Mysterious mirror hanging high

"Besides, my grandmother has always taught Yuan Xi that a cultivator should regard cultivation as the most important thing. To reach a higher level, one can resort to any means necessary... Yuan Xi can't be as ruthless as my grandmother, but she doesn't rule out using some means."

"Uncle, do you remember [Mr. Songya]?"

"Zhang Songya?" Jing Yu thought for a long time before finally remembering this person: "Third sister's consort?"

"Yes."

Yuan Xiyan said, "Back then, my grandmother wanted to win over the [Jichuan Zhang clan] and increase the power of Crown Prince Mingyang. She arranged for Lord Songya to marry into the royal family. Although there was no romantic relationship between the two, they did have two children, and they have been treating each other with respect for many years."

"So, to avoid assassination by the new emperor, my grandmother sneaked out of the imperial city with my father and aunt overnight. To keep it secret, she didn't even inform her husband! Haha..."

Zhao Yuanxi smiled and said, "It seems that Mr. Songya is not an important person in my grandmother's heart."

"Alas, Third Sister is...sometimes too calculating, to the point of being heartless and disloyal..." Jing Yu shook her head. "But I can't blame her. After all, she's just an ordinary person. If she wants to gain a foothold in the world of immortal cultivation, how can she succeed without being ruthless?"

Zhao Yuanxi nodded: "Yes, that's what my grandmother has always taught me."

"Besides... Yuan Xi doesn't think there's anything shameful about taking advantage of someone's position to advance."

"In his early years, when Songfeng Pavilion's Grand Master [Qi Tianhua] was at a low level, he was trapped in the Demonic Land and captured by the demonic sect. At that time, he was almost made into a human pill."

"Later, he used his attractive appearance to seduce a female demon cultivator at the Golden Core stage. He became her concubine for many years, and only then was he able to escape."

"Qi Tianhua didn't feel humiliated, and others felt that this Qi, the true disciple of Songfeng Pavilion, was able to respond to emergencies and endure hardships."

"Later, as his cultivation became more advanced, Qi Tianhua no longer avoided this matter. Instead, he often talked about it as a joke, which is how it became widely known."

"Why is it that despite having similar experiences, Qi Tianhua is considered a remarkable man and a great man, while I, Zhao Yuanxi, am the one being pitied and grieved by others?"

Jing Yu seemed to be thinking about something, but did not say anything.

"Ordinary people don't have the power of true essence to rely on. Men are much stronger than women, so women have no choice but to rely on men. Naturally, their status is different."

Zhao Yuanxi smiled and said, "But after entering the immortal path, there is not much difference between the mana and essence of male and female cultivators. They are all of the same strength, so why treat them differently?"

"It's simply because most cultivators have entered the immortal path from the mortal world. This set of secular etiquette and rules has seeped into their bones and formed inertia."

"In my opinion, the beauty of this world lies in the selflessness of the Great Dao. As long as they don't conceive or continue an offspring, there's no difference between female and male cultivators. In the world of immortal cultivation, regardless of gender, as long as they reach a certain level of cultivation, everyone will respectfully address them as 'True Man' or 'True Lord'. When a lowly cultivator meets a high-ranking cultivator, they're left trembling with fear. How could they dare to have any romantic thoughts?"

"If one cultivates the immortal path and still cares about the chastity arch in worldly etiquette, then wouldn't that be a waste of cultivation? This is truly ridiculous."

Jing Yu's lips curled up slightly when he heard this: "Yuan Xi, what you said is indeed reasonable. It's me, your uncle, who is obsessed with appearances."

"How could that be?" Zhao Yuanxi said softly, "At that time, my uncle was only at the Jindan realm, but he took the risk and sneaked into Shendingtian to save me. Yuanxi has always been grateful to him."

"It's just...I didn't leave with you back then. You must have been laughing at Yuan Xi for being ungrateful."

Jing Yu shook his head. "That was your own choice. Even looking back now, your choice wasn't necessarily wrong... If you had followed me out of Shen Ding Heaven, your infant formation might not have reached the level of the Three Apertures."

"Uncle, Yuan Xi took your words as words of comfort."

Zhao Yuanxi seemed a little sleepy, his voice gradually lowering, "Five hundred years ago, I schemed and calculated everything to pursue the Dao. Not to mention the daily drain of energy and effort, my life was boring and devoid of any interest. If I had died then, at most I would have regretted not being able to glimpse the Dao, but I'm afraid I wouldn't have much attachment to this place."

"But after 1,500 years, having visited all the world's famous sights, tasted delicious food, and met close friends, I've lived a carefree and unrestrained life, having seen all the wonders of the world. Instead, I'm reluctant to die..."

Jing Yu was silent.

"Uncle, I'm a little sleepy... Do you remember when Yuan Xi was very young, you patted my back and sang a beautiful nursery rhyme to lull me to sleep?"

"I was too young at the time, and I can't remember some of it... How did you sing that ballad?"

A soft singing voice sounded, and Jing Yu sang in a low voice:

"A crescent moon hangs on the eaves, and the wind gently sways the window screen..."

"I rowed my daughter's dream boat, the sound of the oars echoed into the waves..."

"The copper basin tinkles as stars fall, and the embroidered pillow hides the fragrance of sweet-scented osmanthus..."

……

Jing Yu patted Zhao Yuanxi's back gently, just like how he coaxed Yuanxi to sleep when he was a child. He hummed the hypnotic ballad over and over again, as if he wanted to freeze this moment.

After a long time, Jing Yu suddenly stopped and called softly:

"Yuan Xi?"

Zhao Yuanxi, who was standing aside, had his head lowered, his eyes slightly closed, his face peaceful, and he was already dead.

"Yuan Xi..."

Jing Yu suppressed the grief in his heart and gently placed Zhao Yuanxi's remains. However, he saw a white smoke slowly rising from the back of Zhao Yuanxi's head and flying into the sky.

That is where her true spirit lies!

The next moment, a dark crack suddenly appeared in the sky above the top of Fugui Mountain. Yunding Tianjun stepped out wearing the clothes of a ghost messenger, clasped his hands together, and immediately took that bit of true spirit into his hands.

"Huh... finally caught up."

Jing Yu seemed to have anticipated the appearance of Yunding Tianjun. He stood up and bowed respectfully to Yunding Tianjun with a solemn expression.

"Senior Yunding, thank you for taking the trip."

Yunding Tianjun turned aside, not daring to accept the greeting, and said, "I have a friendship with this girl. I just found a good place for her to reincarnate. It's nothing special."

"But let me be frank. Zhao Yuanxi's reincarnation this time was through legitimate channels, not smuggled like Song Qingya... Normally, one would have to go through reincarnation once, and I'm afraid he wouldn't be born in the Immortal Continent, but in some other smaller realm."

"But I will go with her to see her and choose a good family for her... Whether she can break free from ignorance and recall her past in her next life depends on her luck."

Jing Yuyan said, "Xuan Jing only has this one relative left in this world. Senior, please choose a well-off mortal family for her, far away from the immortal path... Don't let her come into contact with the immortal path too early, and prolong the time it takes for her to break free from ignorance."

"If Yuan Xi can truly break free from her ignorance and recall her past life memories, with her scheming and skill, she will be able to quickly adapt even in the mundane world and re-enter the immortal path!"