Eh?

The next day, Chu Lu arrived at Qingyun City.

He stood high in the air, looking down at the city below, and found that it was not much different from Hundred Years City.

Yet in corners he had not noticed, several pairs of eyes had already turned toward him.

Soon afterward, the intelligence network the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect had set up in Qingyun City sprang into action and swiftly delivered the news to Yang Ruying.

Yang Ruying immediately found Luo's Father and Luo's Mother. "Luo Qingdie has arrived. She is in the skies above the city right now. It is your turn to take the stage."

"Good." Luo's Father brimmed with confidence. "Immortal Master, just watch. See how I teach that unfilial, wicked daughter a lesson!"

With that, the two of them stirred their spiritual power and flew up.

At that moment, Chu Lu was preparing to use a spell to disguise himself and slip silently into Qingyun City when an angry roar came from afar.

"You wretch, get over here this instant!"

Chu Lu froze, then turned his head and saw an old man and an old woman flying toward him, cursing, gesticulating, and pointing fingers all the way.

Before Chu Lu could even get out a "Who," Luo Qingdie's startled cry rang out in his mind. "Father? Mother?"

"They are your parents?" Chu Lu was slightly surprised. "Why are your parents here?"

"I-I don't know. They obviously do not live here."

Chu Lu frowned, catching the scent of a conspiracy.

—At Qingyun City, the source of the rumors, he had found Luo Qingdie's parents, who did not even live here. This was far too coincidental. Could someone have arranged it on purpose?

Chu Lu had originally intended to ignore them, but after considering this, he changed his mind and decided to meet the two.

Seeing that Chu Lu would not come over, Luo's Father and Luo's Mother sped up and rapidly closed in.

Within the city, Yang Ruying and the others watched the scene tensely, waiting for the instant the two sides met.

Before long, Luo's Father arrived before Chu Lu. His face twisted viciously as he swung a slap at him and bellowed, "You wretch, all the things you have done..."

With a smack, Chu Lu caught Luo's Father by the wrist.

Luo's Father paused, let out an "Eh?", and was about to speak when Chu Lu raised his hand and slapped him, sending him spinning three and a half times on the spot.

"Old fool, keep your hands to yourself," Chu Lu said coldly.

Luo's Father staggered to a stop and touched his burning cheek, still somewhat dazed.

Seeing this, Luo's Mother flew into a rage and shouted, "You actually dare hit your father?! Old Ancestor was right, daughters are nothing but money-losing—"

Smack!

Chu Lu raised his hand and slapped her as well, sending her spinning four and a half times on the spot.

"Old fool, clean up your mouth," Chu Lu said coldly.

Luo's Mother staggered to a stop and touched her burning cheek, equally somewhat dazed.

Luo's Father and Luo's Mother exchanged a look, their eyes filled with confusion.

—This was not right. It was not supposed to go like this.

Yang Ruying and the others in the city also darkened slightly.

Only then did Luo's Father and Luo's Mother recover from the damage of those slaps. Though they had not expected Chu Lu to truly dare lay hands on them, it did not matter. They had tricks prepared.

Eyes reddening, Luo's Father squeezed out two tears and said in a muffled voice, "You hit me. You actually dared to hit me? Fine! Fine! You have grown capable! You even dare hit your father now! You are the master of the Inquiry Sword Sect, a Mahayana Stage cultivator. An old thing like me has no right to control you anymore!"

Chu Lu said, "Of course. What right does a useless old wreck like you have?"

Luo's Father said, "Eh?"

Luo's Mother flailed her limbs in midair and wailed, "My daughter hit her parents! What is there left for me to live for? I might as well die!"

Chu Lu said, "Fine, then I will send you on your way."

Luo's Mother said, "Eh?"

Then, seeing Chu Lu draw his sword and genuinely prepare to strike, the two hurriedly stopped him. "No, no!"

Chu Lu said, "? Didn't you say you wanted to die?"

Luo's Mother hurriedly said, "I don't anymore, I don't anymore. My brain was broken just now. It is normal now. I do not want to die."

"Oh." Only then did Chu Lu put away his sword.

Looking at Chu Lu's indifferent face, Luo's Father and Luo's Mother were flooded with a hundred tangled emotions.

Shock, fear, doubt, incomprehension.

—How could this be? Why had all these methods stopped working? Should she not be crying as she admitted her mistakes?

"So..." Chu Lu slowly began.

The two perked up at once and bent low. "Yes."

"No, I wanted to ask why you two are here. And what did you want by coming after me cursing and shouting just now?" Chu Lu asked.

The old man and old woman looked at each other, neither knowing what to do. Should they continue this plan now?

Still, after thinking it over, Luo's Father felt that since Luo Qingdie had suddenly become so vicious, there was no telling whether she might one day come looking for revenge. They still had to continue.

They merely needed to change their approach.

Luo's Father said, "W-we learned about what you did. Of course! Of course your parents stand with you. There must be something wrong with the Inquiry Sword Sect. You had no choice but to act, and we were worried all night..."

Chu Lu cut off his endless chatter. "Get to the point. Cut the nonsense."

"Fine. We want to take you to admit your mistake," Luo's Father said.

"Admit my mistake?" Chu Lu frowned.

The two instantly shuddered. Luo's Mother hurriedly explained, "daughter, we do not want this either. They forced us to do it. Otherwise, they will kill us."

Chu Lu's eyes lit up. "Who? Who wants to do this?"

—At last, he was going to find the mastermind behind it all.

"This... the Righteous Path cultivators."

"Which sect exactly?"

"Th-this, I do not know either. How about we take you there? Everyone belongs to the Righteous Path. If we lay everything out and resolve the problem, everything will surely be fine."

"Sure. Lead the way," Chu Lu said.

Hearing this, Luo's Father and Luo's Mother could not help smiling. They repeatedly said, "Good, good, good. We will lead the way. We will lead the way right away."

Luo Qingdie said at that moment, "Chu Lu, there may be a trap ahead."

"I know," Chu Lu replied inwardly. "But when we are already on guard, what trap could possibly hurt us?"

Luo Qingdie said, "That is true."

Meanwhile, within the city.

Yang Ruying and his subordinates were discussing matters.

"Senior Brother Yang, Luo Qingdie has clearly become suspicious," a subordinate said. "If we bring her over like this, she will definitely discover our grand formation."

"I know." Yang Ruying nodded calmly. "Let her take the stage."

The subordinate accepted the order and left.

At that moment, Yang Ruying felt a trace of the relief of having escaped death.

—Fortunately, I did not trust those two old fools.

On the other side, Chu Lu and the others slowly descended to the ground. Luo's Father and Luo's Mother eagerly led the way ahead, but as they passed a corner, a shriveled arm like a chicken claw stretched out and seized Chu Lu in one grab.

Chu Lu immediately tensed, looking toward the other party. He found an old woman so aged she was nearly a dried corpse, holding up a gesture signaling him not to speak.

Just as Chu Lu was puzzled, Luo Qingdie's voice rang out in his mind again.

"Grandmother?!"

Chu Lu froze.