Chapter 8: One Condition
“Jiang Huai… something happened while you were in seclusion,” Luo Yueguan said after a moment of hesitation.
Luo Qingyu’s body trembled, and her eyes immediately became anxious. “What happened to Jiang Huai Gege?”
“While he was on a mission, he encountered an Evil Cult. However, he refused to return to the sect for reinforcements. He ventured alone into the Evil Cult’s altar, killed the Evil Cultivator, and saved those children. But his cultivation was crippled, making it almost impossible for him to cultivate again in the future.”
Luo Qingyu’s eyes widened. “I want to see Jiang Huai Gege!”
With that, Luo Qingyu took a step forward. Luo Yueguan quickly grabbed her arm and said softly, “Mother has already seen him. He needs rest for his injuries and cannot be disturbed.”
As Luo Qingyu turned, tears were already welling up in her eyes. She had inherited her mother’s stunning beauty, with delicate, almost otherworldly features. Her slightly seductive eyes, now teary and blurry, made Luo Yueguan’s heart ache.
“I… I just want to see Jiang Huai Gege… Jiang Huai Gege will definitely want to see me.”
On the way back, Luo Yueguan had prepared countless explanations, but now she found herself at a loss for words. After a moment of hesitation, she said, “Jiang Huai needs to rest well. I’ve already been to see him, and also… I discussed it with Jiang Huai, and your marriage… is canceled.”
Luo Qingyu felt as if struck by lightning, her snow-white body trembling uncontrollably. She lifted her gaze to Luo Yueguan’s face, her delicate pink lips quivering. “Marriage… canceled?”
Faced with her own daughter’s eyes, Luo Yueguan couldn’t bring herself to admit that she had gone to the Tian Xuan Sect and personally requested the cancellation of the marriage. Instead, she stammered, “Your Jiang Huai Gege knows his cultivation is crippled… continuing with your engagement would be a burden to you. After discussing with him and his Master, we decided to cancel the engagement.”
“Don’t worry… if Jiang Huai has a chance to cultivate again in the future, this marriage will still be approved…”
The more Luo Yueguan spoke, the more guilty she felt. One lie always necessitated countless others. Luo Qingyu stared blankly at her mother’s face for several seconds, like a statue. Gradually, a spark returned to her dark pupils. “I want to see Jiang Huai Gege.”
“Let him recuperate for a while. His cultivation is crippled now. He knows he can’t be worthy of you anymore. It will surely hurt him to see you, and you…”
But in the next second, Luo Qingyu broke free from Luo Yueguan’s grasp. “I want to see Jiang Huai Gege.”
It seemed she could only repeat that sentence. The sword ring on her wrist flew out, transforming into a Spirit Sword hovering in the air. Just as she was about to ride her sword, Luo Yueguan waved her hand, and a vast surge of Spiritual Qi sent her Spirit Sword crashing to the ground. She frowned slightly. “You’re not listening to Mother anymore?”
“No.”
The next second, Luo Qingyu answered with utter decisiveness. She repeated, “I want to see Jiang Huai Gege.”
“I told you, he needs to rest. You can’t see him now!”
“I want to see Jiang Huai Gege.” Luo Qingyu once again tried to activate her Spirit Sword with Spiritual Qi. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Luo Yueguan’s head, and an evil thought sparked. She looked at Luo Qingyu and then sighed, “Actually… your Jiang Huai Gege specifically asked me not to let you see him.”
“Why?” Luo Qingyu’s face instantly turned as pale as paper.
“He said his cultivation is crippled now, and it would be better for you both to have less contact. He asked you to focus on your cultivation, listen to Mother more, and stop thinking about him. He doesn’t want to see you.”
Luo Yueguan could feel her own heart pounding erratically. She had told countless lies in her life, but this one, as soon as it left her lips, was immediately engulfed by a profound sense of unease. She watched as Luo Qingyu’s eyes gradually dimmed, as if she had lost all hope.
“So… Jiang Huai Gege doesn’t want to see me?”
“Yes.” Luo Yueguan hastily pulled her daughter into her embrace. “But don’t worry. Perhaps he’s just too devastated right now and is speaking out of shock. You can go see him after he’s calmed down for a while. Mother will go with you then…”
But Luo Qingyu wriggled out of Luo Yueguan’s embrace. Her lips moved slightly, as if murmuring to herself. Luo Yueguan soon heard her clearly.
“Jiang Huai Gege doesn’t want to see me…”
“Jiang Huai Gege doesn’t want to marry me anymore…”
“Jiang Huai Gege doesn’t want me anymore…”
Luo Qingyu looked up, her eyes fixed on Luo Yueguan, murmuring repeatedly, “Mother, Jiang Huai Gege doesn’t want me anymore…”
Luo Yueguan’s heart was being twisted, but she couldn’t think of any words to comfort her daughter. It seemed she had said the wrong thing again. She always used lies to deceive others and herself, ending up pleasing no one.
“Jiang Huai Gege doesn’t want me anymore…” Luo Qingyu muttered. The Spirit Sword on the ground suddenly leaped up. Luo Yueguan’s pupils constricted. If it weren’t for her quick reaction, the Spirit Sword would have pierced Luo Qingyu’s chest.
“What are you doing!” Luo Yueguan berated her sharply, almost scared out of her wits.
“Jiang Huai Gege doesn’t want me anymore. Qingyu… is unwanted again… Qingyu will be alone again… Qingyu doesn’t want this…”
Luo Qingyu used all the Spiritual Qi in her body to shake the Spirit Sword again, but under Luo Yueguan’s suppression, it remained immobile. Her eyes seemed to grow darker and darker. In the next moment, Luo Yueguan sensed that she was attempting to sever her own heart meridians with Spiritual Qi. She instantly formed a hand seal, sealing all the Spiritual Qi in Luo Qingyu’s body. She tried to pull Luo Qingyu into her embrace, but Luo Qingyu simply took a step back, repeating like a wind-up doll, “Qingyu will be alone again… Qingyu doesn’t want this… Mother… please spare me…”
“Please… Mother… spare Qingyu…”
Luo Qingyu suddenly knelt before Luo Yueguan, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. She stared blankly at Luo Yueguan, murmuring, “Mother… please spare Qingyu… Qingyu doesn’t want to live anymore… Mother… please spare Qingyu… Qingyu doesn’t want to live anymore…”
As she spoke, she bent down. Luo Yueguan rushed to crouch down and embrace Luo Qingyu, preventing her forehead from hitting the ground, which would have surely resulted in a bloody mess.
Luo Yueguan was on the verge of madness, but she didn’t know what else to say. In the next moment, she saw blood flowing from Luo Qingyu’s lips; she was biting her own tongue. The next second, Luo Yueguan knocked her unconscious, hastily fed her a healing Pill, and wiped the blood from her lips with a handkerchief. Holding her daughter, she gently stroked her face. She sat there in the courtyard, gazing at the trees, and suddenly burst into tears.
Luo Yueguan, the Sect Master of the Qingxuan Sect, who was nearly six hundred years old and known to all as the elegant and dignified Goddess of Moon-Gazing, was now crying throughout the entire courtyard like a childish girl.
***
[You keep telling yourself lies, deceiving yourself into believing that your choices back then were correct.]
[You can’t be as resolute as Chu Xianning, nor can you completely deceive yourself.]
[You are a foolish woman.]
[Because of your selfishness, you turned your Nascent Soul avatar into your daughter, intending to transfer me onto her to be killed when you could no longer suppress me in the future.]
[Yet, you truly treated her as your own daughter, even going so far as to imprison me within your body, completely severing your connection to her.]
[You gave her life, but you couldn’t give her happiness. You poured all your expectations and your misguided notions into her, turning her into a suffering puppet.]
[The only right thing you did was find a good man for her, but you personally ruined this marriage, and you were even smug enough to think you could pull the wool over everyone’s eyes and pacify your daughter once more.]
[Now you are at a loss and don’t know what to do, because your continuous indecisiveness has led to this outcome. Living in this world suffering like this, it would be better to end it sooner.]
[Leave it all to me. Let me make the choices for you, so you won’t have to suffer anymore.]
The whispers of the Inner Demon echoed in Luo Yueguan’s ears.
She sat in the courtyard, weeping uncontrollably, tears soaking her clothes, making them cling to her snow-white chest. She never knew she had so many tears. She had been a crybaby in her youth, but as she grew older, it seemed she lost the right to cry. What would a grown woman be doing crying like this?
Luo Qingyu lay unconscious in her arms. Luo Yueguan gently picked her up, stood, and ignored the Inner Demon still chattering in her ear, causing a pounding headache. She summoned her Spirit Sword, held Luo Qingyu tightly, and channeled all her cultivation. Her body transformed into a streak of light. In less than the time it takes for three sticks of incense to burn, she would return to the Tian Xuan Sect.
The wind whistled past her ears. She looked down at the young girl in her arms, the tear streaks on her cheeks not yet dry. Perhaps the Inner Demon was right; she was a foolish woman, hesitant for so many years, always unable to make a choice that would bring her peace.
In less than the time it takes for three sticks of incense to burn, she arrived at the Tian Xuan Sect again.
Her Spirit Sword landed on Guanxue Mountain. She arrived at Chu Xianning’s courtyard. In the courtyard, Chu Xianning and Jiang Huai were sitting around a hot pot. Jiang Huai was enthusiastically recommending tripe to Chu Xianning, assuring her it would be delicious if cooked for a few seconds. Chu Xianning looked hesitant; eating such a thing was too awkward for her.
Luo Yueguan’s sudden arrival startled both mother and disciple.
“Jiang Huai,” Luo Yueguan called out his name with an icy expression.
Jiang Huai looked up, saw Luo Yueguan and Luo Qingyu in her arms, and asked with confusion, “Sect Master Luo, what is the matter?”
“Take good care of Luo Qingyu for me. I’ll agree to one condition.”
“What happened to Qingyu?” Jiang Huai quickly stood and approached Luo Yueguan. Luo Yueguan handed Luo Qingyu to him. Jiang Huai gently held Luo Qingyu’s soft body, thinking her buttocks were so soft.
“Take care of her. Don’t let her harm herself again. I promise you… any condition, and I’ll mean it.”
With that, Luo Yueguan took to the air again, instantly transforming into a streak of light and disappearing from the courtyard.
Jiang Huai lowered his head, looking at the unconscious girl in his arms, tears not yet dry. He scratched his head.
***
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