"Speak of the devil, and he appears."
Just as the elders were still trying to reason with Song Wanníng, Bai Yang strode into the tent with large, purposeful steps.
"Master!" he called out loudly.
"Ah! Bai Yang's back!"
"He's safe. Junior Sister Song, you can relax now, can't you?"
"Yes, exactly. He's fine!"
The elders were overjoyed. With this, maybe they could finally talk Song Wanníng down.
She turned to look at Bai Yang. Their eyes met, his filled with raw emotion and relief. A small smile tugged at her lips, though only faintly.
"Bai Yang's survival is thanks to his own good fortune," she said coolly. "It doesn't excuse what the Sect Master did."
Her tone remained cold. She wasn't letting this go so easily.
The elders felt a fresh headache coming on and immediately turned to Bai Yang for help.
Although Bai Yang had been furious about how the Sect Master handled things, he didn't want Song Wanníng to truly leave Wentian Sect.
So he stepped forward.
"This disciple was in the wrong," he said sincerely. "I caused you worry, Master. Please… don't leave Wentian Sect. We still need you."
His voice carried warmth. The shadow that had lingered in his heart for days was finally gone, replaced by the comforting warmth of being truly cared for.
His words broke the ice just enough. Seeing an opening, the elders began chiming in again.
Song Wanníng still wore a look of discontent, but there was a subtle shift in her posture. Her stance wasn't quite as rigid now.
The Sect Master's face twitched. His pride stung, but he understood what this meant.
She was waiting for him to apologize.
She would not let this go without one.
After a long inner struggle, the Sect Master finally ground out the words.
"Junior Sister Song," he said, his tone strained, "this matter was handled poorly. I apologize. I promise, nothing like this will ever happen again."
He believed he had humbled himself enough.
But Song Wanníng's expression didn't soften.
The Sect Master clenched his jaw, forced to swallow his anger. With so many watching, he had no choice but to push further.
"Please," he added, his voice grating, "let this go, just this once. Don't be too harsh on me."
That was as far as he could bend.
Song Wanníng lifted her gaze, taking in the Sect Master's green-tinged face. Her mood brightened.
She sighed, putting on a graceful and understanding front.
"Fine. I'll let it go this time," she said gently. "I wouldn't want anyone saying I cling too tightly to grievances."
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then added in a voice cool as wind, "But if this ever happens again, don't blame me for being unreasonable."
The Sect Master nearly choked.
She dared to threaten him in front of everyone?
His hands trembled faintly, his face shifting between pale and flushed.
But Song Wanníng didn't spare him another glance. She turned and walked out, calm and unbothered, leaving only the silhouette of her flowing robes behind.
Bai Yang quickly followed. The other elders, seeing that the matter was more or less settled, trailed out after them one by one.
Those who had arrived in haste left just as quickly.
The Sect Master stood alone in the center of the tent, utterly humiliated.
Liu Shiyue, Sect Master of the Hehuan Sect, let out a soft snort of laughter and threw in a few teasing remarks, adding insult to injury.
The rest managed to hold back their laughter, but their smirks said enough.
The Sect Master clenched his fists. His hatred for Song Wanníng deepened. Something had to be done. He couldn't keep letting her manipulate the situation like this.
She had to be dealt with.
...
"Master, wait!"
Bai Yang chased after her, trying to catch up.
But Song Wanníng gave him only a cool glance. "Stop following me. I need to refine pills."
Before he could say anything else, she vanished in a flash of light, leaving him standing alone.
Bai Yang stood frozen, a wave of disappointment washing over him.
She's still angry with me?
Why was she being so cold?
He stood there, lost in thought, when Ye Chuxue quietly walked over. Her gaze flicked toward the direction Song Wanníng had gone.
"Senior Brother, come on," she said softly. "You need rest. Let's get you back. I'll give you some healing pills."
She hated seeing him so fixated on Song Wanníng.
He used to resent her. Why had that changed?
Bai Yang stayed silent for a moment, then slowly turned to look at her.
"Junior Sister Ye," he asked quietly, "you knew Master didn't know I was missing, didn't you?"
His gaze was piercing, not giving her a chance to dodge the question.
Ye Chuxue froze.
She wanted to deny it—but the lie was too weak. A single question to any of the disciples would expose her. She opened her mouth, then closed it again.
And that was all Bai Yang needed to understand.
So it was true.
She had said nothing. She had let him suffer, let him believe his master didn't care. And she had watched him break down over it—without once trying to tell him the truth.
The girl standing in front of him wore the same face, but now it felt unfamiliar. Foreign.
He thought back to all the things she had whispered in his ear. All the times she had turned him against his master.
Were those lies too?
He had believed her. That was why he had pushed Song Wanníng away, again and again. Why he had hurt her with his words and actions.
"Ye Chuxue," he said at last.
"You've disappointed me."
"I used to think you were brave, kind, and full of light. But now… you feel like a stranger."
Whatever feelings of gratitude he once had, for her daring rescue in the mountains, were gone now. His gaze grew colder.
The girl he liked had been someone from the past, not the one standing before him now—someone who could lie so easily.
Without another word, Bai Yang turned and walked away. Even his back seemed distant.
Ye Chuxue stood frozen, watching him leave until he vanished from sight.
Her eyes turned red. Her nose stung.
She wanted to cry.
She had risked her life to find him in the mountains. How could he treat her like this?
"It was just one lie. Did it really warrant all this?"
He acted like Song Wanníng was his mother or something.
Why did he care so much?
Her heart twisted painfully, torn between fury and longing.
She hated him for this—but she couldn't stop loving him either.
Her feelings spun into a chaotic storm. They were eating her alive.
...
After the demon cultivator's tribulation, the spirit beasts had finally quieted down. With no more divine beast egg drawing them, they slowly regained their senses and stopped recklessly attacking the border.
Only a few lone beasts still caused trouble from time to time.
The sects and cultivation clans stationed at the border had been on high alert for days. After confirming that the demon cultivator had disappeared and no further threats remained, they began preparing to return home.
Song Wanníng paid a visit to the Song Clan first.
She handed over a sealed demon core to Song Qingyun.
"This is—!"
Song Qingyun's eyes widened, his hands trembling as he took it.
It was the core of a fifth-rank spirit beast.
"Where did you get this? Are you hurt?" he asked, immediately pulling her into a check-up. She had been missing for far too long. He had worried himself sick.
Thankfully, she seemed unharmed.
"It came from that great demon beast," Song Wanníng replied with a faint smile.
That beast had always wanted to die. In the end, it got its wish.
She hadn't bothered with the Sealing Array itself, but she had made sure to retrieve the demon core before leaving. That was the only thing that mattered to her.
She also shared what had happened during her tribulation.
By the time she finished, Song Qingyun was left utterly stunned.
No matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't connect the terrifying demon cultivator from the rumors with the daughter standing before him.
A demon cultivator?
And advancement to Divine Transformation, already?
That level wasn't something one reached just because they wanted to.
Divine Transformation cultivators weren't cabbages you could pluck from the ground.