"The eldest sister of Cyan Lotus Sect? Chun Hongtang?"

Qin Gengyun had heard many legends about the Cyan Lotus Sect, so naturally, he knew of the famous Chun Hongtang.

She was ranked fifth on the Ascension Chart and second on the Beauty Ranking.

In the end, she died in an ambush by three elders of the Thunder Sword Sect.

Chun Hongtang was astonishingly talented; she entered the Nascent Soul Realm at the age of twenty and was the most promising candidate to become the first person in five hundred years to reach the Divinity Transformation Realm.

It is said that Chun Hongtang was extremely cautious in her actions, and the Three Great Sects made several attempts to assassinate her, but all were unsuccessful.

But for some unknown reason later, she stumbled into the Thunder Sword Sect’s trap; the sect’s highest-ranked elders, Huang Kezhou, Su Qingfeng, and Xu Zhenqian, led hundreds of disciples to set up a tight ambush.

After a fierce battle, they finally killed her.

This victory was a significant triumph for Eastern Cultivators against the South Demon, and it spread throughout the Eastern Cultivation Land.

Qin Gengyun glanced at Qiu Zhihe’s increasingly misty eyes and softly asked:

"Who was the disciple that your elder sister let go back then?"

Qiu Zhihe’s voice was icy cold, containing endless murderous intent: "Huang Kezhou."

Qin Gengyun fell silent; Huang Kezhou’s status in the Thunder Sword Sect was second only to Sect Leader Su Longxiang, Eldest Brother Ming Hu, and Su Hongling.

Unexpectedly, such a person could commit such an ungrateful act.

But thinking of Zheng Shengmo, it was not so surprising.

Qin Gengyun thought for a moment and asked, "It’s said that Chun Hongtang was not only superb in cultivation but also meticulous in thought; why would she easily walk into a trap?"

"Hmph!" Qiu Zhihe snorted coldly, her fists clenched tightly, nails digging into her flesh:

"It was all for Xia Qinglian!"

"Xia Qinglian?" Qin Gengyun was taken aback: "The Demon Sect Saintess Xia Qinglian?"

Qiu Zhihe said coldly, "Back then, Xia Qinglian wanted to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm. Arrogantly confident, she believed she could succeed without consuming Nascent Soul Spirit Liquid. Unexpectedly, her cultivation technique backfired midway. Eldest Sister went out to find her spirit liquid, thus falling into the Thunder Sword Sect’s trap!"

"If not for Xia Qinglian, Eldest Sister wouldn’t have died!"

"It’s laughable that Xia Qinglian relied on Eldest Sister’s life to step into the Nascent Soul but betrayed Eldest Sister’s last wishes, watching Cyan Lotus Sect be destroyed mercilessly. She’s truly incapable and laughable!"

Qiu Zhihe’s eyes were bloodshot, body trembling, Qin Gengyun held her warmly and said:

"Darling, don’t say anymore; now, you still have me."

Qiu Zhihe tightly bit her lip, blood oozing out, full of resentment and said:

"Xia Qinglian deserved to die! Without her, Eldest Sister wouldn’t have died, Sect Leader wouldn’t have had his cultivation impaired. Without her, the thousands of disciples of Cyan Lotus Sect wouldn’t have perished!"

Tears streamed down Qiu Zhihe’s face, mixing with the blood on her lips, forming blood-tears that dripped onto her clothes, leaving red stains.

Qin Gengyun held her, whispered in her ear:

"Darling, cry if you must."

Qiu Zhihe buried her head in his chest, her body trembling, changing from suppressed sobs to uncontrollable cries.

Like a heartbroken child.

Ever since Cyan Lotus Mountain’s massacre, her master killed before her eyes, she hadn’t cried.

Even when shedding tears, she hid in corners, unseen by anyone.

But now, her sorrow, anger, and confusion all transformed into tears flooding out.

In this broad chest, she finally needn’t pretend to be strong, finally express all her emotions like a normal woman.

Qin Gengyun silently embraced Qiu Zhihe, the crying woman no longer tough and cold, no longer dignified and aloof.

At this moment, Qin Gengyun felt he finally truly understood her.

Ah, darling, indeed is just a woman made of water.

I hadn’t been thoughtful enough before.

Qin Gengyun gently patted Qiu Zhihe’s back.

"Darling, I’ll always be by your side."

Outside the door.

Mo Xiaolan stood at the doorway, her Golden Core Realm cultivation enough to hear the suppressed cries inside, along with the man’s gentle voice.

She silently paused, then turned to leave.

Not long after, she encountered Liu Su standing ahead, Liu Su walked over with a playful smile, reminding:

"Xiaolan, my mistress values her dignity, don’t let her know you heard her crying."

Mo Xiaolan smiled: "I understand."

The two walked side by side, along the babbling stream, under the shade of green willows. Mo Xiaolan suddenly spoke:

"I was looking for Qin Gengyun because there was something I couldn’t understand."

Liu Su asked: "What is it?"

Mo Xiaolan said: "I don’t understand why I always want to kill Zheng Shengmo."

Liu Su looked at her in surprise: "What’s there not to understand? I too would’ve killed that shameless bastard!"

Mo Xiaolan shook her head: "What I can’t grasp is we entered Zhenyang Sect to uncover the dirty secrets within, yet now, I want to stay in Zhenyang Sect."

Liu Su gasped: "Xiaolan, you’re not serious, have you forgotten how so many at Cloud Bamboo Mountain died?"

Mo Xiaolan paused: "What if the Cloud Bamboo incident was just Arling’s doing alone?"

Liu Su laughed: "You don’t think conspiring with Spirit Corpses Mountain is something Arling could decide alone, do you?"

Mo Xiaolan was silent for a moment, then nodded: "I was naive."

...

The following day.

Before dawn.

Qiu Zhihe slipped out from Qin Gengyun’s room, heading towards her own.

She had cried long last night, fell asleep unknowingly, waking up to find herself lying on Qin Gengyun’s bed.

The couple had quietly held each other through the night.

With dawn approaching, naturally, she couldn’t stay in Qin Gengyun’s room.

Yet she didn’t return to her room; taking advantage of the last pre-dawn darkness, she blended into the shadows and swiftly left Zhenlian City.

Soon arriving at a secluded forest on Qilian Mountain.

She drew out a fiery red fur from her storage bag.

Back in the battle against the beast tide, Eldest Sister Chun Hongtang slew a Seventh Grade demonic beast — a Red Flame Fox.

Chun Hongtang had skinned this Red Flame Fox and gifted it to Xia Qinglian.

At the time, Xia Qinglian had just begun cultivating the Profound Ice and Li Fire Technique, the Red Flame Fox’s skin contained Li Fire, beneficial for her cultivation.

Later, Xia Qinglian reached Great Success in the Profound Ice and Li Fire Technique, rendering the skin useless, but it was Eldest Sister’s gift, so she kept it.

Now, it found purpose.

Qiu Zhihe draped the fox skin over herself; it slowly wriggled and gradually fused with her body.

Moments later, a Red Flame Fox radiating crimson light appeared in the forest.

The "Red Flame Fox" immediately emitted potent demonic energy, bearing the semblance of a Seventh Grade demonic beast.

This was a cultivation technique Xia Qinglian developed at the age of six for assassinating demonic beasts, able to disguise one’s spiritual energy as a demonic beast to facilitate assassinating high-grade beasts.

Normally, this technique was seldom used, even by herself in years past.

But today it serves its purpose.

The eerily beautiful "Red Flame Fox" uttered a cold voice:

"Zheng Shengmo, it’s time to send you on your way."