An Tong turned to look at Yun Jin.
Yun Jin simply smiled without offering any further explanation.
An Tong understood instantly. This was a test from the Young Mistress.
Just wait and see.
His Heart-Seeking Mirror was no toy.
An Tong resumed his probing and soon discovered that the karmic threads around Si Wanning connected her to both her past and her future. The future part, in particular, appeared especially strange.
Why was that?
An Tong hesitated, then said, "Could it be that she has glimpsed her own future path?"
But how could an ordinary cultivator like Si Wanning possess such an ability?
Yun Jin gave An Tong a somewhat surprised glance. "Being able to guess that much isn't bad. My Second Senior Sister has indeed awakened some memories of the future."
Yun Jin chose not to mention that Si Wanning had reincarnated. Calling it an awakening of future memories was easier for An Tong and the others to accept.
An Tong nodded. "Cases like that do exist. The laws of karma flow quietly through the world. Sometimes, in the midst of certain accidents, they become visible."
As he spoke, An Tong's voice grew excited. "Young Mistress, your Second Senior Sister is a natural seed for cultivating the Dao of Karma. The mark of karma is already embedded in her soul. This Dao is difficult to even step into, yet she was born having already done so. Cultivating the Dao of Karma will be far more efficient for her than it would be for anyone else."
"All from Wushuang Sect, Wushuang Sect, all from our Wushuang Sect." The Tian Po Sword practically lit up with glee.
Originally, it hadn't paid much attention when the Young Mistress brought in her fellow disciples from her old sect.
After all, compared to those from the Holy Lands, people like Yue Zhao didn't seem to have outstanding talent.
But who could have guessed that each and every one of them carried some hidden secret?
"Young Mistress's Third Senior Brother is also no ordinary person," the Tian Po Sword added eagerly. "He carries the bloodline of another race. In the future, once he fully integrates it and cultivates the path of bloodline, his achievements will be exceptional."
These future powerhouses would all eventually belong to Wushuang Sect.
An Tong was now thoroughly intrigued. He examined Gu Jinghong and Feng Linglong in detail, then showed a faintly disappointed expression.
"These two don't seem to be hiding any big surprises. But their temperament is decent," An Tong offered.
Yun Jin's gaze shifted slightly. She asked, "An Tong, even Gu Jinghong's temperament is passable?"
An Tong activated the Heart-Seeking Mirror and displayed Gu Jinghong's situation.
At that moment, Gu Jinghong was still inside the second trial.
However...
He hadn't built a kingdom or indulged in the thrill of overwhelming power. Like Jin Yu, he wandered the world.
But he seemed to have a clear purpose from the start.
An Tong said, "Young Mistress, it seems he's been searching for someone this entire time. Inside the trial, I've sealed their memories and cultivation. For someone to be engraved so deeply into his soul that he would search for them even without memory… that person must be immensely important to him. Whether Gu Jinghong turns toward good or evil depends on who that person is."
Yun Jin frowned slightly.
Someone that important to Gu Jinghong?
Someone he would seek even without remembering them?
Who could that be?
If this were in the past, it would no doubt have been Ye Danxia.
But in this life, Gu Jinghong was supposed to have let go of his obsession with Ye Danxia.
"Hm? He seems to be painting something," An Tong noted with interest.
Yun Jin looked over as well.
A stick of incense later—
Yun Jin fell silent.
The person in Gu Jinghong's painting looked about seventy to eighty percent like her.
Gu Jinghong… was searching for her.
"This…" An Tong couldn't help glancing at Yun Jin.
Yun Jin seemed to realize something. "I have a master-servant contract with him. That's probably why. After all, such a contract is engraved into the soul."
Yun Jin couldn't think of any other explanation.
An Tong blinked.
But even a master-servant contract shouldn't be able to break through his seal.
Still, it didn't really matter.
What did matter was that Gu Jinghong clearly held deep loyalty to the Young Mistress. That was already more than enough.
Yun Jin felt slightly more at ease regarding Gu Jinghong. At least as long as the master-servant contract remained intact, there was no need for concern. If Gu Jinghong remained obedient, she would return his freedom the day she ascended. Years of servitude would settle the debts of her previous life, where he had once tormented her.
Inside the Heart-Seeking Mirror—
Everyone had now completed the second trial.
The illusion within the trial had lasted far too long. So long that, upon returning, many of them were left dazed for a while.
Some recovered quickly.
Others looked visibly disturbed.
Duan Yiwei remembered the bloody slaughter he had unleashed in that world. Even now, the thought of it filled him with exhilaration. But was that kind of behavior really enough to pass the trial?
Duan Yiwei gritted his teeth.
This Heart-Seeking Staircase was too strange.
After the first trial, he had warned himself not to go overboard. He had tried to learn restraint. But once he entered the second trial, all his memories were wiped. He could only act on instinct. Ahead of him, just one step away from the peak of the staircase, loomed one final trial.
At that moment, Duan Yiwei's scalp tingled.
What was this last trial?
Was he about to be exposed?
He even felt a strong urge to turn and flee.
But the staircase stretched endlessly in all directions. If he failed this final trial, he might be trapped here forever. Duan Yiwei clenched his jaw and stepped into the mist.
"An Tong, I want to see Duan Yiwei's trial," Yun Jin said.
This time, she wanted to closely observe Duan Yiwei.
She wanted to know—
Had Qingxiao Pavilion already allied itself with the demon race?
And if so, how far had that alliance gone?
Duan Yiwei was Qingxiao Pavilion's top cultivator in the Divine Transformation realm. If anyone had contact with such secrets, it would be him.
No matter what, it was worth testing.
An Tong instantly understood Yun Jin's intent. He grinned. "Don't worry, Young Mistress. I'll write him a perfectly tailored script."
The scene shifted.
Inside the illusion, An Tong reconstructed the setting of the Four Holy Lands.
Duan Yiwei became the head of Qingxiao Pavilion.
At the start, the Four Holy Lands convened and agreed to launch a full-scale crusade against the demon race.
No sooner had Duan Yiwei returned to Qingxiao Pavilion than a Demon Sovereign appeared before him.
The Demon Sovereign proposed a peace treaty with the human race. If Duan Yiwei could broker the deal, he promised to grant great benefits to both Duan Yiwei and Qingxiao Pavilion.
These benefits were enough to elevate Qingxiao Pavilion above the other three Holy Lands.
Duan Yiwei was clearly tempted. After some thought, he began negotiating with the Demon Sovereign. He admitted that convincing the other three Holy Lands in the short term would be difficult, but there were subtler methods.
For instance, he could leak internal information, helping the demon race sabotage the other sects. They could ambush disciples on missions or steal their valuable resources. Weakening the others would ensure Qingxiao Pavilion's rise. Eventually, once the three Holy Lands had suffered enough, they would agree to negotiate.
The Demon Sovereign saw no reason to refuse. He agreed with a smile.
From then on, within the illusionary world, Qingxiao Pavilion began its secret alliance with the demon race. While appearing to suffer losses on the surface, they were hiding their true strength. Bit by bit, they climbed to the top of the Four Holy Lands.
The illusion ended at this point.
Yun Jin narrowed her eyes. Her expression grew grim.
If that was what Duan Yiwei thought, then what about Lin Xiao?
Did he think the same way?
Or… had he already acted on it?
And then there was the matter of Qingxiao Pavilion's disciples exploding. The frequency was far beyond what Yun Jin had expected.
Could it be that this entire sect had become corrupted?
How could it have come to this?
Even if Lin Xiao had chosen to side with the demon race, surely the others in Qingxiao Pavilion didn't all share that mindset?
They couldn't all have been born evil. Surely they weren't assimilated the moment they entered the sect?
Something was very wrong in Qingxiao Pavilion.
Yun Jin began to suspect that something within the sect was subtly altering the disciples' minds.
Could it be… a Heavenly Demon Artifact?
Where there were immortals, there were demons. Where there were immortal artifacts, there would also be demon artifacts.
Immortal artifacts could suppress Luck. But as for demon artifacts... no one truly knew their purpose.
Still, if something existed that could shift the hearts of an entire sect's disciples, Yun Jin could only think of a Heavenly Demon Artifact.
But if such a thing truly existed…
Why hadn't the other three Holy Lands noticed anything?
Was it that the artifact was simply hidden too well?
One way or another, she would have to visit Qingxiao Pavilion in the future.
===
I've decided to change "Young Mistress" to "Young Master" (I also already change it on previous chapters). The author originally wrote it as 小主人 (Xiǎo zhǔrén). However, I realized this title isn't strictly bound by gender.
主人 by itself means "master" or "owner."
小 in this case doesn't literally mean "small" but rather conveys young, junior, or the little master of the household.
For example, in The Villainess Refuses to Repent, I translated 族长 (zúzhǎng) and 家主 (jiāzhǔ) as "Patriarch" in general, even when the clan head was female. This is because the setting doesn't focus heavily on gender. In general Xianxia setting, what matters most is strength and cultivation level, not whether the character is male or female.
That's why I made this adjustment. Thank you for understanding! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
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族长 (zúzhǎng)
Literally: "clan chief" or "tribal leader."
Refers to the head of a clan or extended lineage group. Often used in a more formal, traditional, or large-scale sense, like the leader of an entire bloodline or ancestral clan. And carries a sense of authority over multiple family branches.
家主 (jiāzhǔ)
Literally: "head of the household/family."
Refers to the leader of a specific household or family branch. Can be used more privately or internally, like the master of one family or manor within the clan.
So, in short:
Zuzhang = clan patriarch/chief (leader of the whole bloodline).
Jiazhu = household master (leader of one house/branch within the clan).