I made the entire cultivation world cry

Chapter 258 No Return (Part 2)

Jiang Yi's relaxed demeanor surprised Dan Xi, who raised an eyebrow. She leaned closer exaggeratedly, squinting to examine her closely, as if trying to see through Jiang Yi's facade to see if she was putting on a brave act.

Jiang Yurong frowned. From the first moment they met again, she noticed the tremendous changes in her daughter.

Her gaze swept over Jiang Yi's striking red hair and flamboyant red robe, and she said coldly, "What kind of behavior is this!"

Before Jiang Yi could respond, Dan Xi had already taken a step forward like a protective eagle, shielding her disciple tightly behind her.

"Oh, so you're allowed to sport a single white hair and act all high and mighty, but your child isn't allowed to dye their hair red for fun?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Taozhi and Xu Manxiu were both taken aback, their gazes falling simultaneously on the wisp of snow-white hair at Jiang Yurong's temples.

Noticing her master's sudden darkening expression, Liu Taozhi hurriedly waved her hands and explained, "Master's injury is due to damage to his foundation, it wasn't intentional..."

Seeing the tension between the two, Jiang Yi quickly suggested, "Why don't we find a quieter place to talk things over?"

Jiang Yi looked helplessly at her two best friends. One was as cold and aloof as ice, and the other was as flamboyant as a wildfire. But at this moment, they were like two sulking children, childishly glaring at each other.

Jiang Yurong and Danxi's gazes clashed like swords, and in the end, they each let out a cold snort and left, one after the other carrying Jiang Yi, who looked like a little chick.

After Jiang Yi and Dan Xi left with Jiang Yurong, the entire city of Suishi exploded with noise, like a surging tide.

"It really is her! Jiang Fengying from the Xuan Ying Sword Sect!"

Some people lowered their voices, but couldn't hide their shock.

"Didn't he die in battle eight years ago? How did he come back to life?"

"No wonder she can use the Radiant Spirit Sword!"

"But how come her age, cultivation method, and cultivation level have all changed? What happened?"

"She's even become a disciple of the Cangling Sect. Could she be True Monarch Danxi...?"

Discussions arose one after another. Some speculated that True Monarch Danxi had used some heaven-defying method, while others suspected that Jiang Yi had faked his death and was seriously injured and had begun to cultivate again.

The disciples of Xuan Ying Sword Sect had complicated expressions as they surrounded Liu Taozhi, pressing her for answers. Liu Taozhi herself was also unaware of the details.

Some were indignant, some felt lost, and some secretly shed tears.

Their senior sister will never come back.

The Xuan Ying Sword Sect suffered a crushing defeat!
Chaos reigned even more on the Cangling Sect's side, with Qi Tian grabbing Zhao Cangyun's sleeve.

"Senior Brother Zhao, you knew all along, didn't you? She really is Senior Feng Ying?"

Feng Wuhen also chimed in, "How exactly did True Monarch Danxi manage to abduct someone? Impressive!"

Surrounded by the crowd, Zhao Cangyun said impatiently, "So what if I know? So what if I don't? She's my senior sister now, what does it have to do with you?"

"But she's a sword cultivator! How did she suddenly become a demon tamer?"

Xiao Jue clutched the sword box, puzzled. No wonder his sword box kept going to Jiang Yi. He deserved to die; why had he stopped the sword box before? He should have let it take him along to beg for her guidance. He wanted to be her junior brother too!

"What business is it of yours what she fixes?" Zhao Cangyun sneered. "She can fix whatever she wants."

Shen Puning stood aside, smiling without saying a word.

Xin Wushuang glanced at her, "You already guessed it?"

Xin Wushuang had never been interested in the grudges and feuds of the cultivation world; she would only learn about them when she came across them. Before today, she didn't even know who Jiang Fengying was.

Shen Puning blinked, "A little bit...hehe."

Annoyed by the questions, Zhao Cangyun pointed to the horizon and shouted, "Look!" Then, as everyone turned their heads, he disappeared into the crowd in the blink of an eye.

The crowd looked at each other in bewilderment, and in the end, they could only disperse helplessly.

However, speculation about Jiang Heying's identity spread like wildfire from Flint City to the entire Northern Xuan Land, even surpassing the popularity of the Treasure Hunt and the birth of the Kun Dao Palace.

……

Inside the council hall of the Yuqing Sect's Liulitai.

Yu Hu, Tian Shou, and Xia Yangming were very perceptive. Seeing Jiang Yu Rong and Dan Xi escorting Jiang Yi back, they each made their own excuses to leave, leaving the place for the two women to chat about their family matters.

Danxi sat in the grand chair at the very end, allowing the mother and daughter to talk in detail, but as their master, she had to be present throughout.

Jiang Yurong knew Danxi's temperament and knew that chasing her away was useless; she could only pretend she didn't exist.

"Tell me, what has happened all these years? Why haven't you returned to the Sword Sect?"

Jiang Yurong sat in the head seat, still questioning from a superior position, as if interrogating a criminal, rather than facing her daughter who had come back from the dead.

Jiang Yi used to harbor resentment and dissatisfaction, but because she understood the difficulties her mother faced in her high position, she convinced herself to suppress all her emotions and try her best to be obedient and considerate, sharing her mother's burdens.

just now……

Jiang Yi didn't rush to answer. She walked to the low table, picked up the teapot, and took a few gulps.

After a day of working in the desert, the heat left her parched.

Seeing Jiang Yurong's displeased expression from behind, Danxi secretly sighed, "Well done!"

Jiang Yi put down the teapot, wiped her mouth with her sleeve, and finally felt a breath catch in her throat. She sat down and spoke slowly.

“I don’t know what happened either. I’m still investigating this matter. Why don’t I go back? It’s simple, I don’t want to go back.”

Jiang Yurong's fingers tightened sharply. Before she could speak, Jiang Yi spoke first, her tone calm and firm.

“From now on, I will never return to the Xuan Ying Sword Sect.”

Danxi's eyes lit up, and her previously anxious heart was relieved.

Jiang Yurong's voice was icy, "Why don't you reply?"

“I used to live to please you, to share your burdens, and to repay your kindness. Now… I just want to live for myself.”

"Nonsense!" Jiang Yurong slammed her hand on the table, making the teacups rattle. "The Xuan Ying Sword Sect has nurtured you for fifty years, taught you the way of the sword, and given you fame. You just want to abandon it like that?"

Jiang Yi suddenly burst out laughing, "Mother, ask yourself honestly, are you raising a daughter or a cold, hard sword?"

Jiang Yurong's pupils dilated in shock.

“I wielded a sword at the age of three and could condense sword energy at the age of five. Back then, you would praise me and hug me with a smile. But I don’t know when it started, you changed. When I was ten, you killed the white crane to stop my playful heart. When I was eighteen, I broke the record of the Xuan Ying Sword Sect by establishing my foundation, but you said that my three spiritual roots would ultimately make it difficult for me to achieve great things.”

Jiang Yi recounted them one by one, her tone as calm as if she were telling someone else's story.

"At twenty, I was invincible among my peers in the Sword Sect Grand Competition, yet you complained that my victory wasn't graceful enough. At thirty, I became famous throughout the Northern Xuan and received an invitation to the Sword Trial Tournament, yet you scolded me for being arrogant. At forty-nine, because of a single sentence from you, I disregarded the backlash from my inner demons and risked my life to form a superior-grade Golden Core..."

She paused, then looked directly at Jiang Yurong, "You didn't even glance at me."

Danxi clenched her fists in the corner. She had known about the mother and daughter's problems for a long time, but hearing Jiang Yi reopen those wounds still made her furious. This crazy woman, was her heart made of iron?! Jiang Yurong's jaw tightened. "Being strict is for your own good. Otherwise, how can we bring out your potential? If you don't work hard enough, you'll end up like your father sooner or later..."

"To die in front of you like Father?" Jiang Yi interrupted her, giving a weary laugh. "But I've already 'died,' Mother."

That cry of "Mother" struck Jiang Yurong's heart like a heavy hammer, reminding her once again of the day she led her men back to provide support, and the resolute yet disappointed smile she saw from afar before Jiang Yi self-destructed her golden core.

Just like now.

"Jiang Fengying died in front of the Xuan Ying Sword Sect's mountain gate. The one in front of you now is Jiang Heying, who crawled out of a pile of corpses, with her spiritual root shattered, her meridians severed, and her cultivation completely lost. She struggled all the way from the cold Xuan Ying Sword Sect to the Cang Ling Sect before slowly coming back to life!"

Jiang Yurong tensed up, her cold pupils trembling slightly.

"You ask me why I didn't reply?"

Jiang Yi looked up at her, her eyes no longer showing the concession and obedience she once had.

"Because if I go back, I'll have to continue being 'Phoenix Shadow,' the sword in your hand that's never sharp enough and always needs to be honed. I can't appreciate the snow on the summit of Xuan Ying Mountain now. I only love sitting and listening to the wind in the pines and the streams, lying down and watching the clouds drift by. I don't want to suffer those unnecessary hardships!"

Suffering is suffering; it does not bring success, nor is it worth pursuing.

The fragrance of plum blossoms does not come from bitter cold; the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from their very nature.

"Bastard!"

Jiang Yurong slammed her hand on the table and stood up. The Ningguang Sword in her sleeve hummed as if it were about to be drawn. Her eyes were bloodshot with uncontrollable rage, and her voice trembled.

"You held a sword at the age of three, and could unleash sword energy at the age of five. Even when your palms cracked and bled in the dead of winter, you refused to stop. Even when your back was soaked with sweat in the sweltering heat of summer, you still gritted your teeth and practiced hard. You cultivated to the Golden Core stage. Every step of that was earned with your life on the line?"

Jiang Yurong approached Jiang Yi almost out of control, and said in a cold voice, "You honed your sword intent inch by inch, you tempered your sword heart day and night, and you practiced your leisurely steps for ten years in the Sword Tomb, risking your life and facing the attacks of chaotic swords every day. Now, for this little grievance, you want to destroy all these decades of hard work with your own hands?"

Frost condensed around Jiang Yurong, her voice was cold yet contained a hint of sorrow.

This was the first time Jiang Yi had seen a mother like this, and heard such tender words, but at this moment, all she wanted to do was laugh sarcastically.

"So... you knew all along."

It's not that I can't see her suffering; it's that I see it but deliberately ignore it.

Jiang Yurong stood there, her eyes welling up with tears and a stinging sensation. She dared not look directly at the piercing smile on Jiang Yi's face.

Jiang Yi was unwilling to get entangled and no longer cared. She had seen and experienced countless joys and sorrows, and the complexities of kinship in the human world, in her dreams, and she would no longer trap herself in them.

Jiang Yi stood up and said, "Xuanying Sword Sect raised me for forty-nine years, and I also risked my life to protect Xuanying Sword Sect. Whether you think I have repaid this debt of gratitude or not, I have a clear conscience."

"From now on, I will do my utmost to fulfill any responsibilities assigned by the Immortal Alliance. If you summon me, I will do my best as well. However, please clearly write my current name on the transfer order: Jiang Heying of the Cangling Sect."

Jiang Yi took a step back and bowed solemnly to Jiang Yurong, "The Northern Xuan is full of storms, I hope Sect Master... takes care."

Jiang Yurong was struck dumb. She watched her daughter turn away resolutely, her red dress burning like a blazing fire, stinging her eyes.

"Stop!" she shouted sharply. "Do you think you can sever the blood ties between mother and daughter by changing your name and Taoist title?"

Jiang Yi stopped, without turning around, but slightly tilted her head, "I can't sever the ties, but I can choose not to look back."

The sunlight streaming through the window frame gilded Jiang Yi's profile. She reached out to grasp the light, but her fist clenched only to grasp nothingness.

"I was the one who refused to break the deadlock before. Between you and me, as long as I give up, all the knots and deadlocks will be untied."

Being free from desires makes one invincible. From now on, I will no longer seek any recognition or affection from the outside world, but will only seek fulfillment within myself. That will be enough.

Jiang Yi loosened her clenched fingers, and the entire sky was reflected in her palm.

"Master, let's go."

Jiang Yi looked at Dan Xi, her eyes clear and without a trace of gloom.

Danxi was taken aback.

His eyes were so clear, like a mountain peak after a snowfall, all traces of his former melancholy gone. This made her suddenly realize that Jiang Yi had truly let go, not out of spite or to escape, but with a sense of relief that came from the depths of his being.

Danxi felt a sudden pang of sadness, followed by an indescribable surge of relief.

She stood up and reached out to ruffle the strand of flamboyant red hair at Jiang Yi's temple. Before leaving, she said to Jiang Yurong, "Alliance Leader Jiang, if the Immortal Alliance ever needs anything from my master and me, please send a message to let us know. My master and I will certainly not refuse."

Jiang Yi glanced one last time at the frozen Jiang Yurong, feeling no hatred, no resentment, and not even regret.

It's like looking at a distant mountain you're passing by.

Jiang Yurong's knuckles clenched until they turned white, but she ultimately couldn't take that step.

She watched the two red figures gradually disappear into the distance until the intense sunlight was completely consumed by the twilight, and the last glimmer of light in the council hall was swallowed by darkness.

Her figure was frozen in the darkness, like an ice sculpture.

This is the scene that Liu Taozhi saw when she stepped into the hall carrying the lamp.

It was True Monarch Danxi who sent her a telepathic message, telling her to come here. Although True Monarch Danxi was targeting her master in every way, she actually cared about him.

Their sworn sisterhood, forged through life and death together, is unshakable by anything. Therefore, their master never cared about the sarcasm in Danxi Zhenjun's words, a fact known to those who know the two of them.

Liu Taozhi gazed at her master's solitary figure in the darkness, a strand of frosty hair hanging down her cheek, making the fine lines at the corners of her eyes look as deep as sword marks.

Liu Taozhi suddenly felt a tightness in her throat. It turned out that her master would also grow old and was not invincible.

“Master…” Liu Taozhi mustered her courage and approached, “Senior Sister simply chose the path she wanted to take; she is not an irredeemable villain.”

The Cold Moon Sword trembled slightly in its sheath, like the aching heartbeat in Liu Tao's chest.

Over the years, she had often defied her master to protect her senior sister, but now, seeing her master so lonely, all that rebellion turned into a deep, subtle pain.

Jiang Yurong felt a slight tremor in her heart. She lowered her eyes to look at Liu Taozhi, her disciple who seemed too soft-hearted in her eyes. But now, her eyes were as firm as a rock.

"I know I am no match for Senior Sister, but my sword will forever sing for you, and for the Xuan Ying Sword Sect!"

Jiang Yurong closed her eyes and took a breath, suddenly feeling how ironic the way of heaven was.

The sword she had painstakingly crafted was eventually sheathed, while her little apprentice, who always peeked out of the sword pavilion and constantly contradicted her, waited with a lantern in the deepest darkness.

She had never seen the coldness in her daughter's heart, nor the persistent fire in Yaoyao's eyes. Now that Fengying had gone far away, the cold moonlight shone brightly, illuminating her heart with desolation.

"Master, I will always stay with you."

I'll share it with my senior sister.

　We've reached the 3000 monthly pass goal! Thank you so much, everyone!

　　There will be an extra chapter later; I'll work hard to write more to repay everyone!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)