Chapter 61: Three People

"Bang!" A piece of Shadow Jade was thrown heavily before Su Yunmo, who was kneeling on the ground. "Look at this! What have you done? What have you been doing?" Her father sat high upon the grand dais, imposing and dignified. Perhaps out of fury or a desire to teach her a lesson, the pressure of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator slowly seeped from him, weighing upon her until she nearly prostrated herself.

This was her father. Something about the scene tugged at her memory, inexplicably reminding her of her previous life—a time when she chased after the Lord of Jade Balance day after day, ignoring all counsel, intent solely on becoming his disciple. She recalled her humble pleas for him to glance her way, remembered how her attempt to approach Lu Tanxian failed and instead became the talk of the realm...

That day, the scene was much the same: an enraged father, herself kneeling and weeping upon cold stone, a Shadow Jade shattered at her feet, a mother standing nearby—worried but ultimately an observer. So much had changed, yet everything had come full circle. Was this fate?

Lord Zhu Zhan glared at the dazed Su Yunmo, his lungs nearly bursting with anger. As a Gold Spiritual Root, he was competitive from childhood, prizing reputation above all else. Over centuries, he had risen from a neglected branch of a great family to become the master of the second largest peak of the Yao Hua Sect—one of the four great sects of Luo Xing Realm. From a mere Qi Condensation youth, he attained the heights of late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation. He believed himself superior to all.

Among his peers, he was unrivaled. His wife was beautiful and accomplished, possessing extraordinary skills in artifact crafting. At his advanced age, he was blessed with a daughter of notable talent. His disciples were the strongest among the peaks. He thought he could look down on any he met.

Yet, to his disbelief, the one dragging him down was his own pride—his daughter! Her innate talent was not as exceptional as those with mutated spiritual roots, and her cultivation progressed at an average pace—so be it. He had lived centuries, thinking he’d never have progeny; yet heaven granted him a lively, moderately gifted daughter, which was acceptable. He gave her the best environment, resources, and opportunities, but she refused to favor the realm’s prodigies and instead fell for the son of a servant!

He could not describe the humiliation he felt when those people handed him the Shadow Jade with false smiles! She actually loved a servant’s son! Worse still, she acted so recklessly that their affair became a public spectacle! He would rather have no daughter than one so disgraceful!

The more Lord Zhu Zhan thought, the angrier he became. His previously restrained pressure erupted, and Su Yunmo coughed up a mouthful of blood. Lady Miao Zhen rushed to her side, helping regulate her breath. "The child was wrong, scold her if you must, but do you mean to kill her?" Lord Zhu Zhan, seeing his daughter bleed, felt a pang of regret; she was still his child, dear to his heart. Though his rage injured her, he couldn’t truly bear to let her die.

Seeing Lady Miao Zhen support Su Yunmo away to rest, he stood with hands clasped behind his back and declared, "I will no longer pursue this matter, but you will never see that person again. Focus on your cultivation, and your father will find you a worthy partner in time." As she slowly staggered away, Su Yunmo heard his words, and some force suddenly welled within her. She broke free from her mother’s support, turned, and shouted, "Why is he unworthy?! He is gifted, his spiritual roots are exceptional, and at only sixty years old, he has already formed a Golden Core! His potential is limitless, only his birth is poor. If given a chance, he would soar—why isn’t he enough?"

As she spoke, tears rolled down her face—whether for herself or for her low-born beloved, she could not say. Lord Zhu Zhan was shocked she dared to retort; infuriated, he laughed bitterly, "Soar? Do you know how many years your father struggled before I soared? He is gifted, yes, but is he more gifted than I? I was a collateral branch, and that alone cost me years of hardship, forced me to work multiple times harder than others to achieve what I have today. What does he have? His status is far below mine—where is his chance to soar? Him? He’s not even fit to carry your shoes. Enough of these unrealistic fantasies!"

"I intended to spare him for the loyalty his father showed me, but since he so brazenly bewitched my daughter, he cannot be left. I will see him suffer a fate worse than death—let us see how he soars! Issue the order: send that boy to guard the most remote crystal mine beside the Wild Beast Forest in the northwest! And you—hmph—since you are so stubborn, so shameless as to consort with such a person, do not show yourself again. Go to the Cave of Reflection and face the wall for thirty years!"

Hearing her father’s judgment, Su Yunmo’s last hope was crushed. Despair overwhelmed her, and she fainted. When she awoke, she was already in the second level of the Cave of Reflection, with nothing but an empty stone chamber and a small storage pouch by her side.

Lu Tanxian, who had acted ruthlessly in exposing the Shadow Jade, felt a brief satisfaction but grew cautious in the following days. She dared not make another move, for the opposing faction was powerful. Though she had handled things cleanly, she feared even a stray clue could betray her. She remained behind closed doors for a month before daring to contact others and discreetly inquire about the situation.

Upon learning that Su Yunmo had been confined to the second level of the Cave of Reflection and the young man, severely injured, had been sent to guard the remote mine near the Wild Beast Forest, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. To have ruined two people at once was, she felt, a worthy accomplishment. Especially since Su Yunmo had repeatedly foiled her plans, and mere confinement felt too lenient. But there would be opportunities yet.

Drunk on victory, Lu Tanxian thought the investigator tailing her was finally dealt with and felt a great weight lifted. Though more cautious than before, she had not abandoned her ambition to kill and help Granny Hua ascend. She failed to realize that, despite the investigator not reporting to the sect, if Lin Yuansheng could learn of things through some channel, others surely could as well.

Lord Zhu Zhan, though he punished Su Yunmo and her lover, was still fiercely protective. His daughter had been set up—not for her own sake, but as an insult to his Lingyin Peak, as if there were none to defend it! So, he secretly ordered an investigation, but since the matter was shameful, he avoided assigning it to his disciples. The incident involved a servant, so his trust in them was shaken. When someone volunteered, he gave the task to her—Ning Xin, Lady Miao Zhen’s niece.

Lady Miao Zhen was born to a mortal silversmith. When a master passed through her town and discovered her high aptitude, she was brought onto the path of cultivation. She lived up to her talent, entering the Dao at twelve, forming her Foundation at thirty-three. After succeeding, she returned home, proud and prosperous.

But twenty-one years had passed; she remained youthful, but her parents were frail, her brother dead, leaving only a seven- or eight-year-old son. After accompanying her parents through their final days, she brought her nephew to Yao Hua, bought him a house at the mountain’s base, and provided an old servant to care for him. The nephew married and had children, generations passed. In this generation, a daughter was born, about Su Yunmo’s age, possessing spiritual roots.

Lady Miao Zhen brought the girl up the mountain to cultivate, as a companion for her daughter. So many generations had passed that no one knew how the child should address her, so she simply treated her as a niece, fulfilling a dream for her late brother. Though Ning Xin was raised alongside Su Yunmo, she always knew they were different.

Su Yunmo was the peak master’s daughter; she was merely the wife’s distant kin. Thus, Ning Xin was always obedient, never causing "Uncle and Aunt" trouble. Though raised together, each had their own servants, so their time together was limited.

Su Yunmo was lofty from childhood, never truly valuing Ning Xin, preferring to play with other children of cultivator families, treating her as a mere follower. Ning Xin kept her distance, but her innocent looks won Lady Miao Zhen’s affection, who often scolded Su Yunmo harshly. The other children accepted her, and she finally integrated.

From childhood, Ning Xin knew precisely the path she must walk, so she prepared thoroughly, focusing on a single person from Jade Box Mountain. Now, she was already becoming that person’s lover. Years ago, Lu Tanxian had tried to entangle herself with him, but eventually withdrew—though Ning Xin never forgot.

She had heard rumors about Lu Tanxian being investigated by her "brother-in-law" and guessed this was likely Lu Tanxian’s doing, so she volunteered to take on the case. She had much to do: secure her position, eliminate instability, and this step was crucial.

Han Su also heard about Su Yunmo’s situation, and felt helpless. She’d seen the pair together before—they were careless, and the "brother-in-law" was supposed to be adept at investigation, yet so careless? The plot had changed drastically: Su Yunmo no longer loved Lord Jade Balance, but had fallen for someone worlds apart. Was it because she’d been hurt too deeply before?

Lord Jade Balance came from a noble family; this man’s background was the lowest, not even equal to a mortal. Lord Jade Balance was cold and reticent; this man was warm and passionate. Lord Jade Balance was ethereal, like a deity; this man had bronze skin, strong and sunny. Love was hard to fathom, but Su Yunmo and Han Su did share some friendship. In her previous life, Su Yunmo was trapped by love, chasing Lord Jade Balance all her days without ever earning his gaze. Now, she had someone who loved her deeply, and having abandoned her old obsession, deserved happiness.

Han Su wanted to help her as best she could, fearing rashness. She thought carefully, then quietly slipped away. Su Yunmo’s confinement within the sect, though austere, was in truth a protection: away from worldly chaos, she could reflect, cultivate peacefully for thirty years, and perhaps emerge as a Golden Core. But her "brother-in-law" was in real danger—he was gravely injured, in a place lacking medicine, his survival uncertain. The remote mine was sparsely populated, resources scarce, spiritual energy thin due to abundant crystals, making cultivation difficult. Bordering the Wild Beast Forest, a beast attack could be fatal, and there was the risk of human threats.

Her goal was to ensure he survived until Su Yunmo was released, so their affairs could be settled by themselves—she would not interfere. But secretly preserving his life seemed possible.

Author’s note: Fate always bears uncanny resemblance. In such times, should one remain true to oneself, or let reality mockingly rob one of faith?