Shen Ciyu, as one of the rare Heaven-grade spiritual root awakeners in the Four Realms, was extraordinarily gifted. With the Sword Sect’s support, his position as the future leader of the Nine Provinces Immortal Alliance was practically guaranteed.
Yet this man was as stubborn as could be. Ever since learning about the marriage arrangement, he had been determined to break it, holding firm to his decision for decades.
When questioned, he always gave the same answer: “Devoted to the Dao, with no heart for marriage.”
As Shen Ciyu’s father, Shen Feng knew exactly what his son was thinking.
Seeing Shen Ciyu kneeling there, covered in wounds, blood streaming down his head, Shen Feng’s heart ached with both anger and pity.
Abandoning decorum, he pointed at Shen Ciyu and shouted, “Sang Dai is a traitor! Stop thinking about her!”
At the mention of Sang Dai, Madam Shi’s expression darkened, as did the faces of all the elders in the hall.
Shen Ciyu finally reacted, lifting his gaze to glance at Madam Shi and Shen Feng.
One was his master’s wife, the other his father.
He suddenly recalled something Su Xuan had said to him: “Are you going to abandon her again?”
Was Su Xuan wrong?
It wasn’t just him; the Sword Sect had repeatedly abandoned Sang Dai.
Lowering his eyes again, Shen Ciyu said, “Ciyu does not have any affection for Junior Sister Sang. This matter has nothing to do with her. As for the marriage, Ciyu refused it a hundred years ago, and in the years since, I—”
“Outrageous!”
Another teacup flew toward him, smashing heavily against his forehead amidst the shocked cries of the elders and Madam Shi.
His vision was now completely obscured by blood, rendering him unable to see clearly.
“This matter is not for you to decide! The marriage will happen!” Shen Feng roared.
Still, Shen Ciyu kept his head lowered. “Ciyu repeats: I will not agree.”
Madam Shi’s expression grew grim, her gaze flickering with shadowy complexity.
Shen Ciyu didn’t like Shi Yao. Madam Shi had once considered that if he truly had no interest, they could drag the matter out until both children found partners they liked, and the engagement could naturally be dissolved.
After all, Shi Yao could find someone better, and as a Heaven-grade spiritual root awakener, Shen Ciyu could secure the position of Immortal Alliance leader on his own, even without the Sword Sect’s support.
But then, Sang Wenzhou’s incident occurred.
The Sword Sect became deeply implicated in the Guixu sacrificial scandal. While the Immortal Alliance officially condemned Sang Dai, they privately harbored suspicions and had already sent people to investigate.
Currently, the Sword Sect lacked a leader. Over the years, only the Shen family had maintained close ties with them. The sect intended to pass the sect leader position to Shen Ciyu, thereby solidifying their alliance with the Shen family.
For Shen Ciyu, the first—and essential—task upon becoming sect leader would be to marry Shi Yao.
With this marriage, the bond between the Sword Sect and the Shen family would become unbreakable. The sect wouldn’t need to worry about Shen Ciyu harboring disloyalty, and the Shen family would devote its full efforts to stabilizing the Sword Sect’s position. This arrangement would pave the way for Shen Ciyu to eventually become the Immortal Alliance leader.
It was a win-win situation—except the person involved refused to cooperate.
Shen Feng, of course, had thought through all of this. He berated Shen Ciyu furiously: “Are you truly this foolish? Are you still thinking about that Sang Dai?”
Shen Ciyu replied indifferently, “Ciyu harbors no romantic feelings for Junior Sister Sang. I ask that Father refrain from tarnishing her reputation.”
“Rebellious son!”
Shen Feng was so furious that he was breathing heavily, about to hurl more insults at Shen Ciyu, when Madam Shi interrupted him.
She rose to her feet, her expression cold yet elegant, her features both stunning and imposing. Dressed in a light purple ceremonial robe, she radiated an air of dignity and authority.
“Ciyu, the matter of your engagement with Yao Yao can be discussed later,” Madam Shi declared, her tone sharp. “But Sang Dai—her name must never again pass from your lips.”
Her chin lifted slightly, and her expression turned harsh, brimming with malice and hatred as her voice suddenly rose: “That rebellious girl, Sang Dai, is expelled from the Sword Sect. Her name has been removed from the sect’s family register. From this day forward, she has no ties to the Sword Sect. If any Sword Sect disciple sees her, they are to kill her on sight!”
Shen Ciyu raised his head, his vision blurred by the blood streaming down his face.
But Madam Shi’s words, combined with the furious accusations of the elders, reached his ears clearly. His father continued to placate the Sword Sect, assuring them that he would convince Shen Ciyu to accept the engagement.
Shen Ciyu fully understood why this long-forgotten marriage arrangement was suddenly being brought up again.
The Shen family wanted to leverage the Sword Sect’s power to secure his position as the next leader of the Immortal Alliance. The Sword Sect wanted to use the engagement to draw the Shen family closer, stabilizing their position.
Each side had its own interests.
Shen Ciyu suddenly asked, “I’ve always wondered: what does a Heaven-grade spiritual root awakener mean to all of you?”
He pushed himself off the ground, his back covered with hundreds of whip lashes inflicted by Shen Feng the previous night. Each movement tore at his wounds, causing them to bleed profusely.
He ignored the pain entirely, letting his white robes soak through with blood.
Standing upright, Shen Ciyu wiped the blood from his forehead without a care.
“Is it the future of the sect, a shield to bear its burdens? Or is it just a blade—one that can be discarded once it grows dull?”
Shen Feng barked, “You insolent child, shut your mouth!”
Shen Ciyu replied calmly, “If I had the choice, I wouldn’t want to be a Heaven-grade spiritual root awakener.”
What others envied as a Heaven-grade spiritual root brought him glory, but it also brought crushing responsibilities.
Lowering his gaze, he added, “If the Immortal Alliance confirms Sang Dai’s guilt, and if everything my master said before his death proves true, then I will stand with the Sword Sect to execute the traitor.”
“But if the truth is as Sang Dai claims…” Shen Ciyu lifted his eyes, meeting the gazes of the elders. His voice turned icy. “Then I will uphold justice and avenge those wrongfully killed.”
Of the eleven elders in the Sword Sect, three had been slain, leaving eight still alive.
The remaining elders were stunned, their hearts pounding wildly. One stammered in disbelief, “Shen Ciyu, are you out of your mind?!”
Shen Feng shouted in alarm, “Ciyu, what nonsense are you spouting?!”
Shen Ciyu shook his head. “I have other matters to attend to. I’ll take my leave.”
He turned and walked out, ignoring the elders’ furious rebukes and Shen Feng’s shouts, never once looking back.
The hall descended into chaos. Even Madam Shi could no longer maintain her composure. Her eyes turned red as she smashed the teacup before her, all semblance of decorum abandoned.
The scene of disorder was transmitted through the water mirror to another location.
Shi Yao, watching from the other side, smiled faintly. Yet the hand holding her teacup tightened until the cup shattered. Shards of porcelain pierced her palm, and blood began to flow freely.
She seemed oblivious to the pain until a spirit crane by her side transformed into a red-clad youth. He crouched before her, gently prying her hand open and using spiritual energy to remove the shards.
“What are you so upset about? In the end, Shen Ciyu will still have to marry you. He’s bound to die in Guixu anyway. Just endure it, and it will all pass.”
The youth knelt at her feet, tending to her wound. Shi Yao let him treat her hand without a word.
“Bi Fang, I have never been angry because of Shen Ciyu. That fool doesn’t even realize he has feelings for Sang Dai. I noticed it years ago—do you think I care?”
Bi Fang carefully bandaged her hand and chuckled. “I naturally know the young lady has no interest in Shen Ciyu. How could someone like you be upset over a man?”
What Shi Yao cared about was never love. From the very beginning, she only wanted what she desired.
Bi Fang held her hand gently, lifting his bright, striking eyes to meet hers. “Young lady, now that the Immortal Velvet Grass has been given to Sang Dai by Ling Yin, our first step has gone awry. There’s only one way to fix this now.”
“The Heaven-grade spiritual root—you must obtain it. There can be no more failures. As for the Immortal Velvet Grass, I’ll take care of it.”
“We only need to manipulate things so Sang Dai gets implicated in Ying Heng’s case from years ago. The rest will be handled by me.”
Shi Yao raised her other hand, letting it rest on Bi Fang’s cheek. The boy’s smooth, warm skin felt cool beneath her touch as she gently stroked it.
“Bi Fang, I’m lucky to have you.”
Bi Fang leaned into her palm, his posture humble, and said softly, “It’s Bi Fang’s honor to serve at the young lady’s side.”
Looking at the unusually obedient divine beast in front of her, Shi Yao’s gaze remained devoid of warmth.
They stayed like this—one sitting, the other crouching—for a long time until the jade token in Shi Yao’s hand began to glow.
With a lazy motion, she withdrew her hand from Bi Fang’s grasp and took the jade token.
Reading the message engraved on it, Shi Yao narrowed her eyes slightly, then burst into laughter.
The longer she laughed, the louder it became. The hairpin in her hair trembled, and her pink dress became slightly disheveled, her once delicate and elegant appearance now tinged with madness.
“Bi Fang, we’ve received a message. Can you guess what it is?”
“What message?”
“An Immortal Alliance kill order.”
Shi Yao stood and pushed open the window, gazing out at the mist-covered Tianque Mountain.
Bi Fang stepped up beside her, draping a cloak over her shoulders. “The kill order was issued so quickly—it means the Immortal Alliance has found evidence. It seems someone, seeing that Sang Dai is still alive, decided to take action personally. The young lady need not worry.”
Shi Yao’s smile widened, her voice soft and warm. “Hmm, I’m just wondering if this time, with that person taking action personally, they might finally kill Sang Dai.”
She tilted her head to look at Bi Fang, smiling brightly. “Bi Fang, so many people want her dead. If Heaven itself wants her life, she cannot live.”
“Naturally, young lady,” Bi Fang replied.
At the same time, across the other two sects and six clans, any disciple at the Golden Core stage or above who carried the Immortal Alliance’s communication jade received the same message:
[“Traitor Sang Dai, Sword Sect’s Heaven-grade spiritual root awakener. All Immortal Sect disciples, heed the command—”]
At the bottom of the message, a single blood-red character, stamped with the Immortal Alliance’s unique seal, stood out:
“Exterminate.”