"Qiu Qiu, You Betrayed Me Again"

The first thing Qiu Qiu saw when she awoke was Qing Ruo.

For a moment, all she could feel was despair; then, when she saw the surroundings, all she could do was helplessly laugh.

This was after her rebirth. They were in the Water faction's forbidden land.

Qiu Qiu was not injured. She stood up, her eyes searching for the Grandmistress. The other was leaning against the iron tree, looking as if she hadn't a care in the world.

Seeing this, Qiu Qiu turned back and asked Qing Ruo, "Are the flowers on this tree medicine? What just happened?"

"These flowers are medicine," Qing Ruo said. "This tree is called the Reincarnation Tree. It's said that it has the ability to travel in time, but that has never been verified. The flowers on the tree have hallucinatory properties, and can be refined into medicine that is said to be able to revive even the dead. However, this flower is impossible to pick. Only those who have reincarnated and experienced both life and death can pick it. The rest can only see it, but not touch it."

"Originally, I brought a Nine Lives Cat Demon. However, after touching the flower, she disappeared without a trace."

Hearing Qing Ruo's words, Qiu Qiu felt at a loss for words.

Reincarnation, life and death…

She had really returned to that place back then. She had stayed there for a long time and could confirm that it had not been a dream. However, in the end her soul had broken away and not been able to change anything, and thus she had returned.

Everything was because of the Reincarnation Tree.

Qiu Qiu looked back at the tree. "I can try." She had reincarnated, and experienced both life and death.

Qiu Qiu walked under the trees, looking at Grandmistress Qian for further instructions. "Grandmistress, I'm willing to try."

For a long time, there was no reply. The Grandmistress stared at her for a long time, her expression unchanging, before she finally turned away and gave a faint nod.

Qiu Qiu always felt that the Grandmistress's expression was more complicated than she let on. However, she didn't dwell too much on the thought. She leaped onto the tree, landing near a blossom.

As she squatted down to pick the flower, she suddenly felt doubt creep into the mind. Qing Ruo had said that the Nine Lives Cat Demon had disappeared after picking the flower. Though it made sense to consider the Nine Lives Cat Demon as someone who reincarnated and experienced life and death, the Reincarnation Tree did not accept it.

However, Qiu Qiu executed the plan without a hitch. She was able to reach the flower, and, following Qing Ruo's instructions, seal it into a container.

Qing Ruo was extremely shocked, but Qiu Qiu was unwilling to speak so Qing Ruo did not ask more.

However, the Grandmistress glanced at Qiu Qiu with an extremely complicated expression. Qiu Qiu caught it by accident, and felt her heart tighten.

She felt the Grandmistress in front of her was strange. She gave Qiu Qiu a familiar and yet equally unfamiliar feeling.

However, now that the medicine had been retrieved, they could retreat. Grandmistress Qian transmitted to her reinforcements the instruction to retreat.

The journey back went smoothly until they neared the entrance, when they all stopped.

Qiu Qiu felt movement outside of the entrance. She drew out the Blood Sword.

"We've been ambushed," she said calmly. Her eyes filled with cold light.

In the past life, she had been the one to betray Grandmistress Qian to the sect. However, in this life… the Qian family had other traitors.

Did these traitors exist because Qiu Qiu's unwillingness to collaborate with the sect in this life, or had they been there all this time?

Qiu Qiu suddenly felt extremely irritated. She had made so many preparations, had desperately wanted to change everything, but was everything she'd done in vain?!

Qiu Qiu glanced Grandmistress Qian, but didn't expect the other to be staring at her as well. Her glance was the same as it had been before: extremely complicated.

Qiu Qiu felt slightly uncomfortable and looked away. "Grandmistress, the forces here aren't just the ones from the water faction. I suspect that there are some from the wood faction as well. The wood faction cultivators specialize in formations. If we try to escape from here, I'm afraid we'll fall into their formation."

The Grandmistress was silent for a while. "Break through the road ahead. We'll forcibly escape from here, then immediately scatter. Find the road that diverges to both the east and west. There are people waiting for instructions there."

Grandmistress Qian looked up and quickly glanced at Qiu Qiu. She continued, "Qing Ruo, you bring everyone else. Qiu Qiu, you stay with me."

There were no objections. The Qian family disciples immediately broke a hole through the entrance, then quickly flew out of the forbidden territory on their swords.

The cultivators quickly noticed them. They seemed to have prepared for this ambush a long time ago; countless people flew into the air and chased after their ranks.

Qiu Qiu followed after the Grandmistress, the Blood Sword drawn by the side. However, before they had gone far, the Grandmistress suddenly stopped.

Qiu Qiu felt her heart become agitated. She wanted to ask the Grandmistress more, but before she could say anything, the Grandmistress asked, "Do the people from the sect recognize my face?"

Qiu Qiu didn't understand the Grandmistress's meaning. Subconsciously, she replied, "Yes…"

She looked at Grandmistress Qian, unable to comprehend what was going on.

The Grandmistress turned around to look at her. Her expression was one that Qiu Qiu felt was extremely familiar, as if there was an emotion about to gush out of her heart. However, in a moment, it was gone, replaced by an indifferent coldness.

The Grandmistress's lips pursed, and then curled into a faint, ridiculing smile. "Then, let's face the enemy head on."

That discomfiting feeling suddenly struck Qiu Qiu again.

Grandmistress Qian had never worn this kind of expression before.

Furthermore, the way Grandmistress Qian asked the question was as if Qiu Qiu knew the answer for certain. However, in this world Qiu Qiu had nothing to do with the sect, and had never mentioned to Grandmistress Qian anything of the sort. And, going by what had happened in her previous life, the sect should have long known what Grandmistress Qian's real appearance was.

Qiu Qiu thought about this, and felt some doubt towards the Grandmistress Qian in front of her. However, though she doubted her, she could still feel enough familiarity towards that person to instinctively believe that it was indeed her. At that point, she only felt more confused.

It didn't take long for the sect cultivators to find them. Qiu Qiu looked around. Most of the sect's strongest had gathered, including Qiu Qiu's former master, whose power could not be looked down on. However, at least in this lifetime, Qing Ruo was safe.

The cultivators aimed their weapons at Qiu Qiu and Grandmistress Qian.

Qiu Qiu's former Master shouted, "Qiu Qiu, if you help your Master take down that demon, the sect can forgive your crime."

Hearing that, Qiu Qiu laughed. The Blood Sword could sense the anger of its master as well. Suddenly, it flew towards her former master, and the battle began.

The sect cultivators launched their weapons towards the duo. In a second Qiu Qiu moved in front of Grandmistress Qian to shield her, just as she always had.

However, she suddenly felt the Grandmistress approach from behind. The other closed the distance between them, her fingers resting on Qiu Qiu's shoulder; her breath was warm against Qiu Qiu's ear as she whispered:

"Qiu Qiu, you betrayed me again."