As soon as those words were spoken, Jiang Zhaoxue’s anger flared.
For something that wasn’t even confirmed, he had already come to take her life?!
She was about to refute him when a scene from the book suddenly surfaced in her mind.
“Why do you say I poisoned her?”
“The Heavenly Fate Book has already judged you guilty, and you still dare to lie?”
“The Heavenly Fate Book?
You actually consulted the Heavenly Fate Book over a mere disciple?!
Fine, fine so what if I did?
She’s just a junior disciple.
If she’s crippled, she’s crippled.
Are you really going to turn against me because of her?
Shen Yuqing, think carefully.
How did you get to where you are today?
How did Lingjian Immortal Pavilion become the number one sect in the Central Continent?
Think about how many benefits you’ve taken from Penglai!”
“Jiang Zhaoxue, how could you be so vicious?”
“Vicious?
Even if I were, I am still your wife!
I am the one you should be defending!
And yet you would raise your sword against me for that wretched woman?!”
In the book, Jiang Zhaoxue stepped forward, pressing her throat against Shen Yuqing’s sword.
“Come on!
Kill me!”
Jiang Zhaoxue: “……”
Seeing it from a bystander’s perspective made her suddenly sober up.
Her anger dissipated in an instant.
Now was not the time to get angry.
Shen Yuqing would take her spiritual root.
This was her turning point, and A-Nan was not joking.
She had to calm down and find a way to protect herself.
She must not be imprisoned in the Heavenly Fate Hall.
She must not let Shen Yuqing take her spiritual root.
She couldn’t fight back directly.
Not only was this his territory, but he was also an entire realm stronger than her.
Even if she were stronger, without anyone to protect her, she wouldn’t even have time to activate a formation before being executed on the spot.
She had no physical strength to overpower him only her wits.
After spending two hundred years with Shen Yuqing, she might not have understood him emotionally, but she did know one thing
He was not an unreasonable person.
In the book, she had lost her temper and blurted out a confession.
If she didn’t admit to poisoning Mu Jinyue, Shen Yuqing wouldn’t have any reason to take her spiritual root.
She couldn’t take the blame for poisoning Mu Jinyue.
But according to the book, Shen Yuqing was so certain of her guilt because he had consulted the Heavenly Fate Book.
The Heavenly Fate Book was Lingjian Immortal Pavilion’s most sacred treasure
It recorded the fate of every being in the Central Continent.
No one would dare question what it proclaimed.
She didn’t know why that damn book had said she was the culprit
Of course, the most logical explanation was that the author had written it that way
But no matter what, Shen Yuqing had already asked the Heavenly Fate Book.
That meant he would never believe her words.
So what could she do to make him believe her despite what the Heavenly Fate Book had said?
Jiang Zhaoxue stared at Shen Yuqing, her mind racing for an escape plan.
Proving her innocence was much harder than making an accusation.
With the Heavenly Fate Book backing him up, there was no way she could clear herself.
The only way to shift suspicion away from herself
Was to become a victim, too.
Lingmin Dissolution was a poison unique to Penglai.
It would erode the victim’s spiritual root over ten days, causing unbearable pain.
She would never have used it on Mu Jinyue at the cost of ruining her own future.
But there was no time to ingest the poison now
And even if she could, she was trying to keep her spiritual root, not destroy it!
That left only one option
She had to pretend.
Lingmin Dissolution was from Penglai.
She knew its symptoms well enough to fake them.
As for what would happen after…
She’d deal with that later.
What mattered now was getting out of here.
Jiang Zhaoxue made up her mind.
Pressing down on a hidden acupuncture point, she instantly cut off the flow of her spiritual energy.
Shen Yuqing, seeing her prolonged silence, pressed his sword forward
Blood trickled down her forehead.
His voice was sharp.
“Speak!”
Before he could finish, Jiang Zhaoxue suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Shen Yuqing quickly withdrew his sword.
Her maid rushed forward, catching her just in time.
“Lady Jiang!”
“Ah… pain…”
Jiang Zhaoxue’s face was deathly pale, her voice barely audible.
Shen Yuqing frowned, watching as she trembled, her pain evident.
She reached out toward him with a weak hand, pleading.
“Yu… Qing… my spiritual root… it hurts… call… the healer, quickly!”
Hearing the words spiritual root, Shen Yuqing’s expression shifted.
The maid, Qingye, snapped at him.
“Why are you just standing there?!
A spiritual root is no trivial matter!
Call for help, now!”
Qingye had followed Jiang Zhaoxue from Penglai to Lingjian Immortal Pavilion.
She had served her since childhood.
Though she was usually respectful toward Shen Yuqing, at critical moments, she remained loyal to Penglai first.
Shen Yuqing didn’t argue.
He turned and called out.
“Zilu, summon the medicine master.”
Hearing that a healer was being summoned, Qingye relaxed slightly.
She shot Shen Yuqing a glare, then helped Jiang Zhaoxue onto the bed, her eyes red with worry.
“Lady Jiang, hold on.
The healer will be here soon.
If anything happens to you today,”
Her voice grew sharper as she deliberately reminded Shen Yuqing,
“Penglai will not let this go.”
Shen Yuqing didn’t respond.
He simply retracted his sword and continued watching Jiang Zhaoxue.
His gaze was too sharp.
It made Jiang Zhaoxue’s body involuntarily tense.
A-Nan was nervous, too, whispering in her mind.
“Master, do you think he’ll realize you’re faking?”
“Don’t be scared.”
Jiang Zhaoxue reassured A-Nan
And herself.
“He’s a sword cultivator.
He’s illiterate.
He won’t be able to tell I’m faking.”
Her words weren’t baseless.
Fate Masters were spellcasters, vastly more knowledgeable than sword cultivators like Shen Yuqing.
She was eighty percent sure she could fool him.
The only real risk was the healer.
Fortunately, this same healer had just treated Mu Jinyue
And since Lingmin Dissolution was so rare, it was fresh in his mind.
As soon as he examined her, he immediately assumed the worst.
“Could it be Lingmin Dissolution again?”
“Lingmin Dissolution?”
Shen Yuqing’s eyes flickered.
Qingye gasped in shock.
She grabbed Jiang Zhaoxue’s arm and pulled back her sleeve, checking her Quchi acupuncture point.
People from Penglai knew Lingmin Dissolution well.
One of its distinct traits was that it caused spiritual energy to clog at the Quchi point more severely than other poisons.
Jiang Zhaoxue had anticipated this.
As soon as Qingye checked, she saw the congestion and her expression changed drastically.
“It really is Lingmin Dissolution!
Lady Jiang, hold on!
I will send word to the island lord immediately to find a Lingxiao Flower!”
“No need.”
Shen Yuqing interrupted.
Resting his hand on his sword, he calmly said,
“The Lingxiao Flower grows near the Nine Netherworlds’ borders.
I have already sent someone to find it.”
Qingye froze.
Why had he already sent someone?
Did he know Jiang Zhaoxue would be poisoned?
She couldn’t understand.
Shen Yuqing had no intention of explaining.
Instead, he turned to the healer, Zhao Lao.
“Zhao Lao, is she definitely poisoned with Lingmin Dissolution?”
“Nine times out of ten,” the healer confirmed.
Shen Yuqing didn’t reply immediately.
Though he still harbored doubts, he began to believe her.
Not just because of the healer’s words
But because Jiang Zhaoxue had never lied to him.
Silently, he observed her once more.
Jiang Zhaoxue was a strange woman.
Even though he had never shown her kindness, she always believed he had feelings for her.
She relied on her status as the Lady of Penglai and her self-proclaimed love to act recklessly in front of him.
He had turned her away countless times, rejecting her outright, but she always convinced herself that he didn’t mean it
That his words and actions were not aligned with his true feelings.
Eventually, he stopped bothering to argue with her.
Yet, it was precisely this self-righteous delusion that made Jiang Zhaoxue so painfully genuine.
But if Jiang Zhaoxue hadn’t lied
If she had truly been poisoned by Lingmin Dissolution
Then she could not be the culprit.
No one would risk their own spiritual root just to harm another.
Moreover, Mu Jinyue was just a mere disciple.
If Jiang Zhaoxue had truly wanted her dead, there were a thousand easier ways to accomplish it—
Without resorting to this method.
But if Jiang Zhaoxue wasn’t the culprit
Then why did the Heavenly Fate Book say she was?
The Heavenly Fate Book did not lie.
Shen Yuqing couldn’t make sense of the situation.
He stared at Jiang Zhaoxue, caught between doubt and belief, as he watched the healer administer acupuncture.
Only when Jiang Zhaoxue’s condition gradually stabilized, and the physician confirmed she was no longer in immediate danger, did he finally rise to his feet.
His voice was cold.
“If you’re poisoned, then focus on recovering properly.”
“Yu Qing!”
Jiang Zhaoxue called out urgently.
Shen Yuqing turned back with an icy gaze, watching as she struggled to sit up in her weakened state.
She was breathtakingly beautiful.
When she used to travel the world, countless people had praised her as the most beautiful woman in the True Immortal Realm.
But after she stopped going out, people gradually forgot about her brilliance.
A face too beautiful could disturb the heart.
He disliked anything that could disrupt one’s focus, so he averted his gaze.
“What is it?”
“The Fire Poison…”
Jiang Zhaoxue raised her hand, reminding him.
“You haven’t channeled your spiritual energy into me yet.
If you don’t, I won’t make it through the night.”
Shen Yuqing scrutinized her closely.
Something still felt wrong
But he couldn’t pinpoint what.
After a moment’s thought, he suddenly brought up Mu Jinyue.
“Jinyue was poisoned with Lingmin Dissolution.
Her spiritual root is dissolving as we speak.”
Jiang Zhaoxue’s expression flickered with shock, as if she knew nothing of this.
Shen Yuqing studied her reaction, not missing a single detail.
He continued testing her.
“She is not like you.
You are a cultivator in the Seventh Fusion Realm.
Your body has been tempered by Heavenly Tribulation.
The pain is nothing compared to what she is suffering.
She can’t even make a sound right now.”
“It’s that serious?”
Jiang Zhaoxue frowned slightly, then asked, confused,
“But what does that have to do with me?”
“The Heavenly Fate Book named you as the culprit.
A disciple saw you poisoning her drink.
And Lingmin Dissolution is exclusively from Penglai.”
Shen Yuqing laid out the accusations one by one.
Jiang Zhaoxue’s thoughts turned.
Yesterday, she had indeed given Mu Jinyue something
A laxative.
The memory was so childish that she felt secondhand embarrassment just recalling it.
But she forced herself to remain calm, listening as Shen Yuqing continued.
“Yesterday, you deliberately made things difficult for her.
You punished her by making her kneel for half an hour on Yunfu Mountain.
She returned, and soon after, was poisoned.
You cannot separate yourself from this matter.”
“So you want to punish me?”
Jiang Zhaoxue understood his meaning.
Her gaze turned bitter, full of despair.
She laughed.
“You seek revenge for your disciple
Even though I am also poisoned with Lingmin Dissolution?
You still refuse to believe me?”
“Even if you’re not responsible for this, as a Shiniang, you are petty and consumed by jealousy.
Your character is lacking.
You should be punished.”
Shen Yuqing’s thoughts were becoming clearer
And so was his decision.
“Starting today, you will remain on Yunfu Mountain to reflect on your behavior.
Once it is confirmed that you had no involvement in Jinyue’s poisoning, a final decision will be made.
As for your Fire Poison”
Shen Yuqing’s gaze dropped to her outstretched hand.
After a brief hesitation, he looked back at her and spoke seriously.
“I will not suppress it for you today.
But if you hand over the antidote and sincerely apologize
Then I will act as if none of this ever happened.
The Fire Poison is unbearable.
Think carefully.”
With that, he turned to leave.
Jiang Zhaoxue let out a self-deprecating laugh.
It was a cold, bitter sound.
“You still think it was me.”
Shen Yuqing paused mid-step.
His back remained turned to her as he stated,
“The Heavenly Fate Book does not make mistakes.
If it says you are guilty
Then you are guilty.”
“The Heavenly Fate Book is Lingjian Immortal Pavilion’s greatest treasure.
As sect master, you are only allowed to consult it once every five years.
Otherwise, you must sacrifice ten percent of your cultivation.”
Jiang Zhaoxue chuckled.
Her voice was light as she gazed at his back.
“Sect Master Shen is truly a devoted teacher.
I wonder, do you protect all your disciples this way?”
Shen Yuqing remained silent.
Jiang Zhaoxue’s lips curled in mockery.
“Such affection.
If you and Mu Jinyue were not master and disciple
I might think you loved her.”
“What nonsense are you speaking?”
For the first time, Shen Yuqing reacted, turning back with a cold glare.
Jiang Zhaoxue smiled at his response.
“Apologies.
I misspoke.”
She lowered her head, adjusting the folds of her robe, her tone suddenly light and taunting.
“Lingjian Immortal Pavilion is a prestigious sect, renowned for its strict rules and moral teachings.
Sect Master Shen is an esteemed figure, highly virtuous.
Surely, you would never commit something so disgraceful.
I’m sure you treat all your disciples equally
Whether it’s Mu Jinyue or Pei Zichen, you must love them both the same.”
She lifted her gaze to meet his.
Her smile was dazzling.
“Isn’t that right?”
Shen Yuqing did not respond.
Jiang Zhaoxue stood firm, meeting his gaze without backing down.
At that moment, a voice called from outside, urgent.
“Master, Junior Sister is in pain again!
Please come quickly!”
Shen Yuqing’s expression changed instantly.
He left behind only one sentence before turning away.
“From now on, watch your tongue.”
Then, he walked out.
Jiang Zhaoxue suddenly had a realization.
She immediately got up, staggering after him, her voice shrill with desperation.
“Shen Yuqing!
Stop right there!
You dare to treat me this way?!
I am poisoned with Lingmin Dissolution!
If you refuse to suppress my Fire Poison, do you know how much pain I’ll be in tonight?!
I won’t even be able to crawl!
I won’t be able to scream!
Will you be satisfied then?!”
“Lady Jiang, don’t!”
Qingye caught up to her, holding her back in concern.
“The night air is cold!
Your body is already weak please don’t push yourself!”
“Let go of me!”
Jiang Zhaoxue shoved Qingye aside, grabbing onto the door frame, craning her neck to scream at Shen Yuqing.
“Let me die!
Let me suffer in agony tonight!
Shen Yuqing!
Shen Ze Yuan!
If you’re a real man, don’t look at me tonight!
Don’t think about me!
Because if you do
It means you love me!”
Her voice was hoarse yet piercing.
It echoed through all of Yunfu Mountain.
Shen Yuqing stormed away.
His disciples followed behind him.
Only when they had walked far from Jiang Zhaoxue’s residence did his closest disciple, Zilu, ask anxiously,
“Master, did you get the antidote?”
“Lady Jiang was also poisoned with Lingmin Dissolution.
We’ll wait and observe.”
Shen Yuqing’s voice was cool.
Zilu was stunned.
Then he protested,
“But Master!
The Heavenly Fate Book can’t be wrong!
You saw how she treated Junior Sister she must be faking”
Before he could finish, a freezing glare silenced him.
Zilu stiffened.
Shen Yuqing’s voice was calm.
“Is she someone you have the right to discuss?”
Zilu immediately knelt.
“Disciple understands his mistake!”
Shen Yuqing withdrew his gaze and continued walking.
“Station guards around Yunfu Mountain.
Until Mu Jinyue’s poisoning is fully investigated, no one leaves or enters.”
“Yes.”
“And one more thing…”
Shen Yuqing suddenly recalled Jiang Zhaoxue’s earlier words.
He had never heard her speak another man’s name before.
For some reason, it bothered him.
He hesitated briefly.
Then, suppressing his distaste, he ordered,
“Inquire about Pei Zichen’s progress.”
“He must find the Lingxiao Flower quickly.”