Forcing the Aloof Master to Madness - Chapter 22 

Shen Lezhi actually had a temper. In the previous life, Wang Xi always felt she was too obedient. Now, she finally saw her in such a sharp state.

Was she so easily exposed because she was punished this way for the first time that she couldn’t even maintain her facade of pretense?

Wang Xi scoffed inwardly at how easily Shen Lezhi’s disguise was broken.

However, on second thought, it was she who had been too trusting of Shen Lezhi in the past.

Shen Lezhi refusing her touch made her even more pleased. She handed the person over to Yunsha and paid no further attention.

Shen Lezhi’s injuries were not severe. Wang Xi wanted her to feel pain, but she remained rational, knowing she could not kill her.

Furthermore, killing Shen Lezhi so easily would not eliminate the monstrous hatred in Wang Xi’s heart.

Shen Lezhi was only spiritually depleted because she had continuously forced herself to circulate her spiritual energy to try and eliminate the cold. With some spiritual replenishment pills on Medicinal Herb Peak and a little meridian clearing by a medicinal cultivator, she would slowly recover.

Senior Sister Yunsha had already given her a spiritual replenishment pill on the way to Medicinal Herb Peak, and Shen Lezhi’s consciousness gradually cleared up.

“Lezhi, what on earth happened to you?” Senior Sister Yunsha asked cautiously.

What could she have done to incur such great anger from the Glimmering Moon Immortal Venerable?

And why would she talk back to the Immortal Venerable like that?

Senior Sister Yunsha dared not ask too clearly, fearing Shen Lezhi was too distraught.

But Shen Lezhi did not reply to her query. She silently lowered her head, not saying a word.

This surprised Yunsha somewhat.

In her memory, Shen Lezhi always told her everything. The girl was always obedient and lively in front of her, occasionally showing a little willfulness.

She was definitely not the lifeless, dull-eyed person in front of her now.

But since Shen Lezhi refused to speak, Senior Sister Yunsha was helpless and could only offer gentle concern.

After receiving treatment on Medicinal Herb Peak, Senior Sister Yunsha escorted Shen Lezhi back to her small house. However, Shen Lezhi still forced her body to fetch Spiritual Spring Water, intending to water the spiritual plants in her field.

After all, farming could not be skipped for a day. She hadn’t encountered Senior Sister Qi on Medicinal Herb Peak, so even though she was unwell, she had to do it herself.

Senior Sister Yunsha had only recently returned to the Xuan-Yu Sect from a long trip and was unaware that Shen Lezhi now spent all her time growing spiritual plants. Hearing Shen Lezhi say she was going to tend to spiritual plants, she was instantly curious.

She followed Shen Lezhi all the way to the field, seeing the plot half-wasteland and half-planted with spiritual herbs. Seeing Shen Lezhi genuinely carrying her gourd to water them and squatting down to skillfully check the condition of the spiritual herbs made her feel even stranger.

Senior Sister Yunsha had watched Shen Lezhi grow up and had never seen her disregard her image like this. She subconsciously called out, “Lezhi…”

But after calling her, she didn’t know what to say next.

“Senior Sister, please return first. I am fine now,” Shen Lezhi said. However, the physical sensation of spiritual depletion was unpleasant. She had no strength left in her body, and a metallic, bloody taste kept rising in her throat, making her feel dizzy.

She was not the original host after all, and she truly didn’t know how to respond to Senior Sister Yunsha, who constantly cared for her. Furthermore, her exhausted body and weary heart made her unwilling to interact much with the people of this world.

Senior Sister Yunsha naturally understood Shen Lezhi’s obvious rejection. Although being refused by Shen Lezhi this way for the first time surprised her, after a brief hesitation, she decided to leave thoughtfully.

After Senior Sister Yunsha left, Shen Lezhi did not linger in the field for too long. She walked back to her small residence alone. Pushing open the door, a gust of cool wind stirred and blew onto Shen Lezhi.

She instinctively felt cold, a coldness that pierced to the bone marrow.

But this was not Linglong Peak. It wasn’t in front of Wang Xi’s cave residence, and there was no rain or snow falling from the sky.

Shen Lezhi’s head felt even dizzier. She staggered into the house and sat down at the brown square table as usual, resting her forehead on the remaining half-stem of the Weeping Soul Strand.

She was the only one in the room. Her fingers tightly gripped the edge of the Weeping Soul Strand’s pot, her knuckles turning blue from the force.

The surroundings were empty now. She was finally left with just herself. She rested her head against the plant’s fragile stem, and the numbness that had lasted all day finally showed a hint of change.

Her lips trembled uncontrollably, a sour feeling welled up in her nose, her eyes reddened beyond control, and then her whole body shook.

Shen Lezhi was not a sentimental person. Growing up, because her parents were not around, she had matured earlier than her peers. She was strong, rational, serious, and hardworking—the embodiment of how most ordinary people live simple yet diligent lives.

She didn’t cry often, but when she was wronged outside and missed home too much, even the strongest person couldn’t help but shed tears.

She cried suppressedly. There was no sound except for small sobs. Tears clearly fell, yet it was as if they were blocked inside.

Because her grandmother wasn’t here. She wouldn’t hold her in her arms when she cried; she wouldn’t gently pat her back, endlessly forgiving her.

This world was still not her home.

Despite her profound sadness, Shen Lezhi only cried for a little while. She then wiped away her tears and watered the Weeping Soul Strand as usual.

She returned to her expressionless state and went to sleep peacefully. When she closed her eyes, she hoped to dream of the warm flames of the burning firewood in the village kitchen, and the wisps of cooking smoke visible from the distant fields, guiding her way home.

Unfortunately, the dreams that night contained nothing.

Shen Lezhi woke up before dawn. She couldn’t sleep anymore. The cold bedding was slowly eroding her body and mind.

She went to the courtyard and practiced a set of Eight Trigrams Palms as usual, then fetched Spiritual Spring Water to irrigate the spiritual plants in the field.

After finishing all this, she still needed to go up Linglong Peak to check on the White Ice Grass she had planted earlier. Fortunately, the heavy wind and rain yesterday had not destroyed those few small seedlings.

This reminded Shen Lezhi of the ordinary small flower she had desperately protected. She was too dizzy at the time and didn’t check if that little flower was still alright.

After tending to the White Ice Grass, Shen Lezhi once again ascended to the peak of Linglong Peak and stood before Wang Xi’s cave residence.

“Master, your disciple Shen Lezhi requests an audience,” Shen Lezhi’s voice was unusually calm, like that of a lifeless doll.

Wang Xi inside the cave residence had not expected Shen Lezhi to come and see her. She slowly walked out of the cave residence and immediately noticed Shen Lezhi’s fragile, pale expression.

“What business brings you here?” Wang Xi inquired coldly.

Shen Lezhi didn’t even raise her head, her posture respectful. “Your disciple has come to learn spells as agreed.”

Wang Xi narrowed her eyes upon hearing this, thinking that Shen Lezhi wouldn’t return so soon after talking back to her yesterday. But then she remembered Shen Lezhi was always like this—feigning obedience.

However, the other party’s expression was cold now, not even comparable to the weak, fake smile of her past life.

“Good,” since the other party was so eager to continue this pretense with her, how could Wang Xi refuse?

“Then continue learning the sword technique,” Wang Xi stepped back a few paces, giving Shen Lezhi space to practice.

Shen Lezhi did not hesitate. She stepped forward, drew her sword, and began to wave it, recalling Wang Xi’s movements from before.

Her posture was naturally less elegant than Wang Xi’s, and her wrist was weak when wielding the sword.

The set of domineering and sharp sword moves was performed softly and feebly by her, yet she refused to stop after completing one sequence. She went over it again and again. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her breathing became chaotic.

Wang Xi watched her. She stayed and watched for as long as Shen Lezhi practiced. After Shen Lezhi completed the sword sequence one more time, Wang Xi casually picked up a withered leaf from the ground. With a flick of two fingers, the withered leaf flew toward Shen Lezhi like a sharp weapon.

Although the withered leaf was sharp, its speed was not fast. Shen Lezhi could completely react. She swung her sword to strike, but the sword edge was too soft and was actually shocked back three steps by the tiny withered leaf.

The leaf’s edge grazed her cheek, cutting her skin.

Burning hot blood flowed out. Shen Lezhi wiped it away, staining her fingers crimson.

She finally lowered her sword, the tip drooping weakly to the ground. She let the crimson blood flow down her face, staining her neck and her robes.

“If that were an enemy, you would already be dead beneath this withered leaf,” Wang Xi stated indifferently.

Shen Lezhi raised her face to Wang Xi. A large patch of crimson blood on her pale face made her look bewitching and unsettling.

Yet, her expression was calm, without a ripple in her eyes.

She looked at Wang Xi, her tone cold but not the deep chill of Wang Xi’s, only calm. “I will never be able to reach Foundation Establishment in this life. Why should I still practice the sword? I will stay within the sect for my entire life and die after a hundred years. Since the ending is already known, why should I still strive?”

Hearing her words, Wang Xi’s heart turned cold.

Because of her failing health, Shen Lezhi could only reach the Qi Refining stage in this life. In the previous life, she had gone to such lengths to seize the remaining Linglong Heart, wanting to put Wang Xi to death. Why would she say such words now?

If Shen Lezhi truly didn’t strive for anything, how would Wang Xi have ended up in such a miserable state?

Such a revolting performance.

Wang Xi stared intently at Shen Lezhi, suppressing the hatred in her heart and restraining the urge to crush the neck of the person before her. She took two steps toward Shen Lezhi, her cold eyes intently fixed on Shen Lezhi. “Then why do you come to this Master to learn the sword?”

Shen Lezhi’s expression finally changed upon hearing this. She actually gave a soft laugh, looking straight into Wang Xi’s eyes without any reverence at this moment. She said, “I do not want my legs to be powerless to walk, and my body to be confined by another person when the wind and rain fall again.”

She said it so bluntly, once again tearing off her obedience and showing the sharp thorns all over her body.

Wang Xi took another step closer to her, pulled her hand up, and pressed it against her own chest. Her icy body temperature slowly transferred to the other party.

“Then, do you want the other half of this Master’s heart?” She asked Shen Lezhi this way.

Shen Lezhi’s palm felt the beat of Wang Xi’s half-heart. The thump-thump reverberation passed through her palm and into her mind.

In a trance, she had the illusion that their hearts were beating in sync.

Wang Xi thought Shen Lezhi would at least show a moment of weakness, revealing that ugly craving and greed.

But after the initial surprise, Shen Lezhi simply shook her head calmly, seemingly truly uninterested in the Linglong Heart within her body.

But even so, Wang Xi would not believe it.

Everything she experienced in her past life was already a foregone conclusion.

“This Master is willing to give it to you,” Wang Xi said again, lowering her eyes.

But Shen Lezhi still shook her head, pulling free of the wrist Wang Xi held. Her calm, almost pitying eyes gazed at her. She said softly:

“I am not your disciple. I do not need your sacrifice.”