Chapter 41

The faces of everyone in the Azure Jade Sect changed completely—who could have imagined! Shen Qingli, who used to be the most trustworthy, whose word was as solid as a nail driven with spit, actually toyed with them like this.

"Aren't you afraid your Dao-heart will waver?" Peak Master Xu demanded.

"Not afraid." Shen Qingli said with a relaxed expression, "This is what you deserve."

"A Li, don't joke." Pei Jianshu said with a complex tone, "I know you hold deep resentment toward the sect, and I'm not asking you to forgive it, but since you promised to do this, if you don't, it will greatly hinder your future cultivation—don't act on impulse."

Shen Qingli glanced at him lightly, "You're still as fond of giving orders."

"I—" Pei Jianshu explained, "I've always been doing this for your own good."

"Thanks." Shen Qingli chuckled lightly, "But I don't need it."

Pei Jianshu stared at her, dazed, but she didn't look at him.

"Everyone, if you don't want to make a fool of yourselves, scram."

Shen Qingli swept her gaze over Bai Ren Shan, Zhao Yue, and the others, showing no mercy.

"Damn it!" Zhao Yue couldn't hold back, raising her hand to slap Shen Qingli.

"Smack!" A slap landed on Zhao Yue's face before she could strike.

Zhao Yue felt pain that made stars burst before her eyes, yet she still didn't know who had struck her.

"Scram." Shen Jin stood before Shen Qingli, his eyes black as ink, holding a cold, aloof disdain for all creation.

Zhao Yue was about to shout the insult "little bastard," but it got stuck in her throat.

Shen Kuo, Ji Wanxing, and others also came out. Ji Wanxing looked at Bai Ren Shan and said, "Sect Leader Bai, my Heavenly Star Sect does not welcome you—please leave."

"Shen Qingli! You'll die a horrible death!" Gu Cihe suddenly cursed, furious and desperate.

Shen Kuo's eyes instantly darkened; his overbearing aura pressed Gu Cihe to kneel on the spot with a thud.

"Shen Kuo, you shameless wretch! How dare you lay a hand on my disciple!" Zhao Yue hauled Gu Cihe up, glaring venomously at Shen Kuo, "Don't think that by putting on a respectable front you can make everyone forget you abandoned your wife and children first! Now you come back pretending to be a good father?"

"All that happened before, I have a clear conscience and have never done anything shameful; it's all you turning the tables—do you really think my silence means I'm guilty?" Shen Kuo retorted coldly.

Shen Qingli froze for a moment—what did that mean?

Zhao Yue stomped her foot, "Such a great bastard is here, and you say you have a clear conscience?"

"The Old Shen just raised me; to you I'm nothing but a bastard, a bastard—your mouth truly reeks."

Shen Jin's eyes held a cold glint, but the words he spoke left Shen Kuo stunned; he immediately turned his head to look at this adopted son.

Shen Qingli also pulled Shen Jin to her side, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

"Sister. Sorry—I've taken your father for so long; it's time to give him back."

"You remember now?" Shen Kuo asked, his emotions inscrutable.

Shen Jin nodded, "Yeah, they came too."

Shen Kuo's expression shifted slightly, "Then you—"

"What secret code? Speak clearly!"

Shen Qingli didn't want to be kept in the dark, so she grabbed both of them and asked.

"Shen Qingli—" Zhao Yue still called out.

"Shut up!" Shen Qingli gave them a cold look, not wanting to play with them any longer, "You've done so many vicious things to me, yet you still hope my heart will be muddled by lard, that I'll forgive you and pass on the inheritance? Not even a spring‑autumn daydream would dare such a thing!"

"As for the Dao-heart, hah! I cultivate the Heartless Dao—how could there be betrayal or broken faith? Those who wrong me deserve to die! It's just that I didn't want any interference while I was pulling my bones."

"The truth cuts to the heart!"

"The entire Azure Jade Sect turned pale!"

Including Pei Jianshu: "You—you cultivate the Heartless Dao?"

"Are you surprised?" Shen Qingli said with a cold expression.

"You……" Pei Jianshu's voice went dry; he realized Shen Qingli's words were very likely true, and her rapid cultivation progress proved she had truly become devoid of emotion and love.

This realization felt like his heart had been hollowed out. After all, he had always believed Shen Qingli still harbored feelings for him.

Even though she showed him no courtesy, he still firmly believed she could not be completely devoid of affection toward him.

But now she says she has cultivated the Heartless Dao.

"Impossible." Pei Jianshu didn't believe it, "The Heartless Dao is practically the same as a heretical path—how could it earn the favor of the Taiyi Divine Sovereign?"

Shen Qingli couldn't be bothered to explain; she dragged the two men surnamed Shen who were at her side into the earlier tent and cut off all outside sound.

"Speak." Shen Qingli actually wanted to hear what these two had been hiding from her.

Shen Jin scratched his head, but Shen Qingli slapped his hand away, "Stop pretending to be a youth."

"I am genuinely a youth." Shen Jin put on an innocent face.

Shen Kuo sighed, "A Li, he really is younger than you—he's my friend's son."

Shen Qingli: ……

Can a youth have eyes like that?

"I and his father are old friends."

"So what's your name?"

Shen Qingli looked at the boy before her, her gaze unwavering, as if she wanted to see straight through him.

Shen Jin straightened his expression, "My surname is Di, my given name is Jin."

"Di?" Shen Qingli raked her memory, but she'd never heard of such a powerful clan.

"Sister—"

"Shut up." Shen Qingli carefully reconsidered, refusing to believe she'd heard nothing of it.

A mere youth, capable of sending her a fire phoenix and beating Zhao Yue to the point she couldn't retaliate—what obscure nobody could he be?

But she truly had never heard of this clan's power—could it be that in her previous life, Shen Jin, or rather Di Jin, never grew up?

This realization made Shen Qingli's heart tremble slightly—yet—

A picture dark as a Shura hell, still in the instant she had the thought, flashed into her mind.

It flashed too fast; she couldn't see clearly, only vaguely making out a man in blood‑stained clothes in the vision?

"Li, older sister."

Shen Qingli, whose hand was held, came to her senses.

"My family has come to pick me up; I have to go."

"Your family?" Shen Qingli looked at the boy before her.

Di Jin nodded, "En, they're waiting outside; I came back to say goodbye to you."

Only then did Shen Qingli realize they were about to part.

"Sorry." Di Jin apologized again, "If it weren't for me, you could have stayed by Old Shen's side, and you wouldn't have suffered those hardships."

The boy's eyes gradually darkened; his mind was filled with the image of Shen Qingli drenched in blood.

His gaze grew ever darker like ink, and at his forehead something faint seemed to be trying to emerge.

He immediately pressed his forehead, lightly laughing, "In the future, I—"

"It's the same without you." Shen Qingli saw through it, "You don't need to blame yourself."

She had seen through what kind of person Zhao Yue was.

Given Zhao Yue's nature, even without Di Jin, she would have split from Shen Kuo over something else.

In short, her outcome had been destined from the start.

Fortunately, she could start over; now everything is different.

"Where is your home?" Shen Qingli asked.

"What, you're reluctant to let me go and want to send me home?"

In the time it took to raise her eyes, Di Jin, the dark color gone from his pupils, had a clear and bright countenance, like a gentle breeze and bright moon.

At such a young age, he already bore such poise; Shen Qingli ruffled his head, "Get lost."

Perhaps they would never meet again.

It was a little hard to bear.

However, Shen Qingli was carefree, "If fate wills, we'll meet again."

In life, gatherings and partings are like clouds gathering and dispersing; relatives and friends are no exception.

Shen Qingli was no longer the person who regarded everyone around her as extremely important.

After seeing Di Jin off, Shen Qingli looked toward her father, who sat calmly opposite her, his hands hidden within his wide sleeves, an exiled immortal.

"Father, is there nothing you want to say to me?" Shen Qingli asked coolly and detachedly.

Shen Kuo's expression instantly tightened, "I—"

He actually had thousands of words to say, but speaking or not speaking was now meaningless.

The harm done to his daughter had become an established fact.

But if time were to turn back, he would still have to make this choice.

"Sorry." Shen Kuo was apologetic.

Shen Qingli gazed deeply at him, "Did Ah Jin's father threaten you?"