Chapter 121
Chapter 121: Regional Secret Realm
Shi Zi Chu fought to suppress the wave of nostalgia threatening to overtake her, turning her gaze toward Ye He Qi. A faint sadness colored her expression. “Clan Chief Ye, April 16th is a day I never wish to speak of. It was the day I lost all my family.”
Ye He Qi regarded her with a soft expression, a trace of a smile playing on his lips.
Could one say that Shi Zi Chu was lying through her teeth?
No.
She had indeed lost all her family that day, but how had she lost them?
The truth was far from believable, and not a single word of her tale could be trusted.
Shi Zi Chu continued, her voice steady as she recalled, “I don’t know why the fire started suddenly. The flames were especially fierce that day. When I escaped, my face and body were both burned.”
Had Ye He Qi not known the true nature of Shi Zi Chu, he might have believed her story.
Then, a flicker of realization shone in Ye He Qi’s eyes.
A severely wounded Shi Zi Chu, so tragic and pitiable—how could the Venerable Xing Lan have suspected anything when they first met?
So, had Shi Zi Chu deceived Venerable Xing Lan back then?
Ye He Qi straightened in his seat. “Does Venerable Xing Lan know about this?”
If she had indeed killed her parents and slaughtered her village, and if Venerable Xing Lan remained unaware, Shi Zi Chu had planted a massive hidden danger for herself.
Ye He Qi could uncover the truth, and so could others.
Seeing the seriousness in Ye He Qi’s gaze, Shi Zi Chu shook her head.
Ye He Qi leaned back, his scrutiny never leaving her as he regarded her with renewed wariness.
Shi Zi Chu met his gaze with unease, attempting to hide the subtle anxiety that crept up. “Clan Chief Ye, are you considering terminating our partnership?”
Her dangerous secret—surely, now Ye He Qi would turn to Chu Zhi Rou instead, wouldn’t he?
“Abandon the pawn to protect the king.”
Ye He Qi’s smile was light, yet his words were sharp. “But aren’t there still perfect scapegoats?”
The truth of those past events had been erased. Yet, it was only due to his intimate understanding of Shi Zi Chu that he had pieced the rest together.
Pei Luo Xiu, the only other survivor, would be more than willing to take the blame and die for her, should Shi Zi Chu manage it well.
“Clan Chief Ye, your determination to protect me no matter what… I truly am moved.” Shi Zi Chu placed a hand over her heart, her face radiating gratitude.
“…”
The smile that had lingered on Ye He Qi’s lips vanished in an instant.
Shi Zi Chu had an undeniable talent for repaying kindness with ungratefulness.
To prevent him from abandoning her, Shi Zi Chu quickly changed the subject. “Why are you bringing up these old matters, Clan Chief Ye?”
Was it just because he feared the consequences if Xing Lan discovered the truth?
Intuition told her that it wasn’t so simple.
Ye He Qi spoke again, his voice laced with concern. “Water Road Village has turned into a place of evil, and soon, a mystic rank regional secret realm will emerge there.”
While normal secret realms created isolated worlds, a regional secret realm covered an entire area, expanding its influence outward. If not dealt with quickly, entire regions could be reduced to wasteland.
Such a secret realm was like a cancer to the cultivation world, and the Three Sects and Five Schools would never allow it to go unchecked.
“A place of evil? A regional secret realm?” Shi Zi Chu asked, a faint smile curling her lips as amusement flickered behind her eyes.
A regional secret realm was dangerous enough on its own. Now, with the added presence of a place of evil, was this meant to increase the challenge?
Ye He Qi nodded, his gaze on her tinged with both sympathy and a quiet schadenfreude.
“Bodhi Sect has already divined that you are closely connected to this regional secret realm. They’ll be coming for you soon.”
At his words, Shi Zi Chu couldn’t help but feel the urge to applaud.
“Wonderful, truly wonderful.”
Her forty tasks would now be delayed indefinitely.
Seeing the half-smile on her lips, Ye He Qi spoke with pity. “The Buddhist cultivators of Bodhi Sect are no saints. Be cautious.”
Shi Zi Chu nodded in acknowledgment.
With the matter at hand concluded, Ye He Qi rose. “It’s about time Madam Jiang arrives. Shall we go watch the show?”
“Of course.”
At Cui An Hall.
By the time Ye He Qi and Shi Zi Chu arrived, the hall was already surrounded by his guards.
As they entered the courtyard, the stench of blood filled the air.
The two of them, calm and graceful, walked inside.
In the main house, Lin Qing Yu sat on a stool, and a pile of writhing flesh lay on the floor.
The master of the house, however, was rolling on the ground, groaning weakly in pain.
From the hoarse sounds of their groans, it was clear they had been tortured long before Ye He Qi and Shi Zi Chu’s arrival.
The Heart Eating Gu tormented Liu Cui Yu until she wished for death, but as a cultivator, death was not so easily achieved.
Amidst her torment, Liu Cui Yu, near collapse, saw a pair of embroidered boots step into her line of sight.
Her eyes followed the boots upward.
When she saw Ye He Qi’s gentle, harmless face, her eyes suddenly brightened. She reached out with her bloodstained hand in desperate hope. “Save… save me, son… please save me…”
Ye He Qi took a step back, skillfully avoiding the bloodstains from touching his pristine robes.
His repulsed movement pierced through Liu Cui Yu’s heart like a knife. Her eyes widened in disbelief and pain.
Shi Zi Chu curled her lips, her voice soft as she taunted, “She is your mother, yet you turn up your nose at her?”
Ye He Qi smiled faintly. “Then you go.”
Shi Zi Chu, with a graceful movement, bypassed him and walked toward Lin Qing Yu.
Lin Qing Yu nodded at Ye He Qi before turning to Shi Zi Chu. “I’ve been searching for my third uncle for many years, but I never expected him to be hidden by Ye Clan’s old madam.”
Her tone was calm, almost pleased to have finally found a relative, but her eyes were cold—seemingly saying: At last, I’ve found my enemy.
Shi Zi Chu returned her smile, sweet and obedient.
Ye He Qi approached and sat beside them, his gaze cold as it lingered on Liu Cui Yu. His voice, however, was gentle. “Mother, just rest easy. As for the little wild child you left behind, I’ll take good care of them.”
The sharpness of his words made Liu Cui Yu’s eyes fill with shock, which quickly shifted to anger and fear.
“You… you…”
Liu Cui Yu tried to curse, but her strength had drained, leaving her unable to speak.
Ye He Qi smiled, his voice still gentle, yet as sharp as daggers. “You really are too foolish to be my birth mother.”
Shi Zi Chu glanced at Ye He Qi, an unspoken understanding between them.
Indeed, Ye He Qi’s scheming mind stood in stark contrast to Liu Cui Yu’s.
Ye He Qi, feigning virtue, was about to explain to Liu Cui Yu how she had failed him. “Since I’ve made contact with Madam Jiang, how could I not know you sent the gu venom to me?”
A smile graced his lips, and at his words, Liu Cui Yu’s expression shifted instantly from anger to horror.
“Isn’t just the Heart Eating Gu a little too simple?” Ye He Qi turned to Lin Qing Yu, his fair, handsome face still smiling. “Didn’t you find more gu venom? Why not use them all?”
Lin Qing Yu, eyeing Ye He Qi’s gentle face, couldn’t help but praise him inwardly—a snake cloaked as a saint.
“Good idea,” Lin Qing Yu said with a smile. “Third uncle has studied many kinds of gu venom. I’ve been struggling to find someone to test it on.”
With the matter settled, Ye He Qi was ready to leave.
At that moment, noise erupted from outside the courtyard.
“Mother! Let me in! I need to see my mother!!!”
Chu Zhi Rou’s loud shouts rang through the air, filled with strength.
A sharp pain pierced Ye He Qi’s heart, a deep sense of unease gripping him. Perhaps it was the bond they shared, but for some reason, Chu Zhi Rou was desperately trying to see Liu Cui Yu.
Yet, the guards blocking the entrance stood unmoved, as if unmoved by her pleading or threats.