Chapter 33
Under countless watchful eyes, two drops of dazzling red blood drifted toward each other—and fused.
A blinding crimson light burst outward, sharp enough to sting the eyes. Then, just as suddenly, it split into two streams, shooting toward Qingxuzi and Yin Pipa.
The light sank into their chests.
Where it touched, a pattern bloomed—fine lines weaving into the faint outline of a human figure.
The mark of blood kinship.
Yin Pipa stared at the symbol on her chest, excitement trembling just beneath the surface.
With this proof—who could question her now?
She would replace Song Li, openly and rightfully, and become the sect leader’s daughter.
Qingxuzi looked at her, the severity in his expression softening. In a single step, he appeared at her side.
“Child,” he said gently, “you’ve suffered.”
He could picture it clearly—the moment she realized her token had been stolen, her identity about to be taken. Betrayed by someone she trusted.
And yet she hadn’t collapsed.
She had crossed mountains and rivers to reach the Wendao Sect… waited for the Spirit Testing Conference… and revealed everything before the entire sect.
That courage. That resolve. That clarity—so much like Wen Niang.
Yin Pipa shook her head. “I haven’t suffered. Mother… she’s the one who suffered the most.”
Qingxuzi’s expression dimmed.
He raised a hand, intending to rest it on her head—but she stepped aside.
The movement was slight, but unmistakable.
Qingxuzi paused, then slowly lowered his hand.
His daughter was angry. And he couldn’t force closeness on her.
Turning, his gaze fell on Cen Xiaoyun.
All warmth vanished.
His eyes were distant now—no longer looking at a person, but at something insignificant.
“Do you have anything else to say?” he asked.
At the same moment—an invisible force locked onto Cen Xiaoyun.
Cold.
Heavy.
Killing intent.
Her legs went weak. A chill crawled up from her feet, spreading through her body as she trembled uncontrollably.
“S-Sister Song Li… I was wrong! Please—save me!” she cried, turning desperately to Yin Pipa. “I didn’t mean it—I was just confused for a moment! Please, help me!”
Yin Pipa raised her hand.
With a light tug, the Heart-Connecting Shell necklace slipped from Cen Xiaoyun’s neck into her palm.
Then, as if reluctant, she spoke softly,
“Sect Leader… Xiaoyun only lost her way for a moment. I believe she can repent.”
Sect Leader.
Not… Father.
That single word drew a clear line between them.
Qingxuzi felt it like a dull ache—but his voice remained calm. “Then we will do as you say. Handle it yourself. I will not interfere.”
Just like that, it was decided.
Yin Pipa let out a quiet breath.
Good.
He wasn’t the stubborn type.
If Qingxuzi had insisted on killing Cen Xiaoyun, she would’ve been forced to expose everything—dragging them both down.
As for earlier… avoiding his touch hadn’t been rejection.
Just timing.
Once their relationship deepened, she could change her approach.
A calculated retreat.
And the result… was quite good.
Just as everyone thought the matter had come to an end—
A sharp crack rang out.
Lou Yuqing’s inner voice exploded across the plaza.
[AHH—Sect Leader! Neither of them is real—both of them are fake!]
[The real one was thrown into a snake pit!]
[Yin Pipa tampered with the blood test—she used Song Li’s heart blood! That’s why it showed a bloodline connection!]
The entire plaza froze.
Shock rippled outward.
This time—no one doubted her.
Every gaze snapped toward Qingxuzi.
And what they saw—was rage.
Unrestrained.
“You dare!”
His roar crashed down like a tidal wave.
Cen Xiaoyun’s body, which had just begun to relax, went rigid again. A suffocating pressure wrapped around her, crushing, inescapable.
What—what happened?!
Why had he suddenly turned?!
Yin Pipa’s thoughts spiraled just as wildly.
Both of them were slammed to the ground, limbs trembling, breath ragged.
No dignity.
No resistance.
Qingxuzi descended, all pretense stripped away.
Their eyes met—and in that instant, he recalled the Heart-Connecting Shell in her hand.
A cold laugh escaped him.
“You two are quite bold,” he said. “To deceive me again and again.”
He had been gentle—because he believed they were his daughters.
Never once had he imagined they would dare something like this.
Worse—
He had believed them.
The thought cut deep.
His real daughter… thrown into a snake pit. Her fate unknown.
The rage surged higher.
Around him, Elder Wei Tu and the others exchanged glances.
They hadn’t seen Qingxuzi like this in decades. Not since the demonic sects invaded fifty years ago.
Even an ordinary man, deceived like this, would want blood.
Let alone a Nascent Soul cultivator.
Cen Xiaoyun and Yin Pipa tried to speak.
To beg.
But the pressure pinned them to the ground, sealing their voices.
Then—
“Pfft—!”
“Pfft—!”
Blood burst from their mouths, splattering across the stone.
They lay there, barely conscious.
Qingxuzi eased his aura—just enough to let them breathe.
“Where is my daughter?” he asked coldly. “Speak.”
Yin Pipa’s lips twitched.
So—he had seen through her.
Earlier, he had been so gentle. So careful.
And now—
Everything had flipped.
[As expected of the Sect Leader—he saw through them immediately.]
Qingxuzi: “…”
…Not exactly.
[Why are they still refusing to say where Song Li is? At this rate, they’ll just die faster.]
Lou Yuqing scanned the system’s information, anxiety flickering across her face.
Moments earlier, once Yin Pipa’s deception was exposed, the system had pushed the full story to her.
Cause.
Effect.
Everything.
And now that she knew—anger burned hot in her chest.
[Yin Pipa is one thing—she wasn’t close to Song Li. But Cen Xiaoyun… she was her sworn sister. They went through life and death together.]
[And yet—while fleeing to the Nanling Mountains, she teamed up with Yin Pipa to rob her—and pushed her into the Minshan snake pit.]
[Do you know how many snakes were there? The entire cave was crawling with them. Falling in meant certain death.]
[How could you do that?!]
As her thoughts echoed—
The scene appeared.
A girl trapped in a pit of writhing snakes.
Despair carved into her face.
She struggled to climb out—but coils tightened, dragging her back into the seething mass.
Hissing.
Endless.
Her eyes—burning with fury—locked onto the ones who betrayed her—
And then she vanished into the tide of serpents.
Gone.
Above Lou Yuqing, a massive screen shimmered into existence, displaying the scene in chilling clarity.
The disciples stared, stunned.
They weren’t just hearing it.
They were seeing it.
Lou Yuqing didn’t notice.
She only watched.
And the more she watched—the angrier she became.
“How can people like this even exist?!”
Si Nidie clenched her fists. “They dared to make a fool of our sect leader… We can’t let them walk away from this.”
The air tightened.
Ready to ignite.
Qingxuzi stared at the scene, his eyes bloodshot.
His heart clenched.
Those eyes—that was his daughter.
The thought that he had mistaken an impostor for his daughter, rescuing the wrong person while leaving her behind—was unbearable.
“You deserve to die!”
His aura erupted.
The two women were struck head-on, blood spraying again.
But it wasn’t enough.
Nothing could extinguish the fire in his chest.
Wen Niang…
Wen Niang!
I failed our daughter!
With a sweep of his sleeve, violent spiritual energy surged forward, intent on crushing them completely—then, without warning, it stopped.
An invisible barrier appeared, dissolving the attack like mist in a breeze.
“Uncle-Master Zixiao?”
Qingxuzi stared, stunned.
Gu Buqi shook his head faintly, his voice echoing in Qingxuzi’s mind.
“Spare them—for now. You are the sect leader. Do not let emotion rule you.”
Qingxuzi froze.
Then slowly, clarity returned.
He looked down—at the frightened disciples. At the lingering panic in their eyes.
…He had lost control.
“I understand,” he said quietly. “Thank you, Uncle-Master.”
The pressure eased.
Around the plaza, disciples finally breathed again.
For a moment—they had truly believed they might die here as well.