Mysterious mirror hanging high

Chapter 950 The Bird in the Cage

Even the slow-witted Ling Qishuang realized that the gray-robed youth was indirectly insulting her, and her face showed deep resentment.

"What's so funny!"

Jing Yu said helplessly, "You want to kidnap Ming Yutai all by yourself? I'd like to ask you, it's easy for you to get into the Ming Mansion, but how will you get out with the unconscious Ming Yutai?"

Ling Qishuang raised an eyebrow: "What's so difficult about that? I'll transform into Mingyutai's appearance, take him into my cave, and then swagger out."

"There were two people when you came in, but you only came out as one... Aren't you afraid that the spies in the Ming Palace will become suspicious?" Jing Yu said, rubbing her forehead.

"I can easily cover it up with a lie," Ling Qishuang stubbornly insisted.

"How could a mere cultivator from a grotto-heaven level like you possibly fathom the methods of a high-level cultivator? With a single mind-reading ability and lie-detecting technique, he exposed your true colors. Do you really think you can leave the Ming Mansion?"

Jing Yu sighed, "Even if you got incredibly lucky and actually managed to kidnap Ming Yutai, would a True Immortal power listen to the whims of a mere cultivator from a grotto-heaven? Would they even exchange hostages? If they encountered someone ruthless, they wouldn't tolerate your behavior. They would have crushed Ling Xiao with a single finger that very night to deter the villains!"

"Moreover, your identity is sensitive; you are a direct descendant of the Ling family... This matter may seem trivial, merely a case of you, Miss Ling, acting foolishly and making such a laughingstock of yourself... But on a larger scale, was it authorized by higher-ups in your Ling family? It's possible that such a small matter could escalate into a fuse for conflict between two True Immortal forces!"

"Have you thought about how many people will die between the two star systems at that time?"

Ling Qishuang's face turned pale upon hearing this, but after a moment, veins bulged on her forehead, and she angrily said, "What can I do! My elders have sold me out, am I just supposed to obediently submit?"

"Fine, you think I've played this hand terribly? So how are you going to fight back? The clan is pressuring me with righteous indignation, and my parents and uncles are appealing to my emotions... On one side is the family's interests, and on the other is the path to immortality. How would you have handled this situation?"

Jing Yu said with a mocking expression, "If you don't want to marry Ming Yutai, why involve innocent people... With your transformation technique that even immortals can't see through, where in the world can't you go? Why not just hide your identity and leave? Wouldn't that be more efficient?"

Ling Qishuang gritted her teeth and said, "I grew up in the Ling family and have received the kindness of the clan in raising me. How can I just leave like this! It's easy for you to say!"

Jing Yu mercilessly exposed Ling Qishuang's excuse: "Hmph, the path of a rogue cultivator is full of thorns. What is a mere cave-heaven cultivator in this immortal realm? I bet you're just afraid that if you leave, without the spiritual resources and guidance of the Ling family, you'll delay Miss Ling's promising path!"

As if her sore spot had been truly touched, Ling Qishuang's face flushed red, and for the first time ever, a hint of unspeakable embarrassment appeared in her eyes; she was almost in tears.

"You...how could you slander someone's innocence out of thin air...I...I..."

She took a deep breath and gritted her teeth, saying, "The Ling family's resources... I am indeed somewhat reluctant to part with them, but that's only about 10% of the reason I'm unwilling to leave. The rest is mostly because I can't bear to leave my family and relatives..."

Upon hearing this, Jing Yu raised an eyebrow: "You are more honest than I thought, I believe you... It seems that the Ling family's resources only account for about 50% of what you think."

Ling Qishuang gritted her teeth: "It's one-tenth!"

"I don't care how much of a percentage you have." Jing Yu rolled her eyes. "I just don't understand. Since you care so much about your family, why can't you just compromise and get married?"

Ling Qishuang roared, "They're just using me as a puppet to bear children! Once a Xuanpin Spiritual Body conceives and gives birth, its Dao foundation will be severely damaged. How can it then have any hope of achieving the Great Dao?"

"My aptitude is not bad, and my comprehension is outstanding in the clan. Even the ancestor praised my speed in cultivating the [Law of Creation]... Given time, I may well be able to shoulder the responsibility of the clan!"

Jing Yu retorted sarcastically, "You? You think you can become a true immortal before the Ling family patriarch passes away?"

"I...I...even if I can't become a true immortal, I still have some hope of reaching the Celestial Immortal realm."

Jing Yu scoffed, "Go ask the disciples of the major powers in the Third Heaven. Even the most outstanding geniuses, how many of them dare to say that they can definitely transcend the mortal realm and become immortals?"

"Even if you are fortunate enough to cultivate into a Celestial Immortal, what great use is a Celestial Immortal? Does your Ling family need another Celestial Immortal like you?"

"On the contrary, if you can marry Ming Yutai and give birth to a peerless genius, you might be able to pave your own path by virtue of your son."

"If your offspring can truly achieve the realms of Golden Immortal, Dao Lord... or even Dao Venerable, what is there that cannot be cured of mere damage to the Dao Foundation!"

Ling Qishuang said dejectedly, "It's not that easy!"

Jing Yu shook her head: "You're not smart enough. You don't know how to assess the situation, nor do you understand the importance of flexibility..."

"In fact, marrying into the Tianmang Sect doesn't necessarily mean you can't achieve great things. If you can truly give birth to a being with the potential of a Dao Venerable, why worry that He won't be able to help you obtain a Golden Immortal position?"

"After all, you are also a cultivator, and you are still young. You can wait patiently for the child to grow into a towering tree."

Jing Yu's eyes held a hint of melancholy: "If my mother had also possessed a spiritual root back then, hmph..."

He then added, "You're not ruthless enough. You framed a true prodigy, which has already offended him terribly. Yet you feel guilty and still want to save him... Even if you really get Ling Xiao out of trouble, do you think he'll necessarily appreciate your kindness?"

"If you can be truly evil to the end, I might actually think more highly of you."

Jing Yu sighed, "You're unwilling to use your brain, and you can't bring yourself to be ruthless... You're indecisive and hesitant. Your talent in cultivation and your understanding of the Dao may truly be considered genius, but in terms of character, you're just an ordinary person."

"With such a weak Dao heart, even if you are fortunate enough to transcend the mortal realm and become an immortal, the higher you go, the more delusions will arise and inner demons will invade your body... How can you reach the other shore?"

At this moment, Jing Yu's tone was cold and hard, her voice loud and forceful, as if she had delivered an irrefutable verdict on Ling Qishuang's first half of life:

"They are both attached to the kindness and gratitude of being in a warm nest, and yearn for the freedom of soaring through the clouds..."

"Desiring to fulfill the earnest hopes of the entire family, I cannot give up my own glorious path."

"Looking ahead and behind, bound by gratitude and obligation, it's hard to sever worldly ties like a silkworm spinning its cocoon..."

"Struggling to cope with all sides, his wisdom and skills are exposed, and his attempts at change are like a caged bird pouncing on the eaves!"

A hint of pity appeared in his eyes:

"My heart is torn between two extremes, like a boat sailing against the current, unable to move forward or backward..."

"If one is both ambitious and confused, like a horse stuck in a quagmire, it will be difficult to take care of both its head and tail."

"You're hopeless!"