After My Death, the Female Lead Breaks the Heartless Path - Chapter 30

Every minute and every second of waiting felt excruciatingly long.

After suppressing the urge to check for the thousandth time, the door was finally knocked. Yin Ruolan practically rushed to open it, feeling an unprecedented sense of relief upon seeing An Li.

An Li, naturally noticing this, rolled her eyes unceremoniously before delivering the long-awaited news: “The treatment is complete. The Demon Lord may take the Divine One back now. As for the items, we have prepared them as well.”

With that, An Li handed Yin Ruolan a storage ring and a scroll containing the cultivation method.

Yin Ruolan accepted the items with both hands, carefully storing them in her own storage ring. “Thank you,” she said.

An Li waved a hand dismissively, her attitude indifferent. “I did this for the Divine One. If it weren’t for the fact that you’re also acting in her interest, you wouldn’t even have been allowed inside.”

Though the words stung a little, they were the truth. Given that their goals were largely aligned at the moment, Yin Ruolan chose not to dwell on it and instead asked, “Where is she?”

“Come, I’ll take you there. Will this immortal elder be joining us as well?” An Li glanced at Wen Banxia, who stood further back, and asked with a playful tilt of her head.

Wen Banxia pretended not to notice An Li’s teasing tone, maintaining a calm and courteous demeanor, far more patient than Yin Ruolan. “Of course. I would appreciate it if the Priestess could lead the way.”

After speaking, Wen Banxia gave a slight bow with clasped hands, a common gesture of respect among cultivators.

An Li observed the polite Wen Banxia and then glanced at Yin Ruolan, who stood coldly with her arms crossed. She couldn’t help but inwardly sigh. Look at this righteous cultivator at least she knows how to put on a show.

Outwardly, An Li remained courteous, gesturing for the two to follow her out. As Yin Ruolan passed by, she whispered in a voice only the two could hear, “Don’t let me catch you treating her poorly. I don’t care about others, but since you’ve chosen to stay by her side now, treat her well. Otherwise, I won’t hesitate to sever your marriage bond permanently and give you a little ‘interesting’ curse.”

Yin Ruolan was certain that this so-called “interesting” curse was nothing good. Moreover, An Li’s words weren’t baseless she must have discovered something, such as their shared past.

Even without knowing the details, certain clues could be pieced together, like the marriage bond.

Once severed due to her refusal and departure, and once severed when Xu Jingqiu sacrificed herself in a strategic move.

With her memories restored this time, would Xiaoqiu recall that unpleasant past?

Yin Ruolan didn’t know, and she was deeply uneasy. But she hoped her Xiaoqiu would be safe and well, even if it meant she might leave her again.

When they arrived at the treatment area, Xu Jingqiu was still lying quietly on the stone bed, breathing steadily but not yet awake. The demon tribesmen lay scattered around, exhausted, with An Li being the only one still full of energy.

Yin Ruolan walked softly to her beloved’s side, gently lifting her into her arms. She then glanced toward Bai Xuan’s spot, where the little white tiger promptly leaped up and settled on Xu Jingqiu’s stomach, purring contentedly.

“The treatment has been successful, you can rest assured about that, Demon Lord. However, her memories are too numerous and heavy, so even with the successful treatment, it’s difficult for her to wake up and recover immediately. Whether she can fully remember everything is uncertain. Right now, the deity’s consciousness is immersed in her memories, but she will wake up soon.” Bai Xuan spoke with a hint of exhaustion, then turned his gaze to Bai Yi.

Bai Yi happened to look up at that moment, staring at him with confusion, as if wondering why Bai Xuan hadn’t followed when everyone else was about to leave.

Bai Xuan smiled weakly, stood up with effort, and walked over to her. He gently rubbed the little white tiger’s head and said softly, “I have a lot to deal with next. Stay by the deity’s side, behave yourself, and listen to her, okay?”

The little white tiger nuzzled his hand reluctantly before lying down dejectedly.

Bai Xuan took a step back and bowed deeply. “I leave the rest to you. As for the task you entrusted me with, I will complete it.”

…

As soon as they exited the secret realm, the entrance behind them vanished. The secret realm, along with the demon world within it, had once again concealed itself.

Yin Ruolan glanced around and could still see traces of previous encampments, but there was no sign of any cultivators. Perhaps the surviving cultivators had left after seeing that they hadn’t returned for so long.

“Let’s go,” Yin Ruolan said, readjusting Xu Jingqiu, who had slipped down slightly, and wrapped the blanket tighter around her. Soon after, a little white tiger head struggled out from under the blanket, letting out a dissatisfied, milky roar at Yin Ruolan.

Yin Ruolan looked at the little white tiger with a headache. The little creature refused to be held by anyone else and insisted on staying close to Xu Jingqiu. Fortunately, it had been relatively well-behaved along the way, or else she would have tossed it aside.

No one could resist a fluffy little creature, not even the demons. As soon as Bai Yi poked her head out, many demons turned to look, only to avert their gazes under Yin Ruolan’s sharp stare.

Wen Banxia watched the scene with amusement and, calculating the time, said, “Since our journey has concluded, I shall take my leave now.”

Yin Ruolan was slightly surprised. “Oh? Leaving so soon? I thought you’d stay a bit longer. In such a hurry?”

Wen Banxia shook her head calmly. “There’s no point in staying, is there? Nothing will change. Knowing that she’s doing well now is enough. As for the rest, there’s no need to rush, right?”

Unsure of what Wen Banxia was scheming, Yin Ruolan didn’t try to stop her and urged, “In that case, farewell. We need to head back as well, it’s not comfortable to rest on the road.” With that, she prepared to ride off.

Wen Banxia reached out to stop her. “Wait, there’s one more thing.”

Yin Ruolan: ?

Wen Banxia walked to the side, took a daisy from her storage ring, and gently placed it in Xu Jingqiu’s arms. The little white tiger, quick to notice, reached out a paw to hold the flower in place, preventing it from falling or getting crushed, then looked up as if seeking praise.

Wen Banxia chuckled, rubbed the little tiger’s head, and said to Yin Ruolan, “Don’t always keep such a stern face. I’m off.”

Yin Ruolan: …

How could she not know what this person was implying? She was the one who had taught her the language of flowers, and now she was using it against her?

Though she felt like tossing the flower away, Yin Ruolan sighed as she watched it being held unconsciously in Xu Jingqiu’s hand.

“Fine, since she’s Xiao Qiu’s sister, just this once.”

After the figures disappeared from sight, Yin Ruolan set off again with her companions. Meanwhile, Wen Banxia hadn’t gone far when she encountered another person: “Chen Yulan, I didn’t expect to find you here.”

Chen Yulan sat on the flying vessel, watching the other land on the deck, and snorted, “Wasn’t it you who sent the message asking for a pickup? What, not happy to see me?”

“Not exactly, I just didn’t expect it to be you who came.”

Chen Yulan sneered, “Don’t overthink it. I just wanted to see how pathetic you’ve become. Looks like…” She gave Wen Banxia a once-over, wrinkling her nose in disgust, “you’re indeed not doing well as bedraggled as a drowned rat.”

Wen Banxia remained smiling, her true thoughts unreadable. “It’s fine. At least I saw her with my own eyes and know she’s doing well now. Being able to talk to her normally is enough for me.”

Having worked together for so long, how could Chen Yulan miss the implication? She had mocked Wen Banxia’s defeat, but Wen Banxia was subtly taunting her for not even being able to meet or exchange a single word with the person in question. Chen Yulan felt a surge of frustration stuck in her throat.

“Tch, so what if you talked? She still left, didn’t she? Went into someone else’s arms? What can you do besides flaunt it in front of me?” Chen Yulan spat venomously.

Wen Banxia maintained her calm, smiling demeanor. “But you can’t even manage that much, can you?”

Before Chen Yulan could erupt again, Wen Banxia cut her off: “Why did you really come looking for me?”

She didn’t believe Chen Yulan would make a special trip just to gloat. “If you’re hoping to see her… I advise you to give up. She’s well protected by Yin Ruolan now. I’m her sister, but you have no connection to her at all, you’d struggle to even get a meeting.”

Chen Yulan bristled instantly. “Who said I came to see her? Why would I want to see her? But I do have business with you.”

“Reliable intel: just yesterday, a new faction emerged among the sects, specifically opposing Penglai. They call themselves the Resistance Army.”

Wen Banxia thought back. The day before yesterday… they were in the beginner’s secret realm, weren’t they? Did it happen then, or earlier? “Time in the secret realm is somewhat distorted. It’s hard for me to pinpoint the exact timing.”

Chen Yulan rolled her eyes and scoffed again. “Then don’t bother. You just need to know. Do you think they might be connected to Tianzhi? After all, aside from them, only Tianzhi would dare to act so boldly now.”

Wen Banxia pondered for a moment. “What’s their modus operandi like? How would you assess them?”

“A pretty arrogant bunch, especially their leader. He comes from a minor sect, has a single spiritual root, but he’s still only at the Foundation Establishment stage and quite full of himself. What kind of strength or favorable reputation do you think a faction led by someone like that could have?”

Wen Banxia stated with certainty, “Then it’s not Tianzhi. They’re quite low-key. Aside from approaching people like you and me, or those minor sects driven to desperation, have you seen Tianzhi make any major moves?”

Chen Yulan fell silent, for there truly was none. In comparison, Tianzhi’s strength was unfathomable and their low profile was almost frightening they were indeed not cut from the same cloth. “But from now on, stay away from these rebels when you see them. They’re bizarre, especially that man. Despite being only at the Foundation Establishment stage, he managed to attract so many followers. His overt influence is even greater than Tianzhi’s.”

Wen Banxia tentatively suggested, “Maybe he has some exceptional qualities?”

“…Are you referring to his self-importance and the nauseating charm he exudes everywhere?” Chen Yulan remarked expressionlessly.

Wen Banxia fell silent once more, pausing for a moment before saying, “Let’s go. We’ll talk more after we return.”

Just as Chen Yulan had predicted, upon returning to the sect, Wen Banxia encountered members of the rebel army. They were all acting erratically, almost like zealots proselytizing, even coercing others to join them.

To maintain the sect’s stability and with the sect leader’s tacit approval, Wen Banxia uncovered dozens of major and minor transgressions these people had committed during her absence and directly expelled them.

After being driven out, these individuals immediately headed to the rebel army’s stronghold, the sect where Qu Tao resided.

“After all, not everyone can comprehend our grand mission,” Qu Tao patted the shoulder of the leader. “It is precisely for this reason that we must resist this corrupt status quo and bring truth to the world.”

“There is still much for us to do.”

Once the others had left, Qu Tao took a deep breath and suddenly asked, “They came from Duyun Sect? Isn’t Wen Banxia part of my harem? Why did she expel them?”

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