CHAPTER 267
The Gift from the Senior Sister
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I think killing her would be quite nice. What do you think, Master?
"Since Master has decided to accept her, Qinghan naturally has no objection. However, Master must see that while Qinghan doesn't dislike her, she doesn't like her either."
Su Cheng smiled, fully aware this wasn't a concession. Compared to Yu Lan's situation, Ye Qinghan's attitude was clearly brimming with hostility.
This was what they called "reserving judgment." If anything went wrong later, don't come looking for Qinghan—she never agreed to such a thing~
Su Cheng said nothing more, merely stroking the fox's head with an indulgent expression.
The master-disciple bond between Su Cheng and Ye Qinghan needed no explanation. Qinghan could hear Su Cheng's thoughts, and Su Cheng equally understood her concerns.
They exchanged a silent glance, and after a long moment, both burst into laughter.
"Master really is hopeless~ Qinghan will just have to look after the child for you then~"
"Hehe, then I'll leave it to you, Qinghan~"
"Qinghan asks for nothing else, only that Master think more of himself. Qinghan…"
Su Cheng laughed uncontrollably, utterly baffled by what exactly filled Ye Qinghan's cunning mind.
"I will. Your master will take good care of himself. Qinghan, you're still young, yet you're worrying about your master. Hehe~"
Though Qinghan wanted to linger with her master a little longer, it was indeed time to go see Dongfang Jue.
At that moment, Dongfang Jue was practicing his spear in the back courtyard. Spotting Ye Qinghan approaching from afar, he swiftly sheathed his spear and bowed in greeting.
"Junior Brother Jue greets Senior Sister."
"Mhm. Follow me." Ye Qinghan glanced at the Godslayer Spear in Dongfang Jue's hands. It seemed all the innate treasures she knew of had been bestowed by her master upon his disciples.
Though Ye Qinghan couldn't be certain if the Master still possessed any others, a pang of unease still stirred within her.
It wasn't that Dongfang Jue was unworthy. She just felt as if she had drained her master dry…
Dongfang Jue felt a bit dazed. Where was she being led?
With a hint of apprehension, she followed Ye Qinghan into the sleeping quarters of the First Disciple—a chamber that had never been locked, yet no one dared to enter without permission.
The room remained exactly as she remembered it. The incense burned was the same as Master’s, and on the wall, besides the painting of Master bathing, there was now an additional line of poetry.
"What's this? Master's own handwriting?"
"Yes. Master gave it to me before I left for the Northern Realm."
【Flowers intoxicate three thousand guests in the hall, One sword's frosty chill chills fourteen states.】
Su Cheng's calligraphy, honed through years of arduous practice, had reached a commendable level. Though it couldn't rival that of renowned masters, it possessed its own distinct flavor.
In truth, however, this wasn't a gift from Su Cheng. Before Ye Qinghan's departure, he happened to find the Master had just penned this verse and had it brought to his room.
It goes without saying that even if Ye Qinghan had asked for the stars in the sky, Su Cheng would have seriously considered how to make it happen—let alone a piece of calligraphy?
"Do you like it?"
"Yes. A piece of the master's calligraphy is probably priceless." Dongfang Jue's envy was practically overflowing from her eyes.
Ye Qinghan smiled, patted Dongfang Jue's shoulder, and gestured for her to sit down.
"Dongfang Jue, do you know what's most annoying about you?"
Being addressed like this naturally made Dongfang Jue uncomfortable, but she obediently sat down. After all, Ye Qinghan was her senior sister.
Now that she had joined the sect, they would inevitably cross paths often. It was better to get certain things out in the open.
If Senior Sister accepted her, that would be ideal. If she truly disliked her, Dongfang Jue would simply keep her distance in the future.
"I'm not sure, Senior Sister. Please enlighten me."
Ye Qinghan smiled helplessly. It was only natural.
"I don't know if all humans are like this, but I can't sense your sincerity. Do you understand?"
"I detest your manner of keeping others at arm's length while pretending to be close."
"You're always scheming about how to deal with someone, how to get close to someone, aren't you?"
"Fake can never become real. Do you understand?"
"How your master treated you—I needn't elaborate. How Shiyu treated you—it's plain for all to see."
"And what about you?"
A pair of fox-like eyes fixed intently on Dongfang Jue before him. Yet Dongfang Jue, having navigated the treacherous court since childhood, possessed psychological resilience beyond ordinary men. Ye Qinghan detected nothing amiss.
"Senior Sister is right. Jue'er knows she was wrong."
Ye Qinghan smiled. "Jue'er, I never meant to scold you."
"Since we entered the sect, our Master has treated us both as his own children. We call each other sisters—we are no different from family."
"Do you consider Qinghan family? Do you consider Shiyao family?"
"I understand. Because I feel the same way, Senior Sister. I despise the human race. I believe there isn't a single good thing about them."
"But if you keep guarding yourself like this, even those who love you won't be able to get close."
"Since Master has accepted Jue'er, I'm willing to try accepting you."
Dongfang Jue looked at Ye Qinghan with a hint of surprise. Truthfully, this was the first time she had ever sensed any tenderness from her eldest senior sister.
Her body seemed to move involuntarily, or perhaps she simply didn't want her senior sister to see her tears.
It was hurt, perhaps more shock than anything else. She didn't know what she was sulking or being dramatic about—maybe she just wanted to act spoiled.
The Northern Frontier General burrowed into Ye Qinghan's embrace like a child and wept openly.
Ye Qinghan gestured for silence toward Li Shiyao, who stood frozen by the doorway, then began patting the general's back gently, as if soothing a child.
But Dongfang Jue wept uncontrollably, as if a seal had been broken…
"Thank you… Senior Sister…"
Ye Qinghan pursed her lips and grinned mischievously. "This dress cost a fortune. I'll deduct it from your allowance."
"I remember the last time I saw Shangguan Rou, I chatted with that guy for quite a while."
"She asked me when I first started liking our master."
"I told her, the very day I became his disciple."
"Even before becoming his disciple, I'd already set my sights on him. I knew he wasn't an ordinary person, and I knew I was nothing but a pretty face on the surface."
"Master knew I was trouble, but took me in anyway."
"Master also knew I had ulterior motives, yet still took me in."
"But it wasn't until the day I became his disciple that I realized Master accepted me with no ulterior motives—he simply took pity on me."
The cultivation world holds no such idyllic beauty. Not everyone possesses extraordinary talent, that one-in-a-million gift.
Even if they do, it still depends on whether they have the divine connection.
"Among all the treasures Master bestowed upon me, the most precious is this jade pendant of a direct disciple. It signifies that I am no longer alone."
"Unlike Jue'er, who grew up surrounded by adoration, I was always alone before becoming a disciple."
"Having lived this long, I've done more wrong than right. To put it bluntly, I've never met a truly good person."
"Anyone who offered me a helping hand either wanted to sleep with me or coveted the treasures I carried."
"When I realized my master simply pitied me, I—who'd never accepted pity—felt transformed. I didn't feel ashamed; instead, I felt like I'd struck gold."
"I know I'll never meet a man like that again."
Dongfang Jue lifted his little head: "And then Senior Sister fell in love with Master!"
"Hmm, I suppose I did fall for Master." Ye Qinghan ruffled Dongfang Jue's hair. "I don't think it was rushed or careless."
"I fell in love with the world as seen through Master's eyes—with that Master who dared to rewrite fate yet couldn't bring himself to look his disciple in the eye."
At this, Dongfang Jue quickly chimed in, "Senior Sister, you noticed too?"
"Are you referring to the world as Master sees it? Or rewriting destiny?"
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