Liu Ruyan had once naively believed that Liu Luoyan truly had her best interests at heart.

Until one day...

A young Liu Ruyan inadvertently overheard a conversation between Liu Luoyan and her son, Xiao Zhize.

It was then she learned that Liu Luoyan had actually been goading Xiao Zhize to have designs on her.

Liu Ruyan’s constitution was a perfect match for Huangfu Yu. Once the two of them joined together, Huangfu Yu could utilize his family’s hereditary Cultivation Technique to achieve Yin Yang Complement, allowing his Cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds.

Xiao Zhize was incredibly jealous of this. To satisfy her son’s desires, Liu Luoyan struck a deal with Huangfu Yu, using a dual Cultivation Technique as a condition of their trade.

Liu Luoyan would be responsible for persuading the Liu Family to agree to the marriage alliance, while Huangfu Yu would have to provide Xiao Zhize with the corresponding Cultivation Technique.

What was even more depraved was that Liu Luoyan actually wanted Xiao Zhize to take Liu Ruyan’s Primordial Yin before she was married.

If she hadn’t heard it with her own ears, Liu Ruyan would still find it impossible to believe it was true.

If Liu Hong hadn’t later taken her to live in seclusion in the Mortal District, she probably would have already fallen prey to that mother-son pair.

So, blood relationship aside, Liu Ruyan hated Liu Luoyan. She even wanted to kill her. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Silly girl," Mo Qi asked in return. "Why trouble yourself over her now that she’s dead? For someone who made you feel such hatred, what does her status or your blood tie to her matter?"

Liu Ruyan sighed. It wasn’t as if she didn’t understand that.

Her sadness and guilt weren’t for Liu Luoyan herself, but because her death would make Liu Hong grieve.

Liu Ruyan could be indifferent to whether Liu Luoyan lived or died, but she couldn’t possibly be indifferent to Liu Hong’s feelings.

"What is it? Do you feel guilty toward Elder Liu?" Mo Qi asked, having perceived her worries.

It would have been better not to mention it. The moment he did, Liu Ruyan’s eyes immediately reddened. She threw herself into Mo Qi’s arms and began to cry softly.

"Brother Mo, am I a terrible, thoughtless person? My aunt died because of me, and Grandpa must be heartbroken right now, but I’m not even by his side..." she sobbed.

Mo Qi wrapped his arms tightly around Liu Ruyan, patting her back gently as he said in a soft voice, "Silly girl, don’t cry. Can’t you see that Elder Liu tacitly approved of your aunt’s death?"

"What?!" Liu Ruyan’s face went pale with shock, and she broke free from Mo Qi’s embrace.

"Impossible! Grandpa doted on my aunt. How could he possibly approve of something like this?" Liu Ruyan shook her head vigorously.

Seeing this, Mo Qi gave a wry smile. "You don’t actually think Elder Liu was unaware of what your aunt did to you, do you?"

"And another thing—while I managed to crack and use the Array he set up, he was still the one who personally laid it. If he’d wanted to reclaim control, it would have been child’s play."

"So, if Elder Liu had wanted to save your aunt back then, all it would have taken was a single thought."

"But he didn’t. Do you know why?"

Liu Ruyan was completely baffled by Mo Qi’s words and subconsciously shook her head.

"It’s because compared to your aunt, Elder Liu dotes on and values you far more!"

"Furthermore, your aunt threatened her fellow clan members in public, violating a cardinal rule of the family."

"Although Elder Liu expelled her from the Liu Family and no one else voiced an opinion, which seemed to have saved her life, he was actually testing the attitude of your family’s Immortal."

"With the Immortal remaining silent, your aunt was still left with no path but death!"

"That’s why I’m saying that your aunt’s death was, in effect, condoned by Elder Liu. The crimes she committed were unforgivable!"

"This is also why neither Elder Liu nor your father stopped me when I pulled you away."

"Because they all wanted you to leave the Liu Family for a while, to cast aside your worries, adjust your state of mind, and prepare for the upcoming challenge—the Demon Spirit Battlefield!"

Liu Ruyan was stunned for a moment, then it all dawned on her, and she felt a great weight lift from her shoulders.

’That’s right, why was I blaming myself for my aunt’s death?’

’I already showed her the utmost kindness by not exposing her back then, all for the sake of our family ties!’

’She was the one who insisted on digging her own grave. Nothing could have stopped her. Who else is there to blame but herself?’

’It’s just hard on Grandpa and Father. I hope they can move on from their grief soon.’

Having figured things out, Liu Ruyan smiled through her tears, once again reverting to the playful and cute girl she used to be.

...

In the Cultivation Room, after a busy day, Mo Qi finally had time to sit down and attend to his own affairs.

Piled in front of him were no fewer than a hundred Jade Slips. These had all been delivered by Feng Zhang and recorded all the important events of the Hall of Envoys from the past millennium, including descriptions of the Demon Spirit Battlefield.

’Know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat. Since I’m now in the Hall of Envoys and destined for the Demon Spirit Battlefield, if I want to outlive the others, I’ll need more than just immense strength. I need a wealth of information!’