After Rebirth, the Heroine is Consumed by Overwhelming Regret Chapter 34

Her straightforwardness actually put Qi Qing at ease.
As the saying goes, a great kindness is hard to repay. She didn’t know the other person at all, so she couldn’t calmly accept their help, especially on such a difficult matter. But she also couldn’t not save Yu Yan. Therefore, being able to do something for the other party, to have an exchange of benefits, was actually more in line with her expectations.
This was perhaps the advantage of dealing with intelligent people.
No need for too many explanations; just state the conditions.
“I’ve discovered an immortal’s secret realm. It’s said there’s a constantly changing treasure inside. Sometimes it becomes a common wooden sword, other times an astonishing divine artifact. What I want is its Holy Grail form.”
Hua Yayun said slowly, “The chance of this form appearing is only one in a million, so it requires someone with extremely strong luck to obtain it. However, there’s one condition: this person cannot touch any other treasures in the secret realm. Once greed arises, all the treasures will disappear, and the person inside will die instantly.”
“So you think I can do it…?”
Qi Qing was a little surprised. Although she didn’t care about money, if it really came to that point, it was hard to say if she could suppress her greed.
“I believe, for a friend, you can do it.”
Hua Yayun said gently, “I can see that you’re a very selfless person. You would even risk your own life to save your companion from dire straits, wouldn’t you?”
Qi Qing froze.
The other person was indeed right. It was as if they had seen right through her. In her previous life, it was because she was isolated and helpless that she had walked such a desperate path.
But that weak version of her could disregard everything for Yu Yan. She didn’t know why, but the moment she thought Yu Yan might be in danger, countless strengths surged within her.
But.
She had gained armor, but also a weakness.
While Yu Yan gave her strength, she also became her vulnerability, a whip others could use to drive her at will. Qi Qing couldn’t help but tremble all over. She was furious, pained, and in disbelief.
Why was she schemed against wherever she went? Why wouldn’t these people let her go? Was this her punishment for defying the plot? If so, why wasn’t it made clear from the beginning?
“When did it start?” she heard herself ask.
“What?”
“You know what I’m asking!” Qi Qing looked up, her eyes filled with irrepressible anger. But she couldn’t make a move; she could only question.
Because her weakness was still in the other’s hands.
Yes, almost instantly, Qi Qing realized the truth. And she was very sure she hadn’t wronged an innocent person. This Palace Master before her was not simply an intelligent person, but an old fox who had meticulously lured her into a trap.
Most likely, there was no Crimson Thunder Pavilion here at all. Everything was this person’s doing. It was they who had imprisoned Yu Yan, using it to coerce her into entering the secret realm to seize the treasure for them.
And the most direct evidence was the other’s statement, “For a friend, you can do it,” as if rescuing Yu Yan would be an undeniable fact if she just agreed.
But how could negotiations guarantee a one hundred percent win? Let alone their years of conflict, even in a case of the strong bullying the weak, the weaker party would still have a desperate last resort. For the other to dare say this, there was only one possibility.
Yu Yan had been captured by them.
That’s why she asked when it had started.
This scheme couldn’t possibly have started when she entered the casino. It was earlier, perhaps when they entered Fallen Wind City, or perhaps when they found that bargain in the demon market. Qi Qing no longer knew if their actions had been voluntary or deliberately guided by the other party.
Moreover, was it aimed at Yu Yan, or at her?
Qi Qing didn’t know. She didn’t even have a choice. The other party had deliberately put on this show for her, not to trick her into the scheme, but to make her do things for them more decorously.
In reality, they had no choice from the moment they came in. The other party had skillfully guided her, played along with her, and put on a show for her, all to give her a slightly more comfortable experience.
If a foolish person were here, they would have bowed and scraped, worked themselves to death, and even counted the money for the other party after being sold by them.
But Qi Qing was unwilling to play along.
Since she could see through it, she had to tear off the other’s mask and expose the filthy nature beneath, even if she had no choice.
“That Purple Sun Snowfish you ate,” Hua Yayun said abruptly. “That was originally meant to be presented to me. Although I didn’t have people stationed there, everyone knows that’s my territory. You, a newcomer, indeed stumbled upon a great find, didn’t you?”
“Then you snatched my subordinate’s sword, didn’t you?”
“Later, the Soul-Tempering Bell, the Voodoo Doll, and the Pill Transformation Art—three treasures I obtained with great difficulty, all divine artifact level—you found them and instead of thinking how to return them to their owner, you harbored ill intentions to keep them for yourselves, didn’t you?”
She asked three questions in succession, then lowered her eyes and said lightly, “I won’t haggle over these things. I just want to borrow your strong luck for a moment. I think that’s justifiable no matter how you look at it.”
“So you can use my companion’s life to threaten me?” Qi Qing said angrily. “Do you still think you’re very kind, very magnanimous, that you’ve done all that could be expected?”
“I won’t touch her,” Hua Yayun said. “As long as you do as I say, neither of you will be in any danger.”
“I want to see her,” Qi Qing said. “I need to confirm she’s alright.”
“You don’t need to see her to confirm she’s alright.” Hua Yayun waved a claw, and an image of Yu Yan appeared in the air. She was still waiting in the private room, talking about something with the shopkeeper, likely haggling over the value of the treasure.
It seemed she hadn’t yet realized she was caught in a scheme.
Qi Qing breathed a slight sigh of relief. Because of the shadow cast by the incident with the Heavenly Sword Sect last time, she was terrified of implicating Yu Yan. Now, knowing the other hadn’t met with misfortune and hadn’t realized she was imprisoned, her mental burden lightened.
“How long will it take to go to the secret realm?” Qi Qing asked. “Can you swear you won’t harm her?”
“Of course. I swear, I won’t lay a finger on her before I have definite news from you,” Hua Yayun said solemnly. “There’s no life-or-death feud between us. I have no need to harm someone for no reason. You help me retrieve the Holy Grail, and all scores between us will be settled.”
Qi Qing had no choice but to agree.
Frankly, she had no other path to take right now.
On the way to the secret realm, escorted by others, Qi Qing kept thinking about what that so-called Holy Grail was. Could it extend life if filled with water?
That was it. The other party didn’t lack money; their only desire now was this. But she inexplicably recalled some minor details, like what those few lesser demons had said that night.
“Palace Master Hua’s daughter has that strange illness, requiring many rare treasures… Young Miss Hua is also very beautiful. If she’s cured, one could become her consort…”
The surname Hua wasn’t common. She couldn’t help but suspect if it was related to Hua Jiaolian.
In her previous life, she had only focused on Ling Aorui and hadn’t asked in detail about Hua Jiaolian’s illness. Speaking of which, the first time she saw Hua Jiaolian, the latter was already half-dead.
What exactly had happened before that?
Was she, right now, actually working for Hua Jiaolian?
Qi Qing suddenly felt an itch all over, a strong desire to ask clearly. But the two people escorting her were extremely quiet, their breathing almost inaudible. When she looked back, they only glanced at her, confirmed she wasn’t trying to escape, then looked away.
“Um, big brothers, I have a question. Is your Young Miss Hua’s illness really serious?”
The other party didn’t answer, remaining silent.
“This Holy Grail is for her, right? What if it doesn’t work? Wouldn’t I be taking this risk for nothing?”
The other party still didn’t answer, remaining quiet.
“Say, have you ever thought of finding a Black Tortoise or something, marrying Hua Jiaolian to it, and then using a Life-Sharing Gu? Wouldn’t that solve everything?”
The moment Qi Qing said this last sentence, she felt a bit of regret.
In her previous life, although Ling Aorui had cheated on her with Hua Jiaolian, from some details, it seemed Hua Jiaolian didn’t know about their relationship. So she wasn’t knowingly the third party. If one had to say, it was still a bit uncomfortable, but after all, the girl had no subjective intention to offend her.
Suggesting she marry an old turtle was a bit too much.
So she didn’t dare say more, only cursed herself for her quick mouth. She had said so much hoping to provoke the other party into saying something. Now that her goal wasn’t achieved, she gave up the idea and even silently recited “Amitabha” twice in her heart.
Who knew that while her thoughts were running wild, the guard suddenly said, “If things were as simple as you think, the Palace Master wouldn’t have to go to such lengths. Life-Sharing Gu are not found everywhere, and even if one is found, it must match the Young Miss’s destiny. Don’t speak nonsense here. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear. We’re almost there, prepare yourself.”
He said it nonchalantly, but it struck Qi Qing like a blow to the head.
“Wait, what do you mean, ‘match the destiny’?”
But the guard said no more.
Something was churning back and forth in Qi Qing’s heart, pricking her so she couldn’t calm down. She had never heard of this ‘matching destiny’ concept. Wasn’t a Life-Sharing Gu usable as long as two people were mutually devoted?
Then in her previous life, her previous life…
Could it be…
“You must explain clearly right now, what exactly is the deal with the Life-Sharing Gu?” Qi Qing said. “Maybe I have a way to save Hua Jiaolian!”
The guard’s eyelids twitched. He didn’t take her words to heart, thinking she was just trying to fish for information again. However, it wasn’t much of a secret, so he said, “For a Life-Sharing Gu to work, it must be between people of the same destiny. For example, the Young Miss is currently plagued by all sorts of illnesses. We need to find someone who was also suffering from illness before but has now recovered. Only after their destinies are joined can she be guided by the other to overcome her tribulation.”
Listening to his explanation, Qi Qing suddenly realized that the recovered Ling Aorui was indeed a perfect candidate who met this condition.
If she hadn’t cured Ling Aorui back then, they might not have ended up together. It could be said that it was her defiance of the plot that facilitated that happy union between those two.
So that’s how it was.
Although nothing had changed, Qi Qing had learned some truth. But the more she learned, the more she regretted. Even though Ling Aorui was the one who betrayed their love, in the end, if she hadn’t shown that kindness, perhaps none of what followed would have happened.
The current outcome was all her own doing.
Sorrow suddenly welled up in Qi Qing. These past few days, she had been with Yu Yan and rarely thought about Ling Aorui. But now that Yu Yan wasn’t here, she couldn’t suppress her hatred at all—hatred for the other, and hatred for herself.
Why did I have to be so meddlesome?
Why did I have to defy the plot?
Ending up with such a result, isn’t it just desserts!
But she didn’t have much time for self-pity, because she had already seen the immortal’s secret realm. They had flown over the sea for a long time to reach this barren place. There was probably no land for hundreds of nautical miles around, which was why this secret realm had remained undiscovered.
This secret realm looked very small, even more so amidst the turbulent waves in the middle of the vast sea, like a single cresting wave.
“We’re here. We’ll use spiritual energy to open a path for you,” the guard said. “Once the path is ready, you should go in.”
Qi Qing nodded and followed them out of the immortal boat.
Instantly, the sea air rushed to her face.
This secret realm was formed in the middle of the deep sea. Unless one patrolled inch by inch in an immortal boat, it would be very hard to find. This showed how wealthy and influential Myriad Flower Palace was; others definitely wouldn’t have this kind of sea-patrolling capability.
Thinking this, she looked around and found it was pitch black. The sea was boundless, and the night ocean even more so. This feeling of the sea and sky merging into one easily made one feel incredibly small.
She sighed. Suddenly, in the corner of her eye, she saw a bobbing point of light on the sea surface behind her. This point of light looked a bit like a spiritual energy pellet formed from concentrated spiritual energy. It was hopping and moving towards their immortal boat.
What was that?
Was it coming for them?
Qi Qing became somewhat vigilant. Looking back, the two guards were busy opening the passage and hadn’t noticed the abnormality here.
She drew White Dragon, ready to fight at any moment.
But just as the point of light closed to within three hundred meters of her, she suddenly realized it wasn’t a point of light, but a person riding the wind. This person was extremely familiar to her—it was Yu Yan.
But, how could it be possible?
In that instant, Qi Qing’s vigilance turned to fear. Was this person really Yu Yan? Could it be someone impersonating her, deliberately trying to disrupt her?
Although she didn’t want to risk her life for Hua Yayun, if someone tried to stop her now, she absolutely couldn’t allow it. Unexpected complications were always the greatest enemy when trying to accomplish something.
She needed to make a deal with the Hua family, whether she wanted to or not.
She didn’t think the other party would be foolish enough to threaten her with something fabricated. Yu Yan’s movements must have been restricted. The question now was, had this Yu Yan before her escaped, or was it an imposter trying to interrupt her plan?
Moreover, how did this person know she was here?
Countless questions swirled in her mind. In but an instant, the person arrived in front of her, covered her mouth, and whispered in her ear, “Don’t make a sound. I’ll go in with you.”
Qi Qing couldn’t speak, so naturally, she couldn’t refuse.
The other person transformed into an illusory shadow and entered her body. Meanwhile, the two guards had already opened the passage. As a white light enveloped her, she slowly merged into it.