A Sister’s Remonstrance and a Lover’s Despair

Shangguan Zhi immediately retorted, “Nonsense! When did this Sect Master ever stop you from entering? I… I was just…”

“Excuses!” Luo Bingning uttered coldly.

Shangguan Zhi gasped, “Hm?!”

Her eyes widened, filled with disbelief. ‘No… wait…’

‘Am I the Sect Master, or are you?!’

‘I haven’t abdicated yet!’

Just then, an intensely cold aura erupted from Luo Bingning, instantly freezing everything for a thousand miles around.

Shangguan Zhi was beside herself with rage, her eyes wide with a mix of disbelief and fury. “Luo Bingning, you!”

“How dare you actually lay hands on your Sister Azhi!”

Meanwhile, inside the stone cave,

Just as the sharp blade was about to pierce Zhang Xiaocha’s abdomen, a voice, like a celestial melody yet incredibly familiar, echoed in Mu Xi’s ears.

“Xiaocha…”

Mu Xi’s pupils contracted sharply. The raging, almost uncontrollable aura that had enveloped her vanished instantly, as if doused by a bucket of cold water.

“This…” Her lips trembled slightly as she stammered, “Is that Bingning’s voice?!”

“Bingning… Bingning is back?!” Mu Xi’s eyes were wide with shock and panic.

Glancing at her own and Zhang Xiaocha’s bodies on the stone bed, marked with intimate traces, her heart lurched violently.

‘No, this won’t do…’

‘Bingning must never know about this!’

‘Otherwise…’

‘Otherwise, there will be no future for us!’

In that instant, tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes, falling like broken pearls.

Her hands trembled incessantly, and her breathing grew rapid and ragged. Fine beads of sweat had appeared on her forehead, glistening in the candlelight.

Mu Xi suppressed her inner panic, swiftly conjuring a gentle wisp of spiritual energy at her fingertips to erase the intimate marks from Zhang Xiaocha’s body.

Simultaneously, she tapped Zhang Xiaocha’s clothes on the ground, making them swiftly redress her, then pulled the bedding back into its original state.

She then picked up her own clothes, quickly retrieved the Jade Glaze Celestial Robe from her storage ring, and concealed her form.

At the entrance of the stone cave,

Shangguan Zhi, who had been closely observing Mu Xi’s every move, furrowed her brow slightly.

‘Jade Glaze Celestial Robe?’

‘Isn’t that the Ancestor of the Ye family’s treasure? How did it end up in Mu Xi’s hands? Could it be that Ye Wanrou is also nearby, and Mu Xi knocked her out to steal her treasure?!’

A wave of helplessness suddenly washed over Shangguan Zhi.

‘This Sect Master should have stayed obediently in the sect today, discussing the Five Sect Grand Competition with Mengyun and the others. Why did I insist on coming out?’

‘Damn it…’

‘I must have lost my mind!’ She felt like crying, but no tears came.

‘Sigh…’

“However, at least this big trouble is finally resolved.”

She cast an exasperated glance at Luo Bingning, who stood opposite her, blood trickling from the corner of her lips, a consequence of forcefully using her Ice Phoenix Divine Body’s power. “Alright, Bingning, stop this farce!”

“Sister Azhi admits she was wrong, okay?”

With that, Shangguan Zhi made a face at Luo Bingning, huffing indignantly. “My original intention was just to test if you truly liked Zhang Xiaocha, but look at you! You directly attacked your Sister Azhi!”

“It seems you really have fallen for Zhang Xiaocha! But…”

Catching sight of Luo Bingning’s disbelieving expression, she sighed softly and spoke earnestly, “I don’t know what happened between you and Mu Xi, but acting this way will undoubtedly hurt her!”

Luo Bingning’s eyes darkened instantly, and her pearly teeth bit down hard on her lower lip. She was about to speak, but Shangguan Zhi coldly cut her off. “As for your attack on me today, I’ll consider it your dissatisfaction with me, your elder sister!”

“You should reflect on yourself!”

Having said this, she waved her hand, dispelling the formation at the cave entrance. In the same instant, her figure flickered and vanished from the spot.

Not far away,

Staring at Shangguan Zhi’s vanished figure, Luo Bingning’s raised arm remained frozen in mid-air, her fingertips trembling slightly. “Sister Azhi, I…”

Tears welled in her eyes.

She couldn’t help but lower her gaze, tears tracing paths down her fair cheeks, dripping onto her skirt and soaking a patch. “I’m… I’m sorry…”

Her voice was choked with sobs.

Memories from the past surged uncontrollably into her mind.

“What are you doing? Let that girl go right now! How dare you abduct a young woman in broad daylight? I think you’ve grown too bold for your own good!”

“Oh, little Bingning, come on~ Don’t be shy~ Take off your clothes, Sister Azhi will help you check for injuries~ Slurp~”

“Fine, little Bingning! So I just touched you there, is that really a reason to be angry with me, and not call me Sister Azhi for so long? How petty! Come on, come on! Let me let you touch Sister Azhi’s… mine is much bigger than yours!”

Luo Bingning’s fingers dug deeply into her palms, a profound sense of guilt flooding her heart. She bit her lower lip fiercely, her face streaked with tears.

‘I’m sorry! Truly sorry!’

‘I…’

‘After I settle Xiaocha, I will return to the Jade Maiden Sect to apologize to you…’

With a flicker of her form, Luo Bingning appeared beside the stone bed.

Her gaze softened slightly upon seeing Zhang Xiaocha’s peaceful sleeping face. Yet, the guilt in her heart towards Sister Azhi spread like a vine, growing ever more intense.

‘What… what is wrong with me?’

‘Why have I become like this?’

‘Why can’t I even trust Sister Azhi’s words anymore?’

Her fingers clenched, digging deeply into her palms. A single, crystalline tear escaped her eye, tracing a path down her cheek, exceptionally bright in the candlelight.

Luo Bingning sank weakly onto the edge of the stone bed. With a delicate lift of her fair wrist, she extended a fingertip to gently brush aside the stray strands of hair from Zhang Xiaocha’s face, her movements exceedingly tender.

‘Is it because of you, Xiaocha?’

‘I’ve actually grown to like Xiaocha this much, without even realizing it…’

She couldn’t stop recalling how much she had disliked Zhang Xiaocha not long ago, and a bitter smile touched her lips.

After a long moment,

She leaned down slightly, gently caressing Zhang Xiaocha’s sleeping cheek with her tear-stained face.

‘Xiaocha…’

In the corner, Mu Xi stared blankly at the two on the stone bed. Their intimate posture felt like a sharp blade, piercing directly into her heart.

Her heart clenched violently, and her lips instantly lost all color, turning ashen white. They trembled slightly, as if she wanted to speak, but she quickly covered them tightly with her hand.

Tears swirled in her eyes, brimming with pain and unwillingness. ‘Bingning, I…’

On the stone bed,

Luo Bingning recalled Sister Azhi’s parting words. Her hands unconsciously gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, her heart a tangled mess of emotions.

‘Xi Xi…’

‘Yes, Xi Xi must be very sad right now!’

‘But I already have Xiaocha now. I definitely can’t comfort Xi Xi as I used to, or she will only suffer more in the future. What should I do…?’

‘What should I do?’

Luo Bingning’s eyes were tightly shut, her heart overwhelmed by a flood of conflict and pain. Tears uncontrollably streamed from her eyes, flowing down her cheek and landing on Zhang Xiaocha’s face.

Just then, a soft, sweet murmur escaped Zhang Xiaocha’s lips. “Mmm~”

Startled, Luo Bingning abruptly sat up. She saw Zhang Xiaocha’s long eyelashes flutter, a sign of waking.

She quickly channeled spiritual energy to wipe away the tears from both their faces, simultaneously suppressing the sorrow in her heart.

In an instant, her eyes, which had been glistening with tears, were replaced by a profound coldness.

‘I absolutely cannot show any weakness in front of Xiaocha, or she will surely leave me because of the Disgust Value.’

Mu Xi silently took in everything. A question formed in her mind: ‘What’s wrong with Bingning? Why has she suddenly reverted to her original disdainful attitude towards Zhang Xiaocha?’

‘Doesn’t she like Zhang Xiaocha now?’