It is said that Jiang Shining, the Sword Venerable, fought her archenemy Xu Guanxue atop Mount Xuan. Afterward, she severed the Immortal-Binding Bridge and ascended to immortality.
But no one knew that her cultivation had been completely lost, and that she had gone blind in both eyes.
And her archenemy was groveling before her, coaxing her into becoming his wife so he could trick her into spending every night in his arms.
-
Jiang Shining knows that her savior, Ying Qing, is a simple country girl.
Ying Qing was the one who dug her out of the snow and carried her down the mountain. She didn't mind that Jiang Shining was blind, and cared for her tirelessly for three months.
Ying Qing's hands are covered in calluses, she's incredibly strong, and she's good at every kind of work, both inside and outside the home. But she's also sensitive and often leans close to Jiang Shining's ear to ask, "Once you're better, are you going to leave me?"
Whenever that happens, Jiang Shining tilts her head back, trying to hold herself together. Her temples are damp, and a glimmer of moisture shines in her eyes.
"I... won't."
"You really won't?" Ying Qing keeps her head bowed humbly, her expression impossible to read, and murmurs, "Then you must remember what you said. If you lie to me, I won't be able to stop myself from..."
Stop herself from what?
Jiang Shining can't hear her clearly, and can no longer think.
Later, after her wife has passed away, Jiang Shining often thinks back to that moment and wishes she knew what Ying Qing was about to say.
But the dead are gone, and dwelling on the past won't change anything. Jiang Shining can only force herself to look forward and take up her long-sheathed sword once more. She fights her way into the Floating Light Hall and cries, "Xu Guanxue, you vile coward! Give me back my wife's life!"
Theme: Have the courage to admit your mistakes
