Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Reporting Back

Zhao Chun did not leave at once. She stayed with the Tu Family for two more days to recover.

Word of the upheaval spread throughout Song Mountain. These days, the local clans were poor and weak; Tu Xin had no choice but to hang Zhao Chun’s title as guest elder over their heads to deter would-be troublemakers.

After all, she was only at the fourth layer of the Qi Refining Stage. Her presence could intimidate, but only so much. What truly made people hesitate was the identity behind her—an elder’s disciple of Ling Zhen Sect. The sect’s old prestige still lingered in these clans’ memories, not yet faded.

That blow from Tu Mian should have killed her on the spot. Luckily, the Eight-Treasure Mirror had taken the brunt of it, leaving her arms injured instead.

Cultivators didn’t abide by the mortal saying about taking a hundred days to heal bones and tendons. With pills to assist, two days of rest was enough.

The mirror, however, had paid the price. It was a one-way treasure: once damaged, it could not be restored. After blocking Tu Mian’s full-strength strike, its surface had cracked like dried skin.

According to the Immortal Refining Hall, it should still be able to withstand three attacks from a mid-Qi Refining Stage cultivator. But looking at it now, Zhao Chun couldn’t tell whether it would still hold.

It stung a little. Six hundred Cui stones, gone in the blink of an eye. Still—she was grateful she had prepared before setting out. Spending money to avert disaster was, in its own way, reasonable.

On the day she departed, Tu Cong Wen accepted the position of Family Head. After what had happened, he carried himself with more restraint, no longer looking like an untested youth.

“With the guest elder title hanging over them, those families won’t dare act rashly,” he told her. “You can return to the sect without worry.”

He led the clansmen to escort her to the mountain pass, then clasped his hands in farewell.

“If anything comes up, use a message talisman,” Zhao Chun said.

She waved for them not to see her off any farther, took out a Mist Skiff talisman, and rose into the air.

By the time she reached Secluded Valley, half a month had passed.

She sorted what she had obtained, first turning in her assessment task at the disciples’ quarters. Only then did she take the gu worms and the token and head to her assigned master.

Su Hong Hall, where the elder resided, stood at the head of Sky-Piercing River. The compound sprawled, hall after hall layered within hall. Attendants and maids came and went in silks and brocades, composed and refined, as though this were the dwelling of a divine immortal.

Since becoming his disciple, Zhao Chun had never once met Li Shu. This was her first time seeking an audience.

A jade-faced maid stood guard at the entrance, cheeks powdered and lips tinted pink. When she saw Zhao Chun, she smiled.

“Which branch are you from?” she asked softly. “Who are you here to see?”

Her steps were light. A sweep of her sleeve carried a faint perfume across Zhao Chun’s face. Zhao Chun didn’t dare underestimate her—this maid’s cultivation was deep enough that Zhao Chun could not even gauge it.

A cultivator like this… posted to guard a door.

Zhao Chun steadied herself, took out her identity plaque, and offered it with both hands. “I am a disciple under Elder Li Shu, nineteenth in the line. I have urgent business to report.”

“So you’re Elder Li’s new disciple.” The maid’s smile did not change. “No need for formality. I am Zhu, steward of Su Hong Hall. Elder Li came out of seclusion three days ago—you’ve arrived at a good time. Come with me.”

A steward assigned to an elder’s hall was nothing like the ordinary stewards Zhao Chun had met before. Most held Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, and serving so close to an elder made their status distinct.

Zhao Chun followed her through corridor after corridor and past a pair of great doors before they reached Li Shu’s residence.

Bamboo ringed the grounds, and a clear stream threaded through the grove—quiet, secluded, and coldly elegant.

Li Shu was already there, seated on a meditation cushion among the bamboo.

Zhao Chun stepped forward, bowed, and lowered her gaze. “Disciple Zhao Chun greets Master.”

She had never undergone a formal ceremony, nor had Li Shu ever brought her before others to acknowledge her. At best, she was a registered disciple—nothing like the personal disciples, such as Zheng Chen Qing, who were accepted with proper rites.

In this world, the bond between master and disciple mattered greatly. Respecting one’s master was a cultivator’s moral bottom line. The saying “a teacher for a day, a father for life” was widely accepted.

But that weight fell on personal disciples. A registered disciple was owed instruction and guidance, nothing more.

Zhao Chun felt little attachment either way. If her master did not value her, she had no desire to force a connection.

“Mm.” Li Shu did not open his eyes, offering only a perfunctory sound through his nose.

Zhao Chun remained calm. “Disciple has an important matter to report.”

He was silent for a long time before finally asking, “What is it?”

“Some days ago, Disciple went to Song Mountain to complete a mid-Qi Refining Stage assessment,” Zhao Chun said evenly. “I did not expect to become entangled in the Tu Family—an affiliated clan—during the transfer of the Family Head position.”

She paused, then continued. “Ordinarily, clan infighting would not be worth disturbing Master’s cultivation. However, Disciple discovered that the one who stirred the unrest had ties to Ren Yang Sect. The matter seemed grave, so Disciple came to report to Master and inform the Sect Master.”

Li Shu had been calm until she mentioned clan infighting; at that, annoyance flickered across his face. But the moment the words “Ren Yang Sect” reached him, his eyes snapped open.

“Is this true?” he demanded, his expression turning heavy.

Zhao Chun presented the black cicada and centipede gu worms, then took out Tu Mian’s identity tag. “Every word is true, Master. Please examine them.”

Just looking at the gu worms made Li Shu’s gaze darken. He picked up the tag, studied it, and his voice sharpened with anger.

“What a sinister method. It’s been hundreds of years, and they still refuse to stop!”

He looked up at Zhao Chun. “Was this cultist killed by your hand?”

“Disciple was no match,” Zhao Chun admitted. “He was killed by the Heaven-Linked Lightning-Summoning Grand Array.”

Li Shu studied her for a moment, then gave a short nod. “At least you speak plainly.”

His anger cooled, though his face remained grim. “Ren Yang Sect’s methods are difficult for ordinary cultivators to resist. You were lucky—protected by an old sect formation.”

He put the items away. “Even if you did not kill the villain yourself, you helped bring the truth to light. Once I report this to the Sect Master, your merit will be recorded.”

His expression did not soften. If anything, he looked colder still.