The Eight Empresses Betrayed Me, Only to Deeply Regret It After Being Reborn

“I’ll go first!”

“The reason we’ve called this meeting—aside from Master—is because the three of us should already recognize our own mistakes. Senior Brother, in our past life, without a doubt, loved us. It was our own misunderstanding of him, and the manipulations of malicious people, that led us to act against him. What followed was betrayal and harm. That was truly our fault.”
Yue Hongling spoke up first. Her high ponytail swayed gently, her eyes bright with light.
She couldn’t help but imagine—if Lu Ye were to accept them again, could they return to those carefree days?

If they needed a treasure, they only had to ask Lu Ye.
If it was too much, they could pout a little.
If it was really too much… they could agree to some outrageous demands from Lu Ye.

No matter where they went, they’d be treated with courtesy. The way other women looked at them was always filled with envy.
That kind of life—after a while, it had started to feel dull. Like with all that deference, the world had wrapped itself in a layer of unreal silk. Yue Hongling had grown sick of it.
But now, that veil had been ripped off.

And beneath it, there really was nothing but blood and flesh, fire and suffering.
Bai Qiulan didn’t speak.
She, too, wanted Lu Ye to forgive them. She was his master, after all. And now they were like mortal enemies—truly, things should not have turned out this way.

“When we face Senior Brother, we can’t be as spoiled as before. We should take it slow, step by step, and gradually re-enter his life. Let’s each say where we think we should start,” Chu Ling said.
“I think we should begin with his daily life. In our past life, I handled everything about Young Master’s clothing, food, housing, and travel. In this life, without me, I don’t think he’s eaten a proper meal. He’s always wearing just those same two sets of clothes. Although he’s very handsome, if you see the same look too many times, even beauty becomes tiring. What do you all think?”
“No use. Lu Ye has always been someone ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) who knows how to fend for himself. The reason he doesn’t change clothes often is because he finds it unnecessary. As for food, he’s never been too interested. He even said the food here tastes awful,” Bai Qiulan immediately shut down Chu Ling’s suggestion.

“I think Lu Ye hasn’t had any intimacy with a woman for a long time. Why don’t I try seducing him? He always comes back like a starving wolf after going out, tormenting people like crazy. But ever since he was reborn, I bet he’s only used his hands to chase his dreams,” Shangguan Huanling suggested.
Yue Hongling rolled her eyes.
“Did you forget that he’s got a certain little green tea beside him?”

Shangguan Huanling blinked.
“They’re not in a dao companion relationship, are they?”
“How would you know? Any fool can see she’s clearly that jerk’s dao companion!”
Shangguan Huanling couldn’t quite be sure either, so she mumbled, “I just don’t think they are… At least not yet.”

Shangguan Huanling might not have been very bright, but her observation skills were sharp.
The system, now transformed into Shen Xitong, didn’t seem interested in becoming Lu Ye’s dao companion—she just wanted juicier gossip, sweeter drama.
She was a total lunatic, ever since she took form and started being led around by that dog of a host.

And Lu Ye? He was even more disinterested. After getting backstabbed by eight women, the guy basically had psychological trauma toward the whole female gender. If Shen Xitong weren’t the system, he would’ve kicked her out ages ago.
One after another, the women pitched more ideas—
But none of them seemed like good entry points.

“What if… we just expose that woman? We’ve all been reborn now. Lu Ye isn’t even trying to get involved with any woman. And she’s got no power to act arrogant anymore,” Shangguan Huanling said, throwing her hands up.
The others all looked at her at once.
Shangguan Huanling shrank back.
“What? Why are you all looking at me like that?” she asked, confused.

“So you’re not an idiot after all!”
“Who was it that came up with the nickname ‘Shangguan Idiot’ again?”
“This one works!”

The three of them all agreed.
Poisoning Lu Ye couldn’t have been something they all impulsively agreed to on the spot.
There had to be someone who orchestrated it.

And that person would’ve needed to command respect.
Bai Qiulan could’ve done it—but she had never hated Lu Ye to that extent. Even if he had broken moral boundaries, he’d been left with no choice at the time.
That meant it had to be someone else.

“Who’s going to tell him?”
“I will!” Chu Ling raised her hand first.
“I want to go too!” Yue Hongling was unwilling to back down.

Neither of them wanted to miss this golden opportunity to rack up favor points.
“Hongling, let me go. I’m no good without Young Master…” Chu Ling pleaded.
“Ling’er, Senior Brother’s still angry with you. If you go, he might not even talk to you. But I’m different. I’ve already been punched by Senior Brother a few times—his anger toward me has probably cooled down by now. So I’m more suitable.”

Shangguan Huanling and Bai Qiulan watched the two argue.
“Stop fighting. Let’s draw lots. Whoever gets the short straw goes.”
…

Meanwhile, Lu Ye was deep in cultivation.
The Path-Hiding Technique was especially difficult to practice. Even while sitting beneath the Enlightenment Tree, in a state of deep comprehension, it would still take at least a month or two before he could master it.
His cultivation realm was steadily rising—he had already reached the Third Layer of the Tribulation Crossing Realm.

One after another, spiritual medicines and divine metals were refined by him, turning into solid reinforcements for what was to come.
Knock knock knock!
Someone gently knocked on the door of his courtyard.

Lu Ye didn’t move a muscle. Outside, the one knocking was Chu Ling.
He ignored it. But Shen Xitong couldn’t stay idle. A multicolored light shimmered, and her peerlessly beautiful figure stepped out from within Lu Ye’s body, a playful smile on her face as she strolled toward the door.
The doors opened.

“Attendant Chu is surprisingly polite. Not like that ex-wife Yue, who always bangs on the door like a brute. So annoying,” Shen Xitong said with a smile.
Chu Ling had seen Shen Xitong before—but she was still overwhelmed by her looks and presence.
“Daoist friend, I came to—”

“Stop!”
Shen Xitong immediately cut her off.
“Don’t call me ‘Daoist friend.’ I’m terrified of being backstabbed. You don’t need to address me at all. Let’s just pretend we’re total strangers. The closer we get, the more likely I am to get backstabbed by you. Strangers are better. Strangers are safe…”

Chu Ling’s face turned black. She was indignant.
“I haven’t stabbed that many people in the back! Don’t slander me like that!”
“Oh? Really?”

“Let me count… Wuyue Sword Peak, Hunyuan Sword Sect, Tianluo Sword Sect, Xuantian Sword Sect, Guixu Sword Sect…”
With each name Shen Xitong recited, Chu Ling’s presence shrank a little more, like air leaking from a balloon. Shen Xitong listed them like dishes on a menu—one after another.
Chu Ling was suddenly deflated like a frost-struck eggplant.

Only now did she realize—she had backstabbed so many people in her past life.
Back then, Lu Ye had given her the fewest treasures, and she’d assumed it was because she lacked resources.
Later, she discovered that all the treasures she was supposed to receive had gone to compensate her victims instead.

At the time, Lu Ye had believed that Chu Ling was simply short on supplies. Only later did he understand—she just genuinely liked stabbing people in the back.
Looking at it now, she had just really wanted to cause him trouble.