Chapter 552: Of course I forgive her!
"Master, Senior Martial Brother…"
Zhang Zhiyun struggled to open his eyes, looking at his Master, the Master of the Celestial Master Sect, and his Senior Martial Brother, Zhang Tianen, by the bed. He tried to get up.
"Zhang Zhiyun, you're finally awake! No, no need to get up, just lie down!"
The Master of the Celestial Master Sect and Zhang Tianen looked at Zhang Zhiyun with excitement.
After a grueling day and a harrowing night, the combined spiritual power of the Tianshi Sect's most formidable cultivators had finally purged the last vestiges of venomous energy from his meridians. They had formed a spiritual crucible around him, pouring their pure, righteous energy into his body to wage a war against the insidious filth left behind by the Myriad Curses Sword. The process had been an agony, a battle fought not on a field, but within the very fabric of his being. The malicious curses, like a swarm of ethereal parasites, had clung to his life force, whispering of despair and decay. Now, they were gone, leaving behind only deep exhaustion and a lingering psychic chill, but miraculously, no permanent damage.
The Master of the Celestial Master Sect, a man whose placid features rarely betrayed emotion, spoke with a profound sense of relief that still carried the tremor of lingering fear. "Fortunately, Zhang Zhiyun, you are blessed by fortune. Your own foundation is exceptionally deep. Otherwise, those curses… they would have devoured your soul and left your body a withered husk."
Zhang Tianen, standing beside him, felt a heavy weight lift from his shoulders. He clapped a hand on the bedframe, his knuckles white. "Zhiyun, you truly have great fortune. The malevolence from that sword was potent enough to corrode the spirit of an ordinary Celestial Master, to rot them from the inside out. Yet you not only survived but are now free of any lasting consequences."
Relief washed over Zhang Tianen, but it was quickly followed by a far more complicated current of emotion. 'Since he isn't crippled, he is still a worthy match,' he thought, the calculation both pragmatic and cold. 'He is still the most promising son-in-law the Tianshi Sect can offer.' But the thought immediately soured. Would Zhang Zhiyun, a man of such immense pride, still be willing to accept his daughter? The image of Ji Xiaolin's haunted eyes flashed in his mind, and his expression darkened. His precious daughter had suffered immensely, all because of this entanglement with Zhang Zhiyun.
"Master, Senior Martial Brother… thank you for saving me." Zhang Zhiyun's voice was hoarse, his gaze filled with genuine gratitude as he looked at the two most important figures in his life. A cold sweat beaded on his brow as the memory of the ordeal surfaced. The instant the Myriad Curses Sword had pierced his body, it felt as if a thousand screaming ghosts had been unleashed into his soul. The pain was absolute, a violation that started in the deepest core of his spirit and exploded outwards, tearing through his physical form. It was a torment that still echoed in his bones, a phantom agony that made him shudder.
The memory was so vivid, so horrifying, that a flicker of genuine fear—and a sliver of regret—surfaced in his eyes. For the first time in his life, he wished he hadn't been so reckless, so utterly convinced of his own invincibility.
The Master of the Celestial Master Sect and Zhang Tianen exchanged a subtle, worried glance. They both saw it. The flawless, diamond-hard Dao Heart that had defined Zhang Zhiyun, the unshakeable self-belief that propelled his meteoric rise, had suffered a significant blow. A crack had appeared in its perfect surface.
After all, from the moment he could walk, Zhang Zhiyun had been a prodigy. He had mastered every technique, surpassed every peer, and shattered every record. He was universally acknowledged as the Tianshi Sect's most outstanding successor in a millennium. At just over twenty years of age, he was already a Half-Step Celestial Master, his combat prowess so refined that he could hold his own against the seasoned Celestial Master elders of the sect in sparring matches.
However, there was a crucial difference. Those elders, respecting his status and potential, would always hold back, never truly aiming to harm him. They were guiding his growth.
The Master of Myriad Dharma Sect had shown no such mercy. He had struck with the explicit intent to kill, to utterly annihilate the rising star of the Tianshi Sect.
If Zhang Zhiyun had already broken through to the Celestial Master Peak, he might have been able to overwhelm the man with the sheer, brute force of his talent. But as he was, the gap in cultivation was a chasm he could not cross. It was far too soon.
The Master of the Celestial Master Sect frowned, a deep crease forming between his brows. 'This should not have happened,' he thought, his mind racing. He had performed the celestial divinations himself, casting the runes and reading the stars multiple times. Every reading had been the same: Zhang Zhiyun's journey down the mountain was supposed to be a triumph. He was to be a dragon entering the sea, a Kunpeng soaring into the heavens—unstoppable, his destiny manifest.
How could he have suffered such a catastrophic setback?
He had barely been gone from the mountain for a few days before Zhang Tianen brought him back on a stretcher, hovering between life and death. The sight had sent shockwaves through the entire sect.
His most brilliant disciple, the pride of their generation, hadn't even had a chance to properly display his prowess, and he had been returned to them broken and cursed.
'Did I miscalculate? Was my divination flawed?' the Sect Master wondered, a seed of doubt taking root in his mind. 'Or was there some hidden variable? An anomaly powerful enough to disrupt the very flow of fate I had foreseen?'
Somewhere, miles away, Shen Anyu sneezed. 'What? Are you thinking about me?'
…
"A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit. Experiencing a major loss like this might not be a bad thing for you, Zhiyun. Learn from this lesson. Remember the sting of defeat, and it will allow you to go further in the future," Zhang Tianen consoled him, his tone that of a seasoned elder guiding a junior.
[Akarin's Note: "A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit" (吃一堑,长一智) is a classic Chinese idiom meaning one learns from their mistakes or setbacks.]
"Senior Martial Brother, this Zhiyun has learned his lesson." Zhang Zhiyun's expression was one of perfect respect, but a stubborn flame of defiance still burned in his heart. He felt that this defeat wasn't a true reflection of his ability. Still, facing Zhang Tianen—a powerhouse at the Celestial Master Peak and, more importantly, the father of his fiancée—he could only nod in deference.
'I was simply too careless,' he rationalized internally. 'Too impulsive. If I had been fully prepared, with the proper artifacts and a clear strategy, I might not have feared the Master of Myriad Dharma Sect. In the future, I must be more meticulous. I must consider every possibility and prioritize caution above all else.'
And just like that, the mindset of the invincible Young Celestial Master, who had always charged forward with unwavering courage, began to shift. The brutal blow he had suffered upon his first venture into the world had tempered his arrogance with a new, unfamiliar layer of caution.
Once the malicious curse of the Myriad Curses Sword was fully expelled, Zhang Zhiyun's formidable constitution allowed him to recover with astonishing speed. Within a day, he was already preparing to descend the mountain once more.
The Master of the Celestial Master Sect advised against it. "Zhiyun, why not stay and recover fully? Your body has been through a great trial. There is no need to rush."
Zhang Zhiyun, however, was resolute. He shook his head, his eyes burning with renewed purpose. "Master, there is no need. Senior Martial Brother has already slain the Master of Myriad Dharma Sect, so the greatest threat to me is gone. Besides, I wish to go down the mountain as soon as possible. I need to spend more time with my fiancée, Ji Xiaolin, and I still have to find my younger sister, Zhang Yaqian."
He met his master's gaze, his voice firm. "Don't worry, Master. This time, I will be exceedingly careful. I will not be careless again."
Seeing his disciple's determination, the Master of the Celestial Master Sect relented. With Zhang Tianen watching over things from afar, nothing truly catastrophic should happen.
When the Wan Fa Sect was mentioned, a dark shadow passed over Zhang Zhiyun's face. He had originally intended to exact vengeance with his own hands, to personally dismantle the sect that had dared to scheme against him. Now, that honor had been taken by his senior brother. While the sect's leadership had been annihilated by Zhang Tianen, he knew remnants still scattered to the winds. He swore a silent oath that he would not let a single one of them escape. After his injuries were fully healed, he would make it his personal mission to visit the remnants of the Wan Fa Sect and eradicate them, root and branch.
But first, his fiancée. He needed to see Ji Xiaolin.
The image of her filled his mind—her impossibly long legs, her slender, powerful waist, the way her high ponytail swayed when she moved with a warrior's grace. She was valiant and breathtakingly beautiful, a perfect match for him. A warm, possessive smile spread across Zhang Zhiyun's face as he turned to Zhang Tianen. "Uncle, I will absolutely take good care of Xiao Lin. Please rest assured. She is my future wife, and I will cherish her."
Hearing this, Zhang Tianen's face froze. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat. His precious daughter, Ji Xiaolin… she was no longer pure. And the man responsible was suspected to be the Young Master of the Yanxia Shen Family.
Zhang Tianen had already leveraged the Tianshi Sect's extensive network to investigate this shadowy figure. The information was still sparse, but he had learned enough to know that Shen Anyu, the heir to the Shen Family, was a notorious philanderer whose list of conquests was staggeringly long.
Such a man was a disastrous match for anyone, let alone his daughter.
Moreover, it was still just a suspicion. Back at the villa, his daughter had threatened to take her own life, creating a desperate scene that prevented him from even getting a clear look at the man. He couldn't be certain. In truth, that man wasn't even the primary one to blame. The direct culprits were the scum from the Wan Fa Sect. The indirect cause… was Zhang Zhiyun himself, for being the target that put her in harm's way.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, Zhang Tianen finally made a decision. He looked at the eager young man before him and said, his voice heavy, "Zhiyun, let's have a talk."
His gaze swept over the Master of the Celestial Master Sect and the other elders present, a clear signal for privacy. He then turned and led Zhang Zhiyun out of the chamber, towards a secluded, wind-swept hilltop.
Zhang Zhiyun followed, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. He watched Zhang Tianen's broad back, seeing the tension in his shoulders. They stood in silence for a long time, the mountain wind whipping around them, carrying a sudden chill. Finally, unable to bear the oppressive quiet, Zhang Zhiyun asked, "Uncle, what is it you wish to tell me? We are Senior and Junior Martial Brothers, and we will be father and son-in-law in the future. Surely there is nothing that cannot be said between us."
Zhang Tianen had been waiting for that. He turned slowly, his gaze complex and filled with a sorrow that Zhang Zhiyun couldn't comprehend. "Zhiyun," he began, his voice low and grave. "Do you know that because of you, the Wan Fa Sect kidnapped Xiao Lin to set up their ambush?"
Zhang Zhiyun nodded immediately, a pang of guilt striking his handsome face. "Uncle, I know. On this matter, I have wronged Xiao Lin deeply. I allowed her to be frightened. I swear, I will spend the rest of my life making it up to her."
Zhang Tianen hesitated, the truth a bitter poison on his tongue. But it had to be said. It could not be concealed forever. He spoke softly, each word a heavy stone. "Zhiyun… do you know that because of the Wan Fa Sect's scheme… Xiao Lin… Xiao Lin, she… and—"
"What happened to Xiao Lin?" Zhang Zhiyun's concern spiked, his heart lurching. Did she suffer a curse like him? Was she injured? From the moment he had first laid eyes on Ji Xiaolin, he had been utterly captivated. After growing up in the spartan, male-dominated environment of the Tianshi Sect, meeting a top-tier beauty like her—who was also his fiancée by a pre-arranged marriage contract—felt like an act of destiny itself. He was completely smitten.
"Xiao Lin… she… she and another man… they were caught in the Wan Fa Sect's trap…" Zhang Tianen found it almost impossible to force the words out, his voice cracking with the effort. "She is… she is no longer pure."
"What?!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhiyun's expression instantly twisted, his face contorting as if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning from a clear blue sky!
[Ding! Child of Destiny Zhang Zhiyun's mindset has exploded, plundering +9999 Destiny Points!]
[Ding! Child of Destiny Zhang Zhiyun was struck by lightning, plundering +9999 Destiny Points!]
[Ding! Child of Destiny Zhang Zhiyun's marriage line has suffered a huge blow, plundering +666666 Destiny Points!]
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