Li Xiaolou stood there blankly, feeling as if there was an invisible dividing line inside the room, separating her from everyone else.
Looking at her father with a heartless expression, her mother who dared not look her in the eye, and her brother who seemed disconnected from the matter, she felt for the first time a absurd yet powerless feeling in her heart.
It was actually her unwillingness to believe that her family, had long since ceased to be her family.
Bai Luyun was still frail, leaning against Madame Yun's embrace, apologetically sobbing, "Sister, I'm truly sorry. It was me who took your identity and stole the parents' love for you these years. I am willing to give it back to you..."
"Dad, mom." She looked at Bai Lu and Madame Yun, tears streaming down her eyes as she apologized guiltily, "You two should not quarrel with my sister. After all, I should give it back to her... that is... I may not be able to repay the seven years of parenting from dad and mom in the future."
"Alright." Bai Lu gave a decisive tap on the table, "From now on, there will be no more mention of this. From now on, you are my daughter and the missus of the Bai family."
He stared at Li Xiaolou with eyes devoid of warmth, as if all the long-suppressed dissatisfaction had burst forth in this moment: "Didn't you used to say before? That you didn't want me to arrange everything for you, that you didn't want to take the shortcut I laid out for you, that you didn't want to become a sword cultivator, and that you didn't want to form an imperial concubine bond with that kid from the Zhu family? Now see, since you're unwilling, there are others who are."
"Remember this, without the Bai surname, without the status of the Bai family's missus, you are nothing!"
Upon hearing this, Li Xiaolou, who had just been in a daze, blinked and slowly revealed a bleak smile: "Dad, it seems you have always thought this way. You should have told me sooner."
Having said that, she did not linger. She turned away in a daze, leaving behind a solitary figure for everyone present.
U Zhu Miyan stood by the door, watching Li Xiaolou pass by.
In the place where the people behind could not see, she had tears rolling down her cheeks, which then fell onto the ground. She clenched her teeth tightly, without making a single sound.
U Zhu Miyan's breathing was unsteady, and she shifted her gaze. Her calm, yet chilling eyes swept over the faces of the four people inside, like a scoop of cold, sharp sword light.
That's good, one by one, none will escape!
Seemingly sensing something, Bai Li, who had been silent all along, unconsciously pressed her hand on the sword hilt. The sword qi enveloping her body resembled the biting cold of spring night, causing the temperature in the room to plummet instantly.
He turned to look outside, a chill running up his spine, and his originally dark and listless eyes grew alert.
Killer intent.
In a certain instant earlier, he seemed to feel the killing intent coming from right in front of him.
"Brother," the delicate voice of Bai Luyun rang out, tinged with curiosity and timidity, "What's wrong with you?"
Bai Lu and Madame Yun also looked over.
With a look at the empty doorway, Bai Li slowly lowered her hand and returned to her indifferent demeanor: "Nothing."
The killer intent had vanished...
It was like a hallucination, leaving no trace.
Bai Luyun wondered uncertainly in her heart: "System, why has Bai Zhi's expression suddenly become so terrifying? Is he still on my side as his sister?"
The system analyzed with reason and evidence: "Host, you can rest assured, Bai Zhi is the coldest male supporting character. To him, his own sister doesn't mean much. If he were truly on Li Xiaolou's side, he wouldn't have let those disciples mock her and mistreat her for these past few months."
Bai Luyun nodded in agreement, feeling a bit frustrated: "True, for these past seven years, I have tried my best to win him over. I even used several props that increase his favor. But his favor still remains stagnant, making it so difficult to please him."
"Normal." The system continued to encourage: "He is a high-quality target for conquest. His personality is quite cold, and besides swords, it seems he's interested in nothing else. His favor indeed requires some effort to accumulate."
"However, for someone like him, a favorability of 50 is already pretty good. You just need to work a bit harder, improve your cultivation, and show your face more often in front of him. Maybe his favorability will rise quickly then."
"True." Bai Luyun gently fluttered her temples, speaking with determination: "Humph, there is no man I can't conquer. I must take down Bai Zhi!"
She noticed that across from her, Bai Zhi stood up, his tone insincere and cold: "I should go practice swordsmanship. I'll be leaving first."
Without waiting for a response from the others, he left directly.
Bai Luo's expression faintly showed some dissatisfaction, but he didn't say anything. The son is now a cultivator at the late stage of divine transformation, the first sword master in Xiling State, no longer someone that can be controlled and arranged by him like before.
After crying her eyes out, Madame Yun's eyes were swollen and red. She lamented in a resentful tone, "Such a temperament! Uncle Zhi's temperament has truly become colder and colder. It's not like when he was a child, who was once so obedient. Now he only knows how to practice swordsmanship all day long, without paying any attention to the family matters at all."
"Enough." Bai Luo cut her off mid-complaint. "Say less."
Bai Luyun hugged Madame Yun's arm and shook it a little, coquettishly saying in a sweet voice, "Mom, don't say that. My brother cares about us every day. And you, mom, and dad and I, we will all listen to each other."
Bai Luo's face had improved greatly. Madame Yun also pinched her nose and spoke in a doting tone: "No wonder she's our obedient daughter."
Over on the other side, U Zhu Miyan had already followed Li Xiaolou's retreating figure and left.
Fortunately, I didn't witness that disgusting interaction of the whole family, otherwise I would definitely be nauseous for three days and not be able to eat anything.
The moonlight fell on Li Xiaolou's body, although it was only a thin layer of fabric, it almost made her unable to stand. She could only hold on to the trunk with one hand, hunching over, while the other hand clenched her clothing, as if she had hold of the pain in her chest.
Mountain flowers fell onto her shoulder, sliding down her clothing to the ground at her feet.
Li Xiaolou stared blankly at the remaining flower, the color spreading out in a blurred vision. She thought back to that spring night several years ago and couldn't help but smile awkwardly, muttering, "Little sister..."
As soon as U Zhu Miyan caught up, she heard the heart-wrenching murmur.
Just as she was about to go forward, Bai Zhi's voice suddenly echoed behind her, tinged with a faint sneer and an indescribable emotion: "She's been dead for a hundred years. What good is it to keep thinking of her?"
U Zhu Miyan turned around, seeing the purple-blue hem of his clothes in the night.
Bai Zhi stood under the tree, his sword in his arms. His pale face was shrouded in shadow, his expression indiscernible. Only a pair of dark and cold eyes shone faintly.
Li Xiaolou roughly wiped her tears with her sleeve, pursed her lips, and asked in a hoarse voice, "......What are you doing here?"
She really couldn't understand why her beloved older brother had turned into this.
Bai Zhi's hand holding the sword tightened, and after a moment of silence, his voice was somewhat deep: "So now you're unwilling to call me brother?"
U Zhu Miyan almost laughed out loud at this remark.
She really didn't know why this guy was standing on what kind of grounds to ask this question in a pretty righteous attitude, and his attitude was also pretty convincing.
Li Xiaolou didn't speak, only meeting Bai Zhi's gaze with a look of resistance.
Half a year ago, she woke up in a strange place, having become a stranger. After barely returning home, she found someone who had taken her body was staying with her family.
Replacing her name, her identity, and all of herself.
Even though they knew Li Xiaolou was the real Bai Luyun, her biological parents couldn't let go of the imposter. Instead, they announced that she was their adopted daughter and kept the status quo using forceful means. They only said they would double compensate her in the future and asked her not to dwell on it.
Even her father had placed a control spirit talisman on her, preventing her from revealing the truth to the outside world.
This body, with its four worthless spiritual roots, was chosen by her father to become an internal disciple of Wuji Temple, which caused many disciples to hate her. Moreover, the imposter always stirred up trouble from the sidelines, making her relationships with others even worse.
But she had no intention of joining Wuji Temple. In her heart, only her original sect was important.
At first, Li Xiaolou thought that even though her parents favored the imposter, her brother would definitely be on her side.
However, after repeated incidents where imposter's admirers bullied her, her brother stood by and watched, watching as she was mercilessly mocked, watched as she struggled bravely, and watched as she was left with injuries of all sizes.
Li Xiaolou was a bit dazed, asking in a confused and stubborn tone, "What have I done wrong to you? Did I do anything that's sorry for you?"
"Brother..." Her voice trembled. "Why do you treat me like this?"
In Li Xiaolou's bewildered gaze, the shadowed eyes of Bai Zhi grew more somber, answering a question unrelated to it: "Little sister, have you seen through their true nature now? What is family? What is a friend? Do they have one word of concern for you?"
His tone was no longer the calm of before; it grew more urgent, leaking a touch of chilling madness: "In the past, you left the Bai family and abandoned your brother for them. But now, after seven years of being gone, did anyone notice? When you were bullied, did they help you at all?"
Li Xiaolou had never known what Bai Zhi was thinking. She was shocked and stepped back, but subconsciously spoke in defense: "The master and the seniors will never abandon me."
Her tone was one of unwavering trust.
A light sneer escaped Bai Zhi's throat, the voice low and almost like a murmur: "Little sister, after enduring so much suffering, how can you still be so innocent?"
He looked at his own biological sister, the voice in the night seemed a bit ethereal, yet every word was as cold as ice: "The U Zhu Miyan who saved you and left to follow the wind, has already passed away."
At the sound of this, Li Xiaolou's eyelashes trembled, her nails biting into her palm. Her throat was dry and hurt, and she whispered softly, "I know..."
"I know." The tears once again blurred her vision, but her lips curled slightly upward, revealing a faint smile of peace and nostalgia, as if she had seen the spirited young girl from years ago: "But even though Little Senior has died, she has always been in my heart."
Li Xiaolou had no intention to say more. She wiped away her tears, straightened her back, and turned to leave.
Standing in the original place, U Zhu Miyan heard Bai Zhi uttering a cool sigh from his throat: "Little sister, you still haven't figured it out... However, it's okay. In the future, you'll know that only your brother will always be by your side, only your brother will always protect you, and only your brother will always treat you well..."
"And when you see through everyone, brother will avenge you."
U Zhu Miyan slightly furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at the insane Bai Zhi.
Strive to understand...
This means that he looks on as little sister is suffering, even to let her know that besides him, her brother, she has no other reliable support. Others are insincere and unreliable.
Good, fail to understand...
U Zhu Miyan's eyelids twitched. It looks like this person is even more seriously ill!
