Chapter 8: Would I Look This Beautiful in a Wedding Dress?

After leaving the Transmission Hall, Lu Chengfeng headed directly back to Bixiao Peak. The power he had acquired from his unique talent, "Widow's Gift," had yet to be fully absorbed, and he knew he could still grow significantly stronger. Now, more than ever, he needed to retreat and cultivate.

Upon his return, the first person he encountered was his junior sister, Zhao Ling'er. Sixteen years old, she wore a fitted red dress and small riding boots. Her skin was fair as snow, and her face delicate, though the once-spoiled and lively expression she used to wear was now gone.

As the treasured daughter of Zhao Changzhen, Ling'er had always been the beloved junior sister of everyone on Bixiao Peak. But after the tragic death of her father and the subsequent upheavals, she seemed to have matured overnight.

"Senior Brother, I have something I'd like to discuss with you," she said.

Lu Chengfeng noticed the red in her eyes, her usually neat hair slightly disheveled. It was clear she hadn't slept. His heart softened at the sight, remembering how he'd cared for her since they were young.

When he had first entered the sect, she was only seven or eight, and the two had grown up together like siblings. He had always treated her like family, a bond strengthened by years of shared experiences and memories.

Yet, just the other night, during his wedding to Luo Suyi, a tipsy Zhao Ling'er had tugged on his sleeve and whispered, "Senior Brother, when our wedding day comes, would I look as beautiful in a wedding dress as she does?"

Her question had stunned him. Before he could respond, a stranger had stormed the ceremony, killing Zhao Changzhen on the spot. In an instant, everything changed, and Bixiao Peak was thrown into chaos.

Now, just a few days later, so much had changed—Lu Chengfeng was married, and the world they'd known seemed to have shifted irreversibly.

"Junior Sister…" he began, voice hoarse with unspoken regret.

Zhao Ling'er didn't reply, instead turning silently and walking toward the bamboo grove nearby. With a sigh, Lu Chengfeng followed, until they reached a small, lopsided bamboo hut they had built together.

"Do you remember, Senior Brother? We built this little hut together," Zhao Ling'er said, her back still to him. "Back then, I dreamed that we'd always be together, that nothing would ever separate us."

"But… that was just a dream…"

"My father is gone, but I never thought that you would leave me, too…"

Lu Chengfeng sighed deeply. "Junior Sister, I would never abandon you."

"But everything is different now, isn't it?" Zhao Ling'er's voice was calm, almost resigned. "Don't worry. I won't cling to you."

"But I still don't understand… Why did you have to marry Senior Sister Luo so urgently?"

"Do you really love her so much? Or do you hate me so much?"

Lu Chengfeng was at a loss for words, the bitterness in his heart too deep to express. The true reason behind his marriage to Luo Suyi—the mysterious talent he possessed—was something he would never disclose, not even to the people closest to him.

The main reason he had married Luo Suyi was to gain her late husband's abilities. But this was not something he could explain to others, so it naturally appeared to everyone that he had married her in haste, almost impatiently.

His mind drifted back to that night, to his junior sister's flushed cheeks as she leaned close and asked with a playful smile, "Senior Brother, would I look as beautiful in a wedding dress?"

It hadn't been long ago, yet it felt like a lifetime. So much had changed that it was almost unrecognizable.

"Junior Sister, I will always be your Senior Brother," he said softly.

At his words, Zhao Ling'er's shoulders trembled, though she kept her back to him. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Yes, Senior Brother. I know," she whispered.

"Today, I just wanted to tell you… I'm leaving Bixiao Peak."

Lu Chengfeng's face paled. After Zhao Changzhen's death and all the upheaval, he had hurriedly married Luo Suyi in a bid to secure stability and strength. But he had never anticipated how deeply this would hurt Zhao Ling'er.

The image of her soft, young face tilted up toward him, her eyes filled with a mix of hope and vulnerability, was etched into his heart. If Zhao Changzhen had not been killed, things could have been so different…

"Junior Sister… where will you go?" he asked, feeling an indescribable heaviness.

"I'm planning to go to Luosha Peak and seek tutelage under Elder Jade Luosha."

The name made Lu Chengfeng pause. Among the many outer peaks, Luosha Peak was one of the most formidable. Elder Jade Luosha was rumored to have been heartbroken in her youth, causing her to develop an intense hatred for the unfaithful. Her Bright Moon Heartbreaking Blade technique was said to rival even the inner peak elders in skill, a fearsome force indeed.

If Ling'er could apprentice under her, she would not only have powerful protection but would also hold a prestigious position, comparable to an inner disciple.

In Bixiao Peak's current unstable state, it might indeed be the best choice for her.

Knowing this didn't ease the ache in Lu Chengfeng's heart, though. Forcing a smile, he asked, "When did you connect with Luosha Peak?"

Zhao Ling'er tilted her head, trying to mask the tears streaming down her face with a forced smile. "You didn't know, did you? Elder Jade Luosha actually came to Bixiao Peak three years ago, intending to take me as her disciple."

"She said my constitution aligned with her cultivation techniques and that my fate held an emotional trial. She suggested that following her to Luosha Peak would grant me peace."

"I refused at the time. But now… I have no choice but to humbly seek her out."

Lu Chengfeng's heart clenched, and he found himself blurting, "If you chose to stay then, why not stay now?"

Turning to face him, Zhao Ling'er's tear-streaked face blossomed with a bright smile. "Because you're no longer mine, Senior Brother. This place is no longer my home."

"Goodbye, Senior Brother. Take care."

As she passed him, a tear slid from her cheek onto his sleeve.

They brushed past each other, and his hand twitched, aching to reach out to her, but he stopped himself. He had no right to hold her back now.

Letting her leave Bixiao Peak, this place of painful memories, was perhaps the kindest thing he could do.

After a long moment, Lu Chengfeng turned back, only to find that Zhao Ling'er was gone. He extended his hand into the empty air, feeling a hollow ache.

Walking slowly into the small bamboo hut, he found a simple stone table with a single bamboo dragonfly resting on it.

Once, there had been two.

Realizing she had taken the other, Lu Chengfeng felt a pang of both sadness and a faint glimmer of joy that he didn't quite understand.

Carefully, he tucked the remaining bamboo dragonfly into his robe. Stepping outside, he drew his sword with a sharp clang, the flash of its blade catching the light.

Not wanting to see anyone or deal with his tangled feelings, he threw himself into his sword practice amidst the bamboo grove.

Sword light sliced through the air, scattering bamboo leaves, as he absorbed

the last remnants of Zhao Changzhen's martial knowledge, each move bringing him closer to mastery.