Background?

Tianyuan City—the hometown of Tao Lingling.

Though she had only been gone for two months, to Tao Lingling, this was a return home.

Since her rebirth, she had been rushing forward, chasing a better future, never taking time to truly walk these streets.

Now, seeing the bustling avenues and hurried crowds, her heart swelled with emotion.

Only it was missing something.

The sisters who once surrounded her, the admirers who trailed behind—she could be an unknown cultivator, or the infamous Vessels of Calamity, Demoness.

But she could never again be that innocent, carefree young heiress, adored and sheltered by all.

Like her Master, she covered her face and head, hiding from familiar eyes.

Her family’s estate stood out prominently in Tianyuan City—yet the courtyard was no longer tended.

Still, this was better than her past life, when it had been seized and occupied by others.

Stepping inside, there was no one.

No elderly servants, no maids, no steward—all those who used to greet her with warm smiles were gone.

Let alone her parents.

“Lingling. Is this what you meant by ‘my family was wiped out’?”

Gong Ning didn’t bring up painful matters lightly.

But she had seen real massacres.

The aftermath was never this quiet emptiness—it was lingering blood, unbearable horror.

After arriving in Tianyuan City, Gong Ning had visited the Governance Institute and uncovered secrets ordinary people couldn’t access.

The Institute had indeed received a formal accusation against the Tao family months ago.

But before they could investigate, the family had vanished.

To this day, only rumors and fragments of evidence remained.

With the Xuan Yuan Sect crisis consuming their attention, the Tao case had been shelved—left unresolved.

“Now that it’s just the two of us, tell me everything.”

Tao Lingling recalled what Tang Qiaohuan had told her before leaving.

“Don’t play tricks. Don’t hide anything. Don’t fear that Master will suspect you—just tell her everything.”

Should she listen to the third sister?

She was never reliable.

Tao Lingling feared only one thing—would her Master believe her?

Would she be disgusted upon learning she was a descendant of the Great Yuan royal line?

Then she remembered Lu Yunling’s words.

“Third Sister may be unreliable, but trust Master. She won’t let you down.”

Senior Sister.

Tao Lingling envied her, admired her.

But beyond her Master, Lu Yunling was the most dependable, the most trustworthy person she knew.

“Master… I… am of the Great Yuan royal bloodline.”

Gong Ning’s heart skipped.

This was worse than colluding with demonic sects.

“Go on.”

“My ancestors were imperial relatives of Great Yuan.

They defected to a regional warlord at the time, allowing them to change their name and continue as a noble family under Great Yan.”

It didn’t seem so terrible now.

“Because of this, the Xuan Yuan Sect seeks revenge—they want us dead.”

“If that’s the case, why not verify your identity with the imperial court?

Clear your name?”

“We did. But justice won’t be served… because we’re a noble family.”

Gong Ning fell silent.

Great Yan had advanced rapidly over the past century.

But in recent years, progress had stalled.

Especially in this age where anyone could cultivate, birth and lineage no longer completely blocked the lower classes from rising.

Great Yan’s success came from discarding the rotting ideologies of past dynasties—encouraging commoners to cultivate, to study.

But this threatened the noble families.

It had to be admitted: noble families played a vital role in less advanced societies.

But the more civilized the world became, the more their flaws emerged.

They created barriers. Monopolies.

If Great Yan was to advance further, it would inevitably settle accounts with the noble families.

A family descended from a fallen dynasty—especially one tied to its royalty—was the perfect tool.

A warning to others.

And conveniently, the Xuan Yuan Sect arrived seeking vengeance.

A perfect opportunity to let one enemy eliminate another—without staining their own hands.

Gong Ning thought deeply.

This wasn’t something she could solve.

The conflict was irreconcilable.

If even loyalty to Great Yan led to this fate, perhaps it would’ve been better to die fighting alongside Great Yuan.

At least then, they’d rest in the Heroes’ Mound.

Not suffer humiliation from both sides.

“How do you feel?

Do you want to seek revenge in the future… or…?”

“Disciple has decided to live in obscurity for the rest of my life.”

Gong Ning blinked, then instinctively glanced at the System.

The words revenge for the slightest offense still glowed brightly.

Was she lying?

In her past life, Tao Lingling had killed enough.

The souls of the innocent still haunted her vision.

If she had wrongfully slaughtered so many before, what was so wrong with living a quiet life this time?

In a way, she was already gaining more than she deserved.

The tension eased.

Gong Ning exhaled.

But one question remained.

“If that’s true, then why, when you joined Xuantian Sword Sect, did you spread that rumor?”

Oh, Mother of Heaven.

Tang Qiaohuan hadn’t told her how to answer this.

Was she supposed to say there was a mole in Xuantian Sword Sect?

That she didn’t want the Heart-Sword Hall infiltrated?

But then how would she explain how she knew?

Tao Lingling gritted her teeth and answered, “Because… because I met you long ago.

I fell for you at first sight.

I wanted… to have you all to myself…”

“Alright, alright.”

At this, Gong Ning couldn’t take it anymore.

She didn’t remember ever coming to Tianyuan City.

A cultivator’s mind didn’t retain such trivial details.

Leaving aside how absurd the excuse was—if she didn’t want to tell the truth, then clearly, she was still hiding something.

When someone didn’t want to speak, no amount of questioning would draw it out.

Better to wait for the right moment.

But… she had heard of me long before?
After seeing my original form, she still recognized me instantly in this new body?

That… brought a small, quiet warmth to Gong Ning’s heart.

“Your lineage, I will keep secret.

But that rumor—I will report the truth to Elder Xue.

It undermines the very foundation of the Heart-Sword Hall.

Do you have any objection?”

“Disciple… has no objection.”

Seeing the dejected look on Lingling’s face, Gong Ning’s heart softened.

She couldn’t stay stern.

“Though Elder Xue is strict, I will do my best to protect your rights.”

“Really?” Tao Lingling’s eyes lit up.

She knew her Master wouldn’t be too harsh.

In an instant, she moved close, wrapping her arms around Gong Ning’s waist.

“I knew Master loves me the most!”

“You really are impossible…”

Gong Ning sighed, helpless.

She already knew her disciple’s true feelings.

Yet she couldn’t bring herself to scold her harshly.

And after yesterday—after her disciple had seen that scene—she’d already lost all dignity.

Any other master caught in such a compromising situation would probably be despised by their disciple.

Yet Lingling stayed.

She still cared.

Still protected her pride.

That alone was deeply touching.

When they returned, she’d ask Yu’ao.

Her thoughts were always clear.

If anyone could tell her how to handle this, it would be her.