Xia Tian paid little heed to the disbelief etched across Ye Qingyue's features as he continued to elucidate the intricate web of deception. "The Eternal Seer must have foreseen that your husband, Xiao Chen, would meet his demise at my hands. So, he concocted a false divination and spun a fabricated tale, urging you to orchestrate your own 'death' ahead of time. This way, he could intervene and rescue your soul, facilitating your reincarnation."
With candid bluntness, Xia Tian unraveled the plan that had been pieced together through information gathered by Luo Xue, who had sifted through the Eternal Seer's records.
The reality was that the Eternal Seer had deceived his own daughter, coaxing her into orchestrating her own 'death' as a means of safeguarding her from the clutches of Xia Tian. According to Xia Tian's narrative, Xiao Chen's death was a foregone conclusion—except it wasn't.
Destiny had seemingly intervened, bestowing upon him the role of one of the blessed sons and defying the original plan of separation.
The convoluted series of machinations, coincidences, and intricate designs unfurled before the assembled individuals, all elucidated by Xia Tian's revelations. The veil of mystery that had shrouded their lives was lifted in a single moment of clarity.
Ye Qingyue seized upon a critical piece of information that struck her like a bolt from the blue. "Y-You were the one who killed my husband before?" Her voice wavered with disbelief, her eyes wide with the revelation.
Xia Tian confirmed her inquiry with a nonchalant nod. "Yes, but that's irrelevant now. What matters is that your father's actions have caused harm to one of my daughters. And now, you are the one who must bear the consequences of his transgressions," he declared, his gaze focused intently on Ye Qingyue. The weight of his gaze seemed to send shivers down her spine.
Xia Tian's approach to life was uncompromising—debts and revenge were matters that he never allowed to go unpaid. He was unwavering in his pursuit of revenge.
Ever since the day when the Eternal Seer had tampered with Selene and Evelynn's minds, Xia Tian had sworn to inflict injuries upon the Eternal Seer's daughter, seeking to exact revenge and balance the scales of justice in his own way.
Selene's comprehension grew, yet with every revelation, her emotions deepened in complexity. Her inability to perceive souls left her ignorant of the fact that Ye Qingyue possessed a fragment of a void-level being's soul, further complicating matters.
"I had no knowledge of her true identity," Selene admitted, confessing that had she known Ye Qingyue was the daughter of the Eternal Seer, she would have refrained from accepting her as a disciple.
Xia Tian's response was flippant. "Remember our earlier agreement?"
Selene's lips twitched, "..." she felt like crying right now.
Did she truly have to forgo both of her precious gems today?
Observing Selene's expression, Xia Tian's curiosity got the best of him. "Why do you look like I'm snatching something away from you? By the way, why do you even take disciples?" he inquired.
Selene played along, feigning contemplation. "It was all for you, actually. I was grooming these two diviners with you in mind." Her response was unexpected, leaving Ye Qingyue gawking at Selene in astonishment.
Considering Xia Tian's well-documented disdain for diviners, Selene had believed that training them would serve as a thoughtful gift for him.
"If they were meant for me from the beginning, why do you still look so displeased?" Xia Tian countered, his amusement evident.
Selene's lips pressed together in protest, her voice slightly defensive. "I-I haven't fully trained them yet."
"??" Xu Qing was left puzzled by the exchange, while Xia Tian appeared to grasp the true nature of Selene's intentions.
He shook his head, his understanding infused with a hint of wry amusement. Selene's ostensibly innocent demeanor was a façade, masking her true intentions.
It was clear to him that her version of "training" was likely far from conventional, and she would most likely train the both girls to become a hardcore maschoist in bed, contradicting their diviner identity, that would porvide a unique blend of thrill to Xia Tian.
Unbeknownst to Ye Qingyue, Selene had something quite unique in store for her disciples. If she had been aware of the path Selene intended to guide them down, she might have already been cursing her so called goddess.
"Do you really want her?" Selene's voice trembled as she spoke, her face contorting into a mask of tearful desperation.
Xia Tian's resolve remained unwavering as he nodded, his expression ruthless. "Not just her. This one belongs to me as well." His finger pointed decisively at Ye Qingyue.
A derisive snort escaped Selene's lips, accompanied by a dismissive wave of her hand. "I don't care about her. You can keep her..." She inhaled deeply, her voice steeling as she continued, "...but I will fetch the second one for you." With that declaration, her form dissolved into thin air, leaving Ye Qingyue alone and utterly stunned by the abrupt turn of events.
"Master, you can't abandon me like this!" Ye Qingyue's desperate plea reverberated through the air, her voice strained and raspy. Yet, Selene paid her no heed, her figure vanishing without a backward glance.
Xu Qing's gaze remained fixed on Ye Qingyue, a hint of pity tugging at her heartstrings.
In the wake of these revelations, Xu Qing's understanding of Xiao Chen's circumstances deepened significantly. She grasped that he had been naively maneuvered like a puppet in a larger scheme orchestrated by both the Eternal Seer and the hands of destiny.
"Hahaha," Xia Tian's laughter rang out in stark contrast to Xu Qing's more sympathetic demeanor, his gaze fixed on Ye Qingyue's expression.
As the moments passed, Ye Qingyue's countenance shifted from shock to a deepening gloom. Nyx guided her towards the impending confinement, the destination of her temporary imprisonment. Fueled by a surge of desperation, Ye Qingyue couldn't help but plead, her voice carrying an urgent edge. "Why are you trying to imprison me?"
Her desperation manifested in a series of questions. "If you seek revenge, why not confront my father directly? I'm not even a direct participant in all of this. What crime have I committed?"
Her words reverberated within the space, capturing Xia Tian's attention in an unexpected way.
Ye Qingyue was well aware of her limited options. With her master's support now withdrawn, and no means to directly contact the old sage for confirmation, she felt utterly powerless.
In a final bid for empathy, she mustered a righteous tone, desperately hoping that Xia Tian might still harbor some semblance of understanding.
However, his words obliterated her last flicker of hope. "Consider this: if you were born in a war-torn nation, would you be spared simply because you happened to be born at that specific moment, absolving you of any responsibility?"
He continued with an unforgiving pragmatism. "People often bear the consequences of crimes they never committed. That's the bitter reality of weakness itself."
His words were like a sledgehammer, shattering any illusions. "The sins of your father will naturally be paid for by you. If you're averse to that, then become stronger—haha! Though time may not be on your side."
Xia Tian's command ended the exchange. "Take her away!"
Ye Qingyue's eyes widened, disbelief painting her features as she was forcibly led away at last.
Her gaze remained fixed on Xia Tian even as she was being pulled away, her expression a mixture of astonishment and shock.
In her final moments within his presence, a realization clawed at her. Did he, in fact, acknowledge her innocence but still intend to mete out punishment? The conclusion was chilling, and her thoughts echoed with a single word: Monster.
Fear gripped her as she contemplated the uncertain future that lay ahead.
Just as Ye Qingyue was led away, Selene reappeared, accompanied by another woman—Shi Yue, her second disciple.
Despite having a sense of the reason behind her summoning, Shi Yue's gaze was fixed on Xia Tian with an air of intrigue.
Her eyes held a captivating shade of silver, mirroring his own, and for a brief moment, their eyes locked in an unspoken exchange laden with curiosity and anticipation.
As a small smile curved Xia Tian's lips, he enjoyed the faint flicker of puzzlement that danced across Shi Yue's eyes. The mysterious connection lile maze between them remained unexplored.
Yet, even amidst her curiosity, Shi Yue upheld an air of restraint. Her resplendent tresses, cascading like a waterfall of moonlit silk, spilled down her back in a graceful symphony of white. Each strand seemed to gleam with an otherworldly radiance, capturing the essence of celestial light itself.
Her attire was a canvas of purity, a flowing white robe that draped gracefully around her form.
Embellishments of intricate golden embroidery adorned the fabric, tracing delicate patterns akin to the finest brushstrokes of a master painter.
These gilded tendrils wove a mesmerizing tapestry across the snowy expanse of her gown, depicting ancient symbols and mysterious sigils that spoke of hidden wisdom and arcane power.
The ensemble she adorned emitted an ethereal aura, as if she herself were an embodiment of celestial harmony.
Her presence resonated with a tranquility that belied the potential for immense strength concealed within her being, a tranquil lake concealing the depth of its waters.
As she stood amidst the currents of destiny, her appearance was akin to that of a rare celestial flower in full bloom, an embodiment of elegance and poise intertwined with the promise of untapped prowess.
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A/N: No illustration of Shi Yue, reason would be revealed later.