Chapter 9: Star and Lotus (9) Anyway, you just need to know...

Chi Xingji's pressure was so strong that even Xi Wenji was forced to take a few steps back before he could steady himself.

"You..." Xi Wenji did not expect that he would return to defense so quickly, and he did not expect that Chi Xingji would use brute force to break the barrier he had carefully set up.

He looked closely and saw that Chi Xingji's right hand, which was holding the sword, was already covered in blood, and blood was flowing down continuously. Because he had arrived too quickly, Chi Xingji's chest was heaving violently and his breathing was uneven.

"Master, I hope you will show mercy!" Without taking too much time to regulate his breathing, Chi Xingji knelt down with his fists clasped and bowed solemnly.

"Chi Xingji..." Even when she was dying, Lian Qiang didn't dare to hope that Chi Xingji would arrive in time, but he did...fall from the sky. Hearing Lian Qiang calling him, Chi Xingji just turned his head slightly and gave her a look that showed reassurance.

He stood between Lian Qiang and Xi Wenji, like an unbreakable barrier for her - Lian Qiang's heart ached, she clenched her fists, and knelt behind him, imitating him.

——She knelt only because she wanted to stand together with Chi Xingji, not because she was kneeling to the unkind teacher Xi Wenji!

Glancing at Chi Xingji's right hand that was bleeding profusely, Lian Qiang wanted to reach out and use her spiritual power to stop the bleeding, but she timidly withdrew her hand.

She wasn't sure if her spiritual power would be mixed with demonic energy, allowing it to take advantage of the situation. Watching the jade-white hand oozing blood, Lian Qiang grew increasingly angry, angry at her own incompetence and also angry at Xi Wenji's reckless approach.

Chi Xingji's appearance at this critical moment was something Xi Wenji didn't want to see. Although he felt resentful, he blamed himself more for not being able to kill Lian Qiang faster, rather than being caught by Chi Xingji in his evil deeds.

"At this point, you're still trying to protect this woman!" Xi Wenji said, gritting his teeth, "What kind of magic potion did she put on you?"

Chi Xingji bowed even lower, demonstrating his humility to the fullest: "Lian Qiang is very important to me, and so is Master. We are both close relatives, and I cannot bear to see you two turn against each other because of me."

"You are confused! You could have risen to the top, but you chose to use your essence and blood to feed that damn spiritual tree! Otherwise, how could you have won so hard today!" Seeing that he intended to protect Lian Qiang, Xi Wenji was even more furious.

He revealed the secret in one sentence, and Lian Qiang looked at Chi Xingji with mixed feelings.

…She had thought that the spirit tree would have an impact on him, but she didn’t expect the impact to be so great.

"You thought I didn't know, and I just didn't want to point it out. I didn't expect you to act even more recklessly. Today... I really don't want to see you make the same mistake again and again! Xingji, you must make a final decision today!" Xi Wenji threw the dagger to the ground with a "clang". "Do you want to divorce your wife, or do you want me to kill this woman for you?"

Lian Qiang looked up in disbelief. What had he said? He was going to kill her for Chi Xingji? He was going to kill another disciple for the sake of one, even at the cost of being branded a cruel and ruthless person?

"Master!" Chi Xingji growled, clearly unwilling to make a decision.

"Xingji, don't worry. Master will do for you what you can't bear to do. After you get out, you don't have to worry about rumors. If she died today, it was all because of my love for her disciple, and it has nothing to do with you!" Xi Wenji spoke sincerely, waiting for Chi Xingji's decision.

His words were all about defending Chi Xingji, with no regard for Lian Qiang's feelings. Even though he had known Xi Wenji was partial to her, Lian Qiang suddenly collapsed and sat on the ground, laughing self-deprecatingly. "Xi Wenji, do you remember? I was your apprentice, too. That year, you drank the tea I personally brewed for you."

It is said that once a teacher, always a father. When she became Xi Wenji's disciple, she was really full of longing and wanted to respect him as an elder.

She carefully tested the water temperature before serving Xi Wenji the cup of tea she had brought him. If her parents had seen this, they would probably have laughed and said that their youngest daughter had grown up and knew her limits.

It was a pity that she was so in awe of Xi Wenji at that time and lowered her head so low that she didn't see the disgust in his eyes.

It turns out that it was not a coincidence, but a huge mistake.

Chi Xingji was reluctant to make a choice, and Xi Wenji waited patiently for him. The situation was deadlocked for a while, and both of them thought that the key to breaking the deadlock lay in the other's concession.

Xi Wenji hopes that Chi Xingji will understand the pros and cons of this, but Chi Xingji hopes that he will love Lian Qiang and let her go.

But then, Lian Qiang moved. She straightened up, took two steps on her knees, and reached Chi Xingji. The other two thought she was about to say something. Lian Qiang simply picked up the dagger on the ground, examined it carefully, and even pulled up a strand of hair to test it.

The broken hair fell to the ground slowly, which made Chi Xingji's eyebrows jump.

"It's a really good knife that can cut through hair," Lian Qiang praised sincerely. Suddenly, he smiled with relief, turned the blade, and pointed it at himself. "If you don't want Master to help me, I'll do it myself—"

After saying that, she pretended to stab herself in the chest and abdomen! Suddenly, Xi Wenji was startled by her move and took a step back. Chi Xingji didn't have time to say anything more and just rushed forward!

He tried to snatch the dagger away, but he wasn't fast enough. Without any spiritual energy to protect him, Lian Qiang would be seriously injured if not killed! He could only use his body as a shield and grab the blade with his bare hands!

"You..." Lian Qiang was so determined to stab him, but she was also so surprised to see Chi Xingji blocking the knife for her. She quickly opened her knife and tried to open his hand to check the injury.

The hand was already bleeding profusely, and the white bones were now vaguely visible under it. Lian Qiang held it with both hands, not knowing what to do. She could only blow on it continuously in an attempt to relieve the pain.

"Does it hurt..." She was so anxious that she gritted her teeth and exhaled. Such a good pair of hands should be used to hold swords and pick flowers, so why did they get injured because of her one after another?

The more resolute he was in wanting to die just now, the stronger his regret is now.

Chi Xingji stared at her intently, as if he wanted to engrave her image in his heart. His lips were slightly pale from the excessive blood loss, but he still managed to comfort her with a trembling voice: "I'm not hurt, don't be afraid."

As soon as he said this, Lian Qiang burst into tears again. When he said "don't be afraid", was he telling her not to worry about her injuries, or telling her that he could handle everything?

Xi Wenji saw everything the two said and did. He couldn't imagine, really couldn't imagine that Chi Xingji would go to this extent to protect Lian Qiang!

He thought over and over again, and decided that no matter what, he couldn't touch her today...

Gently pushing away Lian Qiang's support, Chi Xingji kowtowed deeply to Xi Wenji: "Master, of the two paths given to me, I am unwilling to choose. Master, you have been so kind to me that you must not be charged with murder because of me. Moreover, Lian Qiang has done nothing wrong. If anyone is to blame, it is my own will. All the mistakes she made have nothing to do with her. Master should not vent his anger on the innocent!"

"Good, very good!" Xi Wenji was so angry that his body was shaking. "You are truly a good disciple I have taught you! I only have one last question for you. Even if it is just to divorce your wife, would you not agree?"

Chi Xingji slowly stood up and cast his gaze on Xi Wenji, his expression no less enthusiastic than before: "Master, nothing is difficult in this world if one sets his mind to it. I don't believe there is no third way for me to go. No matter what I do, I will eventually reach the end of that road."

He didn't answer Xi Wenji's question, but his words hinted at something, and there was a rare arrogance and conceit in his words. Xi Wenji heard this, but instead of getting angry, he smiled and said, "Okay, then, Master, I'll wait and see!"

After saying this, he really didn't want to face this mess, so he turned around and left!

As he left, the scene fell silent. Chi Xingji used his spiritual power to heal himself. Lian Qiang slumped down not far from him, her gaze unfocused.

"You don't have to do this. Xi Wenji doesn't like me, but this is for your own good after all." After a while, she said bitterly, "Why are you doing this..."

Divorcing his wife might be a better way out for both of them, good for both Chi Xingji and her. Furthermore, for Xi Wenji, who always insisted on his own way, this was already a huge concession.

If it were simply out of responsibility, he wouldn't have to go this far. As if he had guessed what Lian Qiang was thinking, Chi Xingji paused in his healing movements, sighed, and then spoke: "Lian Qiang, I have more than just a responsibility to you, I also..."

"What else?" To hide the panic in her heart, Lian Qiang suddenly raised her face, trying her best to control the violent beating of her heart, and stared at Chi Xingji.

What would he say? Would it be the words she expected to hear?

As if burned by her scorching gaze, Chi Xingji lowered his eyes out of habit, thought for a moment, and then raised his eyelashes to look her in the face: "No matter what, you just need to know that your existence is very important to me. As long as you live well, I will solve all other problems."

…Still such an ambiguous answer. Lian Qiang tried to force a smile, but it was uglier than crying. She wiped away her tears, but they were endless. She could only throw her hands down in anger, letting the tears flow unchecked.

What was the point of living well? After all, she was a useless person who couldn't cultivate.

"Chi Xingji," Lian Qiang finally said to him in all seriousness, "Thank you for all these years, no matter what."

Thank you for never despising her, thank you for always defending her in front of others, even if it was just out of his personality and not out of any love.

Chi Xingji looked at her, and said, "Between you and me, there's no need to thank me."

"No, I still need it." Lian Qiang stood up shakily. "Are you okay with your injury?"

She was clearly standing very close to him, but Chi Xingji felt that they were thousands of miles apart. The corners of her eyes and eyebrows made him feel a little strange. He glanced at the wound: "It's nothing serious."

"That's good." Lian Qiang leaned over and helped him up, then calmly let go of his hand. "I just heard from Master... Xi Wenji that you won first place?"

"Um."

Lian Qiang's eyes flickered, and she murmured to herself, "That's great... Congratulations! For the next hundred years, your name will be engraved on the first line of the Heavenly Stone Stele."

This is an honor that countless geniuses throughout history have sought but have been unable to obtain, but Chi Xingji has achieved it.

Chi Xingji instinctively felt that Lian Qiang was a little strange, but he couldn't figure it out, so he could only look at her with a deep gaze.

"In that case, let's go out for a walk to celebrate! I heard that after the conference is over, the market here will not close for three or four days!" Lian Qiang suggested, taking the lead to go out.

Chi Xingji looked at her back and asked hesitantly, "You haven't been there in the past few days?"

The seemingly natural back froze, and Lian Qiang turned around and smiled at him: "Isn't it okay if you haven't walked around enough?"

"...Okay." Chi Xingji took a few quick steps to keep up with her pace. He walked so fast that he didn't notice that under Lian Qiang's sleeves, her nails were deeply embedded in her palms, leaving a white mark.

That's all, Lian Qiang convinced herself, not to force anything else. But she still couldn't help but ask, "By the way, when did you plant that sword energy inside me?"

Chi Xingji paused, then quickly recovered: "Probably one day when you were sound asleep, I forgot."

He didn't want to say anything, and Lian Qiang tactfully stopped asking questions and just smiled. The two of them walked out the door one after the other.

From a distance, it looks very distant.