There was a discrepancy between memory and the image before her eyes.
Xiao Hongyi remembered clearly.
After she brought Jiang Chen here, although the two of them also shared laughter and joy, Jiang Chen had never asked her the questions, “Do you believe in fate?” or “What if one day someone wants to kill me?”.
Nonetheless, she was still happy.
After all, despite the discrepancies, she still enjoyed this master-disciple time and even wished it could continue indefinitely.
“Hmm, after I wake up, I should practice peeling the Spirit Fruits. I wonder if using a Spirit Sword would make it look nicer?” she thought to herself.
In her thoughts, the scene changed, and it was several years later.
……
Jiuyan Sect.
The Ninth Peak had only been established for a few years, talents were dwindling, and there were many affairs to manage.The Xiao Hongyi in the image toiled daily, often going out, and was exhausted mentally and physically.
She had become more serious than usual, no longer laughing, and her somewhat indifferent gaze gave off a sense of numbness.
By this time, Lin Mubai and Qingning had joined the sect.
Lin Mubai was immersed in his books, oblivious to the world outside, while the young Qingning followed Jiang Chen every day like a shadow.
One day.
“Qingning, Eldest Senior Brother wants you to help me with something,” Jiang Chen said while patting Qingning’s head.
“Okay!” the young Qingning agreed cheerfully.
Jiang Chen crouched down and started speaking seriously, “Don’t agree so quickly because this task is somewhat dangerous. You can refuse if you don’t want to.”
The young Qingning nodded.
“I need you to go to the Red Flame Sea of Fire. In the center of that sea of fire is a pitch-black charcoal tree, visible only to those with great destiny. Senior Brother hopes you can scrape some of the charcoal ash and bring it back,” Jiang Chen revealed his purpose.
“Senior Brother, are you going with me?” the young Qingning asked expectantly.
Jiang Chen shook his head, “I can’t go. If I do, the tree will hide itself. You can’t tell anyone about this. You must go alone.”
“Oh,” the young Qingning nodded.
Before long, Qingning left the sect alone and headed for the Red Flame Sea of Fire.
She was only ten years old at the time and had a cultivation level of the lower four realms.
And the Red Flame Sea of Fire, if its flames erupted, even cultivators of the upper fourth realm would be instantly devoured.
Xiao Hongyi frowned slightly as this scene unfolded before her eyes.
The following scene was exactly as she remembered.
The young Qingning left the sect and had not returned for a long time.
After checking the blood slip, Xiao Hongyi learned that Qingning had gone to the Red Flame Sea of Fire.
Then, after realizing the danger, she took Jiang Chen and several elders of the Ninth Peak to search for Qingning in the Red Flame Sea of Fire.
When they found Qingning, she was barely alive, collapsed at the edge of the sea of fire, her small body burned in many places, her originally fair and tender skin now covered with a layer of black ash.
Even so, Qingning was still clutching something tightly!
Xiao Hongyi quickly rescued Qingning.
However, upon waking up, Qingning’s first action was to struggle to her feet and run towards Jiang Chen.
“Eldest Senior Brother, I’ve brought back what you wanted,” Qingning said with her voice full of excitement despite the difficulty she had even standing.
Hearing this, everyone was in disbelief, and Xiao Hongyi nearly fainted from anger.
There had been rumors that Jiang Chen treated Qingning as a tool, using her destiny to obtain various treasures.
Still, Xiao Hongyi didn’t believe it.
Firstly, there was no solid evidence, and secondly, she was unwilling to believe that Jiang Chen, who had not made any major mistakes recently, would be so shameless.
But it was Qingning’s words that confirmed Jiang Chen’s guilt!
“You… what did you send Qingning to fetch?” Xiao Hongyi still asked, despite everything.
Jiang Chen did not respond.
Instead, he crouched down, touched Qingning’s head with a look of distress, and simply said, “Thank you.”
The young Qingning smiled.
But Xiao Hongyi and the other elders of the Ninth Peak could hardly suppress the anger in their hearts.
After returning to the sect, Jiang Chen was punished to face the wall for a hundred days.
Given his misdeeds, even being thrown into the sect’s prison would not have been too harsh, but the young Qingning clung to Jiang Chen, insisting on sharing his punishment.
With no other choice, Xiao Hongyi had to administer a light punishment with a stern warning.
……
That night.
As an observer, Xiao Hongyi in the void watched the two figures, one large and one small, huddled together in front of the wall of reflection, and she sighed softly.
She remembered clearly.
After that, Jiang Chen returned to his old ways, making big and small mistakes until she destroyed his Core Formation, yet he still did not change.
Xiao Hongyi stepped forward and sat down beside Jiang Chen, hugging her knees.
Knowing that Jiang Chen couldn’t hear her, she still said, “Your sins are my sins. In reality, I only scolded you harshly. Now that I think about it, I, as your Master, also need to reflect upon my actions.”
“In fact, I’ve always been confused. You are the only son of the Jiang family. What could you possibly lack? Why did you need to send the young Qingning on such a risky task? Although you are bad, you have never harmed Qingning before. What item could make you so cold-blooded?” she murmured.
Jiang Chen couldn’t hear her, so of course, he didn’t respond.
The young Qingning woke up from her sleep and curiously asked, “Eldest Senior Brother, what exactly is that charcoal tree? Even though it’s turned to charcoal, it’s really hot.”
“Did you give the charcoal ash to Master?” Jiang Chen asked in return.
Charcoal ash? What charcoal ash?
Xiao Hongyi was confused.
This was the second time she sensed something was amiss.
“Yeah, I put it in Master’s tea. That charcoal ash is amazing. It’s like Master couldn’t see it and just drank it,” the young Qingning nodded.
After a long silence, she added, “Eldest Senior Brother, when I left, I heard Master crying. I’ve never seen Master cry before. Did we do something wrong…”
Jiang Chen didn’t answer directly but told the young Qingning to go back and wanted to be alone.
Although Qingning was reluctant, she still left while looking back at Jiang Chen every three steps.
Afterward, Jiang Chen smiled, “It’s good that Master is fine. But this time, I indeed put Qingning in danger and feel guilty about it.”
Hearing this, Xiao Hongyi’s eyes widened in shock as if thunder had exploded in her mind.
Master is fine? What does that mean?
The smile on Jiang Chen’s face made her even more panicked.
Because that smile was not one of a successful scheme, but one of relief or contentment!
Xiao Hongyi indeed remembered.
After punishing Jiang Chen, Qingning had come to find her. She also remembered that when Qingning brought her tea, she indeed drank it all in one gulp.
But she was a cultivator of the upper four realm!
She couldn’t have failed to notice if there was so-called “charcoal ash” in the tea. And she wouldn’t have just drunk it!
Unless…
Suddenly, Xiao Hongyi recalled a rumor.
Before the formation of the Sea of Red Flames, it was said that a phoenix once rested there.
The divine bird phoenix perches only on the parasol tree.
And the parasol tree can only be seen by those with great destiny…
“That’s not just any charred tree, but a scorched parasol tree? The so-called charcoal ash is actually the burnt bark of the parasol tree?” she exclaimed in surprise.
Staring intently at Jiang Chen, she continued her analysis: “Did you know then that I was a Postnatal Phoenix Body? Did you realize that during that time, the phoenix blood had begun to devour my heart due to my overexertion? And that the parasol tree is the best spiritual treasure to suppress the phoenix blood?!”
That was the only possibility.
Although she didn’t know how Jiang Chen came to know these things, this conclusion was the only one that could explain everything.
She had never considered this before because she had not yet informed Jiang Chen and the other disciples that she was a Postnatal Phoenix Body at that time.
During that period, she was indeed afflicted by the devouring phoenix blood, and when she recovered, she thought it was due to her own cultivation suppressing it.
She never imagined the truth would be like this.
So… Did Jiang Chen have Qingning take risks not for himself but for her?
As a master, she not only lacked gratitude but also harshly scolded and punished Jiang Chen.
“I… ”
At this moment, Xiao Hongyi was completely panicked.
Despite constantly reminding herself that this was not reality, she felt everything was terrifyingly real.
And the truth, like a giant hand, instantly tore through her heart.
She finally understood.
Jiang Chen must have kept silent about the truth because he knew she would not agree to let Qingning take risks.
Even if he told her afterward, it would only lead her into deep guilt!
This disciple, whom she thought was incorrigible, had done a big thing for her!
Feelings of self-reproach and guilt surged in her heart.
Xiao Hongyi wanted to hold back, but in the end, she cried out loud.
She turned her back to Jiang Chen and crouched down to cover her face.
Even though she knew Jiang Chen couldn’t see her, she still pretended to be strong.
She wanted to apologize to Jiang Chen but was too choked up to speak.
As she cried, she also smiled, feeling happier than ever before.
At this moment, aside from self-reproach, she wanted to tell everyone.
At least in this matter, Jiang Chen was not wrong! The fault was hers!
Her disciple was not as bad as everyone had said!
“Fine then, you sly heavens. You won without lifting a finger this time,” Jiang Chen’s voice rang out again.
These words made Xiao Hongyi freeze in confusion.
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