“This matter was done by me alone, and has nothing to do with anyone else,” Chen Hong Zhu said.

The dim candlelight of the Discipline Hall illuminated her profile, the flames dancing in her eyes.

On a night of chaos and unrest at Hua Wei Mountain, only this place remained deathly silent.

No one shouted or berated her harshly. More than ten peak masters and elders sat above with complex gazes, occasionally sighing.

Silent disappointment and resentment transformed into swords, pressing down on the young woman’s shoulders.

Who would have dared before to make the young miss of Hua Wei Sect, the pearl in True Person Xu Yun’s palm, kneel wounded on the cold tiles of the Discipline Hall?

“Even now, you still protect that boy? Since childhood, you’ve been willful and unruly, not following proper etiquette. The entire sect has been extremely accommodating. When have I not indulged you?” Xu Yun’s voice trembled slightly. “But do you still know who you are?!”

“I am Chen Hong Zhu. I have enjoyed all honors because of the sect, and I am willing to dedicate everything to protect it.” Chen Hong Zhu’s back was straight as she looked directly at Xu Yun. “I’m not helping Song Qian Ji—I’m trying to save Hua Wei Sect!”

“Rebellious daughter!” Xu Yun’s entire body trembled as he moved to draw his sword, but was quickly restrained by Discipline Hall Elder Liu Hong Feng:

“Sect Leader, the outer disciples have already gone astray, and the engagement ceremony is approaching. We cannot afford to make another mistake.”

Everyone hurried to dissuade him: “Sect Leader, think thrice!”

“At this juncture, the young miss’s reputation is Hua Wei Sect’s reputation. Family scandals must not be made public! As for the outer disciples’ defection, we must insist they were seduced by villains, with no connection to the young miss.”

“Song Qian Ji was disloyal and unrighteous at first. If we take action, we hold the moral high ground. Even those two from Qing Cliff and Purple Cloud Temple couldn’t find fault with that.”

Chen Hong Zhu laughed softly.

“You still laugh!” Xu Yun reprimanded.

Chen Hong Zhu stopped laughing.

“I have failed to teach my daughter properly. Before the engagement ceremony, Chen Hong Zhu is confined to the Discipline Hall and not allowed to take half a step out!” Xu Yun’s gaze swept across everyone. “In these troubled times, I trouble everyone to uphold their responsibilities.”

Those who could come tonight, besides the various peak masters, were only elders who held real power or had backing from great families.

Everyone acknowledged and bid farewell, leaving Xu Yun and Chen Hong Zhu, father and daughter, facing each other in silence.

After the last person walked away and the main door of the hall closed, Xu Yun suddenly sighed, bending down to help his daughter up:

“Does it still hurt?”

The anger he had displayed in public gradually disappeared, leaving just an aged father.

Chen Hong Zhu stood up, her eyes brimming with tears: “Daughter has been unfilial.”

“Why put yourself through this?” Xu Yun shook his head in painful regret.

Chen Hong Zhu smiled:

“Has Father seen the mines at night? Spirit stones are carried out from the deep mines in baskets by the outer disciples, glowing faintly, quite beautiful. I stood on the hillside, looking down at the mining site riddled with countless holes, watching the glowing spirit stones being transported everywhere, like flowing rivers of stars.”

“It’s like climbing the Star-Plucking Tower—looking up to see the stars twinkling all over the sky. Even the wind feels the same coldness.”

Xu Yun paused, then slowly spoke: “The Star-Plucking Tower is built on the peak of Hua Wei Mountain, while the spirit stone mine goes two thousand zhang deep into the ground. It takes countless thousands underground to support just one above. You should know that you were born to be above.”

“How many innocent lives must be thrown into the bottomless pit below? Just for my engagement ceremony, just to marry me to someone I don’t know—Father, isn’t that laughable?”

Xu Yun said solemnly: “It’s not for you, it’s for the sect! You felt guilty about this and let them escape. In half a month, we can recruit another group, and the mining will continue as before. The mortals who want to seek immortality are more numerous than the stars in the sky.”

“If you recruit more, I will dare to release them again. Until all of you finally wake up and see that the world has changed—there are people like Song Qian Ji now, places like Thousand Canals County. They have somewhere to go!”

Xu Yun: “What exactly do you want to do?!”

“I want reform!”

Chen Hong Zhu’s eyes burned with flames. “I want to establish a new inner sect selection system, and ultimately break down the barriers between inner and outer disciples. I want the sect to select more talents rather than being confined by family background.”

“Such reforms would be like overturning the heavens.”

“Then let the heavens be overturned!”

“You!” Xu Yun raised his hand high, while Chen Hong Zhu glared at him, not dodging at all, advancing rather than retreating.

Xu Yun closed his eyes and abruptly lowered his hand: “Those people just now all watched you grow up. Even if you could overturn heaven and earth and replace them with a new group, once they sit in those positions long enough, they’ll become just like the original group. These heavens cannot be overturned by you. Stop your wild fantasies.”

“Father, let me try!” Chen Hong Zhu grasped her father’s hand. “If it succeeds, setting this precedent, cultivators all over the world will aspire to join the Hua Wei Sect. How could the sect not prosper?”

Xu Yun opened his eyes, his gaze returning to calmness.

He withdrew his hand and stepped back, retreating from the area illuminated by candlelight.

Retreating from the position of father back to Sect Leader True Person.

“The fifteenth of next month is an auspicious day. During this time, you will reflect earnestly here in the Discipline Hall. Your Senior Brother Yuan will assist me in preparing for your ceremony.”

Chen Hong Zhu blinked, two streams of tears flowing down: “Daughter… don’t want to marry. I don’t want to marry him.”

Xu Yun did not respond, suddenly changing the subject: “After you colluded with Meng He Ze, your father began to think about something.”

“Is Song Qian Ji related to ‘that person’? None of the evidence he presented that day was conclusive. From the Imperial Audience Assembly to Thousand Canals County, ‘that person’ never appeared, nor did they ever stand up for him.”

“There’s news that recently the Chess Ghost has fallen more ill, and the Calligraphy Saint is aging rapidly. ‘That person’ still hasn’t shown up.”

Chen Hong Zhu was stunned at first, then grew increasingly anxious as she listened, sensing something ominous: “You mean…”

“Since Song Qian Ji was the first to tear apart the facade, the sect might as well kill him openly. If you continue to speak and act rashly, you are forcing the sect to kill him.”

As soon as Xu Yun finished speaking, he turned and left, using a ground-shrinking technique to cross the threshold in one step.

“Father!” Chen Hong Zhu hurriedly chased after him.

The heavy door slammed shut, separating Xu Yun’s figure outside.

“Bang!” Chen Hong Zhu pounded the door with all her might, but struck an impenetrable formation barrier:

“Father, Father—”

In the dead of night, the young woman’s screams and cries echoed throughout the Discipline Hall.

…

“Are you acting as a father or as a senior brother?” Lan Fei Yuan asked impatiently.

Today, there were indeed many outer disciples who had come for guidance.

Among them, many were seeing Song Qian Ji for the first time, as if looking at some rare animal. Even after asking their questions, they were reluctant to leave.

“So this is the legendary Senior Brother Song.”

“Senior Brother looks only fifteen or sixteen, yet he’s already in the Nascent Soul realm!”

After breakfast, the people of Song Academy went their separate ways. Ji Chen headed to the temple to randomly select today’s formation practice targets.

Wei Ping was pulled out of the Immortal Official Mansion by Meng He Ze to “reminisce.”

Only Lan Fei Yuan, who was freeloading while recuperating from his wounds, remained by Immortal Official Song’s side.

Though Lan Fei Yuan couldn’t use his spiritual energy, he still put on the airs of a Golden Core expert, dismissing people as if it were his right:

“Hurry up, next, next!”

“How can you not understand such basic cultivation questions? Here, I have an ancient text—go read it and come back!”

“Return the book next time? No need to return it; I’ve memorized it all! Want a copy? Fine, fine, now hurry along!”

The winter sun shone on Song Academy’s blue tiles, and sparrows chirped on the plum blossom branches.

A yellow and white spotted kitten leaped nimbly over the wall.

When the guidance session ended, Song Qian Ji remained calm and composed. Lan Fei Yuan was irritated enough and panting from exhaustion.

Song Qian Ji carried the narcissus flowers from the windowsill outside to bask in the sun.

The white buds were still closed but fragrant, with slender emerald leaves standing tall and graceful.

Lan Fei Yuan’s fingers itched. He crouched down and extended a finger to poke at the flower buds, but was swatted away by Song Qian Ji.

“The buds are delicate. Don’t touch them carelessly.”

Lan Fei Yuan grumbled: “Stingy.”

He moved his finger lower, switching to tapping the flower pot. The plain white porcelain, wide-mouthed and short, was filled with clear water. His tapping produced crisp sounds, like a melody.

Song Qian Ji knew that Lan Fei Yuan enjoyed listening to music and watching operas. In his previous life, when they first met, they lived next door to “Coming Spring Pavilion.”

Later, during their several escapes, they always stayed near singing halls, opera houses, silk shops, or tailor shops.

After tapping for a while, Lan Fei Yuan suddenly looked up at him:

“Song Qian Ji, in my line of business, when I fail, even if no one comes to save me, someone should come to kill me. Life and death are determined by fate. You don’t need to…”

He wanted to say “You don’t need to bear this burden for me,” but what came out was: “You don’t need to create trouble for yourself. I’m not grateful.”

Song Qian Ji ignored him and brought out a bowl of medicine from the kitchen: “Drink.”

Lan Fei Yuan drank it all in one go.

The medicine was good, sparing no expense on various spiritual herbs that would flow as spiritual energy into the five organs.

Indeed, Song Qian Ji didn’t engage in the dangerous business of walking the knife’s edge, yet he never lacked money.

Lan Fei Yuan stared at the black medicinal residue at the bottom of the bowl, muttering: “I still don’t understand.”

“What don’t you understand?” Song Qian Ji asked.

“Why are you treating me this way? I don’t even know you! Are you a Bodhisattva from the temple who saves the suffering and feeds hawks with your flesh, returning kindness for enmity? Do you see that I’ve committed many evils and want to descend to the mortal realm to transform me?”

Song Qian Ji smiled, snatched the bowl, and walked away: “Then I might as well try to transform a pig.”

Surprisingly, Lan Fei Yuan didn’t get angry. Instead, he clapped his hands:

“That’s right! A pig can at least be slaughtered for meat. A rotten person like me from the mud pit deserves a bad end. What’s the use of transforming me?” He rubbed his chin. “Do you have a friend who looks like me, but he’s already dead?”

Song Qian Ji paused, then shook his head: “I have no friends.”

Lan Fei Yuan wasn’t the Lan Fei Yuan from his previous life. All the people he had seen, killed, formed bonds with, or had grievances with in his previous life had all changed in this life. Only he remained with the memories of his previous life.

Lan Fei Yuan guessed again: “You want me to recover so I can kill someone for you? Just say it—who do you want to kill?”

Song Qian Ji continued walking: “For matters like killing, I don’t have the habit of using others.”

Lan Fei Yuan caught up: “Don’t expect me to stay in this broken courtyard farming with you!”

Song Qian Ji thought, what a joke. As if such a wonderful thing would fall to you.

Even as he picked up a hoe to till the soil, Lan Fei Yuan still followed behind him, like a sparrow on a plum branch: “Then what exactly do you want me to do? You’re holding back, not saying it. You might not feel uncomfortable, but I do!”

Song Qian Ji raised a silencing talisman.

Lan Fei Yuan straightened his neck defiantly: “Go ahead, put it here! What kind of person doesn’t let others speak? Look, I still have hands and feet!”

Song Qian Ji thought that if he didn’t find something for this person to do, he probably wouldn’t have any peace all day.

“The fur pelts delivered by the hunting team are in the storehouse. Why don’t you make me a large fur coat?”

“What?” Lan Fei Yuan said angrily. “Do you think I’m your tailor?!”

“If you don’t want to make clothes, then come with me to select seeds,” Song Qian Ji said. “I see you still have hands and feet.”

A moment of silence.

“…Which way to the storehouse?”