Xin couldn't help but touch his face.
This problem was so serious that it made him question his own appearance for the first time in years.
"…Is it really that concerning?"
"Teacher Xin, what exactly was 'that incident' mentioned in the farewell letter? You two…?"
Qian Renxue's golden pupils, which had once been bright with anticipation, now felt unusually dim.
She had been the one who personally handed the letter over.
Now, every word she had read felt heavier than the last.
She looked at Xin again, as if trying to confirm something she feared but could not fully understand.
Xin let out a long sigh.
"I originally intended to explain this matter when Teacher Dong had adapted more to the academy environment."
His voice lowered slightly.
"But since she has already left… there is no need to mention it now."
He turned away slightly, as if the topic itself carried a complicated weight.
A silence fell over the room.
That silence, however, was more terrifying than any explanation.
Qian Renxue's fingers curled tightly at her sides.
So it was something important.
Something serious enough that even Teacher Xin wouldn't speak of it lightly.
Her mind raced through countless possibilities—but none of them made her feel any better.
Her confidence, her expectations, even her excitement for academy life—all of it felt like it had been shaken at its foundation.
She lowered her head slightly.
Then, after a long pause, she spoke.
"Teacher Xin."
Her voice was steady.
Strangely steady.
"A month ago, you asked me to consider which cultivation path to choose, and I still haven't reached a conclusion."
Xin looked back at her.
Qian Renxue slowly raised her head again.
But now, something in her gaze had changed.
Not confusion.
Not hesitation.
But a kind of resolve sharpened by emotional impact.
"Now, I've made my choice."
The room seemed to grow colder.
Even the drifting cherry blossoms outside the window slowed in the wind.
She stepped forward.
"I will choose the Fallen Angel path."
Her voice became firmer with each word.
"If darkness can bring greater strength, then I will cultivate it."
"I will master the Twelve-Winged Sin-Punishing Fallen Angel."
A faint glow flickered in her golden eyes—no longer pure curiosity, but determination shaped by frustration and misunderstanding.
"I can learn it very well now."
Silence followed.
Xin looked at her for a long moment.
Then sighed softly.
"…Are you sure?"
The cherry blossoms outside continued to fall.
But the direction of Qian Renxue's path… had already begun to change.