After the water mirror displayed an overview of Wenxiantai, the perspective gradually zoomed in on the twenty-two disciples standing on the platform.
Su Luowei immediately spotted Meng Shuying among them.
Meng Shuying was standing on the stairs, her eyes closed, with a calm expression on her face, clearly deep within an illusion.
Within moments, she suddenly opened her eyes and took a few steps forward, reaching the eighty-first step.
Besides her, there were twenty-one others on Wenxiantai. Two of them were on higher steps, while the remaining nineteen had only just reached the seventy-third step at best.
The two who were ahead of Meng Shuying were also standing with their eyes closed, their brows furrowed, seemingly facing some difficulty.
After pausing on the eighty-first step for half a minute, Meng Shuying opened her eyes again and continued climbing.
In less than half an hour, she surpassed those two, reaching the highest point among the participants.
By then, she had ascended to the ninety-second step.
Standing on the ninety-second step, Meng Shuying slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze was deep and dark, like a bottomless pond.
As she climbed higher, the illusions grew more vivid and intense.
Wenxiantai delved into her memories, bringing forth the moments she least wanted to face, manifesting them through layers of illusions.
In the illusions she had experienced so far, she had revisited all the hardships she had endured over the years.
I should not hate.
Meng Shuying silently told herself.
As long as the path ahead is promising, then all the suffering up to now will have been worth it.
Her fingers unconsciously brushed against the white jade pendant at her waist, twisting the tassel around her finger in small circles.
Steadying her mind, she took a deep breath, released the tassel, and stepped onto the ninety-third step.
As soon as she did, the scene before her eyes shifted abruptly, transforming into a place she knew all too well.
Before her were blue-tiled, white-walled buildings and a gray-brick pathway. Beside her, the peach blossoms were in full bloom, and in the distance, the evening sky was a blend of rosy hues.
It was Senior Sister's residence on Inkstone Peak.
Meng Shuying stood outside the house, reaching out to catch a falling petal in her hand.
As she gazed at the delicate, pink blossom, her thoughts momentarily drifted.
At that moment, she heard soft voices coming from the study.
She moved to the window and, through the carved lattice, silently observed the scene inside.
She saw a woman sitting on the couch in the study, turned slightly away from her, with her head slightly bowed, speaking softly to someone beside her.
The woman's skin was fair, her neck slender, and she wore a pearl earring that glowed with a soft, luminous sheen.
The person next to her seemed to be seated on the footstool, significantly shorter than Su Luowei, and their figure was obscured by Su Luowei's form, making it difficult for Meng Shuying to see them clearly.
She vaguely heard the person respond in a low voice, and after a moment, Senior Sister smiled slightly.
With a gentle smile, Su Luowei reached out, grasped the person's chin, and made them look into her eyes.
"Heart to heart, I understand your feelings."
She leaned in closer to the person. "Do you understand mine?"
Her tone was soft, like a breeze.
But to Meng Shuying, those words felt as heavy as a mountain.
Instinctively, she leaned closer to the window, standing on tiptoe to try to see who was beside Senior Sister. All she could see was a pale chin and lips.
Su Luowei held the person's chin, preventing them from pulling away. When they didn't respond, she gently touched their lips with her thumb, teasing them until their lips turned red before finally letting go.
Meng Shuying's heart, which had tightened at the sight, relaxed slightly as Su Luowei released her grip. But then, she saw Su Luowei suddenly reach out, hook her arm around the person's neck, and pull them down onto the couch.
The person lowered their head, clutching their sleeves tightly, as if wanting to resist but lacking the strength to do so.
Just a little more, and Meng Shuying would see her face clearly—
As long as she raised her head slightly, Meng Shuying would know who she was.
Meng Shuying gripped the carved window frame tightly, her eyes wide, eager to see the person's face.
But all she saw was Su Luowei's slender fingers gently pushing the person down onto the couch. One hand braced beside them, while the other reached out, tenderly stroking their ear with a subtle, suggestive touch.
The person beneath her blushed deeply, their small earlobe turning as red as the sunset or the bloodstone in Su Luowei's study, vivid and striking.
With a sharp snap, Meng Shuying felt something inside her mind suddenly break.
She clung to the window frame, shouting, "Senior Sister!"
Even though she was so close, Su Luowei acted as if she hadn't heard, her face softening into a dreamy expression as she continued to trace the outline of the person's ear with her fingertips.
She leaned in closer, her lips parting as she lightly touched the person's earlobe with the tip of her tongue.
The person shivered under the touch, their body trembling, before nervously lifting their head to look at Su Luowei.
In that moment, as the person raised their head, Meng Shuying finally saw their face.
The instant she recognized the face, it was as if a bolt of lightning had struck her. Meng Shuying staggered back, unable to believe what she was seeing.
The person in Su Luowei's arms was... her!
The color that had drained from Meng Shuying's face suddenly rushed back.
She stood there, frozen for a moment, her expression shifting several times.
When she saw Su Luowei leaning in to kiss "her," Meng Shuying knew she couldn't stay any longer. She turned and bolted down the mountain path.
She ran as fast as a deer through the forest, agile and swift, until the metallic taste of blood rose in her throat. Finally, she stopped, leaning against a tree to catch her breath.
That wasn't her.
She kept telling herself.
And that wasn't really Senior Sister, either.
It was all because of the illusion that she had seen those things.
She only had feelings of closeness towards Senior Sister, nothing more.
…
As half an hour passed, Meng Shuying remained standing, unmoving, seemingly unable to break free from the illusion. Xie Hanzhu's expression grew increasingly anxious, and she cast a worried glance at Su Luowei.
Understanding her friend's concern for Meng Shuying, Su Luowei gently shook her head and then glanced at Zhan Xuehan, signaling that there was no need to worry since the Sect Master had yet to intervene.
Seeing Su Luowei's calm demeanor, Xie Hanzhu gradually relaxed. However—
She stole a quick look at Su Luowei, noticing that her expression remained serene, her features composed and without a trace of worry. It was clear that Su Luowei's calmness wasn't just an act; she genuinely wasn't concerned about Meng Shuying's safety.
For some reason, this left Xie Hanzhu feeling a bit uneasy.
Over the past three years, she had witnessed everything Meng Shuying had done.
While those involved might be too close to see things clearly, outsiders often had a better view.
But she had a strong feeling that Su Luowei was at least somewhat aware of Meng Shuying's feelings.
And yet, it seemed Su Luowei had no such feelings in return.
Then again, this was probably none of her business.
Xie Hanzhu turned her attention back to the water mirror.
It was just as well that Su Luowei had no such feelings; it meant she could stay focused on her cultivation, dedicated to the path of immortality.