Chapter 103: The Cave (Part 3)

The past of Shen Suwei was almost a deeply concealed mystery. As a result, Xu Qianyu felt that the red string held extraordinary significance; giving it to her represented his trust in her.
If she carelessly discarded it, she might never have another chance to be close to her senior brother.

The sunlight pierced through the lake, making it appear like a single piece of translucent jade. She held her breath and slowly sank down. Amid a cluster of water plants and bubbles, she grabbed the red string drifting downward.

The red string was thin and old, lying quietly on the sandy ground, less eye-catching than the colorful shells on the lakebed.

But when Xu Qianyu saw it, she felt a surge of joy: “I found it.”
As she prepared to swim up again, she was utterly exhausted, unsure if Xu Binglai could rescue her a second time. At that moment, a shadow fell above her, and a force grabbed her, pulling her to the surface.

The moment they broke through the water, the water clung to them like countless tendrils. Xu Qianyu felt cold and heavy, but within Shen Suwei’s arms, she felt extremely safe. Without a word, she hurriedly tied the red string back around her wrist.
Shen Suwei looked down and saw Xu Qianyu soaked through, water droplets rolling down her arms, still shivering as she struggled to put on the red string. He grasped her wrist.
An indescribable mix of anger and fear churned within him. He suppressed the urge to throw the red string back into the water, gently tying it for Xu Qianyu himself, then pulled her sleeve down to hide it.

Xu Binglai squinted, watching Shen Suwei holding Xu Qianyu, and snorted, “Was I wrong? You just think I’m a bad father and want to take my place.”

Within a few steps, their clothes dried. Xu Qianyu, feeling embarrassed by the comment, struggled to jump down, but Shen Suwei held her back and said, “Elder Yi is accusing us of damaging Uncle Wuzhen’s body.”

Xu Binglai’s smile faded slightly. “Then go explain it if asked.”
It seemed like there was more behind their words. Shen Suwei replied, “Alright.”
Xu Qianyu’s eyes widened, her heartbeat quickening as she pressed against the Dream Mirror Tube: Wuzhen’s body was gone!
With her foundation cultivation, she was immune to most diseases, and a high-level cultivator’s body was not easy to destroy. Could this have something to do with the influence of the floating grass? If so, had Wuzhen foreseen this outcome all along?

On the opposite side of the lake, Elder Yi’s voice, carried by spiritual power, sounded sharp to the ear: “What are you two dawdling for? Hurry over for questioning.”
They were brought across together, with Lu You tied up beside them like a bundle.
Since Wuzhen’s body had been occupied by the Demon King, his recently accepted disciple was also worth investigating.

“I will overlook the actions of you three, given the circumstances.” When everyone was assembled, Elder Yi looked sternly at Xu Qianyu. “Who gave you the audacity to plant soul-scattering poison herbs within the sect?”
There was an uproar as a few ceramic pots from Xu Qianyu’s windowsill were placed in front of the crowd. The leaves were a dark blue, clearly marking them as half-demon Shengchong grass.
Lu You hastily added, “It’s because she had close dealings with the Demon King—they’ve been scheming together for a long time. I’ve even seen…”
Xu Jiansu silenced her with a flick, rubbing his ear. The sound of her voice irritated him now.
But her words had already taken root in some people’s minds.

Shen Suwei spoke, “I planted the grass, and my junior merely helped look after it.” He looked calmly at Elder Yi, adding, “Before planting it, I consulted the Bamboo Pavilion and found no rule forbidding the cultivation of Floating Grass within the sect.”
“The only place for demons within the sect is the rear forest, where we keep the creatures we hunt in the spring and autumn seasons. You claim not to use demonic energy, so how did you cultivate Shengchong grass? Did you secretly use demonic energy?” Elder Yi pressed, “And was it also your idea to shatter the elder’s body?”
Xu Baopu was about to speak but froze, his pupils contracting.

“It’s just a plant; is it worth making such a fuss?” A distant voice spoke from behind. Instantly, a powerful aura spread like waves, and all the cultivators present turned back, alert.
Someone stood under a parasol in the clear daylight. The parasol was green as spring willow leaves, its edges adorned with delicate bells that chimed softly in the breeze.
The parasol’s spirit form was actually a soul-calling treasure. It was said that under the shade of this parasol, peace and harmony would be preserved in the world.

The young man holding the parasol had pale skin and jet-black eyes, and the edges of his black robe faded into a ghostly mist. His true form existed only beneath the parasol’s shade. “I asked her to plant it.”
Elder Yi stared in shock. “Wuzhen…”
The young man twirled the parasol lightly, “It’s too hot. I’ll stand for only a moment. Ask your questions quickly.”

When one dies, a bodiless soul is called a “ghost.” A ghost bound to an object may, after a hundred years, become a demon; after another century, it can attain the Way. Everyone had believed that Wuzhen’s soul had scattered, allowing the Demon King to exploit his form. No one had expected that he would one day reappear before them.
However, he had willingly abandoned his nearly perfected body to start over as a ghost cultivator. And by doing so, he had immediately ascended to the highest rank of ghost cultivators, “Sacred Sovereign,” equivalent to a foundation-stage cultivator. Such talent and opportunity inevitably sparked envy.
Elder Yi asked, “Since you were here, why didn’t you report sooner? We could have killed the Demon King and retrieved your body.”

Wuzhen replied, “I didn’t trust you.”
During the age of harsh cultivation, conflicts over spiritual energy were rampant. If a cultivator couldn’t protect themselves, others would inevitably covet their spiritual roots. Wuzhen would rather destroy his own body than let it fall into others’ hands.

With those words, Elder Yi’s expression changed, and the atmosphere grew tense, as if a conflict might break out at any moment.

Wuzhen stared at Elder Yi, while the other elders’ expressions varied. Elder Yi paused briefly, then continued, “So you trust just any disciple? And what is your relationship with Xu Qianyu?”

Wuzhen: “Disciple.”

Everyone knew Xu Qianyu was a disciple of the sect leader. How could someone have two masters? It would cause chaos.
The people around started whispering, but Shen Suwei didn’t react much. Since Wuzhen claimed it was a master-disciple relationship, it must not be anything else.

He glanced at Xu Qianyu and noticed she was nervously tugging at the hem of her robe, seemingly distracted.

“And her?” Elder Yi pointed to Lu You, who was formally accepted as Wuzhen’s disciple.
Wuzhen looked at Lu You briefly and said, “I don’t know her.”

The words hit like a hammer, and Lu You’s face instantly went pale.
Wuzhen: “I never accepted her. Make sure she’s removed from my lineage so my reputation stays clean. That’s all.”

The blue parasol suddenly closed, and Wuzhen’s figure disappeared within it.
The parasol transformed back to its familiar form of black robes and white bones and waved dismissively, “Disperse, disperse! It’s too hot out here.”

“Elder Hua, you knew about Wuzhen’s situation all along. Why did you keep it a secret?”
Elder Hua Qing San replied, “I only knew through dreams he sent me. How could I have known if it was real or not?”

“Enough,” interrupted Elder Yi.
Now that Wuzhen had appeared in person, there was no way to leverage this further. Instead, Elder Yi vented his frustration on Lu You, pointing at her, “This disciple has been involved with demonic forces. According to sect rules, remove her wooden badge and lock her in the water prison for interrogation.”

Removing the wooden badge meant stripping her of her Penglai disciple status.
Lu You couldn’t understand how things had escalated this far. How could Wuzhen still be alive? And why had Xie Wangzhen been killed? She cried and pleaded her innocence, but through her tear-filled gaze, she saw her previous-life masters and senior brothers—Xu Binglai, Xu Baopu, and Xu Jiansu—who had once cherished her now looked at her with indifference, as if she were a stranger.

Finally, in the crowd, she saw a familiar face. “Elder Xiao, save me!”
Xiao Changqing, the one who had once led her into the sect, sighed as he watched the pure and kind-hearted girl she once was reach this tragic state. “Since she hasn’t been convicted yet, is it necessary to bind her?”

“It’s not the first time,” Xu Jiansu said pointedly. “I remember this Lady Lu appearing around me multiple times while I was pursuing demonic creatures—too coincidental to be innocent. Given her unique status… Elder Xiao, why did you bring her into the sect back then? Should we investigate you as well?”

“Nonsense! I am absolutely innocent!” Xiao Changqing stopped speaking further.
He still remembered that Lu You had abandoned him to join Wuzhen’s lineage. Their relationship was over; he had done his duty.

Lu You was taken away. Xu Jiansu was the first to leave quickly, as he needed to tend to Xu Qianqian, who was still in his realm. The others also dispersed.
Shen Suwei noticed Xu Qianyu hadn’t spoken all this time. Soon, her expression changed, and sweat appeared on her forehead. He quickly picked her up and asked, “Are you unwell?”
Xu Qianyu replied, “The realm…”

Due to standing and answering questions for so long, Xu Qianyu had retreated to her own realm, lying quietly on her small bed.
However, the temperature in the realm grew higher, and the flames outside the window burned intensely, scorching through the window frame, spreading to the table, and creeping closer, threatening to consume her small room.

She pushed her wooden toy horse farther away and desperately tried to extinguish the fire with her spells, but the flames only grew.
Just as she was beginning to panic, a wave of cool energy entered the room, spreading frost across the doors and windows, forming a barrier that protected her small room.

Unable to penetrate, the flames slowly retreated outside the boundary.
Standing inside her room, she watched as the charred areas gradually faded from black, returning to their original form. It was the power of “restoration.”
“I fixed it for you.” She heard her senior brother’s calm voice.
It was as cool as dew at night, carrying a soothing power.
Xu Qianyu felt herself calming down.

“You have a dual realm,” Shen Suwei said, “a realm of evil for others, but a realm of peace for yourself. Do you like this peaceful realm?”
Xu Qianyu replied, “Yes.”

“Good. Maintaining a dual realm is difficult; most revert to a single realm because the peaceful realm is too fragile. The fire of departure belongs to thunder, which corresponds with your thunder root. It’s violent, volatile, and devours everything. You must resist it and prevent it from running wild to preserve your dual realm.”

Shen Suwei continued, “And if it accidentally burns, it’s okay. As long as it’s not completely destroyed, I can help you restore it.”
Xu Qianyu murmured her acknowledgment. The view around her cleared, and she realized Shen Suwei was carrying her back to the Zhaoyue Palace.

Her spiritual center was still burning, the heat gradually sinking lower, twisting painfully as though something was knotting her abdomen and wrenching it hard.
Xu Qianyu cried out in pain. Shen Suwei halted, thinking it was still a problem with her realm, and began regulating her energy.
“Senior Brother, my stomach still hurts.” But as the next wave of pain struck, it became even colder and heavier, almost unbearable, until she blacked out.

Shen Suwei stared in shock as a trickle of blood slid down Xu Qianyu’s ankle, staining his white sleeve.
Deep crimson, spreading wider and wider.

Countless images overlapped before him—hot red plum blossoms falling into the snow, the sword tip clearing away the snow on Wuwang Cliff in a previous life, revealing patches of deep red, old blood stains like scattered stars.
Shen Suwei found himself terrified of Xu Qianyu’s blood, as if he had fallen into an icy abyss, losing all sensation in an instant.