Chapter 48 – Troublesome Children Always Take More To Love

Translator: THISBRO

Editor: AutumnWind

Qing XuZi had returned for quite some time, and having just bid farewell to one disciple, his heart was heavy with a sense of sadness. He felt particularly sympathetic towards his eldest disciple and began preparing himself to have a heartfelt conversation after settling their affairs. However, to his dismay, He Huan–that disobedient disciple–shamelessly continued to embrace He Ku even after having long sensed his presence. Qing XuZi’s face turned dark, and immediately warned, “Let’s see how long you two can keep hugging each other!”

Perhaps it was due to the recklessness displayed when he was caught in the act, but He Huan turned unusually timid at the moment. Although he knew that it was highly improbable that Qing XuZi would be fooled, he still couldn’t help but attempt a negotiation while dragging out a delay, saying, “Well, how about another hour of hugging?”

He Huan hoped to buy some time, but Qing XuZi refused to tolerate it any longer. He promptly pulled He Ku to his side and said, “Enough with all this pulling and hugging. Follow me.”

Having lived for hundreds of years and seasoned by numerous trials and tribulations, Qing XuZi was far more experienced than Bu YaoLian. He led the two of them to a bamboo house by the lakeside, found some cushions, brewed tea, and then sat down leisurely. He calmly spoke to the two of them, “You both must be tired. Please have a seat.”

This was where Qing XuZi usually practiced his cultivation, and they both were familiar with it. However, He Ku couldn’t shake off the nervous feeling of being summoned to the teacher’s office to address their premature romance. He was pulled by Qing XuZi and had no chance to shift closer to He Huan. He could only hold the tea in his hands and inwardly grumble. Both of them were adults, one being eighteen and the other a hundred years old. Was it necessary to act like this just because they were in a relationship? Being in love with yourself is not a crime!

This situation brought out a sense of overfamiliarity, stemming from their memories. When Bu QingYun was young and made mistakes, Qing XuZi would always lecture him earnestly in this manner. At that time, Bu QingYun had a well-behaved demeanor, but deep down, he rebelled. In similar fashion, He Ku held his teacup in silence and listened. Even their expressions were identical. He Huan speculated that his prediction was right. Although Bu Yaolian revealed the truth, their Master still preferred He Ku over him. Everything in this room was harmonious, with the exception of himself, a demonic cultivator who seemed out of place.

He had been a demonic cultivator for eighty years, no longer possessing the likable qualities of his youth. Asking him to act coquettish and cajole others like Bu QingYun was out of question. For now, it was best to say less, he’s unwilling to sully the pleasant memories of the past.

He sighed inwardly, sat upright, and held the teacup delicately. The taste is undeniably from that of his childhood, far more finer than the tea he could have brewed by himself. As a sense of tranquility washed over him, He Huan calmly said, “Bu YaoLian shouldn’t have gone far yet. We can still catch up to him.”

“His dao heart is unstable, wavering between the path towards Buddhahood and that of demonization.. He is in need of more experience and should venture out into the world.”

Qing XuZi naturally understood the context behind these words, He Huan wished to not pursue the matter any further. Before Bu Yaolian left, he explained everything about the events of the past. And without waiting for a response from Qing XuZi, he had already initiated the self-imposed punishment of his own expulsion from the sect, never to return. Those feelings he had revealed to He Huan were never mentioned in front of their master at all, upholding his sensibility until the very end.

His eldest disciple, who used to be unable to hide anything, was now unwilling to confide his own grievances. How did the young boy, who couldn’t keep a secret, grow up to be someone so profound and deep in thought? How much pain had he endured? This eldest disciple, who would fuss in front of him for the slightest distress, had become the He Huan before him who seemed indifferent to all joys and sorrows.

With these thoughts in mind, Qing XuZi felt a pang of sadness. The intention to separate the two gradually dissolved and he said, “Let’s not dwell on him. Let’s talk about you.”

After being reunited with He Huan, Qing XuZi hadn’t had many pleasant days. Now, knowing that He Huan was truly his disciple, the words he had heard at the Fallen Immortal Lake in the past few days resurfaced in his mind. Albeit having a gentle temperament, he couldn’t help but air a sullen complaint, “You claimed that it is in your inherent rampant behavior to walk the Jianghu and commit atrocities of all sorts under the heavens. And that, if you escape, you plan to enslave all the disciples of my sect to serve you well. Moreover you dared to scold me, calling me an old ox-nosed Daoist, who has been hypocritical and pretending to be righteous to mask my own indecisiveness and irresponsibility? Is that honestly how you think deep down, huh?”

The questioning tone proved to be highly effective. He Ku choked on his tea, covering his mouth as he coughed several times. He now understood why He Huan, this audacious individual, was unwilling to have a conversation with Qing XuZi. Truly the recklessness of their actions was too extreme; just thinking about it was frightening! He was wrong, his master’s tolerance was boundless without doubt. If even such deeds hadn’t led to He Huan’s demise, Qing XuZi probably could be considered his rightful father.

The impact of the gripe was even more deeply felt by He Huan. He smothered his words back and lowered his head, afraid to respond. He could only surrender himself, “He Huan has fallen deeply into the path of darkness, I submit myself to the sect’s punishment.”

Being able to discipline the most notorious demonic cultivator into such docility was an achievement only Qing XuZi could accomplish. Yet, upon seeing He Huan’s current behavior, Qing XuZi was even more infuriated. He shouted, “You dare claim to be a demonic cultivator?! You don’t even know how to be one! You have no idea what being a demonic cultivator means! Do you dare say that every move you made wasn’t just imitating Feng Xie? Have you ever truly enjoyed a day during these past eighty years? That Palace of Bliss is your prison! Staying there only reminds you that, for the sake of the greater path, you must become a demonic cultivator recognized by the demonic faction. As long as this Palace of Bliss exists, you will never let go of everything that happened in the past! Therefore, you must dissolve the Palace of Bliss. If you remain obstinate, I will personally break this prison for you!”

The leader of the righteous path reprimanding the top demonic cultivator for not knowing how to be a demonic cultivator was indeed a comical scene if it were to be witnessed by outsiders. However, He Huan shuddered inwardly. He hadn’t expected that Qing XuZi had actually seen through the deeds.

He Huan didn’t become a demonic cultivator out of personal preference. However, for the sake of his goal, he had to take command of the forces of the demonic faction and make the demonic cultivators acknowledge him as one of their own. So, he could only mimic the only demonic cultivator he had seen, Feng Xie. He would refer to himself as “this Master”, dressed in flamboyant red clothes, and indulged in the pleasures of life. Yet, he was well aware that he and a true demonic cultivator, like You Jiang or Xiu Niang, were fundamentally different. Because deep in his heart, his path was not in the least a demonic one.

He had always thought Qing XuZi could be deceived, it was only now that he came to a realization in which, compared to his master who had been in the Jianghu for hundreds of years, he was still somewhat naive. He couldn’t help but sigh, “The leader of Xuanmen truly has a keen insight. After this incident, I naturally won’t be maintaining the Palace of Bliss anymore.”

He Huan’s willingness to step out of the demonic path brought a sense of comfort to Qing XuZi’s heart. Yet, upon hearing this, Qing XuZi chuckled self-mockingly, “I’ve grown old, and you two youngsters have been playing me in the palm of your hands one after the other, where’s this ‘keen insight’ you speak of?”

“Sect Leader is rightly, thus far, the foremost figure of authority in the Dao. Bu YaoLian and I are simply taking advantage of this esteemed one’s favor to act willfully”

The weariness in Qing XuZi’s words was all too evident. He Huan knew that he and Bu YaoLian had caused Qing XuZi to become disheartened. He felt even more self-disapproving and quickly tried mitigating,

“In the past, I’ve only thought that the Sect Leader’s ways were too compassionate, and it was imperative to eradicate the demonic path for the world. It wasn’t until I became a demonic cultivator myself that I realized everyone has their own constraints. We’re merely one among the countless beings. Even if we bear the name of immortals, we’re only walking our own path in the end, not the path of the heavens.”

His words were sincere. Qing XuZi, having not expected him to gain new insights through this incident, couldn’t help but sigh as well, “In the past, your perception was excellent, but your temperament was too extreme. You always wanted to shoulder everything on your own, perhaps overestimating yourself. On the other hand, Bu YaoLian is calm, but his thoughts are too intricate. Due to his background, he can’t help but look down on himself from the bottom of his heart, making him susceptible to straying from his path. I thought that as you two grew up and gained more experience in the Jianghu, you would both be able to face any storm fearlessly. After all, I believed I could protect you. Yet, even though I have achieved this level of cultivation, I still couldn’t protect either of my disciples.”

He spoke with deep emotion, and it was impossible for He Huan not to be moved. However, he glimpsed at himself and managed to suppress his emotions, he glanced towards He Ku beside him. He Huan continued to speak in a low voice, admitting his fault, “It’s of our own doing, wholly unrelated to the Sect Leader.”

“You both, the problem is that you try to make me worry too little. I am your master, why didn’t you come to me when you encountered difficulties? Why didn’t you seek guidance from me when you were lost? As your master, why was I never by your side in your darkest times?”

The more Qing XuZi continued, the more emotional he became. He felt that he might truly not know how to educate his disciples. Both of them only knew how to bear things on their own whenever faced challenges. He may have taught them about the righteous path and shown them the world, but he had forgotten to teach them how to cherish themselves.

After all was said and done, he was an unreliable master. And so, at the end of the day, his disciples only wanted to leave him. None of them wished to stay by his side.

Looking at the red-robed figure bowing his head apologetically, there was no trace of his former demeanor in his actions. It was evident that he had already made up his mind to leave. Aware of this, Qing XuZi’s voice shook slightly, “Are you truly unwilling to address me as your Master?”

With these words, a mix of emotions flooded He Huan’s heart. Memories from the past came rushing back, rendering him momentarily speechless.

Fortunately, he wasn’t the only person here. He Ku couldn’t remain seated at this point. He Huan was too proud, too unwilling, to lower his head to anyone. He couldn’t bring himself to grovel and please the masses.

He took pride in his dao heart, and that’s why he despised his own identity as a demonic cultivator much more than anyone else. Even now, he genuinely believed that all kinds of goodwill should be directed towards He Ku whose step still remained on the righteous path.

If he didn’t speak up about these twisted feelings, no one would have guessed. But now, he has He Ku. He Ku is an open and honest person. When He Huan couldn’t lower his head, He Ku lowered his instead. When He Huan couldn’t voice his thoughts, he did it for him. Because, he was essentially another version of He Huan in this world.

As a result, before He Huan could even speak, He Ku stepped forward and laid out his thoughts, “He thinks that you don’t like him and doesn’t want to appear overly intimate or attached to you. His stubbornness is just a mask. In private, he has always addressed you as Master.”

Never did he imagine that at this moment, He Ku would reveal the hidden thoughts he had buried. He Huan’s expression was filled with astonishment.The display of surprise on He Huan’s face could not go unnoticed by Qing XuZi. He had believed that his elder disciple harbored resentment and was unwilling to acknowledge him any longer. He thought those harsh words He Huan had spoken were genuine feelings. Little did he know, this was the reason behind it.

His anger flared up at that moment, but he suppressed it and forced himself to speak calmly, “Ling Yun told me that it was you, the demonic cultivator He Huan, who saved her from Bai Chen’s clutches. She also encountered a righteous young man whose voice was exactly like yours in Sky Veil Town. At that time, I suspected that there might be more to the situation. However, it was purely a possibility that couldn’t be confirmed. Even though the evidence from the outside world was ironclad, and even though you’ve been casting aspersions upon me day after day at the Fallen Immortal Lake, I endured it. I told myself that I had to investigate thoroughly, that I couldn’t falsely accuse you.”

“Bu QingYun, I’ve always thought of you as my own son. How could you even say that I am no longer fond of you? To go as far as to even address me as the ‘Sect Leader’. You—”

The old Daoist grew angrier the more he thought about it. He picked up his teacup, ready to hurl it, but seeing He Huan’s shut-eyed frozen demeanor of accepting the punishment, Qing ZuXi realized that if he threw it, this foolish disciple wouldn’t even know to dodge. Instead, he slammed the teacup onto the table and pointed angrily at He Huan, “If you weren’t so sad today, I would’ve given you a thorough beating!”

When the teacup was lifted, He Ku prepared himself to intervene if needed, but now that he saw no harm was coming, he quickly approached with a consoling cup of tea, “He knows he was wrong, really. I promise you. He deeply regrets it. If he doesn’t address you, there’s still me. Master, look at me. Here, have a sip of tea to calm the nerves.”

As He Ku approached, Qing XuZi couldn’t help but recall the obedient and well-behaved Bu QingYun from years past. He couldn’t help but lament how this child had gone astray, morphing into the person he was now.

However, before the stirred resentment could settle down within him, a flash of red caught his eye. He saw He Huan kneel heavily before him with a deep gaze fixed upon his master. Despite his evident remorse and self-blame, he maintained a calm disposition, which tugged at Qing XuZi’s heartstrings. Even more so when He Huan’s hoarse voice uttered another sentence, “Master, disciple knows his mistake.”

Well, did his apprentice think that the wayward development would put a halt to his care? In the past, he could sternly reprimand Bu QingYun for his mistakes, but now, seeing He Huan like this, he was afraid that speaking any more would only hurt his disciple’s feelings again. Though his disciple had a more troublesome temperament and willful actions, Qing XuZi found himself growing softer towards him.

Perhaps parents are fated to always be bested by their children. With He Huan kneeling, Qing XuZi’s anger dissipated in a blink of an eye. He no longer said anything else, letting go of the past. He merely helped He Huan up and sighed, “Get up. Since you’re willing to call me ‘Master’ again, I’ll grant your request. Whatever you want, I shall comply.”

End of Chapter 48