Brat, Don't Mistake Kindness for Weakness

Xiao Yu led Lingxin and the others around to the back gate of the Li Residence.

The steward and Li Qingyun were already waiting there.

When Li Qingyun saw Lingxin, she instinctively clenched her sleeve.

She knew Xiao Yu liked good women. She guessed this group of children had all been taken in by this nun.

But this was far too absurd. The other party was a monastic...

Upon seeing Li Qingyun, Lingxin hurriedly pressed her palms together. "Benefactress, you truly have the heart of a bodhisattva... This poor nun will certainly chant scriptures and pray to Buddha for you!"

Li Qingyun covered her face with an awkward smile. "It is nothing. There are plenty of rooms at home, and a few children will not eat much grain."

"Let them stay in the rear courtyard and help with chores normally. I will find a teacher somewhere to teach them how to read as well!"

Lingxin beamed with delight and thanked her again and again.

Just then, a servant suddenly ran over and whispered a few words to Li Qingyun.

Li Qingyun's expression turned flustered. She looked at Xiao Yu, clearly wanting to speak but holding back.

Xiao Yu was still pulling the wool over Da Long and the other children's eyes. "If I hadn't knelt and begged all night yesterday, why would the Li Residence have agreed to take you in?"

"Why would I lie to you? Then tell me, why else would they take you in?"

"Every word I said is true. Brat, don't mistake kindness for weakness..."

Just as Xiao Yu was fooling them, Li Qingyun nervously said, "Husband... Mother wants you to go see her. She said you must go alone!"

The corners of Xiao Yu's mouth visibly rose as he turned to leave.

Before he had even taken a step, he saw Lingxin's eyes widen.

I'm screwed...

Lingxin must have heard Li Qingyun call him husband just now!

Li Qingyun instinctively covered her mouth. This was bad.

Lingxin was a nun, so she certainly would not dare question Xiao Yu about this in front of so many people.

She merely stood there with her eyes wide, widening wider still...

Tears crept to the corners of her eyes. So this guy had been having an affair with the Li Residence's young lady?

No wonder the Li Residence had agreed to take them in.

But she did not dare return to Spirit Light Temple just like that. What if Da Long and the others were driven out...

At once, she began reciting the Tranquilizing Mind Mantra again.

She stared at Xiao Yu with wide eyes as she chanted.

Xiao Yu hurriedly transmitted his voice to her. "Wasn't it because of you people? They said they could take in these children, but only if I married Li Qingyun. Otherwise, they would tell the righteous sects about me being here!"

"If it weren't for you, would I have exposed myself?"

"Enough, enough, enough. So now I've become the criminal? Think whatever you want!"

After transmitting those words, Xiao Yu feigned anger and walked away.

Lingxin scratched her bald head. Why was he angry instead...

No, he was an immortal cultivator. Could a bunch of mortals really hold him hostage?

Could it truly have been because of children like Da Long?

Wait!

What was she, a monastic, even thinking about... She had nothing to do with him...

The only reason she had come out with him was to find these orphans a place to settle down. Once this was done, she would return.

As Lingxin thought it over, she went to help the children move their things.

The Li Residence study.

Han Qiushui looked at Xiao Yu before her for a long while without speaking.

Xiao Yu sat off to the side with his head lowered, taking a sip of tea. "Mother-in-law, has your health been well..."

Han Qiushui looked thoughtful, the grief and indignation from yesterday already gone, as though she were a completely different person.

The matriarchal aura around her stood out sharply.

It made Xiao Yu feel a momentary chill in his heart.

What a piercing gaze.

After studying him, Han Qiushui spoke softly. "Xiao Yu, you saved Qingyun, and I naturally consent to you marrying her. But you were able to treat my illness by such means, so you are clearly no righteous cultivator either!"

Xiao Yu respectfully cupped his fists, a trace of contempt at his lips. "So in Mother-in-law's eyes, anyone who calls themselves a good person is one?"

Han Qiushui's expression did not change. "I mean nothing else by it. Since you are of the demonic path, then the righteous sects are all our enemies! My husband was murdered by those bitches from the Jade Maiden Sect while searching for an immortal remedy to cure me. If I do not avenge this hatred, I swear I will never rest!"

"Xiao Yu, do you know Ye Zhirou of the Jade Maiden Sect? A female cultivator in blue robes who carries the Jade Maiden Sword!"

When Xiao Yu heard Ye Zhirou's name, his heart shuddered violently.

It couldn't be such a coincidence, could it...

Han Qiushui's husband had been killed by Ye Zhirou?

"Mm... I am merely a lowly disciple of the Hehuan Sect. I have heard of the Jade Maiden Sect, but I truly do not know Ye Zhirou... Mother-in-law, do you want me to kill this villain for you?"

Anger flickered in Han Qiushui's eyes. "I must personally avenge her father! Yesterday, you said I possess a Spiritual Root. Was that true?"

Xiao Yu spoke softly. "Mm... Naturally, it was true! Mother-in-law even has a Supreme Ice Spirit Root!"

"When the time comes, I will choose several excellent cultivation techniques for Mother-in-law. Reaching the Qi Refining Stage within a year is naturally possible!"

Hearing this, Han Qiushui glanced to the side.

Since she could live, then she had only one purpose left in this life: to avenge her man!

It could also be considered repaying the kindness he had shown her throughout half her life.

As for what came afterward, she had no heart left to care.

Xiao Yu was thinking as well.

Han Qiushui actually wanted to avenge her man. She truly had nerve.

If he remembered correctly, Ye Zhirou seemed to be in the Foundation Establishment Realm, right?

Even he could not defeat her...

The moment he thought of Ye Zhirou slaughtering A Xiang's entire family back then, then gouging out his eyes afterward, severing his hands and feet, and torturing him to death—

A blazing fire rose in Xiao Yu's heart.

Just then, Han Qiushui spoke again. "Xiao Yu, you had best not linger at the Li Residence any longer. It would be best to leave today! Many people in the residence already know that Qingyun previously went missing!"

"Furthermore, the Profound Spirit Sect and Jade Maiden Sect know as well, because those two sects have repeatedly come to the residence demanding money!"

"In their dictionary, it is called robbing the rich to aid the poor. But you know as well as I do that the lion's share of the money they rob to aid the poor goes into their own pockets!"

"They will likely come demanding money again in a few days. I will pack up today. Can you take Qingyun and me away from here?"

Xiao Yu was briefly stunned. He had only just brought Lingxin and those children over.

They definitely had to leave... He still had to find Fire Monk to refine artifacts the day after tomorrow.

Han Qiushui had long made her plans. Looking at Xiao Yu, she said softly, "Leave those orphans in the residence. I will arrange for relatives and friends to stay here."

"And those servants and the steward who saw you and Qingyun today—do you have a way to make them keep their mouths shut?"

"Be careful in all things, Xiao Yu. No matter what, I do not wish for anything to happen to you or Qingyun!"

Xiao Yu repeatedly cupped his fists. "This son-in-law naturally has a way to make them forget everything that happened these past two days!"

As he spoke, he took out another bottle of Hehuan Pills.

"My apologies, I took out the wrong one... I have Worry-Forgetfulness Pills and Dust-Forgetfulness Pills here. After taking one, they can erase all memories from the past twelve hours!"

"This son-in-law will go make the arrangements at once!"

Han Qiushui nodded. "Mm. I will also prepare the land deeds, account books, and treasury silver. We must leave this place before noon!"

At top speed, Xiao Yu gave everyone in the residence a Worry-Forgetfulness Pill.

At the same time, he fed one to Da Long and the other children.

Immediately afterward, he took Li Qingyun to hide in the alley outside the back gate and wait.

Lingxin looked at the unconscious orphans, her eyes filled with reluctance.

But she also knew that perhaps losing their memories was not a bad thing for them.

After those people woke up, Han Qiushui said, "I will be away for some time. All matters in the household are entrusted to my sister-in-law, with the steward assisting her!"

"Furthermore, you must take proper care of these orphans. If there is any negligence, I will certainly not spare whoever is responsible!"

After arranging the affairs at home, Han Qiushui left through the main gate in the horse carriage driven by Lingxin.

Looking back at the Li Residence where she had lived for half her life, Han Qiushui's eyes were filled with the dust and frost of years.

Before long, they met Xiao Yu at the agreed location.

With a raise of his hand, Xiao Yu put Li Qingyun and Han Qiushui into the Jade Maiden Gourd.

Looking at the small box Han Qiushui had brought, he swallowed hard.

Lingxin's eyes went straight as well.

The Li Residence's land deeds, warehouse keys, banknotes totaling more than thirty million, as well as several unidentified documents and deeds.

Before Lingxin could reach for those banknotes, Xiao Yu snatched them away. "What are you doing?!"

Lingxin looked excited. "I... I was just looking..."

Xiao Yu immediately put those things into his storage pouch.

With the air of a righteous gentleman, he said, "What are you looking at? Does this have anything to do with you? This is Madam Li's family fortune. You are a monastic, yet all you think about every day is money!"

Lingxin pouted at once. "Hmph, if you won't let me look, then I won't take you to find Spiritfire Uncle-Master..."