Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

So-Called Fate

What awakened Baili Qingmiao wasn't the choice between Hè Wenzhao and mortal lives. She wasn't like Yin Hanjiang. Yin Hanjiang could disregard all other lives, but she had never been that kind of person.

The words that awakened her were "willing to give up everything". She had always used this to justify her feelings. Subconsciously, she thought that she had given up so much for Hè Wenzhao, she'd been so good to him, she loved him so much, so how could he treat her like this? It wasn't fair.

But right now, she suddenly realized that it felt like she hadn't done much for Hè Wenzhao at all.

"Sect Leader Yin, why do you think that I've given up everything for my shixiong?" she asked.

Yin Hanjiang answered, "You retrieved the Snow Flame—"

No, that wasn't right. His Venerable had told him before that Baili Qingmiao once retrieved the Snow Flame for Hè Wenzhao, but now it had been given to Yin Hanjiang. The Shattered Mountain Meteorite had also originally been obtained for Hè Wenzhao, but now it likewise belonged to Yin Hanjiang.

The one who had gained so many things from Baili Qingmiao and his Venerable was him.

Yin Hanjiang fell silent, watching Baili Qingmiao, the situation becoming a bit awkward.

Yin Hanjiang didn't care about other people's lives and deaths, but for all these years, he'd had no connections to anyone and, aside from his debt to Wenren È for saving and raising him, he owed nothing to anyone else. But now that he thought about it, he owed a debt to Baili Qingmiao through Wenren È. At the very least, the Snow Flame had been obtained through her nearly freezing to death.

Fortunately, Baili Qingmiao didn't notice Yin Hanjiang's change in attitude. She held her head, shaking it a few times. "You also think I haven't done much for my shixiong? But how come I keep feeling like I love him so much that I've given up so many things for him?"

"When shixiong's foundation was destroyed, I did retrieve the Seven-Colored Jade Lotus Heart, but in the end, I gave it to Liu-shijie. I clearly know that his Nascent Soul was stolen by Protector Shu, but now I'm at Xuanyuan Sect being looked after by Sister Shu, and if we're not close, we're at least friendly with each other. After shixiong married Liu-shijie, I left the sect and traveled the world with Brother Zhongli, Master Qingxue, and Su Huai. At True Yin Mountain, I didn't obtain the Lockheart Herb for shixiong, but for the Sect Master.

"Even when I finally returned to Shangqing Sect, when shixiong asked me to plot against Protector Qiu, I refused."

Her eyes became more wild as she continued to talk, unable to comprehend. Clawing her hair into a mess, she asked, "We've walked separate paths ever since shixiong got married, and have hardly interacted even to today, so why do I always feel like he betrayed me, and I can't give up my feelings toward him? If he betrayed anyone, it's Liu-shijie."

Yin Hanjiang was familiar with this feeling. Right up to the present, he had felt an inexplicable urge to kill every time he saw Baili Qingmiao, feeling like she had betrayed Wenren È's love.

Seeing her in such a mess, Yin Hanjiang slowly pulled her sleeve over, ripped off a piece, and used it to wipe nonexistent dust off the Army Crushing Spike's scabbard.

Every time he wanted to kill Baili Qingmiao, he used this to keep himself in check.

Having gotten half her sleeve ripped off, Baili Qingmiao's thoughts were interrupted. She stared wordlessly at her tattered dress, not understanding what enjoyment Yin Hanjiang got out of using her as a rag.

She coughed a few times and turned to Altar Master Shi, who was currently looking at her greedily. She said a bit awkwardly, "Altar Master Shi, I don't know how to transfer sickness qi, so I must trouble you to do it yourself. Don't worry, I no longer wish to die. Thank you for your care."