Chapter 337

Chapter 337: Since When Did I Have a Master and Senior Brothers
Master Qing Yan looked at her with complicated eyes and spoke softly: “Little Zhao, you may already have forgotten your mother, but I will always remember. Her name was Shui Qing Yue, and she was a stubborn and strong young woman, just like you.”

Yu Zhao had not expected to hear Shui Qing Yue’s name from Master Qing Yan’s lips and froze for a moment.

Of course she remembered Shui Qing Yue.

She was a naturally born Water Spirit Jade. It was Shui Qing Yue who had given her a human body and let her have human emotions. It could be said that Shui Qing Yue had granted her a second life.

Wait.

How could Master Qing Yan know Shui Qing Yue?

Thinking of the elder brother Shui Qing Yue often mentioned, a faint sense of foreboding rose in Yu Zhao’s heart.

While Master Qing Yan was still lost in memories, full of emotion as he spoke of the past, Yu Zhao had more or less pieced together his history with Shui Qing Yue.

She had guessed right.

Shui Qing Yue’s elder brother, who had been separated from her for many years, was actually Master Qing Yan.

[Cursed fate!] Two big words popped up in Yu Zhao’s mind.

She had already made up her mind not to have any more ties with anyone from Lone Moon Peak. Yet for all kinds of reasons, their connections kept getting tangled together again and again.

Master Qing Yan took a step closer and said earnestly: “Little Zhao, your uncle knows he was wrong. Come back to Lone Moon Peak with me. From now on, no one will dare to bully you again.”

Yu Zhao slowly lifted her eyelids.

Master Qing Yan was looking at her with a tense expression and full concern, with no trace left of his former lonely, arrogant air. He was like a lofty immortal who had suddenly taken off his mask and revealed the most genuine, human side of himself.

If this had been the Yu Zhao of her previous life, she would already be moved to tears by now, eager to reconcile with Master Qing Yan, make peace, and enjoy that hard-won warmth.

But she only gave a slight smile and said: “Master Qing Yan, you must be mistaken. Shui Qing Yue and I are not mother and daughter, and you are not my uncle. In this world, Yu Zhao no longer has any family.”

If she really had family, they would only be the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and the Essence of Sunlight that had nurtured her.

“Impossible!” Master Qing Yan denied flatly. “You look exactly the same as Little Yue! And I’ve investigated it. You only appeared in that remote border town a few years after Little Yue disappeared, and no one has ever seen your parents. How could there be such a coincidence!”

Yu Zhao’s voice was calm as she replied: “In such a Great World, there is nothing strange. There are plenty of people who look alike but are not related by blood. If you want to convince me, Master Qing Yan, why not bring out some evidence.”

Yu Zhao would never admit her connection to Shui Qing Yue. That would only bring trouble to herself. She had no wish to be entangled with Master Qing Yan again.

“My memories are the evidence!” Master Qing Yan blurted out.

Yu Zhao was speechless.

She forced a fake smile and said politely: “Master Qing Yan, this junior still has matters to attend to. I won’t keep joking with Senior.”

With that, she took a long stride and slipped away.

Master Qing Yan wanted to stop her, but thinking of Yu Zhao’s clear resistance, he held back.

He could only say to her retreating figure: “Little Zhao, I’ll find the evidence for you.”

Yu Zhao’s steps did not falter. She ran even faster.

Her figure vanished around the corner, and the softness on Master Qing Yan’s face vanished at once, turning into cold indifference.

He looked down at Lan Zi Yu from on high and warned in an icy voice: “From now on, don’t bother Little Zhao again.”

Lan Zi Yu clenched his fists in humiliation. “This disciple obeys.”

…

“Over there, over there, ah, too many, too many!”

“Not like that, you have to place them like this!”

“You unlucky child, how many times have I told you, they go over here!”

“Forget it, forget it! Go stand to the side and stop messing things up!”

After directing for a while, Elder Gu finally could not stand it anymore. He waved his hand again and again and shooed Yu Zhao to the side, then started rearranging the Jade Slips himself.

Yu Zhao was helpless.

She had clearly been arranging the Jade Slips exactly as Elder Gu told her, yet Elder Gu still found fault with everything.

She simply went over to another desk and started helping to tidy the stacks of books piled on it.

Recently, Sect Master Ji Yuan had resolved to restore the sect’s reputation. After discussing it with Elder Gu, he decided to completely reorganize the layout of the Archive Tower.

Elder Gu thought the disciples were all clumsy and would not let them help, insisting on taking charge himself.

Yu Zhao had nothing better to do, so when she heard the news she ran over on her own to help. But before she could help for long, Elder Gu was already disliking everything she did.

After they had been busy for a while, Elder Gu took the chance while picking up a Jade Slip to ask in a seemingly casual way: “Yu Zhao, has that irresponsible Master of yours and those useless senior brothers come looking for you?”

Without even lifting her head, Yu Zhao said: “Elder Gu, since when have I ever had a Master or senior brothers?”

The corners of Elder Gu’s mouth twitched up as he snorted: “Don’t play dumb. You know who I’m talking about.”

Yu Zhao set down the booklet in her hands and looked at Elder Gu seriously: “You don’t need to test me. From the day I left, I had no intention of going back.”

Elder Gu instantly brightened: “It’s good that you think that way. They treated you terribly back then, and now that you’ve made something of yourself, they regret it? How could things be that easy for them.”

He paused for a moment, then muttered: “But Master Qing Yan really does have a connection with your mother. If he sincerely wants to make up for it…”

Yu Zhao had not expected Elder Gu to know about such a private matter.

She did not even need to think about it to know that Master Qing Yan must have been the one who said it. Who knew how many people he had already told.

She said quietly: “Elder Gu, I should make something clear. I have no relation to Master Qing Yan. Shui Qing Yue is not my birth mother. He just misunderstood.”

“Ah?” Elder Gu was shocked.

To think he had even wanted to put in a good word for Master Qing Yan, only for it to turn out to be another misunderstanding.

He shook his head again and again, secretly blaming himself for being so muddle-headed.

He started to explain: “Yu Zhao, I didn’t mean to…”

Yu Zhao smiled a little: “I know. You feel that Master Qing Yan is a Divine Transformation Cultivator and that he owes me. If I went back to Lone Moon Peak, my path would be much smoother in the future. I understand your good intentions, but I don’t want to go back anymore.”

She was very satisfied with her current situation. She would not allow anyone to destroy the hard-won peace she had.

Seeing that Yu Zhao’s mind was made up, Elder Gu did not try to persuade her anymore. He just jutted out his lips and said: “Go, help me bring over those Jade Slips over there.”

For the rest of the time, he ordered Yu Zhao around in circles, and neither of them brought up the previous topic again.

When they were finally done, Elder Gu waved his hand: “Go back. Remember to come early tomorrow.”

“Got it,” Yu Zhao replied.

On the way back to the Inner Court, a small triangular head poked out from her sleeve and rubbed affectionately against her arm.

Yu Zhao reached out and tapped Bai Ran’s small head with a finger: “Hungry?”

“Hiss hiss…” The bright red serpent tongue flicked in the air.

As Yu Zhao took out a Spirit Stone from her Storage Space to feed him, she joked: “You eat at least three Mid-grade Spirit Stones a day now. When you grow a bit bigger, I’m afraid I won’t be able to afford to feed you.”

“Hiss! Hiss!” It seemed Bai Ran understood her words.

He let out two sharp hisses, then pushed the Spirit Stone away with his head and quickly shrank back into Yu Zhao’s sleeve.

Yu Zhao was stunned: [Is he angry?]

She called softly: “Bai Ran?”

The sleeve was silent.

[He’s really mad?]

Yu Zhao couldn’t help finding it funny, but she also felt a little guilty.

She pulled Bai Ran out from her sleeve, cupped his small head in her hands and apologized: “Sorry, I was just joking. You’re so small, you won’t eat me poor.”

Bai Ran tilted his head, as if considering whether her words were true.

Yu Zhao coaxed him gently: “Really, hurry and eat. Even if there was another one of you, I could still afford to feed you.”

Bai Ran gave a snort and bit down on the Spirit Stone.

Yu Zhao let out a quiet sigh of relief.