Chapter 072
Chapter 72: Misjudged
The branch clan chief, Ye Shi, didn’t dare utter even half a word as he watched the group stride boldly inside.
Quickly wiping away the thin sheen of sweat forming on his forehead, he hurriedly followed behind.
He truly had no idea whom the clan chief was searching for.
As the surroundings became increasingly desolate, Ye Shi’s heart gave an uneasy thud, and a deep sense of foreboding swiftly grew within him.
In the Ye Clans, there was only one person who would live in such a forsaken place!
[Since when did that cursed brat manage to climb into the favor of the clan chief?!]
After walking for less than the time it took to brew a cup of tea, a dilapidated courtyard appeared in the distance, its state of ruin visible even from afar.
“Get away!”
“I said, let go of me!”
Sharp screams echoed out, accompanied by several sinister laughs.
Shi Zi Chu swiftly passed by Ye He Qi with long strides.
Ye He Qi didn’t speak, and the accompanying guards naturally remained silent; Ye Shi, trailing behind, didn’t dare breathe a word either.
Inside the ruined courtyard, several men were holding down a thin, sallow-faced young lady, clearly intending ill.
The frail and gaunt girl had neither strength nor cultivation—how could she possibly resist several Foundation Establishment cultivators?
A sudden spray of blood and flesh burst forth in a vivid explosion.
Warm blood splattered onto the young lady’s face. She stared wide-eyed, stunned and uncomprehending.
In the next moment, a cloak of pale cyan gently covered her exposed body, leaving only her head visible.
Ye He Qi and the group had just arrived at the courtyard entrance.
Upon seeing the situation, Ye He Qi paused, his gentle, graceful voice calling out calmly, “Clean this up; I’ll wait at the gate.”
Shi Zi Chu responded softly, then lifted the still-stunned girl and carried her into the crumbling house.
Inside the house.
Coming back to herself, the girl stared fixedly at Shi Zi Chu’s incomparable beauty, her gaze openly filled with astonishment.
[In the blink of an eye, those beasts disappeared… Is this a goddess descending from heaven?]
If she wasn’t a divine princess fairy, then she truly couldn’t imagine who else in this world would qualify.
Shi Zi Chu took out a clean, fresh dress, gently placing it beside the girl. Her voice was soothing and comforting as she said, “Change into these first.”
The girl nodded obediently.
Her trembling hands reached out to grasp the new clothes, still shaking from lingering fear.
For this thin, malnourished girl, Shi Zi Chu’s garments were too large and loose, hanging awkwardly from her fragile frame.
Yet, at least now she was fully covered.
After the girl softly announced she was done changing, Shi Zi Chu finally turned around, gently approaching to arrange the girl’s messy hair.
Facing the gentle, kind, and beautiful Shi Zi Chu, the young lady sat rigidly, tense and completely motionless.
“What’s your name?”
“I… I don’t have one.”
Shi Zi Chu smiled gently, saying, “Then let me give you one: Su Zhu. May you be like bamboo—strong, resilient, and unwavering.”
[Su Zhu… I finally have a name…]
After finishing her hair, Shi Zi Chu noticed Su Zhu was still dazed, eyes distant and unfocused.
“This isn’t a dream,” Shi Zi Chu said softly, smiling kindly.
Su Zhu turned to look at Shi Zi Chu, gazing upon that gentle and stunning face. In the faintest, raspy whisper, as though afraid to wake from this sweet dream, she asked, “Is it real?”
[Is this really not just a dream?]
“Of course it is,” Shi Zi Chu gently brushed her fingertips across Su Zhu’s back. “I won’t vanish, and your big brother won’t vanish either.”
[Big brother?]
A dark flicker crossed Su Zhu’s eyes.
She didn’t need a big brother—but she desperately longed for a big sister like this!
Shi Zi Chu called out clearly, “Clan Chief Ye.”
Ye He Qi, hearing this familiar voice, stepped gracefully inside with a calm stride.
Entering the room was a man with a gentle, noble demeanor and a beautiful face. His expression held a charming smile, radiating refinement.
Though Ye He Qi appeared harmless, Su Zhu’s eyes instantly filled with deep suspicion and caution.
Shi Zi Chu lightly rested her hands on Su Zhu’s shoulders, gently introducing, “Su Zhu, this is your big brother.”
Ye He Qi smiled warmly, his charming peach-blossom eyes turning to Su Zhu. In his magnetic, gentle voice, he said, “I am the clan chief of the main Ye Clans. By bloodline, I truly am your big brother.”
[Clan chief of the main Ye Clans?!]
Su Zhu’s eyes widened in shock, nearly leaping off the old stool in surprise if not for Shi Zi Chu’s reassuring grip on her shoulders.
“From today onward, your name will be recorded in the main family’s genealogy,” Ye He Qi continued softly, “Big brother knows you have many questions, but perhaps now you need to rest properly first.”
Indeed, Su Zhu had many questions.
But faced with that gentle yet commanding tone, she could only obediently hold her tongue.
Seeing Su Zhu nervously clutching at her sleeve, Shi Zi Chu gave her a reassuring, gentle smile.
“Would you like to bid farewell to your father first?”
Hearing this, Su Zhu shivered violently, shaking her head vehemently.
“Then let’s leave,” Shi Zi Chu said softly.
[The girl has been found; she seems slightly shocked silly, but no matter. With a bit of training, this innocent appearance and stillness could become an excellent blade!]
Su Zhu obediently nodded, carefully following behind Shi Zi Chu step by step.
Seeing this, Ye He Qi inwardly marveled at the usefulness of Shi Zi Chu’s face.
[With such a pure, harmless, and deceptive appearance, it truly makes wrongdoing remarkably convenient!]
After leaving the courtyard, Shi Zi Chu suddenly remembered something.
She turned back to Ye He Qi, her tone deliberately feigning concern, “Clan Chief Ye, what shall we do? Earlier, I accidentally killed a few people.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Ye He Qi replied warmly with a smile.
In such situations, Ye Shi didn’t even have the chance to interject. He could only watch helplessly as the clan chief and the mysterious woman took away the cursed brat.
When he later learned exactly which cultivators had died so brutally, his heart bled silently.
Since the teleportation array was unsuitable for the return journey, Ye He Qi summoned his cloud boat.
After gently coaxing Su Zhu to sleep, Shi Zi Chu left the room and cast a simple dust-dispelling spell.
Ye He Qi, waiting nearby, raised his eyes at the movement.
Shi Zi Chu approached, and together they walked onto the deck, gazing at the drifting clouds beside them.
“So innocent… it’s a miracle she survived until now.” Shi Zi Chu rested both hands on the railing, her soft voice clearly tinged with disdain. “She’d die instantly in a confrontation.”
[Chu Zhi Rou certainly isn’t a naïve little rabbit. If Su Zhu were to die at first contact, wouldn’t all this effort have been in vain?]
“You should look in a mirror,” Ye He Qi replied leisurely, handing her a jade slip.
Shi Zi Chu took it, asking casually, “Why would I need a mirror?”
“With your face, even if you did something wicked, others would think you had good reason,” Ye He Qi said, leaning his back against the railing comfortably. “A gentle, kind-hearted savior descending at the moment of despair—how could she possibly guard against you?”
Just as Ye He Qi finished speaking, Shi Zi Chu finished reading the jade slip.
“I misjudged her.”
Shi Zi Chu handed the jade slip back to him. “You truly can’t judge someone by appearance alone—so ruthless!”
Ye Shi once had a son he was immensely proud of. That son died beneath the claws of a spirit beast—a death secretly orchestrated by none other than Su Zhu herself.
And incidents like these weren’t rare.
[Excellent! Now this is exactly the sharp blade I need!]
Ye He Qi accepted the jade slip, seeing Shi Zi Chu’s expression of admiration, and gently added, “Still slightly inferior to you, though.”
Shi Zi Chu glanced sideways.
“Daoist Shi is truly kind-hearted,” Ye He Qi smiled genuinely.
Shi Zi Chu returned her gaze to the clouds, leaning on the railing again. “She’s a born alchemist.”
[Didn’t Xu Zhou Ye and the others always feel protective toward the weak? Now there’s a girl even more innocent-seeming than Chu Zhi Rou. I wonder who they’ll choose this time!]