After Faking Her Death and Escaping, the Junior Sister Fell to the Demonic Path - Chapter 138

The two entered the underground palace one after the other.

Zhou Zhixue did not know where this place was. She was extremely cautious upon entering, her spiritual power gathered in her palm, ready to meet an enemy at any time.

But Qin Qingyi, with the guidance of Immortal Venerable Wuwang, naturally had no problem with getting lost.

The underground palace had a surprising number of winding passages and forks, yet Qin Qingyi would choose one without any hesitation.

If it were only once or twice, it might be an accident, but she did this every time. When faced with several identical paths, she never hesitated, as if she already knew the correct route.

Zhou Zhixue, behind her, had been observing constantly.

The person in front of her always gave her a strange, familiar feeling.

This feeling was one she had also sensed from Yanli.

It was too strange, this inexplicable familiarity.

Yet, the demon in front of her bore no resemblance—neither in appearance nor in posture, nor in any subtle mannerisms—to the person in her memory.

She must be going mad.

Zhou Zhixue shook her head, trying to clear the chaotic thoughts from her mind.

She was starting to look for her Senior Sister’s shadow in others again.

It seemed that ever since climbing out of the Myriad Ghosts Cave, she had begun to lose the distinction between reality and illusion. She often mistook people around her and always felt that her Senior Sister was still by her side, merely hiding because she was angry and unwilling to see her.

Zhou Zhixue knew clearly that she was sick.

A few hours ago, she had an episode, momentarily seeing Yanli as her Senior Sister, which was why she was so furious after Yanli was abducted, almost to the point of perishing with the Flood Dragon.

She had sobered up on the way here, but Yanli still needed to be found; otherwise, if Yanli disappeared inexplicably in the secret realm, she would have no way to explain it to Elder Wei who had sent them in.

So she rushed over, following the direction given by the Flood Dragon. To her surprise, not only did she not find the person, but she saw a member of the Devil Clan, and—

A member of the Demon Clan who rarely appeared in public.

She scanned the surroundings but did not see Yanli, wondering if she had already left the secret realm. Every disciple who entered the secret realm had a token with a teleportation array; they only needed to crush it to leave. This was something emphasized repeatedly before entering the realm.

If Yanli had encountered danger, she must have already left.

As for her saying she was looking for Yanli just now, half of it was concern that Yanli hadn’t left the secret realm, and the other half was out of curiosity and vigilance toward the “Demon Clan’s secret.”

This secret realm suddenly appeared in the Profound Heaven Realm, and there was only one entrance. So, where did the Devil Clan members suddenly appearing in the secret realm, and the demon in front of her, come from?

Zhou Zhixue followed the female demon named Yun Qing, walking deeper inside. She watched the other person navigate the path with ease, and looking at that back, Zhou Zhixue frowned tightly.

She didn’t know why, but she felt a little dizzy.

However, she didn’t take this feeling to heart.

Until—

The next moment, the world spun, and the scene abruptly changed.

Zhou Zhixue felt groggy, as if a voice was murmuring in her ear.

“Zhixue, my good child……”

“It’s been many years, you’ve grown up……”

The voice, so familiar.

She struggled to open her eyes, trying to see the person in front of her clearly.

“You’re awake, my child.” The person in front of her, gorgeously dressed and wearing a gold crown, was smiling gently at her.

Zhou Zhixue was stunned. The sunlight overhead made it difficult for her to tell who the person in front of her was for a moment.

A gentle hand shielded the dazzling light for her, and then, Zhou Zhixue finally saw clearly.

The face directly above her now gradually overlapped with the face deep in her memory, the one she had intentionally forgotten.

Until it was a perfect match, without the slightest deviation.

“……Mother?”

Zhou Zhixue mumbled.

Hearing her call her this, the beautiful and majestic woman holding her smiled even more deeply, her eyes overflowing with tenderness.

“My good child, it is me.”

The other party softly stroked Zhou Zhixue’s face, her gentle, adoring gaze resting upon her, as if to engrave her features into the depths of her soul.

It was at this moment that Zhou Zhixue finally realized she was lying on her mother’s lap.

She suddenly sat up, scrambling to look around and also at herself.

A magnificent palace in the distance, the faint sound of a bell tolling, the palace maids and guards serving around, and also…

“Mother?” Zhou Zhixue was confused.

“My child, what’s wrong?” The beautiful and majestic sovereign looked at her in confusion, her brows and eyes filled with concern.

Everything around her was fine, but a strong sense of dissonance arose in Zhou Zhixue’s heart.

“Mother, didn’t you already……”

Zhou Zhixue started to speak, but halfway through, her eyes glazed over for a moment, and then she seemed to forget what she was going to say.

But then, she looked at the clothes she was wearing, which were extremely luxurious, the attire only worn by the Crown Princess.

But—

“I, shouldn’t I be at the Sword Sect? I am a disciple of the Sword Sect now. How could I be here?”

Zhou Zhixue was lost and helpless.

She reached out and touched her wrist. There was indeed spiritual energy surging there, but aside from that, her sword and her storage bracelet were gone.

“Silly child.” The sovereign looked at her lovingly and reached out to stroke her forehead: “Did you sleep until you were confused? When did you ever go to the Sword Sect? You have always grown up by Mother’s side. Just yesterday you were complaining to Mother that you didn’t want to deal with government affairs.”

The warm, soft palm pressed against her forehead, carrying a warmth that almost brought her to tears. Zhou Zhixue suddenly felt disoriented.

Yesterday, she indeed, indeed seemed to have complained to her mother that she didn’t want to deal with government affairs.

She had always been by her mother’s side, safe and happy.

Zhou Zhixue reflected. Everything seemed to be developing in a good direction.

The beauty before her and her mother’s love made it impossible for her to think of anything else.

She nestled into her mother’s warm embrace, burying her head on her mother’s shoulder.

“Mother.”

“Hmm?” The sovereign responded gently, stroking her back lightly, time and again.

“Did I truly just have a dream?”

Zhou Zhixue’s voice was lost, seemingly confused about the current situation.

She had indeed always been by her mother’s side, never leaving.

But that dream felt so real.

In that dream, she seemed to have met many wonderful people at the Sword Sect: a Master who loved her, a Senior Sister who indulged her…

Was it all fake after all?

The sovereign’s smile deepened, and her voice became even softer: “Of course, my child, you only had a dream.”

“You have always been by Mother’s side, and you have always been a good child.”

Zhou Zhixue closed her eyes, quietly enjoying the warmth from her mother.

Just when the sovereign thought she was about to fall asleep, and the gentle smile on her face hadn’t yet faded, she heard an extremely calm voice in her ear.

The voice was still gentle, but what she said made the sovereign’s expression freeze.

“But, before I woke up, why did you say it had been many years since we last met?”

Along with the words, there was a sudden sharp pain in her abdomen.

The sovereign hurriedly retreated, trying to push away Zhou Zhixue who was hugging her, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t push the person away from her.

Blood gradually spread from her abdomen, slowly staining the hem of her clothes red.

Zhou Zhixue held the other person tightly, not letting go even as the other person’s sharp claws scratched and bit countless wounds onto her body.

The Chang Le Sword was plunged deep into the other person’s abdomen. Except for the hilt, the entire blade was completely submerged, and the blood-soaked tip reappeared behind the other person.

“Mother, you are fake.”

Zhou Zhixue’s eyes were filled with dead silence, and a tear slowly dripped from the corner of her eye.

After her disguise was exposed, the sovereign in front of her no longer kept up the pretense of gentleness. She transformed into a hideous ghost, shrieking as she attacked Zhou Zhixue.

However, Zhou Zhixue was expressionless. The Chang Le Sword in her hand burst into a brilliant light, and under countless flashes of sword light, the other person vanished into dust.

Everything was over.

The sealed memories surged in, and Zhou Zhixue stood still, letting the single tear on her face slowly slide down and fall to the ground.

And she, from beginning to end, had made no other movement.

After she stabbed the sword into her “mother’s” body, everything around them gradually crumbled, like a mirror shattering, slowly breaking into thousands of pieces before her eyes, and finally turning into ashes, completely dissipating.

This was an illusion.

Zhou Zhixue clearly realized this fact.

It was an illusion specifically targeting her.

Perhaps from the moment she followed the female demon named Yun Qing inside, she had already fallen into the illusion.

But the most absurd thing was that, at a certain point, she genuinely wanted to stay here.

“Mother…”

Zhou Zhixue’s voice was very soft, so soft that it dissipated along with the surrounding fragments.

If it hadn’t been for the Devil Clan back then, she and her mother might have lived happily and peacefully, just like in the illusion.

Perhaps…

She also wouldn’t have met her Senior Sister.

There was nothing left around her; in the pitch blackness, a prolonged sensation of falling arrived.

Zhou Zhixue allowed herself to slowly descend in the void.

She didn’t know how long she fell until Zhou Zhixue regained consciousness again.

This time, it was a new scene.

“Zhixue, from now on, this will be your Master.”

“From now on, do not remember any hatred, forget your mother, forget your former identity… you are just an ordinary disciple of the Sword Sect!”

A weak voice lingered in her ear. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead. Zhou Zhixue closed her eyes in pain, trapped in a nightmare and unable to wake up.

“Why is this child still feverish?”

A concerned voice reached her ears from a distance, a reassuring, gentle female voice.

Then came a damp, cool sensation on her forehead, gently wiping away the sweat, again and again.

Zhou Zhixue had never felt so weak. She couldn’t even lift her hand. Her eyelids felt as heavy as if giant stones were placed on them, too heavy to lift.

Zhou Zhixue struggled to raise her gaze. In the blur, she saw a white figure sitting beside her.

“…Master?”

A voice as faint as a kitten’s meow sounded.

True Lord Wen Qing was instantly surprised and turned her head: “Zhixue, you’re awake?”

Seeing that she had indeed opened her eyes, True Lord Wen Qing let out a long sigh of relief.

True Lord Wen Qing wrung a clean, wet cloth again and patiently wiped away the sweat beading on Zhou Zhixue’s forehead, her tone soft as she chatted:

“After you fell into the cold pond a few days ago, you’ve been running a fever for several days, speaking in delirium. It’s only today that you finally woke up. Is there anywhere else you feel uncomfortable?”

Zhou Zhixue shook her head blankly.

“I was sick?”

She… didn’t remember?

“You, you insisted on pestering your Senior Sister for a spar a few days ago, and accidentally fell into the pond. The water was icy cold. By the time I fished you out, you had already passed out from choking on the water. You developed a high fever in the middle of the night, and it wouldn’t come down.”

True Lord Wen Qing’s tone was scolding, as she sighed softly.

“Don’t be so reckless again. You are only at the Golden Core cultivation level, and your Senior Sister is already at Nascent Soul. Why insist on sparring with her? How could you beat her?”

She… sparred with her Senior Sister?

Zhou Zhixue blinked. She didn’t seem to recall this event.

But… Zhou Zhixue frowned slightly, pondering her memories.

Thinking carefully, it did seem that a few days ago she had been persistently bothering her Senior Sister, insisting on sparring with her sword techniques.

And in the end, it seemed she really did fall into the cold pond.

With the fever gone, Zhou Zhixue gradually recovered some strength. Although her limbs were still weak, she could at least get up and walk around.

The weather was excellent on Hidden Snow Peak today.

Zhou Zhixue put on a slightly thick coat and walked out. As soon as she stepped outside, she saw two people practicing sword techniques outside.

Seeing her emerge, Xie Su and Hu Yu stopped their morning practice and walked over to express concern: “Junior Sister, are you feeling better?”

Zhou Zhixue nodded.

“Where is Senior Sister?”

The two were momentarily stunned, then they smiled: “What, do you want to spar with Senior Sister again?”

Zhou Zhixue didn’t speak, just looked at them.

Seeing this, Xie Su and Hu Yu both felt awkward, and then simultaneously pointed towards the peach blossom forest.

“Senior Sister is deep in the peach blossom forest. Are you going to look for her?”

Zhou Zhixue nodded, and then, without even looking at the two, she bypassed them and walked towards the peach blossom forest.

However, after searching for a long time, she couldn’t find her Senior Sister.

Zhou Zhixue looked down at her palms.

This year, she was sixteen years old.

Senior Sister should not have returned yet.

Zhou Zhixue’s eyes went hazy.

Senior Sister, Senior Sister seemed angry with her and left for ten years.

This was the eighth year. Senior Sister had not returned yet.

Therefore, there was no sparring between her and her Senior Sister, nor did she fall into the cold pond and become ill.

“Why aren’t you resting in your room?” A gentle voice came from behind.

Zhou Zhixue spun around abruptly.

“You’ve just recovered from a serious illness, and you can’t tolerate the cold wind. You should be resting properly.”

True Lord Wen Qing walked forward, attentively draping a warm sable coat over her.

Zhou Zhixue looked down at the Master who was concerned about her and softly said, “It’s all fake.”

True Lord Wen Qing’s hand paused as she was tying the sable coat. She did not look up, her voice still holding a hint of a smile: “Zhixue, what are you saying? What is fake?”

Zhou Zhixue looked steadily at her: “You are fake, Master.”

True Lord Wen Qing’s expression darkened. She was clearly still smiling, but the feeling she gave off was completely different from before.

Sinister, dangerous.

But Zhou Zhixue remained calm: “This year, Senior Sister has not returned yet.”

“You said I was sparring with Senior Sister, but I searched all over Hidden Snow Peak and didn’t find Senior Sister. The so-called fall into the cold pond, unconsciousness, and high fever are all fake.”

Seeing that she had exposed her, True Lord Wen Qing no longer pretended. The smile on her face vanished, and her calm, cold eyes fixed on Zhou Zhixue: “Too bad, you exposed me again.”

That familiar face gradually changed, finally turning into a completely unfamiliar, featureless face.

The other things in the illusion were changing. The space around the two of them twisted and deformed. A large broadsword suddenly appeared in the hands of the false True Lord Wen Qing, and dense Devil Qi diffused from the blade of the broadsword.

Coupled with her slender figure, the broadsword looked out of place in her hands.

She adopted an attacking posture, her eyes filled with the ambition to hunt Zhou Zhixue. Her crimson, cruel pupils completely locked onto Zhou Zhixue.

“You can’t beat me,” Zhou Zhixue said softly.

“If I don’t try, how will I know if I can beat you or not?”

The Demon of Illusion raised her broadsword and slashed towards Zhou Zhixue.

Zhou Zhixue stood still, not moving an inch.

But when the broadsword fell, her figure completely vanished from the spot.

The Demon of Illusion’s attack missed. Before she could launch her next attack, she felt a chill on her neck.

“I said, you can’t beat me.”

Zhou Zhixue’s voice came from behind. The Demon of Illusion turned around in horror, only to find that a sword had appeared in the other person’s hand at some point.

And the other person was calmly wiping the bloodstain off the blade.

Only at this moment did the Demon of Illusion finally feel the pain in her neck.

She belatedly touched it, but only felt her hand covered in fresh blood.

With just one sword strike, she had lost.

As this thought appeared in her mind, her pupils were already beginning to dilate.

Until her head hit the ground, her gradually blurring vision saw Zhou Zhixue slowly walking towards her.

“Dressing up as my Master, you are simply courting death.”

The cold voice spread throughout the illusion.

The Demon of Illusion closed her eyes with resentment.

The illusion crumbled once more.

Falling, again, for the third time.

Zhou Zhixue closed her eyes, exhausted.

Is it not over yet?

This descent lasted longer.

Very long, so long that Zhou Zhixue thought the descent would never end.

She suddenly felt solid ground.

This time there was no headache, nor any discomfort.

Zhou Zhixue got up from the bed and sat on the edge, looking at the room’s arrangement.

It was extremely cozy.

Her clothes were placed neatly folded by the head of the bed.

Zhou Zhixue was thoughtful. She took the clothes and changed into them, finally having time to observe carefully.

Beside the chaise longue was a basket of books and paintings. Two books were scattered on the couch, casually tossed onto the blanket, as if two people had been reading and then laughing and playing on the couch without cleaning up.

By the window were fresh flowers, still bearing dew, as if someone had gone out very early, picked them outside, patiently put them into a vase, and nourished them with spiritual power to prevent them from withering.

Everything was beautiful.

Zhou Zhixue was suddenly a little puzzled.

Until she pushed the door open and walked out.

“Junior Sister!”

“You’re awake!”

Hearing the movement at the door, someone stood up happily and looked in her direction.

Zhou Zhixue froze slightly.

Zhou Zhixue didn’t snap out of it until the person ran up to her.

“Junior Sister, what’s wrong?”

Seeing her standing there in a daze and not responding to her, Qin Qingyi couldn’t help but be curious. She reached out and waved her hand in front of Zhou Zhixue’s eyes:

“Junior Sister, come back to your senses.”

The person in front of her had a warm, bright smile that made Zhou Zhixue look at her fixedly, unable to recover.

“Senior Sister? Why are you here?” Zhou Zhixue mumbled.

Seeing her say this, the other person’s smile was even more teasing: “What do you mean by that? What, you don’t want to see me here?”

“Then I’ll leave then~” Qin Qingyi said, while pretending to turn and leave.

However, this joke instantly flustered Zhou Zhixue. She quickly grabbed Qin Qingyi’s wrist, explaining incoherently: “No, I didn’t, I didn’t mean that…”

“Then you better hurry up and explain clearly to me! If you don’t give me an explanation, I won’t forgive you!”

Qin Qingyi was huffing with annoyance, as if she would remain angry until she received Zhou Zhixue’s explanation.

Zhou Zhixue just stared at her.

Watching her, so vibrant and radiant, standing right in front of her.

Suddenly, tears fell.

“Senior Sister, I miss you so much…”