Past Affection Ends Here

After finishing all the chores, the sky had completely darkened.

Qin Jue carried his package and walked along the stone path towards his residence. Although his body was a little tired, his spirit was exceptionally excited. With this batch of stone stalactites, he could continue his cultivation at the Hundred Refinements Fourth Layer tonight, and even push the Nine Revolutions Viscera Refining Secret Record further!

But when he turned a corner and saw his own simple courtyard, his steps couldn't help but pause.

At the entrance of the courtyard stood two figures.

The setting sun stretched their shadows long, almost reaching Qin Jue's feet.

The person on the left, dressed in a light green long skirt, had a pretty face, but it was now covered in frost. Her almond-shaped eyes were filled with urgency. It was Shen Zhiqiu.

Beside her, Su Jin stood quietly. She was still in her usual elegant white uniform dress from the academy, her long hair gently blown by the wind. She looked at Qin Jue, who was slowly approaching, her gaze extremely complex—shock, confusion, and a hint of regret she herself hadn't noticed.

"Qin Jue!"

Before Qin Jue could get closer, Shen Zhiqiu shrieked and rushed forward, staring intently at him.

"Where's my brother? Where did Shen Yutang go? Senior Brother Ning Wuque said he went to find you, so why are you back and there's no news of my brother at all!" Shen Zhiqiu's voice was sharp and piercing.

Qin Jue stopped, calmly looking at the hysterical girl before him.

Shen Yutang? That idiot who twisted facts in the rocky forest to curry favor with the Ning Family, only to have his throat slit by my sword?

"His legs are his own, how would I know where he went," Qin Jue said indifferently, as if talking about something completely unrelated to him. "Maybe he got lost in Silver Moon Bay, or perhaps... he was carried off by some fierce beast."

"You're lying!" Shen Zhiqiu shrieked. "How could you not know? It must be you... it must be you who used some despicable means to harm him!"

A few academy disciples gradually gathered around, standing at a distance, whispering and pointing. Some recognized Shen Zhiqiu, and some recognized Qin Jue, the dark horse who had defeated Ning Zhiyuan with a single sword on the martial arts stage a few days ago.

"Isn't that Shen Zhiqiu? What happened to her brother?"

"I heard Shen Yutang went treasure hunting in Silver Moon Bay a few days ago and never returned. He's probably dead there."

"Tch, it's pretty normal for someone to die in a place like Silver Moon Bay, isn't it? Why is she confronting Qin Jue?"

Su Jin's face was pale. Watching the tense scene unfold before her, her heart was a tangled mess. Before coming, she had desperately advised Shen Zhiqiu not to be so impulsive, at least to wait until things were investigated clearly. But after hearing the news of her brother's death, Shen Zhiqiu completely broke down. She had heard from somewhere that Qin Jue was the murderer and insisted on confronting him in person.

She was pulled along by Shen Zhiqiu, half-pushed, half-dragged. Deep down, perhaps she also harbored a thought she was unwilling to admit – she wanted to see him, to ask him directly what had happened these past few days, to see if he was still the person she remembered.

However, standing here now, facing that familiar yet strange face, her heart was filled only with bitterness.

"Despicable means?"

"Shen Zhiqiu, you think a bit too highly of your useless brother," Qin Jue said coldly, standing with his hands behind his back. "To kill Shen Yutang, why would I, Qin Jue, need any means? With a three-foot sword in hand, killing him is like slaughtering pigs and dogs."

These words, spoken in a flat tone, were incredibly arrogant!

"No... impossible..." Shen Zhiqiu trembled, her lips quivering. "You're spouting nonsense! You're spouting nonsense!"

"Alright, I'll say it one last time, I haven't seen him."

After saying this, Qin Jue ignored Shen Zhiqiu and walked towards the courtyard gate.

"Qin Jue, stop! Are you guilty? You have to give me an explanation today!" Seeing Qin Jue about to leave, Shen Zhiqiu became anxious and reached out to grab his sleeve.

However, before her hand could touch the hem of Qin Jue's robe, he suddenly turned his head, his sharp gaze piercing her eyes.

The killing intent contained in his gaze erupted without concealment. Shen Zhiqiu's movement froze in mid-air, her whole body turned cold. The scolding words that had reached her throat got stuck, unable to come out. She felt as if the young man before her was a beast about to devour people, and if she dared to take another step forward, she would immediately spill blood on the spot.

Su Jin, standing beside her, took it all in.

Is this the Qin Jue who once got his head broken fighting a group of bigger kids to protect her?

No, it wasn't.

The Qin Jue before her, though plainly dressed, exuded an unignorable aura from the core of his being, a steadfastness that made him stand out. Facing Shen Zhiqiu's accusations, he showed no panic at all. That composure stemmed from the fact that he truly didn't care.

He didn't care what Shen Zhiqiu thought, didn't care what others saw, and even... didn't care what she, Su Jin, thought.

Su Jin's heart gave a sudden pang, and her nose felt a little sore.

"Qin Jue..."

Su Jin finally spoke, her voice a little dry, with a hint of trembling and hope. "Zhiqiu is just too anxious. After all, her brother has been missing for days. If you really saw something, or if there's some misunderstanding, could you... for the sake of your past relationship, tell us?"

She tried to use the words "past relationship" to stir even a little bit of emotion in Qin Jue.

However, she was disappointed.

Qin Jue's gaze shifted to Su Jin's face. His eyes were still clear, but exceptionally cold.

"Past relationship?"

Qin Jue repeated the words softly, then shook his head, his expression like he had heard a bad joke. "Miss Su, I think you've misunderstood something."

"Since Shen Yutang dared to venture into the wilderness, he should have been prepared for the possibility of not returning. As for whether he died by the mouth of a fierce beast or at the hands of an enemy, what does it have to do with me?"

"Furthermore..."

Qin Jue took a step forward. At that moment, an invisible aura emanated from him.

"Why should I, Qin Jue, explain my actions to you? If I kill, what can you do to me?"

Su Jin's face instantly lost all color, and her body swayed. Looking at the sharp and brilliant youth before her, something she had held onto for a long time completely collapsed at this moment.

"You... you weren't like this before," Su Jin murmured, her eyes reddening, her voice filled with disappointment and grievance. "The you before was gentle, humble, and would never have said such cruel words. Qin Jue, you've changed, changed so much that I don't recognize you anymore."

"Boring."

He no longer had the patience to play this melodramatic charade with these two women living in the past. The path of martial arts was long and arduous; his time was precious, meant for cultivation and becoming stronger, not for reminiscing about worthless pasts.

"Alright, there's no need to say such boring things in the future."

"The path of martial arts is, by nature, a lonely, thorny road. You and I seek different things and walk different paths. From this day forward, you walk your broad path, and I'll cross my narrow bridge. Our past affection ends here."

With that, Qin Jue didn't spare the two women another glance. He turned, pushed open the courtyard gate, and stepped inside.

"Qin Jue! You..." Su Jin hadn't expected Qin Jue to be so resolute, leaving no room for sentiment.

Creeeak--

Outside the door, the cold wind swirled fallen leaves on the ground.

Su Jin stared blankly at the closed door.

The academy disciples watching the spectacle around them began to whisper amongst themselves.

"Tsk, tsk, this Qin Jue is really tough! He won't even give face to the goddess Su Jin."

"What goddess? That was in the past! The current Qin Jue, who defeated Ning Zhiyuan despite being outleveled, is a true genius! Geniuses naturally have their pride. It's just that Qin Jue hadn't risen before; now that he's soaring, why would he look back at the woman who looked down on him back then?"

Although these discussions were kept low, how could cultivators with their hearing not notice?

Every word felt like a needle, stinging Su Jin's face until it burned. She bit her lower lip, tasting the metallic tang of blood, and barely managed to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes.

"He killed Shen Yutang... and offended the Ning Family... this path is destined to be a dead end," Su Jin told herself silently. "The path I chose is the right one. In the pursuit of martial arts, only by relying on the strong can one go further."