"Yes, not a single one survived."
Fang Jingyi tilted his head back, a tear tracing a path down his cheek. Suddenly, with a thud, he knelt on the ground. "Saintess, the last hope of our Phoenix clan rests with you."
Chu Lingwei looked down at Fang Jingyi, who was kowtowing continuously. She took a deep breath.
"Saintess? You say I am the Saintess of the Phoenix clan?"
"Yes, the clan leader, through heavenly calculations, determined that you are our Phoenix clan's Saintess. You will lead us to see the light again and avenge our fallen brethren."
Fang Jingyi's voice was righteous and resolute, filled with hope.
"Are you sure all those clan members are dead?" Chu Lingwei asked again for confirmation.
"Yes, how could I possibly joke about the lives of our clan members?" Fang Jingyi clenched his fists tightly. Thousands upon thousands of clan members, their blood... their descendants would surely bring them peace.
"Let's go."
Chu Lingwei knew what she needed to know. She turned and left the dungeon.
"Saintess, shall we go see the clan leader?" Fang Jingyi hurried to keep pace. He was now to lead Chu Lingwei to the clan leader.
Chu Lingwei glanced at him, offering a cryptic smile. "No, I'll take you to see Fang Jingchi. You must be eager to see him, right?"
Fang Jingyi's entire body froze. Wasn't his elder brother already dead?
"Xiao Yi, what are you doing here?" Fang Jingchi, having regained his freedom, was in the process of familiarizing himself with his surroundings when he sensed a familiar aura. He then saw Chu Lingwei approaching with his younger brother.
"Big brother? Is it really you?" Fang Jingyi stammered, looking at his elder brother standing before him. Suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply. "Chu Lingwei, you..."
Chu Lingwei smiled sweetly. "Actually, you're a little more foolish than your elder brother."
Fang Jingyi shivered. Chu Lingwei had just been bluffing him.
"Xiao Yi, you..." Fang Jingchi, seeing his brother's ghostly expression, quickly understood what might have transpired between them. He was furious. "Xiao Yi, have you forgotten what the clan leader instructed us?"
"She said you confessed everything," Fang Jingyi said, his voice filled with guilt. Not a single word Chu Lingwei had told him was false. Besides, she was their Phoenix clan's Saintess, so he had no reason to be wary of her.
"You..." Fang Jingchi wanted nothing more than to strike his brother dead. He was so foolish. "You ruined the clan leader's plans."
"How could I have possibly seen your clan leader?"
Chu Lingwei interrupted their accusations. That man in black had not reappeared since the Cangshan secret realm. Perhaps he just hadn't appeared in front of her.
Fang Jingchi and Fang Jingyi fell silent simultaneously, refusing to utter another word.
They had already made a grave mistake. Any further words would only lead to them atoning with their lives.
Seeing that they truly had no intention of revealing anything, Chu Lingwei decided to let it go for now. She would give them time to process, and there would be plenty of opportunities later.
"If someone were to track me again, how should I deal with them? Pretend not to see, or... kill them?"
Fang Jingyi shuddered, recalling his near-death experience. "Saintess, our remaining clan members are few. If they are all captured, there will be no one left."
Fine, it seemed she had overestimated their capabilities.
"You two cultivate here diligently."
Chu Lingwei instructed Shui Yi to teach them well. With a parting sentence, she left the space with the phantom cat.
"Weiwei, you've finally come out." Feng Ming saw Chu Lingwei emerge from the space and immediately greeted her. "Did they confess everything?"
"They did," Chu Lingwei sighed lightly and sat down in a chair. Thinking about what she had learned from Wen Jingyi, she felt a pang of annoyance. "So, there's such a big secret behind my own origins."
Seeing Chu Lingwei's silence, the phantom cat sent a telepathic message to Feng Ming, telling her not to speak.
Feng Ming pursed her lips, staying by Chu Lingwei's side with a worried expression.
"I need to go into seclusion. No one is to disturb me." Chu Lingwei stood up and walked towards the cultivation chamber of the cave dwelling. A barrier descended, blocking the two little beasts outside.
"Mao Mao, why has Weiwei become like this?" Feng Ming, standing outside the barrier, was very worried.
The phantom cat took Feng Ming's paw and told her what it knew about the situation within the space.
"Weiwei must be very sad." Feng Ming grew quiet after listening, her eyes turning red. "The Leng family is truly detestable. How could they..."
"Isn't the Leng family Senior Brother's family?" Feng Ming's tears were still in her eyes as she suddenly remembered.
"It seems so." The phantom cat's little face contorted with worry. She hadn't expected Weiwei and Senior Brother to be enemies.
Feng Ming's eyes widened. Thinking of how pitiful Weiwei's clan members were, she resolved to never show Senior Brother a good face again.
Two months later.
"Feng Ming, has junior sister still not come out of seclusion?" Nangong Luo had visited Chu Lingwei's cave dwelling countless times. Why had junior sister suddenly gone into seclusion?
"I don't know." Feng Ming blocked Nangong Luo. "Weiwei said that no one is allowed to disturb her cultivation."
Nangong Luo tapped Feng Ming's head lightly with his folding fan. This girl, after transforming into human form, had become increasingly unlikable.
"Go inside and tell junior sister that Senior Brother has returned."
Feng Ming snorted when she heard that Senior Brother had returned. "No, Weiwei isn't seeing anyone."
Nangong Luo: "..."
"How can junior sister not see Senior Brother?" Nangong Luo reached out and pinched Feng Ming's soft cheeks. "Be careful junior sister scolds you when she comes out."
"Weiwei wouldn't! Weiwei hates Senior Brother the most right now," Feng Ming said very seriously.
Nangong Luo's interest was piqued. "Oh, why?"
"No reason, Weiwei just doesn't like Senior Brother." As Feng Ming uttered the last word, Leng Xingzhi, dressed in white, landed behind Nangong Luo. Her little face changed, and she immediately fell silent.
"Why does Weiwei not like me?" Leng Xingzhi looked towards the completely sealed cave dwelling, his voice as pleasant as spring entering Feng Ming's ears, causing her to shiver involuntarily.
She began to cry internally, Senior Brother was truly terrifying.
Nangong Luo, seeing Feng Ming's almost tearful expression, couldn't help but laugh. It was better to be human, at least her current thoughts were clearly visible.
"Hurry up and call junior sister out." Nangong Luo walked up to Feng Ming and gently stroked her head, as if coaxing a child.
"No, Weiwei doesn't want to see you... you all." Feng Ming snorted and furtively glanced at Leng Xingzhi from the corner of her eye before quickly averting her gaze.
"Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, you've arrived." Chu Lingwei emerged from the cave dwelling, greeting them with a smile.
"Weiwei, Senior Brother bullied me." Feng Ming, seeing Chu Lingwei emerge, immediately ran to her side and quietly complained.
Chu Lingwei covered her mouth and chuckled. Feng Ming was truly... adorable.
"Hahaha, in the entire Spiritual Cultivation Academy, only Feng Ming dares to speak ill of Senior Brother to his face." Nangong Luo couldn't help but burst into laughter.