18

Chapter 293: Disturbing Thoughts
============================================================

"Senior Sister, this black mist… Shiyao feels strangely familiar…"

Ye Qinghan's gaze remained fixed on the distant figure, a complex mix of emotions stirring within him, though he couldn't quite pinpoint why.

Especially upon hearing what his master truly desired, Ye Qinghan felt an indescribable emotion welling up inside him.

His master needed that Youwei, but why didn't his master need her?

In her memory, the master had never once shown such eagerness to take on a disciple!

"Senior Sister? What's wrong?"

Snapping out of her reverie, Ye Qinghan replied casually, "Nothing."

"Senior Sister, are you jealous?" Dongfang Jue noticed Ye Qinghan's unusual state and found it rather amusing.

"Maybe." Ye Qinghan didn't even glance at Dongfang Jue, her gaze fixed on the Master's retreating figure.

Ye Qinghan couldn't understand. After all, she could do the very things Master was thinking about!

Hadn't the Master only met that Chu Youwei for the first time today?

Did her master trust a woman he'd met only once more than he trusted her?

Chu Youwei could do those things, and so could she! And she could do them even better!

As for so-called loyalty, she could serve as her master's subordinate!

Whenever Master wanted something done, he only ever called upon Xu Zhanfeng and Yu Lan. He never once thought of her!

The only time he never forgets her is at mealtimes!

Does he think she's useless?

What kind of logic is that?

For sleeping, he has Yu Lan; for work, he has Xu Zhanfeng. Now there's Chu Youwei, who can both sleep and work.

Does that make her useless?

How is she supposed to carry out her [Master's Training Plan]?

Wouldn't the Master be just as capable with or without her?

This completely contradicts her core premise that the Master absolutely cannot function without her!

Absolutely not!

This is terrible!

She must prove to her Master that what others can do, she can do too!

If Yulan could sleep with the Master, so could she—and she could even do it better than Yulan!

Xu Zhanfeng was highly capable at work, but she wasn't inferior either. Her identity as a woman allowed her to accomplish many things Xu Zhanfeng couldn't!

If we're talking loyalty, she's been by the Master's side all along. Besides the Master's wife, who could compare to her?

"Shiyao, do you think Senior Sister is inferior to Yulan?"

"Of course not! Senior Sister has ample bosom, she masters the Ling Shuang Sword Technique—she's amazing!"

Li Shiyu's flattery skills were getting better and better!

"Dongfang Jue, how do you think my work compares to Xu Zhanfeng's?"

Dongfang Jue chuckled softly.

"Senior Sister acts decisively and steadily, considering every angle thoroughly. She clearly outshines Steward Xu."

Ye Qinghan nodded. That's exactly right!

As for appearance, she possessed innate allure!

When it came to cunning, she possessed the blood of a fox demon king!

She was utterly unmatched by anyone!

"Does that mean Master no longer favors me? Why seek out Chu Youwei instead of asking Qinghan for help?"

Li Shiyao and Dongfang Jue exchanged glances, both looking utterly bewildered. In the end, it was the Second Senior Sister who spoke up.

"Shiyao thinks… perhaps the Master doesn't like her either!"

"Perhaps Master cherishes Senior Sister too much to bear letting her face danger."

Ye Qinghan nodded. She understood this logic, but…

If things continued like this, wouldn't she become nothing more than a useless little thing kept by the Master?

She refused to be a useless little thing!

She wanted to be the first person Master thought of whenever trouble arose!

Whether it was attending to his bedchamber or handling tasks, she was willing to do it all!

Chu Youwei felt her cheeks flush hot. Her master…

…remained as dependable as ever.

Golden light flared. Before Su Cheng even saw the main target, he’d already begun his pre-battle preparations.

Pills, magical artifacts, jade slips—all were prepared!

"Godslayer Sword Array."

In an instant, consuming over 300,000 system points, the Godslayer Sword Array unfolded!

The Fallen Immortal Ruler instantly suppressed the space, while the Star River Ruler stood ready within his sleeve!

Swords Ye Qinghan had seen and those he hadn't, now densely packed, all drifted in the sky.

A pale blue sword array unfolded beneath his feet, countless sword shadows drifting around him.

Chu Youwei was momentarily stunned. This…

Seemed different from what she had imagined?

Her master… didn't seem this formidable, did she?

Where did all these magical treasures come from?

Could it be that Ye Qinghan and the others came just to trick her master out of his treasures?

It seemed this lifetime held many secrets about her master that she hadn't known!

And Master's Frostblade Sword Formation? That's terrifying!

This is way more powerful than Ye Qinghan's Frostblade Sword Formation!

Are those treasures in the sky even real? Huh?

"Senior Sister, Master's God-Slaying Sword Array is even more formidable than your Frostblade Sword Array!"

Indeed. Dongfang Jue witnessed Ye Qinghan unleash her ultimate move earlier today. The sheer speed at which she raised her hand to cast it revealed the gap in their abilities!

Master casts spells with absolutely no wind-up!

The same goes for range. Everything within the Fallen Immortal Ruler's coverage fell under Su Cheng's firepower.

In an instant, that uniquely Su Cheng oppressive aura descended—a power Chu Youwei had never before encountered.

This wasn't mere spatial suppression, but a power akin to mental domination.

Like a god who looked down upon the world and ruled over all things, standing before her, it seemed to compel unquestioning submission.

His silhouette grew tall and sturdy. Standing behind him brought an unexpected sense of security.

An unstoppable sword aura swept across the land like a reaper harvesting wheat fields. Wherever the sword aura passed, the earth was torn up, leaving not a blade of grass standing.

This overwhelming power was undeniable, yet it was merely the Master's polite greeting to his foes.

The Master spoke thus: "Good evening, you bastard."

As if a long-sealed bloodline had awakened once more, Ye Qinghan saw it, and Chu Youwei saw it too.

The look in the Master's eyes was no longer gentle. It was a near-madness, a cold and ruthless killing intent.

Indeed, that tenderness belonged solely to these precious ones. The Master had never been a gentle soul.

Consider the Master's old friends: Lord Gu Ai, the Great Fox, and even that so-called lecher, Ku Mu.

After witnessing countless lives and deaths, after power reached its zenith, people inevitably forgot many things—forgot many crucial things.

The ones discarded might be an entire unit, an individual, or even a beloved soul.

Li Shiyao had witnessed much too. Each disciple interpreted that gaze differently.

Li Shiyao seemed to perceive the regret within her master. She didn't understand it, yet she could comprehend it.

Those in power seem to operate by their own logic. When deciding whether to act, they must weigh far more factors.

The grand scheme of things became the shackles binding every person of high rank and power. They forgot who they were and what they were meant to protect.

Indeed, when power reached its zenith, the sole holder seemed to merge into the machine called authority, becoming its most crucial component.

They no longer resemble the "human" they once were.

Facing friends and family, they must pretend everything is under control while simultaneously guarding against potential threats.

It resembles a poor soul clinging desperately to appearances, using meager earnings to mask a disheveled exterior—all to appear superior, to avoid hurt and contempt.

Facing enemies, he strives to appear lofty, powerful, and brave—to consolidate his power, to be relied upon and trusted.

Perhaps he himself realizes how ridiculous it is, like a clown who accidentally stumbled onto a stage that never belonged to him.

Pushed forward, he sings a clumsy song and dances an unsightly dance.

============================================================