Looking back on the past month or so, Song Zhizhi did not know whether she had been unlucky or fortunate.
For no reason at all, she had transmigrated. After transmigrating, she had been poisoned with that kind of poison. Just when she thought no one could cure it and she was bound to die, a handsome man had fallen from the sky and cured her.
After being cured, she had joined the Sword Sect, only to discover she was pregnant while taking a master—and she had run into Xie Xiuji again.
How melodramatic and absurd. Even television dramas would not dare film a plot like this, yet it had happened to her.
The child needed spiritual power. She had no other choice now, but Song Zhizhi was not sure whether Xie Xiuji could accept this child. What if he did not like children, or even did not want this child to be born?
Although Xie Xiuji did not seem like that sort of person, what if he was?
Song Zhizhi wavered uncertainly. That night, she suffered from the rare bout of insomnia. All kinds of chaotic thoughts churned through her mind, and in the end, she did not even know when she had fallen asleep.
The next day, Song Zhizhi dragged herself up with dark circles under her eyes to practice her swordsmanship. She had asked Liu Changfei, and her body was fully capable of enduring training at this intensity. Persisting with high-intensity training every day could broaden her meridians and allow her to store more spiritual power, benefiting both her and the child.
Xie Xiuji did not come that morning. Perhaps some matter had delayed him. Song Zhizhi followed her plan and swung her sword ten thousand times. Her body had gradually grown accustomed to this level of training. Though her arms were still sore and painful after finishing, she would no longer collapse from exhaustion as she had the first time.
That afternoon, Song Zhizhi took a nap. When she opened the door, she found the outside completely empty, without even a ghost's shadow.
She froze for a moment and pressed her lips together. "You're not coming, and you didn't even say a word?"
Feeling a little hungry, Song Zhizhi ate a Fasting Pill and began practicing her sword.
For three days in a row, Song Zhizhi did not see Xie Xiuji on Clear Snow Peak. She still practiced her sword according to her original plan without missing a single moment. Occasionally, she would visit the small library beside her to read Qingyu's collection of books. Her days were very fulfilling.
Yet her mood was somewhat gloomy, and she felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
Song Zhizhi suddenly felt a little wronged and a little angry. The emotions had come out of nowhere, beyond her control.
"Come if you want, don't if you don't! It's not like anyone's waiting for you!" Song Zhizhi sat on the ground, ripping up blades of grass as she muttered resentfully. "Who cares about your spiritual power? You're not the only one with an Ice Spirit Root here. If I can't find a Fire Spirit Root, can't I find another Ice Spirit Root? Dog of a man, go wherever the hell you want!"
If it truly came down to it, she could go find the female lead. Her relationship with Song Miaomiao had eased considerably by now, so going to Song Miaomiao was not impossible.
"Where are you going?" A clear, cool voice suddenly sounded behind Song Zhizhi. Startled, she sprang up from the ground. Turning around and seeing the man who had vanished for several days, she let out a breath, her racing heart settling. But when she saw his radiant, flawless appearance, the anger in her heart surged up again. Nothing about him looked pleasing. "Why did you suddenly speak behind me? Don't you know people can be scared to death?"
Seeing Song Zhizhi's little face slightly pale, as though he had frightened her badly, Sword Venerable Mingxiao, who had always acted openly and honorably, felt somewhat guilty. "Sorry."
Song Zhizhi snorted, shot Xie Xiuji a glance, and said nothing.
"I went to Extreme Sea City these past few days to handle some urgent matters. Things were pressing, so I was unable to tell you. Sorry."
Song Zhizhi tugged at the corner of her mouth and lowered her eyes. "You are the Sword Venerable of the Sword Sect, a pillar holding up the Cultivation World, occupied with countless affairs every day. There is no need for you to explain everything to a minor disciple like me."
Sword Venerable Mingxiao rubbed his brow. He knew Song Zhizhi was angry this time, but he had no experience comforting girls and, for the moment, had no idea how to soothe her anger.
The proud Sword Venerable Mingxiao could not bring himself to apologize in a lowly, ingratiating manner. It was already no easy feat for him to explain a few words to Song Zhizhi.
In truth, Song Zhizhi also understood that Xie Xiuji had no obligation to report his whereabouts to her. She and Xie Xiuji were both independent individuals. Xie Xiuji had merely come to teach her swordsmanship at her master's request, so there was no need for him to explain such things to her.
She understood all the reasoning, and she did not want to be angry either. She just did not know what was wrong with her; she could not control her emotions.
Song Zhizhi took a deep breath, turned her head to look elsewhere, and forced herself to calm down without thinking about anything.
"Sword Venerable, what are we learning today?"
Sword Venerable Mingxiao furrowed his brow and could not help saying, "You... need not be so distant."
Song Zhizhi looked up at him. She neither agreed nor disagreed, merely turned around and began practicing her sword by herself.
At that moment, Sword Venerable Mingxiao felt that slaughtering every demon causing trouble in Extreme Sea City would be easier than comforting Song Zhizhi.
The day ended in a strange, stifling atmosphere.
That night, Sword Venerable Mingxiao arrived at the Main Peak with a frown and sought out the only person among the disciples of his generation who had started a Household—Sect Master Mingxu.
At first sight of Sword Venerable Mingxiao's solemn face, as though he had encountered some grave matter, the Sect Master recalled that he had just returned from Extreme Sea City, and his heart gave a heavy leap. Could it be that even Mingxiao could not resolve the trouble at Extreme Sea City?
"Junior Brother, have the Sea Demon Tides at Extreme Sea City become extremely serious already?" The Sect Master wore an expression that said, Tell me the truth. I can bear it.
Sword Venerable Mingxiao gave him a surprised look. "Senior Brother, what are you talking about? The Sea Demons at Extreme Sea City retreated into the sea and refused to come out the moment they saw me. The leading Sea Demon had only just reached Spirit Transformation. There is nothing to fear."
The Sect Master breathed a sigh of relief. "Then why do you look so troubled? I thought something had happened at Extreme Sea City."
Mentioning the purpose of his visit tonight, Sword Venerable Mingxiao could not help frowning. "Senior Brother, if Junior Sister Mingwei gets angry, how do you coax her?"
The Junior Sister Mingwei mentioned by Sword Venerable Mingxiao was the daughter of his master, Immortal Venerable Yinglian, and also Sect Master Mingxu's Dao companion.
The Sect Master's eyes widened at once. "You made Junior Sister angry? How could you make Mingwei angry? Her body is so delicate—what if you anger her into some mishap?"
Sword Venerable Mingxiao: ...
Senior Brother Sect Master was excellent in every way, except that when it came to Junior Sister Mingwei, he easily lost his reason. Junior Sister Mingwei was a Nascent Soul Realm Sword Cultivator, after all. How could she be as delicate as he made her sound? He should not have used Junior Sister Mingwei as an example.