Chapter Twenty-Five: Revering Teachers and Respecting the Way

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed, and everything had proceeded smoothly. Su Bai had destroyed all the evidence that could prove his presence. Every detail was meticulously arranged, leaving no room for fault.

He glanced at the time, a hint of doubt surfacing in his heart: “Normally, he would have arrived by now. Why hasn’t that old fox come yet? Could he have discovered something?” Then he shook his head, forcing a wry smile. “I’m overthinking again. The more guilty I feel, the easier it is for that old fox to see through me. My composure still isn’t strong enough.”

His thoughts drifted to Xiao Huixin, buried hundreds of meters away, and he steeled his resolve. “The world isn’t as beautiful as it appears on the surface. There are no good people or bad people—only the living and the dead. If I want to carve out a place for myself here, I must learn to be ruthless. That unfortunate senior sister was only the beginning. Su Bai, you still have a long road ahead; you mustn’t lose your nerve.”

With much effort, he finally calmed himself and sat cross-legged to meditate. But barely half an hour had passed when he heard two coughs outside the door.

Su Bai’s heart skipped a beat. He knew that what was meant to come would come. Rising to open the door, he was greeted by the familiar visage of his kindly, benevolent master.

He bowed respectfully to Xi Menghe, “Master, you look more robust with each passing day. At this rate, you’re on the verge of regaining your youth.”

Xi Menghe burst into hearty laughter, then teased him, “What’s this? Half a month apart and you’ve grown glib. Is there something you want from your master?”

Su Bai smiled sheepishly. “Heh, master, you always see right through me. Indeed, I do have a request.”

Xi Menghe raised his hand, cutting him off. “Enough flattery. Out with it—what’s on your mind?”

Thus prompted, Su Bai stammered, “Recently, I’ve been hitting bottlenecks in my cultivation. My progress is slowing, and I often feel sharp pains in my lower abdomen. The pain stops if I cease cultivating, but as a result, I’ve made no progress in half a month. Master, do you have a remedy?”

“Oh? Is that so?” At first, Xi Menghe’s heart tightened upon hearing this, his gaze flickering—but he quickly replaced his expression with one of surprise. Yet Su Bai, watching him intently, missed none of these subtle changes.

“There really is something amiss,” Su Bai thought to himself.

But Xi Menghe was no ordinary man. He immediately donned an air of confidence and said, “There’s no need to worry. I’ve already thought of a solution and will certainly help you recover. After I perform the energy infusion for you today, we’ll discuss it further.”

Su Bai had still underestimated this old fox. He never imagined Xi Menghe would push his cultivation so recklessly, even at the risk of his life.

“Fortunately, I learned the truth from Xiao Huixin, or I’d be dead by now.” Su Bai had only discovered her true name when he inadvertently found her identity token as he was burying her.

As Xi Menghe approached, Su Bai felt a wave of panic. All his previous cordiality had been nothing but an act.

Who could remain calm before the very person intent on killing them? In just a short moment, Su Bai was drenched in cold sweat. He hadn’t even devised a plan to counter Xi Menghe’s forceful energy transfusion.

He wanted to step back but restrained himself. Bracing himself, he said, “Master, you always exhaust yourself when you come here. I’m truly unworthy. Perhaps you should rest for a day instead. I have many questions about cultivation to ask you!”

Xi Menghe paused, surprised by his usually obedient disciple’s sudden resistance. For the past six months, Su Bai had fulfilled his every request flawlessly, his progress astonishingly quick—even surpassing that of Gu Qingyun in his prime, largely due to Xi Menghe’s repeated infusions. Su Bai’s exceptional talent and constitution had allowed him to endure the relentless tempering.

Yet today, something felt off about Su Bai—something Xi Menghe couldn’t quite put his finger on, but with his century of experience, he recognized a shift in temperament. Su Bai had always seemed an obedient, perceptive student, but now he felt unfathomable.

The pair stood locked in a silent standoff, each scrutinizing the other for any sign of weakness, outwardly maintaining the façade of masterly affection and filial respect.

It was impossible to say whether mere moments or an entire century passed before Xi Menghe finally smiled and said, “Since you wish to discuss cultivation matters, I won’t insist.”

“Thank you, master, for your patience. Forgive your slow-witted disciple,” Su Bai exhaled in relief, inwardly pondering, “Why did the old fox relent so suddenly? Does he sense something about me that gives him pause? No matter—avoiding outright conflict is best for now, though who knows how long this stalemate will last.”

“Please, master, come inside and sit. I’ll brew some tea.” Seizing the pretext, Su Bai went straight to the kitchen, leaving Xi Menghe alone in the main room.

The moment he shut the kitchen door, his heart pounded so fiercely it felt as though it might leap from his chest. The pressure from before now swung back violently, nearly overwhelming him.

“Ming Li, why is your heart racing so? Has something happened?”

Su Bai cursed himself for his carelessness. In his panic, he’d forgotten that those at the Focused Mind stage could scan their surroundings like a living radar, even detecting abnormal heartbeats within ten meters.

“What now?” As he heard Xi Menghe’s approaching footsteps, his anxiety deepened. At the instant Xi Menghe opened the door, a forceful aura swept into the room.

“What are you doing?” Xi Menghe demanded sharply, only to see Su Bai clutching his left wrist, writhing on the ground as blood gushed from the wound.

“What happened to you?” Xi Menghe, seeing him in agony yet silent, immediately sealed several of his acupoints. Lifting Su Bai up, he questioned, “What just occurred? Why are you so badly injured, and why is your energy so chaotic?”

Pale from blood loss, Su Bai could only muster a feeble voice: “I was in terrible pain, as if my inner force would explode. In my agony, I accidentally sliced my wrist with the dagger at my belt.”

Instead of comforting words, Xi Menghe frowned and fell into deep thought. After a long silence, he finally said, “I have some healing medicine here—use it. In two days, I’ll return to help regulate your inner energy. For now, focus on your recovery.”

Noting Xi Menghe’s hesitant expression, Su Bai made a mental note. “I must find a chance to leave the Great Yan Sect—my opportunity lies in the coming days, before he realizes what I plan.”

But for now, he needed to deceive this old fox. With Xi Menghe’s help, Su Bai slowly got up, apologizing profusely, “It’s my fault for not training diligently, letting down your tireless efforts.”

Xi Menghe could only offer patient comfort, “Never mind, you’ve already worked hard. This is… merely a matter of your aptitude. Once you’ve recovered, train even harder, and that will suffice.”

“I won’t let you down, master. I’ll strive to catch up, never falling behind the others,” Su Bai said, forcing himself to clasp his fists in salute.

After laying Su Bai on the kang and bandaging his wound, Xi Menghe left some medicine and departed in haste.

But Su Bai, lying there, dared not relax for a moment. His eyes swept the room, ears attuned to every sound within a hundred meters.

For the duration of a joss stick’s burning, he remained on edge, until finally, he heard a series of footsteps receding into the distance. Only then did he allow himself to breathe easier.

“Thank goodness I didn’t say anything reckless, or he’d have caught on.” Su Bai shuddered inwardly. The adage about old men growing crafty was no joke—especially in this world, where surviving long meant possessing means unknown to others.

That senior sister had claimed Xi Menghe was kind, but people’s hearts are inscrutable. How could Su Bai entrust his life to such a man?

“Luckily, my inner force really is chaotic. Otherwise, my performance might have given me away. By slashing my wrist, I drew enough attention that he didn’t realize the true cause of my inner turbulence.”

Clenching his right hand, Su Bai thought, “Out of the tiger’s den, into the wolf’s lair—what a mess.”

Five days later.

It was the height of summer, the forest lush and vibrant—a veritable paradise. Yet, hidden deep within, a wooden cabin stood out awkwardly. Inside sat two figures: Xi Menghe and Su Bai.

“Puh!” Su Bai spat blood, interrupting Xi Menghe’s energy transmission. The latter asked, “Well? Do you feel any better?”

Wiping the blood from his lips, Su Bai bowed his head and replied weakly, “Thank you, master, for tending to me these many days. I’m truly unworthy.”

Xi Menghe gazed at him without a word. As he prepared to leave, he suddenly asked, “Have you seen any disciples of the Great Yan Sect in the forest recently?”

“Never,” Su Bai answered immediately. “Since you settled me here, I haven’t seen any senior brothers or sisters.”

He added, “Master, when might I be allowed to train within the sect?”

Xi Menghe’s face turned cold, his tone hard. “Don’t ask about what’s not your concern—it’s for your own good. Didn’t you promise to obey my every instruction before entering my tutelage? What, do you regret it now?”

At this, Su Bai forced himself to kneel despite his feebleness, pleading, “Master, forgive me! I meant no disrespect. I only wished to spar with my peers to temper my skills. If I could distinguish myself, wouldn’t that bring you honor as well?”

Fearing he hadn’t said enough, Su Bai continued, “But that’s just my own thought. Master, you have been as a second father to me, helping me through hardship and expending such effort on a useless pupil. Even if you lent me ten times my courage, I wouldn’t dare defy you.”

Finally, Xi Menghe’s expression softened. “Rise. Don’t blame me for being strict—it’s all for your sake. Your natural endowments are simply too lacking; no matter how hard I work, I can’t bridge that gap. If you went into the main sect, you’d be bullied by the others. With your proud temperament, who knows what trouble you might encounter? If your state of mind suffered, I couldn’t save you.”

Listening to this, Su Bai thought sardonically, “He says it so well—if I didn’t know better, I’d be fooled. Truly, age breeds cunning. I must be more careful than ever in dealing with such people.”

Still, he thanked Xi Menghe profusely, then spent half the day in idle conversation with him. Before leaving, Xi Menghe warned him not to stray from the cabin. When Su Bai asked why, he received only evasive answers.

After closing the decaying wooden door, Su Bai leaned against it, brow furrowed in thought.

“Never mind, finding those two is more important,” he decided at length, recalling Xiao Huixin’s mention of Su Kun and Huang Yang.

Seeing that it was still early, Su Bai grew restless. “I might as well act today. I’ll scout out the Great Yan Sect first—the treasure can wait until I’m ready to bargain with them. Revealing it too soon will only bring trouble.”

Within half a cup of tea’s time, Su Bai set out, lowering his bamboo hat against the sweltering heat. Though his current location was far from the sect, persistent inquiry led him to the vicinity by dusk.

Wiping sweat from his brow and taking a deep breath, Su Bai strode forward. But after only a few steps, he overheard two people whispering nearby—snatches of “treasure” and “Great Yan Sect” caught his attention.

Out of caution, he decided to ask the pair for news from the sect. Following the voices, he discovered a tavern where two young men in pale blue robes drank and chatted.

One raised his cup, saying, “Why did the Third Elder pick Xiao Huixin to deliver the treasure, instead of someone more suitable? Now the treasure is missing, and there’s no sign of Xiao Huixin—no trace of her dead or alive.”

The other agreed, “Exactly! Trouble above means suffering below. We’re the ones who have to do all the grunt work for free. You’d better watch what you say—if the snitches in the sect hear you, you’ll be in trouble.”

The first grew indignant, face flushed. “Afraid of them? That petty Cao Xing lives to stir up trouble. At the slightest rumor, he’s like a hornet, buzzing around for gossip. If I get the chance, I’ll teach him a lesson at the next sect tournament.”

“Waiter, bring us two jars of your best wine!” A young, somewhat immature voice startled them. They glanced in surprise—this tavern’s wine was expensive, and it had taken them a month to save for half a jar. Yet the plainly dressed Su Bai had just ordered two large jars. Their surprise quickly passed, and they resumed their quiet conversation.

But Su Bai approached, setting the two jars down with a bang before them. Seeing their bewildered faces, he spoke:

“I am a disciple under the Ninth Elder. A few days ago, my master sent me to Mount Hua. I’ve just returned to the sect and happened upon you, senior brothers. From your conversation, it seems something significant has happened within the sect. Could you tell me the details? These two jars of fine wine are my token of thanks.”