CHAPTER 174
The Disciple's Support
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"Qinghan?"
Su Cheng paused to consider for a moment before continuing.
"Are there aspects of my actions that cause you concern?"
On any other matter, Ye Qinghan would certainly defer to her master. But when it came to vengeance, she wished to take matters into her own hands.
"Master, you know this isn't what Qinghan means. Your kindness is beyond measure. I have no way to repay you and have long pledged my life to serve you forever."
"The only thing weighing on my heart is the matter of the Northern Realm. Qinghan simply wishes to exact vengeance personally—nothing more."
If the Holy Mountain were involved in this matter, how would the master respond?
No need to wonder. Knowing her master as she did, he likely wouldn't spare anyone.
What would Shiyu think then?
If that person held great importance to Shi Yao, would she harbor resentment toward the Master?
Had Ye Qinghan remained unaware, it might have been different. But now that she knew, how could she stand idly by?
Moreover, Ye Qinghan sensed this matter was far more complex than it appeared!
This likely wasn't something Xu Zhanfeng learned from the Water Mirror Sacred Domain's ruler—it was something the master had known all along.
"Qinghan, come with me."
Dismissing the others, Su Cheng led his First Disciple back to the September Sacred Ground.
Following silently behind his master, Ye Qinghan remained quiet.
Following his master's footsteps back into the September Sacred Ground, he sensed the scent of blood had permeated the air, inseparable from it.
The scent entered his nostrils, followed by a viscous, rusty taste spreading through his mouth.
The air hung with dampness, while faint crimson stains of blood stained the mountainside.
The corpses beneath his feet seemed eerily familiar, strewn haphazardly at his feet. In some places, they were so densely packed that he had to detour around them.
Ye Qinghan could recall with crystal-clear clarity how Xu Zhanfeng had slaughtered them.
Compared to the Pingyun Sect and the Liu family, the devastation in this September Sacred Domain resembled a living hell. Even Ye Yanwang felt a pang of discomfort.
Returning to the platform that resembled a martial arts training ground, the scene was even more unbearable than before.
Yet when Ye Qinghan glanced at his master, the elder seemed utterly unaffected, strolling with the ease of someone wandering through his own backyard.
Blood flowed through the grooves of the carved stone tiles, tracing patterns that resembled a vast formation.
Corpses piled up like small mountains on one side, among them both elders who had cultivated for over a hundred years and fledgling demons who had only recently entered the mountain gates.
Had he still worn those cloth shoes from before becoming a disciple, the blood would likely have soaked through the soles by now, staining his feet crimson.
Though these were shoes gifted by his master, the sticky sensation remained unaltered.
"Master, are you asking Qinghan to let go of her hatred?"
"No words for now. Follow me."
Ye Qinghan felt torn. She yearned to exact vengeance herself, yet she didn't want to put her master in a difficult position.
She understood her master meant well, yet she couldn't accept this outcome.
She refused to let her vengeance be fulfilled in such a hazy, unclear manner, like some foolish child living under her master's protective wing.
Only when they reached the temple gates did Su Cheng pause. He turned to Ye Qinghan and asked,
"How many have died along the way?"
"Qinghan… I don't know."
Ye Qinghan's expression held a hint of guilt. Facing her master, even with unwavering resolve, she could only offer gentle persuasion. If her master truly refused, she could only… withhold her opinion.
She had considered alternatives, but if the master truly refused, he would surely have countless countermeasures.
A total of 742 Demon Clan cultivators. Including those inside the house, that's quite a number, isn't it?
"But…" Ye Qinghan hesitated. What did these people matter to her? Did that mean her mother had died in vain?
"Heh, Qinghan, you don't think your master feels pity for these Demon Clan cultivators, do you?"
"Is that not the case?"
Ye Qinghan was puzzled. Wasn't that what her master meant?
"To me, they're nothing but numbers. You'd find it hard to believe, but I've killed more people than you've ever met."
Su Cheng casually conjured a chair, intending to start coaxing the child.
Sitting down on the slightly flimsy wooden chair, Su Cheng waved his hand, gesturing for Ye Qinghan to come forward.
"Their lives and deaths are but a fleeting thought to me. I have never given them a second thought."
"To me, Qinghan is Qinghan. I know your character."
"You are the only one I care about."
Ye Qinghan found herself speechless. Truthfully, she didn't understand her master's meaning.
Having witnessed these scenes, Ye Qinghan felt moved, but that was all.
He didn't grasp what his master was trying to convey.
Yet this did not hinder the emotional connection between them.
Often, she felt that even without the ability to eavesdrop on thoughts, she could still understand her master's heart.
She believed it was a matter of trust—she knew her master would never harm her.
Her master was actually a lazy person, without any grand ambitions, content to live in a corner, eating and drinking idly.
But after meeting that so-called "Master's wife," the flower-seeking immortal, she felt she could gradually deduce why her master had become this way.
She realized her master was someone who feared loneliness and was deeply fragile.
It was precisely because he had lost so much that he treasured the hard-won affection around him all the more.
"Of course, I hope for your growth, but I also hope you won't lose your way along the path or abandon what truly matters."
"Sometimes, the truth isn't what you imagine. Even if you piece together a puzzle to arrive at an answer, it might not be the correct one."
"You are not alone. You still have me."
"You are not without support. In this regard, you can learn from Shiyao—relying on those around you is nothing to be ashamed of."
Ye Qinghan finally understood. Combining what she knew with her master's words, it wasn't difficult to grasp.
She finally realized that what seemed incomprehensible was merely a failure to see things from the other person's perspective.
"Master, may I ask…"
"Even if the answer isn't what Qinghan wants to hear, Qinghan still wants to know… the truth."
Ye Qinghan's voice trembled slightly, yet her eyes held an unyielding resolve.
Su Cheng smiled, opening her arms to invite Ye Qinghan to throw herself into her embrace.
With just that gesture, without a single word, Su Cheng effortlessly shattered Ye Qinghan's feigned toughness.
In Su Cheng's eyes, such strength was unnecessary. She wished for her disciple's happiness, not merely maturity or competence.
It wasn't necessary—not for him, and certainly not for Ye Qinghan.
A pang of sorrow gripped her heart as decades of pent-up grievances and loneliness surged forth. Tears had already begun to stream down her cheeks without her realizing it.
Even with her master's words, Ye Qinghan still refused to show her vulnerability. Instead, she buried her head in Su Cheng's embrace.
She clung tightly to her master, pressing her small head against his chin, as if this would hide her tears from him.
It probably wouldn't work…
"Su Yan seems to have told you something. I already heard about it from Steward Xu."
"Master, is what she said true?" Seeing her master about to speak, Ye Qinghan hurriedly pressed.
Su Cheng nodded, his gaze shifting from the little fox in his arms to the distant horizon, tinged with hesitation.
"It is true, but not the whole truth. In this scheme, everyone can only see what lies before their eyes."
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