Memories of Praying for Love (Part Two)
"Qi Yuan, why are you always so slow? If you keep doing this, I won't wait for you next time!" Cheng Jin crossed her arms.
"It won't happen again next time," Qi Yuan said, looking away a little guilty.
Cheng Jin took her arm: "Let's go, you call yourself the senior sister! We're always the two of us who arrive last!"
"Okay, okay. Elder Jin must be here by now." Qi Yuan and Cheng Jin jogged and arrived just a few minutes before the elder's lecture.
Ye Ting glanced at her sideways: "Isn't this Senior Sister Qi? Why are you only arriving now?"
"None of your business," Qi Yuan replied irritably. She found two seats next to each other and sat down with Cheng Jin.
“Exactly. What’s it to you when Senior Sister comes?” Pei Yin hurriedly sat down in another seat next to Qi Yuan.
"Hey, you kid, what are you doing listening to lectures if you're not from our Silver Bamboo Sect?!" Cheng Jin glared fiercely at Pei Yin.
"Hey—really, you're not from the Silver Bamboo Sect at all." Ye Hanyun harbored resentment towards Pei Yin for saying about Ye Ting.
Pei Yin tugged pitifully at her sleeve, and Qi Yuan had no choice but to wave her hand and say, "Alright, alright. The lesson is about to begin."
"Hmph." The Ye brothers and Cheng Jin snorted coldly at the same time.
Elder Jin stood at the very front and spoke for a full hour before finally agreeing to let the disciples go.
"Where are you going?" Cheng Jin followed closely behind.
“The training ground. I’ve just reached the late stage of the Golden Core realm, I can’t slack off.” Qi Yuan turned around and pulled her along.
"Hanyun, let's go to the training platform," Ye Ting said casually, his eyes fixed on the training area.
Ye Hanyun was completely baffled, but she still followed.
The group practiced for a long time, and even at dusk they did not leave the training platform, each of them thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Cheng Jin wiped her sweat and asked casually, "Qi Yuan, what's wrong with you these past few days? Did a donkey kick your brain?"
Qi Yuan, unusually, didn't retort. Instead, she pointed to her forehead and murmured, "I'm also puzzled... Ever since I broke through to the late Golden Core stage, I've always had a terrible headache. I also feel uneasy, like I've forgotten something important, but I haven't done anything."
"You... never mind. How about I find a healer to take a look at you?" Cheng Jin stroked his chin and examined the patient carefully.
"It's no use. I've already seen a healer, and he said I'm perfectly healthy, but I still have a headache." Qi Yuan wrapped her arms around Cheng Jin's neck, utterly dejected. "Do you think I'm going to die?"
Cheng Jin pulled her away with disgust: "Get lost. What are you saying, spewing such bad luck! If you're going to die, I'll just kill you right now."
Qi Yuan smiled and said with a grin, "Okay, I won't fight back."
"Qi Yuan!!" Cheng Jin shouted angrily.
"Alright, alright, I'm not joking anymore." Qi Yuan stopped smiling and said seriously, "I can't be with you tonight, my master called me to do something."
Ye Hanyun, with her sharp ears, overheard this and leaned closer, saying, "Senior Sister, since Master dotes on you so much, is he going to reward you with another magic weapon?"
“If you give me anything more, I’ll feel embarrassed to accept it. After all, it was Master who saved my life… His kindness to me is as heavy as a mountain.” Qi Yuan spoke clearly, her tone full of gratitude. “But this time I feel differently. It seems that Master has something very important to tell me.”
"Alright. But, Senior Sister, why are you so touched? It's Master's blessing to have found you. A genius like you is probably one in a thousand years." Ye Hanyun lowered her head in disappointment.
Pei Yin and Ye Ting did not speak, but listened silently to their conversation.
"Stop talking, it'll really be night soon! Ye Hanyun, get out of here, Qi Yuan, let's have another fight," Cheng Jin said impatiently.
"Damn it, how dare you talk to me like that? I'm a direct disciple, while Cheng Jin is just a mere inner disciple!" Ye Hanyun was furious.
Qi Yuan glared at him: "If I tell you to get lost, then get lost! Why are you talking so much nonsense!"
Ye Hanyun shrank back and dared not make a sound.
The two stopped fighting as dusk approached. Cheng Jin was exhausted. She said softly, "You should go now. Don't keep Yun Xingjun waiting. See you tomorrow."
"Okay! See you tomorrow. I'll definitely be there early." Qi Yuan smiled and turned back to wave at her.
Qi Yuan arrived at the main peak in a good mood, but did not see anyone. She had no choice but to sit on a chair and wait quietly for Yun Xingjun.
*
“The container has reached the first stage. She is not of the extreme yin constitution, so I need you to help me remove her emotional roots and erase her memory of tonight. Anyway, we must let nature take its course.” Ruan Yiyun put her hands behind her back.
The man raised an eyebrow: "No. I can only bring her close to being 'without emotions and desires.' If I remove her emotional core, she will die."
Ruan Yiyun frowned: "Alright then. Let's leave it at that. The next time we'll have to wait until she's eighteen..."
"I'm leaving. Don't worry about me anymore, I'll erase your memory." The man turned away unhappily.
"..." Ruan Yiyun disapproved of his attitude, but there was nothing she could do about it.
The man found Qi Yuan sitting in her seat, and she asked in confusion, "Who are you? Have we met somewhere before?"
He snapped his fingers, and the two instantly teleported from the main peak to an illusion. The man smiled and said, "Qi Yuan, we have indeed met before, but you don't remember. It doesn't matter. You have fulfilled our promise, and it's time to remind you."
Qi Yuan had just opened her mouth but before she could speak, the man snapped his fingers again, and she froze on the spot, memories flooding back like a torrent.
She collapsed to the ground as if her soul had been ripped away, her lips trembling slightly, unable to utter a sound. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks, and finally, a broken sob escaped her throat.
She suddenly curled up into a ball and burst into hysterical sobs.
The man stood by and watched her cry, neither stopping her nor saying anything; he just stood there.
Qi Yuan's mind was still buzzing; finally, she cried herself to sleep. She asked softly, "I want...I want to remember. What should I do...?"
The voice sounded helpless and confused.
“This time, you need to do more than just hide it. I’ll play you a recording.” The man took out a recording stone, the contents of which were his conversation with Ruan Yiyun just now, word for word, crystal clear.
Qi Yuan said, "You could have easily uprooted my love. I wouldn't have died doing that."
"No, no, no. Not only will I not uproot your love, Qi Yuan, but you will also preserve your seven emotions and six desires." The man held up a finger to his lips.
"Why did you do this? Rebel against the Master... rebel against Ruan Yiyun to help me. Are you trying to use me? And what does 'container' mean?" she asked numbly.
"No, not at all. If I had to give a reason... it's quite interesting, isn't it?" the man chuckled.
He said directly, "Listen carefully, Qi Yuan. You will see me again when you turn eighteen. What you need to do now is pretend that you have no emotions or desires. More importantly, your attitude towards Yun Xingjun cannot change."
Upon hearing the last sentence, Qi Yuan clenched her fists, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "Yes. I can do it!"
"Do you want revenge?" the man asked abruptly.
She froze for a moment, then roared, "I want to! I want to tear him to pieces!"
The man laughed even harder: "Alright. Then you'd better keep up the act. Let me remind you, the person you're seeking revenge on is the sect leader of the Silver Bamboo Sect, the number one sect in the cultivation world. If you've made up your mind, you can't hold onto anyone else. You'd better cut your losses quickly, otherwise, you'll implicate your friends."
"Okay," she replied quickly, surprising the man.
"Now that you have a goal, I'll be going. We'll meet again on your eighteenth birthday. I'll see you... the way I always was." The man smiled meaningfully.
"Who are you...!" Before she could finish her sentence, she was teleported back to the main peak.
The mysterious man had cast a spell, and Qi Yuan couldn't see his face at all, let alone know who he was.
"Wei Shuang." Yun Xingjun's gentle voice came from behind.
Her body stiffened, and her arms trembled uncontrollably.
Qi Yuan took a deep breath, smiled, and turned around: "Master... is there something you need from me?"
Yun Xingjun waved his hand with satisfaction: "It's nothing. You should get some rest."
"...Master, you should also get some rest."
She practically fled in panic.
That day, Qi Yuan cried all night.
When Cheng Jin saw her again from Hong Linfeng the next day, she seemed like a completely different person.
Qi Yuan's face was cold, and her voice was devoid of any emotion: "Cheng Jin. My goal is to become the next sect leader of the Silver Bamboo Sect. I really don't have time to fool around with you."
"Me? Nonsense?" Cheng Jin pointed at himself as if he had heard a joke.
She reached out and pulled Qi Yuan: "Alright, what tricks are you playing now? We finally got out early, so don't be late today."
But she didn't pull it. Qi Yuan turned her head away: "I really don't have time to be good friends with you anymore. We can be like ordinary fellow disciples, but let's forget about being good friends."
Cheng Jin realized she was serious and was incredulous: "No way? What are you doing?!"
"You are just an inner disciple. But I am the direct disciple of the Silver Bamboo Sect," Qi Yuan said coldly, her heart aching.
"Ha, fine." Cheng Jin laughed in anger. "What is the Silver Bamboo Sect? Is it worth your effort?" She turned and left, leaving Qi Yuan alone on the spot.
Qi Yuan's tears finally welled up and spilled over. She hurriedly wiped them away, stood there for a long time, and finally just sighed softly.
She was late that day. However, she didn't respond to Ye Ting's mockery.
She and Cheng Jin had less interaction. In the same year, the Silver Bamboo Sect split into the Water Spirit Sect and the Earth Spirit Sect, and Cheng Jin became the second disciple of the Water Spirit Sect.
They only interacted on necessary occasions such as the sect's grand competition. However, no one mentioned the past. The two were treated like ordinary fellow cultivators; apart from Ye Hanyun and a few others, no other close disciples knew that Qi Yuan and Cheng Jin had once been best friends.
Qi Yuan began a five-year-long disguise. As it turned out, her disguise was very successful.
She looked like someone who had almost lost all emotions and desires.
The disciples of the Silver Bamboo Sect gradually changed their opinion of her from "a kind and understanding senior sister" to "a rigid, boring, and strict senior sister".
Over time, she seemed to get used to being an emotionless person. It wasn't until she was over seventeen that things started to change.
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