Chapter 5: Star and Lotus (V) It really is Lian Qiang’s imagination...

"I kind of...want to go home."

Just as she was about to fall asleep in the middle of the night, Lian Qiang suddenly asked.

Chi Xingji was originally sleeping with his back to her. Upon hearing this, he leaned over and asked, "Did you forget anything?"

Lian Qiang was stunned for a moment, then realized that he had misunderstood her, and explained, "No, I want to go back to Ninghe City." She didn't want to trouble Chi Xingji, but she understood her body, and if she wanted to go back, she couldn't do without Chi Xingji's company.

As soon as these words were spoken, the room fell silent.

"I'm afraid it won't be possible in the near future." Chi Xingji's voice was very soft, breaking the silence, "Master asked me to go to participate in this Tiandao Conference. I have already promised him and will set off soon."

Lian Qiang had already prepared herself for rejection, and after hearing what he said, she had no reason to question it.

The Tiandao Conference, a once-in-a-century event, attracted countless geniuses from all corners of the world, eager to spar with talents of their own caliber, seeking a glimpse of true meaning, and having their names engraved on that giant stone, thus achieving fame.

Chi Xingji didn't need to become famous, but this conference was also a great opportunity for him. If you missed the Tiandao Conference, it would be gone, and Lian Qiang was in no rush, so even if she wanted to go home, she knew what was important.

"It doesn't matter." Regardless of whether Chi Xingji could see clearly or not, Lian Qiang smiled at him with relief, "Your business is more important, just take care of your own business first."

"...Sorry." Chi Xingji had blurted out so many apologies during this period that Lian Qiang was not too surprised when he spoke.

"This opportunity is very important to me—I'm not saying going home isn't important to you," he paused, trying his best to choose his words. "I'll take you back as soon as I finish the competition."

He vowed solemnly, and Lian Qiang smiled politely at him again. Before she could turn aside, Chi Xingji quietly asked, "Do you want to go with me?"

Lian Qiang was slightly startled, and her heart was touched. She said slowly: "If I go, Master will be unhappy."

Not only her master, if she stood in front of others, the whole world would know that Chi Xingji had a wife who was not up to par, which was not something she wanted to see. Unless, she did not show up in front of others.

Thinking of this, the little light that had just ignited in Lian Qiang's eyes went out.

"You don't have to worry about these things." Lian Qiang's hand on the quilt was gently covered by the longer fingers. "Just tell me if you want to go."

In the silent night, his voice seemed to carry an inexplicable allure: "If you want to go, we can go together."

The word "together" was so beautiful, and coupled with the warmth of Chi Xingji's palm, it felt as if something was flowing through their intertwined hands, continuously transmitting into Lian Qiang's body. This time, for some unknown reason, she smiled sincerely, "I want to go."

She held Chi Xingji's hand in return, and the next moment, his five fingers slid down through the gaps between his fingers and interlocked with hers.

Chi Xingji turned over and looked down at her, with a determined ambition in his eyes: "Okay."

-

I don't know how Chi Xingji persuaded Xi Wenji, but Xi Wenji actually agreed. However, Chi Xingji and Lian Qiang were some distance away from the main force of the Wuji Sword Sect.

The Wuji Sword Sect was a well-known sect, and they had sent out quite a few disciples. From afar, Lian Qiang spotted a few familiar faces. They also noticed Lian Qiang, and their expressions were quite subtle, their gazes on Lian Qiang quite fascinating.

As the team leader, Xi Wenji was of course aware of their hostility towards Lian Qiang, but he adopted a laissez-faire attitude.

Although she no longer cared about his attitude, Xi Wenji had taught her personally after all. Lian Qiang breathed a sigh of relief, pretended to raise her hand to block the sun, and tried to turn sideways to avoid their sight.

Someone was a step ahead of her. Chi Xingji naturally took a step forward and stood in front of Lian Qiang. His posture was as straight as a pine tree, almost completely obscuring her behind him.

"You..." Lian Qiang paused. Chi Xingji heard the noise and turned to look at her: "What's wrong?"

"...It's okay." Lian Qiang shook his head, feeling mixed emotions and a vague sense of uneasiness.

She must have been too nervous. The group rode their swords, and the Wuji Sword Sect wasn't far from the Tiandao Conference's venue, only half a day's journey away.

The team landed at the city gate, where there was a constant stream of people. They had to register first before being allowed into the city.

Amidst the clamor, Lian Qiang's deep unease grew more palpable. She finally understood where it came from. Returning the same way was impossible... Lian Qiang rapidly pondered a solution.

Seeing her frown, Chi Xingji's eyes were filled with concern. Lian Qiang opened her mouth, but the words on her lips changed to: "It's okay, I'm just a little nervous."

Chi Xingji wanted to ask more, but Lian Qiang was firm in her attitude and just said that she didn't get enough rest.

Not daring to look him in the eye, Lian Qiang lowered her eyelashes and clenched her hands under her sleeves tighter and tighter. She prayed that he would leave quickly so that she could escape and find a place... to hide.

"Xingji, go get your name tag first." Xi Wenji noticed the situation and came over to call Chi Xingji. The young man nodded to the teacher and looked at Lian Qiang with concern: "She's not feeling well..."

"Xingji." Xi Wenji called his name again, emphasizing it meaningfully. "If you delay any longer, it will be too late."

Chi Xingji thought for a moment and then followed Xi Wenji's advice: "I will go there quickly and come back soon. Master, please help me take care of her first." Without hesitation, Chi Xingji moved quickly.

His figure was already far away. Lian Qiang could no longer bear the changes in her body and fell to the ground in front of everyone.

"Master..." She was sweating profusely. She tried to cover her face with one hand while reaching for the corner of Xi Wenji's clothes with the other hand. "Help me..."

She couldn't implicate Chi Xingji, nor could she get out of the situation on her own. Asking for help from others was unrealistic, so she could only hope that Xi Wenji would show some compassion.

She was also his disciple, so he wouldn't just stand by and watch someone die... Lian Qiang looked up at him, her heart sinking bit by bit, a despair that called despair invading her. Xi Wenji was looking down at her, a half-smile on his usually serious face: "Lian Qiang, your master warned you, but what did you say that day?"

He slowly and methodically pulled the hem of his clothes out of her hand, inch by inch. "Today I will fulfill my duty as a teacher and teach you one more word."

Xi Wenji smiled and said, "You will suffer the consequences of your own actions."

Something in Lian Qiang's mind suddenly exploded, and she pushed the piece of fabric with all her might, assuming a vicious stance. But Xi Wenji just looked at her and backed away bit by bit.

I can’t wait any longer... Lian Qiang struggled to get up and go to a sparsely populated place, but fell to the ground again.

"Why does she have a demonic aura?" "I smell it too..." "Is she a demon cultivator?" "It doesn't seem so... Does anyone know her origins..."

Run, run quickly... Lian Qiang knew without thinking that something was hidden on her face. Someone noticed her abnormality and was gradually approaching.

It goes without saying that if a demon cultivator "accidentally" breaks into a place where immortal cultivators gather, what will happen?

"You have evil spirit in you, and we..." Lian Qiang finally stood up and staggered to leave. When she heard someone trying to grab her from behind, she turned around and slapped him without thinking!

She had little strength, but her actions were seen as resistance by those people, sparking outrage among the crowd: "This is a demon cultivator! Kill her!"

Lian Qiang struggled to raise her hand. A pitch-black demonic pattern had spread to the back of her hand. She smelled a foul odor distinct from spiritual power—it came from her. Lian Qiang scoffed and resigned herself to her fate as she slumped to the ground.

The physical discomfort and the inner embarrassment together crushed her defenses. Just moving would consume all her vitality. Forget it, Lian Qiang silently comforted herself in her heart. This was her fate, so she stopped struggling.

She closed her eyes, waiting for the swords of those people to pierce her, but in an instant, all the sounds in her ears were blocked by something.

Lian Qiang suddenly opened her eyes and saw Chi Xingji half-kneeling in front of her, using his hands to block out the unpleasant sounds.

Look at me, not them.

After a long while, Lian Qiang finally understood what his lips were trying to express, and in an instant she burst into tears.

The scene suddenly seemed to be pulled back to many years ago. In that dark cave, no one knew what kind of three days and three nights Lian Qiang had spent in it.

Her heart had been pierced almost entirely by the demonic force, most of her organs had been infected by the demonic energy, and her golden elixir had been completely contaminated. Lian Qiang hid in the pitch-black darkness, unable to see herself, thinking that this way she wouldn't have to face the reality of her impending demonic fall.

Why... Why... Lian Qiang knew that she was weak, and fate always bullied the weak, but why did such a desperate thing happen to her?

The demonic energy within her body battled against her spiritual power, the conflict only exacerbating her pain. Her body was being used as a battlefield. Sometimes it was bitterly cold, sometimes scorching hot. Lian Qiang thought she could just endure it, but as time passed, her pain didn't subside in the slightest.

During those days, she was in so much pain that she was unconscious, yet the scenes before her eyes were as clear as yesterday. Her life unfolded, and Lian Qiang suspected that she had reached the end of her life.

Then let’s die, Lian Qiang thought so and raised his sword. Death is better than living a life worse than death.

In what she thought was the last moment of her life, she saw Chi Xingji.

The sword's tip deviated by just an inch, failing to pierce her heart. Lian Qiang, who hadn't shed a single tear before, burst into silent sobs at this moment.

The pain was so severe that even crying out was impossible.

Why, why! She had a family that loved her and a husband she truly admired. Why, why was everything so perfect within her reach, yet it was so far away in the blink of an eye?

Through tearful eyes, she saw Chi Xingji again. The light from his body seemed to illuminate the abyss, as if it could save her from this quagmire.

This was the person she wanted to see the most but also the one she was most afraid to see. She loved him so much that she wanted him to come and see her for the last time, but she also didn't want him to see her in her ugly state after falling into the devil's trap.

It turned out to be Chi Xingji that Lian Qiang had imagined. He was so worried about her that his hand holding the sword became unsteady.

Lian Qiang blinked, smiled, and said with tears in her eyes: "If I die, please don't tell my parents, and don't be sad..."

It was not until the young man picked her up with a pale face that Lian Qiang realized that this was not her hallucination.

"Don't come over here! Don't look at me!" Lian Qiang screamed. She wanted to cover her face and beat Chi Xingji to ask him to let go, but Chi Xingji refused to let her do so. He held her hand so hard that he seemed to crush her.

"It's okay, don't be afraid, just get some sleep and you'll be fine..." Chi Xingji gritted his teeth and repeated this sentence over and over again.

Lian Qiang, who had persevered for three days and three nights, sobbed the moment he hugged her. She cried so loudly, as if she wanted to shed all the tears in her life.

Chi Xingji said nothing and let her punch, kick and curse him.

Now, Chi Xingji appeared again, just like in the accident, when she was in the most embarrassing situation but least wanted him to see her.

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