When Qin Chi got up from the ground, Ming Qing was nowhere to be seen in the courtyard. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his face contorted in rage. Mao Yuan rushed over to check on him, supporting his arm and asking with concern, "Senior Brother Qin, are you alright? I see your face is all swollen. That Ming Qing is so ungrateful! He actually dared to hit you, he's got some nerve!"

A sinister glint flashed in Qin Chi's eyes. He lowered his head, suppressing his emotions, and when he looked up at Mao Yuan again, he had resumed his usual expression. He was extremely displeased when he heard Mao Yuan say those words, feeling that Mao Yuan was reminding him that he was no good at all! Otherwise, how could he have been so easily defeated by a woman? "Junior Sister Mingqing's actions this time were really inappropriate. Although I understand that she was in a bad mood, there are rules in the sect. I will definitely report her private fight and beating of her senior brother!"

Mao Yuan was the first to support Qin Chi's statement. After Qin Chi finished speaking, she immediately agreed. As for the matter of Ming Qing scolding her earlier, she kept it in mind and would naturally retaliate when Ming Qing was sentenced. "I support Senior Brother Qin. This kind of person should not be allowed to continue, and the nature of this matter is really bad."

The others were complete opportunists, lacking any independent thought. Seeing that the two most important people had done so, they had nothing to say.

After leaving the small courtyard, Ming Qing wandered aimlessly on the road. In such a vast sect, she didn't even know where to go or where she could find a place to stay. She didn't have many friends, and Ji Yaocen was one of them. She cherished her relationship with Ji Yaocen very much. She never expected that it would come to this, which made her feel extremely tormented and pained.

She sighed. Seeing that there was nothing to do, she simply entered the secret realm and wandered around. She didn't fight monsters or cultivate; she just wanted to change her environment and her state of mind.

Ji Yaocen practiced day and night. She wasn't a naturally gifted athlete at first; it was through countless hours of hard work that she became who she is today. Therefore, she cherishes who she is now and hopes to become an even better version of herself.

When she saw Mingqing in the secret realm, she was slightly surprised. It was truly unexpected. Based on Ji Yaocen's understanding of her, she would have been depressed for a few days. Therefore, she had been worried about Mingqing for a while. However, when she saw Mingqing appear here, she felt inexplicably relieved. She could now focus all her energy on her cultivation.

Ming Qing knew Ji Yaocen well. As she expected, Ji Yaocen's cultivation would not be delayed by anything. The two of them observed each other when the other was not paying attention and found that they understood each other well, but also not well enough.

A flurry of snowflakes drifted down from the sky, their light and airy descent altered by a gust of wind. Seeing the snow, Aqing excitedly rushed back inside and called out to Xu Yuehuai and Shi Mu, "Look, look! The first heavy snow of the year! A good snow promises a bountiful year; next year will surely be the best year ever! You will both become better versions of yourselves!"

When Xu Yuehuai saw the snowflakes, a part of her heart felt wet. She realized that she had been here for so long. Her memories were still stuck in the scorching heat of the past, when everyone around her was happy and each person was unique. Now that it was snowing, all the people who were with her back then were gone, leaving only her and this group of friends she had met later.

Life wasn't exactly a complete mess, but it wasn't as joyful as she had imagined either. In fact, the conflicts escalated, and the things she had to do and the responsibilities she had to shoulder seemed to have increased as well. But Xu Yuehuai always persevered. What couldn't defeat her would eventually make her stronger, and the constant troubles and tasks were paving the way for her to become a better version of herself.

Shi Mu remained calm. He disliked winter; it was cold. In his mind, winter was synonymous with cold. As a child, he had no warm clothes, and winter became increasingly unbearable. The cold and the torment of living, coupled with the unbearable feeling of having to keep going, was truly distressing. It was as if a scale in his heart was constantly reminding him that he was poor, had nothing, and had to work hard to save himself from his predicament.

Shi Mu didn't stay outside for long. He found an excuse to go back inside. Although he was now able to eat and dress warmly, he still had a certain resistance to winter. This resistance was innate, something ingrained in his bones, and he couldn't change it. He also didn't want to change himself to like things that had once caused him pain.

Aqing felt that the first snow of winter should be accompanied by something to eat, such as sweet soup. She excitedly dragged Shi Mu to do something delicious and fun. Xu Yuehuai stood alone on the edge of the mountain cliff, looking down at the bamboo forest.

The snow fell heavier and heavier, but she stood there oblivious, motionless and unresponsive. Yan Zhi wandered around for a while before spotting Xu Yuehuai. She quietly walked up to her, put her arm around her shoulder, and tried to scare her, saying, "Guess who I am!"

When Xu Yuehuai heard the voice, she turned her head, her eyes filled with a hint of joy and an emotion that Yan Zhi couldn't understand. But the moment she saw Yan Zhi, those emotions dissipated considerably.

Yan Zhi knew that she was seeing others through her own eyes. She thought that person had come, but in reality, she was just misunderstanding.

Yan Zhi's smile froze for a moment, then quickly returned to normal, transforming her back into the carefree and cheerful girl. Seeing Xu Yuehuai like this, she could still calmly tease her, "Oh, beautiful lady, standing here in such heavy snow, who are you thinking about? Can you tell me so I can hear it too?"

Yan Zhi had a rough idea of ​​what had happened. She had heard about Ji Yuanchi. Ji Yuanchi was an important figure in the great battle against the Demon Lord. After her glorious sacrifice, she left a great image in the hearts of the people. Yan Zhi had not seen the scene. She only knew about this when she came out to find Xu Yuehuai later and heard some things from others.

She had met Ji Yuanchi before, and from various perspectives, she felt that he was a very gentle, humble, and polite person. At the same time, he became more lively and vivid when facing Xu Yuehuai, but overall, she didn't think Ji Yuanchi was the type to take the fall for someone.

Maybe... it's because of the person I'm facing. Because it's her, it's worth it.