Chapter 4: Threat
Those present were taken aback, exchanging bewildered glances at Luo Jinxiao’s condition.
“Aren’t you elders going to do something?” Qu Weiyin, supporting Luo Jinxiao by the waist, took a step back to distance herself from her and looked up at the group in front of her.
“Ah, right!” Elder He exclaimed, slapping his forehead as he hurried forward, raising two fingers to his eyes.
A slender thread of light extended from his fingertips, twisting and contorting as it reached Luo Jinxiao’s temple.
Luo Jinxiao could barely make out their words, her ears filled with a buzzing sound, as if a thousand bees were swarming around. She stood there, enduring the discomfort, fearing that any sign of weakness might raise suspicion.
After what felt like an eternity, Elder He withdrew his spiritual energy and turned to Qu Chengzhou, looking utterly astonished.
Observing his reaction, Qu Chengzhou frowned and tried the same thing, his reaction even more exaggerated.
He lowered his hand, his gaze fixed on Luo Jinxiao. A mixture of emotions flickered across his face – disappointment, disbelief, and a strange, fervent excitement.
“When did she develop a spiritual root? Though the energy is faint, it’s undoubtedly the Ice Heart root,” Elder He whispered, leaning closer to Qu Chengzhou.
Qu Chengzhou nodded, glancing at Qu Weiyin only to be met with her icy glare.
“Very well, since this is the case, let it be as you wish,” Qu Chengzhou declared suddenly. He gave Luo Jinxiao another scrutinizing look, as if appraising prey, then flung his sleeve and strode away.
The others, baffled by Qu Chengzhou’s sudden concession, exchanged confused looks before following him out. Soon, only Luo Jinxiao and Qu Weiyin were left in the room.
“Well, I’m letting go now,” Qu Weiyin stated, her gaze fixed on Luo Jinxiao with a hint of annoyance.
“Please, help me to the bed,” Luo Jinxiao mumbled through gritted teeth.
Her insides felt like a raging storm, two opposing spiritual energies clashing violently within her, threatening to annihilate each other.
“Me, help you?” Qu Weiyin raised an eyebrow.
Right, as if the Demon Lord would lower herself to help her. Luo Jinxiao shook her head and attempted to walk towards the bed on her own, only to stumble after a few steps, nearly collapsing to her knees.
At that moment, the same hand from before grabbed her arm again. Looking back, she saw Qu Weiyin, her expression a mixture of disdain and something akin to disgust, as if she were touching something filthy.
“Hurry up,” Qu Weiyin snapped, her brows knitted together in a frown.
Luo Jinxiao couldn’t help but smile inwardly. Perhaps the Demon Lord wasn’t as terrifying as she seemed.
Finally reaching the bed, she sat down with a sigh of relief, crossing her legs and focusing on trying to control her internal spiritual energy. As she gathered her minuscule reserves of spiritual energy, she slowly began to regain control, pushing back against the invasive force.
As the pain subsided, she finally had the chance to assess her situation. It was as if she had suddenly developed a spiritual root, one vastly different from her own.
Was it always present within this body, or had her arrival somehow awakened it?
While having a spiritual root was a good thing, this one was weak, almost useless. She needed to find a way to strengthen them and restore her original state quickly. Otherwise, she would remain at the mercy of others in this world.
But just as she opened her eyes, she was yanked off the bed by her collar and thrown against the wall.
“Now that it’s over, get out,” Qu Weiyin said.
Luo Jinxiao steadied herself, clenching her jaw to suppress the urge to retaliate. It was pointless. She wouldn’t stand a chance.
“And one more thing,” Qu Weiyin continued, walking slowly to Luo Jinxiao’s side. Her expression was cold, and despite their similar height, the pressure she exerted was overwhelming.
“Thanks to your blood, I’m letting you go today. But you must promise never to appear before me again. If you do, I’ll break your neck on the spot.”
Qu Weiyin’s voice held an ethereal quality that sent chills down Luo Jinxiao’s spine.
Shivering, Luo Jinxiao nodded silently and turned to flee, disappearing into the night without a word.
Qu Weiyin watched her desperate retreat, the corner of her lips twitching upwards for a fleeting moment before returning to their usual coldness. She touched her face, her eyes softening with exhaustion.
She had returned, but life had already worn her down. Her revenge remained unfulfilled, perhaps this was heaven giving her another chance.
The same scenes, the same smells, it felt like nothing had changed, yet everything was different except for that little waste.
This life seemed different somehow.
But in the end, Luo Jingxiao was insignificant. Her life and death were inconsequential. Qu Weiyin had more important matters to attend to, destinies to reshape.
The night wind swept through the open window, carrying with it the cool light of the moon, far brighter than the flickering candles within the room. Qu Weiyin raised a hand to her lips, a sigh escaping past her fingers.
Meanwhile, Luo Jinxiao sprinted through the night, finally stopping to catch her breath only after she had put considerable distance between herself and the sect. The streets were deserted at this hour. Turning back to glare at the darkness behind her, she made a few threatening gestures.
That vicious Demon Lord! Always so quick to resort to violence! Luo Jinxiao had no desire for revenge, only the hope that their paths would never cross again.
Having vented her frustration, she turned to face the empty street, falling into silent contemplation.
In her past life, she had dedicated every waking moment to cultivation, earning her the title of prodigy upon entering the Wuhui Sect. Yet, just as she was about to achieve greatness, she was thrust into a new body, a new era, stripped of her abilities and turned into a useless cripple.
Fate was truly a cruel mistress.
Fortunately, Luo Jinxiao was nothing if not resilient. After three deep sighs, she began to focus on the present situation. For example, where was her home in this life?
After a while of pondering without any clues, she looked up and saw a signboard with two large, bright characters: Luo Residence.
…
She raised her hand to knock, her heart pounding with nervous anticipation. She knew nothing about this body’s past. Hopefully, they wouldn’t mistake her for a demon.
After what felt like an eternity, the doors creaked open, and a face peered out. The figure gasped upon recognizing Luo Jinxiao. “Young Mistress? What brings you back at this late hour?”
Relief washed over Luo Jinxiao. It seemed she had found the right place. Hesitantly, she asked, “Where is everyone?”
“The Master and Madam have already gone to bed,” the servant replied.
Luo Jinxiao nodded, peering through the door into the dark, joyless courtyard. It seemed as if no one in the family had gotten married that day.
“Open the door and let me in,” Luo Jinxiao said calmly.
The servant seemed to snap out of his daze and hastily swung the doors open. Luo Jinxiao stepped over the threshold, noticing that the courtyard was simple and unremarkable, a stark contrast to the grand residence from her previous life. It seemed the Luo family of this era was a shadow of its former glory, no longer the renowned cultivation clan she once knew.
It was a strange twist of fate that the Luo family of two thousand years ago would have a daughter practically identical to her, in both appearance and name.
The servant led her to her room, saying, “Please rest for now, Young Mistress. I will inform the Master and Madam of your return in the morning.”
Luo Jinxiao nodded silently. After the servant left, she let out a sigh of relief and plopped down on the bed, her body feeling like it was falling apart.
The room was very modest, which took some getting used to after her previous life’s luxury. There were very few personal items, and those that were there were quite simple and out of place even in this modest residence. It was clear that this body had not led a privileged life.
Perhaps it was the exhaustion, but Luo Jinxiao couldn’t bring herself to dwell on it. Her eyelids fluttered closed, and she drifted off to sleep.
The following morning, she was jolted awake by the sound of her door being flung open. Before she could even sit up, a furious voice boomed through the room.
Luo Jinxiao flinched, guessing it was a reaction from the body’s original owner.
A group of people stormed into the room. Luo Jinxiao scrambled off the bed and stood frozen in place, her brow furrowed with displeasure.
To barge into a girl’s bedroom like this was highly improper!
“Luo Jinxiao! How dare you refuse the marriage without permission!” a man shouted angrily, pointing at her, his lips trembling with rage. “Do you know how rare an opportunity this is for the Luo family?”
Luo Jinxiao rolled her eyes and glanced at the people behind him. A beautiful woman with a cold expression stood silently, her gaze fixed on the floor. Beside her stood a boy and girl, no older than sixteen, both glaring at Luo Jinxiao with undisguised hatred.
“A waste without spiritual roots like you! If you had agreed to Elder Qu’s proposal, we could all join the Wuhui Sect. But you suddenly backed out and are ruining everything for us. You’re a traitor to the Luo family!” the girl cried, her voice trembling with emotion. She looked at Luo Jinxiao as if she wanted to tear her apart.
Luo Jinxiao frowned. What was this? She had risked her life marrying Qu Weiyin, and it was all so they could benefit?
How dare they act so entitled!
“Luo Mei,” the beautiful woman interjected coldly, silencing the girl with a single glance. Luo Mei fell silent, but her eyes still burned with hatred.
“Jinxiao, you have greatly disappointed your mother,” the beautiful woman said, shaking her head sadly.
“You will go back and find Elder Qu right now!” the man commanded, lowering his hand. “Stop being so foolish!”
Luo Jinxiao laughed; a sharp, humorless sound born of pure anger. It was the first time she had encountered such parents, who would treat their own daughter as a tool for gaining prestige simply because she lacked a spiritual root.
“And what if I refuse?” Luo Jinxiao challenged, her dark eyes fixed on the man. Despite her slender and weak frame, she stood tall and unafraid.
“You ungrateful daughter!” The man was thoroughly enraged. He rushed forward and raised his hand to strike her. Luo Jinxiao, alarmed, quickly dodged.
The man’s blow missed, and he seemed momentarily confused before his anger surged even higher, almost leaving him speechless.
“Luo Jinxiao!” he spat, his voice laced with venom. He gathered his spiritual energy, a pale blue light emanating from his hand. Everyone in the room gasped.
Luo Jinxiao quickly raised her hand to block the attack, drawing on what little spiritual energy she possessed. She gathered it in her palm to counter his strike.
She felt a searing pain in her internal organs, nearly coughing up blood, but managed to stay on her feet. Surprisingly, her father’s spiritual energy was deflected back, hitting him squarely in the face.
He stumbled backward and fell flat on his back at the beautiful woman’s feet.
For a moment, the room was in chaos, everyone staring in stunned silence.
“You dare defy me, you insolent child!” the man sputtered, scrambling to his feet. “Summon the entire Luo family! This will be dealt with according to family law!”
Just then, the door burst open once more. The servant from the previous night rushed in, his eyes wide with shock. “M-Master,” he stammered, “a messenger from the Wuhui Sect just sent an invitation. They request… they request Young Mistress’s presence at the mountain tomorrow to… to formally enter the sect!”
