The Unlucky One, No. 022

Wen Que had never considered that possibility. With her slight build, she could not beat anyone in a fight. She had never imagined the legendary youngest martial uncle would have this kind of temperament, either. Looking at that bright, sunny young man, she realized he was ready to throw hands the moment a conversation went sour.

I really didn't expect the youngest martial uncle to be like this.

Yan Qi suddenly bent down and leaned close to Wen Que, as though trying to catch the look that had flashed through her eyes. "What's that look for?"

He could not tell whether it was suspicion or disdain. Either way, Yan Qi was sure the little girl had nothing nice to say about him in her head.

Ming Xi had not been unconscious for long. Yan Qi had only wanted her to calm down, after all, and had not struck hard. But to Ming Xi, it felt as though she had lived through a long dream. She woke drenched in cold sweat, yet her mind was unexpectedly clear.

In that dream, she had seen far too many fragmented scenes. She could not tell whether they were imaginings born from what Wen Que had told her, or hints heaven had quietly slipped her after finally opening its eyes.

She had actually seen herself being led along by Wen Yan's lies. On the rare occasions when she came to her senses and felt something was wrong, he had used the Peach Blossom Curse on her. After that, her mind ran wild as a horse freed from its reins, and her fond indulgence toward him gradually became mindless obedience.

So that was what Wen Que meant when she said my brain had been eaten? All right. It really had been.

What followed—Wen Yan's revenge—was so straightforward and so unbelievable that Ming Xi, with her mind still intact, could not make sense of it at all.

She watched Wen Yan and He Xueyi join forces and try everything they could to drag her into the dust. He Xueyi put on an air of spotless virtue, while Wen Yan pretended to care for her every comfort. Both of them wanted something from her.

Wen Yan simply wanted revenge, as unreasonable, vicious, and frightening as Wen Que had said.

As for He Xueyi, what she wanted was the giant dragon sealed inside the Amber Tower of the Amber Dynasty—the legendary Dragon Vein.

In the end, they had succeeded.

Ming Xi had awakened amid the blaze that consumed the Amber Dynasty's imperial city. Everyone said she had fallen to demonic ways and slaughtered the Yin Imperial Clan to the last member, and that she had set the fire to destroy the Amber Dynasty's Dragon Vein.

Could she explain?

She could not. Everyone who would have believed her had perished in that turmoil.

When Ming Xi opened her eyes, they were still filled with the crimson glow of flames.

Yan Qi looked at her squarely and nodded. "Mm. You do have some aptitude. I'd say... mm..." He tipped his head and thought for a moment. "Your talent isn't bad. Take this chance to enter seclusion and push for the peak of Foundation Establishment. Build up a little more after that, and Golden Core is yours."

That had been Ming Xi's plan, too. Once she got Wen Que safely back to the sect, she would cultivate in seclusion, and the outside world's troubles would have nothing to do with her.

But who could have known she would run into Wen Yan and He Xueyi on the way?

Or that those two would turn up together so conveniently, both apparently after her?

When Ming Xi thought of the fire in her dream, the annihilated Yin Imperial Clan, and the innocent people who had died in the imperial city, she could not swallow her anger. Even if she did, no coffin lid would hold it down.

"This disciple still has some personal matters to settle. I can't enter seclusion yet." Ming Xi glanced at the innocent-looking Wen Que before addressing Yan Qi in earnest. "I was worried that, with only Third Senior Sister at the sect, I couldn't leave. But now that you've returned, Youngest Martial Uncle, I'll have to trouble you to look after Third Senior Sister—and Master, too."

Yan Qi: Hm???

Wen Que did not understand either. "Little Junior Sister, you're leaving? Personal matters? Are you going back to the Amber Dynasty? Or are you going after that Demon Prince now?"

[Am I overthinking it? Was there something off about what Little Junior Sister just said?]

[Why couldn't she leave if I was the only one at the sect? Why ask Youngest Martial Uncle to look after me? I'm an obedient, adorable, trouble-free model disciple. I'll stay put at the sect and won't go anywhere, so why would I need looking after?]

[Do I look like someone who needs looking after?]

[I haven't needed much of that in the last ten or twenty years, have I? I may not be the most diligent, but I can still take care of myself.]

[Did going through all that hardship together finally awaken Little Junior Sister's conscience?]

[Besides, I barely know Youngest Martial Uncle... Who'll end up looking after whom is anybody's guess! He hasn't been back to the sect in years. I'll have to tell him how things work here!]

At that moment, Ming Xi could only be grateful that Youngest Martial Uncle could not hear her.

Ignoring the storm of Wen Que's thoughts, Ming Xi smiled with an unmistakably sly look. "Youngest Martial Uncle probably doesn't know this, but for certain reasons, Master has paid little attention to worldly affairs over the years..."

That was Ming Xi putting it delicately.

It was hardly that Immortal Venerable Luo Feng paid little attention. Ever since his cultivation partner had died unexpectedly, he had all but shut out the world. Yan Qi knew that perfectly well, so he had been rather surprised that his senior brother had taken in so many disciples during his absence.

Now that he looked at them, his senior brother had taken in disciples, all right, but did not seem to have done much to guide them.

The fact that they had grown so capable seemed to have little to do with Yan Qi's senior brother.

Oh, then there was Wen Que. She had not turned out quite so capable. Was that why Ming Xi had entrusted her to him?

"Third Senior Sister hasn't had much guidance in her cultivation, and we disciples don't know where to begin. Now that you've returned, Youngest Martial Uncle, we'll entrust Third Senior Sister's cultivation to"