Want a Junior Brother?

Granny Liu sighed deeply, knowing that with Lotus Sword Venerable present, it would be as difficult as ascending to heaven for her to harm this human youth.

She sighed, as if accusing someone:

"Does Lotus Sword Venerable not know about the tragedy that happened eighteen years ago?"

Although He Shutong was not a direct participant in that impending debate, she had heard some rumors. If it had been powerful Demon Races such as the Golden Roc and Divine Ape, who were lured away with their Demon Cores, instead of the Star Zhao Divine Mountain Clan, that debate might have directly become the fuse for war between humans and demons. This conflict would certainly not have ended simply because the perpetrators were nowhere to be found.

"I know."

"Since you know this, why did Lotus Sword Venerable allow your disciples to repeat the same mistakes as my Snake Clan's Second Young Lady?! Do you humans think you can take advantage of our Demon Race?!"

By the end, Granny Liu was gritting her teeth.

Even if this young man is the disciple of the Lotus Sword Venerable, so what? Even if he has a bright future, so what? Know that those Non-Self kind will surely have different hearts.

While there are indeed instances of humans and Demon Cultivator a harmonious union, they are extremely rare. With the escalating conflict between the two races over the past thousand years, such happy endings are almost nonexistent. She didn't believe this young man would remain true to his original intentions, nor did she believe this human youth would defy the wishes of the human race for the sake of the Second Young Lady, bringing any immense benefits to her snake clan. This relationship, destined to end badly, would ultimately only result in the snake clan suffering the most.

Her two young ladies were already products of tragedy, and now the Second Young Lady was following in her mother's footsteps, which made her feel even more desolate. She felt that these humans, who were more cunning than snakes, were not targeting the Demon Race at all, but rather targeting them, the weak snake race.

"I had no such intention. There's no need for you to be so aggressive." A cool breeze blew by, He Shutong's black hair to flutter, and her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

The old woman's Resentment Qi was clearly not just directed at this matter, but rather she wanted to vent all the injustices her snake clan had suffered over the years on her. Normally, He Shutong wouldn't have said a word to this old woman, but now, for You Su's sake, she chose to explain a few more things:

"The two are mutually in love and are not after each other's favors. I believe they will not allow this tragedy to repeat itself. That's all I have to say. You may take your young lady away, but you must not touch that young man."

He Shutong hesitated for a moment, then added:

"Furthermore, if your snake clan and Ji Lingruo herself are willing, I am willing to accept her as my True Disciple."

Granny Liu's expression hardened. She sensed the impatience in the Lotus Sword Venerable's words and felt ashamed of her earlier outburst on his territory. If the other party were a hot-tempered Venerable, there would be a thousand reasons for her to pay the price for her disrespect in the Central Yuan Continent.

However, what troubled Granny Liu even more than this was the phrase "the True Disciple of the original master."

Strictly speaking, the entire Serpent Clan does not have a single cultivator at the Void Glimpse Venerable Realm, yet the Second Young Lady has the opportunity to inherit the legacy of the Lotus Sword Venerable, who is considered exceptionally talented even among humans. Furthermore, this move is equivalent to securing a powerful Venerable as a backer for the Serpent Clan, which will undoubtedly increase their influence in the Eastern Ying Continent.

Compared to the insignificant compensations the Serpent Clan has received over the years, this benefit is a true treasure that can change the future of the Serpent Clan. Moreover, judging from the tone of Lotus Sword Venerable, she clearly values this young man more, indicating that this relationship is the key to the Second Young Lady becoming the second True Disciple of Lotus Peak the Xuanxiao Sect.

Granny Liu suppressed the turmoil in her heart and asked, "Is Lotus Sword Venerable said true?"

He Shutong remained silent, responding only with silence. As a respected person, why would she need to deceive the old woman to gain her trust?

Her desire to take Ji Lingruo as her disciple was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather a premeditated one. Ji Lingruo's talent in Way of the Sword was remarkable, but she had not been able to enter the field before because she lacked the assistance of Demon Core. Now, observing that her aura had changed dramatically and that her Demon Core was full of energy, she was definitely a potential Way of the Sword. Moreover, with You Su and Yuanyang as a pair, they would surely be able to carry forward the Yang Sword tradition.

Since she wanted to make up for the regrets of the Bingxin era, it was only natural for her to train a successor for the Yang Sword. No matter how talented You Su was, he was ultimately a man who could not grasp the True Intention of the Yang Sword, while she was the only true successor of the Yang Sword in the world.

Granny Liu knew she had asked a question that might be considered intrusive, so she bowed slightly and said:

"I have been very offensive just now, and I hope Your Excellency will forgive me. I truly admire Lotus Sword Venerable's intention to break the deadlock between the human and demon races. However, my young lady has already come of age, and her baptism in the Demon Race is urgent. I hope Your Excellency can condescend to wait for her."

The change in attitude was quite significant, He Shutong shook her head inwardly. Profit and enmity are always a complex combination, and she was not good at this. Her desire to take Ji Lingruo her disciple was definitely not for the purpose of exchanging benefits.

I understand.

"Thank you, Venerable One. I will take my young lady away immediately."

He Shutong looked down, her gaze piercing through the thin clouds. In the center of her vision, in the small house, the boy she had told to rest well had once again crept to Ji Lingruo's door. She sighed softly.

"We'll take your young lady away tomorrow at dawn."

"Junior sister?"

You Su dared not shout, and could only knock lightly on the door. Although his Mistress had forbidden him from running around, surely coming to find his junior sister couldn't be considered running around?

Unexpectedly, it wasn't his junior sister who responded first, but his master's Mistress appeared out of nowhere.

She's not here.

You Su froze. Having been discovered by his Mistress to be searching for Ji Lingruo, he felt a pang of guilt, so he changed the subject and asked:

"Mistress, has something happened?"

He Shutong said calmly, "Her people have come to pick her up. She will leave at Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, You Su's expression darkened. He knew that the time of parting would inevitably come, but he did not expect it to come so quickly and suddenly.

"Since you're leaving at dawn tomorrow, where is my junior sister?"

"She entered the city a long time ago. If you want to see her, you can go to the city to look for her."

As soon as she finished speaking, You Su had already disappeared. He Shutong looked at the empty gate and felt a strange sense of loss.

She couldn't pinpoint the source of this sense of loss. She gently placed her right hand over her towering chest, feeling her crumbling mind and melting heart. She couldn't help but ask herself:

Is it worth it?

She lowered her hand, already having the answer in her heart.

"Wangshu".

"Master." A girl wearing Rabbit Mask appeared out of nowhere and bowed to He Shutong's back.

"I've been away from the mountains for eight years. Do you feel lonely all by yourself?" He Shutong asked gently.

"This disciple often feels lonely." Wangshu Fairy's pure eyes were almost blue, as clear and desolate as the distant sky.

"Do you... know what loneliness is?"

"Disciple knows that the Third Elder was drunk when she was supervising me. She said that since you were leaving, you didn't even find me a junior brother, leaving me all alone on the mountain. I asked her what loneliness meant, and she said that wanting someone to accompany you is loneliness. Master, is the Third Elder right?"

Hearing this, He Shutong felt guilty and heartbroken. Wang Shu, who was born pure, had a pure heart towards all things in Wangshu world. She was keenly aware of the malice and kindness of others, yet she trusted her, a person who was not good at being a teacher, completely.

Although Wangshu Fairy was said to be her disciple, she was more like a daughter whom she had raised since childhood. She slowly walked to Wangshu Fairy's side. The other woman was tall, reaching up to her eyebrows. Without hesitation, He Shutong gently embraced her, a sudden action that made Wangshu Fairy stiffen.

"The Third Elder is right. Does Wangshu want a junior brother?"

The blue in Wangshu Fairy's eyes finally stirred, like a still lake finally rippling.

"Think."