Chapter 156: Calling the Parents
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"To avenge the past?"
"Ye Qinghan carries the bloodline of the Demon Emperor. Her mother was the Demon Emperor of the Northern Realm. Over a decade ago, multiple factions joined forces to suppress her, but she managed to escape."
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Rou immediately asked!
"Were we involved in that incident back then?"
Though Shangguan Rou could now hold her own against Ye Qinghan, she understood Lingxian Hall's influence all too well!
Her playful rivalry with Ye Qinghan was inconsequential; Master Su wouldn't sever ties with the Heavenly Dao Pavilion over such matters.
But if the Celestial Path Pavilion had participated in suppressing Ye Qinghan's mother back then, then the Celestial Path Pavilion would most likely be Lingxian Hall's mortal enemy!
How vengeful was Ye Qinghan? Needless to say, those who crossed her met grim fates.
How fiercely protective was Su Cheng? That too needed no explanation—those in the know understood perfectly well.
"The Celestial Path Pavilion had no involvement in the events of that year."
Lu Cheng too wore an expression of helplessness. The Celestial Path Pavilion had known of the matter back then, but to maintain the balance of power, they chose to watch from the sidelines.
First, the Demon Emperor possessed formidable power, matching even the Dragon King's might. Any misstep could lead to catastrophic losses.
Second, the Celestial Path Pavilion back then lacked the influence it holds today. It simply didn't possess the strength to intervene in such a battle between immortals.
Even if they had gone, they would have merely been used as cannon fodder, sent to their deaths.
Even if they sought to divide the spoils, they had to weigh whether they possessed the strength to survive until that moment.
Shangguan Rou breathed a sigh of relief. Establishing friendly relations with Lingxian Hall was the best outcome!
Though she couldn't persuade Cheng Liang, she still sought to foster friendly exchanges between sects. Even if true friendship wasn't possible, enmity must be avoided at all costs.
In a way, Shangguan Rou felt Lingxian Hall's existence might not be entirely detrimental.
Su Cheng gave her a positive impression—he wasn't an unreasonable man.
Currently, she and Ye Qinghan had no conflicting interests. Each pursued their own path, and their relationship was gradually improving.
Shangguan Rou believed the benefits of allying with Lingxian Hall far outweighed the costs of antagonism.
But she doubted her esteemed master would understand this. Cheng Liang's ambitions reached for the heavens, and as one who embodied the Way of Heaven, how could he ever consider allying with others?
Especially with a man he had always looked down upon?
Especially a man who had consistently opposed him?
Therefore, she held no hope for a genuine reconciliation between the two. After all, that Su Sect Leader was no pushover either. Maintaining the status quo was sufficient.
"What are you thinking about?" Su Muchan's voice drifted over from the side.
Su Muchan and Shangguan Rou had been together these past days. Upon learning they might encounter Su Cheng and Ye Qinghan, Su Muchan had come with Shangguan Rou.
After all, the time for the poison in her body to take effect was drawing near.
Su Muchan suspected that given Su Cheng's peculiar, almost avoidant behavior toward her, he might ask Ye Qinghan to keep his distance and help her find an antidote.
But there was another possibility: he might order Ye Qinghan to kill her, or refuse to give her the antidote.
But over these days, she had gained some understanding of Lingxian Hall. Most likely, Su Cheng had saved her that day, and if that was the case, he probably wouldn't kill her.
Therefore, she decided to test the waters, hoping to use Su Cheng's hand to neutralize the poison.
"No, but Mu Chan, aren't you cold dressed so lightly?"
"It's just a cold wind. It can't harm my sister."
"I know you're just obsessed with beauty!" Shangguan Rou raised her jade-like hand and tapped Su Muchan's forehead, looking utterly helpless.
As the two chatted, they sensed someone approaching and turned to look.
The arrivals were none other than Su Cheng and Yu Lan, who had come to check on Xu Zhanfeng's progress.
Though Su Cheng had no doubts about Xu Zhanfeng's abilities, he preferred to err on the side of caution in many matters.
Truthfully, if Su Cheng had been alone, the two women wouldn't have been so tense. The crucial factor was that Su Cheng was accompanied by a Dragon King.
Compared to their first meeting, Shangguan Rou was much more composed now, speaking in unison with Su Muchan.
"Greetings, Master Su."
Su Cheng smiled inwardly, thinking how swiftly the Heavenly Dao Pavilion had acted…
"No need for formalities, ladies."
Su Cheng harbored no ill will toward the two young ladies. After all, both had been thoroughly disciplined by Ye Qinghan~
[Shangguan Rou being here wasn't surprising, but why was Su Muchan here too?]
Before Su Cheng could ask, Shangguan Rou spoke up.
"Master Su, what brings you to the Northern Realm?"
Su Cheng immediately began spinning a tale. After all, without evidence, as long as he denied it, no one could prove him wrong.
"Oh, I brought Yu Lan out for some fun. We were halfway through building a snowman when I heard some commotion over here, so I came to investigate."
Shangguan Rou smiled and gestured toward the nearby snowman. "This snowman—could it be that Master Su…"
Su Cheng froze… This…
"I just arrived too. By the way, this snowman is pretty ugly." At the same time, Li Shiyao sneezed nearby…
After exchanging a few indifferent remarks, Shangguan Rou pretended to explain the current situation to Su Cheng.
Su Cheng nodded in shock: "Such things actually happened?"
Both understood the truth, yet neither dared speak it aloud. As civilized individuals, without concrete evidence, neither would make unfounded accusations.
Besides, with Sect Leader Su standing right there, even if she witnessed him murder someone with her own eyes, Shangguan Rou couldn't do anything about it. She could only pretend not to see.
The people of Lingxian Hall were ruthless and cunning. One misstep, and the news spreading back might be that the First Disciple of the Daoist Hall had gone missing in the North…
"Is Miss Mu Chan also here with Shangguan Rou?"
Su Cheng didn't mind tagging along; it was just a casual question.
But sometimes, speaking too much leads to mistakes. Su Muchan was clearly bolder than he had anticipated.
"Sister Shangguan said Miss Qinghan might be in the Northern Domain, so I followed along."
"Do you need something from Qinghan?"
"Yes, it's a matter of life and death."
Su Muchan didn't beat around the bush. If Su Cheng could help her, that would be ideal; if not, it didn't matter—things couldn't get any worse.
Su Cheng was stunned. A matter of life and death?
"What is it? I wonder if I can be of assistance to Miss Muchan?"
"Qinghan poisoned Meichan. She forces Meichan to visit her every half-month to buy the antidote—two hundred taels per pill."
【What? This too?】
【That Qinghan sure knows how to make a buck! Has she been secretly dabbling in the medicine trade behind my back?】
"Haha, I suspect you've been tricked. Knowing her, she's probably just trying to scare you."
【Heh, that Qinghan really knows how to play games! No wonder Su Muchan's been so well-behaved lately—not a peep. So it was Qinghan all along!】
Su Muchan was honestly a bit bewildered. Was she really being deceived?
"Master Su, while I share your thoughts, it's better to believe such things exist than to dismiss them outright."
【Could this be why she never joined the Heavenly Dao Pavilion?】
【But for me, it seems like a good thing. Still, without the Heavenly Dao Pavilion's backing, how will she lead the demon clan?】
【Relying solely on her status as a witch, she'll likely struggle to command respect.】
"What did Qinghan's antidote look like?"
Su Muchan didn't mind and proceeded to describe it to Su Cheng.
"It's a small black pill, kept in a white vial by Ye Qinghan."
Truthfully, Su Cheng possessed many such immortal medicines, but Ye Qinghan likely carried few with her. He guessed it must be the Quick-Acting Fox-Saving Pill…
"Is this it?" Su Cheng casually pulled out a bottle for Su Muchan to identify.
"Yes, yes, yes! That's the one!"
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