The improved female villains regained their memories.

"......fine."

He looked at Nangong Qingyang, his eyes shining brightly in the darkness: "Sister is scared. What are you afraid of? Is it that strange old man?"

No, it is not.

The response from the Death Tribulation was not to the Corpse Child, but to the Ghost Valley School mentioned in his words.

Guigu Sect, a secluded place, is where she died.

Unable to control herself, the inescapable shadow surged up, and she could only subconsciously hold Xiang Ju's hand.

She felt sorry, because she was afraid of her own fate, which was why she found Xiang Ju to be her scapegoat.

She doesn't deserve to be called "elder sister" by him; she's the one who deserves to die.

But she couldn't say anything. Instead, Xiang Ju took the initiative to hug her and comforted her, "Sister, don't be afraid. No matter what hurts you, I will stand in front of you."

-------------

The Jixia Academy became her new home.

Here, she had her master, Xiang Ju, and many classmates from the academy.

After many years, Nangong Qingyang experienced warmth once again.

Xiang Ju remained by her side, even when he was very tired from cultivating and it was late at night. He would return to Nangong Qingyang's room on time, tell her what had happened that day, and then accompany her to sleep.

The boy gradually grew taller and more mature, transforming from a boy into a teenager.

Whenever Nangong Qingyang had a nightmare, the boy would get up, hold her hand, and gently comfort her: "It's okay, sister. I will protect you from the things you are afraid of."

She felt reassured by the boy's words, but also guilty.

Looking at the boy's ardent gaze in the darkness, she closed her eyes and fell asleep again. This time, she didn't dream of anything that terrified her. She dreamed of the old Nangong family, of her father being drunk, and of her mother gently holding her and coaxing her to sleep.

Much later, she realized that what she feared was not death itself, but dying alone.

-------------

Everything is getting better.

On the Chu side, thanks to Xiang Yan's efforts, Li Xin and Meng Tian suffered a major defeat, and Chu achieved a rare victory over Qin.

The Jixia Academy also sent people to help Xiang Yan. Shi Zi told Nangong Qingyang that Li Xin and Meng Tian had adopted a strategy of encirclement and splitting, which gave the people of the academy the opportunity to trap Li Xin's elite cultivation army and allow Xiang Yan to defeat them in one fell swoop.

With the Chu state saved, Xiang Yan would naturally survive as well.

Other things are also getting better. Xiang Ju's learning progress is accelerating, and he is mastering more and more immortal techniques. Meanwhile, Nangong Qingyang has come into contact with the Yin-Yang techniques left behind by Zou Yan and has seen other possibilities within them.

Perhaps, Xiang Ju won't have to sacrifice himself.

Nangong Qingyang closed his eyes and thought, if it were really possible, that would undoubtedly be the best ending.

She is still unaware of the terrible things she has done.

She couldn't understand why her situation was about to undergo a dramatic change because of one person.

-------------

In 225 BC, Xiang Yan of Chu, with the help of the Jixia Academy, defeated Li Xin. However, with the return of Meng Tian's army, Li Xin led his troops away, and Qin preserved its strength.

In the same year, King Zheng of Qin once again used the land of Taixu and summoned Wang Jian to the palace.

In the same year, at Yunmeng Mountain, at the Guigu Sect, Fusu left the mountain.

Chapter 614 Creating Resentment

All under heaven lead to the same goal, though by different paths; they share the same purpose, yet are fraught with diverse considerations. —The Book of Changes

Shi Zi became her new master.

According to my new master, the greatest enemy of Jixia Academy is not the Qin State, but the Guigu School of Yunmeng Mountain.

Unlike the Jixia Academy, which was established by the royal family of Qi, the founder of the Guigu School of Yunmeng Mountain has always been a mystery. The new master said that the Guigu School existed during the Spring and Autumn Period. From then until today, the Guigu School has always been behind the scenes, acting as a driving force for the world. The disciples who came out of the Guigu School have undoubtedly become the most outstanding figures in the world today.

The new master said that the Guigu School has the power to turn decay into magic. No matter your background or your talent, as long as you graduate from the Guigu School, you will surely become a figure who stirs up the winds and clouds of the world.

Nangong Qingyang asked, "What about those who didn't graduate?"

The new mentor replied, "Those who don't graduate are like ordinary people buried in history, becoming stepping stones for those geniuses to achieve success."

No matter what kind of person enters the Ghost Valley School, the person who leaves must become an extraordinary figure.

If not, then for the rest of their lives they will be trapped in the Ghost Valley Sect, becoming one of the countless souls lost.

The new master disliked the Guigu School. He said that Guiguzi was the most unpredictable, treating the world as a chessboard and living beings as chess pieces. He was ruthless and selfless, and most like the Way of Heaven.

He said that the Jixia Academy was different. Although the Jixia Academy was built by the royal family of Qi, through the efforts of many masters, the academy focused on humanistic care.

At its peak, the academy gathered as many as a thousand wise men, absorbing the essence of various immortal techniques. There were dozens of hall masters alone, and its prowess rivaled that of the Heavenly Guardian Sect.

Her new master took her to the Hall of Fame, where she learned that those well-known and famous figures all came from the Jixia Academy.

The new master said, "I hope your name can be on it in the future, so I am very hesitant about you learning the power of destiny."

He added, "Actually, you can change it too."

Nangong Qingyang reaffirmed her choice, and her new master did not try to persuade her further, only telling her:

"You must think this through: those who study fate will inevitably die because of fate."

-------------

The time she spent studying at Jixia Academy was one of the few happy times she had.

Shi Zi treated her as his personal disciple and took her everywhere he went.

Because the immortal techniques of the Corpse Child Society are very diverse, some of the explanations on the power of destiny require visiting the hermits living in seclusion in the academy, and sometimes even needing guidance from other temple masters. So every day, the Corpse Child would take her to various places in the academy.

Her name quickly became known. Unlike the low-key Shi Zi, everyone knew that there was a girl in the academy who was proficient in the power of fate.

As more and more people visited and her social circle expanded, Nangong Qingyang quickly realized that Shi Zi was paving the way for her to succeed as the Palace Master in the future.

He took Nangong Qingyang's hand and told her that he had been tricked by Guiguzi and suffered serious injuries. Although immortals could prolong life, his injuries were too severe and he might die at any time.

“The academy is gradually heading towards its end. Since Xunzi, the academy has not produced a single wise master.” Shizi said, “Moreover, Xunzi’s stance is unclear. He himself is very biased towards the Qin state. One of his disciples even served the Qin state. So for many years, although I have been living in seclusion, I have been managing all the affairs of the academy, big and small.”

“I have lived for far too long, even God can’t stand it anymore.”

"Many of the current temple masters are all talk and no action, so after I leave, the Jixia Academy will be entrusted to you."

He patted her hand, his tone heavy, as if entrusting her with a child.

Nangong Qingyang did not refuse and nodded firmly.

She doesn't dislike the academy, nor is it her downfall, so taking over the academy is no problem for her.

She was happy to be able to protect this place, because she was no longer alone.

-------------

Gradually, her new master began to teach her how to handle matters related to the academy.

She picked it up quickly, and within just one month, Shi Zi was able to step back and leave everything to her.

Nangong Qingyang also began to understand that the Jixia Academy was not just a simple academy; it involved too many interests, especially since many of the students it recruited were descendants of nobles from the six states.

In particular, the descendants of the nobles of the three kingdoms of Korea, Zhao, and Wei, their descendants always dreamed of restoring their homeland and destroying the Qin state.

The academy also had deep connections with the remaining three states of Chu, Yan, and Qi. The magical artifact used by Jing Ke to assassinate the King of Qin was provided by the academy.

With the perspective of the academy, Nangong Qingyang gained a clearer understanding of the fate of the world. The Yan state had suffered a devastating blow; Crown Prince Dan was dead, and only remnants of its power remained in Liaodong. Although the Chu state, through Xiang Yan's efforts, had achieved victory over Qin, it had not eradicated Qin's remaining forces. Nangong Qingyang predicted that within a year, Qin would inevitably launch another military campaign.

The course of fate was already clear: Qin's conquest of the six states seemed to be a predetermined destiny.

Once the State of Chu is destroyed, Xiang Yan will also die. Nangong Qingyang felt a sense of disorientation. Could it be that his second father would also die because of the fall of the State of Chu?

No, this shouldn't be, this can't be something that was destined to happen!

"Chu is my country, Xiang Yan is my father, and the academy is my second home. No matter what, I will protect all of this."

She became greedy.

She didn't want to face death alone; she wanted everything she cherished to survive it.

She began to frantically squeeze every last drop of her time to cultivate her power, gather resources for cultivation, and organize and mobilize anti-Qin forces... She even used the time she should have spent resting at night to read intelligence.

Xiang Ju felt sorry for her and repeatedly advised Nangong Qingyang to take a rest, but Nangong Qingyang simply wouldn't listen.

Time was of the essence, and the pivotal moment in the fate of the world was drawing ever closer; the vast and intricate threads of destiny were almost overwhelming her.

She never imagined that one day she would be able to influence the fate of people all over the world.

-------------

One day, a major event occurred at the academy.

Prince Fusu of Qin visited the State of Qi and, accompanied by the King of Qi, toured the Jixia Academy.

As one of the officials in charge of the academy, Nangong Qingyang met Fusu.

That was the first person who made her afraid to look directly at her fate.

On the day Fusu arrived, all the remaining palace masters were present, including Shi Zi, who frowned as he looked at the renowned young master.

As the oldest elder in the academy, Shi Zi personally came to meet Fu Su and led him to his main hall.

He said, "I have long admired your reputation, young master. My disciple has long admired you and has always wanted to have more exchanges with you."

Fusu laughed and said, "I have no great reputation. You are too kind, sir. It is perfect. I would like to see what kind of person can become your personal disciple."

Nangong Qingyang thus came before Fusu.

As you get closer, you can see him more clearly. Fusu has an innate air of nobility, yet without a trace of arrogance. His eyes are deep, his nose is straight, his lips are red and his teeth are white. When he smiles, the corners of his mouth turn up slightly, like a spring breeze, warm and reserved.

He stood there, like a pine tree standing alone, or a bamboo swaying in the wind, neither humble nor arrogant, naturally exuding an aura that commanded respect. His flowing robes made Nangong Qingyang subconsciously feel that he was exactly the kind of gentleman described in poetry and literature.

Fusu...

Her fingers unconsciously traced patterns on her thigh, while the other person's burning, radiant destiny seemed to pierce the sky, so intense that even she dared not observe it for long.

'Such immense favor from fate, who could kill him? And he is a prince of Qin; truly, Heaven favors Qin!'

The Qin state had six wise rulers, but by the time of King Zheng of Qin, it had the momentum to conquer the world. Now, with the arrival of Prince Fusu, is there really no way for other talented people in the world to survive?

Nangong Qingyang felt both inferior and jealous. If she had such a fate, why would she need Xiang Ju to protect her from calamity?