Ji Yunxi was a bit puzzled. "Master, what do you mean?"
"I heard you're going to find the master of Lingyun Mountain Manor. There's no need. Whatever you want to know, I'll tell you."
On Rong Hua's face was the courage that came after making a desperate decision.
Ji Yunxi was very confused about why he had such an expression. However, since he was willing to tell her, it would surely be more convenient than her searching everywhere. So Ji Yunxi stepped aside and let Rong Hua into the room.
As soon as he entered, he used his spiritual power to set up a powerful barrier. Ji Yunxi's spirit tensed slightly. She increasingly felt that what Rong Hua was about to say was not that simple.
He walked to the table and slowly sat down. "Back then, I was also a member of Yunqi Palace."
Ji Yunxi widened her eyes. "You were also a member of Yunqi Palace?! But I've never seen you!"
She was extremely surprised. There was no such person as Rong Hua in her memory. In her opinion, Immortal Venerable Rong Hua was of high status, and this should not have been achieved after his rebirth. It should have been left over from Yunqi Palace.
But she had never seen Rong Hua back then.
Rong Hua forced a bitter smile. "Because I was of little presence among the disciples, it's normal that you don't know me. I know you're Feng Yunxi from back then. You're so similar to her in every aspect. Back then, you had extremely high talent and spiritual power. You were the goal for all the disciples in Yunqi Palace, and I was no exception."
Ji Yunxi felt a bit embarrassed. Now Rong Hua was her master. It really made one sigh at the unpredictability of life.
Rong Hua looked at her as if he was recalling the days in Yunqi Palace. There was a slight smile on his face. "I once took you as my goal, so I always worked very hard."
"And then?" Ji Yunxi poured a cup of tea and was about to hand it to Rong Hua.
"Unfortunately, not everyone can be a genius. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find the right way. In the end, I was possessed by the devil... and cooperated with Yuehua Palace."
"Bang!" The teacup fell to the ground. Ji Yunxi looked at Rong Hua in disbelief, as if he was playing a huge joke on her.
"Master, don't joke around."
Rong Hua's eyes were red. "Don't call me master. I... don't deserve it."
Her hands trembling constantly, Ji Yunxi kept shaking her head. "It shouldn't be like this... Why?! Tell me why!"
Her heart was instantly engulfed by the surging anger. She had long guessed that Rong Hua might know Feng Yunxi, but she couldn't accept that her master was actually the one who betrayed Yunqi Palace back then.
Seeing her reaction, Rong Hua closed his eyes in despair. "I was possessed by the devil. Back then, Yuehua Palace found me and promised to give me a thousand taels of spiritual stones to help me with my cultivation. I wasn't tempted by these things. But that day, several senior brothers insulted me severely. I just... didn't want to be an unknown nobody anymore, looked down upon and bullied everywhere. So in the end, I was tempted."
Hearing this, Ji Yunxi turned around, not wanting others to see her losing control.
Apparently, she didn't realize that the truth back then was so ridiculous and vulnerable.
"So, you were the traitor back then?" Ji Yunxi tried hard to suppress the anger and killing intent in her heart.
Rong Hua nodded. "Yes, it was me..."
"Then since you've already betrayed, why did you take me in? To humiliate me and take revenge on Yunqi Palace?"
Rong Hua quickly stood up and waved his hands frantically. "It's not like this! I, I just wanted to atone for my sins, so I specifically took you as my disciple..."
No wonder. Her ranking was so low, but Rong Hua had insisted on taking her as his disciple despite all the opposition, and even exhausted his spiritual power to help her suppress the attacks of the extra divine power.
So that was it. There was no such thing as favoritism towards a disciple. It was clearly because he felt guilty!
Ji Yunxi recalled Yunqi Palace back then. The relationship among the disciples was very harmonious. That day, she went out to handle some matters. On her way back, she met some senior brothers who came to ask for help.
They died miserably in front of her before they could even say a word.
When she returned to Yunqi Palace, it was already a river of blood inside. On the ground were the former companions with unclosed eyes, and on the high platform was her dying master. Even she herself finally died beside her master.
Emperor Yunyang treated her like a father and daughter, caring about everything. In the end, not even his body could be buried.
The voices and faces of all the junior brothers and sisters were still vivid in her mind.
Thinking that these people would never come back, Ji Yunxi was filled with hatred. She turned around and pointed at Rong Hua with her Nianyun Finger. "Atone for your sins? With what? How can you atone for the lives of thousands of people in the whole palace! You!"
She couldn't even find the words to scold him for a moment. Rong Hua was so despicable, completely disregarding the lives of others.
No wonder Yun Luotian had always had a grudge against Rong Hua. Now Ji Yunxi understood the reason.
Rong Hua didn't dodge. His eyes also turned red as he said, "I know I've made an unforgivable mistake. For so many years, I've never had a peaceful sleep. I've paid a heavy price for my momentary greed. I can't do much else, but I'll do my best to help you restore Yunqi Palace!"
Ji Yunxi shook her head with tears in her eyes. "But do you think it's useful to say these things now? They can't enter the reincarnation. They've all vanished into thin air!"
Rong Hua looked directly into her eyes. "What about the people who are still alive? Back then, several Immortal Venerables managed to escape at the cost of their lives. These years, they've been constantly hunted down by the people of Yuehua Palace. Are you just going to ignore them?!"
"Are there still people alive?!" Ji Yunxi was shocked. "Is it true?!"
"Have you been constantly watched by the people of Wangyue Pavilion?"
Ji Yunxi didn't understand what he meant by this, but she still replied yes.
"That's right. Because Wangyue Pavilion is exactly the stronghold of Yuehua Palace in the mortal world. Not long after the destruction of Yunqi Palace back then, Fengche Palace was also occupied. And now the old subordinates of these two palaces are all suffering."
Ji Yunxi frowned. She had known back then that the people of Yuehua Palace were all insidious and cruel. If there were people who could escape, what about Yun Luotian?
"What's the deal with Yun Luotian?"
"Yun Luotian's ability was insufficient back then. She was a junior in Yunqi Palace. After Yuehua Palace got rid of all of you powerful ones, they planned to keep a few people to show their might. Yun Luotian was one of them. Her situation was not optimistic. She pretended to defect in order to save her life. Now she's also under strict surveillance to prevent her from contacting the people of Yunqi Palace."
Ji Yunxi thought of the test during Yue Qiu's execution that day and immediately understood everything.
No wonder Yun Luotian accepted the punishment so straightforwardly, because they would never let her go anyway; no wonder she always pushed her away, because there were jackals and tigers everywhere around her. Only by staying away from her could she not drag her into the mire.
Her little junior sister had been protecting her, this elder sister who couldn't remember anything and didn't understand anything, in her own way.
It was hard to accept for a moment. On the one hand, Ji Yunxi wished she could kill Rong Hua to vent her anger. On the other hand, since Rong Hua had saved her and had always wholeheartedly taught her, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
Rong Hua saw the entanglement in her heart and shook his head. "I know it's hard for you to accept for the moment. Take your time to think about it."