SFS Chapter 19 The Origins of the Two Women
Chapter 19 The Origins of the Two Women
"There's no other way. I, Qin Feng, owe everything I have today to my own hard work."
Li Qingyi still maintained an unyielding demeanor.
Ling'er didn't take it to heart.
She knew perfectly well that without the support of a sect or powerful force providing resources and cultivation techniques, even the most talented rogue cultivator would have a very high chance of breaking through to the third level of Qi Refining at the age of sixteen, let alone successfully drawing Qi into their body and embarking on the path of immortality.
"Now that things have come to this, there's no need for us to hide anything anymore, Brother Qin Feng?" Ling'er decided to get straight to the point and reveal her identity.
"I am Zhao Ling'er, a true disciple of True Person Minghao from the Zhengyang Immortal Sect."
Upon hearing this, Li Qingyi raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.
The title of "True Person" cannot be used without authorization by those who are not at the Purple Mansion Realm.
"She's actually a true disciple of the Purple Mansion..."
Its origins were even more astonishing than he had anticipated.
This deepened his suspicions: why would a disciple of the Purple Mansion with such a noble status personally get involved in the Qin family's mess?
Qin Ruoxi's cool gaze also fell on Li Qingyi, and she said calmly:
"Qin Ruoxi, a true disciple of the Purple Cloud Immortal of the Clear Pool Immortal Sect. And you, fellow Daoist? Which immortal's esteemed disciple are you?"
Li Qingyi remained calm and composed, responding to the situation with equanimity.
"Before I left, my master repeatedly instructed me not to reveal his name unless absolutely necessary. Please forgive me."
Upon hearing this, Qin Ruoxi's eyes narrowed slightly, a dangerous glint flashing across them.
"I don't care who your teacher is. But there's one thing I need to remind you," she said, her words filled with warning:
"Do not harbor any thoughts of the Purple Mansion inheritance. Otherwise, our sect will hunt you down with all its might, leaving you with nowhere to escape!"
Feeling the undisguised threat in the other party's words, Li Qingyi's heart sank.
This matter is probably far more complicated than he imagined.
This warning made Li Qingyi feel like she was trying to cover something up.
In a flash of thought, a probing thought arose in his mind, so he softened his tone and said:
"Miss Qin, rest assured, all I seek is one item from the Purple Mansion inheritance; I have no desire for anything else."
Upon hearing this, Qin Ruoxi frowned even more deeply. "Daydreaming."
Hearing this answer, Li Qingyi was far from calm.
"In the last simulation, Qin Ruoxi clearly didn't dare to compete for the Purple Mansion inheritance. Her current resolute demeanor is very strange."
A bold idea inexplicably popped into Li Qingyi's mind.
"The Purple Mansion inheritance... could it just be a cover-up?"
Li Qingyi was startled by this idea.
At this moment, Zhao Ling'er winked at him playfully, "Brother Qin Feng, shall we... see you tonight? Don't sneak up on us again, okay?"
As they spoke, he exchanged a glance with Qin Ruoxi.
Without another word, the two moved with the agility of swallows, quickly disappearing into the woods and disappearing along another path.
Led by Qin Ruoxi, they trekked through the mountains and finally landed on the top of a cliff.
Looking down from here, it was clearly the same cave that Li Qingyi had seen in the simulation.
"Is this the true location of the Purple Mansion's inheritance?" Zhao Ling'er asked, looking down.
"That's right," Qin Ruoxi replied.
"However, we're not the only ones who know about this place," Zhao Ling'er added meaningfully.
Qin Ruoxi said firmly, "Absolutely impossible."
Zhao Ling'er simply smiled and did not reveal that Qin Xiyue knew about this place.
Instead, she became increasingly eager to see what unpredictable direction this unexpected variable would ultimately lead things in.
She gazed into the distance, looking at the rolling mountains, and thought to herself:
"Master, oh Master, you possess such great power, could you have foreseen such a complex and intricate situation?"
Zhao Ling'er's thoughts drifted back to the Zhengyang Immortal Sect, to the misty main hall of True Person Minghao.
That day, perhaps on a whim, or perhaps driven by the curiosity inherent in a young girl, she defied the taboos of her sect and secretly cast a divination for herself.
Diviners cannot predict their own fate; this is an ironclad rule of the art of divination.
However, the result of the divination terrified her—she would not live past seventeen.
Zhao Ling'er naturally didn't believe it, and repeatedly performed the divination in the palace, expending a great deal of energy, but the divination results pointed to the same ending time and time again:
There is no chance of survival.
She finally became afraid. Just then, her master, Master Minghao, stepped into the hall.
After some questioning and investigation, Master Minghao shook his head repeatedly and sternly rebuked her for touching such taboos.
In the end, Master Minghao personally intervened, expending immense effort to deduce the way out and pointing her to a path to survival.
Once she arrives at the Qin clan, she will surely meet someone who can avert her death.
He then gave her a task: to assist Qin Ruoxi in completing her sect's arrangements.
She wasn't entirely clear on the specifics, only knowing that the inheritance of the Purple Mansion True Person was probably just a pretext to attract attention from all sides.
What she had to do was to try to draw everyone's attention to that place of inheritance.
This is one of the reasons why she readily agreed to cooperate with Qin Xiyue.
It's always better to bring these unforeseen variables under control or eliminate them as early as possible than to let them linger and cause unnecessary trouble.
When Zhao Ling'er came to her senses, she realized that Qin Ruoxi had already quietly left.
"What an aloof woman," she murmured to herself, then shook her head. "No, it should be said that she's cold and heartless."
…………
Meanwhile, in an elegant villa hidden deep in the mountains.
A young man sat alone on a stone bench in the courtyard, pouring himself a bitter drink with a sorrowful expression.
"Alas... I've truly been deceived by my master. Where is my destined Daoist partner...?"
He downed the bitter wine in one gulp, sighing deeply, his brow furrowed with sorrow.
Faint footsteps could be heard outside the courtyard.
He looked up and saw his junior sister, Qin Ruoxi, gracefully approaching.
With a gentle wave of her hand, the air at the courtyard gate stirred slightly, and she passed through an invisible, transparent barrier, stepping into the courtyard.
"Junior sister, you've finally arrived! Come and have a few drinks with your senior brother," the young man immediately greeted her warmly.
Seeing this, Qin Ruoxi showed a hint of helplessness: "Senior Brother Fang, please don't drink anymore."
Upon hearing this, Fang Yao could only sigh:
"Junior sister, do you think I... could have really been deceived by Master? I've been waiting in Yishan City for days, and even with my dashing appearance, not a single person has come to chat me up. Isn't that strange?"
Qin Ruoxi rolled her eyes at him. Only in front of her unreliable senior brother would she slightly remove her icy mask and reveal some of her true emotions.
"Perhaps your chance was snatched away by some guy who popped up from somewhere along the way, senior brother."
She made a rare joke.
Fang Yao clenched his fists angrily. "If my senior brother finds out which bastard it was, I'll make him taste the power of my iron fists!"
Seeing his expression, Qin Ruoxi couldn't help but smile.
After the joke, Fang Yao's expression turned serious, and he asked solemnly, "Junior Sister, is everything ready?"
Everything is ready.
"In that case," a glint of light flashed in Fang Yao's eyes, "then... let's begin."
……
As soon as Li Qingyi returned to her small house, she found that Qin Xiyue had been waiting inside for a long time.
"I could sense that you were unsettled and seemed reluctant after hearing about the blood sacrifice that night."
Li Qingyi was stunned for a moment, then asked in return:
"Why... are you telling me all this?"
Qin Xiyue closed her eyes slightly and did not explain immediately.
She herself was somewhat confused as to why she had inexplicably come to his room and said those words.
My thoughts were in turmoil, and in the end, they turned into a barely audible sigh.
Qin Xiyue pondered for a long time, then parted her thin lips slightly:
"In this world, we are like duckweed, often unable to control our own destiny. The plans of the Purple Mansion Immortal are like a torrent to us, impossible to resist."
All we can do is try our best to secure a sliver of survival and a future for ourselves amidst this sweeping torrent.
"The path to immortality is long and arduous. I hope you... will consider your own future carefully."
After saying that, Qin Xiyue turned to leave.
"Xi Yue." Li Qingyi suddenly called out to her.
Qin Xiyue paused in her steps.
Li Qingyi gazed at her retreating figure, finally voicing the question that had been buried deep in her heart for so long:
"Are you... still the Xi Yue I know?"
During this time, he had clearly sensed the tremendous changes that had taken place in Qin Xiyue.
That composure far beyond his years, and that all-knowing insight, sent chills down his spine, yet he never dared to delve deeper.
She herself was a soul transmigrated from another world, but what about her? Was she possessed, or...?
Qin Xiyue slowly turned around, the afterglow of the setting sun shining through the window onto her face, her eyes clear and bright:
"I have always been myself, and I have never changed."
Li Qingyi lowered her head and chuckled.
"Yes, in this world, where do so many bizarre encounters come from? Perhaps it's just that the matter of the Human Elixir caused her to grow up so quickly."
"Yes, I understand." He looked up, his gaze now calm. "What are your plans now?"