Chasing after her husband? Is it even possible to win him back?

She felt a surge of resentment; what she was thinking at that moment was...

Back then, you repeatedly told me he wasn't good enough for me, and that I divorced him. Now, you actually want to ask me if I can get him back?

The so-called "concentration of intent" means understanding one's own intentions. The Supreme Sword Sect cultivates emotions, and emotions are connected with sword intent. Where are one's own emotions?

Ning Qiuning, who hadn't made any progress even after a month, couldn't help but ask herself this question.

[You can't even find your own path forward, your spiritual practice is utterly incompetent, and your conduct as a person is a complete mess, yet you remain oblivious to it all—it's utterly laughable.]

In my mind, that mockery that had almost become a demon in my heart resurfaced.

Those were the words Xu Bailing uttered after Ning Qiuning lost to Xu Bailing in the sword duel at Baidi City, and she still couldn't forget them even a month later.

I can't forget that sentence, I can't forget that woman's mocking and teasing smile.

I harbor resentment; deep down, I already know the truth, but...

The word "forgetfulness" allowed Ning Qiu Ning to deceive herself once again.

Ning Qiu Ning stared at the lock that was fastening the box, remaining silent for a long time, trying to recall where she had put the key... In a fit of anger, she yanked off the silver-inlaid lock.

"If you ever have a secret in the future, just keep it in this box. Brother Chu will never ask you to pry. Girls should keep some secrets."

Suddenly, a memory flashed through my mind: a day when I was thirteen, the words that young man had said to me with a smile. He opened his palm, and there lay this gleaming silver lock in his hand.

Unlike now, it wasn't covered in black spots.

The key to this lock... he crushed it into pieces and casually tossed it to his personal servant to dispose of.

Now, this worn-out lock has also been reduced to fragments.

Ning Qiu Ning looked at the broken lock in her hand. Her trembling hand tried to exert force several times, but she could never really muster any strength.

Now...should we open this box?

Ning Qiu Ning is no longer the pampered girl she once was. Her pride has been crushed by two people, one of whom is Xu Bai Ling, and the other is Chu Xun Feng.

The halo she carried was crushed by external forces and her own cultivation level. Looking back at this locked box, Ning Qiu Ning could even perfectly recall every detail of her sixteenth birthday.

He presented himself with a wedding dress, his face beaming with a gentle smile, "I hope you like this."

He never said how much effort he had put into getting this outfit. At the time, I saw his scarred hands, but I just thought he was stupid and couldn't even do a simple thing right.

But now that I think about it... do I really know how much effort it takes to make a piece of clothing? Is this piece of clothing really such a small thing?

As she recalled the memory, a splash of bright red appeared in her vision.

The finest red brocade is edged with fine gold thread, and the phoenix with outstretched wings, outlined by the interlacing stitches, is lifelike.

On their wedding day, he was filled with anticipation and prepared for several days in advance. What did he say to himself back then?

I invited many partners from the chamber of commerce, and they all prepared gifts in advance. I can't host many guests on my own, so it's up to my parents. I've also made arrangements for everyone in Liucheng, big and small, in advance.

On the day of the wedding, no guests came. What he said was seen as boasting and empty talk, and he didn't care at all.

Even if the man marries into the family, on the wedding day, she is dressed in white mourning clothes, which makes his face look as pale as paper against his red clothes.

In the year that followed.

He...never spoke more than a few words to me again, not even a single word of address...

She dropped her wedding dress and pressed her hand to her slightly aching chest.

Breathing heavily.

There was no title for myself; I repeatedly avoided communicating with him.

My heart is solely devoted to cultivating the Tao.

On their wedding day, it was as if his last fig leaf had been torn away. Looking at the wedding dress now, Ning Qiu Ning felt that the bright red dress was stained with his painstaking affection.

But I myself turned a blind eye to it.

Her true nature was clear, yet it was also impacting her Dao heart. With her heart meridians trembling, Ning Qiu Ning vomited a mouthful of blood.

Within the pool of his heart, the pent-up intent surged forth, making the so-called concentration of intent a joke.

Their realm has regressed, and their foundation has been shaken.

The last scene in Ning Qiu Ning's consciousness was gold threads stained with blood, her wedding dress filled with resentment.

In her remaining consciousness, she seemed to see Xu Bailing looking down at her, her lips moving.

Even if it's just the last pause in one's thoughts.

She could also see the woman in the illusion move her lips slightly and utter what kind of sentence.

You have forever missed out on a husband who was devoted to you, and you have also missed out on a broad and promising path on the road to spiritual enlightenment.

[You can't even find your own path forward, your spiritual practice is utterly useless, and your conduct as a person is a complete mess, yet you remain oblivious to it.]

If you're not pitiful, then you're only hateful.

Ning Qiuning

Chapter 68, Give him back to me

The Ning family is in complete chaos.

The young lady vomited blood several times, collapsed to the ground, and fell unconscious.

If it weren't for her personal maid's suspicions and her insistence on entering the room, Ning Qiu Ning might have died quietly and unnoticed.

The maid had also followed Ning Qiu Ning to study at the Supreme Sword Sect, and immediately contacted the Supreme Sword Sect.

They thought it would be a wonderful thing for the disciples of the sword sect to temporarily leave their studies and reunite with their families on New Year's Eve, but unexpectedly... the most talented disciple of the Supreme Sword Sect's annual generation almost lost his life for no apparent reason.

On New Year's Day, the sun shone brightly, but it could not dispel the gloom in the hearts of the elders of the Supreme Sword Sect.

Ning Qiuning had been unconscious for a day and a night. Although her life had been saved, her cultivation level had completely fallen back to the training stage. Her mental pool was broken, and her willpower had dissipated.

Outside Ning Qiuning's courtyard at the Supreme Sword Sect's Ice Sword Peak, several elders were waiting at the entrance. The group of men and women, who had been frowning, suddenly brightened up when they heard a cough coming from inside the courtyard.

"He's awake! He's awake!" The leader of the Supreme Sword Sect breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. A lost cultivation level could be rebuilt; after all, one's foundation was one's physical body. A drop in cultivation level wouldn't damage one's very core. But if a person were to die...

That would be really hilarious.

The gate to the courtyard was pushed open, and the maid looked at the group of elders and the sect leader at the door, her head slightly lowered. "My young lady has woken up, but she is still weak... Master, my young lady would like to invite you in."

The serene female elder nodded slightly and strode towards the courtyard gate.

The room was filled with the mixed smell of medicinal herbs being cooked, slightly sour and slightly astringent, just like Ning Qiuning's feelings when she saw her master calmly walking to her bedside.

"Master." Ning Qiu Ning struggled to sit up.

The woman with the aloof expression looked at Ning Qiu Ning and softly replied, "Qiu Ning... your Dao heart is not firm."

“Emotion connects with sword intent.” Ning Qiu Ning tried for a while but couldn’t support herself. She fell back onto the bed. Her master’s cold words echoed in her ears. She stared blankly at the ceiling of the room. “Master, it’s not that my Dao heart is not firm.”

You've ruined my life...

From the age of thirteen, after entering Ice Sword Peak and becoming a disciple of this woman, she told me that cultivation should be single-minded, that marriage was just an obstacle on the path of cultivation, and that I should look upwards. She said he was just an ordinary mortal and not worthy to stand beside me.

He regarded her teachings as golden rules, and began to learn to observe, judge, and criticize, which led to a change in everything.

She truly began to feel that Chu Xunfeng was unworthy of her. Her parents noticed her attitude, and as a result, his situation at home became difficult. Yet, she actually believed that he was indeed worthless, so his current predicament was only natural...

But she never imagined that her ability to cultivate without distraction was entirely due to a sentence she once said to Brother Chu: "Take good care of the family and our parents so that I can focus on my pursuit of the Dao."

So Chu Xunfeng did exactly as she said, managing both family and career perfectly, without neglecting either one, and doing each one exceptionally well. He took care of all the mundane matters for her so that she could concentrate on pursuing the Dao.

But how could I repay him?

There was no reward.

The box containing the red wedding dress contained not only the dress itself, but also many other things: clay figurines, wood carvings, kites, hair ornaments, jewelry, land deeds, recipes, clothes and shoes. Finally, on top of all these things, was the red wedding dress.

Behind those little toys lies the story of Xiao Qiu and Brother Chu, while behind the gold and silver jewelry, land deeds, and recipes lies her indifference and hurt towards Brother Chu.

From childhood to adulthood, she had always felt how Chu-gege treated her. That box was filled with Chu Xunfeng's affection for her, and even the box and lock were gifts from Chu Xunfeng.

But what about myself? Have I ever given Chu Xunfeng even a single thing?

Yes, there are some...

Pressing her aching chest, Ning Qiu Ning let a trickle of blood spill from the corner of her mouth, then she put on a mocking smile, as if mocking her own ridiculousness and hurting herself, as if trying to understand Chu Xun Feng's heartbreak. "Ah... I did give him a letter of divorce."

Beside the bed, Ning Qiu Ning's master frowned slightly, raised his hand, and pointed a finger at Ning Qiu Ning's brow.

Ning Qiu Ning turned her head and stared intently at the woman's face, but her gaze gradually became unfocused.

Her heart crumbled, her ruthlessness vanished, and her feelings could no longer communicate with her thoughts. The lies she had told herself over the past six years were now useless. She murmured a sentence, tilted her head, and fell back into a deep sleep.

"Give me back my Brother Chu... give him back to me..."

The woman standing by the bed looked at the girl on the bed and remained silent for a long time. After a while, she turned around and walked out of the room, only to find that the elders and sect leader of the Supreme Sword Sect were staring at her with different expressions.

"Sect Leader, Senior Brother," the indifferent woman said, looking at the Sect Leader of the Supreme Sword Sect, her words devoid of emotion, "Did I do something wrong?"

Her question was too straightforward, as if she had no remorse, and more like a rhetorical question, as if she did not think she had done anything wrong.

The maid stood to the side, pursing her lips tightly and lowering her head, not daring to show any unusual expression, but at least her heart was with the young lady.

"Junior sister, you made a mistake, you made a mistake." The leader of the Supreme Sword Sect sighed deeply, "I really shouldn't have let you take on a disciple."

"What should I do now?" the woman asked, looking at the leader of the Supreme Sword Sect. "She seems to hate me."