Chapter 351: The Failure of Giving Up
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Parting the bustling crowd, Ye Qinghan and the others found their master.
"Shiyao, don't disturb the Master's rest."
Ye Qinghan said this as he led the sisters to sit on the steps behind their master. Li Shiyu had been roused early by Ye Qinghan and his junior sister and hadn't eaten breakfast yet.
"Are you hungry, Shiyao?"
Li Shiyu froze. She wasn't wearing the Heart-Confusing Bell at the moment, meaning she was in her dumb mode.
Even so, it wasn't hard for her to understand that she must be quite hungry at this hour.
"Mm! Shiyu is hungry!"
"Then stay hungry for a bit~" It seemed like teasing Li Shiyu, since she always carried dry rations with her.
"What are you looking at, Senior Sister?" Li Shiyu wasn't actually that hungry; she simply sat beside Ye Qinghan.
Ye Qinghan sat on the steps, gazing distantly at her master's back. "When I first became your disciple, Master was just like this."
Dongfang Jue also looked toward Su Cheng. If small items were placed on the table, Master seemed to transform into a peddler.
"I heard Senior Sister knelt for an entire day just to catch Master's attention. Was Master like this back then too?"
"Yes, but I know Master was pretending to sleep."
"Faking sleep?" Dongfang Jue was puzzled. She didn't know Su Cheng's thoughts or circumstances back then and couldn't see any reason for him to do such a thing.
"Heh, perhaps it was Master's test?"
Over half a year ago, Su Cheng completed the mission to end the apocalypse, slaying the last deity who held the reins of fate and bringing the war to a close.
The system popped up a notification: the mission in this world was complete, and Su Cheng would proceed to the next instance.
The room was saturated with Xiao Ai's scent. Aside from Xiao Ai and a few attendants, no one else
enter this room.
Su Cheng sat silently upon that false throne, gazing at the teacup beside the black leather documents—tea brewed by Xiao Ai.
Su Cheng had never seen anyone add sugar to their tea before, but what was even more astonishing was that after drinking it day after day, he seemed to have grown accustomed to the taste.
There was no farewell. Unread documents still lay on the table, though Su Cheng didn't particularly want to look at them anyway.
Truthfully, he was tired.
He possessed what was called a demigod physique, but Su Cheng didn't understand what significance that held. He would still die, unable to withstand god-slaying armor-piercing rounds.
Compared to Ye Qinghan and others, lacking protective qi made him almost as fragile as paper.
Add to that traversing countless alternate worlds, and his lifespan had become practically eternal.
He didn't know how long it had been since his first crossing, or if there even was a first time—he simply had no earlier memories.
From that child who once reveled in the glamour and indulgence of the traversal process, he had become what he was now.
He was merely an actor occasionally injecting his own thoughts into the script. Perhaps the script itself was indeed well-written, but the agony of being trapped within it, unable to escape, was indescribable.
He had lost his personal anchor point, and his former authority, Zero Two, due to its unique nature, had not crossed over with him.
He had lost his authority, his anchor point, his power, and all connection to others.
He knew nothing of cultivating immortality and had no interest in it. If he could, he'd rather live like Li Shiyao, coasting through life until death.
But as luck would have it, he was entangled by a troublesome fox spirit. Then came the Holy Maiden, the Princess of the Southern Realm—one after another, leaving him overwhelmed.
His feigned slumber wasn't a test—merely a means to avoid trouble.
He was just an ordinary man, without cultivation, unable to use the treasures within the system.
Without strength, wealth was merely fat to attract hungry wolves.
Such was reality. Whether wielding courtly power or amassing wealth rivaling a nation, it all amounted to precarious existence, merely scraping by for sustenance.
Su Cheng had truly seen through it all. Life's ebb and flow resembled an electrocardiogram—thirty years of prosperity on one side of the river, followed by thirty years of drowning on the other. Yet even submerged, one could still glimpse the opposite shore.
Wealth, weapons, power, women—he had tasted the adoration of others and endured their contempt.
He didn't think it was all that great.
For what he had given away far outweighed what he had gained.
Those who loved him mattered far more than any of the above.
And when his power approached divine authority, his troubles became too heavy for anyone to share—or even comprehend.
"Do you see that saintly maiden?"
"Blonde hair… huge… it's the Holy Maiden!"
"And beside her… are Ye Qinghan and Dongfang Jue?"
"Yeah, I saw Ye Yanwang's duel. That's definitely His Majesty Ye Yanwang!"
If it were only Su Cheng alone, such a small stall wouldn't attract much attention.
But now, with three stunning beauties seated on the nearby steps, it had become quite conspicuous. Even Cang Jue, arriving late, couldn't help but notice.
Cang Jue was puzzled. Wasn't Su Cheng looking to take on disciples?
Why all this fuss?
If he'd been coasting along before, just going through the motions, that might have been understandable. But this morning, Su Cheng had clearly stated he intended to recruit disciples to bolster his reputation.
Still, she didn't intend to pry. Ling Mountain still had work needing her attention, and Su Cheng had also entrusted her with finding the positioning anchor point.
A crowd had already gathered around Su Cheng's small table, but they all watched from a distance, none daring to disturb the Grandmaster's sweet dreams.
After all, his three terrifying personal disciples sat nearby—and these three Underworld Lords were notoriously ill-tempered!
But with so many people present, there were bound to be some bold souls.
Perhaps they thought women would be easier to talk to?
Or perhaps they felt matters on the martial arena shouldn't spill over into daily life.
After all, the trio appeared to be chatting and laughing, not looking particularly serious.
"Fairy Ye?"
A petite-looking girl timidly addressed Ye Qinghan.
Ye Qinghan's expression instantly turned impatient as she lifted her gaze.
"If you're here to pick a fight, find another time. I'm busy right now."
The girl hurriedly interjected, signaling she wasn't here to cause trouble but to seek her as a master.
"Fairy Ye, I'm not here to pick a fight. I wish to become your disciple."
Ye Qinghan thought to herself, What does this concern her?
She knew her master had no intention of taking on direct disciples—she'd known this for a long time.
"I don't take disciples. Go see someone else."
"Fairy Ye, you jest. I wish to apprentice at Lingxian Hall, but since Master Su is resting, I have no way to seek instruction. That is why I came to inquire."
Ye Qinghan unexpectedly stood up, tilting her head to scrutinize the girl before her.
The girl appeared very petite, the quintessential image of a delicate junior sister. To be honest, she wasn't particularly likable.
"You wish to know how to become a disciple, correct?"
Truthfully, such inquiries were exceedingly rare. While other sects actively recruited new disciples, Lingxian Hall seemed to handle matters perfunctorily…
Nevertheless, due to the three disciples, this baffling behavior—this slightly arrogant demeanor—was mistaken by most as a test.
After all, Ye Qinghan had been treated the same way back then.
But Su Cheng hadn't overthought it. He simply planned to wait until the major sects had finished recruiting disciples. By then, he'd be awake.
First, it would spare him the hassle of competing with other sects for recruits. Second, he wasn't setting his sights too high—he was only aiming for an outer sect disciple position.
"Hmm, I wish to apprentice myself to the Lingxian Hall, but I'm unsure how to proceed."
Ye Qinghan smiled. How to become a disciple?
"Disciples of Lingxian Hall are divided into inner and outer sects. What are your intentions, young lady?"
The girl felt immensely relieved that she hadn't backed down but had mustered the courage to speak up, leading to this conversation.
"If I were fortunate enough to become sisters with Immortal Ye, I imagine…"
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