Chapter 350: Lineage
============================================================
"Oh? The three young ladies are having tea?"
Yu Lan tiptoed out of Su Cheng's room, bouncing lightly with a satisfied expression. It was clear she'd carefully managed her facial expressions and checked her appearance.
However, the rope marks on her wrists hadn't faded yet. It seemed Yu Lan hadn't been idle while Ye Qinghan was in seclusion.
The three direct disciples were enjoying snacks outside, so Yu Lan decided to become Su Cheng's snack instead~
"No, we were just playing in the sand."
Ye Qinghan rolled her eyes. Showing off right after finishing her meal? Did she think her First Disciple was just for decoration?
"Heh, could it be that the young lady is discussing the initiation ceremony?"
"No, we were debating whether the chicken or the egg came first."
Ye Qinghan genuinely didn't want to engage with Yu Lan right now. What was there to brag about? She'd get to eat eventually too!
But Yu Lan couldn't care less. Hehe, she was full and feeling absolutely delighted~
"Yu Lan believes the Tao came first, and the Tao gave birth to all things."
"Then… was the Dao the chicken or the egg?"
Ye Qinghan's specialty was being a great conversationalist—she loved to chat~
She'd learned that skill from the Lingxian Hall's master.
Two days passed swiftly. Su Cheng emerged from a soft bed in a small inn, concluding his two-day flurry of activity.
"Cangjue, this time the poison should be completely purged, right?"
Indeed, Su Cheng had come to detoxify Cangjue. Cangjue had sent a message via carrier pigeon, stating residual toxins remained and requesting Su Cheng's assistance. She promised that after detoxification, she would help investigate information regarding the positioning anchor points.
Indeed, Chu Youwei's seven-day investigation had yielded nothing. Su Cheng didn't doubt her diligence.
Seven days was the absolute limit—for both of them.
Chu Youwei felt as if she were under a negative buff, or perhaps bound by the cosmic laws of this world…
The moment she left her master, her health would start draining automatically. If she stayed away too long, she might even fall ill from longing.
Su Cheng was no different. If Chu Youwei was gone too long, he couldn't even sleep properly…
If it were anyone else, it wouldn't matter. But this guy? He's got a whole bellyful of grudges waiting to be settled!
Without him, this guy would most likely be the next killing machine…
"Mmm~~~~" A soft, drawn-out sigh, part petulant whine, part soul-stealing coax. Cang Jue rarely displayed such vulnerability—at least not while clothed. "Don't want to get up~~~ Mmm~~~"
"Today is the day Ling Mountain accepts disciples. I need to hurry over."
Su Cheng spoke as he began dressing. According to plan, Duohan and the others had likely already arrived.
She tugged at the sleeve Su Cheng hadn't fully pulled up yet: "Stay in bed a little longer~"
She pressed herself against Su Cheng, as if she hadn't had her fill.
At this moment, Cang Jue seemed like someone else had taken over his body, completely unlike the Elder of the Side Peak.
"No, no~" Su Cheng, on the other hand, seemed utterly ruthless, like sand slipping through his fingers. Before he could even pull up his pants, he was already trying to leave…
"Don't go~"
Another boisterous morning dawned. As Cangjue had demanded, he gave her a good morning kiss before she finally let him get out of bed.
"So you're saying you won't be taking on any more direct disciples?"
"Hmm, just planning to take on some outer disciples to save face?" Su Cheng chuckled. That explanation should be acceptable, right?
Cangjue was in a good mood too—like Yulan, she was the type whose spirits lifted after a satisfying meal~
"You still need to keep up appearances?"
"Of course."
Cang Jue knew Su Cheng had other women besides her. She’d never believed she was the only one.
The first time she met Yu Lan, Cang Jue had already seen through that naughty dragon's secret—though the other party didn't seem to consider it much of a secret at all.
But it was only recently that Cang Jue learned that Su Cheng's three stunningly beautiful, peerlessly captivating direct disciples were all still virgins.
It was only last night that she learned the truth: those two cups of tea that had caused her to lose control were not Su Cheng's doing.
They had come from the hands of that pure and untouched, worldly-ignorant Saintess.
And the Holy Maiden's motive was quite simple—she merely wished to bear her master's child.
So, was this bad luck? Falling into Su Cheng's trap?
But Cang Jue didn't feel she'd lost much. Su Cheng? He was passable, I suppose?
"Are you leaving?"
"Yes. Qinghan and the others should be waiting for me. Breakfast is on the table. I'll be going now."
Cangjue didn't know what had come over her. Truthfully, she didn't understand her own actions either.
Sleeping in the same bed as Su Cheng—no matter how she thought about it, it shouldn't have happened.
Yet she seemed to have accepted it, as if she’d given up entirely. A thought of complete surrender began to take root in Cangjue’s mind.
A helpless and pitiable feeling, as if there was nowhere to escape. Rather than endure the torment, why not find joy in misery?
Seeking pleasure within it—wasn't that just another way to pass the time?
What else was there? Suicide?
Heh~
Cangjue rose from bed not long after. She hadn't gotten out of bed for two days, and her legs seemed a bit uncooperative now~
She wanted to eat breakfast but nearly tripped over it…
But she relished the struggle. It was messy, yet she felt it was worth it~
This was her battle with Su Cheng. So far, though she was a bit disheveled, she hadn't lost!
Outside the door, Su Cheng stretched lazily before mounting his sword. He had to hurry—it wouldn't do to keep his three disciples waiting too long.
Traveling by sword, the distance wasn't great. Su Cheng's sword speed was swift, and before long, he arrived at the foot of the Spirit Mountain.
Su Cheng disliked the kind of grand entrance Cheng Liang made. He preferred a more low-key approach and chose to walk up the mountain.
In the past, he would always change into plain clothes before going out to avoid being noticed.
But now, it wasn't necessary. Firstly, his disciples were quite conspicuous; such precautions were redundant.
Second, dressed as he was, even if he claimed to be some important figure, no one would believe him.
Walking alongside his disciples, he'd likely be mistaken for a maid's butler or an attendant…
Su Cheng waited at the agreed location for a while but saw no sign of Ye Qinghan and the others.
He simply pulled out the pre-prepared table, chairs, and stool, as if preparing to tell stories. He wrote "Three-Character Lingxian Hall" on a piece of paper, set it up, and then settled down.
After battling Cangjue for two days and two nights straight, claiming he wasn't exhausted would be utter nonsense.
Put an ordinary person through that, and they'd either sleep themselves to death or exhaustion.
A small wooden table, a sheet of paper torn from who knows where, bearing the crookedly written characters "Lingxian Hall."
Just as before, amidst the crowded throng, Ye Qinghan spotted that inconspicuous figure at a glance.
The figure wasn't exactly small, but it looked slightly disheveled.
Like a middle schooler in ill-fitting clothes, playing games all night and nodding off in class the next day.
This was the Master's plan. He disliked noise; if not for the three of them, he might barely utter a word all day.
Yet the Master claimed to relish the commotion, delighting in watching the three of them bicker and chatter, saying it brought life to Lingxian Hall.
Perhaps he favored bustle at times and quiet at others. The Master now seemed to dislike the stage Ling Mountain had built for him.
When you build a stage, you must put on a show. Take someone's hand, and you become indebted; eat someone's food, and you become obligated. This saying holds true.
Su Cheng had initially only sought a stipend. It wasn't until Ye Qinghan became his disciple that he learned the stipend depended on the sect's scale. Otherwise, what would happen if everyone went to claim subsidies?
But had it not been for this, Su Cheng would never have deigned to inherit the so-called lineage of his master.
"Shiyao, Juer, the Master is over there."
============================================================