Chapter 7: The Apprentice’s Treachery and the Elders’ Schemes

The Demonic Sect’s scourging of cultivation was undeniably harsher than that of the righteous path; those who cultivated slowly or possessed dull minds were inevitably reduced to mere resources.

Su Qin, a quintessential fiend, treated his disciples with a severity that transcended mere strictness, leaving her (Gu Yuhe) in constant trepidation for a considerable period.

Subjected to arbitrary violence and his capricious, volatile temper, she frequently feared Su Qin would suddenly seize and refine her.

Propelled by his relentless pressure, Gu Yuhe was on the verge of forming her Golden Core (TL Note: A significant stage in cultivation where a cultivator forms a core of spiritual energy within their dantian, marking a major increase in power and longevity) at the tender age of nineteen.

“In that case, wouldn’t Yuhe’s chance have arrived? Hehe, it truly wasn’t a waste for me to rush over without even eating.”

“Master, is your heart… truly black?”

Gu Yuhe skipped into the hall, only to find Su Qin emerging shakily from the back, his face a ghastly pale.

Su Qin, recognizing his disciple at a glance, settled onto his throne, allowing her to offer her respects.

‘Hah, finally, a little softie has arrived, allowing me to catch my breath.’

While his disciples harbored deep resentment towards Su Qin, most dared not show it, and Gu Yuhe, in particular, was notoriously known as his punching bag.

Within the sect’s hierarchy, a mere word from him would send the girl trembling.

“…For this mission, we annihilated a lower-grade demonic sect, acquiring thirteen spirit treasures and twenty thousand spirit stones, all of which are here.”

Su Qin listened impassively as she reported the mission’s outcome.

He raised a hand, and a storage bag was ferried over by two bats, while Gu Yuhe, kneeling respectfully, covertly observed Su Qin from the corner of her eye.

Gazing at the small girl who was almost prostrate, yet secretly raising her head to scrutinize him with an unusual look, Su Qin recalled the defeat cutscene from the game.

Who could have imagined that this very girl would ultimately betray him at a crucial moment, plunging the Blazing Sun Dagger into Su Qin’s chest?

Oppression, if it failed to kill the target, always carried the potential for a rebound.

It seemed, then, that he needed to devise a method to properly handle these disciples.

For now, however, he needed to suppress her, ensuring no incidents occurred during this period of painful transition.

The Silver Splendor of the grand hall illuminated, and a crushing weight descended upon her delicate frame, causing Gu Yuhe to tremble uncontrollably, as Su Qin’s voice turned glacial:

“Did I say you could raise your head?”

Unbeknownst to him, however, her trembling stemmed not from fear, but from the ecstasy of having her suspicions confirmed!

Master’s suppression had weakened!

“Considering your meritorious service, I shall not punish you this time. You may withdraw; do not disturb me recently, and refrain from visiting the dungeon within the next three days.”

Su Qin, his voice utterly devoid of inflection, withdrew the pressure, and Gu Yuhe bowed her head, retreating.

“Wait a moment.” Su Qin suddenly remembered something.

“You’ve been searching for this item recently, haven’t you?”

As Su Qin spoke, the Tusked Treasure Chest (TL Note: Likely a magical storage item or a chest adorned with tusks) spat out a silver-grey orb—a Ghost Spirit Pearl.

It wasn’t particularly rare, but it required the condensation of tens of thousands of ghost spirits, making it exceedingly difficult for Gu Yuhe to obtain.

In the original story, Gu Yuhe had only acquired it by forcibly entering the sect’s treasure vault after her return from this mission.

This particular pearl, however, Su Qin had forged by refining all the wandering spirits within the Silver Splendor Hall; they had been wailing incessantly during his body tempering last night, so he steeled his heart and refined them all.

These petty ghosts, he mused, must have noticed a young girl had arrived in the dungeon, hoping to frighten Qi Shuyue into tears and snatch some of her soul essence.

How could Qi Shuyue possibly cry? Even if she did, it would merely be an act.

Those wandering spirits were all foolish enemies who had challenged him, and over a decade, they had astonishingly accumulated to such a number.

“Your master has found it for you. Go forth and cultivate diligently.”

As the pearl settled into Gu Yuhe’s hand, the young girl’s pupils constricted in shock, while Su Qin returned to the back hall to continue mending the spatial rift.

Upon returning to her dwelling, Gu Yuhe collapsed onto the ground as if all her strength had been drained, gasping for breath.

“What’s going on? How did he know I was looking for this? Could it be that he already knows my plan?!”

Gu Yuhe’s thoughts raced; only this one Ghost Spirit Pearl stood between her and the creation of a potent poison capable of eliminating a Golden Core expert!

Yet, it was Su Qin, the very man she intended to poison, who had given it to her!

Within minutes, she was drenched in sweat, as painful memories from the past relentlessly resurfaced, and Su Qin once again seemed to transform into an insurmountable mountain.

“No, impossible. He couldn’t have discovered it.”

Gu Yuhe regained her composure; Su Qin was a man who valued efficiency. Should he discover a subordinate’s rebellion, he would immediately purge them, never allowing them to linger.

“Could it be… that Master is simply looking out for my well-being?”

Gu Yuhe’s small hand brushed against her lower abdomen, and a sudden headache seized her as a flood of unfamiliar memories surged forth.

“What is this?”

In these images, Su Qin appeared so gentle, feeding her meals, personally teaching her the Dao, accompanying her to temple fairs, and carrying her home when she fell asleep.

These beautiful recollections caused a slight wavering in her resolve for vengeance.

“Impossible! It’s all fake, fake! How could that fiend possibly do such things?!”

Gu Yuhe gritted her teeth, desperately trying to banish these memories, as glistening tears streamed down her face.

Through her tears, she recalled another set of images.

Scenes of her senior sisters shielding her from Su Qin’s punishments, biting their cherry lips and silently screaming in agony.

All this time, it had been her senior sisters protecting her, ensuring she never endured a single physical punishment, and tenderly embracing her afterward to offer comfort.

She was truly grateful to her senior sisters.

“Haha, fiend, you intend to use this to disturb my heart, don’t you?”

Gu Yuhe let out a series of cold laughs, her gaze fixed on the distant, ominous hall, her eyes growing increasingly icy.

“Fiend, even for the sake of my sisters, I will poison you.”

Harboring such sentiments, Gu Yuhe descended into the basement to concoct her potent poison, simultaneously activating her communication artifact.

***

Meanwhile, in the Bone Painting Hall, Elder Gao toyed with the string of bean-bone beads in his hand, listening to Xiao Chen’s report.

“Su Qin and the Azure Profound Sect have conferred and decided to meet in the Immortal Slaughter Valley three days from now, likely at night.”

Xiao Chen stated, their mind, however, churning with schemes.

“Excellent, hehe,” Elder Gao sneered.

“Then we shall proceed to set up a killing array beforehand, ensuring a clean execution.”

“Understood.”

Xiao Chen slowly withdrew, and Elder Gao, with a crisp ‘snap,’ crushed the string of beads in his hand.

“Heh, talking about acting for the greater good of the sect—isn’t he just trying to erect a monument of loyalty and righteousness before his death, hoping to gain the Sect Master’s protection through it?”

The Silver Splendor Hall, at least, possessed the structure of a proper hall, its resources truly immense. Since he was already on the verge of death, how could a few young girls possibly guard the remaining resources?

They would undoubtedly be carved up, but if Su Qin performed meritorious service for the sect before his demise, that would be an entirely different matter.

In his view, Su Qin’s actions would only hasten the collapse of his body; he was embracing a certain death to carve out a path for those who lived.

Such an act of utmost sincerity—how could he, Gao Peiyou (TL Note: Elder Gao’s personal name), not involve himself?

“Su Qin, you may have seized all the heavenly opportunities, yet you couldn’t have foreseen your imminent death, could you? Heh heh, your hall will sooner or later bear the plaque of the Bone Painting Hall.”

Leaving aside everything else, the mere existence of the Netherworld Spring (TL Note: ‘幽泉’ – a mystical spring often associated with yin energy, ghosts, or the underworld) alone had made him green with envy for decades.

“Those disciples of his, they still seem to hate Su Qin. What a wonderful master, a hundred thousand times better than my own bastard master, but your disciples are fools, hahahaha.”

“Perfect, I’ll take them to expand the Gao family!”

***

Xiao Chen exited the hall, their expression completely transforming, a greedy gaze fixed upon the tranquil hall in the distance.

“Rest in peace, Su Qin. Your half-lifetime’s accumulation—your cultivation techniques, your Blood Devil Spirit Physique, and these few disciples—I will take care of them all.”

As Xiao Chen thought this, they saw a stunning young woman in simple attire in the distance and immediately donned a gentle smile, though their gaze subtly, imperceptibly, swept over her voluptuous figure.

“Sister Zhiyun, is it alright if you don’t return to the Silver Splendor Hall?”

Han Zhiyun’s expression was serene, her beautiful face devoid of any superfluous emotion.

“No need, I shall remain in the shadows.”

Her quiet tone conveyed a resolute determination to rescue her sisters from the fiend’s clutches.