Chapter 367: A Selfish Choice
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"Master…"
Yes, Su Cheng was a selfish man. He didn't know how to respond.
Ye Qinghan was right about everything. The fault lay with him, the master—both last time and this time.
Whether it was favoring one over the other or trusting one more than the other, if he could truly choose just one, that would be fine.
But the crux was that he had tainted himself with both choices.
He couldn't bear to see Ye Qinghan risk her life, but that didn't mean Chu Youwei was dispensable.
For Chu Youwei, his direct First Disciple who had already died once for him, Su Cheng naturally trusted her unconditionally. Yet this did not mean he distrusted Ye Qinghan.
"Master, since Qinghan has received your kindness, it is only right that she should ease your burdens and do what she can."
Su Cheng felt he was no better than this group of disciples. As Xun Ye had said, the so-called correct choice was not necessarily the most suitable one.
【If one must die, it will be this master.】
"Qinghan, if I were swayed by your few words, how could I possibly be your master?"
"Qinghan would never dare."
Su Cheng exhaled deeply, his tone calm.
"Though Qinghan's cultivation slightly surpasses Youwei's, she still lacks experience in handling matters and needs more time to mature. Sending Youwei this time isn't about who's more important between the two of you, but because Youwei is better suited to navigate perilous situations like this."
Ye Qinghan: ?
Lacking experience? If she doesn't go out and gain it, what kind of settling is that supposed to be?
Master, do you even know what you're saying?
"The anchor point matter can wait. How did Qinghan learn about Youwei's situation?"
Ye Qinghan: First, I heard it through her thoughts. Second, I guessed. Third, Chu Youwei's attitude was pretty obvious, wasn't it?
"If Sister Youwei isn't what Qinghan suspects, then she must be mistaking dreams for reality? But Sister Youwei clearly isn't the type to confuse dreams and reality, is she?"
Still, Su Cheng remained skeptical. He felt that relying solely on guesswork… probably wasn't enough…
"Qinghan, did you meet with someone?"
Ye Qinghan looked genuinely puzzled, as if it were a real matter.
"Master, who exactly are you referring to?"
Su Cheng didn't pursue the question further. After all, even divine perception couldn't discern so-called past lives or present ones, could it?
Except for him, who possessed the system…
But if that were the case, how could Qinghan…
No matter how he thought about it, this shouldn't be possible! Could this guy actually read minds?
Was it because of his attitude toward Chu Youwei? Or perhaps because of Chu Youwei's attitude toward them?
Was that vixen getting a bit too clever for her own good?
"Qinghan, what do you mean when you say Muji Mountain can be seen from afar but disappears up close?"
Ye Qinghan thought to herself, After waiting this long, he's finally getting down to business!
Following Xu Zhanfeng's instructions, she carefully described the experience to her master.
According to Xu Zhanfeng, upon approaching the mountain, it felt like entering another dimension. The scenery shifted instantly—they had entered the mountain in daylight, yet by the time they drew near, it had somehow turned to night!
"Have there been any reports of people going missing in that area?"
Ye Qinghan shook her head. She had asked the same question, but Xu Zhanfeng's answer was that there were no other reports.
Su Cheng could tell this wasn't a simple mirage. This surreal phenomenon clearly stemmed from spatial instability.
Ye Qinghan felt the same. Her inquiry about disappearances stemmed from the possibility that some ancient secret realm might have opened. She didn't want false information to disrupt their search direction.
If a secret realm existed, everything would make sense. Perhaps Mùjīn Mountain was merely a diversion to conceal the Secret Realm Entrance. With the arrival of the Master, the illusion had weakened, revealing the Secret Realm Entrance.
If people had gone missing, they might have stumbled into the secret realm.
Su Cheng, however, felt it more resembled a spatial fold. Yet based on Ye Qinghan's description of the terrain, it was insufficient to draw a definitive conclusion.
However, if such a vast expanse of space had been projected from another world, there was likely something nearby capable of disrupting spatial stability.
An entity capable of releasing such immense energy could very well be the positioning anchor point he had been searching for.
Of course, it could also be connected to that Tang Shiyi fellow, though the system contained no similar plot descriptions.
If anything was strange, it was Su City itself. As his initial landing point upon arriving in this world, he had thoroughly investigated Mùjīn Mountain and its surroundings long ago. Yet back then, no such peculiar phenomena existed—the mountain remained just a mountain, yielding no discoveries.
Now that this had appeared, could it be that he had overlooked something back then?
Su Cheng couldn't rule out that possibility. After all, back then he had no cultivation base, the memories of this body hadn't fully integrated, and he barely had any system points!
His condition had been poor back then, making it plausible he missed something during his investigation. Moreover, Mùjīn Mountain showed no peculiar signs at the time—he remembered clearly arriving atop a snow-capped peak.
"Any other unusual phenomena?"
Ye Qinghan shook her head. After all, Xu Zhanfeng hadn't personally inspected the site either. The accounts he relayed were based on local folklore or hearsay from those who had visited.
Their authenticity remained to be verified.
Su Cheng pondered briefly and concluded Ye Qinghan's reasoning held merit.
[Locating the anchor point is naturally paramount, but sending Qinghan alone might be unwise. If Qinghan could go with Youwei…]
【Never mind. The friction between those two likely won't be resolved overnight…】
"Qinghan, if that's the case, I'm even more uneasy about you going alone. Why not bring Shiyu and Jue'er with you?"
"Very well. There's no time to waste. Qinghan will depart immediately."
With that, Ye Qinghan turned to leave, like a child finally released from class.
"Wait!"
Su Cheng hurriedly stopped Ye Qinghan, his tone earnest. "This journey is unlike any before. The enemies you may face are beyond comparison. Without me by your side, you must think carefully before acting, prioritizing your own safety and that of your two junior sisters…"
Like a child annoyed by a mother's nagging, Ye Qinghan laughed it off. "Rest assured, Master. I won't disappoint you."
"Qinghan, be sure to stay safe…"
Su Cheng watched Ye Qinghan's departing figure, a wave of melancholy washing over him. An emotion too profound for words surged within his heart.
"Youwei."
"Youwei heard everything. So what?"
"…
"Youwei will never forgive them in this lifetime. Master, you'd best not be fooled by her sweet talk either. If Youwei says it's better to wait until you're feeling better, then Youwei will go find the anchor points for you."
Having secured her master's consent, Ye Qinghan swiftly forced open the doors to Second and Third Grandmothers' chambers. Tonight, the two junior sisters were sleeping together.
Upon bursting in, Li Shiyu was locked in a deadly scissor kick pose, her leg clamped tightly around Jue'er's neck. Neither seemed aware of the situation.
Typically, by the time Dongfang Jue awoke, Li Shiyu was already in the kitchen hall.
"Mmm~ Senior Sister, give Shiyu one too. Master won't find out…"
Prying apart Li Shiyao's thighs to free Dongfang Jue from between them, Ye Qinghan gave a helpless chuckle before drawing the Frost-Piercing Sword. He pressed the scabbard against Li Shiyao's buttocks…
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