Xiao Qingxuan silently walked up the mountain.
Today marked the third day since she brought Ye Luqing’s corpse back to the sect, and also the third day since she had been unable to hear a single sound or see any color.
She was the personal disciple of the Sect Master of the Xuanxiao Supreme Sect, destined from the moment she entered to become the next Sect Master, a powerhouse of the Combined Dao Realm or even the Tribulation Crossing Realm.
Her world should have been nothing but cultivation, the Sword Dao, and sect duties—until she met a girl named “Ye Luqing.”
Ye Luqing’s Master was another Dao Sovereign of the Combined Dao Realm in the Xuanxiao Supreme Sect, and also the Sect Master’s closest and most trusted friend.
Judging by her Master’s shameless personality in private, these two exalted Combined Dao Realm cultivators must have been “you know my strengths, I know your weaknesses (finger gestures)” with each other.
With such a relationship between their Masters, and with Ye Luqing entering the sect the same year as her, Xiao Qingxuan silently allowed Ye Luqing to follow her around.
At first, she only treated Ye Luqing as a tool to satisfy her Master’s demands, but as time passed with Ye Luqing by her side, she began to enjoy it, even developing a vague, unprecedented affection.
It wasn’t until Ye Luqing covered her retreat and was killed by a Magic Cultivator that Xiao Qingxuan finally realized Ye Luqing’s feelings for her—and her own uncontrollable, overflowing love.
She didn’t want to be separated from Ah Qing.
She wanted to be with Ah Qing forever…
If only she had realized her feelings sooner.
But when Xiao Qingxuan arrived in haste that day, she could do nothing but watch as the girl in her arms slowly withered away, her life ebbing out.
Until the very end, Xiao Qingxuan couldn’t bring herself to say the words Ye Luqing longed for.
From that day on, Xiao Qingxuan could no longer hear anyone’s voice, nor see any color in the world.
She only felt that everything was so quiet, so dull, so tasteless.
As a Half-Step Transformation God Realm expert, a hundred meters was but a blink.
Yet from the foot of the mountain to the cave where Ye Luqing’s body was preserved, Xiao Qingxuan took a full quarter of an hour to arrive.
However, just as she entered the cave, Xiao Qingxuan froze in place.
“Ah… Qing?”
Xiao Qingxuan’s stunned expression froze on her face. Inside the Ice Coffin that preserved the body, Ye Luqing was sitting upright.
What entered Xiao Qingxuan’s eyes was a flash of brilliant blue-green.
The golden light streaming from the cave ceiling shimmered with sparkling motes, as if infusing Ye Luqing with life.
Colors began to return to everything around her.
Even from several zhang away, she could hear the powerful heartbeat of the girl inside the coffin and smell the delicate fragrance of greenwood flowers on Ye Luqing.
The girl sat curled up in the Ice Coffin, her ankles as pale as fresh snow.
Her round, amber eyes were misted, and her naturally downturned eyes made her look like a lost fawn in the forest.
Even the most hardened criminal would feel pity upon seeing her.
Xiao Qingxuan walked forward in disbelief, each step slow, as if afraid to disturb her lover who had returned from the dead.
Inside the Ice Coffin, Ye Luqing tensed up and swallowed nervously.
Though she had mentally prepared herself, the thought that this determined whether she could return to Earth still made her nervous.
She lifted her head and met Xiao Qingxuan’s gaze as she approached.
In just that instant, the phrase “devastating beauty” flashed through Ye Luqing’s mind.
What she saw was a waterfall of black hair cascading to the waist, plain clothes accentuating skin as fair as jade, and a silken sash tied around a breathtakingly slender waist.
The sharp lines of her eyes now revealed shock and joy.
Even without any adornment, her natural beauty was impossible to conceal.
In her previous life, Ye Luqing had been just a little chef. Now, she couldn’t help blushing.
[Warning, Fated Female Protagonist Xiao Qingxuan’s Blackening Value has dropped to 70%]
The cold voice of the System sent a jolt through Ye Luqing, instantly sobering her up.
Right.
Her task was to provoke Xiao Qingxuan’s blackening, to restore the world line to its original state.
No matter how beautiful Xiao Qingxuan was, this Fated Female Protagonist was still a yandere at heart, capable of anything to resurrect Ye Luqing.
If Xiao Qingxuan discovered she wasn’t the “Ye Luqing” she wanted, who knew what might happen?
Returning to Earth was the safest.
Her beloved wives were still waiting for her there!
“Don’t come any closer.”
The cold and distant words she’d anticipated came from Ye Luqing’s lips, but her voice was soft and sweet.
Xiao Qingxuan instantly froze in place, but the worry on her face faded, replaced by joy.
That familiar voice brought immense comfort to her heart.
[Warning, Fated Female Protagonist Xiao Qingxuan’s Blackening Value has dropped to 61%]
Tch.
Ye Luqing’s lips twitched.
With that kind of voice, even the cruelest words would sound like pouting.
She’d been so focused on how to provoke the other girl, she’d nearly forgotten this crucial detail.
She took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and fixed her gaze on Xiao Qingxuan.
At this moment, Xiao Qingxuan stood motionless as Ye Luqing commanded.
If any other member of the Xuanxiao Supreme Sect saw this cold immortal fairy so obedient, their jaws would surely drop.
Ye Luqing climbed out of the Ice Coffin, her bare snowy feet padding softly toward Xiao Qingxuan.
She tried to lower her voice, making it sound deep and serious.
“Xiao Qingxuan.”
Hearing her name, Xiao Qingxuan’s body trembled, her gaze turning nervous.
There was no doubt—the girl before her was the Ye Luqing who had always been by her side.
But something felt wrong.
“Ah Qing?”
She softly called out, reaching out tentatively to touch the other’s face, longing for that familiar warmth.
What responded was a crisp sound.
Pa!
Ye Luqing slapped Xiao Qingxuan’s hand away, her voice cold:
“Don’t touch me.”
“Ah Qing?”
Xiao Qingxuan, not understanding what was happening, panicked, wanting to get closer but not daring to.
“And don’t call me that. It’s annoying to hear.”
Ye Luqing frowned, her beautiful brows drawing together.
Those words were like nails hammered into Xiao Qingxuan’s heart.
“Ah… I…”
Xiao Qingxuan’s hands hovered in midair, like a child who had done something wrong.
[Fated Female Protagonist Xiao Qingxuan’s Blackening Value has risen to 67%]
The System’s icy voice gave Ye Luqing great courage.
She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for something.
“I thought about a lot of things during this sleep.”
“There are things I must make clear to you.”
Ye Luqing took off the Jade Hairpin from her head, lowering her gaze to examine it closely.
In the original plot, this hairpin had been a token of affection given by Xiao Qingxuan to the original Ye Luqing—perfect for provoking her.
“I gave up too much for you, but you never cared about me.”
“When we first met, I was misunderstood by your fellow disciples, and you couldn’t even bother to defend me.”
“This time I nearly died because you were too busy chasing after Magic Cultivators to care about me!”
In the original plot of “Ye Luqing’s Death,” to maximize her strength, Xiao Qingxuan—already at the Half-Step Transformation God Realm—was assimilated by the “Emotionless” of the Emotionless Sword Dao.
Her eyes saw only the mission of hunting down the Nascent Soul Realm Magic Cultivator Elder, paying no attention to Ye Luqing’s condition.
On Ye Luqing’s side, not wanting to drag Xiao Qingxuan down, she hid her depleted qi and weakness, and was ultimately ambushed and killed by a Magic Cultivator.
In short, both were responsible for the tragedy, but Ye Luqing decided to fully exploit Xiao Qingxuan’s guilt to accelerate the blackening.
Sure enough, after hearing these words, Xiao Qingxuan hung her head low, consumed by guilt.
“If that’s the case, why not let me go? I won’t bother you anymore. Let’s part peacefully.”
Ye Luqing continued.
“No, it’s not like that, Ah Qing… I, I never thought you were a bother…”
Xiao Qingxuan hurriedly looked up, her eyes filled with panic.
“Not a bother?”
Ye Luqing looked up at her, letting out a self-mocking laugh.
“The Osmanthus Cake I stayed up all night making for you—you cut it in half, box and all. Was that just because Senior Sister Xiao’s hand slipped?”
“I went to Heavenly Sword Peak looking for you, only to be insulted by your Junior Sister from the Sword Dao lineage, accused of being a spy from another peak. Did Senior Sister Xiao ever defend me?”
Ye Luqing’s once gentle eyes narrowed, her gaze now sharp as a sword piercing Xiao Qingxuan’s heart.
Having read the original novel, she knew all too well how this yandere immortal had tormented her “wife” in the early stages.
Though her words were cutting, everything she said was true.
“I…”
Xiao Qingxuan’s lips parted, but she couldn’t utter a word.
It felt as if all the blood in her body had frozen.
Because everything Ye Luqing said was true.
At first, she’d treated interacting with Ye Luqing as a task assigned by her Master.
After spending the required hour together each day, she ignored Ye Luqing completely.
Whether it was gifts Ye Luqing brought, or seeing her bullied by fellow disciples on the way down the mountain, she paid no heed, even feeling it interrupted her cultivation.
Even though it was years ago, what was done was done.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, Xiao Qingxuan’s eyes filled with regret and pain.
[Fated Female Protagonist Xiao Qingxuan’s Blackening Value has risen to 83%]
Seeing the cracks widen in Xiao Qingxuan’s gaze, Ye Luqing decided to push further.
She raised her arm, pointing the sharp end of the Jade Hairpin at Xiao Qingxuan’s forehead.
Her cold stare was as if she were looking at a stranger.
“Our fate is over.”
“Give me back the Jade Pendant I gave you.”
Just like the Jade Hairpin, the Jade Pendant was a token of affection the original Ye Luqing had given to Xiao Qingxuan, with their names engraved on the back.
In the original, Xiao Qingxuan cherished this Jade Pendant deeply, treating it as an important memento Ye Luqing left behind.
Whenever she faced insurmountable hardship, just seeing the pendant filled her with strength.
If she could just get it back, Xiao Qingxuan’s Blackening Value would surely skyrocket.
Though she felt a bit sorry for Xiao Qingxuan, she had no choice if she wanted to return to Earth.
As she expected, Xiao Qingxuan was struck as if by lightning, instinctively retreating, eyes full of disbelief.
“No… I can’t…”
“Ah Qing… please, let me explain…”
But Ye Luqing only continued with her plan, silently pressing closer to Xiao Qingxuan.
For every half-step Xiao Qingxuan took back, Ye Luqing advanced a full step.
Facing Ye Luqing, who was a head shorter, Xiao Qingxuan was forced to retreat again and again, her face twisted in utter despair.
Her right hand clutched the Jade Pendant Ye Luqing had given her, as if it were her only link to Ye Luqing—letting go even a little, and it would slip away forever.
The Half-Step Transformation God Realm Xiao Qingxuan collapsed onto the ground, staring blankly at the Jade Hairpin pointed at her forehead, face pale and body trembling.
“Ah Qing… I beg you… don’t…”
Just as Ye Luqing was about to press on, the System’s prompt echoed in her mind.
[Ding]
[Fated Female Protagonist Xiao Qingxuan’s Blackening Value has risen to 100%. Stage Reward has been issued, please check.]