The Art of Subduing Dragons

Chapter 85

The system's response further confirmed Luo Qingci's speculation. Her face was filled with compassion as she said with a choked voice after a long silence, "None of this was mentioned in the original text, so no one knew, right?"

The system remained silent, but Luo Qingci felt a deep sorrow for the original Luo Qingci. If the truth behind all this was as she suspected, then aside from the protagonist, there was another completely overlooked tragedy in this story—the original Luo Qingci herself.

She remembered how, while reading the original text, she found the character of the protagonist's master to be quite flat and one-dimensional. The master seemed like a deliberate obstacle in the protagonist's growth, with a bizarre personality that appeared to lack depth, embodying the archetype of a purely vicious villainess.

The author had described how beautiful and extraordinary she was, but readers only criticized her. They labeled Luo Qingci as a brainless and malicious flower vase, completely wasting such a character.

Luo Qingci herself was baffled by this portrayal. Since she was supposed to be a character walking the path of ruthlessness, she should have been solitary and beautiful in her own way.

Even if the protagonist sought revenge in the end, it should have been a straightforward, honorable duel in the way of the sword, defeating Luo Qingci cleanly and decisively. It shouldn't have involved such senseless targeting, making the character seem abrupt and thoughtless.

Now, as she pieced together the side story, Luo Qingci realized that the character in question was not poorly created, but rather a reflection of how everyone in that world perceived her.

The Luo Qingci emerging from the side story was full of flesh and blood. Even though she practiced the ruthless path, she was more emotional than anyone else.

Tianjizi had shaped her into a weapon with a brutal process.

"I don't understand. The effect of the Ruthless Sword Technique shouldn't be enough to completely alter someone's nature. Jiang Yuebai also mentioned that she wasn't suited for practicing the Ruthless Sword Technique. However, she learned the first six layers very well, and Tianjizi was very satisfied with her. But she struggled to break through the seventh layer, which began when the dragon and human tribes tore up the agreement."

Luo Qingci analyzed piece by piece, "Could it be because Tianjizi sealed her memories? But human emotions aren't solely tied to memories. It shouldn't be that sealing the memories related to Luo Yi would make Luo Qingci cold-hearted and indifferent."

She had a vague feeling that Luo Qingci must have experienced something even more unacceptable. If it weren't for external interference, Luo Qingci wouldn't have ended up this way. Over the long years, she had silently protected Ruan Li in a nearly cruel manner, and in the end, even dying in Ruan Li's hands without ever explaining herself—was it due to having nothing to say, or did she consider it a form of liberation?

Only she herself would know, and Luo Qingci couldn't ask her.

The Ziyu Ointment had alleviated much of the pain, but the two hundred lashes had not only inflicted flesh wounds but also damaged bones and muscles. Luo Qingci felt uncomfortable even lying down, so she grit her teeth and sat up, trying to change her clothes despite the pain.

The wounds on her back had only just begun to heal and couldn't withstand much movement, making her motions very slow.

Just as she had put her right hand into her clothes, a voice of "Master" startled her, causing her hand to jerk and aggravate the pain. Luo Qingci couldn't help but groan softly. Jiang Yuebai hadn't closed the door when she left, and the person outside heard her cry of pain and immediately rushed in.