The people on the raised platform looked at Shangguan Qing'er with apprehension in their eyes. They did not know why they were wary of her either; perhaps it came from instinct.
"What an interesting woman."
Di Juetian murmured with a soft chuckle, too quietly for anyone else to hear.
"Qing'er, I..."
"Don't call me Qing'er. The Qing'er you knew is already dead. Weren't you the one who drove her to her death, Shangguan Wan'er?"
"Back then, we had a good relationship with the Xiao Clan, and the two of you were in love."
"I always supported you, too."
"But what did you do?"
"You had good aptitude, and a mighty expert from the Upper Realm took a fancy to you."
"The Lineage developed rapidly as well."
"But it's not as if you didn't know that Xiao Yu had already become a cripple."
"I didn't mean to look down on him."
"But why did you make the choice for me?"
"You're only my older sister."
"Because of your help, everyone said that a heaven's proud daughter had appeared in the Shangguan Lineage."
"The entire Shangguan Lineage stood in the glow of your halo."
"Even the hegemonic forces of the Xuanqing Realm had to show the Shangguan Lineage some respect.
"This is your Lineage, Shangguan Wan'er."
"You're strong and capable. If you liked Xiao Yu, you could have taken him with you."
"Why did you suggest to Father that I marry her?"
"Do you know how desperate I felt when I found out?"
"I wasn't desperate because you arranged a marriage between Xiao Yu and me."
"I was desperate because you were compensating him."
"Compensating him, with your own little sister.
"You used your own little sister to compensate him."
"Do you remember what Mother said before she died? She told you to take good care of me. You took such good care of me."
"Your aptitude was exceptional, and the mighty figure who took you away left the Shangguan Lineage a great many resources."
Seeing Father smile,
at that moment, I felt quite happy.
Mother was gone, and only Father was left.
Before that, Father had worried so much about the Lineage's development that his hair had turned white.
"Seeing Father finally smile with relief, I felt quite grateful to you."
"Even if you hadn't done right by me as a sister."
"You were a heaven's proud daughter, focused on cultivation. My aptitude was poor, and I wasn't strong."
"To put you and Father at ease, I chose to compromise."
"You know my character. I've never been one to compromise, but for the Lineage and for you, I did."
"Even though Xiao Yu was a cripple."
"When he became a cripple, everyone else insulted him, but I never looked down on him."
"I even had people deliver resources to him."
"Those were all resources you left behind."
"I didn't use any of them myself."
"I compromised, but that doesn't mean I don't hate you."
"But do you know what he did?"
"Never mind how excessive the things he did were."
"My aptitude was poor, and I wasn't strong.
"But when others mocked him, I helped him."
"When I was mocked,"
"what was he doing?"
"He went to an auction house every day."
"He had an ambiguous relationship with the auctioneer."
"Once, when he saw me, he didn't even greet me."
"He had another woman in his arms and was showing her off to me.
"I thought about it too. Even if my man was a cripple, I could accept it."
"But shouldn't he at least have the will to better himself?"
"How ironic."
Behind her, Xiao Yu wore an awkward expression.
At that moment, he did not know what to say.
"You compensated him, but who would compensate me?"
"Why should I have to suffer this grievance?"
"Even though my arranged marriage partner was a cripple, I tried to compromise."
"I also knew my aptitude was poor."
"At worst, I could lead an ordinary, uneventful life."
"But what woman doesn't want a man to protect her?"
"Even if he was a cripple, he could at least have stood in front of me and spoken up for me when I was mocked."
"He couldn't even do that."
"If you say he lacked the strength,"
"did he ever show up?"
"How much did I do for him? What did he do?"
"He refused to repent."
"After the engagement was broken off, his strength broke through."
"But at that moment, I truly wanted to kill him."
"A person like him would stir up trouble the moment he gained a little strength."
"Didn't he know how powerful his own clan was?"
"You have fortuitous encounters and trump cards."
"But provoking someone stronger than yourself is simply foolish."
"If I hadn't stopped them back then, their Xiao Clan would have been wiped out."
"The strongest person in the clan was only at the Void Hollow Realm, while the other side had a King-Sealing expert holding down the fort, yet he still provoked them."
"All for a woman."
"How laughable."
"This is the man you chose. Even with strength, he's still a faithless man, selfish and self-serving."
"Arrogant and conceited, with no regard for anyone else."
"He really thinks he can do whatever he wants just because he has a little strength."
"How laughable."
"Thirty years on the east bank of the river, thirty years on the west."
"When you said those words back then, if I'd been willing to pay the price, do you think you'd still have a chance to stand here?"
"A cripple is still a cripple, even after gaining strength."
"A cripple at heart, a lowly person."
"Always thinking about what you'll do once you have strength."
"If you don't have strength, can't you live a good life?"
"Don't you still want to kill me?"
"Go ahead. I've said my piece."
"Shangguan Wan'er, that's the kind of man you chose."
The hand holding Shangguan Wan'er's sword trembled.
She had not known that so much had happened.
Nor did she know why things had turned out this way.
She looked at Shangguan Qing'er and saw the death wish in her eyes.
She knew Shangguan Qing'er had not lied to her.
Had she truly been wrong?
"Sigh, so that's what happened."
"If my Lineage had a heaven's proud daughter like that, I'd slap her to death."
"Stop talking. The Shangguan Lineage isn't one we can afford to provoke."
"We used to think Shangguan Qing'er was a fool. Who would have thought we were the fools?"
"What an interesting woman."
Di Juetian could see that Shangguan Qing'er was a proud person. What she had said was a mixture of truth and lies.
That was what made it seem true.
On one hand, it would make her Lineage feel guilty, and her father feel guilty.
Shangguan Wan'er would feel guilty too.
On the other hand,
she had also given herself a good image.
She had been forced into doing all of this.
Even if she killed Shangguan Wan'er, everyone could understand.
A woman's heart was a needle at the bottom of the sea.
Wasn't even the Child of Fortune dumbfounded now?
He too was wondering whether what Shangguan Qing'er had said was true or false.
Shangguan Qing'er turned to leave.
"Wait, our fight isn't over yet."
Xiao Yu suddenly grew anxious.
He had some doubts about what Shangguan Qing'er had done.