Naturally, Jing Xiao was too embarrassed to repeat what she had just said.
She quickly shook her head and said that such matters were not really secrets. However, since Senior Brother Gu was curious, she naturally wouldn't dampen his interest.
She then began to talk about how Ling Yuxian had once lived with her family for a period of time.
Ling Yuxian had been brought over by the current Palace Master, Ling Qiuhan. At that time, Jing Xiao didn't know that the person who brought Ling Yuxian would turn out to be the famous Palace Master of the Imperial Immortal Palace.
She also didn't know that her seemingly ordinary parents would have any connection with such a figure, let alone a deep friendship. However, at that time, even if she had known, she wouldn't have had much of a concept of the Imperial Immortal Palace. She had only occasionally heard the name of this behemoth from the mouths of some cultivators.
The arrival of Ling Yuxian brought joy to her entire family. Her father, in particular, took the task of looking after his old friend's entrusted child very seriously, treating Ling Yuxian as if she were his own adopted daughter. Jing Xiao had even thought that she might gain a sister and lose her status as the most beloved child in the family.
At that time, she was still quite young and naturally the most doted-on child in the family. She also had an older brother named Jing Xiang, who had been born with a shattered dantian and was unable to cultivate. Later, her parents spent a great deal of resources to repair his dantian, but this resulted in him becoming a "leakless body," unable to absorb or circulate spiritual energy, let alone cultivate. He could only live as an ordinary person.
Despite this, it didn't affect her brother's temperament. From a young age, he had been extremely open-minded and indifferent to everything, never minding his inability to cultivate. During the time Ling Yuxian stayed with their family, it was the happiest and most carefree period for the three of them.
However, Jing Xiao didn't like Ling Yuxian very much. She thought Ling Yuxian was too beautiful, her beauty too dazzling. Even though she was still young, wherever she went, people would always notice her first, often overshadowing those around her.
Moreover, Jing Xiao noticed that her brother, Jing Xiang, seemed to have a subtle affection for Ling Yuxian, to the point where he began to neglect her, focusing all his attention on Ling Yuxian.
But Ling Yuxian's personality was overly proud. She often said that she was destined to stand at the pinnacle of the Great Dao, transcending all living beings.
"In this vast world, even if countless people see me, they must lower their heads before me." Such words were incredibly arrogant, especially coming from someone so young. Later, Ling Yuxian often used this to tease Jing Xiao, saying that her talent was too poor and that she would never go far in cultivation. She even suggested that Jing Xiao should just stay by her side as a little maid, and when she achieved the Dao, she would grant Jing Xiao eternal life, allowing her to stand above the Nine Heavens.
Naturally, Jing Xiao was furious about this. What made it worse was that her parents admired Ling Yuxian greatly, believing that she would achieve unimaginable heights in the future, becoming a supreme being who stood above all worlds. They had never given such high praise to her or her brother, Jing Xiang. Especially Jing Xiao, who had shown remarkable talent in cultivation from a young age and had already achieved a high level of cultivation. How could she not feel resentful?
Even her brother, Jing Xiang, tried to persuade her not to be angry with Ling Yuxian. His kind and gentle demeanor only made Jing Xiao even more frustrated, feeling that he was too weak-willed.
Jing Xiang, being the oldest among the three, often took care of both Jing Xiao and Ling Yuxian. However, Jing Xiao often felt that he favored Ling Yuxian more, paying less attention to his own sister.
Unfortunately, Ling Yuxian's proud nature meant that she didn't care much for those who were weaker than her. She never paid much attention to Jing Xiang, who couldn't cultivate, but she often sparred with Jing Xiao under the pretext of exchanging insights. Every time, she easily defeated Jing Xiao, leaving her gritting her teeth in frustration.
This kind of life continued in the Jing family for over a decade. Although Jing Xiao and Ling Yuxian often clashed, they still had some affection for each other. Jing Xiao gradually accepted the fact that she was no match for Ling Yuxian.
However, everything changed the day before Ling Yuxian was taken away by the Palace Master of the Imperial Immortal Palace.
Jing Xiao guessed that her brother, Jing Xiang, worried that he would never see Ling Yuxian again after she left the Jing family. So, on the night before Ling Yuxian's departure, he mustered the courage to confess his feelings to her.
The result was as expected. Ling Yuxian, with her proud personality, never expected Jing Xiang to express his feelings. She immediately and firmly rejected him, stating that her lifelong pursuit was the pinnacle of the Great Dao and that she would never consider romantic relationships. She also told Jing Xiang that she had always seen him as an older brother and had never felt anything more for him.
This rejection left Jing Xiang heartbroken, even though he had somewhat expected it. For a time, he was deeply depressed. Ling Yuxian then coldly pointed out the gap between them. She said that she was destined to stand above all worlds, while Jing Xiang, unable to cultivate and even absorb spiritual energy, would live for only a few hundred years before returning to dust.
Even if she agreed to be with him, in a few hundred years, he would turn to dust, while she would remain as radiant and beautiful as ever. The gap between them was like that between immortals and mortals, an insurmountable chasm.
Jing Xiang's inability to cultivate had always been a taboo subject in the Jing family. Yet, Ling Yuxian had mercilessly exposed his deepest wound that night. Jing Xiao didn't know why Ling Yuxian had said such cruel things to her brother.
But from that night on, her once open-minded and carefree brother began to drown his sorrows in alcohol, becoming gloomy and tearful.
Seeing this, Jing Xiao couldn't bear it. After repeatedly questioning him, her brother finally revealed the truth of that night. Jing Xiao was furious. Such words were not only cruel but also a humiliation to her brother. This was why she had defied her family's orders and come to the Imperial Immortal Palace alone to cultivate. She wanted to take revenge on Ling Yuxian, to wash away the shame she had brought upon her brother and make her apologize for what she had said.
"So that's how it was," Gu Changge said after listening, showing a look of understanding. "It seems that the conflict between you and Ling Yuxian some time ago was because of this. It's a pity that I overestimated my own strength. I thought I could defeat her, but I didn't expect her to be even stronger and more unfathomable than before. When I fought her recently, I was still defeated in one move."
Jing Xiao nodded, her face filled with dejection and bitterness.
This matter was something even her current master, Elder Jiulin, didn't know about. Gu Changge was the first person she had told.