After Faking Her Death and Escaping, the Junior Sister Fell to the Demonic Path - Chapter 36

In the secret chamber of the Hidden Snow Peak, three people sat facing each other.

Qin Qingyi looked back.

A gentle breeze rustled the bed curtains; her junior sister was still unconscious.

“Tell me your plan now.”

After a long while, the utterly exhausted True Person Wen Qing finally spoke, her voice low and hoarse, as if she had swallowed sand.

Half an hour ago, the three of them emerged from the Sword Pavilion and returned to Hidden Snow Peak.

True Person Wen Qing also learned part of the truth from her good senior sister.

This included—Zhou Zhixue entering the Sword Sect and taking the Chang Le Sword from the Sword Pavilion.

These were all premeditated.

“Is Junior Sister really the reincarnation of an Immortal Venerable?”

Qin Qingyi still did not believe it.

Immortal Venerable Wujiu.

That was a legendary figure.

“Before this, the Chang Le Sword had been quietly lying in the Sword Pavilion, until your junior sister entered.”

True Person Wen Qing’s expression was wooden. She didn’t believe it either, but the Chang Le Sword choosing its master was an undeniable fact.

“I shouldn’t have let her in.”

If she had known all this was a scheme.

“The Sword Sect, ha.”

“They don’t consider how to resist the Demon Race, yet they place their gamble on a child. This is the Sword Sect, this is a major Immortal Sect.”

Shangguan Yu slightly moved her index finger and answered softly: “Previously, I had planned that, if today’s scheme hadn’t come to fruition, she would continue to grow up safely under the protection of your Hidden Snow Peak.”

“But now the Chang Le Sword recognizes her as its master. The time left for her, I’m afraid, is not much.”

Qin Qingyi looked up at her, “What does Senior Aunt mean?”

What did she mean, the time left for her was not much?

Shangguan Yu looked at her apologetically: “Qingyi, your junior sister, she has her own path to follow.”

“What path?”

“The Path of Heartlessness.”

A silence fell.

Qin Qingyi seemed not to have heard clearly. She was stunned for a long time before finding her voice. She looked at True Person Wen Qing and spoke with some incredulity:

“Master, did I hear wrongly? What did Senior Aunt just say? The Path of Heartlessness? Impossible, I must have heard wrongly—”

“You didn’t hear wrong, it is the Path of Heartlessness.”

Shangguan Yu’s expression was one of compassion.

The Path of Heartlessness.

The most difficult path to cultivate since ancient times.

Severing affections and desires, casting aside human relationships, extinguishing the last shred of emotion in one’s heart, being heartless and unrighteous—only then can one achieve immortality.

However, throughout the millennia, all cultivators who pursued the Path of Heartlessness ended up killing their fathers and sons, killing their wives and mothers, killing all their relatives, solely in pursuit of a chance at immortality. They eventually became isolated and lonely, mostly ending up mad or imbecilic, with no hope of ascending.

The last cultivator to ascend by following the Path of Heartlessness was Immortal Venerable Wujiu.

But that was a thousand years ago.

“I disagree!”

True Person Wen Qing gasped, her red eyes staring hatefully at Shangguan Yu: “No one can control her life! She must choose this herself!”

“She has her own path to follow!”

Qin Qingyi also clenched her jaw. The Path of Heartlessness, that was the Path of Heartlessness.

The path that leads to the denial of all six family ties and the annihilation of all desire upon reaching its culmination.

“Is there no other way, Senior Aunt?”

Qin Qingyi looked at Shangguan Yu for help, gazing at her hopefully, wishing to hear a different answer.

But Shangguan Yu merely shook her head: “You and I cannot decide this.”

“But she is only eight years old now,” True Person Wen Qing choked.

“She is only eight years old…”

“If I had known of your scheme earlier, if I had known earlier… I wouldn’t have gone down the mountain, saving her from being left alone in this world, without even a single relative!!”

True Person Wen Qing cried, tears streaming down her face.

She cried heartbrokenly, clenching her hand into a fist and pounding her chest painfully.

She felt as if she was about to vomit out her heart and liver.

She remembered the night her little disciple sought her out, crying and asking her if she had anticipated her danger earlier? If she had anticipated the Human Emperor’s calamity, which was why she “coincidentally” saved her?

In the end, it was her lack of knowledge! That was why she became a pawn for others!!!

Since that day, she often regretted it. If she could have anticipated this step earlier, why didn’t she save everyone?

Why force her little disciple to be dependent on no one, a solitary figure in this world!

But who knew?

But who knew!!

This had already been calculated by others, waiting for them to reach this stage!

Hahahahahahahahaha.

How ridiculous!

“The Demon Race is stirring. As the situation stands, I fear the barrier between the Mortal Realm and the Profound Heaven Realm will completely shatter in less than ten years. By then, the entire Profound Heaven Realm will suffer the same fate as the Underworld did yesterday.”

Shangguan Yu took a deep breath, “She has no choice, and neither do we.”

“She must cultivate the Path of Heartlessness within ten years.”

True Person Wen Qing raised her sword again, staring at Shangguan Yu and saying word by word: “I said, let her choose which path to cultivate.”

Shangguan Yu was naturally not afraid of her. Even though the sword tip was aimed at her throat, she still spoke calmly: “She is caught in the game; she cannot act as she pleases.”

“The Path of Heartlessness is her destiny.”

The atmosphere reached a stalemate.

“Master, I am willing.”

Just as the two were about to clash, a weak voice sounded from behind the three of them.

The three of them turned around simultaneously.

They saw Zhou Zhixue leaning against the door frame, her face pale, looking at the three of them.

“Junior Sister?”

Qin Qingyi was surprised.

“You’re not… you’re awake?”

She spoke somewhat bitterly, not daring to meet Zhou Zhixue’s eyes.

Seeing Junior Sister’s appearance, she must have heard everything.

Then, what was she thinking?

Only True Person Wen Qing asked in disbelief: “What did you say?”

Zhou Zhixue slowly walked over. She had been lying down for three days, and her body was extremely weak, dressed only in a thin sleepwear.

Arriving before the three of them, she knelt down:

“Master, I am willing to cultivate the Path of Heartlessness.”

“I am willing to listen to Senior Aunt and cultivate the Path of Heartlessness.”

Qin Qingyi reached out to pull her up. Disciples of Hidden Snow Peak never perform the great kneeling ritual.

She pulled the person into her arms, protecting her, and said anxiously: “Do you know what you are saying?!”

That was the Path of Heartlessness!

The orthodoxy that no one had dared to attempt for hundreds of years!

“If you don’t want to, with Master here, no one can force you, no one! If even Master can’t protect you, then Senior Sister will take you away from the Sword Sect.”

Qin Qingyi exerted force with her arms, holding the person tightly in her embrace.

She had already decided that if even Master couldn’t protect her junior sister, then she would just take her back to the Demon Race. There would always be a place for them to stay.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Zhixue took her hand. The small person’s palm was only half the size of hers.

Qin Qingyi didn’t know what she wanted to do, her eyes puzzled.

But Zhou Zhixue only cupped her hand and said softly: “Senior Sister, I am willing to cultivate the Path of Heartlessness.”

Qin Qingyi completely panicked:

“Cultivators who attempted the Path of Heartlessness have all died or gone mad a hundred years ago. You are so young, what makes you so desperate to cultivate the Path of Heartlessness?”

“If I truly am the reincarnation of Immortal Venerable Wujiu, then this is my destiny.”

The little girl’s voice was soft.

Zhou Zhixue recalled everything in the illusion of the Sword Pavilion.

Ferocious-looking demons broke in, blood filled the sky, everyone died: Master, Senior Aunt, the Elders, and…

Senior Sister.

They all died in front of her.

Three days of nightmares; she had never been able to escape what she saw in the Sword Pavilion illusion.

Moment by moment, it was Senior Sister, covered in blood, falling into her arms, telling her not to be sad.

And what about her?

Because she was protected too well, she couldn’t even hold a sword steady when the Demon Race attacked.

She couldn’t even fight side-by-side with Senior Sister against the demons.

When she woke up just now, she heard the conversation between Master and Sect Leader Senior Aunt in the inner chamber.

The Path of Heartlessness.

If it could allow her to protect the people around her, why shouldn’t she cultivate it?

“I don’t want to…”

She slowly gripped the clothes at Qin Qingyi’s waist, bursting into her first cry since falling unconscious three days ago.

She didn’t want to be powerless again, watching the people around her die, as in the illusion.

Just like before.

Like the massacre she suffered when she was six years old, utterly powerless!

“If cultivating the Path of Heartlessness can allow me to avenge my mother’s death, I am willing!”

“I am willing to cultivate the Path of Heartlessness!!”

But how could a weak person endure such intense emotional fluctuations? Within moments of saying this, Zhou Zhixue ran out of strength and fainted again.

Qin Qingyi hurriedly held her, checked her, and sighed in relief upon finding that she had only cried herself unconscious: “It’s nothing serious, just too weak. She just needs more sleep.”

But the surrounding atmosphere became somber.

True Person Wen Qing wearily dropped her sword on the ground, as if all her vitality had been drained in an instant.

She said bitterly: “If she is willing, I will not stop her.”

True Person Wen Qing’s eyes were red. She stared at Shangguan Yu, asking for only one thing: “However, this Path of Heartlessness, I must personally guide her.”

Shangguan Yu lowered her eyes, showing no emotion.

“If you have made up your mind, bring her to the Peak of the Sword Keeper to find me in ten days.”

With that, she got up and left the secret chamber.

Just as she walked out, the sound of breaking porcelain came from behind her.

Shangguan Yu paused slightly.

But in the end, she flicked her sleeve and left.

No one can live entirely according to their own wishes.

Why doesn’t Junior Sister understand?

Inside the secret chamber, True Person Wen Qing still maintained the posture of having thrown the teacup.

“Master…”

Qin Qingyi was worried. She looked down at Zhou Zhixue, who was still asleep in her arms, and gritted her teeth:

“How about I take Junior Sister away—”

True Person Wen Qing looked at her, her eyes weary: “Do you think your Senior Aunt can’t find the Demon Race?”

Qin Qingyi fell silent.

“Is there really no other way?”

This time it was True Person Wen Qing’s turn to be silent.

A way?

Where could she find a way to break this situation for this child?

Both of them fell into mutual silence.

Ten days later, Zhou Zhixue still went to the Peak of the Sword Keeper.

From this day on, she would be on a different path from the other disciples.

“If you change your mind, your master is still willing to risk everything to send you away.”

True Person Wen Qing looked at her, truly unable to bear her walking down this path.

The Path of Heartlessness is not something an ordinary person can endure.

By the end of the cultivation, all seven emotions and six desires will be gradually worn away.

By then, would she truly still be considered human?

Zhou Zhixue shook her head: “Master, there is no need to persuade me anymore. Your disciple’s mind is set.”

She looked at the tightly shut door not far away.

Senior Sister hadn’t come out.

Her eyes showed some disappointment.

But the next second, the door opened. Qin Qingyi, with a bag strapped on her back, flew directly towards her on her sword.

Qin Qingyi scooped her up and swiftly flew toward the outside of the Sword Sect.

Zhou Zhixue blinked her eyes: “Senior Sister?”

Her feet were suspended in the air, and just as she tried to lift her head, she was pressed into Qin Qingyi’s arms.

The surrounding air was filled with the sound of rushing wind.

And from above her head, came Senior Sister’s fierce words:

“To hell with the Sword Sect! Cultivating some ridiculous Path of Heartlessness! Don’t be afraid, Junior Sister, Senior Sister will take you away!”