After rebirth, the eldest sister voluntarily abdicated and gave way to the wise.

Chapter 521 Will you miss her?

Jiang Liqian understood.

Having entered the realm of Nascent Soul, she is capable of moving mountains and filling seas, but she is also more feared by the Heavenly Dao. The stronger her abilities, the more rules will bind her.

Immortal Venerable Qingzhi was blaming her for rashly taking away Jiang Yueming's—no, Zhuang Wanyin's—heart.

Jiang Yueming's cultivation level is higher than hers. If he makes a mistake, not only will Sanyan Cliff be destroyed, but half of the sect may also be destroyed by him.

There must be a reason for the divine punishment, but she didn't bother to find out any of it.

But why should she want to know?

Yes, she admitted that she had not taken cultivation seriously in this life, and her understanding of cultivation was superficial and she had never pondered it deeply. She had not paid close attention to the principles that her senior brother Zhong taught.

But that's all her own business, isn't it? Has she interfered in anything?

Or did she harm someone else this time?

Senior Sister Zhuang asked her for help.

She just helped out.

She hadn't expected this outcome, had she? If she really shouldn't have taken his heart, then why was the stone cave where she was imprisoned connected to Jiang Yueming's?

The aloof and icy Immortal Venerable Qingzhi is most skilled in the art of destiny charts.

She didn't believe he wasn't involved.

"Sect Leader, you're just looking for an excuse to punish me, why bother saying more?" Jiang Li smiled sarcastically. "As you said, I'm proud and arrogant, and nothing I do is perfect in your eyes. Saying more is pointless, isn't it?"

"Jiang Liqian!" Zhong Nanchu was so shocked by her bold question that he lost his composure.

Even within a sect, disrespect for elders can lead to execution by having one's bones removed if investigated thoroughly!

He could tell she was truly insane!

"Master, Junior Sister Jiang didn't mean anything by it. She didn't intend to contradict you. Please, for the sake of her master..."

"Senior Brother Zhong, please don't say anything more. There's no need to plead for me." Hearing him mention the word "Master," Jiang Liqian's eyes immediately stung, and her heart ached. She couldn't help but show a sad expression, but quickly composed herself, straightened her back, and knelt before Qingzhi.

Let him punish me as he sees fit.

Qingzhi stared at the defiant girl in front of him, his emotions churning intensely.

For so many years, since his memories were sealed, the seven emotions and six desires of human beings seemed to have become very, very distant from him.

This was the first time in five hundred years that he had felt such anger.

Yes, it's anger.

I was angry at her arrogance.

I was furious at her stubbornness.

Not only that, he also regretted it.

He shouldn't have been so soft-hearted as to go along with her wishes and let her do as she pleased. He should have thought that one day everything would eventually return to its original course, and that it was just to make her happy for a moment.

She will be his only disciple to inherit his mantle, so it's not a bad thing to indulge her a little.

He was wrong.

He should have taken her in the moment he found her in the mass grave, taught and trained her properly, worn away all her rebellious spirit, and removed all the impurities from her unpolished jade. She should have grown into the person he was most satisfied with.

"You're too arrogant!"

Too young.

Too arrogant.

Just like he used to think he could control everything.

He when he was young.

Arrogant and complacent, yet always feeling that they are humble enough.

They don't care about anything, think they can do everything, and want to do everything by themselves.

But in that state, he could gain nothing and protect nothing.

“Zhong Nanchu, you tell her, if you were someone who told you to take away Master Zhai’s heart, what would you do?”

Heart?

Zhong Nanchu didn't quite understand.

The sect leader's meaning is that the powerful heavenly lightning just now was because Junior Sister Jiang... took away Elder Jiang's heart?

How can this be? !

But he dared not disobey his master's orders, so he followed Jiang Liqian and knelt down, saying, "Master, the matter of Elder Zhai is of great importance. This disciple..." He lowered his head, "This disciple will first report to Master, or to the elder who can handle this matter, so as to ensure everything is in order."

After saying that, he couldn't help but try to excuse Jiang Liqian: "Master, this disciple is foolish, lacks cultivation, and is inexperienced, hence my actions. However, Junior Sister Jiang is different from us disciples; she can judge right and wrong on her own, and she also has the ability..."

Qingzhi raised his hand, stopping him from continuing, and coldly swept his gaze toward Jiang Liqian kneeling on the ground.

Upon hearing Zhong Nanchu's reply, Jiang Liqian belatedly realized something. The feeling was hazy, like being in water—she could almost touch it, yet it seemed so far away.

A trembling gaze flickered in her eyes, then transformed into a misty drizzle that could not be seen.

A wise person knows when to yield. It's not that she doesn't know how to adapt or insists on arguing with the sect leader to the end, but there's always a sense of resentment in her heart that makes her unwilling to admit her mistakes, let alone bow down to Immortal Venerable Qingzhi.

She pursed her lips and clenched her fists tightly under her sleeves.

She thought her silence would surely invite more scolding from Immortal Venerable Qingzhi, but unexpectedly, when Qingzhi saw her stubborn appearance, he looked very lonely and tired, and closed his eyes.

Yes, it's loneliness, it's exhaustion.

This was an expression Jiang Liqian had never seen in either of her two lifetimes, on the face of her unfathomable Master Qingzhi, who seemed to be above the clouds.

He shouldn't have these emotions.

he's changed.

Why did he change?

What changed him?

In an instant, countless thoughts raced through her mind, but before she could figure anything out, Immortal Venerable Qingzhi gave the order.

Zhong Nanchu was deeply remorseful and was pardoned. Jiang Yueming was seriously injured and was taken in by Danfeng for care.

As for Jiang Liqian, her own orders from Immortal Venerable Qingzhi were—

"Since even the Three Words Cliff can't discipline you, instead of wasting this month here, you should go somewhere else to learn a lesson and understand what you should do with the gifts bestowed upon you by Heaven!"

With a wave of his long sleeves, he felt the snow brush against his face.

In the biting frost and snow, Jiang Liqian's last consciousness was of Qingzhi Immortal Venerable, dressed in white, looking down at her from before the withered tree and cold cliff.

His expression was complicated, and the corners of his eyes were slightly red.

His lips moved, and his clear, cool voice carried a subtle, penetrating tone, saying—

Why can't you wake up yet?

"How long do you want me to wait?"

Memories are blurred, time has faded, and all those who came before have turned to dust in the west, but he remains at the crossroads of time.

I can't see any old friends.

And we can't see the dawn breaking again.

Some people are meant to grow old with time.

"Master!" Zhong Nanchu couldn't help but call out to Qingzhi as he was about to leave.

Qingzhi paused, the hem of his robe swaying slightly as he stopped.

There was a sound like snow falling in the wind.

Silently.

Zhong Nanchu looked up, trying to see the immortal on the divine throne more clearly, even more clearly.

Do you miss her?

Does the aloof and ethereal immortal still occasionally, in the dead of night when no one is around, think of that smiling old friend from the past?

Qingzhi did not answer.

The only response to Zhong Nanchu was the cold, empty wind from the cliff.