Under the leadership of Lü Qi, Fengqing Sect held a funeral for the deceased Old Sect Master and all the fellow disciples who had fallen in battle. Yu Yi and Yun Qianxue attended the ceremony so that others would not perceive them as heartless.
Su Cheng, however, did not care about the lives of “outsiders” and did not attend.
“Master, please come find me once the funeral is over.”
After Su Cheng finished interrogating Jia Lang, she left Yu Yi with those words. The two agreed to meet at the Qingfeng elegant pavilion.
Once the funeral concluded, Yu Yi prepared to head to the Qingfeng elegant pavilion alone. But before she could move, Yun Qianxue quietly approached and hugged one of Yu Yi’s arms.
Yu Yi turned her head to look at Yun Qianxue and found that she was no longer as shy and nervous as before.
Her entire demeanor had become more natural, as if she had finally resolved an inner conflict and begun to interact with Yu Yi as her truest self.
Yun Qianxue was a sentimental girl; even now, a few tears hung from the corners of her eyes, as if she had not yet moved on from the mourning atmosphere of the funeral.
Yu Yi reached out, gently wiping away the tear stains, and said softly, “Qianxue, don’t be too sad. The road ahead is long, and you will always experience partings in life.”
Yun Qianxue nodded obediently and did not say anything dramatic like “Will you ever leave me?”
“Big Sister, about what happened earlier…” Yun Qianxue said bashfully, “Does it mean that Big Sister likes me too?”
Lü Qi’s sudden appearance earlier had interrupted the “secret meeting” between the two, so only now did Yun Qianxue cautiously try to confirm with Yu Yi. This could be considered a loaded question.
Yu Yi gave a charming smile. If she answered, “I only like you,” it would be far too hypocritical and fake.
She wasn’t even sure how many girls’ hearts the Original Host had unintentionally captured; since that was the case, it was better to be honest.
“Of course, I like everyone in Among the Colorful Clouds.”
Yun Qianxue seemed to have already guessed such an answer. A look of relief appeared on her face, though she wasn’t entirely happy.
‘Gosh, I really want to keep Big Sister all to myself.’
She thought bitterly to herself, ‘The others must be thinking the same thing, right? Especially that Su Cheng; I feel like it will be hard to win against her…’
“Qianxue, go find Lü Qi first, alright?” Yu Yi said to Yun Qianxue when she saw that it was about time.
“Where is Big Sister going?”
“I have some things to handle.”
“Oh, okay.” Yun Qianxue was very obedient and did not ask further. She nodded. “It just so happens that I’ll go over and see if I can help my Fourth Elder Sister.”
Lü Qi was currently busy with the funeral arrangements for their fallen sect members. If Yun Qianxue went over, she might be able to help.
***
After parting with Yun Qianxue, Yu Yi arrived at the Qingfeng elegant pavilion.
Su Cheng was sitting by the window with her back to Yu Yi. As the gentle breeze blew in, it brushed through her hair.
Hearing footsteps behind her, Su Cheng’s ears twitched. She then turned her head and gave Yu Yi a slight smile. “Master, you’ve arrived.”
Yu Yi noticed that Su Cheng had combed back her bangs, revealing the striking scar on her forehead.
“I am no longer ashamed of this,” Su Cheng laughed. “So what does it matter if I show it to others?”
“Su Cheng, you…”
“Once I learned the truth of where this scar on my forehead came from, I stopped caring.”
Yu Yi sat down before Su Cheng and asked, “Do you remember your origins?”
Su Cheng nodded, and the smile on her face dimmed slightly. “Master, one-fourth of the blood flowing in my body is filthy — the blood of the shadow race.”
“The shadow race… Isn’t that the race of the Holy Lord of the demonic sect?” Yu Yi’s expression darkened upon hearing this.
Su Cheng then told Yu Yi about her family history and the heinous crimes the shadow race had committed in the past.
After listening, Yu Yi said thoughtfully, “In a sense, you and Chi Ming are both descendants of the ‘Sinners of Great Yan.'”
“Master, you can’t compare me to my Little Junior Sister.”
Su Cheng said faintly, “Little Junior Sister only accepted her origins and held her head high after you gave her some guidance recently. But I am different.”
She took Yu Yi’s hand and guided it toward the scar on her forehead. “This scar is something I carved myself when I was five years old.”
“No one can use the shackles of being a ‘descendant of a sinner’ to bind me. No one could have imagined that a child of only a few years old would dare to resist her fate, attempting to forcefully change the destiny heaven arranged for her.”
The shadow race birthmark on her forehead was the destiny heaven had arranged for Su Cheng.
She was meant to be seen as a sinful evil by the people of Great Yan, while simultaneously being burdened with the high expectations of the shadow race.
Su Cheng refused to play along.
She had slashed her own forehead until it was a bloody mess, casting aside her identity as a member of the shadow race to live however she pleased.
This scar on her forehead was not a mark of shame, but a symbol of the struggle her younger self had waged against fate. It was the thing she was most proud of.
“I have to apologize to my younger self… I forgot the great feat she accomplished along with all that pain. This scar should have made me proud, yet I detested it and even felt inferior for many years…”
Su Cheng shook her head and changed the subject. “Ah, forget it. There’s no point in saying so much now.”
Yu Yi asked with a solemn expression, “What exactly did those people… do to you back then?”
“Hmm?” Upon hearing this, Su Cheng gave a wicked smile and asked back, “Since Master is so concerned, are you worried about me?”
Yu Yi said seriously, “As your Master, how could I not care or be concerned about what my disciple went through?”
The smile on Su Cheng’s face grew even wider. “Master, actually, it would be enough if you just said you ‘care’ or simply nodded.”
“Speaking in such a roundabout way is just a serious attempt to hide your shyness. But it’s alright. I also like this dishonest side of Master.”
Yu Yi tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said with a subtle expression, “Hurry up and speak.”
“Is Master really shy?”
Su Cheng looked Yu Yi up and down with teasing eyes before answering, “Don’t worry, Master. Back then, I only took a few beatings. My purity is still perfectly intact, just waiting for the day Master comes to take it herself — “
“Even at a time like this, you’re still talking nonsense!” Yu Yi’s lips twitched as she thought to herself, ‘This Su Cheng…’
However, Yu Yi also knew very well that even though Su Cheng spoke about it lightly, she had definitely endured more than just “a few beatings.”
Since the self-protection mechanism of “forgetting” had been triggered, it meant that the pain and torture she had suffered were absolutely beyond words.
Thinking of this, Yu Yi couldn’t help but feel heartbroken for Su Cheng.
She placed her hand on top of Su Cheng’s head and began to stroke it gently.
“If I could have met you one step ahead of that person and taken you in as my disciple, you wouldn’t have suffered so much pain…” Yu Yi’s tone was incredibly gentle, yet tinged with a hint of self-reproach.
Su Cheng’s delicate body trembled.
It had been a very long time since she had felt Yu Yi’s gentle comfort.
The reason she had gone to the brothel so many times to have that woman stroke her head was exactly because Su Cheng had always craved this.
Now, she finally had it.
If it were Yun Qianxue or anyone else, they would likely be crying by now. But Su Cheng was different. She was always capable of making unexpected decisions in certain situations.
Su Cheng sighed and shook her head. “As expected… nothing can be hidden from Master.”
“Master, your disciple wants so badly to vent all the grievances I suffered back then to you… but I know that now is not the time.”
She gently grasped Yu Yi’s hand, interlacing their fingers. “I already know my enemy’s real name. I will be leaving Among the Colorful Clouds for a while to seek my revenge. So — “
“Could Master ‘love’ me properly once I return?”
Yu Yi naturally knew what the “love” Su Cheng spoke of represented.
Her heart couldn’t help but race.
If doing so could heal the wounds in Su Cheng’s heart…
“…Alright.”
“Then, is it a promise?”
“Yes, it’s a promise.”