Young Lady Ye instinctively squeezed her eyes shut. When she dared open them again, she found herself enveloped in an endless void. Translucent figures drifted in and out of sight, their hazy forms shifting like fleeting shadows. The air hummed with soft murmurings, and she could feel the unsettling weight of unseen gazes upon her. Grey, empty eyes stared from the darkness before fading into nothingness.
An icy chill gripped her, making her shiver. Her arms instinctively wrapped around her elbows, and she shuffled back, eyes darting around in panic. The courage she'd once summoned evaporated in the face of this terrifying void. She couldn't fathom where she was, or how she'd gotten here.
"Welcome to my domain, little girl," a cold voice cut through the silence. "You've caused me quite a bit of trouble."
The sound of Si Shen's voice sent a jolt through Young Lady Ye's body. Her head snapped toward the source, but there was no sign of him. The resentment energy that she was condensing before seemed to have disappeared along with her wounds. Even her broken wrist seemed to have returned back to normal.
Was everything a dream?
She flexed her wrist cautiously, testing its movements carefully while trying to make sense of where she was.
As a young lady of a cultivator family, she was educated on the matters of the cultivation world. The reason why the big four families could establish their foothold as the four strongest families was because of their unique and powerful techniques. The ice techniques of the Xue Clan is one example, the thunder techniques of , a skill where you can trap your opponents in a space would have surpassed any of the techniques from the big four clans. Who exactly is this person?
"So, tell me something." A figure materialized before her, startling her once more. Si Shen held her hairpin delicately between his fingers. "How is it that you were able to control resentment energy?"
Young Lady Ye flinched instinctively at his sudden proximity. She knew her cultivation was below average and the only tool that gave her some confidence was the hairpin given to her by Second Young Master Xia. Now that it was taken away from her, she knew she stood no chance.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she retorted sharply, her words defensive, though her eyes betrayed the fear simmering beneath her facade.
Si Shen chuckled, clearly entertained by her defiance. "You think keeping quiet will save you?" he asked, his tone playful. "You're not fooling anyone."
Si Shen's smile widened, his expression mocking. "You'll save me some time if you tell me, but I can always pay Second Young Master Xia a visit and ask him myself."
The mention of Xia sent a tremor through Young Lady Ye. She could feel her heart racing. Second Young Master Xia had been the only one who truly understood her, the one person who had always stood by her. She couldn't let him come to harm.
"He doesn't know anything," she said quickly, her voice tinged with desperation.
"Really?" Si Shen's eyes glinted with amusement. "He gave you the hairpin, didn't he? Don't take me for a fool, little girl."
Her heart skipped a beat, but she steeled herself, eyes burning with defiance. "I won't tell you anything," she said firmly. "Second Young Master Xia will avenge me. I would rather die than betray him."
Si Shen raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "You think he has a chance against the Xue Clan?" he scoffed. The Xia family was a mere mid-tier power in the world of cultivation, while the Xue Clan was one of the four strongest families, their power beyond compare. Xue Ziqi could probably wipe the entire Xia Clan without much struggle. Where is Young Lady Ye's confidence coming from?
"Even if the big four families united, he would still crush them," Young Lady Ye replied with fierce conviction, her voice steady as she spoke the words, her eyes bloodshot with an intensity that made Si Shen pause.
"Fine, but before you worry for him, worry for yourself?" Si Shen snapped his fingers and two distinct figures emerged from the darkness.Slowly, they floated toward her. She squinted in the dim light, heart pounding in her chest.
As they drew closer, she gasped in shock.
The figures were none other than her parents—Master Ye and Madame Ye. Their forms were translucent, and their solemn expressions sent a cold shiver down her spine.
"They were supposed to be dead," she whispered, unable to tear her gaze from them. "Their souls—corrupted…"
Si Shen smirked, crouching down to her level. "Technically, yes. But I removed the resentment energy from them, preventing their corruption. Aren't I generous?"
He tilted his head, his playful smile contrasting sharply with the dark atmosphere. "Do you know that a vengeful spirit can be restored to its original form? There's a way… want to guess how?"
Young Lady Ye's voice trembled as she met his gaze. "Once a spirit is corrupted, it can never return to its original form. They must be eliminated."
"Wrong," Si Shen retorted with a wicked grin. "The key lies in reducing the source of their resentment. Only then can the spirit be guided to the spiritual realm for reincarnation." He leaned in closer, eyes narrowing with an almost predatory gleam. "Now, Young Lady Ye, look at your parents. Tell me—what do you think is the source of their resentment?"
Si Shen's words sent chills down Young Lady Ye's back and she began trembling uncontrollably as she understood what he meant.