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Diligently cultivating for two hundred years, Xie Jiuniang finally succeeded in her Core Formation but didn't get the chance to spread the news. That very night, she tragically fell victim to her Dao companion, Lin Wangchen's poisonous hand.
In the moments before Xie Jiuniang's death, Lin Wangchen even employed some kind of forbidden technique to plunder all of her cultivation base and life force.
Lin Wangchen announced to the outside world that she died due to a failure in her breakthrough, killed by her inner demons. He then pretended to be overly grief-stricken, using it as an excuse to turn away visitors and enter closed-door cultivation.
Lin Wangchen's reputation had always been good, with many admirers, yet he was faithful and dedicated to his Dao companion. No one thought to investigate the true cause of Xie Jiuniang's death, including her own family, the Xie Family.
However, Xie Jiuniang was reborn!
When she woke up again, her vestment robe was torn, and she lay alone in a small cave.
Her half-open eyes were very calm, without the towering hatred for being betrayed by a loved one. Instead, there was a kind of expected relief.
There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world, nor are there unmerited fortunes.
Lin Wangchen saved her life again and again, and throughout the century, he continually provided her with vast resources for cultivation. In the past, she occasionally found this puzzling, but now she finally understood the truth.
In plain terms, she was like a pig raised by Lin Wangchen, fattened up for slaughter.
After all, isn't that the fate of a domestic pig?
Yes, she shouldn't hate...
Xie Jiuniang moved her fingers, slowly sat up, took a water bag out of her storage bag, and took a big gulp of spiritual spring water. The dryness in her throat finally eased.
She looked around the cave; it was barren.
Nearly two hundred years had passed, and she vaguely remembered what happened today.
It was when she was eleven years old that she first entered Yunmu Mountain and found a nearly extinct Cleansing Spiritual Grass—a grass that, once refined into an elixir, could remove a Spirit Root.
Spirit Roots are the foundation of cultivation for the human race. There are eight common types: metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, ice, and thunder.
The fewer the Spirit Roots, the better the aptitude.
More than four Spirit Roots signifies lower aptitude; three is considered average; two is above average, and a single Spirit Root is optimal.
A Single Spirit Root, also known as the Heavenly Spiritual Root, is a top talent frequently scouted and cultivated by the Great Sects.
Xie Jiuniang had three Spirit Roots—fire, wood, and metal—giving her average aptitude. Without a great opportunity, Foundation Establishment would be her limit.
But, with the Cleansing Spiritual Grass!
If she could become Dual Spiritual Roots, then her future in the Sect would be bright.
What she never expected was that the opportunity she desperately acquired ultimately benefited her cousin, Xie Ying.
Because of it, Xie Ying became a Fire Elemental Heavenly Spiritual Root, her fame skyrocketed, she was taken in by a powerful figure ahead of time, and she became unrivaled in the limelight. With her rise, the Xie Family soared to the heavens.
The only one who resented this was her, the person whose opportunity had been stolen, weak, pitiable, and helpless.
"Young friend, do you feel better?"
Someone approached from outside the cave, donned in a Crane Cloud Robe designated for Direct Disciples of the Sect, making the person's profile even more upright. His handsome features, warm and gentle demeanor, along with a faint smile, was like a refreshing spring breeze.
Lin Wangchen?!
Oh, it is his younger self...
Seeing the dazed look on the young girl's face, Lin Wangchen thought she was scared and comforted her, "Young friend, do not fear; the lion and tiger are dead. Where does your family live? Let me take you home first."
Xie Jiuniang lowered her eyelids and remained silent.
What was the current situation...?
She had found the Cleansing Spiritual Grass when she was chased by a lion-tiger beast. Lin Wangchen, who just happened to be passing by, had saved her for the first time and settled her in the cave while she was unconscious...
Today was also the first time she had met him.
Xie Jiuniang shook her head, refusing his offer to escort her, and stood up to leave the cave.
Lin Wangchen watched the young girl's receding back thoughtfully.
Xie Jiuniang didn't care whether Lin Wangchen would be suspicious or not; at this moment, she only wanted to get as far away from him as possible, fearing she might not be able to resist drawing her sword against him.
Lin Wangchen had already reached Foundation Establishment, not someone a mere Qi Cultivation disciple could kill. If she dared show even a hint of killing intent, she would be the next one lying dead.
Lin Wangchen was never a kind-hearted soul.
She had just walked out of the periphery of Yunmu Mountain.
"Little sister Nine!"
"We've found Miss Nine!"
A round-faced girl rushed over anxiously, followed by several Xie Family guards.
The round-faced girl grabbed Xie Ying, checking her injuries left and right, and said with lingering fear, "Little sister Nine, you almost scared me to death, I thought you..."
"It's my fault, I've made fourth sister worry."
Xie Ying had some affection for her fourth sister; they were alike in their poor taste, both having fallen for the same worthless man.
Xie Ying had gone missing on Yunmu Mountain, and her family had immediately arranged for a search. After searching for most of the day with no luck, hope had faded, but Xie Ying emerged on her own.
She was escorted back to the Xie Family home by everyone.
Xie Ying asked her fourth sister to first take her to the family doctor for a check-up. After the check-up showed no serious injuries, she returned to her place.
Xie Fourth Sister silently activated the room's isolation formation, preventing outsiders' Divine Sense from probing, before asking, "Little sister Nine, tell me the truth, why did you go to Yunmu Mountain?"
"I..." Let me think for a moment.
Xie Ying carefully recalled what happened in her past life at this time...
Xie Fourth Sister poked her younger sister's forehead with her forefinger and said, "Trying to play dumb, huh? Don't even think about it, spill it already. It's only been a few days since I started my cultivation retreat, and you almost got yourself into trouble."
"It seems it's because..."
Xie Ying touched her slightly sore forehead, resigned to telling the truth, "The Qi Nourishing Pills were withheld again, so I thought about trying my luck on the outskirts of Yunmu Mountain to see if I could gather some low-tier Spirit Plants to sell."
Xie Fourth Sister frowned and asked, "Why didn't you tell me when they were withheld?"
"You were in a cultivation retreat."
"Right, but how much can low-tier Spirit Plants fetch? You need a thousand Spiritual Pearls to exchange for a single Spirit Stone, and you couldn't gather enough even with a whole basketful."
The more Xie Fourth Sister talked, the more indignant she became, and then said, "The main branch is taking advantage of people who won't fight back. No, I will go with you to confront our uncle and demand an explanation. He's the one distributing the family's rations, if we don't ask him, who else will we ask?"
"Forget it, it's no use."
"Are you really that naive? To suffer losses without saying a word?"
"What can I do? My parents aren't at home, and as a child, I can't win the argument." Xie Ying had fought back before, but nobody took her seriously, "Aunt from the main branch said they were loaning my share to my elder sister; once my elder sister makes a name for herself, she will repay me with a Foundation Establishment Pill."
Xie Fourth Sister was shocked, "You believed her?"
"That's not important." Xie Ying narrowed her eyes.
What had Aunt from the main branch said at the time? In one more year, when the Great Sects recruited new disciples, they would prioritize resources for the eldest sister.
As long as the eldest sister made a name for herself and found a good master, it would be a great boon for the family. By then, not to mention tiny Qi Nourishing Pills, even Foundation Establishment Pills would be within reach for her.
They were just empty promises!
The Aunt from the main branch was still stuck at the Qi Cultivation Peak.
Xie Ying was young but not foolish. Confronting her uncle while the grandfather was absent was fearless, but the uncle was shameless, even telling her not to throw a childish tantrum.
It wasn't about fighting for steamed buns but for some self-respect.
In a moment of heat, she had run off to Yunmu Mountain...
Recalling her youthful pride, Xie Ying felt a mix of emotions.
Naive, impulsive, without guile.
She couldn't outplay her crafty uncle and aunt, nor could she outwit her eldest sister, who had thoroughly learned from her parents.
For the reborn Xie Ying, rounding up, it felt right—the main branch owed her a Foundation Establishment Pill.
Xie Jiuniang had persuaded for a long time before she was able to use rest as a reason to send her fourth sister away. Finally alone, she began to take stock of the storage bag.
At eleven years old, she was so poor that she hardly resembled the young lady of an aristocratic family.
The storage bag had a volume of ten cubic meters.
Setting aside what she had gained from Yunmu Mountain, there were only four low-grade spirit stones, eighty-three spiritual pearls, a low-grade magical implement Flying Sword, and the rest were just some ordinary daily necessities.
She opened the only Spirit Jade Box.
Inside the box, there was unexpectedly a high-ranking spirit plant, with several slender sword-shaped leaves, looking like emerald ice crystals. The spiritual energy lingered around it, indicating its extraordinariness at a glance. It was the Cleansing Spiritual Grass, yearned for by countless in the Cultivation World.
Suddenly, someone touched the room's barrier formation.
Xie Jiuniang put the things back into the storage bag before she closed the barrier formation.
Outside the room, the servant girl He Xiang said respectfully, "Ninth Miss, the young Clan Leader requests your presence."
The young Clan Leader was her eldest uncle, Xie An.
"I'm tired. I'll go tomorrow," Xie Jiuniang said, not waiting for He Xiang to speak again before resolutely activating the isolation formation.
What did he want with her?
It was nothing more than wanting to ask what had happened at Yunmu Mountain, and then scold her.
She was still a child now; she could be capricious.
She resolutely decided to ignore the people outside, but it wasn't long before the formation was triggered again and again.
The disturbance wasn't big, just annoying.
Xie Jiuniang was genuinely tired, and a surge of anger welled up within her. The more they pressed, the more she refused to go. What could they do to her? In her previous life, she had been obedient, and her end had been just that.
She simply rolled onto the bed and flung the silk quilt over her little head.
If the sky fell, she would talk about it after a sleep.
Xie Jiuniang didn't know when the people outside left, because she truly fell asleep, and slept till the next day's noon.
When she woke up, she felt refreshed!
It was just that she was hungry.
She shut off the barrier formation and called for the servant girl, He Xiang.
He Xiang was a servant girl trained by the family, assigned to her side when she was five to take care of her daily life. She always kept to her duties, didn't talk much, and managed the courtyard very well.
Xie Jiuniang ordered, "Go to the kitchen and get some food, quickly."
"Yes." He Xiang went out, and when she came back, she carried a food box in her hand.
The food was set on the table; two white buns, two small dishes, one meat and one vegetarian, all still steaming, but they were just ordinary food for mortals.
Xie Jiuniang took a bite of a bun and then asked, "Isn't there any spirit food? My portion for the month should not be finished, right?"
He Xiang said with difficulty, "Ninth Miss, your portion of the spirit meal… has temporarily been allocated to the eldest miss. The kitchen said it was with your consent."
Xie Jiuniang wanted to curse again.
It must be another trick by the main house!
Tch!
If there was anything she disliked the most as a child, it was the main house, always causing trouble, never happy to see the third house do well.
Were they just bullying her because she was young and had no elder at home to protect her?
Thinking of her parents, Xie Jiuniang's eyes reddened.
She remembered that she had also been pampered by her parents when she was younger, the treasure in the palm of their hands.
In her previous life, her parents had completed a family mission and encountered a beast tide while passing through Zangshen Mountain on their way home, resulting in her mother dying to save her father.
Lately, her father had a chance to break through to Foundation Establishment, but he gave the Foundation Establishment Pill to her instead, saying he couldn't let her mother wait too long…
Fortunately, she was reborn nine months before her mother's accident; there was still time for her to find a way to save them.
He Xiang thought that Miss Ninth was feeling aggrieved and couldn't help but sympathize with her a little, but alas, she was only a maid and couldn't help her much. Serving in the Xie Family, one only needed to quietly complete their duties; intervening in the masters' grudges was a taboo.
After Miss Ninth finished eating, He Xiang tidied up everything properly before saying, "Miss Ninth, the young Clan Leader has asked for you to see him as soon as you wake."
"Understood."
Xie Jiu Niang got up and walked out.
Unexpectedly, halfway there, she encountered a man and a woman talking in a corridor, looking very merry as they conversed.
The woman was Xie Ying, and the man...
Lin Wangchen?
What a surprise!
Without her involvement, Lin Wangchen still came to the Xie Family?
Was there some kind of destiny at play?
In her previous life, Lin Wangchen had sent her home and immediately became a distinguished guest of the Xie Family. At that time, she had thought that the family valued her greatly, which was why they treated Lin Wangchen, who had saved her, with such enthusiasm.
Thinking about it now, it was just so-so.
Lin Wangchen came from a top-notch aristocratic family in the Cultivation World, and he possessed exceptional personal talent; the Xie Family would have wanted to build a good relationship with him for a variety of reasons.
In her last life, she succeeded in her Foundation Establishment, and Lin Wangchen suddenly proposed to her; her family agreed without consulting her.
She was quite self-aware back then.
Lin Wangchen's charms were too overpowering.
He and she, were not a match.
It was just that the family's decision did not allow for her refusal.
On the night of their grand wedding, they did not consummate the marriage.
Lin Wangchen said that before reaching the Golden Core stage, it was best to maintain his primordial yin, stating that he wished to be with her for a long and lasting time, and thereafter, every time they met, he provided her with various resources.
What others struggled to obtain, she got easily, causing many in the Sect to envy her...
Smack!
Xie Jiu Niang slapped her forehead.
Had she overlooked something in her past life?
"Younger Ninth Sister, I heard you were injured; are you feeling better? I visited you yesterday, but He Xiang said you were resting," Xie Ying said. She was a beautiful woman, cold as frost; unapproachable when silent, but her words carried the gentleness of a lotus, "Don't be so reckless next time. The family was quite alarmed by your incident, causing quite a delay in affairs."
Xie Jiu Niang blinked her large innocent eyes, "Eldest Sister, I had no choice. The part of the inheritance that was mine was diverted by our aunt to you. I could only take risks to earn resources on my own."
Xie Ying's heart skipped, and she hurriedly glanced at Lin Wangchen.
Lin Wangchen's eyebrows raised in surprise.
At this moment, Xie Ying wished she could strangle Xie Jiu Niang.
Don't you understand that family scandals should not be publicized?
Did you take the elders' teachings as the mere wind beside your ear?
Xie Jiu Niang then smiled and continued, "Come to think of it, I'm actually at an advantage. Our aunt said she would compensate me with a Foundation Establishment Pill for using just one year of my resources. Do you know about this, Eldest Sister?"
Xie Ying knew that Xie Jiu Niang was setting a trap for her, but she could only play along, "I know, you will not be shortchanged."
"How generous! Eldest Sister, you are as kind-hearted as you are beautiful," Xie Jiu Niang said, sparing no effort in her praise, having achieved her goal, "Well, I will be leaving now, and not delay you from entertaining the honored guest."
Xie Jiu Niang strode past the two of them and left.
She showed no intention of greeting Lin Wangchen.
A flicker of surprise flashed across Lin Wangchen's eyes.
Was she pretending not to recognize him?
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