After Rebirth, the Heroine is Consumed by Overwhelming Regret Chapter 21

Qi Qing froze, and then her eyes began to sting.
Her avoidance was mostly because she had no energy left to get entangled, but this didn’t mean she didn’t hate Ling Aorui. Setting aside matters from her past life for now, just considering what had just happened, if Yu Yan hadn’t been there to oversee things, she would very likely have faced a half-hearted resolution.
It was simply that Ling Aorui’s status was special, and she had just been seriously injured. As long as Mo Tao decided to cover for her, who would dare to question it? Even she herself had just planned to swallow her anger and endure it.
In the end, her pain would just be brushed aside.
Many, many times, things had passed just like this.
No one cared about her thoughts, no one truly cared for her. She had no family or support in this world, so she was destined to be abandoned.
She even habitually didn’t want to trouble Yu Yan too much.
The other party had a noble status. Although Qi Qing didn’t know why Yu Yan took such good care of her, they didn’t have much of a relationship, after all. She couldn’t just trouble someone for no reason, especially over something like this.
Yu Yan must have sensed this too, which was why she wasn’t as forceful as before. Qi Qing’s own dislike for Ling Aorui was too obvious, and this also highlighted the delicate nature of the situation between them.
But the other party still chose to help her.
What wisdom and generosity, what tact and good sense! If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, Qi Qing wouldn’t believe such a perfect person could exist in the world.
Beauty was not rare; beauty combined with wisdom was the rarest of rarities. She even had an impulse to reveal everything, to see what kind of judgment the other person would offer from her perspective.
But in the end, she didn’t say anything.
Matters from her past life were over; she didn’t need to bring them up again and involve an innocent person in the chain of cause and effect.
She had only one thought: to leave as soon as possible.
Fortunately, with this incident pushing things along, the Heavenly Sword Sect probably wouldn’t be able to refuse her request to leave the sect anymore. So being hurt wasn’t entirely without its benefits, she thought with some self-mockery.
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Meanwhile, after Mo Tao had made arrangements for everyone, he was beyond furious. He had lived for over a thousand years and had never lost so much face.
Although cultivators emphasized cultivating their minds and not being swayed by favor or disgrace, this time was different. Too many people had seen it, and public opinion was completely uncontrollable. What would others think of his Heavenly Sword Sect, and what would they think of him, Sect Master Mo?
Could it be that the Heavenly Sword Sect is full of shameless scoundrels?
He didn’t have much time; at the latest, he had to resolve the matter before the end of his birthday banquet. Otherwise, his birthday banquet would no longer be a celebration but a feast for brewing gossip.
No, I have to go and get a clear understanding.
But just as he stepped out the door, he suddenly saw Su Miaoyin hurrying over.
Su Miaoyin had the same master as him; their relationship was very close, and she was considered his trusted advisor. He ordered a young disciple to prepare tea, but Su Miaoyin said there was no need.
Mo Tao didn’t stand on ceremony and asked her what was the matter.
Su Miaoyin then recounted what had happened that morning, including Ling Aorui’s dream, her divination results, and Qi Qing’s request to leave the sect. She hadn’t originally planned to report back so soon, but who knew that Ling Aorui would run into trouble at this critical juncture.
“I think it must have been Qi Qing’s talk of leaving the sect that provoked Aorui, causing her to lose her composure for a moment,” Su Miaoyin said. “Senior Brother, think about it, with Aorui being so proud and arrogant, how could she suddenly make such a senseless mistake?”
Su Miaoyin tapped lightly on the table and added, “Strictly speaking, it’s not my place to say this, but Senior Brother, if you mishandle this matter, I’m afraid it will provoke Aorui again. Although she is unfortunately blind, she is not beyond saving. You should also have some patience.”
Mo Tao sighed, “It was me who was too anxious. If she can truly recover, that would naturally be a good thing. You said Qi Qing can cure her, how confident are you exactly?”
“Very confident. It’s just that Qi Qing doesn’t seem willing to act, and she suddenly wants to leave the Heavenly Sword Sect. The intricacies here need careful consideration,” Su Miaoyin said. “If it were just a matter within our sect, it wouldn’t be difficult to resolve. But now there’s Immortal Minghuai, interfering at every turn. It’s strange, too. Someone like her, who usually doesn’t involve herself in worldly affairs, why would she suddenly agree to attend the birthday banquet? If she doesn’t want to be on good terms with us, then she’s intentionally here to cause trouble.”
“We need to find a way to separate her from Qi Qing.”
Mo Tao naturally accepted her advice readily. In fact, these past few days, Yu Yan had given him the cold shoulder quite a bit. Although as a sect master, it was inconvenient for him to fall out with a guest attending the banquet, his displeasure was very real.
The senior brother and junior sister plotted for a while, then went their separate ways to plan.
By this time, the moon was already setting in the west.
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Ling Aorui lay in bed, unable to fall asleep for a long time. Ever since discovering that Demon-Slayer had been unsheathed, she kept replaying the events of the past few days in her mind, realizing that she and Qi Qing seemed to be guided by something, drawing closer and closer.
Clearly, they weren’t even acquaintances before, yet now, Qi Qing had become so important. Although it wasn’t voluntary, my entire life and safety are now truly tied to her.
If Qi Qing really cured her, their feelings would surely deepen further.
Thinking about it this way, the afternoon’s incident didn’t seem like such a big deal anymore.
She had heard others talk about storybooks. In these stories, the two main characters, though strangers, were brought together by the red string of fate. They would often hurt each other due to misunderstandings, but in the end, all misunderstandings would be resolved, leading to a happy ending for everyone.
Are she and Qi Qing in such a setup?
Since childhood, she had been engrossed in cultivation and had never developed romantic feelings for anyone. She had never even thought of becoming cultivation partners with anyone. But this sudden twist of fate made her heart flutter a little.
Holding onto this slight flutter, she fell into a dream.
As expected, the person from her dreams appeared again. Only this time, the person didn’t speak first, just stood there quietly, saying nothing.
She had to ask first, “Is Qi Qing… my fated person?”
The person replied, “Why do you ask this?”
“She unsheathed my sword; this isn’t normal,” Ling Aorui said. “Is it destined that we are a pair?”
“Destiny itself is an unreal idea,” the dream person said. “If you only want to know this, I can tell you the answer: yes, she is your fated person, and also the only cure that can save you.”
Ling Aorui heard the unspoken meaning in her words and said, “Can we defy fate then? Does something else exist beyond destiny?”
“Fate only provides you with answers; how you choose is your own affair. Even if I tell you she is your true destined partner, you might not cherish it.” The dream person said slowly, “You might find it dull, doubt yourself, stop halfway to pursue a more thrilling, ill-fated relationship. In that case, what use would it be for me to tell you?”
“Ill-fated relationship?”
“Yes. When an ill-fated relationship appears, you’ll act like you’re crazy, desperately wanting to be with that person regardless of anything. Even if everyone abandons you, even if you succumb to cultivation deviation, you won’t be able to let go of that poison-like pleasure.
But an ill-fated relationship isn’t real. It might just be a made-up, calculated trap tailor-made for you, like a moth to a flame, like flowers in a mirror or the moon reflected in water. You lose everything, even living becomes torment. You recall the past and suddenly realize you’ve done many things wrong, let down many people. But you can no longer make amends, only endless emptiness, regret, and pain, like a ceaseless, raging fire.”
This string of descriptions sounded just like a scene after falling into hell. Ling Aorui couldn’t help but shiver and said, “I’ve already suffered before, so naturally, I’ll listen to you in all matters. So… what should I do now?”
“I’ve already told you: be good to Qi Qing. This is the only thing you can do.” The dream person paused, then continued, “When I told you before that Qi Qing could cure your illness, my intention was for you to get closer to her. But you actually misunderstood and treated her as a tool for curing your illness.
Truly foolish. You, this sect, all of you are rotten to the core. If it weren’t for… I couldn’t be bothered with you. Go apologize, go compensate. Don’t think you can achieve it all at once. You owe Qi Qing far too much. Even if you used your entire life to repay her, it still wouldn’t be enough.”