After Rebirth, the Heroine is Consumed by Overwhelming Regret Chapter 1

Qi Qing had never thought the Immortal Execution Platform would be this high.

She had been climbing for half the night, panting as she went, using up almost all her remaining spiritual energy before she finally pulled herself onto the last step. Her mind was blank, a ringing sound filled her ears. It took a long while before she slowly came back to her senses and, leaning on the jade railing, stood up.

The stars above seemed close enough to touch. A strong wind blew up from below, causing her skirt to billow and flap loudly. She walked slowly to the edge of the cloud platform, her gaze stretching far into the distance. Below, it was pitch black, with only scattered lights visible on the various mountain peaks.

Among those hazy lights, one spot was exceptionally brilliant.

Red, bright red, like blood.

That was Myriad Flower Peak, where Ling Aorui resided. The peak was adorned with lanterns and colorful streamers, bustling with excitement. All the prominent figures in the immortal world had gone, each bearing priceless congratulatory gifts. The place was filled with distinguished guests, laughing and chatting cheerfully. They offered their congratulations to the two women standing at the entrance, wishing them an eternal union.

Those two must have been smiling so much their faces were stiff. Once the guests were all inside and no one else was around, Hua Jiaolian would surely take the opportunity to lean on Ling Aorui’s shoulder, pouting and asking for a kiss.

Would Ling Aorui agree?

Qi Qing unconsciously clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms until they bled. Blood dripped from her fingertips. She didn’t want to think about it anymore, but the image kept replaying in her mind.

With a spurt, she coughed up a mouthful of blood.

This was no longer an uncommon occurrence. Ever since she fell ill, her physical condition had been deteriorating day by day. Even with the sect’s life-extending spiritual medicines, she was merely clinging to life.

She had held on until today only to witness her heart die completely.

Ling Aorui had really married Hua Jiaolian.

Heh.

How could there be someone as foolish as her in this world? She had given everything, only to pave the way for someone else in the end.

Several years ago, she had transmigrated into this book with a mission from the System to win over a target. The System told her that the character she needed to win over was the female lead, Ling Aorui. Ling Aorui was ethereally beautiful and possessed exceptional power. If she succeeded, even upon returning to her own world, she could share in Ling Aorui’s good fortune.

She thought it was a good exchange: a beauty in her arms and good luck to enjoy. The female lead’s luck was naturally excellent. If she could latch onto this influential connection, she could become an immortal or a god in the book, and get rich upon returning to the modern world. It was a surefire win.

So, she followed the System’s instructions and approached Ling Aorui.

The other woman was indeed worthy of being the female lead: fair-skinned and beautiful, with an exquisite face and elegant hair. Even in the modern entertainment industry, she would be a top-tier beauty. Unfortunately, she carried the title of “Number One of the Immortal Sect” and had been taught by strict masters since childhood, so her every move, from walking to sitting, was governed by rules.

To put it bluntly, her personality was too rigid.

Qi Qing didn’t particularly like such people; communicating with her was too much effort. But she had already accepted the mission, and she couldn’t leave without completing it. So, she reluctantly began her task of winning Ling Aorui over.

At first, progress was extremely slow.

On one hand, her status was low, making it difficult to chance upon the female lead. On the other, Ling Aorui’s cave residence politely refused visits from strangers. Half a month passed with no progress at all. At best, the two of them were merely fellow sect members; they weren’t even acquaintances by sight.

At this rate, the mission to win her over would surely fail.

Fortunately, an opportunity soon arose.

During a summer hunt, Ling Aorui injured her eyes and became permanently blind. This was a main storyline in the original book; her eyes never recovered, even by the end of the story.

At first, visitors came in an endless stream to see her.

Everyone said it was a pity. If she had been injured elsewhere, with the Heavenly Sword Sect’s financial resources, healing her would have been only a matter of time. But it was her eyes, and eyes couldn’t heal on their own; there was no cure.

Of course, the Heavenly Sword Sect wouldn’t give up easily. Sect Master Mo Tao tried everything he could think of to heal his genius disciple, but the final result was only a sigh.

The number of visitors dwindled. After half a year, two of the young servants attending to her even snuck away. Everyone hoped to climb higher; no one was willing to waste time on this good-for-nothing.

Ling Aorui was perceptive; how could she not know she had been abandoned by her sect? But there was nothing she could do. This world was like that. When she was in her prime, thousands had been willing to follow her. But once she fell from grace, she couldn’t even summon someone to run an errand.

Blindness had a huge impact on a person. Even in this world of supernatural powers and strange phenomena, sight was not dispensable. It wasn’t something one could adapt to in a few days and largely recover from.

Sensing with spiritual energy was, of course, possible, but it wasn’t something that could be achieved overnight. It required help – someone to help her calibrate, to help her train. But in the immortal sects, where everyone was fiercely competitive, who would be willing to invest their own energy and time to gamble on someone else’s uncertain future?

It was at this moment that Qi Qing burst in.

Ling Aorui asked who she was.

“I’m Qi Qing. Do you remember me?”

The wheels of the story thus began to turn. With her mission in mind, Qi Qing naturally worked diligently without complaint. Whatever Ling Aorui wanted, she agreed to immediately. No matter how difficult, she never uttered a word of refusal.

Later, she guided Ling Aorui, leading her out by the hand. They walked further and further, visiting many places they had never been before, to smell the fragrance of flowers, to listen to the songs of birds, to hear the clarity of mountain springs, and to savor the satisfaction of delicious food.

Gradually, Ling Aorui became less cold.

Before, she hardly spoke, her vacant eyes filled with overflowing sorrow. Since Qi Qing started accompanying her, she smiled more and more. She would even secretly teach her some sword moves behind others’ backs – don’t underestimate the significance of teaching sword moves; for a stickler for rules like Ling Aorui, this was already considered a great defiance of worldly conventions.

After all, the sect rules clearly stipulated that, apart from master-disciple relationships, no one was allowed to impart skills privately.

Qi Qing took this as Ling Aorui’s confession of love.

“It’s okay if you can’t see. I’ll be your eyes.”

She couldn’t help but say these words. Actually, they weren’t lines from the script, but at that moment, she felt like she had truly fallen in love with Ling Aorui.

The System said this wasn’t strange; many transmigrators fell in love with their targets. It would make for a more immersive experience.

Qi Qing thought it was good too. She told Ling Aorui she liked her. Ling Aorui was stunned for a moment, then her face flushed red with shyness. That blush outshone all the scenery Qi Qing had ever seen.

After falling in love, she began to empathize deeply.

Every time she saw the forced smile on Ling Aorui’s face after teaching her sword moves, Qi Qing’s heart ached as if pierced by a knife. She, of course, understood that every time Ling Aorui picked up a sword, she was reminded of the past – how glorious she had been then, and how much pain she was in now.

Ling Aorui must have desperately wanted to regain her sight, even if only for a day.

So she asked the System if there was a way to cure Ling Aorui’s eyes.

The System was very surprised. It asked if she intended to change the plot. Curing the eyes wasn’t difficult, but changing the plot was a very bad idea. She would suffer a huge backlash, and her lifespan would be reduced to a mere ten years.

Qi Qing thought for a long time. During this period, she solemnly asked Ling Aorui if, supposing her eyes were cured, she would still be with her.

Ling Aorui was first astonished, then gave a bitter smile. “How could that be possible?”

“What if? I’m saying, what if!” Qi Qing said emphatically.

“Even the Immortal Alliance Venerables said I can’t be cured…” Ling Aorui murmured, then, as if sensing Qi Qing’s insistence, she smiled. “Qingqing, no matter what I become, I will always be by your side, never to be separated.”

It was just such a light, airy sentence that made Qi Qing give her all.

The System asked countless times, “Really? Are you truly willing to endure the backlash from this world for her?”

“You might be plagued by all sorts of illnesses. All the evil spirits that should have been avoided due to the female lead’s blindness will haunt you until the day you die.”

“I am willing,” Qi Qing said firmly. “Let’s begin.”

On the surface, this was a very unprofitable exchange. But Qi Qing wasn’t a fool. She knew that Ling Aorui had once obtained a pair of life-sharing Gu. As long as they became partners and used the life-sharing Gu, they could share the same fate and lifespan, and the backlash would naturally vanish into thin air.

As for those ghosts and monsters, with Ling Aorui, the number one in the immortal sects, around, they could only flee in terror.

In other words, she advanced several decades of her lifespan in exchange for Ling Aorui’s recovery. As long as Ling Aorui didn’t go back on her word, she could gain thousands of years in return.

Of course, the female lead wouldn’t go back on her word.

She would only reorder her priorities.

After regaining her sight, Ling Aorui immediately returned to the front lines of demon hunting. What was different from before was that no matter where she went, she kept Qi Qing by her side.

The news that Ling Aorui, the number one in the immortal world, had returned to her peak was explosive. Those who had laughed at her before were dumbfounded. Those who had ignored her now put on smiling faces. Countless young masters from noble families tried to curry favor. Some even said that Ling Aorui was blessed by the heavens to be able to turn misfortune into good luck.

No one knew this was Qi Qing’s doing, not even Ling Aorui herself. And to fend off those endless unwanted suitors, Ling Aorui announced her relationship with Qi Qing.

Everyone’s gaze turned to Qi Qing’s face again.

Qi Qing was secretly pleased, but her eyes couldn’t leave Ling Aorui.

She coasted to success with Ling Aorui, until they encountered Ling Aorui’s arch-nemesis, Hua Jiaolian.

Hua Jiaolian was a demon cultivator, stunningly beautiful and captivating. She had always loved to oppose Ling Aorui. Whenever the two met, they would inevitably be locked in an inextricable struggle.

But Ling Aorui had suffered this calamity, and her temperament had changed greatly. She no longer wanted to engage in such pointless strife. However, Hua Jiaolian insisted on fighting, following them relentlessly like a lingering ghost.

In the end, the fight still happened.

But Hua Jiaolian was clearly no match. Ling Aorui didn’t even use her full strength, and Hua Jiaolian retreated repeatedly, utterly defeated.

Just as Qi Qing was about to persuade Ling Aorui to stop, Hua Jiaolian suddenly spat out a large mouthful of blood and collapsed.

Ling Aorui sheathed her sword and went forward to check, only to find that Hua Jiaolian’s meridians were completely shattered, with only a breath of life remaining. Gasping for breath, Hua Jiaolian said intermittently, “Ling… you don’t need to pity me. I wasn’t killed by you… I was already dying… I thought, if I could see you one last time before I die, it would be…”

She didn’t finish her sentence. Suddenly, she raised her head with effort and planted a kiss on Ling Aorui’s face. Then, her whole body went limp.

A deathbed confession from an arch-nemesis, how dramatic.

Qi Qing felt annoyed and thought sarcastically. Although Hua Jiaolian’s actions were a bit out of line, the woman was dead; there was no need for her to be aggressive.

But things were far from as simple as she thought.

Hua Jiaolian wasn’t completely dead, merely fainted. But she was so gravely ill that even if cured, she was beyond saving. Ling Aorui, being kind-hearted, actually wanted to take her back to preserve her body intact.

After returning to their campsite, Ling Aorui channeled her energy to save Hua Jiaolian’s life. Qi Qing couldn’t help, so she went to pick spiritual herbs. When she returned, Hua Jiaolian’s condition seemed to have improved significantly.

At that time, Qi Qing didn’t know Ling Aorui had already used the life-sharing Gu on Hua Jiaolian. She just watched Hua Jiaolian gradually get better, secretly marveling. It was then that Ling Aorui asked her if she could provide cover, as she wanted to transport Hua Jiaolian back to help her heal.

From this point on, things started to feel off. Never mind that they were arch-nemeses—since when was the life of an arch-nemesis so important? Just bringing a demon cultivator up the mountain was definitely a grave violation of rules—though Qi Qing didn’t know if it warranted a death sentence.

But she couldn’t argue with someone on the verge of death. Suppressing her displeasure, she helped hide Hua Jiaolian in Ruiqing Palace – which was supposed to be their marital home.

What happened later became increasingly surreal. Ling Aorui stripped naked to help the demoness heal. An intense passion ignited between them. When the demoness was discovered, Ling Aorui knelt and begged her Master for mercy. Finally, the two of them fled together and disappeared without a trace.

The Heavenly Sword Sect was left with only Qi Qing, like a joke.

She didn’t understand what had gone wrong, how plotlines that weren’t in the original book suddenly appeared. The female lead who had promised to marry her had suddenly loved and then abandoned her. And the many years of lifespan she had sacrificed suddenly became useless scrap paper.

Without Ling Aorui’s protection, her low cultivation level was no match for the curse of ghosts and monsters. All sorts of illnesses befell her, and her luck hit rock bottom.

Using her last ounce of strength, she found Ling Aorui.

To avoid being discovered by the immortal world, Ling Aorui was hiding in a dilapidated thatched hut in the mortal realm, dressed plainly without makeup. Seeing Qi Qing approach, she quickly put down a medicine bowl, hurriedly closed the door, and used her own body to block the doorway, saying defensively, “The smell of medicine is strong in here, don’t come in.”

Qi Qing no longer cared about her protecting Hua Jiaolian; she wasn’t here to settle a score. She just wanted to ask one thing.

—Why? Why did you break your promise?

“Qingqing, I do love you,” Ling Aorui said softly. “At least, I truly loved you before. I was very happy when I was with you, and I’m very grateful that you stayed by my side when I was at my lowest point. I didn’t understand what love was back then. I thought that because you were good to me, wanting to repay you was love. But later I learned that gratitude is not love. Love should be passionate and reckless, all-consuming.”

“So you’re just… abandoning me like this?” Qi Qing struggled to keep the sob out of her voice. She found that even at this point, she couldn’t bring herself to hate Ling Aorui. So she pleaded, “But I’ll die without you. Can’t you just take pity on me?”

“Qingqing, don’t be like this.” Ling Aorui gently pushed her hand away. “Go back to the Heavenly Sword Sect. You’re talented; you’ll make a name for yourself eventually.”

“Without you there, what’s the use of me going back…”

“I’m sorry, Qingqing… I can’t abandon Jiaolian. She hasn’t recovered yet. If left alone, she’ll die immediately. Besides, I’ve already been kicked out; what face do I have to go back? In the future… let’s not see each other again.”

That was the last thing Ling Aorui said to her.

Qi Qing clenched her jaw, her heart aching so much it felt like it was bleeding.

Isn’t love supposed to be selfless? she thought. But why am I so unreconciled? Am I unreconciled about my own fate? But Ling Aorui doesn’t even know I traded my life for her eyes. Even if I told her, she wouldn’t stay with me out of gratitude.

Perhaps she was just… a little unlucky, that’s all.

Of course, Ling Aorui eventually returned. She was the protagonist, heaven’s chosen one, the number one person in the immortal world, and famously traditional. No one could dissuade her, so they could only agree to her marrying a demoness.

And by this time, Qi Qing was already terminally ill.

No one would mention her when Ling Aorui was about to have her grand wedding. Even if they did, Ling Aorui wouldn’t leave her beautiful new bride on their wedding night to come and check on a sickly person like her.

But Qi Qing held a breath of resentment in her heart.

She didn’t want to die in solitude like this. She would use her last breath to exact an earth-shattering revenge on Ling Aorui.

The Immortal Execution Platform was forbidden ground for the entire Immortal Alliance, located in the center of the major sects. It had taken her a long time to sneak in. As long as she jumped from here, the entire immortal world would immediately receive news of her death.

Like fireworks exploding, a giant message.

Just imagine, someone dying in front of you on your wedding night—how inauspicious is that? The more Qi Qing thought about it, the funnier it seemed. She wiped away her tears handful after handful, laughing so hard she almost lost her balance.

How ridiculous.

She had already dedicated most of her life to Ling Aorui. That wasn’t enough; the little she had left also had to be used for revenge. Why was her life so cheap, so inseparable from Ling Aorui?

After crying for a while, the cold bit deeper into her. The night wind grew fiercer, and the air grew thinner. It was time, she thought, to say goodbye to this world.

“I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

She uttered these words and, ignoring the System shouting “Don’t!” frantically inside her, with a push of her hands, she sent herself falling.