Transmigrating into the world of Jade Dynasty, I was targeted by the female lead in a reverse romanc

There is a courtyard on Longshou Peak, with an old pine tree in the courtyard, its needles a dark green.

The sky was overcast, the clouds hung low, as if holding back a downpour, but it was slow to fall.

The wind was strong, whistling through the pine needles, making one feel empty inside.

There were quite a few people in the room. Dao Xuan sat at the head of the table, still wearing that dark green Daoist robe, his face revealing nothing.

On both sides below, Tian Buyi, Shuiyue, Cangsong, Zeng Shuchang, Tianyun, Shang Zhengliang... almost all the head elders of each lineage had arrived.

The room was dark, and the light filtering through the paper windows was dim and dull, illuminating faces that were either somber, tired, or hesitant. There was a musty smell of wood in the air, mixed with a very faint, lingering medicinal odor.

Dao Xuan spoke a few words, about reconstruction, casualties, and the future. His voice was low and even, each sentence distinct. When he mentioned that the Demonic Sect had suffered a great loss this time and that things would likely be peaceful for a while, the room was very quiet, with only the sound of the pine trees outside rustling in waves.

Then he mentioned Jiang Xiaochuan.

"That child," Dao Xuan paused, his gaze sweeping around the room, "has something... unusual about him."

Tian Buyi's chubby face was tense, and his small eyes narrowed. Su Ru's hand, which was on her knee, unconsciously curled up.

Dao Xuan spoke of that heart—no, not a heart, but the Blood-Devouring Bead.

When he spoke of the Heavenly Book in the Dripping Blood Cave, he spoke slowly and clearly, and the stagnant air in the room seemed to be stirred by his words, as if something was churning beneath the surface.

Sure enough, someone spoke up. It was an unfamiliar elder, sitting in the shadows near the door. His voice was dry and tinged with doubt: "The Bloodthirsty Pearl is a supreme treasure of the Demonic Sect, incomparably ferocious. How can it be trusted? The Heavenly Book is even more... ethereal and difficult to describe. This boy possesses such an object and is entangled with the Ghost King's daughter. Sect Leader, shouldn't you... investigate further? To prevent..."

"To avoid what?"

Su Ru's voice cut off the conversation. It wasn't loud, and could even be considered gentle, but the tone of her voice drew everyone's attention.

There was no anger on her face, only the usual gentle smile at the corner of her mouth was gone, and her eyes were clear and sharp as she looked at the elder: "Elder Zhang, do you think that the disciples taught by my Great Bamboo Peak would collude with the Demonic Sect? Or do you think that the child's act of risking his life to save his fellow disciples on the battlefield was all an act?"

The elder felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze and shifted his body slightly. "Junior Sister Su, that's not what I meant, it's just..."

"Just what?" Su Ru didn't let him finish speaking, her voice still calm, but every word was like a nail.

"Why the Blood-Devouring Bead became his heart, he himself probably doesn't quite understand. He brought the Heavenly Book out of the desperate situation without hiding it. Now that the sect leader has asked him about it, he has told him everything. Should he be blamed for that? As for Biyao..."

She paused, something fleeting across her eyes—a mixture of pain and something else—before finally saying simply, "That child is soft-hearted and sentimental. It was wrong of him to become entangled in those circumstances, but to say he would betray Qingyun because of it, Elder Zhang..."

She chuckled softly, a cold laugh. "Do you believe me?"

The room grew even quieter. Dao Xuan lowered his eyes and remained silent.

Tian Buyi grunted in his throat, as if he wanted to say something, but then swallowed it back. He simply sank his large body into the back of the chair and stared intently at the elder who was speaking.

Shuiyue spoke at this moment. She sat upright, her moon-white Taoist robe spotless, and her voice, like her, was clear and cold: "I know Xueqi's personality well, and the person she has chosen will not be wrong."

She didn't look at anyone, but stared at a point in the void ahead, as if stating a simple fact: "I've met that child a few times. He's kind-hearted and capable. Whether his encounters are calamities or blessings is hard to say. To doubt him is not the way of the righteous path."

Tian Buyi seemed to have finally found a topic to discuss, and said in a gruff voice, "That's right, I watched that kid grow up. Don't I know what kind of person he was from a young age? He's really lazy, and he's really afraid of death, but when it comes to matters of principle, he's never ambiguous. That time in Caomiao Village, this time in Liubo Mountain, when didn't he value the lives of his fellow disciples more than his own? You..." He waved his fat hand, pointing into the house, "Which disciple has his sense of responsibility? Hmm?"

To Tian Buyi's surprise, Cangsong also slowly nodded.

His face was expressionless, his eyes as deep as an ancient well, and his voice was low: "This boy... is indeed no ordinary person, but he is not evil. The matter of the Blood-Devouring Pearl may be ordained by fate. He has contributed greatly to guarding the mountain this time." He didn't say more, but everyone understood the meaning behind his words.

Zeng Shuchang stroked his short beard and laughed, "My good-for-nothing son has been talking about his junior brother Jiang a lot since he came back. I saw how desperate he was on the battlefield. It's not a bad thing for a young man to have his own destiny. As long as he is on the right path, he is a disciple of Qingyun."

In this way, the initial whispers of doubt, like pebbles thrown into a deep pool, sank to the bottom without a sound, never to rise again.

Dao Xuan raised his eyes, his gaze slowly sweeping across everyone's faces before finally settling on the void, lost in thought. After a moment, he said, "In that case, let's leave it at that. Xiao Chuan is still a disciple of Qingyun. His period of confinement... will be discussed later. Right now, the most urgent task is to rebuild the mountain gate and comfort the injured disciples. You may all disperse."

Everyone stood up and filed out. Su Ru walked to the door and glanced back at Dao Xuan, who was still sitting there.

Dao Xuan was also looking at her. Their eyes met, and Su Ru nodded slightly, turned around, and walked out. The wind outside was stronger, making her clothes flutter. She didn't leave immediately but stood under the old pine tree, looking at the gray sky, for a long while.

Tian Buyi walked over and grasped her hand with his rough, cold hand. He didn't say anything, just squeezed it tightly. Su Ru came back to her senses and smiled at him. There was some weariness in her smile, but her eyes were warm.

Fox Ridge Mountain, the headquarters of the Ghost King Sect.

The stone chamber was dimly lit, with only a small lamp flickering in one corner.

Biyao sat on the stone bed, still wearing the same light green dress, but it was wrinkled and had lost its luster. Her hair was not properly combed, and a few strands clung to her pale cheeks.

Her eyes were staring blankly into space, her hands unconsciously clutching a loose thread on her skirt, pulling it tight, then loosening it, then pulling it tight again.

The Ghost King stood at the door, looked at her for a while, and then slowly walked in. His footsteps echoed in the stone chamber, but Biyao seemed not to hear them.

"Yao'er," the Ghost King called out, his voice slightly hoarse.

Biyao's eyes flickered as she looked at him, her gaze blank. After a few moments, she seemed to recognize him and gave a soft "hmm".

The Ghost King sat down beside her, wanting to reach out and touch her head, but he lowered his hand halfway up and sighed, a heavy sigh filled with helplessness.

"Eat something. Youji said you haven't been eating much these past few days."

Biyao shook her head, said nothing, and her gaze drifted into the empty space.

Seeing her like this, the Ghost King felt the fire in his heart ignite again, mixed with pain, making his internal organs feel uncomfortable.

He cursed the damned brat in his heart. He looked respectable, but he was more ruthless and heartless than anyone else. He deceived Yao'er, hurt Yao'er, and in the end... he even used Yao'er as a bargaining chip in front of so many people. You couldn't find many shameless bastards like him in the Demonic Sect.

But he couldn't say those words. Looking at his daughter's empty eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say anything harsh. He remembered many years ago, another woman was like that, sitting quietly with no light in her eyes. His heart clenched, and he closed his eyes in pain.

"Father," Biyao suddenly spoke, her voice soft, as if afraid of disturbing something.

"Um?"

"He..." Biyao bit her lip, a faint glimmer of tears welling up in her eyes, "Is he... having a hard time too?"

The Ghost King was taken aback, and then a surge of evil fire rushed to the top of his head.

Difficult? Difficult my foot! Just because he's having a hard time, does that give him the right to treat you like that? The words were on the tip of his tongue, but looking at his daughter's cautious, hopeful eyes, he forced them back down, letting out a heavier sigh: "Yao'er, you..."

"I know he's bad."

Biyao lowered her head, her voice even softer, "He lied to me, used me, and... he even pointed a gun at me."

She raised her hand and lightly touched the spot on the side of her neck that had long since disappeared, leaving only a scar in her heart.

"But in the end... he returned the Heartbreak Flower and the Albizia Bell to me. Even in such a chaotic situation, he still remembered to return them to me... He even told me to leave quickly..."

She lifted her face, and large tears rolled down her cheeks, but the light in her eyes strangely brightened.

"Father, does he... still have feelings for me? It's just... he can't help it, is that right?"

The Ghost King looked at her, tears streaming down her face, yet stubbornly searching for a glimmer of hope. His throat felt blocked, and he couldn't utter a single word. What could he say?

Saying that kid is a scumbag is just a way of stringing you along?

Perhaps he returned the treasure out of guilt, or perhaps he has ulterior motives?

Looking at the flickering light in his daughter's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say it.