CHAPTER 52

— Past Life Affections —

With a fierce thrust of her sword, Su Yan forced back the aggressive Lu Xianrou and said coldly, "Had enough fun?"

Slightly raising an eyebrow, Lu Xianrou surprisingly asked in a gentle tone, "How did you figure it out?"

—She had merely been following the lead of the person manipulating things from the shadows, trying to uncover their true intentions... As for that tiny bit of "intentionality" in her attacks, she had deliberately or inadvertently overlooked it.

"You clearly had the chance just now, but you didn't attack Tong Tong, did you?" Su Yan snorted, clearly displeased with Lu Xianrou. "What exactly are you trying to do?"

—Though the two of them often clashed, she knew Lu Xianrou wasn't the type to cause trouble without reason. There had to be a purpose behind her actions.

She was simply annoyed by the other's habit of keeping everything hidden.

"Nothing." Lu Xianrou averted her gaze and turned to walk toward the others still locked in combat, showing no intention of answering.

—What good would it do to let them know about such vague speculations?

Not everyone was as naive as Tong Tong, and she didn't believe that telling the truth would earn her their complete trust. So, there was no need to say anything.

"Suit yourself." Su Yan couldn't be bothered to press further. With a flick of her sword, she flew toward Luqiu Fuyi and Meng Qianyao, who were locked in a fierce struggle, forcefully separating them. Her steps shifted rapidly, appearing behind each of them in turn and delivering a swift chop to the back of their necks. To Tong Tong, it was obvious that the blow dealt to Meng Qianyao was much lighter than the one given to Luqiu Fuyi.

This realization made Tong Tong grit her teeth in frustration.

—My dear Iceberg, the phrase "showing tenderness to the fairer s3x" really doesn't suit you at all!

On the other side, Lu Xianrou's approach was far more ruthless, completely contradicting her gentle name. She knocked out three young monks engaged in bare-handed combat with the hilt of her sword, leaving heavy bruises on their fair, tender bodies—enough to spark wild imaginations. One couldn't help but wonder whether these pure, rigid young monks would be so ashamed and furious upon waking that they'd seek forgiveness from the Buddha himself.

After Su Yan subdued Ning Qinglian and Qiu Si, who usually looked delicate but were currently brawling without a shred of dignity, Lu Xianrou, as if unwilling to be outdone, knocked out the fighting pair of Bai Jingjing and Liu Ya.

With only each other left standing, the two exchanged a glance before casually turning away—making the moment feel even more deliberate.

For a moment, the atmosphere grew so strange that even Tong Tong sensed something was off.

—Hey! If you two want to flirt and bicker, at least pick the right time and place! People are fighting for their lives here! Was it really necessary to be so ruthless? Building your own happiness on others' suffering is just plain immoral!

Besides, are you both pretending I don't exist? What's with this awkward, lovey-dovey tension between you two?

Tong Tong watched their retreating figures with a dark expression, torn between jealousy and schadenfreude.

—Of course, even if she could sense something unusual, expecting Tong Tong to understand the essence of the situation with normal logic was as impossible as expecting Su Yan and Lu Xianrou to bridge their differences and truly get along. Absolutely. Impossible.

Having temporarily quelled the chaos, the three of them divided the work, moving the unconscious bodies into proper positions to prevent them from sinking into the water. But before they could figure out how to wake them, another unexpected change occurred—

The tranquility of the Wangchuan River was once again broken by rippling waves. As the three of them heightened their vigilance, expecting another attack, the water surface gradually began to glow softly, transforming into a massive, shimmering screen. On this screen, unfamiliar scenes began to unfold.

There was a young girl dressed in white, wearing a veil, no more than five or six years old. She was as delicate and lovable as a doll, yet she always stood tall and straight, with a serious and earnest demeanor—surprisingly, her bright, autumn-like eyes were identical to those of Luqiu Fuyi!

"Wow! Could this be Sister Fuyi as a child? She's so adorable!" Tong Tong's eyes sparkled like peach blossoms, and she couldn't help but wish she could reach out and hug this little girl, to give her a good... well, not exactly a roughing up, but a loving embrace...

In the scene, the little girl sat upright at a desk, diligently studying an ancient text, with a thick stack of books piled beside her. The room was silent, and her solitary figure—a small body against an empty, lonely backdrop—was particularly heart-wrenching.

The scene shifted to a bald little boy dressed in coarse linen clothes, with burn marks on his head. He was bent over, playing with stones at his feet, his clean little face filled with simple joy. However, this joy was shattered by a swarm of children who rushed over—they kicked over the small bridges and houses he had built with stones, threw pebbles at him, spat on him, and mocked the little boy, who remained silent with his head in his hands. Their faces bore the same childish yet cruelly innocent smiles.

"Ah—this seems to be... Little Monk Daxi?" Tong Tong carefully examined the boy's features, frowning and sighing softly. "The kind-hearted are often bull!ed... Little Monk's childhood was so bitter..."

Before Tong Tong could finish expressing her sympathy for Little Monk Daxi, another scene appeared on the screen—a little girl with her hair tied in two buns, almond-shaped eyes, and delicate lips, her features unmistakably a miniature version of the spoiled young lady Bai Jingjing. There was no doubt—this had to be a glimpse of her childhood!

In the scene, Bai Jingjing was just as domineering and willful as she was now. She drove away her instructor and then bull!ed her own maids, perfectly embodying the image of an arrogant, unruly young noble.

Unexpectedly, however, after chasing away all the servants in the room, little Bai Jingjing secretly pulled out a small basket filled with dry grass from under her bed. Inside the basket was a dull gray sparrow, looking listless as if injured.

The fierce little girl, who had been so aggressive in front of others, now lost her intimidating demeanor. With her small hands, she gently stroked the sparrow's feathers, breaking pieces of pastry to feed it, her face showing a rare softness.

"Wow! So Little Bai has such a gentle, motherly side too! You really can't judge a book by its cover! Though it seems to only apply to small animals..." Tong Tong rested her chin on her hands, smiling as she spoke. "Beneath that fierce exterior lies a kind heart! I've decided I won't dislike her anymore! Hmm!"

Unconsciously, the three had grown accustomed to the ever-shifting childhood memoirs on the luminous screen, watching with unflagging delight—every disciple who could enter the Abyssal Secret Realm for trials was invariably a key figure nurtured by their sect, likely to become pillars of their respective schools in the future. For different factions, grasping the weaknesses of others brought countless benefits without a single drawback—moreover, their childhoods were vastly different. If not for the faint traces of resemblance in their appearances, one would hardly imagine they had such pasts...

—This was far more entertaining than watching a movie!

Tong Tong smacked her lips, regretting that there were no popcorn or soda to be found here—essential for movie-watching.

Just as the three awaited the next segment, an elegant female voice inquired, "Have you seen enough?"

Turning around, they saw Li Wei, who had vanished at some point and reappeared just as mysteriously.

Her watery eyes swept over each of them in turn, a constant smile lingering at the corners of her lips, yet it never conveyed the slightest hint of warmth: "It has been many years since I last encountered anyone immune to my illusions... To think all three of you possess such immense fortune—how intriguing..."

—It wasn't a matter of unwavering willpower or extraordinary strength, but rather the possession of heaven-defying fortune that shielded them from the illusions.

What Li Wei left unsaid was that Su Yan was enveloped in a faint protective barrier, shielding her from influence; Lu Xianrou exuded a sharp, unwavering sword intent, revealing a Dao heart too steady to be easily swayed. As for Tong Tong... an unusual aura surrounded her, making Li Wei hesitant to act rashly, reminiscent of a time long past...

Her recollection cut short, Li Wei's lips curled into an inscrutable smile, though the chill in her eyes deepened, and even her soft voice took on a hint of cold rigidity: "The three of you... pose quite a dilemma for me. K!llng you would be a waste, yet keeping you... what use are you?"

"How could we be useless! We're upright, promising youths of the new era, the backbone of the next generation in the cultivation world! We're guardians of sect stability, architects of progress, the..." Tong Tong racked her brains, dredging up knowledge from her old politics classes, cursing herself for dozing off every lecture. Aside from damp drool stains, her textbooks remained pristine, devoid of even half a line of notes—she lacked the silver tongue needed to persuade Li Wei.

"Enough, quiet down and listen," Li Wei interrupted, annoyed by the noise. With a flick of her slender fingers, she silenced Tong Tong, ignoring her fury. After a moment of contemplation, she sighed softly, "I could let you go, and even ensure these others leave with you—on one condition."

Tong Tong clutched her throat in frustration, eyeing Li Wei warily and frantically gesturing to stop the other two.

Unfortunately, she and Su Yan hadn't yet reached the level of telepathic understanding. Su Yan merely patted her arm in reassurance before turning to Li Wei and nodding. "Speak."

"..." Tong Tong seethed with anger. No matter how she protested or expressed her displeasure, Su Yan ignored her—fuming inwardly, she turned to Lu Xianrou, who first patted her head. Just as Tong Tong thought she'd finally be taken seriously and began to smile, Lu Xianrou turned away to focus on the other two.

—You... jerks!

Fuming, Tong Tong turned around, squatted on the ground, and began drawing circles in the dirt...

Li Wei formed another hand seal, instantly creating a transparent barrier that isolated Tong Tong and the other two, cutting off all sound.

Turning her hand, she retrieved a jade bottle, bent down to scoop it full of the Wangchuan River water, then glanced back at Tong Tong, who was radiating thick resentment. A faint smile touched her lips as she walked over and handed the bottle to her, saying calmly, "Give this bottle of Wangchuan River water to Ying Jiang. Tell him that the past is gone, old affections are over, we shall never meet again in this life, and I wish him well."

Casually lifting the barrier on Tong Tong, Li Wei asked, "Do you remember?"

Tong Tong took the small jade bottle, rummaged through her Qiankun pouch for paper and a brush, licked her lips, and asked seriously, "Wait, let me write this down! Um... what was it about old affections not being over?"

Clenching her fist and resisting the urge to kick Tong Tong into the Wangchuan River and hold her head underwater, Li Wei took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Tell him to forget me, forget the past, forget... everything between us."

"Oh... I got it!" Scratching her head with the brush handle, Tong Tong swiftly wrote down eight flamboyant characters on the paper: "Knock Ying Jiang unconscious and give him amnesia."

Su Yan stood to the side with her arms crossed, watching Li Wei, who was fuming with anger at Tong Tong, with an expressionless face. She couldn't understand—did this foolish girl seem more reliable than her and Lu Xianrou?

Why would this woman choose Tong Tong to help her?

...Utterly foolish.

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