Chapter 28
“Xiuxiu?”
Qi Luofeng waved a hand in front of her face, brows knit with concern.
The motion snapped Shi Xiuxiu back to herself. Her gaze refocused on him—on that familiar, gentle expression—and her heart steadied.
How could Feng Lang possibly want to kill her?
Absurd. Completely absurd.
A flicker of anger rose in her chest.
Who was spreading such malicious lies about him?
Around them, the disciples exchanged uncertain glances, none daring to speak first.
Only Si Nidie and the others remained composed. They knew one thing clearly—whenever Lou Yuqing’s thoughts surfaced like that, they were never wrong.
Which meant Qi Luofeng… was exactly what he seemed to be: a cold-blooded scoundrel.
Si Nidie looked at Shi Xiuxiu with a mix of pity and frustration. Girl… open your eyes.
Lou Yuqing, meanwhile, was already mentally rubbing her temples.
[People in love are dangerous.]
[You’re dreaming of spending your life with him—he’s thinking about ending yours.]
[It’s true. Before Shi’s parents passed, they registered all their assets under her name alone. Qi Luofeng wouldn’t get a single coin.]
[If he were an honest man, maybe that would be fine. But he’s not. He had his eyes on the Shi family’s wealth long before he married in.]
Si Nidie clicked her tongue. Love-struck… that really is the perfect word.
Anyone with a clear head could have seen the shift in Qi Luofeng’s attitude long ago.
A memory stirred in Shi Xiuxiu’s mind.
Years ago—before her parents passed—she had been drowning in grief. Feng Lang had comforted her, warning that distant relatives might covet the Shi family fortune.
She had replied, “The government records list me as the sole heir. No one can take it.”
At the time… his expression had been strange.
She had noticed it.
But back then, her love had swallowed everything else.
Now, recalling it, something cold crept up her spine.
“…Feng Lang?” she called softly.
Qi Luofeng smiled at her, clearly in a good mood. “What is it?”
She hesitated, then asked, “Do you love me?”
Again with this question.
A trace of impatience flickered across his face—but it vanished just as quickly, replaced by practiced sincerity. “Of course I love you, Xiuxiu.”
“How much?” she pressed.
“More than you love me.”
He gazed at her deeply, as if pouring every ounce of affection into that look.
Under that gaze, her resolve faltered.
He loved her.
That was enough… wasn’t it?
Then Lou Yuqing’s thoughts cut through like a blade.
[Qi Luofeng did have feelings for Shi Xiuxiu—but very little.]
[Before her parents died, he had played his role perfectly: a dutiful husband, a respectful son-in-law, even attentive to the servants. Enough to reassure the Shi family elders.]
[But no matter how well he performed, it meant nothing.]
[The Shi family fortune would always belong to Shi Xiuxiu.]
[Her parents had been shrewd. They knew only their daughter could truly hold the family together. If power fell into the hands of an outsider—especially a son-in-law—the outcome would not be good.]
[When Qi Luofeng realized all his efforts would earn him nothing… he was devastated.]
[He hadn’t married for a dowry. That money would have been drained long ago by the needs of his seven family members.]
[What he wanted—was everything.]
[And the only way to get it… was for Shi Xiuxiu to die.]
[The sachet he gave her is filled with poisonous spices. Worn daily, it slowly weakens the body. Even the physician treating her has already been bribed.]
Shi Xiuxiu’s hand trembled as it drifted to her waist.
The sachet.
Heart-shaped. Red ribbons tied at the sides. Embroidered with paired birds in flight. When she walked, the tassels swayed gently.
A birthday gift from Feng Lang.
Not the bracelet she had wanted… but she had treasured it all the same.
At first, the scent had been faintly woody—like sandalwood. Over time, it turned bitter, something she didn’t like.
But he had said it would help her conceive.
So she never took it off.
He had told her it came from the Temple of the Goddess of Fertility. That wearing it for three to five years would bring results.
She had worn it for over a year.
In recent months, her health had steadily declined. The household physician had dismissed it as emotional strain—just a weakness of the body—and prescribed medicine, yet nothing improved.
Earlier, on the steps, when Qi Luofeng pushed her, the force hadn’t even been strong. It was her vision that had suddenly gone black, her body failing her without warning.
Had it really gotten this bad?
Or… was the sachet truly poisoned?
No. Shi Xiuxiu shut the thought down instantly. Feng Lang would never harm me.
“Feng Lang,” she said quickly, her voice tight, “the Wendao Sect is a place of immortals. Their medical skills far surpass any ordinary physician.”
She drew in a breath, fingers tightening unconsciously. “I haven’t been feeling well lately… if we could ask one of their doctors to examine me… maybe my illness could finally be cured.”
She needed proof—proof of his innocence.
Because the way the surrounding disciples were looking at him was changing, their gazes growing colder by the second.
That kind of hostility… they could not afford to provoke.
For just a moment, panic flashed through Qi Luofeng’s eyes.
An immortal physician? If they examined her, everything would be exposed.
His expression hardened instantly. “Xiuxiu, those sect disciples aren’t people we can approach casually. Can you stop making me worry for once? If you anger them, I won’t be able to protect you!”
“But…”
She faltered, glancing at the crowd.
They could all hear that strange voice—everyone except him.
And judging by their expressions… they believed it.
Not far away, Si Nanren and the enforcement disciples were already watching closely, ready to act.
Qi Luofeng’s reactions were… off. Suspicious.
A proper interrogation would bring the truth out quickly.
But he was still a mortal.
Even if guilty, he would have to be handed over to the authorities. The Wendao Sect’s prison held only cultivators.
At that moment—
Si Nidie seized the opportunity.
Stepping forward, she raised her voice, bright and firm. “Our Wendao Sect isn’t some monster’s den. There’s no need for you to be afraid. Since you’re seeking treatment, I’ll do a good deed and have a physician examine you.”
She was done listening to Qi Luofeng’s nonsense. Better to expose everything at once.
Qi Luofeng’s smile stiffened. “Immortal Master, there’s no need. My wife just has a minor ailment—there’s no need to trouble your sect’s physicians.”
Si Nidie smiled back—just as stiffly. “Oh, there is.”
She activated a communication jade slip without another word.
[Well done, Senior Sister! Let’s see how this scumbag talks his way out of this.]
[The sooner Shi Xiuxiu sees through him, the sooner she can escape this mess.]
[You know, she actually has spiritual roots—dual roots, good talent. Meanwhile, Qi Luofeng, who dreams of immortality, doesn’t have a single one.]
[Originally, she could’ve entered the Wendao Sect this time. But he played the victim—said he couldn’t bear to part with her, wanted them to stay together forever.]
[Just like that, she gave up her only chance. A few years later, she dies at home from poison… and everything ends up in his hands.]
What?!
The surrounding disciples instantly glared at Qi Luofeng.
Destroying someone’s path to immortality was no different from killing them.
This man… was beyond vile.
Gu Buqi glanced at Shi Xiuxiu, a rare trace of helplessness crossing his usually impassive face.
Such an opportunity… and she had thrown it away with her own hands.
Was she out of her mind?
Shi Xiuxiu’s face drained of color.
A cold, suffocating fear tightened around her chest as that voice echoed in her mind—it felt less like a warning and more like a glimpse of her future.
She told herself it was a lie.
And yet, in that fleeting instant, she could almost see it clearly—a lonely death, a silent house, and the man she loved nowhere to be found.
Her mind and heart pulled in opposite directions.
He loves me.
But what if…
Her body trembled.
Qi Luofeng, oblivious to it all, had already reached his conclusion. The sachet came from a temple, the physician was legitimate—if anything was wrong, then he must have been deceived.
Yes. That had to be it.
The thought steadied him.
At that moment, a white-robed physician arrived, his gaze calm as it moved between them. “Who is seeking treatment?”
Shi Xiuxiu swallowed. “Doctor… it’s me.”
She waited.
The verdict came quickly.
“There are signs of poisoning,” the physician said evenly. “But it is controllable. One antidote pill will cure it completely.”
A ripple passed through the crowd.
So it was true.
She had been poisoned.
“Poisoned?” Qi Luofeng exclaimed, perfectly incredulous. “Doctor, how could Xiuxiu be poisoned?”
Shi Xiuxiu didn’t move. It felt as if her soul had drifted from her body, the world around her turning distant and unreal.
“Doctor… please take a look at this.”
She handed over the sachet—and in that same moment, caught the unnatural tension in Qi Luofeng’s face.
Cold seeped into her bones.
The physician opened the sachet, examined its contents, then nodded. “Yes. This is the source of the poison.”
Her mind went blank.
It was real.
He had wanted her dead.
And yet—
Qi Luofeng’s voice came again, urgent and persuasive. “Xiuxiu, I got this from the Temple of Fertility. Someone must be jealous of us and tampered with it. When we get back, we’ll report it and find the culprit.”
That must be it.
It had to be.
There were countless people who envied the Shi family—far more than there were reasons for Feng Lang to harm her.
Clinging to that fragile hope, Shi Xiuxiu grabbed his sleeve. “Feng Lang… it wasn’t you, right? Tell me it wasn’t you!”
Because if it was—then everything she believed in, everything she had trusted—would crumble into nothing.
“How could it possibly be me?” Qi Luofeng denied at once. Then, with wounded eyes, he looked at her. “So this is what you think of me? Am I nothing in your heart?”
She shook her head quickly. “No—I didn’t mean that.”
She wanted to comfort him… but the words wouldn’t come.
Si Nidie nearly stamped her foot in frustration. “Brother, she’s too easily fooled. Think of something—I can’t stand watching this scum walk free,” she transmitted.
Si Nanren sighed. “She’s wavering. If she goes back and questions the physician properly, she’ll find the truth.”
Then, quieter, “But if she keeps hesitating… the outcome is uncertain.”
Si Nidie pouted. “What kind of situation is this…”
Nearby, Elder Xu—who had also heard Lou Yuqing’s thoughts—frowned and glanced up at the five figures on the clouds above.
On the clouds, Sect Leader Qingxu and the others exchanged looks, then shook their heads.
They had not expected the Spirit Testing Conference to turn into such a spectacle.
Mortal love affairs meant nothing to them.
But Shi Xiuxiu—dual spiritual roots, rare potential—she could not be ruined like this.
“Elder Xu,” Sect Leader Qingxu said, “test their spiritual roots.”
Elder Xu straightened. “Yes.”
He stepped forward, his voice steady. “Both of you, come here. I will test your spiritual roots.”
Qi Luofeng’s eyes lit up.
He had already failed the first trial—the climb. He had thought his chance was gone… yet now, another opportunity had appeared.
Shi Xiuxiu, on the other hand, remained silent.
She was waiting—for something, anything, that would force her to choose.
The formation activated beneath their feet. Light flared, wrapping around them in a soft glow.
Moments later, it faded.
Nothing happened to Qi Luofeng.
But Shi Xiuxiu—
Blue and green light swirled around her. At her feet, water shimmered, and vines curled upward.
Water and wood dual spiritual roots.
Qi Luofeng stared, stunned. “How… how is that possible…”
He couldn’t accept it.
That he—had lost to her.
His expression shifted almost instantly.
“Xiuxiu,” he said, his voice turning gentle, almost pleading, “I don’t want to be separated from you. We promised to stay together for life… do you still mean that?”
Shi Xiuxiu looked at him—at that familiar, affectionate face.
And felt… cold.