An Apology Gift

The elder's temples were streaked with white, his face a mask of rough, bark-like wrinkles, giving him an air of having weathered many storms.

He wore simple silk robes and walked in, hunched over, step by step. He surveyed the chaotic scene with increasingly stern eyes.

Seeing the man writhing on the ground, bleeding profusely, the elder hurried past the crowd, raised a hand, and formed a mudra, stopping the bleeding.

He turned back and stared at Wu Cheng, his presence commanding respect without anger:

"Wu Cheng, you've gone too far this time."

His tone was full of accusation. Wu Cheng's arrogance vanished, and he quickly bowed:

"Greetings, City Lord Liu. Today's events..."

"Enough! Have your Master come explain to me." City Lord Liu cut him off ruthlessly. He then turned to You Su, who stood nearby with icy eyes, and after a brief appraisal, asked with concern, "Are you injured?"

You Su could tell City Lord Liu was addressing him. He hadn't had any contact with City Lord Liu since his Master left, so he felt a bit overwhelmed as he replied, "Greetings, City Lord. I am unharmed."

Wu Cheng kept his head down, teeth clenched, no one seeing the bulging veins beneath the shadow of his face.

"It's good that you're alright. They were just anxious to find someone, so they resorted to this. I hope you can understand." City Lord Liu finally eased his oppressive aura, and everyone felt a sense of relief.

"I can understand." You Su's frosty expression melted away, and he replied amicably.

The ice on his face was easy to melt, but the resentment in his heart was hard to dispel. You Su had firmly etched this debt in his mind.

Facing City Lord Liu's mediation, You Su could only outwardly comply. Rather than disliking his meddling, You Su was more grateful that he had stopped the fight in time. He just wanted an environment free from turmoil for his Junior Sister and Mistress.

City Lord Liu stroked his beard with satisfaction, then turned to help up Wu Cheng, who was still bowing. His tone had softened slightly:

"Wu Cheng, I know you value your fellow disciples, but you shouldn't have lost your composure like this. We are all cultivators, not barbarian thugs here to ransack houses. Your Master values you so highly; you must live up to his expectations."

Wu Cheng glanced at City Lord Liu's face, gnarled like an old branch, then bowed his head again and said solemnly, "Thank you, City Lord, for your guidance. Wu Cheng knows his mistake. I will think thrice before acting in the future and will not be swayed by emotions again."

City Lord Liu's lips curved upwards. After helping Wu Cheng up again, he even patted his shoulder:

"You are a good child, loyal and righteous. This time, it can be considered understandable. Apologize to You Su, and this matter will be over. You are all peers and the future of Chuyun City. You should interact more in the future."

Before Wu Cheng could respond, Wu Ping interjected indignantly, "Ask us to apologize to him? City Lord Liu, look at what he did to our people! What other compensation does he want?"

Upon hearing this, City Lord Liu glanced askance at Wu Ping, who was leaning against the wall, then looked back at the injured man's wounds. He said softly to Wu Cheng:

"Hurry back to the sect; it can still be reattached."

In an instant, a sword light flashed. The fat man's hands, which had been lying on the ground still trembling, shattered into several pieces, becoming a complete mess of flesh.

Everyone's expression turned extremely grim, even City Lord Liu frowned. Only You Su looked indifferent, the Ink Pine Sword in his hand dripping with crimson blood.

"No need for apologies. This is the compensation I want." You Su's hollow eyes were filled with apathy, his handsome face calm.

The fat man was so scared he collapsed on the ground, weeping hysterically. He had only been ordered by Wu Ping to bully this blind man he had never taken seriously, and he was supposed to receive many spirit pills afterward. Who knew he would provoke such a formidable fiend?

"You!" Wu Cheng's face contorted with rage, and he made a move to draw his sheathed sword.

He felt as if every sword You Su had swung was a slap to his face. Of course, he didn't care about the injuries of an unknown subordinate; it was just that You Su's actions were a naked humiliation to him.

City Lord Liu's large hand blocked the two men who were about to draw their swords. He gently pushed back Wu Cheng's hand as he reached for his sword, a faint smile playing on his lips as he said:

"Good. Since You Su has accepted the compensation, this matter ends here. You all may disperse. Hurry and take him for treatment."

Even Wu Cheng, who desperately wanted to maintain a good image in front of the respected old City Lord, was unwilling to give the elder any more face. An uncontainable rage flickered in his eyes, and he gritted his teeth:

"City Lord Liu, You Su has repeatedly defied the search. He just admitted to encountering Uncle-Master He on the twelfth. I suspect he is involved in Uncle-Master He's disappearance!"

Wu Ping echoed from the side, "That's right! He must be searched!"

A hint of sadness appeared on City Lord Liu's withered face. He reached out and patted Wu Cheng's back, as if to soothe his emotions, and said slowly:

"I know you are anxious to find your Uncle-Master, but your Uncle-Master's body was just found, five miles away on Qiong Mountain. Sadly, only a skeletal frame remains. Your Master is gone, and you should go see him quickly."

You Su, his face impassive behind his back, felt his heart lurch.

Uncle-Master He's body was found; would his cause of death also be investigated? Would the karma behind the man-eating Malevolent Spirits also implicate him? You Su suppressed his unease and began to think calmly: True Man Ling's arrival was sudden, and his interactions with him were hidden. It would be extremely difficult to investigate True Man Ling, so the probability of him being implicated should be low.

Wu Cheng's expression shifted upon hearing this. He released his grip on the sword hilt, reverting to the polite and upright young genius. He bowed again: "Thank you, City Lord, for informing us. We shall take our leave and return another day to express our gratitude."

City Lord Liu said with a kindly smile, "Go, my condolences."

Wu Cheng left without looking back, Wu Ping closely following his brother's footsteps, followed by the outer disciples supporting each other.

The group left in a grand procession, and the crowded old house finally became spacious again.

City Lord Liu, however, did not leave. You Su's heart grew somewhat tense.

He did not know the purpose of City Lord Liu's sudden show of goodwill. He only knew that this elder was likely the most powerful cultivator in the city. The longer the elder stayed, the greater the risk to his Junior Sister and Mistress.

Unaware of the storm brewing in You Su's mind, City Lord Liu walked to the pile of mangled flesh, formed a mudra with his fingers, and a ball of green fire suddenly emerged from the ground, burning the mangled hand to white ash. He then used another sorcery, conjuring streams of water to wash away the splattered blood.

You Su sensed everything he was doing and was somewhat surprised.

"As for the rest, you can clean it up yourself." City Lord Liu flicked his sleeve and walked up to You Su, sighing helplessly, "I've always wondered, how could someone as arrogant as your Master take a disciple as quiet and reserved as you?"

"I understand now. Deep down, you are both the same kind of person."