Looking at the seal in her hand, Li Wanqing, accompanied by beautiful music, began an inner monologue.

The two years of secluded cultivation in the mountains had transformed her. However, the grievances and hatred suffered by her family over the years had not been forgotten. She thought of revenge all the time, and as her cultivation improved, the urge for revenge became even more uncontrollable.

But when the senior who saved her from peril handed her the family seal, when she indeed possessed the power to obliterate her family with ease, the urge for revenge unexpectedly faded.

Such a family, obsessed with internal strife, couldn’t even be considered second-rate, merely surviving off the shade provided by their ancestors. A younger generation envious and mediocre, elders cruel and indifferent to right and wrong—such a family was destined to fall due to internal conflict, even without external influence.

Though right now, she had just escaped the shadows of the past and was officially on the right path of immortal cultivation, far from being able to easily crush a second-rate family, yet looking at the seal in her hand, she could no longer consider revenge as the major goal of her life.

Such a family was no longer worth the waste of too much of her energy.

What now required her attention was cultivation, and the other thing...

Staring at the enigmatic woman before her, Li Wanqing quickly made a decision, clutching the seal and throwing it with all her might into the distant mountain stream.

"So be it, let them live, live to see me rise step by step, to heights they could never gaze upon." Having said this, Li Wanqing let out a long breath and picked up the secret manual that had transformed her, and asked, "In these two years, I have several questions about cultivation..."

Hearing this, Li Chaolu finally revealed a satisfied expression.

"That’s right, first-class talent should have first-class vision. To be bound by a second-rate family is itself second-rate. Lastly, I’ll give you a gift—answering the question you’ve been wanting to ask for the past two years but never dared to. Yes, this isn’t my true appearance, and my real identity..."

Saying this, Li Chaolu wiped her face to remove the illusion technique, revealing her true appearance.

But before the audience could clearly see, the stage dimmed, marking the end of the second act of the musical, leaving room for endless imagination.

Applause and more discussions erupted from the audience.

People couldn’t help but wonder who this worldly figure, who saved the heroine from calamity, truly was.

There aren’t many on the Xiangzhou Continent capable of casually acquiring a medium-sized sword sect, annihilating a second-rate family, and owning an entire mountain. If this isn’t a completely original character by Three Lives Stone, then the role played by Li Chaolu is almost obvious.

However, if it is her, since when did she start caring about others’ lives? Although she isn’t known to be extremely wicked, that usual notion of kindness and love is definitely foreign to her, as if she were without humanity.

——

Amidst the discussions, the third act began.

In this scene, Li Chaolu was the protagonist, sitting grandly in the center of a majestic palace, like a king. However, she disliked the atmosphere of being surrounded by admirers, so there were no civil or military ministers in the hall, only a mountain of piled documents.

Her speed at handling documents was incredibly fast, signing her name and writing instructions seemingly without looking, yet even so, completing all duties took a long time.

Li Chaolu stretched lazily, showing a sarcastic smile, and signaled an attendant to bring up a meal, but after tasting only a bite, she pushed the bowls and chopsticks away with a frown.

Though the dishes were obviously exquisite, they evidently didn’t meet her satisfaction.

"Tell the kitchen staff they need not come back tomorrow."

Saying this, she stood up and with a stride, crossed space to arrive in a serene landscape of green hills and water.

There was a bamboo house in the mountains, and on the dining table, quietly lay three small dishes and a bowl of plain noodles. Although the ingredients were common mountain items, the cook’s ingenuity and sincerity made up for the simplicity, making the meal extremely to her taste. Or rather, the thoughtfulness invested in the meal surpassed its material value.

After finishing the meal, she used magic to conceal her form and arrived at the waterfall, where Li Wanqing was diligently absorbing the essence of the mountain spring water to refine her divine sense. After completing the task, Li Wanqing didn’t hurry to retract her divine sense, instead earnestly bowing towards the distance, expressing gratitude to the kind person who saved her from the abyss two years ago.

Li Wanqing did not see Li Chaolu, and her bowing and gratitude were just daily rituals after cultivation. Every word she uttered was heartfelt.

This sincerity was something Li Chaolu particularly enjoyed.

At this moment, Li Chaolu softly sang an inner monologue.

For those in high positions, power and wealth are common; what is rare is sincerity. Many supporters gather around, yet each has their own demands or desires, and those who genuinely like her and support her unconditionally are mostly foolishly loyal idiots, whom she despises.

Someone like Li Wanqing, who was both spiritual and wholeheartedly devoted, was truly one-of-a-kind. Over the past two years, Li Chaolu unconsciously began to focus more on her growth, ultimately deciding to give her a test.

If I could pass this test, then...

Afterwards, the scene on stage shifted back to the end of the second act.

Li Chaolu revealed her true face.

As expected by the countless audience members, it was a more beautiful and mature face. Although quite different from the real Zhao Chenlu, everyone knew that this character was a metaphorical reference to Zhao Chenlu.

Upon seeing this face, Li Wanqing opened her eyes wide, as expected.

Then, unlike ordinary people who would kneel and bow to their benevolent benefactor, Li Wanqing neither showed surprise nor exaggerated a reaction, but instead displayed a delighted smile: "So it was you! I knew it couldn’t be anyone else... Thank you for letting me know your true identity. From now on, even though you might not need it, I will repay your kindness with my entire life."

This reaction left Li Chaolu particularly satisfied.

"In that case, prepare that dish of peanuts from noon for me once more."

"Alright!" Li Wanqing laughed and dashed towards the bamboo room.

The third act also truly began.

Unlike the deep-seated grievances of the first act and the unexpected twists of the second, the theme of the third act was the ordinary daily life.

While Li Wanqing cultivated in the mountains and Li Chaolu occasionally came to visit, although they only exchanged a few words each time, their relationship was changing little by little.

By the fourth year of Li Wanqing’s mountain retreat, the two of them sometimes dined together. Although it was mostly Li Wanqing talking at the dinner table, with Li Chaolu silently listening, occasionally Li Wanqing would raise questions about cultivation, which Li Chaolu would simply answer... But very occasionally, Li Chaolu would mention a word or two about her life.

Most of it consisted of sharp criticisms of the people around her, yet within those few words, the character portrayed by Li Chaolu became increasingly vivid.

The audience below couldn’t help but start whispering among themselves.

Could that person really have flesh and blood, just like the actor on stage portrays? People always thought she was cold and indifferent, viewing everyone as if she were a deity looking down at ants. Could it be that in unknown moments, she also experienced emotions?

And the question in the audience’s hearts was posed by the actors on stage.

"I never expected you to be so different from the rumors. In the stories I heard, you were entirely detached from worldly affairs."

Li Chaolu then gave a sardonic smile, "If the cooks around you are all fools, you, too, could become detached from worldly affairs."

Li Wanqing asked again, "Why me?"

Actually, many people know that no matter how cold-blooded or heartless someone is, they generally have a vulnerable part of the heart that needs a safe haven where they can find peace.

But this Li Wanqing in the play, what virtue or ability did she have to become that person’s safe haven?

"Because you were lucky to appear at just the right moment," Li Chaolu said.

"Just because of luck?" Li Wanqing seemed a bit disappointed.

"What else could it be? In terms of talent, cultivation, or fanaticism for me, you wouldn’t even rank among the top around me. My personal maid is more impressive than you. But you were lucky to be there when I needed to rest, so it was you."

"I see, it was just luck..."

"Isn’t being lucky enough? Half of a person’s achievements in life come from luck. The talents you are born with, your family environment, the benefactors you meet as you grow... Every one of these is a result of luck. In such a big world, you can only control yourself. Even those so-called true love couples, the majority haven’t truly met a perfect partner. The emergence of love is just a coincidence, letting them meet the right person at the right time and experience life together."

Hearing Li Chaolu’s final metaphor, Li Wanqing couldn’t help but blush, having to lift her rice bowl to cover her expression.

But this cover was ineffective both for the characters in the drama and for the audience below.

Meanwhile, the light on stage dimmed, signaling the end of the daily life in the third act.

During the brief intermission, people began sensing a hint of citrus in the air around them.