Chapter Thirty-Nine: Admonition

It must be said that she is worthy of being a divine maiden; her temperament is truly explosive, not something a mortal like Su Ling can hope to fathom. At the same time, however, Su Ling felt quite speechless.

What else could he do? She was the apple of his master’s eye. If he were bullied or beaten by her, he had to endure it. After all, if he were to fight back, he would have to worry about his senior sister being unable to withstand his own primordial strength.

It was absurd, frustrating, and even more infuriating. Thus, the depressed Su Ling decided to let his senior sister pick fights with him whenever she pleased. Regardless of how ridiculous the reasons might be, he simply resigned himself to the fate of an old ox plowing a field—enduring it all. After all, he couldn't fight back, he couldn't move, and retaliation was out of the question.

In the days of suffering that followed, whenever Su Ling saw Ruan Xiu—who would seek him out to vent her anger whenever she was upset—he would dodge if he could. If he couldn't, he would simply transform into a stone statue, wearing the expression of a dead pig that cared not for boiling water.

And so it went: when he couldn't avoid her, his master would inevitably step in to save the day, a sight too painful to behold...

It was a life of daily freedom, followed by daily beatings.

It was depressing and utterly preposterous, but it was also a part of daily life—at least, an indispensable part of Ruan Xiu’s daily life. Su Ling felt bitter inside, but he kept it to himself, like a diligent water buffalo that had been plowing the fields for ten years, never seeing the tender morning grass that promised a better tomorrow.

...

"Come in."

"Master."

Su Ling considered himself a disciple who respected his teacher and the Way. As soon as he stepped into the side room of the smithy, he saw his master’s grim expression.

Ruan Qiong leaned casually against a wooden chair, watching Su Ling, who had walked over to bow and offer his respects, with a gaze so profound it was impossible to decipher. Seeing this, Su Ling knew clearly that Master Ruan Qiong was in a foul mood. As for why, he had a rough idea.

Sure enough, he didn't have to wait long before Ruan Qiong spoke in a tone of exasperated disappointment, his voice heavy with earnest counsel.

"Su Ling, you have been an apprentice under my tutelage for three years now, haven't you?"

"...Yes."

Su Ling nodded, his gaze meeting his master’s unflinchingly, waiting for what was to come.

"Sigh..."

"You..."

"I don't even know what to say to you."

Ruan Qiong’s brows furrowed, his expression tinged with frustration. He seemed to want to say more but hesitated. However, a moment later, he finally hardened his resolve.

"Hmph, you are so clever; you should know exactly why I have summoned you here."

"..."

Su Ling remained silent for a moment, pretending to ponder, before asking in a hesitant tone.

"Is it because of that Chen Ping'an?"

"At least you’re a sensible lad."

"But if you understand that, why don't you realize that Chen Ping'an is nothing but bait? By staying by his side—or even helping him—do you see how many times you have disrupted the schemes laid out by those behind the scenes?"

Seeing Su Ling maintain his indifferent, "dead pig" attitude, Ruan Qiong’s tone shifted from didactic to cold and stern. This did not surprise Su Ling in the slightest.

After all, although Ruan Qiong possessed immense strength and heaven-defying cultivation, he had only one purpose for entering the Li-Zhu Blessed Land early.

Regarding this matter, which was of paramount importance to him, even though Ruan Qiong had seen much in the town that made his blood pressure soar—making him long to pick up his hammer and destroy it all—he had still endured. Furthermore, before entering, he had clearly stated his position.

Before Qi Jingchun, the sage guarding the blessed land, had completed his sixty-year term, he, Ruan Qiong—the next designated sage—would not intervene or meddle in the trivial affairs of the town.

This included the various conspiracies surrounding the key chess piece that was Chen Ping'an.

Ruan Qiong did not want to interfere, nor did he want his prized disciple, whose martial path had yet to reach the upper five realms—that is, Su Ling—to recklessly enter the sight of those great beings hidden in the shadows.

Although Ruan Qiong was certain that with Su Ling’s current strength, even if a great being were to strike at him personally, trying to kill him would be nothing more than a pipe dream.

But to be defeated, or worse, to be used as a pawn in their grand game? That was a distinct possibility, and Ruan Qiong was well aware of it.

It was precisely for these reasons that Ruan Qiong felt a sense of "hate the iron for not becoming steel." He absolutely did not want his disciple, who had such a promising future, to follow in Qi Jingchun’s footsteps.

"This disciple understands."

After listening to Ruan Qiong’s long-winded, grandmotherly lecture, Su Ling’s expression remained unchanged. He even had the heart to nod and agree with his master’s point of view.

"You..."

"You are going to be the death of me!"

Seeing his disciple maintain his flippant attitude, Ruan Qiong could no longer sit still. With a loud crack, he raised his hand and shattered the wooden table beside him.

The immense force pulverized the sturdy wood, the wreckage crashing to the floor with a boom, sending dust and wood splinters flying throughout the room. The deafening sound immediately caught the attention of Ruan Xiu, who was outside still savoring her pastries.

Ruan Qiong dropped the half-eaten pastry, her pretty face showing a trace of astonishment. Without hesitation, she turned and dashed into the smithy.

"Dad, what happened?"

As Ruan Xiu stepped inside, she saw the room filled with dust, making it difficult to see clearly. Vaguely, she could make out two figures, one standing and one sitting, seemingly in a standoff. Even the door frames and walls were embedded with sharp wooden splinters, piercing deep into the wood, a testament to the immense force of the impact.

This unprecedented situation left Ruan Xiu stunned, and she couldn't help but look at her father, who was still sitting.

"Hmph, what else could it be?"

"Your Junior Brother Su has grown wings and no longer listens to his master."

"..."

Su Ling remained silent, but to Ruan Xiu, the situation felt inexplicable. She couldn't understand what her father was so angry about.

Could it be that because Junior Brother Su was a bit disobedient, he had flown into such a rage that he had to shatter a table to satisfy his anger?

Ruan Qiong wore a sour expression, his thick red brows knitted together, refusing to look at Su Ling. Although the outburst had been sudden, Ruan Qiong wasn't worried that Su Ling would be hurt; after all, he had witnessed Su Ling’s terrifyingly resilient physique.

Ruan Qiong let out a cold snort and offered no explanation. Seeing this, Su Ling, as the disciple, noticed his senior sister’s confusion and stepped forward to explain the situation himself.

Before long, upon learning the full story, Ruan Xiu—the apple of Ruan Qiong’s eye—became quite unhappy.

She wasn't angry at Su Ling, but rather blamed her father for being so cold-blooded and ruthless, which left her feeling quite frustrated.

"Oh, Dad~."

"Chen Ping'an is a very good person. The grass carp from the day before yesterday was a gift from him."

Seeing that her father remained unmoved, Ruan Xiu couldn't stand it any longer. She stepped forward, took her father’s thick arm, and acted as a peacemaker in a sweet, coaxing tone.

"Dad~, this shouldn't be blamed on Junior Brother Su. After all, Junior Brother Su is Chen Ping'an’s neighbor."

"When Chen Ping'an is in trouble, Junior Brother Su naturally wouldn't just stand by and watch."

"Hmph, what do you know? You and Su Ling are exactly the same, teaming up to help that brat."