Reunion and Forgetting

The perpetual frost and mist of the sacred mountain were exceptionally thin on this day, revealing a rare azure hue in the sky.

You Su climbed the jade steps, ice crystals shattering into tiny fragments on the soles of her boots, each step creating faint ripples of dragon patterns.

"These restrictions were all carved by Master himself." Long Chiyu's light-colored skirt swept across the snow on the steps, and the ice jade bells hanging from her waist jingled. "Master's Formation Technique formations is extremely high, but I haven't learned even the basics."

Women from the Northern Ao Continent generally have broader frames than women from warmer regions, including this contemporary Dragon Girl from the Dragon Seeing Palace, who, like her master, possesses both beautiful and dashing broad shoulders and a narrow back.

Such a figure exudes an imposing presence, perfectly complementing the proud and highly purposeful image of her and her master, which is also the impression she left on You Su.

However, You Su felt that her tone of voice at this moment was like that of a completely different person compared to when she was on Tianxing Immortal Island. She didn't sound like a resolute woman who had grown up through hardships, but rather like a delicate young girl from a southern water town who would say "I am not talented enough".

It seems the disaster on Tianxing Immortal Island still had a huge impact on her... You Su thought to herself.

However, having her guide gave You Su a lot of sense of security, at least she knew her.

"Dragon Girl, there's no need for modesty. While having many skills is good, one must specialize in one. What made you Dragon Girl is certainly not your Formation Technique."

"Young Master You flatters me; Chi Yu was merely lucky."

Long Chiyu suddenly turned around, a faint blush rising to her ears, the tassels of her hairpins swaying violently as she turned. Seemingly because of You Su's approval, she finally couldn't help but utter the words she had kept hidden in her heart:

"Young Master You need not worry about continuing to bear this false accusation. You have rendered meritorious service in saving Bei Ao. When Master returned, he specifically told me that he would clear your name after the matter was settled, and asked me to testify on your behalf."

You Su chuckled softly, startling the ice sparrows perched on the eaves. "The Sovereign Lord told me that the Dragon Girl not only didn't kick me when I was down, but also consistently spoke up for me against all odds. You Su is extremely grateful."

"It is all only right and proper, young master. Why should you thank me? It is we, who were saved because of you, who should be thanking you."

Long Chiyu frowned, her serious expression reverting to the image of her that You Su remembered. However, You Su couldn't see his own handsome features reflected in the woman's eyes.

With the Sovereign Lord regaining control of Bei'ao, the desolate Kong Yuan Divine Mountain became unusually lively.

You Su heard scattered whispers drifting on the wind.

"I heard that Venerable Ningshuang's cave abode was sealed by three layers of mysterious ice..."

"Who cares? It's just a pity that I have to hand over another 30% of the snow lingzhi mushrooms in my herb garden..."

Behind the vermilion pillars, two halberd-wielding cultivators huddled together around Pill Furnace for warmth. The older one tossed a fire Spirit Stone into the furnace, the sparks illuminating the scar between his brows.

"If you ask me, the Sovereign Lord will get rid of those parasites sooner or later..."

The words abruptly stopped.

Long Chiyu lightly rolled up her snow-white sleeves, and the two cultivators hurriedly bowed, but when they caught sight of You Su, they showed surprise and doubt—they certainly recognized the Dragon Girl Maiden of the Dragon Seeing Palace, but they didn't know who the man who could be personally led by the Dragon Girl was.

However, You Su always covered his face with a felt hat, which made him even more mysterious. As mere guards of the Dragon Seeing Palace, they dared not speculate.

You Su heard many such discussions, and his sword-like eyebrows rose slightly. He thought to himself that the victory of the people of Shenshan over Ganlong Venerable was a mixed bag of joy and sorrow, but most of them were probably only concerned with their own interests.

After passing through the last solemn doorway, You Su saw the white-clad Fairy standing straight in front of the door.

She was still wearing that familiar Rabbit Mask, her blue eyes were still clear, and she was still standing obediently in front of the door, waiting for her junior brother's return, just like she was back at Lotus Peak.

You Su's breath seemed to pause for a moment, then a faint smile appeared on her face.

The scene of his reunion with his senior sister was exactly as he had imagined: plain and uneventful, yet filled with deep and lasting affection.

Long Chiyu stood silently behind You Su without disturbing him, feeling as if she were isolated from their world even though she was standing right next to him.

"You Su!"

A pink figure flashed out from behind the door, easily shattering the peaceful reunion of the two martial arts siblings.

I miss you so much!

Bai Ze's toes touched the moonstones scattered on the ground, and two candied fruits rolled off her embroidered skirt. She opened her arms as if to pounce, like a swallow returning to the underwater cave, but suddenly stopped just before touching You Su's clothes.

You Su was also stunned for a moment, and only after looking closely did she realize that her senior sister was faster than her and had grabbed her by the back of her collar before she could react.

Senior sister, what is this...?

"What are you doing? What are you doing! Let go of me! I need to find my brother!" Bai Ze, like a helpless kitten being lifted up, waved his hands wildly and raged helplessly.

"I'll go first," Wangshu said firmly, showing no intention of giving up.

You Su found it amusing, yet also felt a sweet warmth due to her senior sister's possessiveness.

He stepped forward and familiarly took the Ice Fairy's slender, white hand in his, which was no longer as icy as before.

However, his other hand wasn't idle either; it was placed on the top of the girl's head, who was puffed up with anger after being put down. The girl immediately calmed down and happily hugged You Su's side.

Long Chiyu stood to one side, feeling rather superfluous, thinking to himself that people should have three hands.

"It's chilly outside, why don't you all come inside and chat?" Even though it was a rare clear and sunny day in Bei'ao, she genuinely felt that Bei'ao's style was unusually cold today.

You Su then remembered that there were outsiders present, but he didn't do anything out of line and didn't feel embarrassed at all. He openly extended his hand and said:

"Please, Dragon Girl."

After the group entered the house and sat down, Wangshu Fairy remained quiet, simply sitting beside You Su and silently watching him. She didn't seem to have many questions to ask, or perhaps she didn't care about anything. For her, it was enough that her junior brother was by her side.

Bai Ze kept babbling on and on, constantly asking You Su what that woman had done to him, whether she had harmed him, and so on. Although You Su had already accepted that woman, he didn't have the right to advise Bai Ze to forgive her, so he only gave a brief summary. As for the so-called knot in their hearts, it was probably up to that woman herself to untie it.

Bai Ze then launched into a tirade about her experiences, boasting about how powerful she was. She claimed to have not only escaped from the clutches of those villains but also united many good people. Many were afraid of her, yet they couldn't fathom how she knew so many secrets, until she revealed herself to be the Divine Beast Bai Ze.

In the legends of Bei'ao, Bai Ze is Divine Beast born with knowledge and the ability to speak human language. This makes the story of how a young girl could intimidate many powerful beings more plausible, and it also explains why she, at such a young age, already possessed the strength of a top-tier Feather Transformation Realm in the Divine Mountain.

The name Bai Ze has now spread throughout the sacred mountain. Due to the people of Bei'ao's worship of Bai Ze, they also have even greater respect for this girl who was transformed from Divine Beast.

After listening, You Su merely echoed Bai Ze's impressive abilities a few times, but in his heart he understood that the one stirring up trouble on the sacred mountain was the Palace Lord of Dragon Seeing Palace, while Bai Ze, this silly and cute little cat, was just reaping the benefits.

Long Chiyu was secretly surprised. Although the little girl was small, she had an invisible sense of pressure and ordered her around as if it were an everyday occurrence.

Even other Void Glimpse Venerable dared not order her around, which was similar to her master. Most importantly, she truly saw her master's shadow in the girl's appearance.

So although she was secretly angry, she didn't dare to do anything to the girl, for fear that the girl really had something to do with her master. She didn't want to heed the girl's orders, but she was stunned by the girl's question, "Do you want to save your master and You Su?" The mountain- Mountain Protection Grand Formation that was suddenly activated that night was something she had done on her own, at Bai Ze's behest, taking a great risk.

"Lord Bai Ze seems like a completely different person after meeting Young Master You." Being the straightforward person she was, she couldn't help but speak up.

But as soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly felt a chill run through her soul. Her pupils contracted sharply, and she saw the girl who was tugging at You Su's sleeve and acting coquettishly give her a fleeting but chilling look that was enough to make her react—as if she were flashing back to the time when she had done something wrong and was kneeling trembling at her master's feet.

"My brother is different from you guys!" the girl retorted with a snort.

Long Chiyu stared at her again in disbelief, but the girl had transformed back into her endearing and adorable self, blinking her large, watery eyes. Although the boy struggled to cope, he could sense her doting affection for the girl.

She couldn't possibly be the master... After all, how could the master possibly act like this...?

"I'm familiar with Bai Ze, and I've taken her as my sworn sister. So when she sees me, she naturally won't be so guarded," You Su explained to the girl with a smile.

You Su thought to herself that this silly little cat hadn't revealed any trace of the Palace Lord of Dragon Seeing Palace when recounting her experiences, so she must have been instructed by that woman. Only when she saw her did she unable to help but reveal her playful nature as a little girl.

Little did he know that while Ganlong Venerable and the Palace Lord of Dragon Seeing Palace were indeed one body with two souls, Bai Ze and the Palace Lord of Dragon Seeing Palace were originally of the same soul. This was merely an excuse for this female cultivator on the mountain peak to gain favor. After all, if You Su knew that she had always been that noble Palace Master, it would be difficult for her to call him "brother" in a soft voice.

She didn't want to become like that, but this unworthy disciple tried to expose her facade, so of course she had to punish him slightly.

Wait a minute, the way Chi Yu is looking at her brother isn't quite right either...

"I see..." Long Chiyu was still shaken and dared not talk about the girl anymore. Instead, he said, "Once Master blocks the Sea Well under the Kong Yuan Divine Mountain, the source of the Evil Tide will be cut off. All that's left is to cleanse it, and this farce will end."

You Su pressed Bai Ze back into her seat and nodded, saying, "It's largely in line with what I thought. The Sea Well seems to have some limitations, so the evil spirits it transmitted weren't too powerful. Now that we've regained control of the sacred mountain, it'll be easier to command the mountain's cultivators to ward off evil. I believe that under your master's control, Bei Ao will soon return to normal."

"I hope so. Master's plan to replace the soil has been completely distorted and has now had to be stopped." Long Chiyu had seen that Black Soil before; it was indeed a magical soil that could bring spring to Bei Ao.

"By the way, where is the Sovereign Lord now?" You Su asked with concern.

"Master just finished a fierce battle and then went to deal with various urgent matters. This is not something that can be finished in a short time."

You Su stroked his teacup and sighed, "She's certainly had a hard time."

Bai Ze, standing to the side, noticed You Su's expression and her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Yes, as your disciple, I feel even more for your master's exhaustion. But Young Master You, rest assured, when she entrusted me to pick you up, she said she would come to thank you in person when she had time. You can all rest assured and rest in the Dragon Seeing Palace."

You Su raised an eyebrow, sensing something amiss. "I understand. We'll rest here; there's no need for the Dragon Girl to watch over us constantly. You can go assist the Sovereign Lord, so you can finish up the trivial matters quickly and plug that Sea Well as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Bai Ze's eyebrows furrowed even more.

"You're too kind, young master. The guest rooms are in the back courtyard. Please make yourselves at home. If you need anything, just ask my junior brothers and sisters. I won't keep you company any longer."

Long Chiyu clasped her hands in gratitude to the three of them, and You Su returned the gesture. She then left on her own.

With only three people remaining in the hall, Bai Ze felt less burdened by the absence of his own disciple and began to shamelessly curry favor.

While dealing with the situation, You Su chatted with her senior sister about her recent situation and learned that the sect leader of the Xuanxiao Sect had indeed moved her and her Mistress away in advance, and that she had run away while her Mistress was repairing her spiritual platform. However, a well-behaved child like her would not run away from home without saying a word. After learning that she had left a letter for her Mistress You Su was somewhat relieved.

You Su apologized to Wangshu, feeling quite guilty for implicating Lotus Peak, but Wangshu didn't take it to heart and just held You Su's hand tightly.

You Su was even more moved, while Bai Ze relentlessly interfered. Strangely, Wangshu didn't seem to be indifferent to her either. You Su quickly realized that Bai Ze and her senior sister were there to protect them and restrain various forces on Mount Shen. And her senior sister, with her clever mind, wouldn't have any ill intentions towards such a 'good person' who would help her junior brother.

The matter seemed to be nearing its conclusion, and the three of them were quite content in their own private space. You Su praised his senior sister for her intelligence in seeing through Ganlong Venerable's scheme to use someone else to kill him, and Wangshu was clearly very pleased as well. She almost started a game with You Su in front of the children, but fortunately, You Su was not a lustful person.

Bai Ze was very curious about whether she should call Wangshu Fairy" elder sister-in-law" or "younger sister-in-law," but her curiosity was not met with You Su's patient answer. Instead, she was given three unceremoniously flicked on the head.

You Su gave her a serious talking-to: no matter how many sisters-in-law she had in the future, she should always address them by their titles followed by "sister-in-law," regardless of seniority. He also warned her that if she ever asked questions that threatened internal unity again, he would disown her as his sister.

Bai Ze immediately fell silent, obediently shutting his mouth.

Before they knew it, it was already dark. Although someone brought food twice, there was still no sign of Ganlong Venerable or even Long Chiyu.

The disciples who delivered the food expressed their immense gratitude to You Su and the others. As disciples of the Dragon Seeing Palace, they naturally supported their master.

However, their excitement didn't seem to affect You Su at all; You Su's reaction was quite indifferent.

Leaning against an ancient pillar, gazing at the moonlight veiled by mist, You Su felt a lingering sense of melancholy in her heart for some reason.

No matter how busy things get, sealing off the Sea Well should be the most important thing, right? That woman isn't someone who doesn't know what's important...

And most importantly, You Su. You felt he had forgotten something.

What is it?

You Su suddenly awoke with a start. The remaining eleven Venerables had all confessed their sins, yet none of them remembered that "Master"?