Chapter Fifteen: Reborn as the Eldest Daughter of an Immortal Sect

Inside the damp and shadowy cave, black markings crept across the young girl's cheeks, overlaying the claw scars, her gaze filled with venomous malice. This was Shen Miao, who had feigned death! She had learned Bai Ruo's true identity only through the guidance of a figure dressed in black, and all of it was part of a carefully laid plan.

She deliberately exposed Bai Ruo’s identity in front of everyone, sowing seeds of suspicion and paving the way for her own false demise. On the third night of her confinement, the messenger in black finally revealed themselves. That night, Shen Miao, as usual, sat in the corner cursing Bai Ruo and Bai Li Ce. Indeed, Bai Li Ce had worn down all her affections; where love had vanished, hatred bloomed.

Suddenly, the gatekeeper disciple fainted, and a woman disguised with a black cloak appeared in the room.

“I can help you fulfill your wish.”

Shen Miao was startled by the sudden arrival, but at the mention of her wish, her heart immediately thought: let Bai Ruo and Bai Li Ce die.

“Who are you?!”

“Don’t concern yourself with who I am. I know you want to kill Lian, so I’ve come to give you a hand.”

Though Shen Miao couldn’t discern the woman’s expression, she sensed a coldness, as if the woman were a plum blossom standing proud on a snowy mountain.

“Believe it or not, this book is all you’ll need to deal with her.”

In the blink of an eye, the mysterious woman vanished, leaving only the book on the floor as proof.

“Was it her who sent that letter? Bai Ruo, oh Bai Ruo, there are truly many who want your life…”

Shen Miao slowly bent to pick up the book, brushing off the dust from its pages. “What does it matter if I become a demon, or lose my mind? Hahaha…”

The next day, when the gatekeeper disciple brought her food, Shen Miao purposely ate a dose of Yin-Yang Powder. Foam gathered at her mouth, and soon she stopped breathing.

Yin-Yang Powder, one foot in life, one in death, colorless and tasteless, produces symptoms of poisoning but dissipates on its own after three hours.

Once she left the Immortal Sect, Shen Miao gradually woke, returned to her clan, cruelly killed her own former maid to take her place, and during the funeral, Shen Miao had already escaped to North Mountain.

She knew that at her funeral, not a soul would be bored enough to lift her burial cloth. Her birth mother was a useless concubine, cast aside early and sent Shen Miao to the Immortal Sect. While Shen Miao flourished there, her mother languished; Shen Miao never once asked after her, let alone cared for her death. Thus, the plan was flawless, awaiting only the right moment.

Recently, Bai Ruo’s left eye twitched violently, and she felt that something ominous was approaching. The black lotus petal taken from the Glass Secret Realm occasionally glimmered in her mind. She had long suspected the realm was connected to this petal, and sure enough, each time she discussed the Mirror of Three Lives with the sect leader, the petal shone brighter.

She tried to summon the lotus petal, but it seemed rooted deep, entirely unresponsive to her will, so Bai Ruo could only give up.

By her calculations, she had been in the Xuanming Continent nearly a year, yet her final task showed no progress. After the grand contest between the three sects, Yunmeng, Spirit Sword Sect, and the Immortal Sect’s relationships had inexplicably grown closer, hinting at a merging—just as Bai Ruo hoped.

In the bitter heart of winter, the Immortal Sect welcomed its first snow. The plum blossoms bloomed profusely. Some disciples chose to return to their families for the new year, while others remained.

Bai Ruo mingled well with everyone, joining them to watch the snow, cultivate, and share meals.

At night, Bai Ruo sat alone in the pavilion, watching the snow fall, sometimes like goose feathers, sometimes like grains of salt.

Suddenly, a gentle warmth touched her head, and Bai Ruo tilted it slightly.

“Don’t move.”

A voice as smooth as jade and rich as velvet came from behind—it was Chong Li.

Carefully, he placed a white jade hairpin in her hair, shaped like a lotus.

Bai Ruo reached up and touched it, delight shining in her eyes.

Chong Li took off his outer robe and draped it over Bai Ruo’s shoulders, adjusting it snugly.

A beautiful smile curved Bai Ruo’s lips. “We cultivators aren’t afraid of cold. Why give me your coat?”

Chong Li said nothing, instead circling her shoulders from behind, holding her soft hands in his.

Without quite knowing how, Bai Ruo had been claimed by Chong Li, and they had been together for more than half a month.

“Chong Li, do you know anything about my origins?”

“…Yes.”

“Heaven’s secrets mustn’t be revealed? Fine, I understand. I’ll find the truth myself. But my last task hasn’t progressed at all, sigh.”

“No rush.”

“Alright, no rush. Still, once it’s done, I’ll have to leave…”

Chong Li toyed with Bai Ruo’s slender jade fingers, listening to her gentle breathing.

He gazed at her sleeping face, softly gathered her into his arms, and whispered in her ear:

“I hope in the next world, when you see me, you won’t be so surprised—my lotus treasure…”

On that snowy night, Chong Li held the sleeping Bai Ruo, leaving a trail of footprints in the snow.

The snow continued to fall, and their story would not end with the passing of a single world.