Gongsun Yarou stared coldly at the God Clan Empress, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "I asked you if you know her, so what are you babbling about?"
The God Clan Empress's reaction had been strange, too strange. Something was definitely off. "When something is this unusual, there's always a reason," Gongsun Yarou thought.
The God Clan Empress quickly regained her composure, coughing lightly before responding, "Who would have thought there could be such a brash and overbearing fairy in the Immortal Realm? It's truly unexpected."
"You're from the Immortal Realm yourself. How could you not know?" Gongsun Yarou scrutinized the Empress, her gaze sharp and unyielding.
The God Clan Empress, her features hidden by the divine light, maintained a composed expression, though inwardly she was filled with embarrassment. "It's true, I'm from the Immortal Realm, but most of my memories have been sealed. My knowledge of the Immortal Realm isn't much greater than yours," she explained, though it pained her to admit it.
Behind the divine light, the God Clan Empress was blushing with shame. She had always believed herself to embody purity, serenity, and holiness, descended to the mortal world to save all living beings. But never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that the images revealed by the Vast Heaven Mirror would show her past self as such a crude, overbearing figure!
The realization that the rough and brash Xuanwei fairy depicted was indeed herself was a blow. "Oh heavens! I wish my memories had stayed buried!" she thought. The more she recalled, the more embarrassed she felt. These were nothing short of her darkest moments—memories she wished she could erase.
No, she couldn't let anyone know that she, the revered God Clan Empress, was the same person as the wild and unruly Xuanwei fairy. To maintain her image of cold elegance and transcendence, she resolved to never show her true face again, to forever shroud herself in divine mystery.
Gongsun Yarou remained skeptical of the God Clan Empress's explanation. She could sense something wasn't right, but no matter how she pressed, the Empress remained tight-lipped, refusing to say more. Left with no other choice, Gongsun Yarou decided to put her suspicions aside for the moment, though the seed of doubt had been planted deep in her mind. She would not rest until she had uncovered the truth.
Throughout the continuing scenes in the Vast Heaven Mirror, Gongsun Yarou kept a close eye on the Empress, looking for any signs that might confirm her suspicions.
Inside the mirror.
Xiao Fan couldn't help but feel a sense of resignation as he observed the true nature of Fairy Xuanwei. The saying "Don't judge a book by its cover" had never rung truer. Who would have thought that beneath the serene and otherworldly exterior of Xuanwei lay such a domineering and unrestrained personality? He realized he was now caught in a situation from which escape would be difficult.
Once Xiao Fan resigned himself to his fate, Xuanwei suddenly reverted to her cold and aloof demeanor, as if nothing had happened. "Alright, let's begin!" she announced. "From now on, consider me as your first disciple, Leng Ruoxue."
With a wave of her hand, the surroundings changed, recreating the scene from the first time Xiao Fan had met Leng Ruoxue. The setting was nearly identical to the original event, with only a few minor details differing. At that moment, Xuanwei was surrounded by several thugs, just as Leng Ruoxue had been.
Seeing this, Xiao Fan finally understood that Xuanwei was serious about reenacting these events. He couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of embarrassment. But under the fierce gaze of Xuanwei, he realized he had no choice but to go along with it, hoping that once she was satisfied, she would allow him to leave.
Several hours later.
The chapter involving Leng Ruoxue finally came to an end, and Xuanwei glared at Xiao Fan with frustration. "All acting and no emotion! Is this how you treated all your disciples, with such indifference?"
Xiao Fan's face was stiff, and he felt completely numb. The truth was, only after experiencing it did he realize just how mortifying it all was. He wasn't sure how he had endured the past few hours. The pain and torment of reenacting these memories were almost worse than the original experiences.
But it wasn't just Xiao Fan who felt this way. Those watching from outside the Vast Heaven Mirror were equally uncomfortable. Many couldn't help but cringe, their toes curling and their skin tingling with discomfort. This Xuanwei fairy's antics were truly bizarre, even bordering on perverse!
They found themselves feeling a bit of sympathy for Xiao Fan. As for Leng Ruoxue, she was furious. Watching her master and Xuanwei reenact the past events between her and Xiao Fan felt like an insult to their relationship. Real emotions come from the heart, and they can't be replicated through mere acting. To her, Xuanwei was nothing but a deranged pervert.
Wen Yaxian could barely bring herself to watch. Now that Leng Ruoxue's chapter was over, it was clear that her turn with Xiao Fan was next. Gongsun Yarou, however, kept her focus on the God Clan Empress, watching for any changes in the divine light surrounding her.
The Empress was aware of this scrutiny and did her best to maintain control over her emotions. But in truth, no one felt more embarrassed and ashamed than she did. Seeing the scenes play out in the Vast Heaven Mirror, she was overwhelmed with mortification.
She nearly lost her composure several times, but the divine light that shrouded her kept her identity hidden. Without it, she would have been utterly humiliated, wanting nothing more than to find a hole to crawl into.
"Stay calm, stay calm!" she told herself.
Inside the Vast Heaven Mirror.
Desperate to end Xuanwei's torturous reenactments, Xiao Fan put all his effort into cooperating, playing out his life's story as she demanded. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he reached the point of his death. Everything had come to an end.
Xiao Fan exhaled a long breath of relief. He had never longed for death so much in his life. Surely, this was enough? He nervously glanced at Xuanwei, fearing she might have some new torment in mind. He was truly afraid of what she might come up with next.
But to his surprise, Xuanwei was now in tears, sobbing uncontrollably. Xiao Fan's disciples had never known the extent of his sacrifices for them. But she, having played the role of each disciple with full knowledge of the truth, was deeply moved by his actions.
If Xiao Fan's disciples ever learned the truth, they would likely cry even harder than she did now. But Xuanwei believed they didn't deserve to know how much Xiao Fan had done for them. Tears of regret were worthless.
Once she had calmed down, Xuanwei wiped her tears away and looked at Xiao Fan with determination. "Since your disciples are so ungrateful, I have a solution. From now on, you'll be my master alone. I promise I'll treasure you as my master."
"This way, you'll never have to worry about which disciple matters most to you again."
"Because from this day forward, I'll be your only disciple!"
Xiao Fan was left speechless.
After a long moment of silence, he managed to force a stiff smile. "What have I done to deserve being the master of a fairy like you?"
Xuanwei smiled coldly, but her eyes were sharp. "Oh, I wasn't asking for your opinion. I was simply informing you."
"Do you understand?"
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8