The eldest brother replied, “The poison of the ginseng core is pure, and its venom was refined to extract its essence. It was the sect’s ultimate secret, entrusted to us.”
At that moment, I froze. “Qing Chen told me… I inherited the essence of the Stone Immortal Sect. My connection to it has ended.”
The others’ reactions were muted, yet I could tell they hadn’t truly accepted his words. It was as if something fundamental hadn’t registered within them.
Before I could process their responses, a faint trembling filled the air. A flicker of recognition struck me—my pulse quickened as I pieced it together.
So that’s why Qing Chen had collapsed. The realization brought a pang of remorse so sharp it was almost unbearable.
I first entered the Stone Immortal Sect’s cave to remove my poison. Qing Chen knew that time was limited. He carried me out and placed my unconscious body under the care of the young girl I once saved. She was already dead, but her body had been preserved. Qing Chen borrowed her remaining lifeforce and transferred it to me.
The people of the Stone Immortal Sect tried to extract my spirit essence, but they couldn’t. They noticed something strange about my lifeforce but failed to discern what it was. They deduced that I would eventually die, so they focused their efforts on their next move. Qing Chen’s physical collapse before the Stone Immortal Sect was just a delay—one they misjudged. His presence there wasn’t a coincidence; it was to ensure the poison in my body was fully expelled before they could use it against me.
The responsibility fell on Qing Chen. Even if his actions led to conflict with the sect, he carried them out silently. No one else could have managed it without exposing the truth.
Afterward, Qing Chen’s demeanor was serene as he stood before the Stone Immortal Sect for the final time. His expression was unflinching. That moment was a battle without weapons—a battle where he fought with his resolve, his body, and his determination.
Once it was over, the Jianghu world speculated about what might have happened. Even though Qing Chen later left the sect and disappeared into obscurity, many were left with doubts about the source of his strength. The truth was clear only to a few of us. My third senior brother returned to his reclusive life, and though he lived another ten years, he never returned to the sect. His path was one of silent retreat, not one of heroics.
As for me...
My path changed entirely the moment Qing Chen picked me up.
I went to live with my first senior brother. Qing Chen ensured that my body was healed and arranged everything meticulously. From the new lifeforce I carried to the normalcy of life he restored to me—he removed the disdain others felt for me, and I could live like an ordinary person once more.
He had thought of every detail, taking all precautions. He carefully mapped out what the future could look like for me, eliminating uncertainties. But he himself was no longer there.
When I think about it now, it seems so foolish. How could someone like Qing Chen leave his plans so neatly without considering his own future? And yet, that’s precisely what he did. For my sake, he let go of everything. He wanted me to live peacefully, to embrace an ordinary life even though he had forfeited his.
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