The Price of Apology and a Future Forged

“Lord Le, why did we give all the Sang Tea to Chi Qiu? Wouldn’t it have been better to keep some for ourselves?” Ding Shi couldn’t help but ask Le Shan, moments after they had departed from Chi Qiu’s courtyard.

The act of surrendering every last bit of the precious Sang Tea from the Treasure Pavilion as an apology had truly pained Ding Shi’s heart.

“Hmph, do you even know who Chi Qiu is?” Le Shan practically bristled with irritation, seeing Ding Shi still lamenting the loss of the Sang Tea.

“What identity could she possibly have? Isn’t she merely a rogue cultivator?” Ding Shi asked, utterly bewildered.

“Fool, have you not seen the Daqi Heavenly Pride Rankings? Are you truly unaware of who holds the seventh spot?” Le Shan hissed, his voice low with exasperation.

“I know the seventh-ranked individual on the Heavenly Pride Rankings is named Chi Qiu, but wasn’t that Chi Qiu a burly man? How could it be someone like her, so delicate…” Ding Shi paused, his confusion evident.

He had, of course, studied the Heavenly Pride Rankings, intimately familiar with the backgrounds of all the listed prodigies. He distinctly recalled that the seventh-ranked Chi Qiu was a formidable man, one who cultivated peerless body-tempering divine abilities, known for his ferocious fighting style and ruthless strikes.

How could such a person now appear as a petite, seemingly underage girl? The Heavenly Pride Rankings, issued by the Daqi imperial family, surely couldn’t be wrong.

“The information on the Heavenly Pride Rankings was recorded when the ranks were finalized. Following that, a ranking competition was held, and in it, Chi Qiu was defeated by the top-ranked Su Hanxing.

“Su Hanxing, employing some unfathomable method, actually transferred Chi Qiu’s soul into a female body. After this soul transfer, Chi Qiu not only found herself completely devoid of cultivation, but her physical form became utterly indistinguishable from a woman’s.

“We had all assumed she would be utterly devastated, never to recover. Yet, to our astonishment, in a mere four months, she has already cultivated back to the Spirit Nourishing Realm. More than that, she faced an enemy head-on and slew Zhong Jing, a cultivator of the Heart Scripture Realm.

“Such innate talent and unwavering resolve are truly terrifying.” Le Shan, realizing Ding Shi was genuinely ignorant of these crucial details, finally settled down to explain patiently.

“Rumor has it that Chi Qiu is cold and detached, ruthless in her actions, and fiercely vengeful, showing no mercy to others, and even less to herself. Now, it appears these whispers were not unfounded; even after transforming into a woman, her core personality remains unaltered.”

A shiver ran down Ding Shi’s spine as he recalled the headless corpse that had lain in the courtyard’s forecourt just yesterday.

“While Chi Qiu’s personality is indeed peculiar and she can be difficult to approach, she also holds loyalty and righteousness in high regard. Yesterday’s incident was, after all, your mistake to begin with.

“Sending additional apologies today, ensuring Chi Qiu harbors no resentment towards you, is the most favorable outcome. Given her character, if she accepts the compensation, it signifies her forgiveness.

“Should you ever find yourself in trouble in the future, it would be wise to seek her assistance. Alas… to ascend to the Spirit Nourishing Realm in a mere four months, such talent is truly an object of envy.” Le Shan’s voice was tinged with bitterness, his envy for Chi Qiu’s abilities almost palpable.

Though Le Shan possessed a youthful appearance, his true age was far from young. He had been stagnant in the God Concealing stage for decades, his hopes of further breakthrough long extinguished.

His clan, the Le family, stood as a paramount power within Zhengyang Commandery, its influence stretching across more than a hundred cities. An individual like him, whose cultivation had plateaued and whose path of cultivation had reached its zenith, could no longer secure a foothold within the family’s inner circle.

As fate would have it, Sang Town’s population had just surged past one hundred thousand, elevating its status to Sang City. Since Sang City lay squarely within the Le family’s dominion, the right to appoint its City Lord naturally fell to them.

Consequently, the Le family elders assigned Le Shan, a disciple with some cultivation but no future prospects, to assume the mantle of City Lord of Sang City.

Though designated a “city,” Sang City was never formally included among Zhengyang Commandery’s three thousand six hundred recognized cities, nor did it possess the official city seal issued by Daqi to symbolize its status.

Such minor cities were countless within Zhengyang Commandery, amounting to little more than overgrown towns. Thus, despite his title as City Lord, Le Shan’s standing within his clan remained remarkably low, a fact that fueled his profound envy for Chi Qiu’s extraordinary talent.

Witnessing Le Shan’s profound admiration for Chi Qiu’s talent, Ding Shi’s earlier heartache over the Sang Tea had completely dissipated. As Le Shan voiced his envy, Ding Shi simply trailed behind him, offering a continuous stream of thanks.

Chi Qiu, of course, remained oblivious to the conversation that had unfolded between Le Shan and Ding Shi after their departure. At that very moment, she was busily examining the brocade pouch filled with Sang Tea in her hands, eager to discover what this spiritual tea, valued at five hundred spirit stones per liang, truly looked like.

This brocade pouch was no ordinary artifact. It was intricately embroidered with a spirit-locking formation woven from gold thread, designed to prevent any spiritual energy from escaping.

Furthermore, the pouch’s material itself was exceptional, boasting an incredibly resilient texture. The pouch alone was likely worth several dozen spirit stones.

Chi Qiu untied the brocade pouch. Inside, it wasn’t the neatly stacked mulberry leaves she had imagined, but instead, countless tiny, rice-grain-sized pellets of a greenish-black hue.

Closing her left eye, Chi Qiu carefully concentrated her senses. Beyond the incredibly rich aroma of tea and herbs, a palpable surge of vast spiritual energy indeed emanated from within. This was certainly not a counterfeit.

Unable to discern how to properly consume the Sang Tea right away, Chi Qiu simply resealed the pouch, tossed it onto her bedside, and abandoned her immediate investigation. She decided she would ask Ding Shi about it tomorrow.

Next, Chi Qiu closed her eyes, her thoughts drifting back to the fierce struggle of the previous night. She was acutely aware that in a direct, one-on-one confrontation, she was utterly outmatched by Zhong Jing.

Her victory had hinged on two crucial factors. Firstly, Zhong Jing’s overwhelming overconfidence; from beginning to end, he had been preoccupied with the idea of capturing Chi Qiu alive.

Secondly, Chi Qiu’s audacious decision to throw herself into the fray, sacrificing her sight to seize a momentary chance to restrain Zhong Jing.

Zhong Jing had been certain of his victory once Chi Qiu’s eyes were incapacitated. He had never anticipated that she could still perceive his every movement through the indigo flower sea.

Conversely, after Zhong Jing found himself ensnared by the Night Ling Vine summoned by Chi Qiu, he cunningly used his long boot artifact to secretly lay a killing array beneath the ground.

He then feigned being overwhelmed by pain, pretending an inability to gather his energy, hoping to lure Chi Qiu closer for a decisive strike. Yet, Chi Qiu, with her rogue cultivator origins, possessed a caution that far surpassed his own.

She deftly manipulated the indigo flower sea to conduct a thorough probe, quickly exposing Zhong Jing’s final, hidden stratagem.

Ultimately, Chi Qiu unleashed the Moonlit Sky Sword Dance, the culminating technique of the Moonlit Sky Sword Art. With its final, decisive strike, she drew upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, slaying Zhong Jing in a victory that was both breathtaking and perilous.

In the aftermath of this battle, Chi Qiu gained an even more profound understanding of her inherent weaknesses. Her offensive capabilities were severely limited, and she possessed almost no defensive measures.

The old Chi Qiu, bolstered by the formidable physique cultivated through the divine ability ‘Intertwined Gold,’ could even endure the artifact strikes of Su Hanxing. When engaging foes, she would often brazenly withstand all incoming attacks, simply to seize an opportunity for close-quarters combat.

The current Chi Qiu, however, possessed only a single offensive technique: the Moonlit Sky Sword Art. To draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and unleash sword qi, she was required to perform the entire sword dance.

Furthermore, the sword qi itself was agonizingly slow and could only be unleashed under the cloak of night. As for her cultivated divine ability, ‘Blooming Life,’ she had thus far only mastered the indigo flower sea, used for reconnaissance, and the Night Ling Vine, which aided cultivation.

While both were decent auxiliary methods, the only one offering any real advantage in direct combat was the Night Ling Vine’s ability to entangle and restrain. Yet, this particular function demanded that an opponent remain stationary for a considerable duration to be effective, rendering it frustratingly impractical.

When confronted with opponents of a similar cultivation realm, Chi Qiu could easily overcome them, relying on her Moonlit Sky Sword Art and her vast experience in close-quarters combat.

However, should she face an enemy of the Heart Scripture Realm like Zhong Jing again, Chi Qiu held absolutely no certainty of victory. This was to say nothing of Su Hanxing, whom she intended to confront in the future.

Su Hanxing had already ventured into the Imperial Secret Realm; should he emerge alive, his strength was bound to ascend to an even higher level. At that point, her desire to defeat him would become an even more formidable challenge.

As these thoughts swirled, Chi Qiu began to meticulously outline her future objectives.

Her first priority was to master a greater array of secret arts and techniques. This included developing proficient footwork, acquiring swift escape techniques, and learning methods for long-range combat.

Her next goal involved comprehending the remaining seven petals of the divine ability, ‘Blooming Life.’ With the Sang Tea now in her possession, an item known to accelerate the speed of enlightenment, it was undoubtedly the perfect catalyst for this endeavor.

Finally, Chi Qiu recognized the urgent need for a defensive artifact. Her physical body was no longer as robust as it once was, yet her deeply ingrained fighting style, honed over many years, was exceedingly difficult to alter. Thus, a defensive artifact was essential to safeguard her vulnerable form.

With these three objectives firmly outlined, Chi Qiu instantly felt a surge of renewed motivation. She was already eager to embark on her journey once her injuries had healed.

Unfolding the meticulously acquired map, which she had purchased at considerable expense, she began to plot the intricate routes for her impending travels.

Outside the window, the moonlight remained a pristine silver, while the flame in the bedside oil lamp danced with lively vigor. Upon the expansive, rose-colored bed, the young woman, her eyes still swathed in bandages, held a map considerably larger than herself, scrutinizing it with intense focus.

At times, her brow furrowed in concentration; at others, a faint smile graced her lips. Only after a significant period did she finally pinpoint her chosen destinations. She then folded the map, extinguished the oil lamp, and burrowed deep into the soft bedding, drifting off into a tranquil sleep.