"Kneel!"
Someone kicked the back of her calf from behind, forcing her directly to her knees.
"Cough, cough!" Si Nansheng spat out a mouthful of blood, curling up on the ground as her entire body felt as though it were falling apart.
"Si Nansheng, you truly are vicious! Not only did you trespass into the forbidden grounds by yourself, but you also injured the junior sister who kindly tried to persuade you otherwise. What a cold-hearted and ungrateful wretch!"
A voice full of disgust rang out above Si Nansheng. Someone grabbed her chin and forcefully jerked her head up, and a familiar figure gradually came into focus through her blurred vision.
It was her second senior brother, Shen Jingyuan.
That same second senior brother, Shen Jingyuan, who used to bring her novel trinkets whenever he returned from trips and coax peals of laughter out of her.
When had everything started to change? She could no longer remember.
Was it when he first spoke harshly to her on account of Liu Xuewei, or when he actually laid hands on her for Liu Xuewei's sake?
"Si Nansheng, I'm warning you, once we reach the main hall later, you had better behave yourself and honestly confess to your crime of trespassing in the forbidden grounds. You must also tell everyone that Junior Sister Xuewei went there merely to stop you from making a mistake, and that you acted with ruthless cruelty, inflicting mortal injuries upon her!"
Shen Jingyuan's words left Si Nansheng's mind blank. The forbidden grounds? Junior Sister Xuewei?
Wasn't this the exact scene that had played out when she was twelve years old, right after her junior sister Liu Xuewei had tricked her into going to the forbidden grounds to look for Spirit Grass, only for them to be struck by the protective array?
With a heavy thud, Shen Jingyuan delivered another vicious kick to Si Nansheng, saying with a sinister edge:
"Listen well, Si Nansheng. Junior Sister Xuewei has been gravely injured this time, and you cannot shirk the blame. You had better obediently dig out your Spirit Root to save our junior sister, or else I will make your life a living hell!"
Having said that, Shen Jingyuan kicked Si Nansheng a few more times. Su Heng, standing off to the side, feared that he might actually kick her to death—in which case her Spirit Root would dissipate—and hurriedly intervened to caution him.
"Second Junior Brother, don't beat her to death. Otherwise, her Spirit Root will scatter."
"Rest assured, First Senior Brother, I know my own limits. She won't die anytime soon. Even if she is to die, it will only be after she extracts that high-grade Water Spirit Root and gives it to Xuewei!"
Shen Jingyuan spoke sinisterly, looking at Si Nansheng with undisguised hatred in his eyes.
"Enough, stop hitting her. Everyone is waiting to deal with her. Junior Sister is severely injured and has yet to wake up, waiting for her Spirit Root for treatment."
Seeing Si Nansheng's pale, bloodless face, Su Heng stopped Shen Jingyuan from continuing the beating, though a flash of aversion still lingered in his brow. He shoved an inferior healing pill into Si Nansheng's mouth and performed a cleansing incantation to make her look slightly less disheveled than before.
Si Nansheng felt her collar being grabbed, and her head buzzed relentlessly.
With a sudden rumble like thunder in a clear sky, Si Nansheng's pupils contracted sharply as a flood of memories rushed rapidly into her mind. The impact battered her fragile nerves, forcing her to draw in a sharp breath.
Gradually, her spiritual sea grew crystal clear and serene!
A smile curved the corners of Si Nansheng's lips: So I have lived once more!
In her previous life, Si Nansheng had inexplicably transmigrated into a cultivation novel where the female protagonist's luck was maxed out, becoming a miserable supporting character destined for misfortune. Her memories from before the transmigration had been sealed, leaving her to passively accept the rules of the book and follow its predetermined script.
From the universally pampered junior sister, she had transformed into a tragic cannon fodder whose every last drop of value was exploited before she was finally thrown into the jaws of Demonic Beasts.
Never had she imagined that, given a second chance, all her memories would actually return.
*Si Nansheng:* Since you have shown me neither affection nor righteousness, I no longer need to expect anything from you. Before, you tormented me; this time, it is finally my turn to torment you all!
"Master, this disciple has brought Si Nansheng here." Shen Jingyuan unceremoniously dumped Si Nansheng onto the floor.
Inside the resplendent main hall, Feng Zeyan sat upon the prime seat in a moon-white robe, looking like an immortal being.
On both sides of the hall sat the masters of several other major sects. They had originally come to discuss the opening of the Secret Realm three months later, never expecting that before discussions could even begin, the Shengtian Sect would treat them to quite a spectacle.
"Si Nansheng, do you know your crimes?"
Feng Zeyan coldly looked down at Si Nansheng sprawled on the ground, his expression exceedingly ugly.
Today was supposed to be a magnificent day for the Shengtian Sect to lead the major sects into the Secret Realm, yet this rebellious disciple had caused him to lose face so completely. What made him even angrier was that she had also wounded his most beloved young apprentice, Liu Xuewei!
"Nansheng does not know." Si Nansheng gritted her teeth, enduring the pain throughout her body. With reddened, tear-filled eyes, she looked up at the man high above and spoke with a firm tone.
Seven years ago, she was merely a beggar on the streets when this man suddenly appeared, claiming they shared a master-disciple fate and bringing her to the Shengtian Sect.
For the first two years, he had genuinely treated her well, guiding her cultivation, providing her with numerous Heavenly Treasures for her training, and teaching her many principles she failed to understand.
Yet the moment she stepped into the Foundation Establishment Stage at the age of eight, he began to distance himself from her. Not to mention guiding her cultivation, she could barely even catch a glimpse of him anymore.
At the time, her senior brothers had comforted her, saying that as the Sect Master of the Shengtian Sect, her master was simply too busy and lacked free time, and that she should understand him.
It was only after Liu Xuewei arrived and she watched Feng Zeyan personally care for and guide her that Si Nansheng finally understood: he wasn't too busy; she simply wasn't the exception in his heart.
"Si Nansheng, you trespassed into the forbidden grounds, harmed your fellow sect members, and crippled your junior sister's Spirit Root. Considering the ties of our master-disciple relationship, as long as you show genuine remorse today and cure your junior sister's injuries, this seat can spare your life."
With that, Feng Zeyan fixed a chilling gaze upon Si Nansheng.
"She looks rather young, how could she do something to harm a fellow disciple?"
"Indeed, could there be a mistake? She's only around ten years old, where would she get such malicious intentions?"
"You all do not know, this rebellious disciple has been crooked in mind since childhood. Not only is she overbearing and prone to bullying others, but even when her junior sister befriended her, she was brutally harmed, resulting in damage to her Spirit Root. Ah, but let's not speak of it."
When Feng Zeyan said this, he did not forget to cast a look of utter disappointment toward Si Nansheng, putting on an air of all-encompassing benevolence.
"This child's heart is far too vicious."
"Quite right, with her Spirit Root damaged, her path to immortality is probably completely ruined!"
The people from the major sects looked upon Si Nansheng's actions with utter contempt, pointing fingers at her and eyeing her as if she were mere trash.
This feeling was all too familiar to Si Nansheng!
In her previous life, she had been utterly destroyed by this coordinated performance put on by Liu Xuewei, Su Heng, Shen Jingyuan, and her good master. Not only had her Spirit Root been stolen, but she had also shouldered the foul reputation of having a vicious mind and harming her fellow sect members.
Yet now, although she was still weak, armed with the memories of two lifetimes, she would never fall into this trap again!
Since they all loved watching Liu Xuewei put on her delicate, tea-green act, she would simply add a bit more tea flavor to amuse them.
"Master, for Nansheng to cure her injuries as you say, what must Nansheng do? Should I pour her tea, serve her water, and accompany her while she slowly recovers? Or must I seek out miraculous medicines to heal her wounds? No matter what Nansheng is required to do, I will do my utmost."
Hiding the mockery in the depths of her eyes, Si Nansheng looked up at Feng Zeyan with tear-filled eyes and asked.