The Adopted Son from Her Previous Life?

Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect.

News of Mo Yushang's plan failing once again had already reached the elders' ears.

They were not shocked. Instead, they felt a sense of relief that things had turned out exactly as expected, though at the same time, the terror in their hearts grew ever heavier.

They rushed together to find the Heavenly Profound Sect Master, hoping to persuade him to change his mind and turn the sect grounds into an impregnable fortress during these remaining three days.

Yet to their surprise, the Heavenly Profound Sect Master had hidden in his bedchamber and refused to see anyone.

The elders were so anxious they nearly stamped their feet.

"What exactly is wrong with the Sect Master? He isn't planning to run away, is he?"

"Don't go mad. Where could he possibly run? Luo Qingdie might spare anyone else, but she would never spare him."

"Then what do we do? Do we keep going?"

"Keep going my ass! That would just be a waste of time!"

"Go find the Deputy Sect Master! Maybe he has a solution."

"Yes, yes, yes!"

They swarmed over to the Deputy Sect Master again, only to find him equally bewildered, unable to make sense of the current situation.

He had devised the Qingyun City plan, and after its crushing defeat, he had immediately gone to the Heavenly Profound Sect Master carrying thorns on his back to beg forgiveness. He had already prepared himself for punishment, yet the latter had not even acknowledged him.

Now, seeing the elders in such a panic, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I'll go find him! I'll get to the bottom of this no matter what."

The elders immediately brightened, escorting him to the Heavenly Profound Sect Master's bedchamber.

They watched him knock and announce himself.

When they saw the doors open and allow him inside, hope rose in their hearts.

A full incense stick's worth of time passed before the Deputy Sect Master emerged, his face brimming with smiles.

Seeing this, the elders' hopes soared even higher, and they hurried over to question him.

"Well?"

"I've already spoken with the Sect Master." The Deputy Sect Master nodded. "Just continue with the original plan."

The elders froze, their hearts turning cold at once.

"Don't misunderstand. I didn't return empty-handed." The Deputy Sect Master said confidently, "We have misunderstood the Sect Master all along. He was not going mad for no reason. I cannot explain the details right now, but just continue with the plan. Luo Qingdie will undoubtedly die!"

The elders looked at one another, unsure whether they should believe him.

Two days later, Dayan City.

This was the closest mortal city to the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect, and also one of the sect's most important sources of disciples. In previous years, those wishing to join the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect would often stay here and make preparations in advance.

Since such people were either wealthy or noble, Dayan City had also developed into a remarkably prosperous place.

An elder hid in the shadows with several familiar disciples.

Beside them stood a little beggar who seemed utterly out of place.

The elder's expression was gloomy. Two days ago, the Deputy Sect Master had refused to explain the details, merely insisting that they continue the plan. The elders had hesitated again and again, but in the end, they had decided to treat a dead horse as if it were alive and obey their orders.

The problem was that someone had to lead the operation. After a fierce argument, that responsibility had fallen onto him.

Though the Deputy Sect Master's attitude had been resolute, the elder felt no confidence at all as he looked at that filthy little beggar.

This little beggar had been discovered by the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect through a secret technique used to search for people closely connected to Luo Qingdie. The first group revealed by the technique had been blood relatives such as Luo Qingdie's parents. The second had been her friend Mo Yushang. Yet the third had somehow turned out to be this little beggar, who had no relationship whatsoever with Luo Qingdie.

At the time, everyone in the sect had been completely baffled. They had captured the little beggar and gone to great lengths to investigate his background, only to discover that he was the child of some third-rate demonic cultivator. He knew a few demonic cultivation arts, but his spiritual roots were utterly terrible, leaving him unable to step onto the path of cultivation no matter what.

No one knew why the secret technique had determined that he possessed such deep ties to Luo Qingdie.

If there had been any other option, the elder would never have chosen him. Unfortunately, he was the only bait they had left.

The elder thought, If things go south, I'll flee immediately. With the God-Avoiding Pearl concealing my tracks, as long as I run fast enough, there's no reason she can catch me!

At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared on the horizon.

Everyone perked up and recognized her at once.

"It's Luo Qingdie! Luo Qingdie is here!"

The elder looked at the little beggar. "You remember what I told you before, right? I don't care what method you use, but you must lure her to the designated location!"

The little beggar nodded fearfully.

"Very good. Then we begin!"

On the other side, Chu Lu arrived above Dayan City. Looking ahead, he could already faintly see the enormous mountain peak of the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect.

Thus, he did not linger and prepared to continue onward.

But at that moment, an angry roar suddenly rang out below.

"Demonic fiend Luo Qingdie, stop right there!"

Chu Lu paused and turned his head curiously, wanting to see who was so tired of living.

He saw a Golden Core cultivator in the robes of the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect slowly rise into the air. The man was holding a little beggar in his grasp, clearly using him as a hostage.

"Demonic fiend Luo Qingdie, if you dare take another step toward the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect, I'll kill this little beggar!" the cultivator said viciously.

Chu Lu was completely confused. Just as he was about to ask who this little beggar was, he heard Luo Qingdie cry out in his mind, 'Huh? Why is it him?'

"Another acquaintance?" Chu Lu blinked, about to ask more, but when he saw the little beggar's appearance, he immediately understood. "Wait, could this be that little beggar you took in, only for him to stab you in the back?"

Luo Qingdie: "Mm."

Doubt immediately arose in Chu Lu's heart.

He thought that Luo Qingdie had not even met this little beggar in this lifetime yet. How had the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect known to find him?

So he immediately voiced his confusion. "Judging by your appearance, you're from the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect, right? I can understand being afraid of me approaching the sect, but what use is holding a little beggar?"

"Heh." The cultivator sneered coldly. "Stop pretending. I know this little beggar shares deep ties with you. Do not underestimate the secret techniques of the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect!"

"So that's it." Chu Lu nodded in understanding, thinking that this was, after all, a world of immortal cultivation, so strange spells were hardly surprising.

Having resolved his confusion, Chu Lu drew his sword, preparing to cut both of them down.

At that moment, the little beggar seemed to have been frightened badly. His thin body trembled, tears streamed from his eyes, and he cried in a shaking voice, "Big sister, please save me. I'm so scared."

Chu Lu had no reaction to this whatsoever, but Luo Qingdie, watching from within his mind, suddenly trembled.

She remembered fragments of her previous life—remembered the days and nights she had spent with this little beggar, and those warm scenes that had felt like family.

"Chu Lu," Luo Qingdie said, "how about we save him?"

"Huh?" Chu Lu froze.

"He's different from the previous two. He clearly knows nothing and was only captured to be used as a hostage. He has done nothing wrong, yet he is about to be killed. That isn't right, is it?"

"...Have you forgotten how he ruined you in your previous life?"

"I haven't forgotten, but that... perhaps I simply did not teach him well." Luo Qingdie radiated maternal warmth. "I failed to notice his desire for cultivation, failed to help him in time, and failed to see the struggle in his heart. That was why he had been driven to take such a desperate risk. But it's fine. I can do it over this time. This time, I definitely won't make the same mistake again."

Chu Lu listened with a blank expression.

Meanwhile, because Chu Lu had not acted for so long, the hidden onlookers' thoughts began to stir.

Watching this scene, the elder suddenly began to feel a trace of anticipation toward this seemingly unreliable plan.

Could the Deputy Sect Master have been telling the truth? Could this plan really work? Could this little beggar truly matter that much? Otherwise, why had Luo Qingdie refused to act for so long? If so... that would be wonderful!

According to the plan, if Luo Qingdie truly cared about the little beggar, there were two possible branches afterward. The first was that the threat succeeded. The cultivator holding the little beggar hostage would then directly demand that Luo Qingdie go to the place where the formation had been set up, thereby killing her.

The second was that the threat failed, because the gap between Golden Core and Mahayana was simply too vast. Luo Qingdie could completely kill the cultivator before he managed to strangle the little beggar. In that case, the work of luring her would fall to the little beggar. Faced with a hostage she had just rescued, even Luo Qingdie would lower her guard, wouldn't she?

Therefore, as long as Luo Qingdie wanted to save the little beggar, victory was already in his grasp!

The cultivator in the sky stared fixedly at Chu Lu, not relaxing in the slightest because of his silence.

Then, he suddenly saw Chu Lu sigh.

"Fine, I understand," Chu Lu said in his mind.

"Really? Thank you, Chu Lu." Luo Qingdie was overjoyed.

The next moment, Chu Lu drove his spiritual power into his sword. It shot forth like an arrow loosed from the bowstring, so fast that it did not even leave an afterimage in the air.

In a single instant, it pierced through the cultivator's head.

Seeing this, the elder below grew excited.

It worked! She really wanted to save the little beggar!

As the little beggar felt the fierce wind passing over his head and cutting painfully across his cheeks, his face was filled with terror, but his heart was bursting with excitement.

He still remembered what the elder had told him. The hardest part was the beginning. As long as he survived that first hurdle, as long as Luo Qingdie did not kill him from the start, his little life would be safe.

Next, he only needed to properly display the pitiful act he had honed over all these years and subtly lead Luo Qingdie to the designated place. Then everything would be over.

The elder had even promised that, if he succeeded, he would be exceptionally admitted into the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect.

Looking at Luo Qingdie ahead of him, the little beggar did not feel even the slightest guilt or shame. There was only one thought in his mind.

The Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect... the greatest sect of the Righteous Path in the world. I can finally begin cultiv—

Splat.

The little beggar froze.

A short length of sword tip emerged from his forehead, glinting with sword light.

"Eh?" the little beggar said.

Not only him—in that instant, the elder below and Luo Qingdie within Chu Lu's body both let out stunned cries.

But in the next moment, the elder suddenly came to his senses.

The plan failed! Run immediately!

He turned and was about to flee at full speed, not even sparing a word for the disciples beside him.

Yet the instant he turned around, he saw Chu Lu waiting before him.

The elder's face turned deathly pale, and he suddenly shrieked, "Impossible! The God-Avoiding Pearl clearly—"

The elder's scream abruptly cut off. He saw the entire world rise diagonally upward.

He wondered what was happening.

Only when the lower half of his body crashed to the ground did he understand.

Ah, so I've been cut in half.

The elder died instantly, followed by the disciples, who also dropped dead one after another.

The room was immediately filled with a thick stench of blood.

Chu Lu flicked his sword, confirmed that no one here remained alive, then turned and walked out of the room.

Only then did Luo Qingdie in his mind finally react, screaming, "Chu Lu! You clearly promised me you wouldn't kill him!"

"I never did," Chu Lu said. "I only said I understood."

"And then you killed him? So what exactly did you understand?"

"I understood that he had to be killed." Chu Lu sighed. "Listen, I don't know what exactly is going on with you. Whether it's simply your saintly heart acting up, or whether your mentality has been off ever since your defenses were shattered last time and you wanted to prove that someone would still like you. But no matter what, did you really have to choose this person?"

"There are so many children in this world. Couldn't you choose one who is obedient, sensible, and grateful to raise? Why choose this trash who would stab his savior in the back?"

Luo Qingdie fell silent.

She understood that Chu Lu was right. There was no reason for her to cling to such a terrible person. Whatever feelings she had once held had already vanished like smoke in thin air the moment she had been thrown into the Pill Furnace. But...

"But there was no need to kill him, was there? Those were things from our previous life. In this life, he has not done anything yet. He is innocent," Luo Qingdie said.

"If you put it that way... you do have a point. But then again, even if he hasn't done it yet, his trashy nature hasn't changed, has it?" Chu Lu said. "I merely killed a scumbag who had not yet had the chance to commit evil. You don't need to condemn me for it, do you?"

"I'm not condemning you, it's just..." Luo Qingdie paused. Recalling everything that had happened since Chu Lu had crossed over, she finally could not hold back the words that had been stuck in her throat like a fishbone. "I think you are still too extreme, Chu Lu. Surely killing people indiscriminately is not right? Even if you truly solve the problem in the end, you will still feel guilty, won't you?"

Chu Lu frowned. "Where have I killed people indiscriminately? I clearly gave everyone a chance. If your disciple had not truly wanted to kill me, I would not have killed him. If even one of those later elders, the Supreme Elder, your senior brother, or your master had been a little more fair and just, they could have survived too. I'm not making excuses—the small group of Inquiry Sword Sect cultivators who believed I was not at fault survived, didn't they?"

"But what about these Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect people? Although I do not know why the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect wants to slander and kill me, surely it came from orders given by those higher-ranking elders? The disciples below, running about at their beck and call, are most likely innocent people who have been deceived as well. Is it right to kill them?" Luo Qingdie said.

Chu Lu fell silent for a moment, then sighed sincerely. "You're right. They should not have died."

Luo Qingdie's spirits lifted, and she was about to continue when she heard Chu Lu say, "So doesn't that prove just how shameless this Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect is? They actually got their own disciples killed!"

Chu Lu said righteously, "Once we attack them, I'll cut the Heavenly Profound Sect Master a few extra times. I'll count it as avenging them."

Luo Qingdie: "Eh? No, that's not right! Shouldn't you let them go?"

Chu Lu said, "The one who got them killed was the Heavenly Profound Sect Master. How am I supposed to let them go? Even if I let them go today, would the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect not send them out again tomorrow? When I attack the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect and kill their Sect Master, will they stand aside? If I explain the truth to them, will they believe it?"

Luo Qingdie: "..."

"Um, Chu Lu..." After staring blankly for a while, Luo Qingdie asked, "Don't you feel even a little guilt or shame?"

"No." Chu Lu answered calmly. "Every time I kill someone, my conscience is clear."

Luo Qingdie was stunned for a moment. She actually found herself unable to refute him, and her emotions became tangled.

The path of cultivation was not merely about tempering one's spiritual power; it also required tempering one's state of mind. Since she had cultivated to the Mahayana Stage, she naturally possessed some attainment in that regard.

But now, she suddenly realized that her state of mind seemed far less steadfast than Chu Lu's, despite him being only at the Qi Refining stage.