Junior Sister Cried (Please collect and read, sob sob)

"Thank you, City Lord, for saving me just now." You Su bowed his head.

"Heh, it's nothing. Your Master asked me to look after you before he went traveling. Over the years, I haven't paid much attention to you because you've always been so low-key. It wasn't until I returned from Qiong Mountain and saw Wu Cheng aggressively heading your way with my token that I felt something was wrong. You know your Master's straightforward nature and that he's made enemies. Now that he's gone, they can only take their anger out on you. I thought they wouldn't dare to make things too difficult for you out of pride, but I didn't expect them to come knocking on your door to cause trouble. This is my oversight. Don't tell your Master about this, alright?"

City Lord Liu stroked his beard with a kindly expression.

"You jest, City Lord. You Su can only thank you, not complain. Besides, if it's Master's mess, it's only right for his disciple to bear it. I can't rely on others for help."

"You're a sensible child. If you ever face difficulties, you can come to the City Lord's mansion to find me." City Lord Liu patted You Su's shoulder, then leaned in and lowered his voice. "Wu Cheng is a smart person. He'll understand my intentions now that I've shown up here. However, he's the beloved disciple of the Sky Guard Sect's Sect Master and the eldest son of the Wu family. You should try to avoid making an enemy of him."

"You Su thanks City Lord Liu." You Su moved to bow again, but City Lord Liu stopped him.

"Did he say just now that you encountered He Qimiao?"

"Yes."

You Su didn't hide anything and recounted the experience he had just told Wu Cheng to City Lord Liu.

After listening, a subtle light flashed in City Lord Liu's eyes. Suddenly, an invisible pressure emanated from him, enveloping You Su. He stared into You Su's eyes and asked, "Did you really encounter He Qimiao?"

You Su naturally felt the pressure. Unlike the oppressive aura that had suppressed the others earlier, this pressure seemed to act directly on his sea of consciousness, making him feel as if his mind was submerged in unfathomably deep water.

"I did."

The pressure seemed to lessen slightly.

"He Qimiao wasn't harmed by you?"

"No."

The pressure seemed to dissipate by more than half, at least no longer causing discomfort.

"On that day, besides He Qimiao, were there any others with him?"

"I... I didn't see anyone else."

With that, the pressure completely vanished. City Lord Liu rubbed his chin, his stern demeanor receding, and his expression returned to its usual calm.

"Although I still have no leads, providing clues is still good. It's a pity that Junior Uncle He suffered qi deviation when breaking through seven years ago, leading to his current state. Now, to suffer such a misfortune... it's truly heartbreaking."

"Junior Uncle He's life was full of hardship and didn't end well. He is indeed pitiable."

"Yes... they wouldn't even let a fool be, truly malicious. Alright, I won't disturb you any longer. Take good care of your Junior Sister and Mistress. Remember to find me if you need anything."

City Lord Liu smiled faintly and walked out the door. In an instant, You Su could no longer sense his presence.

You Su let out a long sigh. This baseless farce had finally come to an end.

A peaceful life was like a still pool; once disturbed by a falling stone, it would create endless ripples.

Fortunately, his Junior Sister and Mistress were unharmed, and everything was still under control. Thinking of the peculiar pressure City Lord Liu had exerted when questioning him, You Su couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

Every word he had spoken at that moment seemed to have sprung directly from his mind, leaving no time to fabricate lies. You Su felt a lingering fear. Such peculiar sorcery was far more dangerous than any wind, fire, or lightning. Fortunately, he hadn't lied; he truly hadn't seen True Man Ling that day.

You Su wiped the bloodstains from the Ink Pine Sword and put it away. He walked to the main hall door, hesitating whether to ask his Mistress if she was alright. But facing the silent door, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to speak.

Even he dared not disturb his Mistress casually, yet that fatty dared to speak disrespectfully. If he dared to push the door open, You Su would have broken his hand, but it was a pity he couldn't take his tongue.

You Su picked up the scattered items from the floor and put them back in their places. The old house was dilapidated, with various sundries spilled all over.

Just then, Ji Lingruo also opened the door and walked out. She lowered her head, pouting, looking dejected. Without a word, she also began tidying up the mess.

"Junior Sister, I'll handle this. You should go rest."

"I didn't chop off anyone's hand, nor was I beaten half to death in a fight. Why should I rest?" Ji Lingruo forcefully righted an overturned chair, deliberately making it creak loudly, as if to announce her inner dissatisfaction.

Ji Lingruo didn't know what she was upset about. She should have been most angry at those unreasonable outsiders, but she was also angry that You Su wouldn't let her help him. What made her even sadder was that she truly couldn't help. This feeling of helplessness had plagued her since she was five years old. She hated this powerless self, but she shouldn't be like this...

Thinking of this, a few crystal tears welled up in the girl's eyes. She was strong and quickly wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. She lifted her head and took deep breaths, wanting to force these signs of weakness back into her body.

You Su couldn't see what was happening, but he sensed his Junior Sister's unusual emotions. He quickly said, "It's my fault. I shouldn't have provoked those people and scared you. Senior Brother promises they won't dare to come again."

"Why are you rushing to apologize? Hmph, you said yesterday they wouldn't bother you for a while, and yet they showed up today." Ji Lingruo held back her tears, her voice trembling slightly.

"I... I fought a different group of people. This Wu Ping just used the City Lord's decree to bring them here to cause trouble." You Su felt guilty. He really didn't want to deceive his Junior Sister repeatedly unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Didn't I tell you long ago that people like them can't be reasoned with? They're as annoying as bugs in a gutter."

"Junior Sister is right, Junior Sister is right." You Su repeatedly agreed, unwilling to defy her in the slightest. He wished he could cut down those uninvited guests a thousand times today.

"Come here!" Ji Lingruo commanded.

You Su quickly kicked aside the debris at his feet and ran over, standing obediently beside the girl, afraid of being a second late.

However, his constant appeasement not only failed to soothe the girl's fragile emotions but instead gave her a reason to vent. The more You Su cared for her, the more useless she felt. Why was her fate so difficult? She couldn't find an answer and finally couldn't hold back anymore. She buried her head in You Su's chest and sobbed, tears streaming down like a broken dam, soaking the front of his clothes.

After an unknown amount of time crying, the girl's intermittent voice drifted over.

"Senior Brother, am I very useless..."

You Su reached out and gently hugged the girl, burying her head deeper.

"Junior Sister is the most capable Junior Sister in the world."

"You just know how to lie to me..." the girl sobbed, lightly punching You Su's chest.

"Does Junior Sister really want to control her Mystic Qi well?"

"Mmm..."

"It's okay, Senior Brother has thought of a way."

"Really?" The young woman raised her head, her eyes teary and blurry, yet shining like stars.

"I never lie to my Junior Sister." You Su smiled with firm tenderness.

Meanwhile, inside the ancient and elegant City Lord's mansion, an old man sat upright, lost in thought. Suddenly, a sharp, captivating glint flashed in his eyes, and he mumbled, "A blind man, who has never seen..."

Don't worry, a new main storyline will begin in a few chapters after some setup.