Rebirth After Betrayal

Chapter 1

[1]

After my family was tragically wiped out, my sister Dayna remained calm and composed, like a serene flower in a storm.

When the head of the Divine Mountain sect took notice of me, she calmly declined on my behalf.

"How can you be so heartless and ungrateful, not even properly mourning our parents!"

Because of this, the head of sect deemed me disrespectful to my parents.

However, Dayna, being seen as loyal and righteous, was accepted as the head of sect's last disciple, accepted into the Immortal Sect, and was to officially become a disciple after a three-year mourning period.

Three years later, during the ceremony, both Dayna and I were captured by the Demon Clan.

The food and water I desperately scavenged, she ate without hesitation, yet she looked down on me.

"Even among demons, one must maintain their dignity!"

"How can you grovel to the demons, it's truly disgraceful and cowardly!"

In the end, I starved to death. But Dayna, because of her noble and virtuous behavior, caught the eye of the Demon Sovereign and became his favorite.

When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day my family was annihilated.

[2]

"Leanne, you have exceptional talent. Would you like to become my disciple and return with me to Sunset Peak?"

A familiar voice rang out above me.

I suddenly looked up and found myself in my ruined home.

My parents' bodies lay at the entrance, covered in blood, barely hidden by a torn white cloth.

Standing before me was the head of Sunset Peak.

Sunset Peak was the foremost of the Immortal Sect. To become an outer disciple, one had to pass numerous trials.

The term "Immortal Sect" was already something we ordinary people could only look up to, let alone the leader of the Immortal Sect, Sunset Peak.

Thus, what lay before me was a perfect opportunity to avenge my parents.

I remembered clearly that this day, when my family was annihilated, was the only time I saw him in my previous life.

That day, a young man had fallen for Dayna and wanted to marry her with great pomp, proclaiming his love in front of the entire neighborhood.

But Dayna, with her high standards, felt insulted by his proposal and angrily threw a teacup at him.

The teacup, made of fine porcelain, hit him squarely in a very sensitive spot, causing a bloody mess, and he fainted on the spot.

Dayna, terrified, fled in the ensuing chaos.

However, that young man was the only son of the city lord. His life was ruined by Dayna's actions.

In a furious rage, the city lord colluded with the already restless Demon Clan and wiped out my entire family.

My parents and the servants were savagely killed. I survived only because my parents hid me in the cellar.

It wasn't until dawn that Dayna stumbled back home.

Dayna and I were the only ones who survived the massacre.

But since the Demon Clan was involved and the city lord had left town with his son, the authorities couldn't find any evidence, and the deaths of my family members were left unresolved.

That same day, the head of Sunset Peak, who had come down the mountain to slay the demonic fiends, heard about our tragic situation and felt deep sympathy for Dayna and me.

He came to investigate and was astonished to discover my innate talent for swordsmanship.

And now, I heard Dayna's familiar, anguished voice: "Leanne, our parents' bodies are still warm, and you dare to be so heartless, without even mourning them? Are you so eager to curry favor and advance your own status?!"

She had said the same thing in my previous life.

At that time, my mind went blank, and I didn't even utter a word in my defense.

To others, it seemed like I had been exposed.

The head of Sunset Peak thus considered me disrespectful to my parents. Despite my exceptional talent, he considered my heart to be impure and never mentioned taking me as a disciple again.

The next day, Dayna was taken in as the head's last disciple, bypassing the usual ceremonies and brought into the Immortal Sect for training, all because she was deemed faithful and honorable.

I knew that once Dayna left, the city lord's revenge would fall upon me, so I pleaded with her to take me along.

But Dayna merely brushed my hands away: "The selection of disciples for the Immortal Sect requires numerous trials. If I break the rules and take you up, it would take away others' chances. It's too improper."

The head of Sunset Peak admired her even more, commending her for knowing her place, adhering to etiquette, and having noble character.

As for me, I became a complete "selfish person," looked down upon and scorned.

During the three years Dayna spent in the Immortal Sect, I was pursued by the city lord's men, my bones shattered, and I lost any chance of cultivating the Celestial Arts.

Three years later, at Dayna's disciple ceremony, I begged her to take me away, but the Demon Clan attacked again, capturing both Dayna and me, and imprisoning us in a dark dungeon.

I groveled and begged, just to get a scrap of food, a chance to survive.

I wasn't a cultivator. Without that meager bit of food, how could I live?

Dayna ate the food I had begged for, yet she looked down upon me, her eyes full of contempt and disdain.

"Even in the Demon Clan, one must live with dignity!"

"How can you grovel before the Demon Clan? It's completely shameless and spineless!"

Dayna's words reached the Demon Sovereign's ears, and I was denied any food, eventually starving to death in the dungeon.

Dayna, however, with her indomitable spirit, caught the Demon Sovereign's eye and became her trusted aide.

Dayna's words had once determined our very different fates.

This time, my fate would no longer be controlled by others.

Chapter 2

Dayna's words fell with a resounding finality.

I was lying flat on the ground, but unlike in my previous life, I didn't remain silent. Instead, I gritted my teeth and stood up.

"Dayna is mistaken. Leanne has no intention of joining Sunset Peak."

My eyes brimmed with tears, filled with sorrow and helplessness over the death of our parents.

"Dayna is right. Our parents have just passed away, and during the three-year mourning period, who will stay to honor them if I leave?"

Dayna's face stiffened, her expression almost breaking, her voice growing sharper. "But your previous actions clearly showed you wanted to abandon our parents and me to leave directly!"

In my past life, I had indeed been eager to leave, and my impatience had shown on my face.

The head of sect's probing gaze fell on me, and I met his eyes without flinching, nodding openly.

"Yes, I did have thoughts of leaving." Before Dayna could speak, I continued, "At that time, I was blinded by hatred and thought that mastering the Celestial Arts would allow me to avenge our parents."

"Now I realize Dayna is right. Our parents have just passed away; how can I leave? That would be a great act of unfilial piety!"

"As for revenge... revenge is a dish best served cold. I can wait three years."

The head of sect looked at me approvingly, pondering for a moment without giving a definitive answer.

Dayna's face visibly darkened.

She had only refused verbally, but in her heart, she wanted more than anyone to go to the ethereal Sunset Peak.

Seeing all her plans disrupted, not only failing to tarnish my image in the head of sect's eyes but also preventing her from entering the Immortal Sect, she pulled me aside, not even caring that the head of sect was present, and whispered urgently in my ear.

"Sunset Peak is such a wonderful place, with magical energy and resources far beyond what we have here. Are you really going to give it up?"

Her tone was full of inducement and suggestion.

She hoped I would succumb to temptation and ask to leave with the head of sect, so she could once again stand on the moral high ground and righteously condemn me.

She had always used me as a stepping stone to climb higher.

My existence was meant to highlight her calm and non-competitive nature.

But I was no longer the naive Leanne of my past life.

Feigning excessive grief, I threw myself in front of our parents' bodies.

Choking with emotion, my eyes blurred with tears, I answered firmly, "I am willing to give up the opportunity to join Sunset Peak and mourn our parents for three years!"

"Apologies, head of sect. After the three-year mourning period, I will participate in the trials and become your disciple with honor!"

After speaking, I bowed deeply three times.

Dayna was completely dumbfounded.

She wanted to say something but feared it would seem too deliberate.

She twisted the silk handkerchief in her hand almost to shreds, opening her mouth but unable to utter a word.

I smirked to myself.

She hadn't noticed that the head of sect's gaze towards her had become more scrutinizing.

She had yet to experience cultivation and didn't know that someone like the head of sect, who practiced the Celestial Arts, could hear whispers from miles away.

Having lived such a long life, how could he not detect the hidden implications in Dayna's words?

My actions also made the previously hesitant head of sect make up his mind.

He walked over and helped me up, his eyes full of approval. "You are a good child. I am willing to make an exception and accept you as my direct disciple, taking you up the mountain to cultivate. As for the initiation ceremony, we can complete it after the three-year mourning period."

"I will arrange for someone to handle your parents' funeral. Once they are buried, you can leave with me."

These words were identical to those in my past life.

Only the recipient had changed from Dayna to me.

"Thank you, head of sect!" I said loudly. "I will never forget your great kindness."

"Good child. If you need anything, you can come to me anytime."

He patted my head, gave me a pouch, and recited an address before leaving.

As soon as he left, Dayna's serene demeanor vanished, her face contorting with anger as she glared at me.

I knew she resented me for not following her plan. Such a good opportunity should have been hers.

But Dayna, nothing was ever truly meant for anyone.

In our past life, everything she gained was at the cost of my suffering.

Without me as a foil, how long could her calm and non-competitive facade last?

Chapter 3

From childhood, I lived under the shadow of Dayna, who was as serene as a lily.

Our parents bought clothes and jewelry for both of us, but she dismissed them with disdain. According to her, those were mere material things, unworthy of her attention. Her attitude made our parents think she was easily taken advantage of, so they always pr