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

Jiang Xiaochuan initially saw a prayer mat in front of him and wanted to sit down next to Lu Xueqi, but after looking around, he saw that everyone was still standing, so he had no choice but to stand as well.

Lu Xueqi noticed his movement, and with a slight pull of her arm, she drew him closer to her.

Jiang Xiaochuan leaned against her, using her body for support to stand more easily. The posture was natural, conveying dependence and intimacy.

Tian Ling'er stood a little distance away, watching Jiang Xiaochuan being almost half-embraced by Lu Xueqi. She watched him slightly turn his head and whisper something to Lu Xueqi, and then Lu Xueqi nodded almost imperceptibly...

She quickly turned her gaze away, staring at the smooth, mirror-like gold bricks on the floor of the main hall. She felt that the reflection on them was dazzling, making her eyes sting.

Dao Xuan Zhenren took in everyone's reactions without forcing them, and sat down on the futon in the center of the room, with Xiao Yicai standing to his side.

"Talented one," Dao Xuan Zhenren spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears, "you speak."

"Yes, Master," Xiao Yicai replied.

He stepped forward, his gaze sweeping steadily over everyone in the hall, cleared his throat, and said in a clear voice:

"Fellow disciples, I have gathered you all here today for an urgent matter that requires the most outstanding young disciple of our Qingyun Sect to handle."

A low murmur arose in the hall, and everyone's expressions turned serious.

Xiao Yicai paused slightly, and after the sound subsided, he continued, "Recently, rumors have been circulating throughout the world that a strange light suddenly shot into the sky from within the Western Great Swamp and continued for several days. It is feared that an extraordinary treasure or an ancient relic has appeared. After learning of this, our sect sent people to investigate. Although we did not go deep, we can confirm that the news is not unfounded."

His tone turned somber: "Heavenly treasures are meant to be possessed by the virtuous. As the leader of the righteous path, our Qingyun Sect has no intention of forcing our way in. However, according to reliable intelligence, the various factions of the Demonic Sect have recently been stirring, with a large number of elite troops secretly gathering, intending to advance westward and seize the things in that great swamp!"

"What?"

"How dare you, you demonic cult members!"

The crowd in the hall was immediately agitated, with many young disciples showing anger on their faces and muttering curses.

Xiao Yicai raised his hand in a gesture of restraint, and waited for the crowd's voices to subside before speaking in a deep voice: "If these were ordinary treasures, it would be fine, but according to ancient records, the depths of the Western Great Swamp are fraught with danger and unpredictable dangers, and there are even rumors of ancient beasts and mysterious inheritances. If such things fall into the hands of the Demonic Sect and are used by them, they will surely bring disaster to the common people and become accomplices to evil! As the leader of the righteous path in the world, my Qingyun Sect will not shirk its duty and will absolutely not allow evil forces to succeed!"

"right!"

"Senior Brother Xiao is right!"

"We must not let them succeed!"

The young disciples, their blood boiling, chimed in with enthusiastic responses.

Xiao Yicai's expression softened slightly, and he nodded, then said, "That's one point. Secondly..."

He changed the subject, his tone becoming more serious, "It is said that Tianyin Temple and Fenxiang Valley have also dispatched their elite disciples to the Great Swamp."

His gaze swept over the crowd as he slowly said, "Ten years ago at Liubo Mountain, our three sects were united in our resistance against the Demonic Sect. However, times have changed, and you have all heard of the private rivalries we have had over the years. The Tianyin and Fenxiang sects may very well have designs on Qingyun's position as the leader of the righteous path. On this trip to the Great Swamp, my Qingyun disciples must not only guard against the Demonic Sect but also be wary of other sects' 'exchange of skills' intentions. This trip concerns the reputation of our Qingyun sect, so I hope that all my fellow disciples will work together and not tarnish the name of Qingyun!"

"Rest assured, Sect Leader! We will certainly not fail in our mission!"

"Exactly! We'll make those demonic cultists and the people of Tianyin Temple and Fenxiang Valley witness the power of my Qingyun Daoist arts!"

Dao Xuan Zhenren sat upright on the futon, looking at the young and passionate faces in the hall, he nodded slightly, a gratified smile on his face.

He slowly rose and said, "The Great Swamp is treacherous, and the Demonic Sect is cunning. You are all the future pillars of Qingyun. You must be extremely careful, look after each other, and never act rashly. Your priority should be to protect yourselves and find out the truth. Yicai."

"Disciple is here."

"You can arrange the specifics. Let's set off as soon as possible."

"Yes, Master."

Dao Xuan Zhenren said no more, nodded slightly to everyone, then turned around and walked calmly toward the back hall, the hem of his dark green Daoist robe gently brushing against the smooth ground.

After the sect leader's figure disappeared behind the hall, the atmosphere in the hall relaxed slightly, but it was still solemn. People gathered in twos and threes, discussing the news they had just heard in hushed tones, their expressions showing both excitement and tension.

Song Daren hesitated for a moment, but still walked towards Jiang Xiaochuan and Lu Xueqi, with Zhang Xiaofan following behind him.

"Junior Brother, Junior Sister Lu." Song Daren first nodded to Lu Xueqi, then looked at Jiang Xiaochuan with his usual kind smile, though there was a hint of awkwardness in that smile.

"I've heard the journey to the Western Great Swamp is long and fraught with unknown dangers. What about you two children, Yunzhou and Yueyao?"

He was the senior disciple of Dazhu Peak, with an honest and simple personality, and he always had his junior brother's two children on his mind.

Although Master Tian Buyi still harbors resentment about Jiang Xiaochuan "marrying" into Xiaozhu Peak and is reluctant to mention it, Su Ru often visits and always talks about how cute the two little ones are. Everyone on Dazhu Peak knows about it and likes them. Song Daren came this time not only for official business but also to ask about the children.

Jiang Xiaochuan smiled upon hearing this, his tone relaxed: "We have Xiaobai. She takes good care of the children, so we're at ease."

Song Daren said "Oh," rubbed his hands together, and seemed unsure how to say something.

He glanced at Lu Xueqi beside him. Lu Xueqi just stood quietly, her gaze fixed on Jiang Xiaochuan's profile, and she didn't seem inclined to say anything.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaofan stepped forward and lowered his voice, saying, "Senior Brother Jiang, what Senior Brother means is... that Master actually misses Yunzhou and Yueyao quite a bit, but..."

He paused, then didn't continue.

However, Master was too proud to come to Xiaozhu Peak, and Jiang Xiaochuan also seemed hesitant to return to Dazhu Peak because of what happened back then.

Jiang Xiaochuan paused for a moment. He understood what Zhang Xiaofan meant. Thinking of Tian Buyi's always stern and sullen face, and Su Ru's hesitant expression every time she came to see the child, he felt a pang of sadness.

That was his master, the one who brought him up the mountain, taught him skills, and sheltered him from the wind and rain, all these years...

He looked up at Song Daren and Zhang Xiaofan, smiled, and said with a sincere apology: "It's my fault. I haven't taken the children back to visit. How about this, before I leave this time, I'll have my master's wife... have my mother take Yunzhou and Yueyao back to Dazhu Peak for a few days. If Master likes it, it's fine to let the children stay longer."

He didn't say "I'm going back," but only "Let the children go back," and Song Daren and Zhang Xiaofan both understood.

Song Daren nodded and smiled憨厚ly: "That's great, Master will definitely be happy to see the two children."

Zhang Xiaofan smiled and was about to say something when Lu Xueqi gently tugged at Jiang Xiaochuan's hand.

"It's time to go back," she said in a low, cool voice, her gaze fixed on the outside of the palace. "Pack your things and leave as soon as possible."

Jiang Xiaochuan exclaimed "Ah!" and nodded apologetically to Song Daren and Zhang Xiaofan: "Senior Brother, Xiaofan, we'll head back to Xiaozhu Peak now. Please make your preparations and be careful on the road."

"You too, be careful on your journey," Song Daren and Zhang Xiaofan quickly said.

Lu Xueqi said no more, took Jiang Xiaochuan's hand, and turned to walk out of the hall.

The azure light of Tianya sword shone again, and the two stepped onto it, transforming into streaks of light and disappearing into the horizon.

Tian Ling'er stood not far away, seemingly listening to the discussion of several Dragon Head Peak disciples beside her, but her peripheral vision never left that direction.

She watched Song Daren and Zhang Xiaofan walk over to talk, watched Jiang Xiaochuan's face show that gentle, apologetic smile, watched Lu Xueqi pull him away, watched them fly away side by side on their swords, their figures getting smaller and smaller until they disappeared into the clouds and could no longer be seen.

The forced smile on her face gradually faded, and her chest felt empty, as if a wad of waterlogged cotton was being stuffed inside, weighing her down, making her feel suffocated and aching.

No, Tian Ling'er, you don't resent it.

You should have known sooner.

Eight years, not eight days.

Anything can happen.

It's only natural that he gets married, has children, and has feelings for someone else.

You just... just missed it.

He just didn't invite you to his wedding.

It's just that you weren't there when he was at such an important time in his life.

But... he just called you "Senior Sister Ling'er".

She took a slow, deep breath and then slowly exhaled. She pinched her palm hard with her fingers inside her sleeve. It hurt, but this pain couldn't suppress the waves of throbbing pain in her heart.