As for what happened back then, who could have possibly wished her harm?

If memory is flawed, then perhaps no one can be trusted. This is not a matter to be spoken of lightly.

Sheng Ningyu lowered her eyes. "That person was extremely cautious. I didn't even catch a glimpse of him until I was sealed inside the coffin."

Yuan Daojun asked, "And the coffin?"

Sheng Ningyu yawned. "Buried back where it was. If you intend to go take a look, do me a favor and bring a soft cushion to line it with. That way, if I ever end up in such a situation again, I can at least lie down in comfort."

Yuan Daojun: "...What kind of cushion do you want?"

Well, well, the old man was actually humoring her? When she came to see him sixty years ago, he had nearly chased her away! Had he changed his ways?

Sheng Ningyu stroked the soft chair beneath her, reluctant to let go. "Nothing too fancy. The cushion I'm lying on right now would be just fine."

"A cushion, my foot!"

Unable to hold back any longer, Yuan Daojun curved his finger and flicked her on the forehead. He huffed, "This is a Flowing Silver Silk couch, a treasure worth several thousand spirit stones!" He paused, then added, "If you like it, take one with you later. Now, hurry up and think: who exactly was it that laid hands on you? Did you offend anyone before this?"

Could it really be his fine disciple? Yuan Daojun wondered, *Is Xie Qianjing truly capable of such a feat?*

"I am not one to let my guard down easily. Unless it is someone close whom I trust, I do not let them get near me." Sheng Ningyu pondered for a moment, gesturing with her fingers toward the long corridor outside the window. "I suspect—firstly, Chu Changan. This matter cannot be separated from the Chu family. Back then, they were always acting suspicious, running to the Heavenly Secret Pavilion every single day..."

"Secondly, perhaps that fellow Li Qingfeng?" Sheng Ningyu lowered her eyes, her fingers tracing the rim of her teacup. "A long time ago, we made a bet. Whoever lost had to read their name backward. He lost, but refused to honor the agreement... In any case, we had a falling out. He felt I didn't trust him enough and that I looked down on him, so he declared that I was never to set foot in the Green Bird One-Leaf Flower again."

"And then there's the little phoenix... Feng Xiaosheng counts, too."

This time, Sheng Ningyu drooped her eyelids, not even touching her cup anymore. "Her people died by my sword. She is a phoenix, after all, and a young noble of her clan. She has a fiery temper, and in the end, she stopped even replying to my letters."

Yuan Daojun gazed at her—this once-renowned Bright Moon Sword Sovereign, who was now counting on her fingers, seemingly melancholic, yet recounting old scores in a tone that was flat and calm.

As he watched, his whisk swayed, and the scene before his eyes seemed to shift back to how it was a hundred years ago. What was Sheng Ningyu like back then? She rode horses with abandon, played with cranes and plucked at the zither; with a single stroke of a pen, she altered thousand-year-old talismans, and with one swing of her sword, she cleaved through ten-thousand-year-old curses.

Truly, she was a force of nature, stirring up both heaven and earth. Not many of the old fogies at the peak of the righteous path looked kindly upon her, but among the youngsters beneath them, there was hardly anyone who didn't adore her.

Yuan Daojun thought, if someone had told Sheng Ningyu back then that she would be locked in a coffin for sixty years without seeing the light of day, she would have burst into laughter. She would have told everyone about it in a joking, slightly disdainful tone:

"Let me tell you a joke! Someone said I'd be locked in a coffin for sixty years! Hahaha, if I come out then, do you think you'll already be dead?"

"Alright, alright! So I'll be the one dead, is that fine? But let's be clear—I love beautiful things. Even if I'm dead, you must give me a grand funeral!"

She had indeed said things like that; Yuan Daojun remembered. Young, high-spirited, fearing neither the height of the heavens nor the depth of the earth.

And now...

"There is also Yu Hanyi and her father, Yu Tanqiu. After all, it was I who exposed the truth about her mother... Oh, and Jiaojiao—I mean my junior sister, Ning Jiao. She probably hates me, too. I only found out later that she and that Chu fellow were in love..."

As Sheng Ningyu counted, she almost ran out of fingers. She fell silent. Had she offended too many people?

"Not all of them," Yuan Daojun said softly, interrupting her.

Sheng Ningyu paused, not raising her gaze.

Yuan Daojun continued, "After you left, Li Qingfeng actually changed his name to 'Feng Qingli'."

"Feng Xiaosheng became the City Lord of Silver Bamboo City, known as 'Young Lord Feng.' She is the undisputed next leader of the Phoenix Clan, and her temper has become much more stable over the years."

"As for the Yu girl—she goes by 'Han Yuyi' now. I heard she went to the Cloud Dream Marsh all by herself."

"As for your junior sister, I'm sure you've heard: she did not become a cultivation partner with that man surnamed Chu."

Even he, an old man who had half-stepped into the path of heaven, could not bear to be harsh with her, let alone those who had once shared their lives with her. They were likely all thinking of her. It was just that when they were young, they spoke too recklessly and could never follow through to the end. Yet, behind the scenes, schemes and intrigues wove together, forcing everyone forward step by step, until they could no longer discern the truth and had no path of retreat left.

Yuan Daojun looked at Sheng Ningyu. "But you left out the one who knows you best and whom you trusted the most."

Sheng Ningyu lowered her hands and lay quietly on the chair, saying nothing.

This time, Yuan Daojun did not soften his heart. He spoke with a near-cold bluntness: "Your second senior brother, Rong Que."

The sun began to set, the shimmering light dancing and changing its trajectory in an instant. The sky suddenly darkened, and as the slanting sun fell into her eyes, they stung.

*I know,* Sheng Ningyu thought.

Of course she knew. If it weren't for that, why would she have spent her time hiding, choosing to play the fool rather than reveal a single trace of her movements, not daring to return to the Sword Pavilion?

Rong Que, the world-renowned "First Gentleman," universally acknowledged in the cultivation world for his grace and elegance. He was also the second senior brother who had raised her at the Sword Pavilion.

Sheng Ningyu lowered her head and let out a long sigh. "That is why I don't know what to do."

Yuan Daojun did not believe her. "Why not seek out your first senior brother?"

Sheng Ningyu spoke with a mix of truth and pretense. "The sign at the entrance of the Ghost Pavilion that reads 'Sheng Ningyu and dogs are forbidden to enter' is still there. Besides, that Pavilion Master has chased me out before. You know as well as I do that my Master issued an order: from that day on, there is no 'first senior brother' in the Sword Pavilion."

Yuan Daojun raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of which, I must ask—are you also acquainted with Bushu's wife?"

Sheng Ningyu slumped lazily in her chair. "Ah, Lady Xiang? We've only met three times."

If it were truly that simple, she wouldn't have been kept in mind for so long. But Yuan Daojun knew that if Sheng Ningyu didn't want to say something, no amount of questioning would get it out of her. He didn't necessarily need to get to the bottom of it, either.

The younger generation had their own paths to walk; what business was it of his, an old man?

Yuan Daojun thought this as he reached into his storage pouch, pulled out an item, and tossed it into Sheng Ningyu's lap. "You have to recover your spirit bone anyway. The rumors from the Ghost Pavilion are swirling; even I have heard them. You don't believe them? Very well. If you are truly prepared to follow my arrangements, take this pill, and then I will—"

Sheng Ningyu swallowed it without a second thought, looking at Yuan Daojun with such sincerity that it caused his words to catch in his throat for a moment.

He cleared his throat. "—I will send you to the Qingyi Academy."

Sheng Ningyu: "...???"

What?! Was it too late to fish the pill back out?

After the two of them argued for a long time, Sheng Ningyu finally accepted the taunt that "one cannot catch a tiger cub without entering the tiger's den" and "the owner of the spirit bone will sense you when you get close; surely you aren't afraid to go see?"

But Yuan Daojun always felt that she was still cursing him as an "old turtle" in her heart. Just like a hundred years ago.

Yuan Daojun exhaled a long breath, sighing with genuine emotion, "Hurry up and get to the Qingyi Academy. Go show off your skills there; don't come and wreak havoc on my small herb garden."

Sheng Ningyu was amused. "If I go to the Qingyi Academy, I'll surely be using the identity of a disciple from the Cloud Gazing Palace. If something goes wrong, won't I just come looking for you again?"

Yuan Daojun, settled and calm, picked up his spirit tea and waved his hand, saying with an air of ease, "Bushu will go with you. He is representing the Cloud Gazing Palace to give lectures. If something happens, just go find him."

Sheng Ningyu nodded, sitting side by side with Yuan Daojun, holding her own cup of tea. She remarked, "Senior Brother Bushu is going too? That really does feel a bit like the old days at the Academy."

"Indeed. And since he's going, he can look after you all..."

"That is true. And Senior Brother Bushu has likely grown accustomed to cleaning up my messes anyway..."

The two of them exchanged words, gazing at the scenery outside the window. The sunset scattered, and the afterglow filled the sky. Having seen two juniors with whom he shared deep connections in succession, Yuan Daojun could not help but feel overwhelmed with emotion. He remembered many old friends, and under Sheng Ningyu's prodding, he spoke of many old affairs; his entire demeanor softened considerably.

*Sigh, it was so good, back then.*

Yuan Daojun wondered if that old man Ning Guihai had been so heartless from the start—

"—Is Xie Qianjing doing well?"

Yuan Daojun, not paying attention for a moment, replied, "Xie Qianjing? He—"

[Do not speak of it.]

A chill originating from the depths of his heart suddenly spread throughout his entire body. Yuan Daojun gave a start, his eyelids twitching violently. He turned his head and saw Sheng Ningyu, whose face was written with pure innocence.

*Heh.*

He knew it. There wasn't a single decent person among sword cultivators!