chapter 41

But I Don't Acknowledge It

In the lunar July of the human world, the scorching heat of the spiritual realm had faded, and there was already a hint of early autumn in the air.

Outside the Jade Tower Cottage, the surroundings were filled with blooming balsam flowers and okra. Many cultivators who respected agricultural techniques were tending to the spiritual plants and spiritual fruits in the fields.

The Jade Tower Cottage was a secluded place left behind by the ancestors of the Immortal Sect.

The sect had accounted for the casualties and had taken the injured disciples for treatment. Fortunately, those who needed saving had all been rescued, except for a few Spirit Masters who refused to leave.

The disciples of the Medical Cultivation Valley had been busy diagnosing and treating injuries for the past two days, and they were running around without a moment's rest. Among them, the one who had been injured the most severely was Pei Yujing.

Six of his ribs had been broken, and his back bore whip marks that were corroding. Even with the strong physical constitution of a spiritual cultivator, the wounds would not heal, and the corroded parts had to be excised.

He didn't utter a word, making it difficult for anyone to tell how severe his injuries were.

Ordinary disciples didn't dare to treat him hastily and had to ask the Valley Master of the Medical Cultivation Valley, Ming Tongxu, to come.

Ming Valley Master was Ming Xiu's father. He was arrogant by nature, but his medical skills were unparalleled. When the Immortal Sect had not yet fallen, he only treated people based on his mood, and everyone called him the eccentric doctor.

Zhan Yunwei stood outside waiting. The spiritual binding bracelet on her wrist had been removed, and Zhan Shujing stood beside her, his face filled with displeasure. "Why are you still wearing that unlucky cloak? It reeks of that dog thief. Why don't you hurry up and get rid of it?"

The cloak she wore was the one that Yue Zhiheng had draped over her two days ago in the spiritual realm.

Zhan Yunwei didn't particularly mind wearing the cloak, but she disliked Zhan Shujing's overbearing and unpleasant temper.

So, she replied, "Everything I'm wearing is from the Yue family. According to your logic, should I strip it all off and throw it away?"

Zhan Shujing was momentarily speechless, then he snapped angrily, "Zhan Yunwei, is that something a girl should say?"

"You started this without reason," Zhan Yunwei glanced at him, "If you have something to say, just speak to me properly."

"I've told you not to call me that. Who's your older brother?" Zhan Shujing's voice was harsh.

Zhan Yunwei smiled. She was deliberately calling him that because Zhan Shujing's words were so harsh.

The smile in the girl's eyes reflected the rowan trees behind her, making her appear strangely enchanting. Zhan Shujing couldn't muster any anger.

Zhan Shujing opened his mouth, his expression conflicted, struggling to speak. "Tell me the truth, you..."

Zhan Yunwei waited for a while but didn't hear the rest of his words. "What exactly do you want to ask?"

Zhan Shujing, feeling frustrated, replied, "Forget it, nothing to ask."

He couldn't ask outright; after all, he couldn't ask Zhan Yunwei if that dog thief had done anything to her.

Zhan Yunwei glanced at him. Before she could guess what Zhan Shujing was thinking, the door inside opened, and Valley Master Ming walked out.

He wore a gray Daoist robe, with a broad forehead and a long beard, exuding an aura of an immortal. But his gaze was condescending, and he gave Zhan Yunwei a cold, disdainful look.

Zhan Yunwei knew that Ming Valley Master was arrogant and dismissive of others. The only person he truly cherished was his daughter, Ming Xiu.

Since childhood, Ming Xiu could have anything she wanted, and Ming Valley Master would always find a way to get it for her. This had led to Ming Xiu's reckless behavior.

Zhan Yunwei raised her eyes, her gaze calm, with no hint of respect. She looked at Ming Valley Master indifferently.

If he didn't regard her as a junior, why should she treat him as an elder?

Ming Valley Master's sharp eyes glinted. "Since you are so deeply entangled, why bother returning here? Do you truly not care about your life?"

Zhan Shujing, who didn't understand what the old man was saying, was bewildered by the words "deeply entangled." However, for some reason, he felt a bad premonition.

He sensed the hostility from Ming Valley Master and stepped in front of Zhan Yunwei protectively. "Valley Master, show some restraint."

Zhan Yunwei wasn't surprised that Ming Valley Master had seen through it. After all, he was the best medical cultivator in the world and could even cultivate both medicine and poison.

But she was disgusted by his malicious intent.

If it had been another Spirit Master, they might have felt deeply humiliated by such a thing. People had always shackled Spirit Masters, and over time, they had come to care more about their reputation than anything else.

Several years ago, a Spirit Master had even taken their own life because of this.

Zhan Yunwei spoke coldly, "I refused to be a prisoner, so naturally, I returned. As for whether I live or die, there is no need for Valley Master to worry about it. But for the sake of your daughter, you're arguing with a junior—have you no shame?"

Ming Valley Master sneered, "What a sharp-tongued girl."

His eyes carried a certain meaning as he said, "I only hope you'll still be here next month. As for this matter, you should explain it to Pei Xian yourself."

Zhan Yunwei's expression remained calm, showing no sign of panic, contrary to what he had expected.

Even without speaking, the mockery in her eyes was quite evident—someone like you, with such character, is fit to be a medical cultivator?

Ming Valley Master, his anger simmering, flicked his sleeve and left.

The wind rustled through the yew trees, creating a soft sound. As Zhan Yunwei entered the room to check on Pei Yujing, he had just finished meditating.

He raised his gaze to look at her, his jade crown and dark hair giving him the appearance of a sword cultivator—clean and flawless. His expression showed no sign of change. "Yāng Yāng."

Zhan Yunwei sat down beside him and quietly asked, "Senior Brother Pei, how are your injuries?"

"No worries, I'll recover soon," Pei Yujing paused and added, "In a few days, I'll accompany you to see the Sect Master of Changya Mountain. Don't worry."

They sat facing each other, and Zhan Yunwei felt a brief moment of dizziness. It reminded her of their first meeting.

The scene now was so similar to how things had been then.

At that time, Pei Yujing had been practicing the Cold Heart Sword, and yet, despite his frosty demeanor, his eyes had held warmth.

Back then, the young sword cultivator had smiled at the girl before him, fully aware that she was too young to understand the Cold Heart Sword, but still thanking her calmly for saving his life.

It was the same now. If it hadn't been for Ming Valley Master's deliberate provocation, Zhan Yunwei might have thought that Pei Yujing knew nothing.

If she were still the Zhan Yunwei of her past life, no matter how difficult it was, she would have walked over to him and perhaps let things be. But now, she had to clarify things with Pei Yujing.

"Senior Brother Pei, I have something to say to you."

Pei Yujing looked at her, suddenly saying, "Don't say it, I don't want to hear it."

He placed his hand on her shoulder, offering a pale smile.

"What do you want to say? If it's about the marriage granted by the dynasty, let me tell you, I don't acknowledge it, and no one in the Immortal Sect would either. If it's about the soulmate mark on the spiritual pill, it's not impossible to resolve. Just find a Fate Elixir and it can be dissolved."

He paused, then continued, "I understand you. No matter how well he treats you, you won't be fond of someone who imprisons you, who can't offer you freedom, and who goes against your greater sense of justice. As long as the Binding Spirit Bracelet is on you, you won't stay by his side."

Pei Yujing sneered. "As for the entangling affection?"

He said, "I truly hate Yue Zhiheng now that I know. But if you want me to give up because of that, I find it laughable. No matter what has happened, so what? If you're willing, we can..."

Zhan Yunwei couldn't believe these words were coming from Pei Yujing. She stared at him as if she didn't know him at all. Hearing more of his strange words, she was so frustrated that she had to interrupt him. "Pei Yujing!"

She gritted her teeth and said, "I'm not saying that."

Pei Yujing was silent for a moment, looking at her. "Fine. Then say it."

"..."

Zhan Yunwei took a deep breath to collect herself and said, "I want to annul the engagement. This is a decision I've made after careful consideration. It has nothing to do with the dynasty, and it has nothing to do with Yue Zhiheng. It's only my own will."

"Do you blame me for being late?" Pei Yujing's eyes were filled with desolation. "But Yāng Yāng, you can punish me, you can be angry, but don't say such things. It's unfair to me."

She could hear the bitterness in his voice, and it made her feel uneasy.

One wrong thought, and hundreds of regrets are born.

But she had already experienced this once and was completely heartbroken. Would Pei Yujing be able to sever his ties with her, with the Penglai who had issues with her, or with Madam Pei who had wronged her so terribly?

The thing that kept her trapped, that prevented her from opening her heart to anyone, was not just the Binding Spirit Bracelet from the dynasty—it was everything Pei Yujing couldn't let go of.

"Pei Yujing," Zhan Yunwei stopped calling him Senior Brother and said seriously, "You have your own path, and I have my own to follow. Most Spirit Masters in this world are destined to live in the afterlives of spiritual cultivation, but that's not what I want."

Her mindset had long since changed from the naïve girl who once waited beneath the moon for the boy with the giant sword.

After years of experience, all Zhan Yunwei's wishes had transformed into a desire for freedom, to become the sword that slays evil, to be the cornerstone that overthrows the Spiritual Emperor, but never to be a Spirit Master who is caged and supported by any man.

Zhan Yunwei no longer wanted to lose her talent and spiritual pills for anyone. The love she once had had long since dissipated with her past life.

Just like today, she was no longer willing to fight the Ming family for Pei Yujing.

She tried to push away the hand Pei Yujing had placed on her shoulder, but he didn't move.

He lowered his gaze and said, "This doesn't convince me, and I still don't agree to the annulment. I've never imprisoned you. Yāng Yāng, if you want to do something, you can go and do it. The only thing I ask... is that you don't give up on me so easily."

Zhan Yunwei looked at him and suddenly said, "But Senior Brother, it's not easy. I've walked a long road toward you, exhausted, covered in wounds, and determined to never stop."

Pei Yujing furrowed his brows as he looked at her.

Zhan Yunwei smiled. "So, this is my decision now."

Pei Yujing slowly released her.

Just when Zhan Yunwei thought he had finally understood, he closed his eyes and began to meditate. "I've heard your words clearly, but I can't do it. In a few days, the Kun Yuan Secret Realm will open. I'll help you find the antidote to the entangled affection. Yāng Yāng, there are many things you don't know."

She would never know what his Cold Heart Sword had become after all these years, nor how hard he had to work to see her.

Pei Yujing thought to himself, Yunwei, as for love, you've always been too naïve and slow-witted since you were a child. You've only seen the tip of the iceberg.

But the whip marks on his body, and how Yue Zhiheng would rather hurt his soul weapon than let her leave, made Pei Yujing thank Zhan Yunwei for her naïveté for the first time.

At least, who would win in the end was still uncertain. He wouldn't remind her, and he hoped the dynasty's dogs would always remain hidden.

Lately, there hadn't been much rain in the spiritual realm. The dynasty's servants had spent several days cleaning the blood off the riverbanks.

At the Zhi Tian Manor, it was rare for it to rain today. The mute girl sat in the corridor, staring into space. The sound of the rain pattered, just like the chaos in her heart.

The guards couldn't understand what she was trying to say. Medical cultivators came and went repeatedly. In these past few days, her younger brother had been meditating to recover, and the thing he did most was draw refining weapon blueprints without rest.

They hadn't returned to the Yue family.

At first, the mute girl would ask Yue Zhiheng, "Where's my sister-in-law?" But when she saw Yue Zhiheng's expression, she never asked again.

Yue Zhiheng's condition worried her even more. She mustered the courage to grab Lord Fang Huai, who had come to Zhi Tian Manor, and asked him, "Lord Fang, who injured A Heng and took away Wai Wai?"

The mute girl knew Yue Zhiheng's strength. Apart from the Spiritual Emperor, no one in the dynasty could match him. His spirit body was strong, but even the wound from the divine sword couldn't heal easily.

She couldn't help but worry that Yue Zhiheng might still be in danger.

Fortunately, Lord Fang had patience. After several attempts to understand what she was trying to express, he sighed and said, "Who else could it be? The Immortal Sect and Pei Yujing."

The mute girl heard the name Pei Yujing for the first time and was confused. "This Pei Yujing, is he very powerful?"

"Of course, he's powerful. The master of the divine sword, born with a sword bone."

The mute girl gestured. "Can A Heng not defeat him?"

Otherwise, how could he have allowed Pei Yujing to take Zhan Yunwei away? Even though the mute girl couldn't fathom Yue Zhiheng's feelings, she understood his arrogance and nature. If there hadn't been no other choice, he would never have willingly handed her over.

Fang Huai thought for a moment. "That day, the fight ended in a draw, but…"

He thought to himself that Yue Zhiheng's trump card, the Compassionate Lotus Mark, hadn't yet bloomed. Once it did, things would be much more difficult to predict. After all, the thing that made Yue Zhiheng finally let go of everything was far too heavy, and it wasn't something that could be decided by who won or lost. These things were too complicated to tell the mute girl.

Pei Yujing also seemed to have suffered some kind of backlash, otherwise, the sword immortal holding the divine sword would have had purer sword energy. But that day, his sword energy was strangely chaotic.

In the end, both spiritual cultivators with Nine Layers of Spirit Meridian didn't fare well.

However, Pei Yujing, though injured, had at least managed to take her away. Yue Zhiheng, on the other hand, was injured, and no one dared to bring up that day's events in front of him.

The Crown Prince's attendants had all been killed by Yue Zhiheng.

In the past few days, the Crown Prince hadn't dared leave his mansion, bringing his Crown Princess with him, like two quails hiding in fear.

The Zhongyuan Festival was coming soon, and in the past years, that day was the busiest time for Yue Zhiheng.

Fang Huai felt guilty. After all, that day, he had been a burden too.

If it weren't for my lack of skill, Yue Zhiheng wouldn't have needed to divide his attention to save me. His weapon spirit wouldn't have been so heavily injured. It's still recovering in his sea of consciousness, and it's shrunk by quite a bit.

After bidding the mute girl farewell, Fang Huai went to find Yue Zhiheng in his room, where he was drawing. He waved the items in his hand.

"These are all spiritual herbs my father has collected. Take them to nourish your body," Fang Huai said, not daring to mention how he had secretly returned that day to pick up the sachet, and now didn't even dare to give it back to Yue Zhiheng.

Yue Zhiheng was truly resolute. When he said "no," he really meant it.

Yue Zhiheng's expression remained calm. "Thank you. Put them down."

"The Zhongyuan Festival is coming soon. There's been an increase in evil spirits in the dynasty. I've thought about it, and on that day, my cousin and I will go with you to exterminate the evil spirits."

After all, wearing a mask, no one would recognize anyone, right?

Yue Zhiheng glanced up at him. "Can you kill the Demon King of the Chis?"

Fang Huai awkwardly replied, "Well, if I run into it, I'll just run away."

But if he ran, the others who couldn't run would have to die. He knew this suggestion wasn't reliable.

Yue Zhiheng sneered.

However, this version of Yue Zhiheng seemed much more normal. Several days had passed since Qixi, and Fang Huai didn't know if he had truly stopped caring or had just let go.

But he knew that it was best not to bring up certain things. It was better to change the subject.

Fang Huai leaned over to look at the blueprints. He saw that Yue Zhiheng was making a special artifact to help heal his weapon spirit. It seemed the weapon spirit was truly badly wounded.

Fang Huai suddenly spoke. "On July 22, the Kun Yuan Secret Realm will open. My father wants me to go there for some training."

He felt a bit troubled. Even if the Kun Yuan Secret Realm was peaceful, it was still a secret realm, and there would always be danger. As an array master, he felt uneasy. He didn't expect Yue Zhiheng to accompany him, but he simply needed to complain a little, just to make conversation.

To his surprise, the moment he finished speaking, Yue Zhiheng's cinnabar pen paused.

A drop of crimson appeared on the blueprint.

Fang Huai looked over, wondering what was wrong with the Kun Yuan Secret Realm.

Yue Zhiheng changed his pen and, without lifting his head, said coldly, "I'll go with you."

Fang Huai was stunned. "What are you going for?"

With Nine Layers of Spirit Meridian, Yue Zhiheng didn't need to go through secret realm training. From what he knew, the Spiritual Emperor hadn't given any missions recently.

Yue Zhiheng didn't raise his head. After a long while, he finally spoke in a cold tone.

"Cut the ties cleanly."