I Took You for My Brother, but You Took Me for Your Brother-in-Law (56k)

"Junior sister, I have to go down the mountain for some business. Please take good care of your senior sister!"

You Su quickly dressed and ran up the Heavenly Ladder, leaving Ji Lingruo leaning against the window, looking at his retreating figure with a puzzled expression.

You Su didn't know what had happened to He Kongyue, but the other party's words, "I won't see you anymore," still gave him a jolt.

He didn't show favoritism; if his wife was well-fed, his brothers would go hungry.

In fact, most of the superfluous and almost explosive Mystic Qi was given to He Kongyue, who Water Condensing Upper Realm. It was too much of a stretch to rely on three Spirit Platform Realm to digest the 'gift' from Qianhua Venerable.

Logically speaking, Brother He should have made a breakthrough in his cultivation level, so why can't you see me?

You Su read through all the messages He Kongyue sent, trying to find some clues, but to no avail.

Most of the messages were asking when he would return, whether things were going smoothly at the Qianhua Pavilion, or even if he had returned to Shenshan, reminding him not to forget his promise to the He family.

Only Lord Ash's comment surprised him greatly.

Do you want to die?

You Su knew very well that the other party wouldn't say such things without reason; she must have discovered something, and it was very likely that it was about her arbitrarily taking in followers.

But how did she know? Did she plant a ghost eye on me?

You Su had no choice but to reply to the letter while continuing his journey.

"What makes you say that Lord Ash?"

To You Su's surprise, Lord Ash replied quickly as always. Could it be that this important figure of extraordinary status is keeping a close eye on the Xuanji Token at all times?

"How dare you absorb the power of flesh-based familiars so casually?!"

Just by reading this text, You Su could feel the anger and accusation coming from the other party.

How did you know?

This message didn't arrive as quickly as the first one:

"He Kongyue's cultivation suddenly surged, and he came to ask me for the reason. I also received news that when Bihua Venerable brought you back to the sect, he said that you showed signs of a breakthrough. Considering all this, it can only mean that you have gained something without effort."

After a moment of silence, You Su chose to confess in order to obtain more information:

"I did indeed take in a flesh-based follower, and one with a very high level of cultivation."

"Is it Qianhua Venerable or Bihua Venerable?"

"Please forgive me You Su, for having no comment."

Lord Ash paused briefly, then asked:

"That must be Qianhua Venerable. How did you subdue him?"

"With heart's blood."

"You're courting death! No matter how powerful the True Lord's Power, it's impossible for someone with only a Spiritual Platform cultivation level to completely control a Void Glimpse Venerable! Such a relationship is not stable! Haven't you considered what kind of situation you'll face if you fail and expose this ability?"

"The situation was critical... I was forced into it."

"I hope you are! Remember, corrupting your enemy into an evil spirit is your last resort! And also your most desperate measure!"

"My Purification Sect helps you so that you can save the world, not so that you can turn everyone into evil spirits!"

"Those who only corrupt people's minds are Evil God! They are our mortal enemies!"

Lord Ash's three consecutive messages were filled with excitement, like a conscientious teacher worried that his beloved student might go astray.

"I won't do anything reckless in the future. At least for now, that woman isn't that dangerous."

How do you determine this?

You Su hesitated for a moment, but still chose to keep it a secret. He couldn't very well say that the woman seemed to enjoy this process of constantly resisting and being disciplined...

"I still have no comment. I will be careful."

"Your current grasp and understanding of True Lord's Power is simply not enough to support you in taking on so many followers. Because in the process of taking on followers, your True Lord's Power is also dissipated, which will only make your power weaker and weaker."

But the most terrifying thing is yet to come. Have you considered what if she also corrupts others? And what if those others corrupt even more people? Aren't three Evil God enough? Does your God intend to create even more Evil God?

You think you can become the master of the world through this means, but don't forget, water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it! You have no idea how terrifying the True Lord's Power is! If you unintentionally create an immeasurable monster, or drag innocent people into it, you will be a sinner!

Upon hearing this, You Su was stunned for a long time and fell into self-reflection. Abusing his powerful authority could only lead to his own destruction.

"More importantly, this could endanger the people around you."

Lord Ash suddenly added another sentence.

You Su snapped out of her shock and asked with concern, "Why?"

"Do you think Void Glimpse Venerable is a pushover? At their level, they can coexist with the Heavenly Dao. Below Dongxu, a person's Mystic Qi after death will re-merge into heaven and earth. But above Dongxu, their Mystic Qi is no longer the same as the Mystic Qi of heaven and earth."

"You have no control over her at all. You distributed her Mystic Qi to your followers. If she wants, she can trace back her own Mystic Qi and find out who you gave it to! Then she can reclaim the Mystic Qi that rightfully belongs to her!"

You Su paused, realizing that his sudden theft of her Mystic Qi had likely angered the sickly Qianhua Venerable. If she found out he had also distributed the Mystic Qi to others, she might very well do something like this...

"But isn't she a member of the family too...? What can she possibly do?"

"One's relatives must not attack the Lord they believe in, but that doesn't mean they can't attack their own relatives. Because she believes in you, not someone else!"

Ladybug larvae often eat unhatched eggs, or even newly hatched larvae that are weaker than themselves, in order to get more food from their parents. As the larvae begin to grow, they will attack other larvae. This cannibalism also applies to family members!

It is not uncommon for members of the same family to kill each other because of jealousy of their own kind, greed for power, and morbid loyalty to the Lord.

"If she dares, I'll make her regret ever being born!"

"Protect those around you. Unless they are absolutely trustworthy, or you plan to drain them dry and then kill them, don't do such a thing lightly. What you think is generosity may very well be harming them."

"Thank you for reminding me, Lord Ash. I will."

"Even for yourself, don't easily absorb her power, because you know nothing about the Void Glimpse Realm. Absorbing just a little bit will be enough to kill you. Evil spirits devour the power of flesh-based followers because evil spirits have no restrictions on cultivation levels. Each evil spirit has an immeasurable upper limit. They absorb power more like they are recovering than breaking through."

But you are different. You are human, and your physique limits how much Mystic Qi you can absorb. If you attempt to cultivate by absorbing other people, you must be prepared to explode and die at any time."

"Then... what if I absorb the Mystic Qi of a low-level cultivator?"

You Su's question is actually quite simple: if you can't just randomly absorb high-level items, then can't you absorb low-level items at will?

"Do you even know what you're saying?!"

"I didn't mean anything by it, it's just that some people don't deserve to live in this world. Since they're going to die anyway, they might as well make the most of their lives."

Lord Ash seemed to be deep in thought again, and didn't reply for a long time.

"Theoretically, it is indeed feasible, and there are even no side effects. But in essence, you are no different from some Evil Cultivator, except that they absorb the essence of good people, while you absorb the essence of bad people. Once you have tasted the pleasure of getting something for nothing, can you guarantee that you will always stick to your original intention and not become addicted to it?"

This is indeed a thought-provoking question. On the surface, it seems like You Su is punishing those despicable villains, with cultivation being merely an added bonus. But if the priorities are reversed, will You Su, for the sake of Mystic Qi, do things that distort the truth and whitewash his evil intentions?

I will consider it carefully.

You Su was unsure of the answer for a moment. Lord Ash did not explicitly forbid him from having such thoughts, but he did express his concerns.

To be honest, he really had no intention of affecting her cultivation before being provoked by Qianhua Venerable. But after experiencing such rapid progress, he realized how addictive it is to reap the rewards without sowing.

"I will be watching you closely, and when I realize you are not the savior, I will show no mercy. Don't let me down, and don't let those you cherish down."

Lord Ash left behind a profound message, which deeply moved You Su upon reading it.

He possesses the most terrifying power in the world; the fate of the world hinges almost entirely on his whim.

He can choose to become the greatest savior or the most evil destroyer of the world.

Lord Ash saw him very clearly and didn't try to restrain him with a lot of responsibility or righteousness. Because he didn't really care about what the world was like; what he cared about were the people he cherished.

For the sake of these people, he will strive to fulfill the role of the former.

For the same people, he would not hesitate to transform into a vengeful ghost.

"I will."

"Um."

Before long, You Su had already arrived at the gate of the He Manor with practiced ease.

The guards were extremely flattering to the boy, and soon led You Su to He Kongyue's door.

At this moment, He Kongyue was resting with his eyes closed on the lotus platform. His aura was strong and full, and the surrounding Mystic Qi flowed around him.

You Su sat opposite him without making a sound to disturb him, unaware that He Kongyue had not entered a meditative state at all, but was merely creating the illusion that he was not deliberately waiting for the young man.

Her long eyelashes trembled slightly; she wanted to open her eyes but dared not. She intended to continue pretending for a while to make it more convincing, but she couldn't resist and exclaimed in surprise:

"Brother You, you've arrived?"

"Hmm." You Su smiled. "I replied to your letter, but I don't know if you saw it. Wouldn't it be a bit presumptuous of me to visit so abruptly?"

He Kongyue not only saw it, but saw it many times.

"How could that be? I told you the He Manor would welcome you."

He Kongyue stepped down from the lotus platform and sat down in the master's chair.

"That's good. But what did you mean by 'I'll never see you again', Brother He?"

You Su didn't beat around the bush but went straight to the point, which is why he rushed over without stopping.

"Huh? I didn't say 'never again'..."

He Kongyue looked embarrassed, her fair face slightly flushed.

In order to get You Su to arrive as soon as possible, she deliberately said some things that were full of a sense of crisis and could easily be misunderstood.

You Su's actions proved that he cared about her, which made He Kongyue feel a little happy and warm.

You Su frowned slightly. "What do you mean by not being able to see me?"

He Kongyue smiled sheepishly and personally poured You Su a cup of tea:

"To be honest, I have recently received the favor of Heavenly Dao and my cultivation has greatly increased. I am showing signs of breaking through to the Feather Transformation Realm. However, my current situation is that while my Mystic Qi reserves are sufficient, my physical body is not yet up to par. Therefore, I may need to go into seclusion for a period of time before attempting to break through to the Feather Transformation Realm."

That's it?

You Su looked helpless upon hearing this; he had assumed something had happened to the other person to warrant such words.

After all, it's hard not to have ulterior motives after seeing those chat logs. Someone who was so enthusiastic about you just a moment ago suddenly says they can't see you anymore and then never speaks again. Wouldn't anyone be eager to see them?

"What's with that expression, Brother You?"

"It's nothing... I just thought Brother He meant we wouldn't see each other for a long time."

He Kongyue raised an eyebrow and said indignantly, "I don't know how long I'll be in seclusion, and then breaking through to the Feather Transformation stage from Water Condensation will also take a long time. Adding it all up, it'll be a long time before we see each other, won't it? Do you think I deliberately said that to trick you into coming here?"

"That's not what I meant... Brother He, it's truly admirable that you've reached the threshold of the Feather Transformation Realm at such a young age. Congratulations!"

Since she was already there, You Su naturally couldn't leave, so she had no choice but to change the subject and raise her hand to congratulate him.

If He Kongyue breaks through to the next realm within two years, she will successfully break the record for the youngest Feather Transformation Realm held by Wangshu Fairy.

However, she didn't seem particularly delighted; instead, she exclaimed in surprise:

"Brother You, you've broken through to a higher realm too?"

"It was just luck. I haven't replied to Brother He's messages these past few days because I was in seclusion breaking through."

He Kongyue's eyes widened in surprise, "Your progress is simply astonishing! When we first met, you were only at the Spirit Platform Realm. To reach the Condensing Water Realm at eighteen—such talent! You're sure to be among the top talents on next year's Prodigy Ranking!"

You Su wasn't particularly excited either. This kind of empty fame, which wasn't earned through hard work, always made him feel somewhat ashamed, and he couldn't accept other people's praise with a clear conscience.

"It's all just luck. In the matter of cultivation, speed is not that important; what matters most is who reaches the end."

"Young Master You, you have such insight at such a young age; your future is promising."

You Su did not want to get involved in this topic any further; he was content to see that Brother He had accepted his 'gift' unharmed.

"Is Brother He's secluded cultivation place still safe?"

"Naturally safe, Brother You, why are you asking this?"

You Su shook his head and smiled, "It's nothing. By the way, Brother He, didn't you insist that I come to the He family last time? What was it about?"

He Kongyue was taken aback at first upon hearing this, then her expression turned serious:

"I called you here because I have a few questions I want to ask you."

"A question?" You Su was taken aback. "Brother He, please ask away."

He Kongyue pursed her thin lips, then took out a book from behind her. It was the "The Return of the Condor Heroes" that Ji Lingruo had sold to Tianxin Bookstore.

"Recently, a book called 'The Return of the Condor Heroes' has become very popular in Henggao City and the surrounding cities. I wonder if you, Brother You, have read it?"

You Su paused, a bad feeling suddenly rising in her heart.

I've heard a little about it.

"This book is wonderfully written, with a captivating and intricate plot. However, the female protagonist's name is too coincidental; she's also named He Shutong. That's a rare name. Do you think the author genuinely chose this name by chance, or was it intentional?"

For some reason, You Su felt that He Kongyue had guessed something.

He tried to brush it off, but that would only make things worse.

"It was intentional."

"Oh?" He Kongyue's eyes gleamed. "How do you know?"

"Because I am the author of this book."

He Kongyue was somewhat taken aback, seemingly surprised by You Su's frank admission.

He's so honest... could it be that the protagonist's name really doesn't have any other meaning...?

"Brother You is the one who says 'Junior Sister is Number One in the World'?"

You Su coughed a few times and nodded in acknowledgment.

So writing books is your source of income?

"That's right, I don't have any real skills, so I can only make up stories to entertain people and make a living."

He Kongyue then asked, "Did you write all these books?"

"I dictated the text, and my junior sister transcribed and edited it."

He Kongyue noticed You Su's somewhat unnatural expression as she looked at him. When she saw the folded corners of some pages, her face turned even redder, and she quickly and quietly smoothed them out.

These were marks she left for in-depth learning; she couldn't let You Su discover them.

"You are indeed very knowledgeable..."

You Su raised an eyebrow, sensing that the other person was implying something. "Just has a vivid imagination."

"Then why did you use that woman's name as the name of the female protagonist in this book?" He Kongyue sat up straighter and asked the question she most wanted to ask.

"Because... it sounds nice."

"It sounds good?"

He Shutong is indeed a beautiful name, but He Kongyue doesn't believe it's for such a simple reason:

"That's all?"

You Su pondered for a moment, "It's also because the impression she gave me perfectly matched the image of the female protagonist in the book. At first glance, she was as cold as an iceberg, but as the relationship deepened, I realized she was as gentle as water."

"Are you sick?" He Kongyue couldn't help but ask.

You Su raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's wrong?"

"She's nothing like you think! She's much worse than you imagine!"

You Su shook his head helplessly, "Brother He is too rigid. If you had the chance to actually get to know her, you would find that it's not like that."

He Kongyue looked at You Su with a hint of anger, as if she were looking at a fool. "You've over-glorified her! She's nothing like what you imagine!"

He Kongyue's chest heaved, her tone carrying a hint of anger at his son's lack of ambition.

"Then let me ask you again, what's the origin of the male protagonist's name?"

You Su found He's questioning tone rather strange. "The word 'tu' (徒) means 'having nothing,' which fits the protagonist's background in the book. What exactly do you want to ask, Brother He? Please speak frankly."

He Kongyue You Su's upright demeanor, He Kongyue's concerns were somewhat alleviated.

She didn't know what was wrong with her... why she was so sensitive after seeing that name.

Is it because they're worried You Su might develop unrealistic fantasies about that icy woman?

Or perhaps it's because he likes his sister, whom he dislikes the most, rather than because he himself feels jealous...

"What is your attitude towards her?"

He Kongyue knew she shouldn't have asked this question, but she couldn't suppress her curiosity and was eager to know the answer.

"Manner?"

"So... you're so eager to find her, is it really just to repay a debt of gratitude? Do you... like her?"

Upon hearing this, You Su's breath hitched. He was now quite certain that He Kongyue must have investigated something and guessed the true meaning of "Guan Tu".

This is the first time someone has questioned his attitude towards his Mistress.

You Su subconsciously wanted to avoid the question, feeling that it was a secret that could not be made public.

His attitude towards his master's Mistress was definitely beyond that of an ordinary master and disciple.

Therefore, all that attentiveness and flattery is not merely out of filial piety from the younger generation to the older generation.

But when did this filial piety begin to change?

Is there any point in continuing to cover it up?

What is there to be ashamed of admitting?

Looking at He Kongyue, You Su finally made up her mind:

"Like."