After My Death, the Female Lead Breaks the Heartless Path - Chapter 55

When they returned to the small courtyard, Xu Jingqiu only saw Jingli sitting in the yard, her face pale and her breathing still somewhat weak, but she didn’t see the familiar figure she expected to greet her.

Xu Jingqiu scanned the surroundings with her eyes, searching for the calico cat, while Chen Yulan walked up to Jingli and asked with concern, “How are you feeling?”

Jingli shook her head and replied calmly, “I’m fine now. The medicine Miss Xu gave me is very effective, and I’m almost fully recovered. I just need some time to recuperate, and I’ll be back to normal.”

Then, Jingli turned her gaze to Xu Jingqiu, who was still searching for the calico cat and calling out “meow, meow” repeatedly. Though puzzled, Jingli didn’t voice her confusion. Instead, she lowered her head in shame and said, “I’m sorry, Holy Maiden. I failed in my duty and allowed the Sect Leader to take Miss Xu away.”

Chen Yulan hadn’t expected Jingli to still feel guilty about this matter. She let out a soft, helpless laugh and lightly flicked Jingli’s forehead. “What are you thinking? The Sect Leader isn’t someone just anyone can stop. Even I might not have been able to protect Xiaoqiu, let alone you.”

“Don’t worry, she’s fine. It’s you who got injured. Go back and rest for a while. I’ll take care of things here now, so there’s no need to worry.”

Jingli nodded, pressed a hand to her chest, stood up, bowed, and prepared to leave. As she passed by Xu Jingqiu, she greeted her, and Xu Jingqiu handed her another bottle of medicine.

Jingli looked at Xu Jingqiu in confusion, and Xu Jingqiu pointed to the bottle with a smile. “Consider this compensation and an apology for involving you in this. Rest well.”

Unconsciously tightening her grip on the bottle, Jingli nodded firmly, bowed once more, and left.

After Jingli had gone, Xu Jingqiu still hadn’t found her calico cat. Scratching her head in bewilderment, she turned to Chen Yulan and asked, “Have you seen my cat?”

Hearing the words “my cat,” Chen Yulan’s expression shifted slightly, but she quickly returned to normal without letting Xu Jingqiu notice. “Yes, she came to find me with Jingli. After she saw me, she ran off, and I don’t know where she went. But I placed a talisman on her with a restriction. If she encounters any danger, it will activate. So far, it hasn’t been triggered, so don’t worry.”

Xu Jingqiu nodded absentmindedly, and after a long while, she let out another sigh.

Seeing that Xu Jingqiu was still feeling down, Chen Yulan took the initiative to change the subject. “About the Sect Leader, is there anything you’d like to know?”

Xu Jingqiu quickly became absorbed in the topic. There were too many unanswered questions about Ji Yiliu, and it was hard for her not to be curious. “Does she know me well?”

Chen Yulan hadn’t expected Ji Yiliu to take notice of Xu Jingqiu either. When Xu Jingqiu first arrived at the Joyful Union Sect, she was just an ordinary person. Not only would Ji Yiliu have had no connection to her, but even Chen Yulan’s elders didn’t know her.

“Sect Leader Ji suddenly challenged the former Sect Leader to a life-or-death battle half a year ago. With absolute power, she suppressed and killed the former Sect Leader, taking over the position. As for why she knows you.” Chen Yulan unconsciously glanced at Xu Jingqiu. “Perhaps she saw something special in you back then? I’ve heard that Sect Leader Ji’s eyes are extraordinary, she can see things ordinary people cannot.”

Xu Jingqiu thought of how Ji Yiliu had once revealed that she wasn’t from this world and nodded in agreement. “Indeed, this is the first time I’ve encountered someone who could see through my identity at a glance.”

Chen Yulan was momentarily stunned before continuing, “Is that so? Then it seems the rumors are true.”

“What do you think of Ji Yiliu?”

Chen Yulan pondered seriously before admitting frankly, “Although I don’t particularly like her, it’s undeniable that she’s a remarkable person. In the half year since she took office, she has reformed many of the corrupt practices within the Blissful Sect.”

“You’re well aware of what the cultivation techniques of the Blissful Sect entail, right? The filth within the sect is undisguised they would stop at nothing and use any means to gain power. Even after the previous uproar, little had fundamentally changed. But since Sect Leader Ji took over, many of those malpractices have vanished.”

Xu Jingqiu sighed in admiration, surprised by the scale of her actions, which likely had much to do with her strength. Not only would the elders within the Blissful Sect have to contend with it, but even Penglai would find it troubling for a while.

But why was Ji Yiliu so fixated on her? Although their previous encounter had an element of testing, the killing intent was unmistakably real.

She decided to investigate this matter as well, but first, she needed to address the issue of the foreign deity’s aura on Chen Yulan.

It seemed to be getting late, and Little Sanhua still hadn’t returned. Disappointed, Xu Jingqiu closed the door. After a moment’s thought, she opened the window and installed an infrared detection device before finally settling down to rest.

Without Little Sanhua that night, she had to lie down alone. Unconsciously, her thoughts drifted to another person.

Yin Ruolan.

She felt as though it had been a long time since they last saw each other, yet she wasn’t prepared to face her.

This past year had given her enough time to calm down and uncover things even Yin Ruolan herself had forgotten, allowing her to understand the truth of the matter.

The events of that year weren’t solely one person’s fault. Based on the complete version of the story she had learned, she now understood why Yin Ruolan had chosen to remain silent back then.

But understanding was one thing; facing it head-on was another.

With another sigh, Xu Jingqiu buried her face and sighed once more before falling into a deep sleep. For the first time, she wished the night wouldn’t be so tranquil.

However, contrary to her expectations, the alarm never sounded, meaning Little Sanhua hadn’t returned.

There was disappointment, but even more so, worry. Little Sanhua was indeed a member of the demon tribe, but she belonged to one of its weaker factions.

Sitting dejectedly on the bed, feeling a sense of loss, Xu Jingqiu soon heard voices two people conversing, though she couldn’t make out the details.

After only a brief hesitation, Xu Jingqiu got up and pushed the door open. Sure enough, she saw Chen Yulan and Wen Banxia, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, sitting in the courtyard.

Upon seeing her, both greeted her simultaneously.

“Long time no see,” Wen Banxia said cheerfully. “Have you lost weight?”

Xu Jingqiu instinctively touched her face. “Is it that obvious?”

Wen Banxia reached out and gently pinched Xu Jingqiu’s cheek, confirming, “Very obvious. It’s not as soft as before.”

Xu Jingqiu: “…” With a dark expression, she swatted Wen Banxia’s hand away. “Stop fooling around.”

Wen Banxia let out a soft chuckle, releasing her grip and instead patting Xu Jingqiu’s head. Her tone grew somber: “We’ve all been worried about you this past year. Ye Shuran had no news of you at all, we couldn’t get any information.”

Xu Jingqiu guiltily averted her gaze. When she left, she hadn’t even told Ye Shuran where she was going, let alone the three of them. No one would feel at ease in such a situation: “I’m sorry.”

“As long as you’re safe, it’s fine.” Wen Banxia sighed in relief, then added seriously, “Next time, you must tell us. Don’t disappear without a word like that again, we were really worried.”

Xu Jingqiu thought that from now on, there probably wouldn’t be any more unspeakable matters related to the Outer Gods, so she agreed: “Alright, there won’t be a next time.”

“By the way, where exactly have you been all this time? There was no word from you at all even the contract with Yin Ruolan and the God-Binding Chains couldn’t detect any trace of you,” Wen Banxia pressed.

Where had she been? “I went to look for something. As for what it is, I can’t say right now words can bring trouble. And if you were to find out, it would entangle you in the web of cause and effect.”

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