifetime.”
Su Ningzhen slowly clenched the quilt beneath her, finally nodding and obeying through gritted teeth.
Sang Qi weakly released his grip on Mu Xuanling. He trembled and fell to his knees, even forgetting to deal with Gao Qiumin as a hostage. Gao Qiumin crawled to Su Ningzhen’s side, enduring the pain in her shoulder. She heard Mu Xuanling murmur behind her, “So… the one who married Gao Fengxu back then was Su Ningzhen. Then Gao Qiumin is Su Ningzhen’s daughter?”
Gao Qiumin’s body stiffened. She raised her head to look at the tear-stained Su Ningzhen, calling out softly in disbelief, “Master… Am I…”
Could she be Master’s biological daughter? Is that why she passed all her cultivation to her, why she passed the position of Mirror Flower Valley Master to her…
Su Ningzhen lowered her head to look at Gao Qiumin, suddenly trembling and laughing. She covered her eyes, but tears kept falling.
“I’d rather… Qiumin was my child…”
Sang Qi stared intently at Su Ningzhen, his voice low and hoarse, overwhelmed with grief: “What do you mean by that? Isn’t she? Where is Ningxi, where is Ningxi’s body!”
Su Ningzhen said hoarsely, “Do you know why Gao Fengxu insisted on marrying Ningxi? Hahaha… What they coveted was only Ningxi’s Primordial Yin Divine Woman body. A Primordial Yin Divine Woman, a reincarnation of a divine woman, contains infinite vitality, able to revive all dead things. The Chaos Pearl of Bright Moon Manor had lost its energy. Gao Fengxu wanted to use their sister’s vitality to nourish the Chaos Pearl, to restore its former energy.”
“But Ningxi was already dead…” Those beautiful silver eyes lost their light. Sang Qi closed his eyes painfully and said tremblingly, “She was already dead…”
She had never betrayed her promise to him, but he had misunderstood her for twenty years. What were his twenty years of pain and hatred for…
“Dead, so what…” Su Ningzhen recalled what she had seen that day, her blank eyes gradually filled with fear, anger, hatred, and disgust… “The Divine Woman’s spirit acupoint is the source of spiritual power, and the Divine Woman’s womb is the origin of vitality. She had a lifespan of a thousand years, and her vitality would not dissipate for a thousand years after death. Gao Fengxu and Master cut open her womb, and placed the Chaos Pearl inside her body, using her internal vitality to nourish the Chaos Pearl.”
*
After her death, she was just like when she was alive, only slightly colder, but her appearance was still soft and beautiful as if she was just asleep, not dead.
Venerable Miaohua used her finger as a knife, cutting open her lower abdomen. Not a drop of blood seeped out.
Gao Fengxu, rumored to be handsome, cultured, deep, and gentle, walked to the bedside holding a golden pearl the size of a baby’s fist in his palm.
“Is this the Chaos Pearl? It looks dim and lusterless,” Venerable Miaohua said.
Su Ningzhen stared intently at the pearl, seeing that it had lost its color and luster, with seemingly mysterious patterns engraved on it, like auspicious clouds or vines. She had heard that the Chaos Pearl was omnipotent and profoundly mysterious. She thought perhaps they were going to revive Ningxi…
Gao Fengxu said in a deep voice, “Ancient texts say that the vitality of a Primordial Yin Divine Woman can revive all things, perhaps it can revive the Chaos Pearl. But a dead Divine Woman, I don’t know if it will still work…”
Su Ningzhen, dressed in wedding attire, looked at Gao Fengxu in bewilderment. She couldn’t quite understand his words, but she suddenly realized that this person had no intention of saving Ningxi.
“We’ll know if we try,” Venerable Miaohua said. “Don’t forget our promise. If the Chaos Pearl revives, it must be lent to Mirror Flower Valley for three hundred years.”
Gao Fengxu smiled, “If we succeed, I naturally won’t go back on my word.”
Gao Fengxu placed the Chaos Pearl into the cut in Su Ningxi’s lower abdomen. Suddenly, his eyes shifted, and he opened his five fingers. His middle finger slowly turned crimson, and a drop of blood emitting a faint golden light seeped from his fingertip, quickly disappearing into Su Ningxi’s abdomen, attaching to the Chaos Pearl.
Venerable Miaohua was startled and looked at Gao Fengxu warily, “Your essence blood? You want to refine the Chaos Pearl?”
“Now that the Chaos Pearl’s energy is exhausted, it’s like a dead object and can’t be refined. I just want to see if there will be any miraculous changes inside the body of a Primordial Yin Divine Woman,” Gao Fengxu smiled casually.
Venerable Miaohua’s expression was unpredictable, but she didn’t stop Gao Fengxu’s actions. As he said, no one knew what changes would ultimately occur.
She used her magic to re-stitch the wound on Su Ningxi’s body. Her lower abdomen remained white and flat, without a trace of a scar.
Su Ningzhen stepped forward in a daze, asking tremblingly, “Master, what have you done to sister…”
Venerable Miaohua turned to look at her, her expression indifferent, “These days you will stay in Bright Moon Manor, acting as Su Ningxi, living in seclusion, carefully watching over her body, observing any changes.”
Gao Fengxu said, “The most important thing is to see what changes occur in the Chaos Pearl.”
Su Ningzhen stared blankly at the unconscious Su Ningxi, remembering what she had said to her a few days ago — that Gao Fengxu was deep and gentle, that he would treat her well…
So… whether it was Master or Gao Fengxu, they were all just trying to use her…
Many years ago, when they were still very young, sister had already understood that she couldn’t let others know about her abilities, otherwise those bad people would capture them to “plant flowers.”
Ningxi had always understood life better than her. She knew that these seemingly righteous venerable ones never had true compassion or feelings for them; they only coveted her abilities. The one who truly loved her was that half-demon despised by the world, the half-demon who was killed by her sister.
Su Ningzhen covered her face and slowly knelt before Su Ningxi, weeping uncontrollably…
“Sister, I’m sorry…”
It was my fault. I made you lose your love, made you die with hatred, made you suffer humiliation even after death…
No, it’s not my fault. It’s Sang Qi’s fault. It’s that half-demon who seduced sister. If she hadn’t fallen in love with that half-demon, she wouldn’t have committed suicide, and naturally wouldn’t have been treated like this after death…
I’m not wrong. It’s all because of that half-demon, that damned half-demon…
She hugged herself tightly, helplessly and desperately guarding Su Ningxi’s body, constantly telling herself that she should hate the half-demon Sang Qi.
It seemed that only in this way could she give herself a little courage to live on.