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“Su Su…” Ruan Lianhua, standing to the right of the jade throne, seemed both surprised and somewhat expectant. She took a step forward, but then stopped, standing on the jade steps, her eyes sparkling as she looked at me and asked, “When did you return? Why wasn’t I informed of your return? Are you… alright?”

It had only been a few days since I last saw him, but now he stood there on the jade steps of the magnificent hall, his sleeves behind his back, his hair tied up with a white jade crown, meticulously groomed, revealing a face as pure as snow from the Tianshan Mountains. His eyes, dark as ghosts beneath his lashes, were looking at me with slightly furrowed brows, making me feel somewhat dazed, as if in just a few days the gentle young man had grown into a jade tree standing before me.

I knelt before His Highness, lowered my brows and bowed to him, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Young Master. I am doing very well."

He remained silent, and the hall fell silent for a moment. I glanced around the jade steps and saw that the Left Protector was there, but Yan Shu was nowhere to be seen.

Yan Shu was not present for such a major event as establishing a Dharma Protector. Logically, there should have been a huge uproar if he returned to the sect, but now everything seems calm and peaceful, as if nothing had happened.

A moment later, the old cult leader sat back on his jade throne, frowned at me, and coldly snorted, saying in a deep voice, "Su Xie, you've returned. What crime do you wish to ask for?"

I bowed again before saying, “Su Xie failed to complete his mission of protecting the Dharma and returned to the sect late. He knows he cannot escape his punishment, so he has come back to accept his punishment and will leave himself to the sect leader’s disposal.”

The main hall was very quiet. I looked up at Ye Baizhi and asked in surprise, "Could it be that Sister Baizhi has completed the mission?"

Ye Baizhi glared at me, her face pale. I said again, "Where is Ruan Bicheng's head? Let me see it and vent my anger."

No one in the hall uttered a sound. I watched Ye Baizhi's face change from pale to flushed, waiting for her to speak. Sure enough, a moment later, she stood on the jade steps and retorted to me, "Although Baizhi did not bring back Ruan Bicheng's head, Ruan Bicheng was poisoned and died several days ago. Baizhi was also thinking of the bigger picture and escorted the young master back first. The young master can testify for Baizhi."

Her new backer is indeed Ruan Lianhua; no wonder she betrayed Yan Shu so readily.

I looked up at Ruan Lianhua. He hesitated slightly, then nodded. I said "Oh," and looked at the old cult leader again, asking, "Is the cult leader a man of his word, a man of his word?"

The old cult leader snorted coldly and glared at me, saying, "When have I ever gone back on my word? My word is my bond."

"When did the leader's instructions become such a trivial matter?" Before he could get angry, I said bluntly, "If the guardian mission is so childish, why did the leader bother with it in the first place? Failure of the mission is punishable by death. Su Xie doesn't understand why Ye Baizhi was chosen as the right guardian today. If it was the leader's decision, Su Xie has no objection."

After I finished speaking, my legs were numb and sore from kneeling, so I simply knelt on my calves and waited for the old cult leader to get angry. The old cult leader frowned and did not speak, but Ye Baizhi spoke first: "Ruan Bicheng has been poisoned by the Centipede Gu, there is absolutely no way she can survive!"

"What if he were still alive?" I asked her, squinting as I said, "Sister Baizhi, do you dare to make a bet with me? If Ruan Bicheng is really dead, I will commit suicide to atone for my sins. If he is not dead... for the crime of deceiving the leader, you would not be able to atone for it even if you died a hundred times."

She froze there, her face pale. She dared not; she wouldn't take risks easily if she wasn't sure, especially since she didn't know if I had given Ruan Bicheng the antidote.

I'm different. I'm going to die anyway, so it's worth it to make those who have been making trouble for me suffer before I die.

She froze for a moment, then turned and kowtowed to the old sect leader, saying, "At that time, Licheng was in chaos. Bai Zhi couldn't care less about anything else in order to protect the young master. If there was any mistake, Bai Zhi is willing to accept the punishment..."

I couldn't help but sneer, "So you're saying the young master dragged you into this? Isn't protecting the young master our responsibility? What are you implying, Sister Baizhi?"

"That's not what Bai Zhi meant!" Ye Bai Zhi hurriedly explained, glaring at him and gritting her teeth, "Su Xie, do you think the leader doesn't know what you and the priests did in Licheng?!"

I squinted at her, then at the old leader. "Young Master knows better than anyone what I've done. If I had betrayed you in the slightest, would you still allow me to remain in this hall?"

Who knows more about what happened in Licheng than Ye Baizhi and Ruan Lianhua? And does she think Ruan Lianhua could have accomplished all this alone? If the old sect leader didn't know, why would he have let Ruan Lianhua lead her troops to Licheng? And why would he be listening to me speak so calmly here?

If he suspected me of any betrayal, he would not have allowed me to walk in alive.

But my words were too harsh, yet he did not get angry or turn hostile.

Now, sitting on his jade throne, he rubbed his temples. Just as Ye Baizhi was about to speak again, he leaned back in his chair and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, alright, this old man's head is throbbing from all this commotion..."

"Master." The Left Protector hurriedly took the pills Shen Qing handed over, bent down and gave them to the old master, asking in a low voice, "So, what are your plans now, Master..."

The old cult leader, with a pill in his mouth, glanced down and waved his hand impatiently, saying, "Disperse, you're really annoying this old man."

"Master!" Ye Baizhi hurriedly called out.

The old cult leader frowned and said to her in a deep voice, "What you should do now is bring back Ruan Bicheng's head, or get rid of Su Xie."

She was taken aback, but the old cult leader had already helped the maid to her feet and was heading towards the inner hall.

Everyone in the hall knelt down. The Left Protector ordered everyone to disperse. Just as I was about to get up, the old sect leader turned around and said coldly, "Su Xie, come here."

I responded with a "yes," and with my head bowed, I made my way through the crowd to the inner hall. As I climbed the white jade steps, I inadvertently caught sight of Ye Baizhi kneeling on the ground, clutching the hem of Ruan Lianhua's robe. He bent down and whispered something in her ear, at which point Ye Baizhi let go. She looked up and glared at me fiercely, spitting out through gritted teeth, "Su Xie, you'll die a horrible death!"

I smiled down at her, then lifted the curtain and entered the inner hall.

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The old cult leader had already sat back on the couch, covered with a fox fur coat, and took the medicine from Shen Qing and poured it into his mouth. When he saw me come in, he snorted coldly and put down the bowl.

I quickly knelt down a few steps away from the bed.

Ruan Lianhua came in with me and said to my side, "Father, Su Su just came back and isn't feeling well. Please let her get up and speak."

Shen Qing leaned closer and glanced at me from side to side, then clicked her tongue and said, "How come you came back barely alive after going out for a while? You look like you're half dead..."

The old cult leader didn't look at me, but spoke softly to Ruan Lianhua: "Good child, you and Shen Qing go down first. Father has a few words to say to Su Xie."

Ruan Lianhua lowered her eyes and looked at me, seemingly a little worried. The old cult leader said again, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. You may leave."

After a slight hesitation, he said to the old cult leader, "Yes," and then turned and left the inner hall.

Seeing that he had left, Shen Qing packed her medicine box, bent down and said to me, "Come over in a bit and I'll take your pulse." She then slung her medicine box over her shoulder and went out as well.

Only the old cult leader, a few maids, and I remained in the inner hall. It was quiet for a long time before the old cult leader finally spoke: "Do you know why I haven't punished you?"

I lowered my eyebrows and said, "Su Xie doesn't know."

He breathed a sigh of relief and said quietly, "Because you were trained by me, I trust my judgment. I know everything about what happened in Licheng. No matter what happened between you, Ruan Bicheng, and that bastard Yan Shu, I don't care. It's just that you have disappointed me too much."

I kept my eyes down and didn't speak.

He became increasingly distressed as he spoke, gritting his teeth, "You grew up by my side since you were little, how come you've become more and more useless? For a man, you've been completely manipulated by that little Ye Baizhi! You've easily gotten so many men, how come you're such a coward with Ruan Bicheng!"

I sighed and replied, "Even horses can stumble, and people can make mistakes..."

"Bullshit! Stop talking nonsense to me!" The old cult leader was furious, wishing he could rush down from his bed and slap me. "I also heard that you jumped off a cliff to escape Yan Shu?"

Is that what the old cult leader's hidden message was...?

"While your courage and attitude in swearing loyalty to the death are commendable, what have I taught you? You can't let others get away with your death!" The old cult leader grew increasingly indignant. A maid rushed to help him up, but he pushed her away and pointed at me, saying, "Tell me, if you're going to die, why don't you take that brat Yan Shu with you! You still have the nerve to come back!"

He was furious, and I knelt there obediently, not uttering a sound. I listened to him grumble and curse for a long time before he finally calmed down. He leaned back on the soft pillow, clutching his chest and groaning, "How can I expect anything from you in the future..."

I also sighed and said, "Now that the young master is intelligent and quick-witted, and has a brilliant mind, the sect leader doesn't need to worry too much. With the left protector there, what need is there for Su Xie? Besides, hasn't the young master already subdued Ye Baizhi?"

"Hmph!" The old cult leader snorted coldly, glancing sideways as he said, "That little girl Ye Baizhi was promoted by Yan Shu himself. She has inherited all of Yan Shu's true skills. She is cunning, treacherous, and vicious. Since she could betray Yan Shu without hesitation, she can also betray Lianhua to protect herself and gain power. Do you think she is docile?"

He knows it better than anyone else.

He sighed, "Establishing Ye Baizhi as the protector today was a last resort. First, it's to establish Lianhua's authority. The Saluo Sect will eventually be handed over to him, and he needs to win over the followers first. Ye Baizhi was his choice, and I must protect his prestige. Second, your fate is unknown. That scoundrel Yan Shu has been preoccupied with seeking revenge on you these past few days and has neglected the sect, which is why things are stable. I need to stabilize the situation before he retaliates. Ye Baizhi has offended Yan Shu, and she will undoubtedly pledge allegiance to Lianhua to eliminate him, which will benefit Lianhua..."

He went on and on, analyzing the situation in the sect. He explained that Yan Shu had been looking for him outside these past few days and hadn't paid attention to the sect, which was why things were so calm. But he wanted to find help for Ruan Lianhua before Yan Shu caused any trouble, so that Ruan Lianhua would have enough men to help him hold off Yan Shu.

Ye Baizhi is an excellent candidate.

I knelt before the bed and suddenly realized how difficult it must have been for the old cult leader to be a father... He had arranged everything for his son, both out of appearance and out of consideration, just in case his son suffered a loss.

He sighed repeatedly, and after talking for a while, he turned to me and said, "The position of Dharma Protector will be given to Ye Baizhi for now. You should take good care of yourself. Lianhua said yesterday that she likes you and asked me to give you two a chance."

My heart skipped a beat, and I asked, "Has the leader agreed?"

"I agree." The old cult leader frowned as he looked at me. "As long as Lianhua is happy, I will agree to anything. Are you still not pleased?"

Author's Note: Update! I'm almost fully recovered! Thank you everyone for your concern!

I'm slowly starting to feel relaxed, can you see that? Feeling relaxed now? It'll get even easier! Trust me!

The old cult leader's doting on his son is outrageous... Aren't you happy about it? Unhappy? Happy? I'll destroy you!

Sixty-seven

"How could that be?" I quickly lowered my eyes and smiled, "Even the leader doesn't mind my humble origins, so how could I be unhappy?" How could it be my place to be unhappy?

The old cult leader nodded, then said, "This matter isn't urgent. Let's put it aside until we get rid of Yan Shu." He beckoned to me, "Come here, come to my bedside."

I got up, lowered my head and went over to the bed, bowing and asking, "What are your orders, Master?"

The old cult leader grabbed my hand and pulled me to sit down. He patted the back of my hand affectionately and said earnestly, "You are someone I raised myself, just like my own daughter. I can only entrust Lianhua to you. You have taken care of him since he was little, and he loves to be close to you. This is very good..."

He seemed to be praising me? Expressing his trust in me? Acting like he was about to entrust me with an important task.

I nodded and agreed, then he suddenly sighed and said, "So you have to wholeheartedly help Lianhua deal with Yan Shu, understand?"

I was taken aback, and then he said, "When you marry Lianhua in the future, what is his will also be yours. This Saluo Sect will ultimately belong to both of you. Even if you don't have the position of protector, you must help Lianhua, prioritize the overall situation, introduce Ye Baizhi first, and do your best to help Lianhua get rid of Yan Shu and secure the position of sect leader. Do you understand?"

So that's what it means. I didn't expect the old leader to be so meticulous, thinking of everything. I reckon Ruan Lianhua and Ye Baizhi must have discussed something beforehand. This position of protector must belong to Ye Baizhi, which is why the old leader used both soft and hard tactics to say so much to me.

He's now half-believing and half-doubting me, afraid that I might really betray him and side with Yan Shu, yet also afraid that if I didn't betray him, I might actually collude with Yan Shu for the position of protector. That's why he promised me such a great future—the future wife of the sect leader! What a dazzling and glittering title!

I withdrew my hand, lifted my robe, knelt before the bed, and said with utmost loyalty, "The Sect Leader's kindness to Su Xie is as heavy as a mountain, and Su Xie will remember it forever."

"Hmm." He nodded in satisfaction, placed his hand on my head, and patted it gently. My back stiffened instantly. He said kindly, "Good, you understand. You know what to do when Yan Shu comes back, right?"

I paused, looked up at him, blinked, and then lowered my eyes, saying, "Thank you, Su Xie."

Then there was nothing more to say.

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As I left the inner hall, I turned around and bumped into Ruan Lianhua, who was waiting on the jade steps. He turned around gracefully, his brows relaxed, and he smiled at me, "Su Su."

Her features remained the same, with her dimples and gentle smile, but there was something unfathomable in her eyes.

I bowed and said, "Young Master."

He reached out to help me up, and I stepped back, looked up at him and smiled, "Young Master, do you have something to say to me?"

He paused, then withdrew his hand. Looking at me, he smiled faintly, his dimples barely visible, and said, "You don't look well. I was worried and wanted to ask Shen Qing to take a look at you." After a slight hesitation, he added, "Has your poison been neutralized?"

Even now, I'm still reluctant to believe that everything Ye Baizhi did was premeditated with Ruan Lianhua. I always feel that... he used to be such a gentle and obedient boy, so well-behaved and without a trace of aggression.

"It's resolved, young master, you don't need to worry." I replied to him, waiting for him to say what he needed to say, but after waiting for a long time, he didn't say anything, just looked at me hesitantly.

After a long, long pause, he finally managed to stammer, "I'm sorry, Su Su... I only wanted to get rid of Yan Shu, I never imagined you would take poison..."

The word I fear most in my life is "I'm sorry." Every time I hear those three words, I know that I'm going to suffer another tragedy or be taken advantage of.

I quickly interrupted him, "Doesn't the young master have anything else to say to me?"

He paused, and I couldn't contain myself any longer, so I blurted out, "What will it take for the young master to give me the child?"

Seemingly surprised by my direct question, he paused for a moment, then said, "The child is now..."

My heart skipped a beat and I felt a chill. I reached out and grabbed his sleeve. "What's wrong with the child?"

"Su Su, don't worry." He squeezed my fingers and smiled, "The child is fine, she's just too weak. She's with Shen Qing now, I'll take you there." He stepped to the side and took two steps forward.

I hurried over and heard him explain, "When I met Xiao Jiu, the child in his arms was on the verge of death. Ye Baizhi said it was Leng Baichun's child. I thought Xiao Jiu would harm the child, so I brought the child back... Su Su, don't misunderstand." He turned to look at me, "You don't believe me?"

I didn't look at him, but simply smiled calmly and said, "Of course I believe you. Why wouldn't I? As long as you give me the child, nothing else matters." I turned to look at him as well. "You'll return the child to me, won't you?"

He paused slightly before saying, "The child is very weak. It would be better if Shen Qing took care of her. Besides, you will be teaching all the time, so the child will be by your side. Wouldn't it be better if we took care of her together?"

What does that mean? Does it mean I won't be allowed to leave with my child?

The light snow had stopped, leaving a thin layer of pale color on the flowers and trees in the garden. I smiled at him, took a step closer, and whispered in his ear, "Young Master, don't you want to use me one more time?"