convince
The girl's almond-shaped eyes widened, her hands on her hips, and she feigned anger, saying, "Nameless, you still know how to look for me? You disappeared without a trace without a word. Did you find the food in my Ten Thousand Poisons Valley unpalatable, or did you find my little darlings not cute enough? Don't you want to stay with me? Do you know how long I've been looking for you!"
Yunwei listened quietly; all of this was naturally the story she and Aya had already discussed.
A month ago, she reunited with Aya, who had come looking for medicine. On their first meeting, she told her everything about her ordeal and devised this plan.
She knew that her face, which was exactly the same as when she was alive, was her biggest flaw, and she had to dispel everyone's doubts about her first.
Seeing that the girl's acting was so realistic, perfectly capturing her charmingly naive and annoyed expression, she felt somewhat relieved.
She lowered her eyelashes, her voice soft and gentle, tinged with confusion and apology: "My benefactor... I'm sorry. I... I can't remember many things. I only vaguely remember being badly injured, and you saved me and even reshaped my face. If I hadn't insisted on going to Biyue Manor, I wouldn't have left without saying goodbye, causing you so much trouble to search for me."
Xie Qingfeng rose and walked to Yun Wei's side, his sharp gaze scrutinizing the girl in the talisman. He said in a deep voice, "Are you Valley Master Nangong of the Ten Thousand Poisons Valley? My apologies. May I ask what connection you have with this nameless girl? And do you know what her face looks like now..."
Nangong Ya blinked her almond-shaped eyes, her tone displeased: "As for the origins... well, not really. Six months ago, I went out of the valley to gather herbs and found her in the forest. At that time, her face was covered in blood and her body was covered in wounds. She looked like she was on her last breath. I'm kind-hearted, so I took her back and treated her."
She paused, pursed her lips, and continued somewhat reluctantly, "As for this face... Hmph, I think the original face was badly injured, the flesh was torn up, and the bone was visible. It would be very troublesome to repair. Coincidentally, a year ago I saw a world-famous woman dancing with a sword. Her beauty was unparalleled, and I was captivated. I even secretly made a portrait of her and treasured it. So... I casually used that image to reshape her face with a spirit lotus root. What, you old man, don't think it's appropriate?"
Xie Qingfeng's expression stiffened, and he probed again, "Valley Master Nangong's miraculous healing skills are truly admirable. However... how could the lotus root sculpting be so lifelike, with no difference whatsoever?"
Xie Qingfeng was indeed cunning and extremely suspicious. Yun Wei sneered inwardly, but on the surface, she still appeared bewildered and helpless.
She wanted to draw her sword and kill him on the spot, but killing him like that would be too easy for him.
What she wanted was to tear off his hypocritical mask in front of the world, to make him confess to framing his own daughter, to clear his mother's name, and to exonerate herself.
Before that, she had to endure it.
Upon hearing this, Nangong couldn't help but roll her eyes, her tone displeased: "Oh dear, you must be the famous Sect Master Xie of Guiyun Sect, right? Are you doubting the medical skills of my Wandu Valley, or the character of Nangong Ya? That sword master is exceptionally talented, his sword strikes are breathtaking, who wouldn't take a second look?"
Xie Qingfeng: ...
The lively and innocent girl in my memory can now talk and laugh freely in front of an old fox like Xie Qingfeng, and make up lies without batting an eye.
"Aya has indeed grown a lot since I last saw her," Yunwei thought to herself.
Xie Qingfeng remained silent for a long time, seemingly weighing the truth or falsehood of Nangong Ya's words.
Finally, the doubt in his eyes lessened slightly, and he slowly nodded: "I see. I was overthinking it. Thank you for clearing up my doubts, Valley Master Nangong." With a wave of his hand, the light of the thousand-mile transmission talisman suddenly went out, turning into specks of light that dissipated into the air.
He turned and walked back to his armchair, his gaze returning to Yun Wei, now much calmer, regaining the dignified bearing of a sect leader: "Since Valley Master Nangong vouches for you, your background is clear. I was indeed overthinking things by stopping you from participating. Since you're determined to participate, you'll need to team up in pairs for tomorrow's quarterfinals." Xie Qingfeng's tone was indifferent, revealing no emotion. "Have you found teammates yet?"
Yun lowered her eyes and respectfully replied, "Not yet. This disciple is new here and doesn't know many people." She knew that Xie Qingfeng's question might not be well-intentioned, and he might want to test her for what she was capable of, so she was cautious in her words.
"Hmm." Xie Qingfeng waved his hand. "In that case, go back and prepare properly."
"Thank you, Sect Master." She suddenly raised her head, her gaze clear and sharp as she looked at him. "I heard that Senior Sister Yunwei... died because she fell into demonic possession. If she knew in the afterlife, seeing that you are still moved by seeing a 'similar person,' she would probably... also feel grateful for the deep bond between father and daughter."
Upon hearing this, Xie Qingfeng's expression stiffened slightly. Although he quickly recovered, the fleeting gloom in his eyes did not escape Yun Wei's notice.
Father, if I can't kill you, can't I at least disgust you?
When you close your eyes, do you see your mother and me covered in blood?
Before Xie Qingfeng could answer, she bowed slightly, turned and left, her back straight and her steps steady.
She had no doubt that if she revealed even the slightest flaw at this moment, Xie Qingfeng would not hesitate to strike again, just like that night in Shitang Town, to completely eliminate her as a "potential threat".
But this time, she wouldn't give him another chance to sneak up on her.
Stepping out of the hall, the outer room was empty; Elder Wu had vanished without a trace.
Although Xie Qingfeng was temporarily calmed by the lies, he was a deep and suspicious person and would not easily believe everything. He would definitely investigate secretly in the future.
Just as he was pondering, he saw a figure in black rushing towards him from not far away, his hurried steps creating a gust of wind. It was Xie Lanchen.
Xie Lanchen? What's he doing here? And in such a hurry?
Is it because he's worried about her? Or has something else happened?
Yunwei noticed that his expression was tense, unlike his usual indifferent demeanor.
The boy was running very fast. Without thinking, she instinctively stepped forward, reached out her arm to catch him, and steadily supported his staggering figure.
Xie Lanchen was visibly startled, a fleeting look of helplessness flashing in his cobalt blue eyes before he turned his face away coldly, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly: "What are you doing blocking my way? If you hadn't suddenly appeared, I wouldn't have almost fallen."
Yunwei: ...
That's how boys are; even when they're clearly unsteady, they insist on shifting the blame onto others.
She released his hand, her expression calm and composed, and said indifferently, "I'm fine. This isn't the place to talk, let's leave first."
The boy seemed to realize his lapse in composure only then, immediately suppressing his outward emotions and reverting to his cold, unapproachable demeanor. However, his eyes still involuntarily followed her, scrutinizing her from head to toe, and he muttered, "...Hmm."
He obediently followed Yun Wei's footsteps, walking alongside her, but couldn't help turning his head to look at her, asking in a stiff tone, "Are you really alright? He... didn't make things difficult for you?"
Yunwei looked straight ahead and replied briefly, "He suspected my identity, but I contacted Aya for help."
Upon hearing this, the young man frowned: "Nangong Ya? Can she handle Xie Qingfeng?"
“Aya did a great job,” she said. “He’s believed me for now and has allowed me to continue competing.”
"He rushed here so hastily, was he really worried about me?" Yunwei wondered.
Although the boy was never one to mince words, his actions... well, now that they were bound by a bond of life and death, his concern for himself was only because he feared she would drag him down with her.
Xie Lanchen visibly relaxed, his tense shoulders easing slightly, but he didn't hold back, scoffing, "At least she's still somewhat useful. It wasn't for nothing that you protected her all the way, almost getting yourself killed in the process." Then, as if remembering something, he said with a hint of boastfulness, "I won the fight just now. This time, I won't be as weak as I was three years ago."
"Hmm." Yun Wei's reaction was indifferent; she didn't look at him, but simply responded softly.
If you win, you win; what's there to make a big deal out of it?
But... he still remembers losing to her three years ago? Is he so vengeful that he still wants to win back her? It's... ridiculously stubborn.
Her thoughts drifted back to the final round of the sect competition three years ago, the "Path of Inquiry."
She stepped onto the summit first, sword in hand. As she turned, the tip of her sword pointed at the boy on the stone steps below, and she said calmly, "Xie Lanchen, you have lost."
The boy looked up at her, his forehead damp with sweat, his eyes swirling with complex emotions—resentment, stubbornness, struggle, and something she couldn't understand or wanted to understand at the time.
She thought he would be angry, after all, he was never one to give up easily. But the boy just stared at her for a moment, then leaned back and rolled down the stone steps.
What was the unspoken struggle in his eyes back then? What was he hiding? Or was he concealing something from her that he refused to tell her?
At the time, she was focused solely on the Dao of Swordsmanship, with no time for deeper reflection.
"Yunwei." Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, as if she hadn't taken his words to heart at all, Xie Lanchen raised his voice, a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone, and said, "I'm talking to you, why don't you respond?"
Yunwei snapped out of her reverie, turned to look at him, and truthfully replied, "I was thinking about the sect competition three years ago."
Seeing his expression suddenly become somewhat unnatural, she couldn't help but ask the question that had been lingering in her mind for a long time: "I was just wondering, back then, when you asked about your inner path, what inner demons did you ultimately see that made you... give up on your own?"
"It's nothing." Xie Lanchen interrupted her hastily, his tone quick and sharp, but his eyes flickered uncertainly. He dared not meet her gaze, staring only at the ground, a suspicious blush creeping up his ears. "Just some pointless distractions, disturbing my mind! I don't remember them at all!" His tone was resolute, but it only made him seem more like he was trying to cover something up.
Looking at him like this, so different from his usual gloomy, cold, stubborn, and ruthless demeanor, Yun Wei's doubts deepened: Why... did he react so strongly? Even his ears turned red?
What exactly is that inner demon that could cause him to lose his composure like this?
However, the boy's appearance was more lively than his usual lifeless and prickly demeanor.
Although she's still stubborn and awkward, she's not as annoying anymore.
"Xie Lanchen," Yun Wei called out to him.
The boy paused, turned his head very slowly, and a faint look of confusion appeared on his face: "What is it now?"
"Tomorrow is the season's turn, and we need to team up in pairs." She looked up at him, her gaze calm and serious. "Let's team up."
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