Chapter 33: Not Worth a Single Glance-Eu Cortei as Emoções e Entrei no Demônio, Meu Mestre e Meus Irmãos Mais Velhos Se Ajoelham e Rogam o Perdão(pêssego branco jade)

The relationship between Jiang Heng and Jiang Huaixu has always been a taboo topic that the people of Snow Crane Peak avoid at all costs.

When Jiang Heng had only just reached the Foundation Establishment stage, her master had unequivocally designated her third senior brother, Jiang Huaixu, as her future cultivation partner. The reason given by the Immortal Lord Yunyin was impossible for anyone to refute: Jiang Huaixu possessed the greatest talent, the finest aptitude, and the most outstanding appearance. Jiang Heng was his most cherished disciple, so naturally, he had to arrange the best partner for her. Rather than entrusting his beloved disciple to some unknown outsider, he felt far more at ease with someone from within their own ranks, whose roots and character were well-known to him.

The betrothal was settled; all that remained was the ceremony and the final consummation. The reason they remained merely "prospective" partners without taking the final step was due to the unique nature of Jiang Huaixu’s cultivation technique. He practiced the Yunyin Snow Crane Manual, and his primordial essence could help those he joined with to break through bottlenecks, vastly increasing the success rate of advancement. Jiang Heng was only at the Foundation Establishment stage; to use such a powerful resource so early would be a terrible waste.

As for Jiang Huaixu’s own attitude, he had always been indifferent; as he did not oppose it, it was considered consent. He preferred traveling and honing his skills, spending little time at the sect, and even less time with her. Although, in name, he was the closest to Jiang Heng, in reality, she was less intimate with him than she was with her other senior brothers.

In the past, Jiang Heng had been too well-protected, and her contact with others was extremely limited. Everyone else in the sect was male, and it was inconvenient to teach her about the dual cultivation of yin and yang. Jiang Heng was completely ignorant of matters between men and women; it was only later, after accidentally witnessing Huo Shiqing with his own partner a few times, that she gained a vague, incomplete understanding. She could never quite grasp how the relationship between cultivation partners differed specifically from that of fellow disciples. She continued to treat Jiang Huaixu as her senior brother, only with a bit more caution and gravity than she showed the others. This was because her master had told her to treat Jiang Huaixu better than anyone else, as he was her closest kin.

After Xu Ning'an appeared, everyone on Snow Crane Peak tacitly avoided the subject of their relationship. Even when it was occasionally mentioned, it was filled with regret and disdain, accompanied by sympathy for Jiang Huaixu and Xu Ning'an. After all, everyone felt that An'an was the one truly suited for the Third Senior Brother.

Not to mention outsiders, even Jiang Heng herself had almost forgotten about the arrangement. It was hard to blame her. Jiang Huaixu’s every action failed to conform to the status of a prospective partner, and the other three brothers sought her out in private far more often than he did.

Jiang Heng smiled faintly. "Second Senior Brother has reminded me. When I return, I will report to Master and dissolve the partnership with Third Senior Brother."

Huo Shiqing and Xia Zhiyu were both shaken. "What did you say?"

Jiang Heng pulled back her hand and said coolly, "I am not blind. Third Senior Brother now has eyes only for our Junior Sister and treats me as if I do not exist. I am not so base that I must force myself upon him."

"It is quite ridiculous, really. It is he who regrets the arrangement, yet he refuses to take responsibility by asking Master to annul it. Instead, he uses these soft blades to force me to be the one to speak first. I have no respect for such a partner. If our Junior Sister likes to pick up things that others no longer want, she is welcome to them."

With that, she left with Han Jie.

The room fell into a terrifying silence. Xia Zhiyu murmured, "It cannot be... she is even giving up on the Third Senior Brother? That is a partner many female cultivators dream of..."

Huo Shiqing did not answer. His heart was filled with a contradiction so complex he could not fathom it himself, unable to tell which intense emotion held the upper hand.

The room next door was equally quiet. The "Sixth Young Master" was merely a puppet; once they entered, the puppet’s consciousness was withdrawn, and it lay on the couch, quiet and devoid of presence.

Han Jie suddenly laughed aloud. "That Second Senior Brother of yours is truly an interesting person."

Jiang Heng looked at him. "Why do you say that?"

Han Jie said, "He detests you, yet he cannot let you go. He worries about you being bullied by me, so he would rather invite trouble and play the villain than stay out of it. I truly wonder what is going through his mind."

Jiang Heng sneered. "He is not worried about me being bullied; he is simply using it as an excuse to humiliate both me and you. This man is promiscuous and fickle himself, so he judges others by his own standards, assuming everyone has such sordid thoughts."

Han Jie smiled. "So that is how it is."

A few days later, the guide from the Moon-Lost Palace arrived. It was a withered, shriveled little old man with drooping eyelids who scrutinized the group gathered by the "Sixth Young Master." A flash of disdain crossed his eyes as he waved his hand. "Let's go!"

Before those who were unaware of the situation could ask where they were going, the courtyard suddenly went pitch black, and a gale began to howl. When the light returned, they were all locked inside dozens of cages, being dragged away by carriages to an unknown destination.

Screams erupted instantly, and some struggled desperately to break free from the cages. "What is happening? Is this sorcery?!"

"We were told we would sing and dance at the River God Festival! Are they going to throw us in to feed the River God?!"

The cultivators of the Ten Thousand Spirits Sect could not afford to appear too calm and stand out, so they also feigned panic. Han Jie pulled Jiang Heng into his arms, appearing to be protecting her with all his might. "What is going on? Let us out!"

Jiang Heng understood his intent and immediately shivered, shrinking into his embrace without daring to raise her head. "Brother, I'm scared!"

This sight fell into the eyes of the two men in the opposite cage, and their expressions soured. Xia Zhiyu did not know why, but he felt a bitter sensation in his heart. That word "brother" reminded him of a time in their childhood when he and Jiang Heng had caused a great disaster. Even though he had been terrified, because she had cried and said she was afraid, he had forced himself to muster the courage to protect her, only collapsing from weakness once they were alone. It was strange; had he not been deeply disappointed in her and decided he no longer wanted to treat her as his sister? Why, then, did he feel such a sense of loss seeing her seek shelter and comfort from another brother?

Huo Shiqing stared at the two of them huddled together, his grip nearly snapping the iron bars of the cage. It was only when Xia Zhiyu regained his senses and realized something was wrong, nudging him to warn him not to reveal their true identities, that he withdrew his gaze and lowered his head.

The little old man, annoyed by the noise, struck a person down with a single palm to warn the others. It was a destruction in the literal sense. A person who had been alive, breathing, and moving a moment before was reduced in the next instant to a mass of blood mist and countless pieces of flesh, splattering those nearby!

"If you make another sound, the next one will be you!" the old man said viciously.

The threat choked the screams back into their throats. They covered their mouths, tears of terror streaming down their faces as their bodies shook like chaff. Seeing that they had finally quieted down, the old man spoke calmly. "I am the Protector of the A-Altar of the Moon-Lost Palace. You have all been selected for your spiritual roots. As long as you follow us obediently, you will become powerful cultivators and eventually ascend to the higher realms. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that many outsiders would kill for; do not refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!"