Chapter 99 Gathering and Parting Like the Wind, Sweeping Away
Li Manor.
A large group of people lay prostrate on the ground, from servants to richly dressed noblewomen. The scene was so silent that their hurried breathing could be clearly heard.
Chu Xingchen swept his gaze over them and let out a light sigh.
It seemed that most of the people in this manor were already here.
Ying Ling had clearly told him back then that her life here had merely been not too good.
Wang Shangshu had already sent someone to summon him.
But the commotion here was not small, and it seemed they had already alerted him.
Whether he came or not did not matter.
If Wang Shangshu did not come, would Chu Xingchen be unable to go to him?
A monk may flee, but the temple remains.
Chu Xingchen understood his eldest disciple well. The chance of her going on a killing spree was likely not high.
Li Yingling was willing to come mostly because of her deceased mother.
She wanted to give her mother an explanation and sever her last remaining attachment here.
As for these people, they were most likely nothing more than background pieces.
But no matter what Li Yingling chose to do, Chu Xingchen would support his eldest disciple.
Chu Xingchen sat on the chair, his gaze sweeping lightly over the people below.
Chen Baiqing sat behind him, a small cold face as she rested on her own chair.
When Senior Sister Yingling had spoken with their master on the way, she had silently listened to everything.
She had kept quiet the entire journey, but that did not mean she had nothing to say.
If it were herself, Chen Baiqing might not have cared, but if the one bullied was her senior sister, she could never tolerate it.
Senior Sister had always been so kind and always treated her well.
Her senior sister should never have been bullied like this.
Chen Baiqing's icy gaze locked onto the housekeeper prostrating below. Their master was right; they must protect everyone from their sect.
Time scraped across these people like a dull blade, slowly cutting at their already fraying nerves.
It felt like the moment the executioner's blade fell had been stretched out endlessly.
What made it even harder for them to accept was that the lowborn bastard from before had, in a short span of time, become a disciple of a great sect.
In the past, although they had not dared to lay hands on her, mocking words and sarcastic remarks were never in short supply.
Yet now even the servants who had only spoken mockingly were kneeling here as well.
Wen Qing steadied his emotions and stood silently behind them, saying nothing.
He allowed time to pass.
Only when Li Yingling and Li Xingtian returned did the silence finally break.
Li Yingling's eyes were bloodshot. She did not even look at the kneeling crowd; her gaze went straight to her master, and she could hold back no longer.
She cried out, "Master…"
Li Yingling threw herself into her master's arms, tears flowing like pear blossoms in the rain.
Li Xingtian's expression was equally unpleasant. Chu Xingchen understood that he was truly angry this time.
Chu Xingchen gently patted his eldest disciple's shoulder.
"What happened? Tell your master, and your master will stand up for you."
"I… I can't… I can't find it."
Chu Xingchen felt her tears soaking through his robes. He comforted her softly.
"It's all right. Master will help you search."
Li Yingling did not reply and only shook her head, choking.
Qiu Ling also walked in from outside. After sweeping her gaze over the situation in the manor, she met Wen Qing's eyes and gave a slight shake of her head.
The situation was very bad.
But Li Yingling's reaction surpassed everyone's expectations.
She pleaded in a trembling voice, "Master, let's go… I don't want to stay here anymore."
At this moment, the place held nothing but memories of pain in her mind.
She no longer knew how to handle any of this. She could not bring herself to kill everyone, because some of them had only insulted her.
Once her words fell, her master did not respond immediately.
Chen Baiqing's small hand gripped her senior sister's clothes.
She pursed her lips, eyes turning red unconsciously. Her senior sister was hurting, and that made her hurt as well.
Chu Xingchen spoke in a low voice. "This is my fault. I should not have brought you here."
Li Yingling did not answer, only shaking her head again.
"Very well, we will leave. Your future achievements will make these blind fools understand exactly what they have missed."
"He will regret it for as long as he lives."
Li Yingling released her grip after a slight nod. She turned toward Lord Li, staring at him for a long time before speaking to him for the first time.
"Go plant that mass grave full of orchids."
Her mother had once muttered in her sleep that she liked the orchids he had given her.
But no one had ever given her mother orchids.
The next morning.
Li Yingling rose early and quietly slipped out of the Fate Pavilion that the Xuanwu Kingdom had arranged.
On the left hillside of the mass grave.
Her gaze drifted toward the people of Li Manor sowing orchid seeds, while Wen Qing stood nearby supervising.
Li Yingling did not know whether what she had done was right, but she had ultimately killed no one.
Her master had spent a great deal of money arranging this for her, and he had said before coming that no matter what happened, he would support her fully.
Before coming, Li Yingling had thought about many things, even picking out several people she hated to the bone, planning to settle accounts with them.
But the moment she saw them trembling and prostrated on the ground—
She felt neither joy, nor the satisfaction of revenge.
A tangled and contradictory heaviness filled her heart.
Her mother had never hated the manor, nor anyone else. From beginning to end, she had only ever blamed herself for being useless.
Li Yingling could not bring herself to use her mother's name to justify anything.
She did not want to make her mother sad.
Perhaps, in the end, all she could say was to let it go; she and the manor no longer owed each other anything.
A thought drifted through her mind—Mother, is Yingling truly this useless?
"What are you thinking about?"
Her master's voice sounded behind her.
She turned around and saw not only her master but also her junior brother and little junior sister.
Chen Baiqing ran forward on her short legs and dove into her senior sister's arms.
"Senior Sister, don't be sad. Baiqing will take you to buy sweets."
Li Yingling gently rubbed Chen Baiqing's small head and answered softly, "All right…"
Li Xingtian, poor with words, forced out a somewhat awkward line.
"Senior Sister… don't be too sad."
Li Yingling gave her junior brother a big, bright smile.
A breeze swept gently past.
"Master!" Li Yingling drew in a deep breath. "I'm so glad I met you!"
"I am glad I met you as well."
Chu Xingchen looked at his eldest disciple with sincere warmth.
Chen Baiqing shouted loudly, "Baiqing is super glad to have met Master, Senior Sister, and Senior Brother too!"
Li Xingtian said nothing, but a smile appeared on his face.
This time, Chu Xingchen truly felt that his second disciple's smile was much more pleasing to the eye.
Li Yingling did not stay long and soon suggested leaving the mountain hollow.
——
Right Market of the Capital.
Li Yingling held Chen Baiqing's hand in front of a candied fruit shop, buying the capital's specialty sweets.
She seemed to have returned to her former self, smiling as she bought treats for her junior sister.
Li Xingtian watched silently, then shifted his gaze to his master.
After a brief moment of thought, he suddenly spoke.
"Master, if you have time… let's have a meal together."
Chu Xingchen turned to him in disbelief.
Li Yingling and Chen Baiqing also looked up, equally astonished.
Chu Xingchen found this extremely odd.
What had gotten into this child today?
Why was he taking the initiative to invite everyone to a meal?
Hey readers! Want to stay 40 chapters ahead of free members? Join our Patreon today! You'll instantly unlock 20 chapters the moment you sign up to start closing that gap.
You'll enjoy 14 new chapters every week. Plus, we have 3 other exciting fics with the same release rate, giving you a massive 42 chapters per week total! Stop waiting and join the adventure now!
Patreon: https://patreon.com/Alex_Cruise