Back then, the Mortal World was plagued with mountains of corpses and bones scattered everywhere. The notoriety of those skilled in the Deceit Technique of the Central Netherworld far surpassed its reputation today; yet, no one dared to speak openly or boldly against the You Dynasty. It was a marriage alliance that turned the tides after a devastating battle. The You power waned, the Immortal Sects flourished, and the Three Sects supported the entire landscape of the Mortal World. Now, the affair had turned into Baili An’s political marriage for the sake of the common people’s stability, even willing to bear the burden of alliance with the Central Netherworld and, with a heavy heart, rejecting the proposal of Qin’s foremost beauty, Zhao Wenjun. Ning Feiyan mockingly shook her head, "In the end, all those renowned and supposedly ’righteous’ sects in the Mortal World, which discriminate between good and bad, are merely determined by whether one’s spine is stiff enough and whether the other party is easy to bully." Su Jing commented dispassionately, "Even in the present day, the You Dynasty is not easy to bully." Ning Feiyan laughed dismissively, "But no matter how strong, to the world, those who break away from ethics are considered heterodox. Even if they’re not deemed evil demons, it’s difficult for them to live untainted lives in the Mortal World. Isn’t Baili An the best example?" As Su Jing gripped her sword, her fingers whitened and her chest subtly heaved in response to Ning Feiyan’s words. Ning Feiyan continued, "He was born with the Tianxi mark and should have been without equal. Yet his heritage was mired by his non-orthodox mother; half of his blood was of Central Netherworld, half of Tianxi. No matter how much the Sword Master cherished this child, there were bound to be whispers, even within his own trusted circle at the sect." As the child slowly grew, it turned out his Spirit Root was average. He struggled to understand even half of his father’s proud swordsmanship. Yet, paradoxically... he was imbued with the innate talent of the Deceitful Dao!" Her gaze softened with a hint of pity as she sighed, "Tell me, how would Sword Master Yu, a man whose life was spotlessly upright, view this child?" Ning Feiyan’s melodic voice, though soothing, pierced Su Jing’s heart. After a long silence, she slowly spoke, "Sword Master Yu has spent his life trying to prove himself, including to his own child." Ning Feiyan held the leaf lightly and smiled, "Unfortunately, he doesn’t know that his child’s sword body is restrained by the Dark Karmic Waters, limiting his talents. Otherwise, the child of Central Netherworld and Tianxi would become the greatest enemy of our Demon World. Thus, Zangxin merely needs to stir up the pot from the shadows. For instance, inciting the young disciples of the Tianxi Sword Sect to bully and provoke the child relentlessly during the Sect Master’s seclusion. A child—especially one not as perceptive as he is now—when bullied harshly, will always think of fighting back. If he can’t overcome them with the Heavenly Seal Swordsmanship, in his agitation, he might use some of the Central Netherworld’s trickery, causing those young ones quite a bit of suffering. He probably felt happy and triumphant at the time, but soon after, those children died—naturally, by Zangxin’s hand. Of course, I imagine he did it very cleanly and decisively, causing everyone to believe that the children died from the use of Deceit Skills." Su Jing’s fingertips turned icy, and her gaze grew distant and cold. Content with the expression on Su Jing’s face, Ning Feiyan continued, "Next, Sword Master Yu would discover that this child differed too greatly from his expectations. The child’s talent, disposition, and even his inclinations seemed to veer towards the path of evil." So he treated the child even more harshly and wouldn’t dare to let him return to the You Dynasty. Thus, everything naturally fell into Zangxin’s plans. Strains in the relationship between Central Netherworld and Tianxi arose because of this child, and the husband-wife bond also grew increasingly strain. With the outside world’s rumors and his father’s oppressive demands, the fate of the first leaf was thus half-ruined." "Now, let’s discuss this second leaf." Ning Feiyan flipped over the second withered leaf, examining it between her fingers. "The Dark Karmic Waters stained your fate, clogged your meridians, and sealed your emotional orifice, making you unable to experience the human world’s four seasons, family, or kinship. Born with a hostile nature, you felt a profound sense of betrayal and hostility towards everything in the human world. I recall, Miss Su Jing, you started your cultivation at the age of sixteen, did you not?" Su Jing calmly affirmed with a simple yes. "So before that, it was not that you didn’t want to cultivate, but rather you were simply unable to." When discussing her past, Su Jing’s eyes gradually settled as she calmly stated, "Even studying and reading were beyond my sluggish comprehension, let alone the wild thoughts of cultivation." Ning Feiyan joked, "It seems Miss Su Jing had quite a bitter youth, didn’t she?" Looking at the leaf between Ning Feiyan’s fingers, Su Jing responded indifferently, "Not knowing the five flavors, how can I know bitterness? When I finally recognized bitterness, it must have been because, before that, I had tasted sweetness. Only then, compared to the unawareness and foolishness of my early years... did I truly understand that loss and unattainable desires are the real bitterness that pierces into one’s heart." Ning Feiyan’s smile finally faded, and with narrowed, emotion-filled eyes, she studied Su Jing before seriously speaking, "Judging by Miss Su Jing’s tone now, you must regret what happened back then, don’t you?" Su Jing closed her eyes, "I have regrets, and I was wrong." Ning Feiyan said, "All in all, Zangxin was lucky to succeed back then. I bet even he didn’t expect that a certain Miss from Cangwu Palace would fall for that foolish boy, did he?" Su Jing’s lashes dropped subtly, and her ink-black pupils softened as she spoke softly, "He was good, and it’s not at all surprising that he could be liked." Observing the Sword Master, whose face was filled with reminiscence of his youthful love, Ning Feiyan could only think that aside from being good-looking, powerful, and tactilely pleasing, just what was so great about that foolish boy? That he was worthy of you two noble ladies’ consistent yearning for over two centuries and still not letting go. Indeed, those trapped by emotions are truly entangled in their own web.