Sheng Yuhong felt a deep sense of guilt, believing the incident had arisen because of him. He blurted out: "I of course want to save Yun Qing. Senior, is there any way?"
Wei Nanfeng did not answer directly. Instead, he sighed and said: "The two most outstanding juniors of the Wei family have turned against each other because of you. Now, one is imprisoned and the other has her foundation damaged. As a senior of the clan, I am deeply pained.
Yun Xi has been involved with evil cultivators. The Wei family will never plead for her. Since she has committed a wrongdoing, she must pay the price. Whatever the sect decides regarding her, the Wei family will show no favoritism.
However, in this entire matter, Yun Qing is the most innocent. Her spiritual root is damaged and her Golden Core shattered. She may never advance beyond the Foundation Establishment stage. This is not something the Wei family wants to see.
The Wei family has already lost one outstanding junior. We cannot afford to lose another. Therefore, no matter what, I must save Yun Qing. But this matter requires Sheng Shizhai [Sheng Yuhong] to act."
Sheng Yuhong was not foolish. Hearing such a long preamble, he realized the Wei family Ancestor had a method to save Yun Qing, but it would be difficult and required him, the sect master's first disciple, to take action.
"Senior, how should I help Yun Qing?"
Wei Nanfeng had been waiting to hear this. He set down his spiritual tea and said: "Yun Xi and Yun Qing are half-sisters. You understand that, right?"
"I know."
"They share the same source. Yun Xi's Golden Core and spiritual root can be merged with Yun Qing's body."
Sheng Yuhong's eyes snapped toward the Wei family Ancestor: "That is an evil method. It must never be done."
Wei Nanfeng merely sighed softly: "As long as Yun Xi wishes to make amends for her mistakes, this is not evil.
If it were not for Sheng Shizhai hesitating between the two sisters, unwilling to give up what he had gained yet not responding to their feelings, things would never have come to this point.
I will save Wei Yunqing, Sheng Shizhai. Consider carefully and do not let Yun Qing down again." He left behind a jade slip and took his leave.
Sheng Yuhong stared at the Ancestor's departing figure, feeling a mix of emotions. There was one thing the Ancestor did not say incorrectly—he knew very well the love his Junior Sister had for him.
Yet, to gain cultivation resources more easily, he had also enjoyed the sense of superiority from having two sisters orbit around him. That was why he had never firmly rejected his Junior Sister. This had triggered the current dispute, injuring Yun Qing and causing fellow disciples to die under his Junior Sister's sword.
Sheng Yuhong picked up the jade slip left by the Wei family Ancestor and probed it with his divine sense. As he read the contents, his hand holding the jade slip whitened.
Inside was a supporting formation. It could assist him in extracting the Junior Sister's Golden Core and spiritual root, then transplanting them into Yun Qing. If executed correctly, Yun Qing would fully recover, not losing her path of immortality, while the Junior Sister, though unable to continue cultivation due to the loss of her dantian, would not die. At that moment, Sheng Yuhong seemed to understand what he should do.
Sheng Yuhong knew very well this was unfair to the Junior Sister. She deserved to bear responsibility for her mistakes. The sect's harshest punishment would be to nullify her cultivation and expel her, not to extract her dantian or spiritual root.
Yet, Yunqing's injuries were caused by the Junior Sister. And the reason the Junior Sister harmed Yun Qing stemmed from him. Using her nearly lost path to restore Yun Qing's injuries somehow felt justified.
After long hesitation, Sheng Yuhong went to the place where his Junior Sister was imprisoned. He wanted to understand the true reason she had turned evil.
Though he was the sect master's disciple, he had to pass through layers of defenses before seeing his Junior Sister, chained to the wall of a stone prison.
Sheng Yuhong could not see her face. Her long hair covered it entirely, leaving only faint breaths as proof of life. After a long moment, he spoke with difficulty: "Junior Sister, why did you do this?"
There was no response. Sheng Yuhong continued: "Junior Sister, tell me why. Was it for me? But you should know, I never had romantic feelings for you. I only see you as my Junior Sister. The one I like is Wei Yunqing."
Finally, the person suspended in the stone cell moved. She slowly lifted her head to look at Sheng Yuhong, her voice hoarse: "Hmph! You are such a hypocrite!"
Sheng Yuhong's brows knitted tightly. He still could not see her face.
"How can this be?"
"You should ask yourself. You keep calling me Junior Sister. Do you even remember my name?"
The hoarse voice broke his train of thought.
"Of course I remember. You are Wei Yun…"
He could not bring out the last word, as if something blocked him.
Sheng Yuhong froze.
"Speak! Why can you not say it? Am I really your Junior Sister? Do you really remember my name? Was it really I who harmed Wei Yunqing? You only saw me attacking her. Why didn't you ask why? Did I really kill those disciples? How did she explain it to you?"
Each question hit him, forcing him to step back. Suddenly, the sense of wrongness clicked. He remembered—he never had a Junior Sister!
He had once wanted his Master to take a clever female cultivator as his Junior Sister, but she had resisted, and he had ultimately missed the chance.
"You are Wei Yunxi. You are not my Junior Sister!"
Sheng Yuhong finally shouted.
In the next instant, the woman's face became clear. A pair of bright apricot eyes, dimples at her lips, and the cold gaze she fixed on him made him fully sober.
Wei Yunxi had never liked him. She never orbited him. Her cultivation was stronger than his. And he had never liked Wei Yunqing's closeness, nor would he ever use Wei Yunxi's Golden Core and spiritual root to restore Yun Qing, because he simply could not do it.
Sheng Yuhong suddenly remembered—he had come to explore the new secret realm. Yun Xi should have been in seclusion on Lingxue Peak and could not possibly be here.
As he realized this, everything in front of him began to fade. In the next instant, Sheng Yuhong opened his eyes sharply. He found himself trapped inside a silken cocoon, and the other person inside was Wei Yunqing.
Because he had seen through the illusion, the Wei Yunqing opposite him also showed signs of awakening. He muttered a curse and used his life sword to sever the threads binding him, successfully leaving the cocoon. Wei Yunqing fell out with him.
Sheng Yuhong glanced coldly at Wei Yunqing, his eyes flickering with sharpness. The previous illusion had been woven from their memories, reflecting even their truest thoughts. For the first time, he realized he too had been selfish and deceitful.
He now finally understood why he had been so eager for his Master to accept Wei Yunxi as a disciple. Then she would be legitimately his Junior Sister.
They would train together, venture out, and explore secret realms as one. If Yun Xi was as fortunate as in the illusion, he would benefit from her fortune. Perhaps that was why he had subconsciously regarded Wei Yunxi differently.
Deep down, he had sensed something special about Wei Yunxi, which had drawn him instinctively closer to her, even while distancing himself from Wei Yunqing, who had feelings for him.