CHAPTER 480: MASTER, PLEASE STOP!

Chapter 480: Master, Please Stop!

...

"Jiejiejie!"

Su Qinian returned to his cave abode, placed his hands on his hips and laughed three times.

"This venerable one will be back! Jiejiejie!"

"Amazing! Truly amazing!"

He shook his head and paced back and forth in the cave: "So this is how it feels to be a villain. Why didn't I discover this earlier?"

"Wait!" He suddenly stopped, his gaze sharpening: "Everything the Ancestor taught me was essential! How does the Ancestor know so much about being a villain?! Could it be..."

"Never mind, let's just enjoy this!"

Su Qinian shook his head, thinking he was overanalyzing, and continued his eerie laughter.

Unbeknownst to him, all of this was witnessed by Yue Qianchi, who had originally come to seek cultivation advice.

"Master."

Yue Qianchi's sudden voice startled Su Qinian.

He turned to see his disciple kneeling on a meditation cushion with lowered head, her body trembling slightly.

"Yue girl, when did you arrive? You made no sound at all..."

"Master." Yue Qianchi interrupted, raising her pale face and biting her red lips: "When I previously called you a traitor, it was just a joke. Yet you gave me such a big surprise. After all my calculations... I never expected you truly are a traitor!"

"Ah?" Su Qinian was dumbfounded, waving his hands: "No, no! This venerable one isn't a traitor!"

"Then why were you laughing like a traitor?"

"That was just acting!"

"But it didn't seem like acting."

"That's because the Ancestor taught me well!"

"Hah..." A trace of desolation flashed in Yue Qianchi's eyes as she sighed: "The Ancestor is virtuous and noble, a Great Ascension Stage cultivator. How could he teach you such sinister laughter? At this point, you still want to frame the Ancestor?"

Her eyes reddened, voice trembling: "Master, please stop! I beg you, stop! I'm willing to share your punishment. If you turn back now, I'll plead with the Ancestor to spare your life!"

Su Qinian: "..."

Fortunately, Yue Qianchi was his personal disciple, the only one he'd raised since childhood. If anyone else had spouted such nonsense here, he would have drawn his sword and cut them down without hesitation.

"Yue girl, calm down!"

"I can't calm down, Master! The demon army has already swept through all the sects of the Southern Continent. They aim to destroy the Cangyun Realm—do you want to become an eternal sinner?"

"What nonsense? How could so much happen so quickly? Even from the Hundred Thousand Mountains to the Southern Continent would take four or five days..." Su Qinian was shocked.

"They have Great Ascension cultivators." Yue Qianchi snorted. "There's little difference between Great Ascension and semi-immortals. Crossing great distances quickly is trivial for them."

"What did Sect Leader Li say?"

"Qingran... I mean, the Sect Leader already sent messages to all major sects, telling them to gather at Moon Shadow Sect with their disciples and possessions. But initially only a few responded. Now that the Southern Continent has fallen, it serves as a bloody example—the other continents' sects won't remain idle."

Su Qinian sighed.

These sects truly wouldn't change until disaster struck.

Wouldn't coming to his Moon Shadow Sect have been better? They had fried chicken legs, potato chips, ice-cold KuoLuo, Wangzai Mighty Milk, even washing machine entertainment... Yet they chose to stubbornly resist the demons. Now the entire Southern Continent had fallen, inevitably leading to widespread suffering.

"Master, don't change the subject." Yue Qianchi said word by word: "You. Must. Stop."

"This venerable one has nothing to stop!" Su Qinian rubbed his temples: "Fine, next time the Ancestor summons me, I'll take you along. You can ask him yourself whether I'm a traitor! Really, what nonsense are you thinking all day..."

"Good, it's settled." Yue Qianchi stood up from the cushion.

Her face was no longer pale, eyes no longer red, nose no longer sniffling.

She calmly said: "A promise is a promise. If you don't take me next time, I'll report to the Sect Leader that you... that you're colluding with external sects!"

"How is this venerable one colluding with external sects?" Su Qinian widened his eyes.

"You attempted to spread Moon Shadow Sect's bloodline to other sects." Yue Qianchi blinked, speaking matter-of-factly: "Isn't that a form of betraying our sect?"

Su Qinian: "..."

He felt it necessary to propose allowing masters to voluntarily change disciples' affiliations, and expelling disciples without needing reasons.

...

"Elder Chen, how are your injuries?"

Elder Hua Jin showed no sorrow for the dead direct disciples.

She didn't even glance at their bodies, her first action upon returning being to check Chen Huaian's condition.

"Your Eminence, thanks to your timely medicine, I've mostly recovered."

Chen Huaian had considered pretending longer.

But between cultivating the Heavenly Demon Art, possessing the Original Dao Physique, and being influenced by true dragon qi, his recovery speed was incredibly fast.

First Hua Jin had given him a high-grade Great Recovery Pill, then Wang Shouyi gave him another. Within three breaths, his injuries had completely healed.

He could hide this from Wang Shouyi.

But before Hua Jin, it was impossible.

Overacting would only invite suspicion, so he stopped pretending, springing up from the ground like a carp and presenting the mid-grade Celestial Jade Marrow he'd obtained during the chaos.

"Your Eminence, though this disciple was injured, I preserved Kunlun Immortal Palace's resources and dignity!"

Hua Jin accepted the jade marrow, a trace of approval appearing in her eyes.

"Your dedication is noted. With elders like you, how could Kunlun Immortal Palace not prosper?"

"It's just a pity about the direct disciples." Chen Huaian showed sorrow: "This disciple's strength was insufficient to protect them from the enemy."

Hearing this, Wang Shouyi was deeply moved—even now, the senior still blamed himself?

Damn it! Senior, you...!

Clenching his fists, he couldn't hold back: "Senior, those people got what they deserved!"

"How could their inadequate training be blamed on you?" Wang Shouyi said indignantly: "Even if you'd saved them, with personalities like Wu Wenbin's, they'd never have remembered your kindness... You're simply too kind!"

"Each has their own fate." Hua Jin also comforted Chen Huaian: "Since they died now, it means it was their time."

Chen Huaian found their words absurd.

The treatment of Kunlun Immortal Palace disciples wasn't great.

Not even someone to collect the bodies—their beloved leader simply dismissed it with 'each has their own fate'...

And weren't there still three direct disciples left?

Weren't those three still watching from the side?

Chen Huaian glanced at the three remaining direct disciples.

Apparently severely frightened during the battle, they huddled in a corner, pale and trembling, still recovering from nearly being killed earlier. Compared to them, Wang Shouyi, though cowardly against Su Qinian, at least hadn't wet himself.

Detecting a faint smell of urine in the air.

Chen Huaian understood.

If he were the leader seeing his direct disciples so useless, with such poor mental fortitude, he'd probably also think their deaths meaningless. Considering Hua Jin might have undergone multiple reincarnations while retaining some memories...

To her, all Kunlun Immortal Palace disciples were merely chess pieces.

Dead pieces could be replaced—why mourn them?

Just as Chen Huaian reached this realization.

Hua Jin suddenly removed her veil, revealing her beautiful face.

She stared at Chen Huaian for a moment, then asked:

"Elder Chen, do you also think this venerable one is some hideous old witch?"

Chen Huaian: "Huh?"

...