After Rebirth, the Heroine is Consumed by Overwhelming Regret Chapter 10

Shu Xi hadn’t meant anything by her words. Seeing that Ling Aorui’s illness was taking a turn for the better, she felt relieved for a moment and made a small joke.
Unexpectedly, she had precisely stepped on Qi Qing’s sore spot.
Qi Qing’s expression changed instantly, and she turned to walk out.
Being in the same room as Ling Aorui was already a strain. To then discuss the word “fate” truly disgusted her to the point of nausea. But she couldn’t blame an elder who was unaware, so she could only create distance.
Shu Xi noticed her resistance and wanted to say something to ease the awkwardness. But before she could speak, she heard Ling Aorui say from behind her, “Junior Sister Qi Qing, is that Junior Sister Qi Qing who has come?”
Qi Qing wanted to pretend she hadn’t heard, but Mo Tao had already answered for her, “Yes, what is it?”
Ling Aorui said, “I have something to say to her.”
Mo Tao knew Ling Aorui had intended this before, but had been frustrated by Qi Qing repeatedly avoiding her. So, he immediately called Qi Qing over, wanting to understand the situation clearly.
Yu Yan finished examining the eyes and turned to look at Qi Qing. She saw Qi Qing standing frozen in place, not moving for a long moment. It was only after Mo Tao frowned and called out again that Qi Qing reluctantly shuffled to the bedside.
What were they going to talk about?
Yu Yan lingered, not getting up, wanting to overhear their conversation. But Qi Qing said nothing, and neither did Ling Aorui. The two of them stood in silence, separated by an invisible tension, the atmosphere exceptionally delicate.
It was Shu Xi who sensed the issue. She smiled and said, “It looks like these two young ones have something to discuss. Why don’t we step out for a moment? I also wanted to ask Immortal Lord Minghuai some questions.”
Before anyone could reply, Qi Qing interjected, “Seniors, there’s no need for you to leave. Senior Sister Ling and I have nothing private to discuss. Whatever needs to be said can be said in front of everyone.”
She took a step back, arms crossed in a clear defensive posture. Yu Yan chuckled softly. Perhaps I misjudged, she thought. Qi Qing’s earlier aura fluctuation wasn’t anticipation, but annoyance.
But there’s always a reason for annoyance.
What on earth had happened between them?
Yu Yan hadn’t planned on leaving anyway. Hearing Qi Qing speak, she felt even more justified in remaining seated. Shu Xi found it awkward to insist and tactfully excused herself.
Mo Tao hesitated for a moment, then also went out.
Ling Aorui had wanted to speak with Qi Qing alone, but since Qi Qing had put it that way, it was clearly impossible. Although she still couldn’t understand why Qi Qing was acting like this, she knew if she missed this chance, another would be hard to come by. So, she said, “Junior Sister Qi Qing, do you know why the Immortal Sovereign sent you to deliver that letter?”
As soon as these words were out, Qi Qing froze.
She hadn’t expected Ling Aorui to bring this up. Frankly, she was quite curious about the answer herself. So she replied, “I don’t know.”
“The night we last met, I had gone to the Immortal Sovereign to interpret a dream. That dream indeed came true—it manifested during this demon hunt, with what happened to my eyes.” Ling Aorui spoke calmly, as if she had already accepted her situation. However, her avoidance of the word “blindness” betrayed her lingering unwillingness to accept her fate.
Qi Qing was surprised. She actually had a prophetic dream? This wasn’t part of the plot in my previous life. But if she foresaw it, why didn’t she try to avoid this outcome?
It wasn’t that Qi Qing wanted to meddle, it just didn’t seem logical.
But she quickly dismissed the thought. What did it have to do with her, anyway?
“The Immortal Sovereign divined that this matter is connected to the Heavenly Dao and likely unavoidable. My Master also advised me not to contend with the Heavenly Dao. But I still felt uneasy. Then, the Immortal Sovereign told me that you would face a calamity of self-destruction in the future, and that your calamity is directly related to this very demon hunt.” Ling Aorui finished explaining the cause and effect in one breath, then added, “That’s why I wanted to find you…”
“So you were looking for her to ask if she’d also had a prophetic dream?” Yu Yan cut in, then suddenly sneered, “You believe your blindness and her death are set in stone? That compared to her, who is supposedly fated to die, your situation isn’t so tragic? Did you ever stop to think if saying such things would frighten her, or hurt her?”
Ling Aorui frowned. Of course, she wasn’t that malicious, nor had she ever intended to use Qi Qing’s supposed demise to make her own situation seem less dire. She simply felt that this matter was somehow connected to Qi Qing, and that they should face it together.
But before she could speak, Yu Yan cut her off.
“Rest assured, she won’t die. And I won’t let her die,” Yu Yan stated bluntly. “You two are not alike in the slightest. The one the Heavenly Dao is targeting isn’t her.” After speaking so harshly, she turned to leave, then suddenly seemed to recall something.
She then added in a cold voice, “Oh, right. Your eyes are incurable. Even if a Grand Luo Immortal were here, it would be useless. Accepting this outcome and adapting to the daily life of a blind person should be your priority now.”
Before Ling Aorui could even process it, Yu Yan had pulled Qi Qing out the door. As Qi Qing glanced back, she caught a glimpse of Ling Aorui’s deathly pale face and her fingers clutching the brocade quilt.
To have one’s hopes crushed so directly was an incredibly cruel blow for anyone. Qi Qing was merely thankful that no one else was in the room; otherwise, Yu Yan would surely have been thrown out.
Yet, besides relief, she also felt a sense of vindication.
She wasn’t a particularly cruel person. Even in her past life, despite hating Ling Aorui so much, in the end, she had only harmed herself. Such a disposition easily led to internal turmoil; she could be seething with frustration, yet unable to voice a single word of reproach.
But Yu Yan was clearly different.
Whether dealing with a high-ranking individual like Mo Tao or a pitiable one like Ling Aorui, Yu Yan showed no leniency. If something couldn’t be cured, it couldn’t be cured. If she didn’t want to do something, she wouldn’t.
Frank, decisive, and cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
Qi Qing felt a deep sense of satisfaction listening to Yu Yan. Although she knew those words wouldn’t cause Ling Aorui any real harm, they had at least allowed her to vent a good deal of her own pent-up resentment.
She couldn’t help but whisper, “Thank you.”
“I didn’t do anything much, just told the truth,” Yu Yan replied. “Let’s go. We need to find Mo Tao and ask for someone.”
“Ask for someone?”
“You.”
It took a moment for Qi Qing to realize. Her face immediately flushed. Yu Yan’s words were ambiguous, and she couldn’t help but let her thoughts wander down a suggestive path.
But then, considering Yu Yan’s status, she chided herself for overthinking. Yu Yan was an Immortal Lord, admired by countless people. She might already have a cultivation partner. Even if she didn’t, it was impossible for her to be interested in a mere outer sect disciple like Qi Qing.
It was just that they hadn’t been able to cure Ling Aorui. She worried if Mo Tao would take his frustration out on them. Even though the outcome wasn’t their decision, it was still bad news, and delivering it would be awkward.
By the time they reached Mo Tao’s usual place, a quarter of an hour had passed.
“The Sect Master has gone out on urgent business,” a young disciple said respectfully. “You two may return for now. If you have a message, I can relay it for you.”
The two exchanged a glance and had no choice but to drop the matter for now.
Yu Yan said, “Where do you live? I’ll take you there.”
Qi Qing quickly waved her hands. “How could I trouble you? You’re the guest; it should be me seeing you off.”
“It’s no bother.” Yu Yan didn’t want to part ways just yet, so she said, “I don’t have anything pressing to get back to. It’d be nice to see where you live.”
Qi Qing felt a bit embarrassed about showing Yu Yan her living quarters, but since they had nothing else pressing, a casual walk to clear their minds sounded good.
After they had walked side by side for a while, Yu Yan asked, “You and that Ling… whatever-her-name-is, what exactly is the history between you?”
Qi Qing fell silent for a moment before replying, “It’s nothing much.”
She couldn’t exactly reveal that she had transmigrated and Ling Aorui was her ‘conquest target’. Even if she could speak of her transmigration, she had no desire to rehash the messy affairs of her past life.
Yu Yan sensed her evasiveness and didn’t press further. She merely said, “It’s best you don’t get entangled with her. The karma she carries is too heavy; an ordinary person might not be able to withstand it.”
Qi Qing nodded. Even if Yu Yan hadn’t mentioned it, she felt the same way.
As they spoke, they reached the vicinity of the dormitories. Many disciples lived there, a rather mixed crowd. Qi Qing was hesitant to take Yu Yan inside, so she lingered, continuing their conversation outdoors.
After a moment, a few people emerged from the dormitories. The leader’s smiling face instantly turned menacing when he spotted Qi Qing. “Qi Qing, where have you been hiding all this time?”
“Last time, you locked us out and even tricked us with a sound-insulation talisman! You’ve got some nerve! After hiding for so many days, what’s wrong? Can’t hide any longer?”
“I thought you’d never dare to show your face again! So you do have some courage after all. I won’t make it hard on you. Let’s have a fair fight. If you win, we’ll call it even for what happened last time. If I win, you kneel and call me Grandpa.”
This was Skinny Monkey. That night, he had been quite the show-off but ended up being thwarted by Qi Qing. He had long vowed to get even. But then Qi Qing had vanished for days, leading others to mock him for his empty boasts. Anxious and furious, now that he finally saw her return, he was determined to humiliate her publicly.
His cultivation was far superior to Qi Qing’s. In a real fight, she would undoubtedly lose; her chances of winning were practically zero. Qi Qing gritted her teeth, her fingers already touching the Wind-Chasing Talisman hidden in her sleeve. If she couldn’t afford to offend him, her only option was to escape.
But just as she was about to use the talisman, Yu Yan’s hand pressed down on hers, stopping her.
“Those conditions you just laid out are quite good,” Yu Yan said. “Though, perhaps a little unbalanced. If Qi Qing wins, you should be the one to kneel and call her Grandma. Wouldn’t you agree?”