Before Parting

The Qinghe Sword Sect was far too distant from Cui County. By the time Su Chunyi returned, she saw the entire city draped in mourning, with white funeral banners visible everywhere she looked.

Every household was wearing mourning clothes; the scene was as if Cui County had just suffered through a war.

Su Chunyi was shocked. Could it be that the young boys and girls had already met with disaster?

However, as Su Chunyi hovered in mid-air and sensed the surroundings carefully, she realized that few households in the city were crying, and there was little sign of grief. On the contrary, many pedestrians on the streets wore expressions of joy, though they dared not show it openly, only lowering their heads to hide their smiles.

The situation was so bizarre that Su Chunyi was utterly bewildered.

Why would the entire city be dressed in mourning while everyone was secretly smiling?

While Su Chunyi was lost in thought, she descended into the city, her sword light hidden by an illusion so that no passerby noticed the immortal descending from the sky.

After walking a few dozen steps, Su Chunyi arrived in front of the teahouse.

The Baiye Teahouse looked no different than before, but upon entering, the previous bustle was gone. In the vast space, there were only two customers, one of whom was Chen Ye.

Seeing Chen Ye, Su Chunyi felt a sense of relief for reasons she couldn't explain.

No matter what had happened in Cui County, with Chen Ye here, she at least had someone to consult.

Su Chunyi approached Chen Ye and sat down with natural ease, not even noticing the little girl with her head bowed beside him.

Chen Ye picked up the teapot, poured a cup for Su Chunyi, and greeted her, "Miss Su, you've finally returned. Have a cup of tea and rest for a moment."

Su Chunyi took a sip and said with surprise, "It tastes better than the tea from last time."

Chen Ye smiled. "Of course. This is real, high-quality tea, not Yemozi."

Su Chunyi only took a small sip before asking anxiously, "Has the matter of the young boys and girls been resolved?"

Chen Ye nodded.

"Most of the children have been sent home, though not all of them. I've had Xiao Shitou help me track them down over these past few days to ensure that all the survivors have been properly settled."

Although the children were being well cared for, some parents had been unwilling to give them up when they were first forcibly conscripted. The magistrate of Cui County was not a soft-hearted man, and in the end, some people had been harmed.

Hearing Chen Ye's words, Su Chunyi looked at the silent little girl and said sincerely, "This was a matter I should have resolved myself. I never expected that I would end up merely watching from the sidelines. Thank you both for your help."

Lan Shi looked up at Su Chunyi, nodded silently, and remained speechless.

Su Chunyi could naturally tell that the little girl was in a bad mood, so she felt it inappropriate to press further and instead asked Chen Ye for the full story.

Chen Ye did not hide anything and simply explained the cause and effect: "I used the same old method I used against the monk Ku'e... Although Princess Hongyu was not without fault, she perished together with that Old Devil in the end, which can be considered an act of atonement..."

Su Chunyi listened carefully, her expression shifting into one of constant surprise.

She never imagined the story could be so convoluted, with the demon Elder Tianwu secretly manipulating the imperial court and committing such heinous acts.

"Then is the entire city of Cui County in mourning because of the Princess's death?"

In Su Chunyi's view, only royalty could cause an entire city to go into mourning.

Chen Ye replied, "The Princess didn't even leave a body behind, so who would know she died? For now, it's being treated as a disappearance. The reason the entire city is in mourning is because I killed the magistrate of Cui County. Aside from that corrupt official, I also cleared out the other officials and local thugs who aided him, based on their own confessions. It's a pity I couldn't find Jiang Shiyue; I don't know if he ran away or went into hiding."

Chen Ye's primary target had been the little devil Jiang Shiyue, but he was far too good at hiding. After searching for several days with his spiritual eyes, he couldn't find him, so he simply killed the magistrate instead.

Who would have thought that the magistrate's family would be so arrogant as to force the entire city to wear mourning clothes for him? Once the people learned the magistrate was dead, almost everyone in Cui County wanted to laugh out loud, leading to the bizarre scene of everyone wearing mourning clothes while hiding smiles.

Chen Ye simply watched them court their own destruction.

Princess Hongyu had gone missing in Cui County, and while they couldn't find this golden-branched, jade-leaved royal, they had the audacity to hold a grand funeral for the magistrate. The consequences were predictable. The magistrate's family was accustomed to being arrogant and domineering; there wasn't a single clever person among them.

Su Chunyi didn't care about Chen Ye killing an official. She had long known of the magistrate's crimes; anyone who bothered to ask would know that this dog of an official deserved to be torn to pieces.

It was just that the Qinghe Sword Sect had strict rules, and Su Chunyi could not act against mortals at will.

Chen Ye, however, was not a disciple of the Qinghe Sword Sect, so he naturally had no such constraints.

Su Chunyi only felt it was a pity. "If I had known this earlier, perhaps I could have saved the Princess."

Su Chunyi looked at the grief-stricken Lan Shi and couldn't help but say, "If she hadn't been pushed to the brink, she wouldn't have needed to borrow the name of the Qinghe Sword Sect. She hoped the Qinghe Sword Sect could save her life. If I had noticed sooner and handled things more carefully, she might have lived, and you wouldn't have had to take such risks, sir..."

Chen Ye shook his head and said, "Miss Su, why take the blame for a demon's actions upon yourself? The Princess was determined to die; even a god could not have saved her.

"Besides, I am not a junior of your sect, nor am I an ignorant child. I am a practitioner. Although my cultivation level is a bit low, we are peers. My life and death are my own responsibility; it cannot be blamed on you, Miss Su."

Su Chunyi pondered for a moment, then asked with confusion, "What you say makes sense, sir, but my master taught me that practitioners must uphold justice, speak out for the suffering of the world, never act recklessly to bully the weak, and never act rashly and implicate the innocent. Mortals are weak; if a practitioner is not cautious, it can lead to the suffering or death of thousands.

"Since I asked you to investigate this case for me, your safety is naturally my concern."

Chen Ye was left stunned. Was this the rule of the Qinghe Sword Sect?

It was so righteous that it was excessive, perhaps even bordering on twisted?

By all logic, Chen Ye should have agreed with Su Chunyi, accepted the favor, and offered a few more humble words to ensure this Miss Su remained guilt-ridden, which would undoubtedly bring him many benefits.

But Chen Ye said, "Miss Su, the Qinghe Sword Sect's concern for the world is certainly worthy of respect. With such rules in your sect, I, an outsider, have no position to question them. But in my view, upholding justice requires clearing up the cause before considering the consequences. I could have walked away, but I chose to take the risk to deal with that possessing demon.

"As such, the cause lies with me, not you. Even if I had been harmed by that demon, I could only blame my own recklessness, not you."

Having experienced this, Chen Ye paid even more attention to cause and effect.

Clarifying cause and effect could make many complex matters simple and clear. Su Chunyi could not distinguish between "I am willing" and "I should," and if this continued, she might easily develop a heart demon.

However, Chen Ye could only offer a gentle reminder; after all, Su Chunyi's cultivation was far higher than his, and saying anything more would appear overly arrogant.

Su Chunyi listened to Chen Ye's words with great seriousness, then nodded and said, "Thank you, sir, for clearing up my confusion. Meeting you during this journey of cultivation is the greatest stroke of luck in my life."

This statement made Chen Ye feel a bit embarrassed, as he was the one who had actually benefited the most.

After a few humble exchanges, both fell silent, as they both understood that it was time to discuss the topic neither wanted to bring up.

In the end, it was Su Chunyi who spoke first: "The matter in Cui County is settled. What are your plans for the future, sir?"

Indeed, their cooperation had been solely for the sake of the forced abduction of boys and girls in Cui County; now that it was resolved, it was time to part ways.

Chen Ye felt a tinge of reluctance, but he still said, "I am but a rogue cultivator; what plans could I have? Now that my Qi Sea has condensed, the next step is naturally to strengthen it and enter the Gangsha realm as soon as possible."

It was just a pity that no medicinal pills were effective for this realm; the key lay in the cultivation technique.

Great sects and prestigious schools all possessed secret arts to accelerate the strengthening of the Qi Sea, but those were treasures never to be shared with outsiders. Chen Ye could only rely on his own exploration to see if he could create a technique himself; otherwise, he would have to start collecting items imbued with Gangsha in advance to prepare for body refinement.

This meant that Chen Ye would need to distance himself from the mortal world and venture into truly dangerous lands.

Su Chunyi knew this was the logical path, but she felt a lingering reluctance in her heart and couldn't help but ask, "If you are interested, sir, perhaps I could recommend you to the Sect Master to join the Qinghe Sword Sect. The Sect Master has spoken highly of you and even ordered me to convey a message: the secret technique you imparted is of great importance, and the Qinghe Sword Sect is willing to offer a magical treasure as a token of gratitude."

"Your Sect Master has heard of my affairs?"

Chen Ye drew a sharp breath; the fact that his name had reached the ears of the world's number one was truly frightening.

If an ordinary rogue cultivator heard this, they would only be happy to have their lifespan extended by a few years, but Chen Ye was terrified.

His own background was not exactly clean; he could fool a young, inexperienced girl like Su Chunyi, but that world-renowned figure had killed countless demons, and trying to deceive him would be a death wish.

As for the Qinghe Sword Sect's reward, Chen Ye was not particularly tempted.

He couldn't even use the Sword Box that Su Chunyi had given him properly; his cultivation level was the biggest hurdle, and even if they gave him a flying sword, he wouldn't be able to use it. He would rather exchange it for some pills to improve his cultivation as quickly as possible.

However, there was no rush; this could be discussed slowly.

"I am unworthy of your kindness, Miss Su. It is just that I cannot abide by the rules of the Qinghe Sword Sect. In my eyes, eliminating demons and defending the path is merely incidental; what I seek is longevity, and I fear I would be purged from the sect within a few days."

Su Chunyi felt a little disappointed, but she also understood that the sect's rules were strict and few cultivators in the world could endure them, which was why the disciples of the Qinghe Sword Sect were so few in number.

But after parting today, it was unlikely they would ever meet again.

Seeming to see what was in Su Chunyi's heart, Chen Ye said to her, "However, before we part, I have one more request for you, Miss Su."

Su Chunyi's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly asked, "Please speak, sir."

"That little demon named Jiang Shiyue has escaped, and he is a man who has committed many evils. As the saying goes, one must finish the job of eradicating evil. I would like to ask you, Miss Su, to help find this demon. Only by killing him can the matter of Cui County be considered perfectly resolved."

Su Chunyi smiled and said to Chen Ye, "What you say is reasonable, sir. This time, I will not let you face the danger alone again."