Chapter 120: A Stroke as Light as Ink

I stepped forward, and outside the purple bamboo building stood a crowd of disciples dressed in blue. They must have been the disciples and grand-disciples of the Venerable Yuanxu. As I approached, they all put down their bowls and turned to stare at me.

"Enjoy your meal, everyone, enjoy!"

With a stiff smile, I raised my hand and waved at them.

"Hmph."

The sound of collective disdain echoed from all sides. When I looked up again, they had all returned to their breakfast. I walked over to a disciple in blue linen robes and asked in a low voice, "Excuse me, have you seen Senior Sister Liuying?"

To this disciple, Fengshi Liuying would surely be considered a senior aunt-master.

"No."

He didn't even look up, answering coldly.

"Oh!"

I pouted and continued searching through the crowd on my own.

Dressed in a plain white robe, her long hair, reaching down to her ankles, cascaded like flowing water and was simply secured with a white cloth strip, left to fall loosely behind her. Her figure was slender, like a touch of ink slowly blooming on paper as Fengshi Liuying stepped gracefully out from the crowd.

Seeing her approach, I felt as if I had suddenly found hope.

"Senior Sister."

I rushed forward to stop her. Fearing she might vanish again, I reached out and grabbed her sleeve. It felt wet and sticky; I realized I had accidentally spilled porridge on her sleeve earlier. A surge of guilt welled up inside me, and without a second thought, I tugged at the fabric, intending to wipe it clean, but she snatched her sleeve away.

"Hmph! Hypocrite."

Her face remained expressionless, but her beautiful eyes were filled with contempt. Her thin, pale lips curled slightly into a cold sneer.

"Hypocrite?"

I found it hard to believe. What exactly had I done that was so false it provoked such hatred? I felt wronged, yet I stubbornly bit my lip. Pitying her deep, unrequited love for Fengqiao Yexue, I could not bring myself to say a harsh word. Suppressing my own irritation, I asked, "Senior Sister, your words are truly unreasonable. Because I spilled hot porridge on you this morning, I have been feeling guilty for a long time. I came here solely to apologize to you in person and hope for your forgiveness. Why would you call me a hypocrite for this? I don't understand what I have done wrong or where the hypocrisy lies."

Since childhood, I had been the treasure held in the palm of Chixiao's hand. In the Demon Palace, and indeed across the entire Demon Realm, almost everyone treated me with utmost respect. Even if I didn't know what they said behind my back, I had never before encountered such overt disdain and impatience. Facing it today, I felt truly aggrieved and hurt.

Hearing this, Fengshi Liuying said nothing more. She flicked her sleeve, turned, and began to walk away alone.

"Hey, Senior Sister, Senior Sister!"

Without her forgiveness, I felt uneasy. Dropping the food I had intended to bring to Zilian, I lifted my hem and chased after her. Behind me, I could hear the mocking laughter and jeers of the other disciples.

She moved with a light, fluttering gait. Though she appeared to be walking slowly, it was actually quite exhausting for me to keep up. I followed her the entire way, trying to find an opportunity to talk to her, but she never paused for a moment, always leaving me trailing far behind.

It wasn't until we reached the Luofu Palace that she stopped, pushed open the palace doors, and walked inside alone. I hesitated for a moment before following her. I looked up at the palace plaque, where the golden paint had faded and peeled over time, likely due to a lack of care.

I pushed the door open and followed her in; the hall was desolate and bleak.

"Why have you followed me here?"

Fengshi Liuying's voice rang out, and in the next instant, a cold sword was pressed against my throat.

"I'm not doing anything, really." At this moment, with her as the butcher and me as the fish, I strained my neck to pull away from the blade, terrified that one wrong move or a moment of carelessness might anger her and cost me my life.

A cold sneer appeared on her face again—a look that seemed callous yet inexplicably heartbreaking.

I stared at her, wondering what kind of woman she truly was. Why, after Fengqiao Yexue had fallen into the demonic path, did she not choose to leave with him, nor choose to walk away alone, but instead chose to kneel outside the palace gates for three days and three nights, enduring the agony of the "pipa bone" piercing, just to earn a chance to atone for his sins?

"Not doing anything?" A flash of malice appeared in her beautiful eyes as she shouted, "Then why have you followed me all the way from the gates of Zilian Palace to here?"

"I wanted your forgiveness."

Of course, this was not the whole truth, but it was not a lie either. Wanting her sincere forgiveness was true, and out of sympathy and pity for her, wanting to know the story between her and Fengqiao Yexue was also true.

Her delicate brows furrowed. She looked at me, her expression seeming distant and ethereal. Suddenly, she lowered her head and gave a bitter laugh. "So many years have passed. I thought I had grown accustomed to this life, yet I never expected that the sudden approach of a stranger would leave me feeling this anxious and unsettled."

With that, she shook her head, returned her sword to its scabbard, and turned to walk deeper into the hall.

"Senior Sister Liuying, are... are you very unhappy?"

Watching that touch of ink fade away, I felt a pang of worry and could not help but call out loudly.

She paused slightly but did not look back. Then, her faint silhouette vanished around the corner.