CHAPTER 406
The Wooden Block
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She knew it!
She knew it!
What empathy? Master remembered her!
Just like her, the Master remembered everything that had happened over these thousand years!
It's common knowledge that when only a single lifeline remains, people will cling to it desperately—without even pausing to consider whether it's a saving straw or a thorn that pierces the palm.
Once a person fixates on an answer, they instinctively seek justifications to prove it true.
Later, Chu Youwei reflected that even if she could have realized it sooner, it no longer mattered. The person before her was her Master.
As for Su Cheng, he secretly wished he truly was the reincarnation of the original master, hoping to offer his disciple before him a little more peace and stability.
But he could accept the identity of a dungeon instance entity too.
"Youwei, my dear, your master is here. Your master will always be with you…"
Su Cheng murmured to himself for a long time, mostly empty words meant to soothe a child.
But Chu Youwei loved it. This was a thousand seven hundred years of grievances—she intended to make up for it all with her master!
Xiao Ai had slipped away at some point, seemingly the instant Chu Youwei entered the room.
She was Lady Gu Ai, Su Cheng's most capable personal attendant. She never disappointed him, and this time was no exception.
The means and methods didn't matter—whether it was guidance or deception, it was ultimately harmless. Both of them understood this implicitly and wouldn't blame her.
"Master, you clearly remember Youwei! Why?! Bad Master! Bad Master!"
"If Youwei had known, she would never have done such a foolish thing!"
"Waaah! Waaah!"
Though she was the scythe-wielding demoness, now she was a cute little thing pounding her chest with tiny fists, hiccuping when she cried herself out, grumbling about her bad master's actions.
She came to apologize, yet every other word was "bad Master"~
"It's all my fault. I've always known Yuwei's nature. She insists on handling everything herself. But I wish she'd be a little more selfish, think more of herself, and not do foolish things for my sake."
But Su Cheng forgot—Youwei knew her master's nature just as well!
It seemed Xiao Ai's hunch was confirmed—Su Cheng bore striking similarities to Chu Youwei's master in many ways. Perhaps he really was a dungeon clone… or maybe not.
"Master! I knew it! You saying this means you're the one about to do something foolish!"
"If Master is acting strange, how could Youwei possibly do something foolish?"
"Youwei won't allow it! Youwei refuses!"
Chu Youwei had finally found her master—how could she bear to be alone again?
"Don't worry, Little Wei. Though I appear to be only at the Nascent Soul stage, in truth, I've reached the Invincible Realm! I'm incredibly powerful!"
"Do you take me for a child? What 'invincible realm'?"
"Hehe, it means that unless this master wants to die, no one can harm me. Youwei can rest assured."
Though he spoke thus, Su Cheng still hadn't regained his peak strength.
"Did Master cultivate even more powerful immortal techniques in other worlds while I was away?"
This was Chu Youwei's imagination running wild. As mentioned earlier, when you love someone, you always find excuses for them, explaining away the unreasonable gaps.
Why was the scythe in this world? The dungeon entity? Xiao Ai's existence?
Chu Youwei had already crafted answers for herself, even if Su Cheng never explicitly stated them.
She accepted the dungeon entity explanation—the only plausible one.
Su Cheng was a duplicate entity of the Master. After the Master's death, he encountered Xiao Ai in another world and grew even more powerful!
"Youwei, what you say isn't wrong. And this time, Youwei can become even more powerful than before!"
Chu Youwei had stopped crying, though she still occasionally hiccupped, nestled in Su Cheng's embrace.
For most men, having such a beauty nestled in their arms would be impossible to resist.
It was a natural instinct for men—to conquer beautiful girls and ensure the continuation of their bloodline. There was nothing wrong with that.
But to Su Cheng, whether it was Ye Qinghan's three direct disciples or Chu Youwei, they were all children in his eyes—people as dear to him as family.
This was precisely why Xiao Ai had fallen for this man. When duty and desire stood before him, Su Cheng would never abandon his reason for the sake of desire.
He remembered his role as their master. Caring for his disciples was his duty.
"Youwei, rest assured. Even if heavenly retribution descends and calamity befalls us, your master will protect you from harm and ensure your sisters find refuge in a corner of safety."
Xiao Ai cherished Chu Youwei deeply, which was why she had come to help personally.
For no other reason than that Chu Youwei would utter the following words.
"Master! You're always protecting this person and that person—why do you always forget about yourself?"
Because in Chu Youwei's heart, just like Ye Qinghan, the master came first, and the disciple second.
"Master, how about I protect you?"
Su Cheng remained silent, only gazing into Chu Youwei's deep purple eyes. Those eyes were brimming with emotion, filled to the brim with adoration.
He was the mightiest king, the Su Cheng with the highest stats—the king Xiao Ai had waited two hundred seventy-three years to find.
He had almost no weaknesses—except for being a wooden block who didn't understand women.
But this one flaw, when borne by a king, would be magnified infinitely.
Loving her would most likely go unrequited, for divinity demanded absolute rationality—and duty demanded the same.
Love, by its very nature, was emotional and impulsive.
What's even more absurd is that Lady Gu Ai, fully aware this love would never be reciprocated, still fell for the king she had chosen.
For she understood that if this love were reciprocated, it would mean Su Cheng had lost his reason—and thus no longer deserved to be her King.
Such is Gu Ai—a love truly hard to cherish.
Yet Gu Ai still has her reasons to love—for love is impulsive.
"Master, I'm sorry."
Su Cheng gently patted Chu Youwei's back, letting her bury herself in his embrace, enveloped in her alluring scent, and murmured softly in acknowledgment.
To Su Cheng, it meant little. He had never blamed her.
But Chu Youwei wouldn't forget to apologize, because one thing was one thing.
As if a knot had been untied, or perhaps a reconciliation achieved, Su Cheng knew Chu Youwei had reverted to being that disciple who wanted to break her legs—and that put his mind at ease.
At that moment, in the Eastern Domain's Sacred Mountain, the Pilgrimage Hall.
Li Shiyu disliked the lofty throne, so she simply sat on the steps. After all, a luxurious fur rug cushioned her behind, preventing any chill.
"Shiyao doesn't know what to do either. Those monsters in the black mist are terrifying. Shiyao isn't stupid—there's no way Shiyao is going!"
Du Changsheng had just rushed over to inform the elders of the latest news: a deadly zone spanning a full five li in radius had appeared in the Eastern Domain, right in its southern region. Small villages still clung to its edges. If left unchecked, it would surely harm the civilians.
Upon hearing this, the elders urgently sought solutions from Li Shiyu. But at this critical moment, Shiyu suddenly turned into a clueless fool…
But Shi Mingyi had awakened!
Su Cheng had once told him about the Holy Maiden, and the Holy Maiden herself had offered an explanation!
Moreover, at critical moments, Shiyu had never let anyone down!
Shiyao must have a plan. Since she wasn't panicking, he wouldn't either. He'd wait to see if Shiyao had any further divine edicts—or perhaps…
…some guidance?
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