Deceiving the Master and Destroying the Ancestors-Deserves Death!

Inquiry Sword Sect, Bone Forging Peak

At this moment, Luo Qingdie's sole disciple, Fan Bailu, was frantically trying to comfort the sobbing Liu Yan'er before him.

"Good Yan'er, good Yan'er, don't cry." Fan Bailu coaxed her softly, even taking out all his pills. "These are for you. All of them."

"What use are these things?!" Liu Yan'er shoved the pills away, her face filled with misery. "Brother Fan, Yan'er's life is so bitter. What exactly did Yan'er do wrong? Why is the Sect Leader targeting me like this? Is being prettier than her a crime? Does Yan'er have to scratch up her own face before she'll let me go?"

Seeing Liu Yan'er's tear-streaked face, Fan Bailu's heart twisted like a knife. He hugged her tightly and said, "Of course not! Yan'er, you did nothing wrong. It's Master's fault."

The more Fan Bailu spoke, the more fiercely he gritted his teeth. "That jealous old hag!"

The moment Liu Yan'er heard that, she hurriedly covered Fan Bailu's mouth, her face full of concern. "Brother Fan, don't say that. The Sect Leader is narrow-minded and ruthless. If she hears you, she definitely won't spare you. If something happens to you, Brother Fan, then Yan'er, I..."

Liu Yan'er cried even harder.

Seeing this, Fan Bailu felt as though his whole body was floating. There was only one thought in his mind.

—She cares about me. Yan'er cares about me!

A surge of manly pride immediately welled up within him.

With a wave of his hand, he said, "What's there to fear?! That old hag pretending to be young doesn't dare lay a hand on me. I've beaten her up more times than I can count!"

"Brother Fan, stop saying it. I already know how you feel."

"You don't believe me?" Fan Bailu sprang to his feet and said, "I'll take you to see her right now and demand an explanation for you. I want to see why she refuses to attend the assembly! Why she refuses to help solve your aptitude problem, Yan'er!"

"Really?"

"If I'm lying, may five thunders strike the top."

"Brother Fan, you're so good to me." Liu Yan'er nestled against Fan Bailu's chest.

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

After being possessed, Luo Qingdie's consciousness could only remain trapped inside her body. She immediately went to the Chat Group to pour out her grievances.

Luo Qingdie: "Sisters, who understands this? Chu Lu stole my body!"

The Chat Group instantly filled with question marks.

Hua Honglian: "Ah, so Chu Lu was that wild?"

Xu Liniang: "Tell us the details! Tell us the details! Tell us the details! Where did he touch first? How was he in bed?"

Zhu Shanlin: "Since it's already come to this, I suggest you don't run away. You'll only keep suffering and laying eggs all the way. Just get married directly, then cultivate feelings afterward."

Liu Ruyue: "From forceful seizure to marriage before love."

Luo Qingdie: "Not that kind of body!"

The Chat Group became a chaotic mess, but Chu Lu ignored it.

He clenched his fist and felt the surging power within his body. His domineering aura immediately skyrocketed, surged wildly, and intensified explosively. Incomparably domineering, incomparably frenzied—such a devilish god, what in this world could possibly resist him? Damn it, what in this world could possibly resist him?!

—So how exactly did Luo Qingdie end up in such a miserable state?

Chu Lu grumbled inwardly once more.

After growing accustomed to this powerful strength, he began preparing for the coming slaughter.

The first thing was to remove all this messy junk from his body.

That referred to more than just the fluttering dress.

Only after possessing her body did Chu Lu discover that Luo Qingdie had used spells to disguise both her figure and appearance.

For instance, forcefully compressing her bones to reduce her height; altering her facial features to make herself look younger. In short, she had gone to great lengths to make herself appear petite and adorable.

Naturally, this caused severe discomfort and inconvenience in movement. After all, it was like constantly hunching one's body while moving around.

Thus, Chu Lu directly dispelled those spells.

His height immediately increased by five inches, and his appearance became more mature. His features sharpened somewhat, carrying a heroic air. Then he changed the fluffy dress into a fitted combat outfit, removed that pile of hair ornaments, and tied up his hair in a neat style. His entire temperament changed abruptly.

Chu Lu stretched lazily, and all the bones in his body crackled. He immediately felt incomparably refreshed.

At that moment, Yu'er entered from outside.

Yu'er had served Luo Qingdie for many years.

Back when she had first become a maid, her heart had been full of unease.

After all, the person she was to serve was the Sect Leader of the Number One Sword Sect Under Heaven, Inquiry Sword Sect—and also the only Mahayana Stage cultivator in the world.

Such lofty status, such overwhelming strength—she had to be an incredibly remarkable person, right? To be able to serve someone like that was truly a blessing earned over three lifetimes.

Yet when they actually met, Yu'er saw that fluffy gown, that short height, that baby face, and that expression which always pouted and acted cute.

It made Yu'er feel somewhat uncomfortable. Especially that baby face—it always looked strange to her.

It was like one person had first painted a picture, then another had gone over it, patching and altering it. At a glance, one could see that the image felt a little out of place.

Later, she learned from others that Luo Qingdie was extremely vain and had used spells to alter her appearance.

Yu'er was somewhat disappointed.

Of course, only a little disappointed. After all, Luo Qingdie's strength was real.

Although Yu'er had never seen her fighting on the battlefield outside the sect, she always heard stories of how Luo Qingdie had killed some formidable person somewhere, or slain some powerful demonic beast. Deep down, Yu'er still retained a measure of respect for her.

Until recently—more precisely, after Liu Yan'er entered the sect—things changed.

She began frequently seeing Luo Qingdie in humiliating situations.

She was berated viciously by her master, mocked coldly by her senior brother, and even kicked brutally by her disciple. Yet she never dared fight back. Like a punching bag, she merely lowered her head and endured it in silence, then hid beneath the covers at night and cried her eyes out.

A trace of contempt inevitably arose in Yu'er's heart.

Once, she brought over some hot food. Luo Qingdie eagerly reached out to grab it, making Yu'er panic. Forgetting the other's status, she smacked Luo Qingdie's hand hard and snapped viciously, "Don't move around!"

Only after hitting her did she realize what she had done. Her face turned pale, and she thought she was about to be punished.

Yet unexpectedly, Luo Qingdie merely gave a pitiful little "Oh," then obediently retreated to one side without saying a word.

At that instant, a faint thrill rose in Yu'er's heart.

It was also that day that the trace of contempt in her heart became utter scorn.

Her attitude toward Luo Qingdie grew increasingly vile, and the more she watched the latter's timid, shrinking appearance, the more excited she became.

She could not help thinking to herself: Luo Qingdie merely has Mahayana Stage cultivation. If I were at the Mahayana Stage, I'd definitely be far stronger than her.

At this moment, Yu'er entered with precisely that contemptuous mindset, intending to make a report.

Yet when she raised her head and looked at Luo Qingdie ahead, she froze.

The Luo Qingdie before her looked completely different from the one in her memories.

Dressed in a black combat outfit, she appeared tall and straight. Her jet-black hair was tied high, making her look heroic and spirited. Her sword-like brows slanted into her temples, her eyes shone like stars, her nose was straight, and her lips were pressed tightly together. The contours of her face were as distinct as if carved by knives and axes, and her entire person radiated an inviolable majesty.

—Who was this?

Yu'er could not help feeling puzzled.

She looked several more times before realizing that the person before her was Luo Qingdie.

"What is it? Do you need something?" Chu Lu asked.

Hearing that calm, steady tone, Yu'er inexplicably grew nervous. Her body shrank slightly as well, and she answered cautiously, "Sect Leader, your disciple Fan Bailu wishes to see you."

"Let him in," Chu Lu replied.

"Yes." After saying that, Yu'er turned and left.

Once outside, Yu'er recalled the sight she had just seen and the voice she had heard. Her cheeks could not help burning.

The contempt that had once been deeply rooted in her heart melted away like snow beneath the blazing sun.

She could not help thinking: Why had the Sect Leader suddenly... become so handsome?

The process of passing along the message was completed quickly.

Fan Bailu was brimming with confidence as he took Liu Yan'er's hand and said, "Yan'er, let's go. Watch how I teach that old hag a lesson!"

Liu Yan'er looked at Fan Bailu with a face full of admiration and softly gave an "Mm."

The two rushed into the Cave Abode and arrived before Chu Lu.

"Old Witch!" Fan Bailu opened with a curse, but when he saw Chu Lu's appearance, he immediately froze for a moment.

He saw Chu Lu's clean, capable clothing, her figure so completely different from before, and those eyes... especially those eyes.

They were unlike her former gaze, which had been full of indulgence, helplessness, and even a faint trace of fear.

At this moment, his master's eyes were cold, merciless, and carried a hint of scrutiny, as though a judge were examining a criminal below and considering what punishment to impose. A trace of unease rose in Fan Bailu's heart.

At the same time, Liu Yan'er was also studying Chu Lu. She was surprised that the other no longer pretended to be cute, but then she giggled inwardly.

She had seen plenty of women who, after suffering heartbreak, cut their hair to declare their resolve.

But few of them truly succeeded.

After all, changing one's hairstyle only required a pair of scissors, but changing one's personality was not nearly so easy.

Seeing that Fan Bailu seemed to be wavering, she looked at him pitifully and called, "Brother Fan~~"

Fan Bailu immediately shuddered. He realized that Liu Yan'er was watching him.

He instantly threw that trace of unease to the back of his mind.

—What am I afraid of? I don't even know how many times I've beaten her already. I'm her disciple. No matter how much I make a fuss, she wouldn't dare touch me. No matter how unhappy she is, she'll obediently do as she's told in the end.

Thus, his expression turned vicious. He stepped forward and shouted, "Old Witch!"

Chu Lu looked at him. "What did you call me?"

Without thinking, Fan Bailu immediately shouted, "Old hag..."

"I'll ask you one more time." Chu Lu cut him off, her tone indifferent. "What did you call me?"

Fan Bailu inexplicably felt a chill run down his spine. He unconsciously changed his words. "M-Master."

Only then did Chu Lu withdraw the killing intent from her eyes.

She was actually quite pleased by Fan Bailu's arrival.

She had just finished making preparations and was looking for a pretext to kill someone, only for the pretext to deliver itself to her door. How could she not be pleased?

At this moment, perhaps because he had been overwhelmed in bearing by the master he had always looked down upon, a flash of embarrassed anger crossed Fan Bailu's heart, and his voice suddenly rose.

"Master! Why didn't you attend the assembly led by Martial Uncle and Martial Grandmaster?" he demanded sharply.

"Why should I go?" Chu Lu asked in return.

"What?" Fan Bailu froze. He had not expected her to dare question him back. He muttered, "That was an assembly held for Junior Sister Liu. It was meant to solve her cultivation problems. Junior Sister Liu has insufficient aptitude, so we must find a way to resolve it. Otherwise, it'll be difficult for her to break through her bottleneck."

"So?" Chu Lu remained just as indifferent. "Her aptitude is insufficient, so I have to help her? Why?"

"She's a disciple of the sect, and you're the Sect Leader. Shouldn't you help her?"

"What a joke." Chu Lu sneered. "Do you know how many disciples this sect has? Nearly a hundred thousand! And how many of them, like her, have insufficient aptitude? By your logic, should I also go help Junior Brother Liu, Junior Brother Zhou, Junior Brother Sun, and Junior Brother Wang? Why haven't I seen you speak up for them?"

"Th-this is different."

"How is it different? Has she rendered some great service?"

"Junior Sister Liu has been in the sect for less than a year. Her cultivation is only at Qi Refinement. How could she have rendered any service?"

"Then do I owe her something?"

"Of course not..."

"Then what exactly is different?"

"Can't you see it? Junior Sister Liu is so pitiful." Fan Bailu looked at Liu Yan'er with an expression full of tenderness, as though he could not understand Chu Lu's coldness.

"Most stray dogs by the roadside are pitiful too. By your logic, I should go teach a dog." Chu Lu spoke coldly.

"What did you say?!" Fan Bailu flew into a rage.

Chu Lu merely looked at him coldly, then suddenly said, "Speaking of which, how has your cultivation been progressing?"

"What?"

"I see that you seem to have made no progress lately. Where are the pills I gave you?"

"Heh." Fan Bailu immediately gave a mocking laugh. "You want to bring up how I gave the pills to Junior Sister Liu again, right? I told you last time—what's mine, I can give to whoever I want. You! Can't! Control! Me!"

"You can give them to whoever you want. I don't care to control you. But I care about my reputation." Chu Lu propped her cheek with one hand and looked at him disdainfully. "I am the Sect Leader of Inquiry Sword Sect, the only Mahayana Stage cultivator in this world, yet my disciple is merely at Foundation Establishment? If word gets out, where am I supposed to put my face? They say a famous master produces excellent disciples, so why is my disciple such trash?"

"Hah!?" Fan Bailu's eyes widened. He had always been the one to despise his master. He had never imagined that one day, he would be the one getting despised.

But before he could roar in fury, he heard something even more shocking.

"I think it's time I changed disciples. From today onward, the bond between us is severed. Get out of Inquiry Sword Sect," Chu Lu said.

Fan Bailu's face abruptly flushed red, and the intense humiliation nearly washed away his reason.

—Expelled from the sect? She actually wants to expel me from the sect?

With a clang.

He drew his sword and pointed it at Chu Lu. "You dare!?"

"Fan Bailu, what are you doing?" Chu Lu asked in a low voice.

"I... I'm going to chop you to death!" Fan Bailu roared, charging forward with his sword.

It was an utterly absurd sight: a Foundation Establishment cultivator was actually taking the initiative to attack a Mahayana Stage cultivator.

Yet no one present found it strange.

Whether it was Liu Yan'er watching from the side or Yu'er secretly peeking from outside, both believed that Chu Lu would obediently take the beating until Fan Bailu's anger subsided.

Thus, when they saw Chu Lu reach out and catch Fan Bailu's sword, both of them were stunned.

A gleam of triumphant amusement flashed through Chu Lu's eyes. Looking at the shocked Fan Bailu, she said, "Defying one's superior, deceiving the master and destroying the ancestors—deserves death!"

With a crack, she snapped Fan Bailu's longsword in half. Then, gripping the broken blade, she swung it fiercely.

The sword tip sliced across Fan Bailu's neck.

A head filled with shock immediately flew out, dragging a trail of blood through the air. It crashed heavily onto the ground, then rolled forward several times until it stopped at Liu Yan'er's feet.

Liu Yan'er stared blankly at that head, then suddenly screamed.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"

"Murder!"

"The Sect Leader murdered someone!"