When Mercy Becomes a Price

Breaking through to the mid Golden Core stage was, of course, not something known to others.

After all, at this moment, “Qi Xiao” was supposed to be in seclusion.

She was moving around the sect using the identity of “Qi Huan.”

But even so…

* * * *

“You… you really broke through to the mid Golden Core stage?”

Lin Wushuang felt utterly incredulous!

According to the normal pace, Qi Xiao should have needed at least five or six more years to possibly reach the mid Golden Core stage.

Yet she had actually…

“Just a minor technique, nothing for Senior Martial Sister to dwell on. If you need it, I could help you too. However, your current cultivation regression isn’t due to cultivation itself, so it likely wouldn’t be of much use—it’s all a small matter.”

Her expression was serious.

In fact, several days ago, she and her senior martial sister had agreed to properly discuss the matters concerning their master and junior brother.

Her going out to break through, and giving both of them these past few days as a buffer, was also to allow them to calm down before sharing their respective thoughts.

How to face their master.

How to face their junior brother.

What to do in the future.

And…

How to face the soon-to-return Chu Jiao.

In the face of these matters, merely breaking through to the mid Golden Core stage was indeed not something worthy of too much attention.

Although it was certainly a significant event.

“I’ve thought a lot these past few days.” Lin Wushuang’s mental state had been shattered, but precisely because of that, as she said, she truly had pondered deeply. “Junior Brother… he hasn’t done anything excessive to you, has he?”

Qi Xiao nodded.

Lin Wushuang stood up and pointed to the bell on her ankle.

“When I was attacked by the demonic sect before… that seemed to be Junior Brother’s doing. What he left within my primordial spirit is something called the ‘Bliss Curse.'”

A bitter smile appeared on her face.

“When this bell rings, I feel an unprecedented… bliss, from the depths of my primordial spirit down to the tips of my hair and my toes. That feeling shattered my mental state, leaving me powerless to resist. He tied this to my ankle… to torment me.”

Torment?

This was clearly conditioning!

Qi Xiao had actually thought Junior Brother was some pure, bashful young man.

But in reality, he played on such a grand scale… Though, come to think of it, she should have realized this on the day of the incident with their master.

“In that case, he has no intention of letting you go, Senior Martial Sister.”

“I… know that.”

Lin Wushuang was clearly not a fool.

If she had held onto some illusions before witnessing their master’s ordeal, seeing their master’s situation had forced her to abandon all fantasy.

Their master was clearly no match for Li Wangyan.

Their master’s trump cards were seen through completely by Li Wangyan.

All of their master’s preparations seemed like a carefully crafted joke, intended only to amuse Li Wangyan.

She sat back down, hugging her own shoulders, her body trembling involuntarily.

“I know… Qi Xiao, I know. I know what will be done to me. I know… So, I tried.”

She seemed to be recalling something terrifying.

“I used a treasure to bind myself, set up numerous restraining methods, and then triggered this bell. I thought… if I could get used to this thing, perhaps it would be for the best. At least it wouldn’t be too humiliating… But, but I… I almost caused myself to drop another cultivation stage.”

What?

Qi Xiao never expected her senior martial sister to have done such a thing.

If Li Wangyan found out, wouldn’t he be utterly delighted, thinking there was someone who conditioned themselves…

“I was indeed wrong back then. Because I detested demonic sect members, the moment I heard Junior Brother had connections with them, I uttered those words without hesitation… I already know I was wrong.”

Qi Xiao’s eyes widened.

She had never imagined she would hear such words from the proud Lin Wushuang.

“I begged him to let me go. I said even if I was wrong, I had already been punished by him. Could he let me off? I said I already knew I was wrong…”

“But he wouldn’t… Thinking about it, it makes sense. He has no reason to let me go. After all, what significance does my knowing I was wrong hold for him? If back then he had knelt before me like that, saying he knew he was wrong, would I have let him go? I think… probably not. Those in a higher position don’t consider the feelings of those beneath them.”

Lin Wushuang’s eyes were filled with uncertainty, eyes brimming with unease and fear.

Ah—

This was also part of Li Wangyan’s process of conditioning her.

Seeing these eyes, Qi Xiao suddenly understood this point.

So, she said nothing.

“Junior Martial Sister Qi, you did something different from us that day, right? I know. You secretly gave him your storage ring. You bestowed favor upon him. That’s why he treats you differently. He feels only you can be trusted. He feels only you are the person he cherishes most…”

Lin Wushuang’s hands gripped Qi Xiao’s shoulders.

Her emotions were so out of control that the bell on her ankle emitted a sound.

She immediately let out a strange moan, then collapsed against Qi Xiao.

Yet only her fingertips exerted force, as if using all her strength, scratching bloody marks on Qi Xiao’s shoulders—

“I beg you… Junior Sister, I beg you. Go and talk to him. He will listen to you. Only you. Please, make him let me go. As long as you speak, he will surely agree. As long as you are willing, he will definitely…”

Qi Xiao finally understood.

Looking at her senior sister before her, what she saw didn’t seem to be her senior sister, but rather that junior brother who always smiled at her.

She silently took a step back.

“Qi… Xiao?”

“Senior Martial Sister, if I were to help you, what price would I have to pay?” Qi Xiao merely tilted her head, a gentle, polite smile appearing on her face as she asked, “He likes me. If, as the price for letting Senior Sister go, he were to make some demand of me… what do you think, Senior Sister?”

“He likes you! Even if he has those kinds of thoughts about you, they would surely be gentle, kind, something beautiful and heartwarming… Not like what he does to us, such cruel things!”

“Isn’t that just Senior Martial Sister’s wishful thinking?”

The smile on Qi Xiao’s face did not disappear.

“Regardless, Junior Brother is ultimately a demonic sect cultivator. Praying for a demonic sect cultivator to harbor goodwill—has Senior Martial Sister lost all sense from being conditioned?”

“Eh…?”

She had never considered it.

Lin Wushuang had never imagined that Qi Xiao would wear such an expression, would say such words.

In her impression, based on her understanding, Qi Xiao would at most show an awkward expression and say, “I’ll try to think of something.”

She might do nothing, but just having that one sentence would give Lin Wushuang hope to cling to, to continue enduring—this would absolutely be a good deal for Qi Xiao. She could use this to control her…

But why?

She was completely different from before.

“……”

“Ah, I forgot. Senior Martial Sister can’t do that, can she? If she could, she wouldn’t have survived alone back then. Rather, if Senior Martial Sister were someone with the courage to face such things, she wouldn’t have chosen the Ruthless Dao either—they say practitioners of the Ruthless Dao are all ruthless and heartless, with hearts like iron. In my view, those of the Ruthless Dao are all cowards… Although I don’t know if I’m qualified to say such things, I’ve heard a saying—

‘A truly brave warrior dares to face the bleakness of life and to look squarely at the dripping blood.’”

She stared at Lin Wushuang.

“Senior Sister is clearly not such a person. Senior Sister, you have merely chosen to escape. The more painful it is, the farther you run. Just like now, the moment you realize you have no way to defeat Junior Brother, you try to seek salvation from me. Just like when you once placed your hopes in the Ruthless Dao, if I were to deceive you just a little, you could persevere, right? Using false words, false things, telling yourself—

‘As long as I master the Ruthless Dao, the pain will disappear.’

‘As long as Qi Xiao goes to talk to Junior Brother, then Junior Brother will let me go…’

How wonderful, Senior Martial Sister. Living like this is easy, isn’t it? Even I, imagining it for a moment, feel that you live so freely, so simply.”

“No… I’m not… I’m not like that, Qi Xiao, I’m not like that…”

“Then what are you like?”

“I…”

She fell to the ground.

The bell made a clattering sound.

She trembled in utter disarray, her whole body convulsing. Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something—
but not a single word came out.

Not a trace of her former grace remained.

“Actually, asking Li Wangyan to let you go isn’t some grand matter. After all, toying with you might just be incidental for him. It’s only because you offended him, so he uses you to pass the time while dealing with Master. So, letting you go wouldn’t be difficult either—but then again…”

Qi Xiao squatted down and lifted Lin Wushuang’s chin.

Lin Wushuang suddenly felt that Qi Xiao’s movements at this moment were so similar to Li Wangyan’s.

Was the person standing before her really Qi Xiao?