After finally swearing the oath to the heavens, Jiang Chen felt as if a great weight had been lifted off his chest. It was done. And everything he had spoken—it was the truth.
At first, Jiang Chen had wanted Zi Xia as his master. But because of his mother's intervention, he had been forced to choose Gu Yan. Even I, who am not the real Jiang Chen, can't help but think that he should have chosen Zi Xia instead. Recalling the struggles of the real Jiang Chen, I feel an ache deep in my chest.
Before he could dwell on it further, a sharp pain shot through his ear. Zi Xia had grabbed it, her face a mix of anger and something else—something softer. Concern? Jiang Chen's breath hitched. He had never seen such an expression on her before.
Why?
She had always been on the opposite side, always glaring at him with those cold, piercing eyes. Even the real Jiang Chen had felt a chill whenever she looked at him like that.
"What are you doing, swearing an oath to the heavens like that?" she scolded, her voice sharper than usual. "Do you even know what happens if you swear even a little wrongly? The heavens aren't merciful, Jiang Chen. The least punishment would be the complete destruction of your cultivation path!"
Jiang Chen clenched his fists. "But Elder, I had to prove myself."
Zi Xia exhaled heavily, rubbing her temples as if trying to calm herself. "Don't ever do that again," she muttered.
Jiang Chen hesitated before asking, "Elder… are you worried about me?"
Zi Xia's gaze locked onto his, unreadable. For a moment, she said nothing. Then, instead of answering, she diverted the topic. "Why are you calling me 'Elder' now? Weren't you just calling me 'Sister… Sister…'?"
A small, embarrassed smile tugged at Jiang Chen's lips. "Well… I didn't think you'd recognize me. Calling you 'Elder' is just a way of showing my respect."
"Hmm," Zi Xia murmured before settling onto her throne like bed. She patted the space beside her, motioning for him to come closer.
Jiang Chen hesitated but eventually stepped forward.
"So," she started, her voice calm yet laced with something sharp, "you're saying that you rejected me because she blackmailed you using your mother?"
Jiang Chen frowned inwardly. 'When did I say I was blackmailed? It was just Jiang Chen's mother's wish, and he followed through. Though… I suppose it could be considered mild blackmail.'
Even so, he nodded. "Y-Yes, Elder."
Zi Xia's expression darkened. "So, it wasn't a Heaven-ranked manual but a simple letter. And yet, she let the world believe otherwise, basking in admiration while letting my reputation be trampled upon."
Her grip on the soft mattress of the bed tightened, eyes flashing with barely restrained fury.
"That bitch… always acting like some upright saint, but she didn't even try to understand her own disciple. And in the end, she betrayed you."
Jiang Chen stiffened. Betrayed?
His heart pounded in his chest.
"What do you mean by betrayal, Elder?" he asked cautiously.
Zi Xia's gaze hardened, her next words striking straight into his soul.
"Didn't she betray you? Despite your immense talent, she treated you like a common disciple at her peak. You had to fight for resources that should have been handed to you based on your worth alone. You climbed step by step, carrying out countless death missions, pushing yourself to the very brink of survival just to prove yourself. You became the Holy Son—through nothing but your own blood and sweat. But if any other peak master had taken you in, you wouldn't have had to suffer like that. She wasted years of your cultivation time."
Her voice grew colder.
"And now, I hear she's taken in a new disciple—one who doesn't have to go through what you did. He doesn't have to struggle, doesn't have to fight for every scrap. Is this the equality she preaches? Bullshit."
Zi Xia's fury only burned brighter as she continued, "And even after all that, she didn't believe you in the Sect Master's Hall. How could she? You, the one who dedicated everything to her. Does she not know the character of her own disciple? She trusted outsiders over you. Threw you away like nothing. Betrayed you. Hah… disgusting witch."
Jiang Chen felt something in his chest crack open.
She was angry.
Not for herself.
For him.
She cared.
The realization hit him like a tidal wave, leaving him breathless. Zi Xia knew about his struggles. She had seen everything. Understood everything. She had been watching, even when he thought he was completely alone. Even before his expulsion, she had been there, silently bearing a grudge on his behalf.
The real Jiang Chen's emotions surged like a storm within him. His eyes burned. The weight of his past, the endless years of struggle, the desperate yearning for his master's approval—only to be discarded like he was worthless…
He had shown the world his strength, but deep inside, he had always been that abandoned disciple, waiting, just waiting for someone to acknowledge him.
And now, the person he once thought was his enemy was standing up for him.
"How do you know I was framed?" he whispered, his voice barely steady.
Zi Xia met his gaze, unwavering. "Do you think I don't know you?" she said, her tone firm yet laced with an unfamiliar gentleness. "You fought for everything, clawed your way to the top with your own hands. And now, after reaching the position of Holy Son, they expect me to believe you would throw it all away for something so petty? No. I trust you. If I had been there, I would have thrashed them all."
Her words—so resolute, so absolute—wrapped around him like a protective embrace.
The cold fire in her voice, the unwavering certainty in her eyes…
It filled him with warmth.
Like the first touch of sunlight after an endless winter.
And suddenly, Zi Xia, the woman he once thought of as an enemy, appeared different. More radiant. More beautiful.
Like a sun goddess.
The words tumbled from his lips before he could stop them.
"Yes. I was framed."
Even he was startled by his own voice.
But maybe… just maybe… it wasn't just him. Maybe it was the real Jiang Chen's desperate need to be heard, to be believed, that pushed those words out.
Because at this moment, for the first time in his life—someone believed in him.
Even when those who swore to stand by him vanished like ghosts.
Zi Xia looked at him with knowing eyes. She had felt it too.
Softly, she spoke.
"Jiang Chen…"
And for the first time in a long, long while—he didn't feel so alone.