Chapter 44

"Let it be. This sort of thing still depends on fate."

Wang Yuyan gave a slight nod.

Ah Zhu murmured again, "I never thought I had a blood sister. Ah Zi? Compared to Helmsman Qiao Feng, I'd rather know how my sister is doing now, whether she's living well."

At this very moment, the "Ah Zi" being muttered about by Ah Zhu was standing amid a heap of corpses.

"This Ah Zi... couldn't possibly be me, could she?"

Ah Zi held the diary copy in her hands, her expression a mix of shock and uncertainty.

She very much wanted to say it was just a case of sharing the same name, but her intuition told her that Ah Zhu's little sister was her!

"Pfft! What father, what mother — you think I care? I, Ah Zi, am an orphan with no parents. If you want to be my father and mother, dream on!"

With a disdainful snort, Ah Zi cast those thoughts from her mind and turned to fondle the diary copy lovingly.

After Ruan Xingzhu gave her away, she drifted from place to place until she ended up at the Star-Studded Sea in Qingzhou, where she entered the Xingxiu Sect of the old Xingxiu monster Ding Chunqiu.

Because Ah Zi was pretty and cute, lively and amusing, and her little mouth was sweet — her flattery often struck a novel note, several times more clever than the other disciples — she won Ding Chunqiu's deep affection.

Yet as she gradually grew up and blossomed into an even more beautiful and radiant girl, the way Ding Chunqiu looked at Ah Zi began to change.

Ah Zi, like her sister Ah Zhu, had a mischievous and clever disposition, and naturally noticed this.

Once she realized Ding Chunqiu harbored improper intentions toward her, Ah Zi made a snap decision to strike first.

So she stole the Xingxiu Sect's supreme treasure, the "Divine Wood King Cauldron," and slipped away in secret.

The "Divine Wood King Cauldron" was essential for Ding Chunqiu's cultivation of the Art of Dissolving Power; without it, he might very well suffer backlash from his Poison Art.

Therefore, upon learning that Ah Zi was so brazenly audacious, Ding Chunqiu flew into a rage and immediately dispatched every Xingxiu Sect disciple to scatter and search, determined to capture Ah Zi and bring her back.

Just now, Ah Zi had been caught by one such party of Xingxiu Sect disciples.

The leader was none other than the Second Senior Brother, Shi Houzi.

Ah Zi had originally intended to bluster her way through with sweet talk, but unfortunately Shi Houzi didn't fall for it, and the two sides began to fight.

Ah Zi was no match for him. Just as she was about to be hit by Shi Houzi's poison, a layer of light barrier suddenly appeared around her body and repelled the poison.

Though startled, Ah Zi kept her head and seized the chance to counterattack the enemy.

Because she had something to rely on and only attacked without defending, she easily defeated the pursuers and left every one of them behind.

Precisely because of this, there were so many corpses at her feet.

"Is this diary copy protecting me?"

Ah Zi did not know of the existence of the "Kunji Seal," so she naturally attributed the protective light barrier to the diary copy.

After all, it was the only mysterious artifact on her whose depths she could not fathom.

Ah Zi held the diary copy, and on its title page was recorded —

【Character: Ah Zi】

【Appearance: 9】

【Favorability: 8】

"I'm the heartless, vicious witch of the Xingxiu Sect, and you dare to like me? Let me see what sort of person you are, whether you're worthy enough to be this Miss's husband!"

Knowing she was under protection, Ah Zi immediately swelled with confidence.

From now on, when wandering the jianghu, she'll never have to be so cautious and timid again!

【At the end of the story, Ah Zhu's mother Ruan Xingzhu was also killed by Murong Fu】

【Not only Li Qingluo and Ruan Xingzhu, but also Gan Baobao and Qin Hongmian died by Murong Fu's sword at the same time】

【In the end, Duan Zhengchun saw that all his lovers were dead, his heart turned to ash, and he drew his sword to cut his own throat】

【Once Duan Zhengchun died, his legitimate wife Dao Baifeng also took her own life】

【The sight of all Dali draped in white mourning is still fresh in my memory】

【So why didn't Duan Yu and the others kill Murong Fu in revenge at the end?】

【Just because Murong Fu went mad?】

【It seems going insane has been a "get-out-of-death-free" pass since ancient times】

"My mother is dead too, all of them dead... it was Young Master who killed them." Ah Zhu was momentarily lost in a daze.

Heartbroken? Sad? Angry?

It seemed none of those.

She just felt it was somewhat unbelievable.

Though they were her parents, they had given birth to her but never raised her; Ah Zhu couldn't claim to feel much for them.

But they were still his parents, and Murong Fu had killed them — this left a slight thorn in Ah Zhu's heart as well.

Besides, Duan Zhengchun, such a scoundrel of a man — who would have thought he'd actually die for love alongside his women?

This left Ah Zhu rather unable to make sense of it.

Beside her, Ah Bi stared intently at those names. Seeing that among Duan Zhengchun's lovers, aside from Li Qingluo, there was no one she knew, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Contrary to her, Zhong Ling and Mu Wanqing were in rather poor spirits.

"Mu-jiejie, this... this... my mother, she actually..."

Zhong Ling looked helplessly at Mu Wanqing, stammering, unable to utter a single complete sentence.

She had originally thought that since she had a father and mother, Gan Baobao surely had nothing to do with Duan Zhengchun — but unexpectedly, she had still "taken the hit."

Mu Wanqing said coldly, "Hmph, Zhong Wanchou is so ugly, doesn't look like you at all — anyone with eyes can tell you're not his biological child. Those words outside Myriad Calamity Valley, 'Any surnamed Duan who enters this valley shall be killed without mercy' — you don't think those were just for show, do you?"

Hearing Mu Wanqing's utterly merciless words, Zhong Ling wilted at once.

Thinking of how Zhong Wanchou usually acted like a complete simp around Gan Baobao, she could hardly bear to watch.

This cheap father of hers was truly too pitiful!

Suddenly, Zhong Ling realized that the diary still contained Qin Hongmian's name.

Zhong Ling widened her eyes, studying Mu Wanqing's gaze, and ventured, "Sister Mu, could it be that you…?"

Mu Wanqing snorted, "Qin Hongmian is my Master, not my mother. What she does with whom is none of my business."

"But…"

"Shut up! If you dare speak another foolish word, I… I'll knock your head!"

Zhong Ling clapped a hand to her forehead, hunched her shoulders, and dared not speak again.

Yet Mu Wanqing's heart was far from as calm as her expression suggested.

Qin Hongmian was Duan Zhengchun's lover—this she had not found surprising.

But could she be Qin Hongmian's daughter?

At that moment, Mu Wanqing longed to run to Qin Hongmian and demand the truth.

Just as her inner thoughts churned with conflicting emotions, a voice sounded—

【Detected Jiang Sishui has completed today's diary entry. Congratulations, you've gained one month of True Qi.】

【Selecting today's winner…】

【Congratulations, Abi, you've won the "Jade Dragon Scale."】

"Dragon Scale?!"

At that moment, all women who possessed diary copies were stunned.

If there was a Dragon Scale, did that mean dragons truly existed in this world?!

And what power did this "Jade Dragon Scale" hold?

A dragon's scale could never be an ordinary thing, could it?

Inn room.

Wang Yuyan and Abi were both staring at the thin, pale green scale in Abi's palm.

Wang Yuyan asked in surprise, "Abi, is this the 'Jade Dragon Scale'? What is its use?"

Abi, having received the information of the "Jade Dragon Scale," replied, "It comes from an animated story called 'The Little Carp's Adventure,' one of the Five-Element Dragon Scales from a true dragon's body, with Wood attribute, possessing a portion of the true dragon's power."

"As long as I activate it, my singing will gain miraculous abilities."

"Anyone I designate as a target will be stirred by my song to experience negative emotions and fall into negative states—such as depression, diminished combat will, deviation of Qi, recurrence of old wounds…"

Wang Yuyan, well-versed in martial arts, exclaimed in shock, "This is equivalent to an extremely powerful spiritual attack secret art! Abi, what level of cultivators does it affect?"

Abi thought for a moment and said, "According to the information, even a Heaven-Tier cultivator would be affected. Of course, the higher the cultivation level, the weaker the influence."

Heaven-Tier!

Wang Yuyan was again stunned into silence.