Schemes

The steward stood below with his head lowered. Even though he was from Spirit Hall, he could not help grumbling inwardly, If I'm not mistaken, you sent Lord Qin Xiaofeng to assassinate Si Tingxuan, didn't you?!

Since you were going to kill someone, you naturally had to be prepared to be killed in return. What, only you're allowed to kill others, while others aren't allowed to kill your people? What nerve!

Still, he was deeply shocked.

Si Tingxuan's audacity had also exceeded his expectations. He had actually dared to chase them all the way to the entrance of their branch hall and kill someone.

Vice Bishop Qin Haoyuan was currently radiating icy killing intent.

"Si Tingxuan must die!"

But he needed to think of a way.

The next day, Si Tingxuan woke from his sleep feeling thoroughly refreshed.

He stretched lazily.

After washing up and eating breakfast, he headed toward the courtyard where he usually trained his disciples.

Before he even entered, however, he heard arguing from inside.

And from the sound of it, his three disciples were arguing with someone else.

Hua Qingluo said, "Fang Hai, this is where our teacher instructs us. Please leave."

Fang Hai grinned, looking thoroughly shameless. "Qingluo, I'm your fiancé. We're all family. Isn't your teacher my teacher too? What's wrong with coming over to listen to his instruction?"

"You—"

Hua Qingluo was truly furious.

Long Wu was enraged as well and cursed, "Pah! Is Qingluo something you can call her? Have you no shame?"

Yun Piaopiao had witnessed everything back then, and she cursed as well, "Where did you get the nerve to come to the Hua Family again?! I remember that just seven or eight days ago, you were shouting at the gates of the Hua Residence that you wanted to break off the engagement!"

Fang Hai snapped back, "This is between Qingluo and me. It has nothing to do with you! Besides, her grandfather agreed to this marriage. And back then, I was just confused for a moment!"

At that moment, Si Tingxuan walked in with a frown.

He had figured it out. The old head of the Hua Family had agreed once more to the marriage between Fang Hai and Hua Qingluo.

He could not understand it.

The Fang Family had caused such a scene that day. They had practically trampled the entire Hua Family beneath their feet.

It would already have been merciful not to wipe out the entire Fang Family.

And now they had actually made up as if nothing had happened!

If there was no trick behind this, he would not believe it even if beaten to death.

They were probably plotting against Hua Qingluo and him together!

He had suspected it before. Why had Spirit Hall known the moment he left the house yesterday?

Three Soul Saints were people of status.

There was no way they had been secretly watching the gates of the Hua Residence all along!

Now, it seemed... heh heh!

The moment Fang Hai saw Si Tingxuan enter, he immediately put on a fawning smile and hurried over. "Teacher, you're here!"

Si Tingxuan did not even look at him. Instead, he asked Hua Qingluo, "Did you agree to this?"

Hua Qingluo lowered her head and answered timidly, "It was Grandfather..."

Then she looked at Si Tingxuan expectantly. In her eyes, as long as her teacher spoke up, even her grandfather would back down.

Seeing that look in her eyes, Si Tingxuan fell silent for a moment.

His brow furrowed even more deeply as he asked, "For the sake of the family, can you endure anything? Even if your grandfather tells you to do something, will you simply do it? Or are you the kind of person who puts family above all else and cannot distinguish right from wrong?"

Hua Qingluo froze.

Si Tingxuan turned to Long Wu and Yun Piaopiao. "Come with me. Starting today, we will no longer stay with the Hua Family."

Tears instantly fell from Hua Qingluo's eyes as she trembled and asked, "Teacher, are you abandoning Qingluo?"

Long Wu and Yun Piaopiao were stunned as well, unable to understand why Si Tingxuan had suddenly made such a decision.

After all, moving out of the Hua Family carried significance.

To outsiders, it sent a message: Si Tingxuan had abandoned the Hua Family and would no longer involve himself in any of its affairs.

After all, the Hua Family had remained safe until now entirely because of Si Tingxuan.

Now that he would no longer protect the Hua Family, it was certainly thought-provoking.

Si Tingxuan turned and left. His expression was extremely grim at that moment.

Although he did not know why, he understood that there had to be some scheme at work here.

Seeing Si Tingxuan's expression, neither Long Wu nor Yun Piaopiao dared to say anything to plead for Hua Qingluo.

After taking two steps, Si Tingxuan turned back to look at Hua Qingluo. "Think carefully about what I asked you. If you figure it out, come find me."

It was not that Si Tingxuan did not want to protect her. But his disciple absolutely could not be someone who was easily controlled by others.

A person with no mind of her own!

Today, all she had to do was stand up to her grandfather and the entire Hua Family and say no!

Then he would be her strongest support!

But if she did not resist herself and had to rely entirely on him, her teacher, then what kind of teacher was he?

That was a nanny!

And a teacher did not merely teach cultivation. They also had to teach how to conduct oneself and deal with the world.

Otherwise, today it might be this Fang Hai; tomorrow, it might be Wang Hai.

"Phew."

Long Wu and Yun Piaopiao both let out sighs of relief. Thankfully, it was not the worst outcome.

Long Wu and Yun Piaopiao gave Hua Qingluo encouraging looks, then turned their eyes to Si Tingxuan.

Hua Qingluo was not stupid!

Si Tingxuan's final words made her understand that he was not abandoning her.

So she began to think about the words Si Tingxuan had said to her at the very beginning.

Was she someone who put the family above all else?

Did she have to obey everything her grandfather said?

Regardless of whether it was right or wrong?

If that were truly the case, then as her teacher had said, would she not be unable to distinguish right from wrong?

Thinking of this, she could not help looking at Fang Hai.

Just like him—he was clearly a petty villain who kicked people when they were down.

Her grandfather clearly knew that, yet he still wanted her to marry such a man. Was he not pushing her into a pit of fire?

Did she really have to be so obedient?

Fang Hai was completely dumbfounded. He had been thinking of using Hua Qingluo to build a relationship with Si Tingxuan!

In the end, this damn situation seemed to have veered in an utterly unpredictable direction.

This had become a huge mess!

After leaving Hua Residence, Long Wu could not help asking, "Teacher, where are we going now?"

Si Tingxuan looked back at Hua Residence, his gaze turning icy.

No matter what scheme this was, someone from Hua Residence had to be involved.

Since that was the case, I'll make you understand that I can save the Hua Family, and I can destroy the Hua Family as well.

And you even dared to use Hua Qingluo as a chess piece to scheme against me.

That was what I could not tolerate the most.

From the moment she became my disciple, she was first my disciple, and only then a member of your Hua Family.

Si Tingxuan turned around. "Let's go to the Oriental Family!"

"The Oriental Family?"

Long Wu and Yun Piaopiao could not help looking at each other.

Yun Piaopiao felt somewhat reluctant. "Teacher, the Oriental Family and the Hua Family... Even if we're done with the Hua Family, there's no need to..."

She had wanted to say that this was too ruthless!

But after thinking it over, Si Tingxuan could not possibly have no reason to take things this far.

So she stopped herself.

Long Wu, on the other hand, having seen families place their interests above all else, seemed to understand something!

She looked up at Si Tingxuan. "Teacher, do you suspect that they're plotting against Qingluo and you?"