Karma and Retribution

Xiaoyi and Feng Shiyao. In the day-long duration after his reincarnation, Shu Yidan had forged a relationship with the two women. They could be said to be peerless in talent, beauty and fate.

However, Ye Wenying's position in Shu Yidan's heart would always be higher than the two of them. Ye Wenying was someone who Shu Yidan would pour all his strength into raising.

It wasn't because of her talent, which was mediocre at best even when before her poisoning.

Nor was it because of her beauty, which as low enough to be a complete contrast to the radiance of cultivators.

No need to speak of her fate, her lifespan which stretched across centuries was cut down to three decades! If this wasn't bad fate, what could be?

It was because of the relation of the past timeline: when she should have enjoyed the few years of life she had left, she instead chose to help Shu Yidan.

Feng Shiyao had only kept her virtue even when Shu Yidan ignored her. As a dual cultivation focused cultivator, that was a virtue worth praising.

Even so, that was the duty expected of her as his Dao Companion – even if he shut himself off for a century, she was expected to stay loyal to him. Even in the mortal world, the bond of marriage came with the shackle of faithfulness.

That virtue of hers was passive – she had not directly helped Shu Yidan yet Shu Yidan chose to reward her in this life by accepting her.

As for Xiaoyi, honestly speaking, Shu Yidan still held a trace of resentment… in the previous timeline, his introduction to the world of cultivation started by being crippled by her sword.

Yet she had great talent and grand fate, along with the virtue of childish immaturity. If not for that, Shu Yidan would only guard her from the events that would end up with her violation, and certainly not train her.

Her virtue was passive – that she was a pure child and that Shu Yidan felt pity for her. That's how it was.

However in the past timeline, Ye Wenying had given her meagre lifespan to protect Shu Yidan. If he still used excuses of her lacking talent, beauty and fate to ignore her, wouldn't Shu Yidan be worse than a dog?

Repay kindness tenfold and enmity hundredfold. Ye Wenying's virtue was active, her benevolence was like a mountain and Shu Yidan would repay it with interest!

Looking at Uncle Master Kang before him, Shu Yidan decided take the first step of repaying her.

Shu Yidan locked eyes with Uncle Master Kang. "…Ye Wenying was accompanying you, a Mid Stage Divine Transformation and Luo Xiyi, a Mid Stage Nascent Soul. It shouldn't have come to her being poisoned, she shouldn't have been fighting at all! I want an explanation!"

Ye Wenying was shocked while Luo Xiyi and Mu Rengxue seemed surprised. Why would Shu Yidan go against a Divine Transformation for a Golden Core, moreso a useless trash?

"It was her decision to come follow us even with her lacking strength. Naturally, she has to take responsibility for herself. In any case, I've helped her the best I can. 33 years of life was all I could secure for her." With a hmph, the Divine Transformation Elder dismissed Shu Yidan's enquiry.

"Naturally, you have done your best. Now, I have to do mine. Uncle-Master, can you help me extract the memories of these trashes?" Shu Yidan flicked his finger and three bound and chained up figures appeared – Feng Shiyao's Sect Master and the Wang father-son pair. "I was planning on selling them later, but I didn't expect to need to transact with the White Lotus Cult so quickly…"

First things first, flashing his capture of two Nascent Souls would have this Divine Transformation give him some face. Face was needed before he got anywhere with this guy.

Uncle-Master Kang seemed surprised looking at the figures. But he immediately summoned three jade slips, his mighty Divine Transformation Divine Sense tearing out their memories and graft them into the slips in a blink.

The jade slips flew at Shu Yidan and he deftly caught them with a wave of his hand. "You've become strong, Yidan. I didn't expect your dabbling in talismans and arrays to bear such fruit. But how far has your comprehension of Dao come?"

Certainly better than you…

Thinking this, Shu Yidan still politely replied, "As I said to Senior Sister Xiyi, I am on the edge of a breakthrough. Uncle-Master need not be worried for me."

"Well, I never expected you to be able to have the ability to capture Nascent Souls, the gap between Peak Golden Core and Early Nascent Soul is too much to bridge… even sword cultivators have more of a killing force rather than capturing power. Your father slaughtered Peak Nascent Souls at Peak Golden Core but he was an exception… Ah, I never expected you to remind me of your father. His death was a tragedy…" Shu Yidan didn't know how, but the conversation somehow shifted to his father.

"…You are your father's son after all. Still, you shouldn't be too anxious while cultivating. Hastiness can lead to a shaky foundation, and for entering Nascent Soul, a solid foundation is a must…" Uncle-Master Kang suddenly advised him. He seemed to have lost all arrogance of a Divine Transformation, and began treating Shu Yidan like a grandpa… just like the other Divine Transformation in the Sect.

His father's halo was so bright, it would brighten his son's face even years after his death?

"…I need a Divine Sense analytical scan of Ye Wenying's body. Maybe I can …-" Before he could complete his statement, Shu Yidan found himself catching another jade slip.

"Here it is. I did try my best, but Time Dao based poisons are hard to cancel." There was the indifferent tone again.

"Thank you. …Also, since you are going to meet the Sect Master, do report to him… I didn't quite inform him beforehand." Shu Yidan had gotten all he wanted from the Divine Transformation cultivator now. He couldn't squeeze out resources and money directly from him, so this was enough.

"Certainly. Also, remember to pay attention to your foundation. Using resources to fatten up cultivation base is all well and good, but bitter cultivation has advantages as well…" Saying this, the Divine Transformation Elder Kang waved at Luo Xiyi and Mu Rengxue, and they quickly bid him goodbye to follow the Elder out.

Seeing the Elder go out, Feng Shiyao and Duan Shanwei felt a little offended. The guests had completely ignored them, after all.

"Don't worry, the Elder and his disciples are a little antisocial. They aren't quite that welcoming to strangers." Shu Yidan idly consoled them.

Saying this, Shu Yidan introduced the two to Ye Wenying. "Ye Wenying… well, she is basically my maid, she takes care of me. Feng Shiyao, don't conflict with her."

Ye Wenying began. "Young master, I…"

Shu Yidan knew she was going to speak something about how she was useless and a waste of resources, so he simply tapped her lips. "Don't worry, it is alright. Ye Wenying, I'll tell you this straight – I like having you around so I won't compromise on saving you."

Ye Wenying looked at him with a baffled but somewhat humbled expression.

Saying that, Shu Yidan sighed, "However, your life is impossible to save with orthodox methods, so we'll enter the unorthodox path of the Demonic cultivators.

You won my father's attention because of your Dao Heart so I'll guess that you can tolerate pain. So the best path for you allows you to cast a – Nascent Soul and gain thousand years of life… a thousand years of life in hell-like pain. How about it, are you willing to enter hell and suffer everlasting regret to keep your life and power?"