The Immortal Lord of the Path of Ruthlessness Bends for Me - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Home Is Not Only Found by Your Side

Zhao Chi was slack-jawed.

Auntie Hai beamed with joy.

Ling Shu happily scrambled onto Zhuang Jinfu’s back, leaning against her. After walking for a while, Ling Shu remarked, “Master, you carry me so steadily. Much steadier than a horse.”

Zhuang Jinfu: “…”

Comparing a generation’s Great Immortal to a horse—no one but Ling Shu would dare.

Ling Shu began to play with Zhuang Jinfu’s hair. “Master, your hair smells so good. Your body is so cool; it feels so comfortable to lean against.” Zhuang Jinfu remained silent. Ling Shu eventually let go of the hair and pressed her face against her back, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Master… in the future, will I only have a home when I’m by your side?”

Zhuang Jinfu replied, “No. You still have a mother. She is at Upper Clarity Mountain, waiting for you to recognize her.”

Ling Shu’s tone lifted again. “Really? I have a mother?”

“Yes. However, now is not the time to acknowledge her.”

“Why not?”

“Because she would kill you the moment she needed your life.”

“That’s terrifying. Ling Bao doesn’t like this mother.”

“You still need to return to her side. The home she gives you is your best destination.”

“No! Ling Bao wants to stay with Master forever!”

“My place is too cold. It is not suitable for ordinary mortals.”

“I’m not afraid of the cold. I like Master’s coldness.”

Another wave of bitterness washed through Zhuang Jinfu’s heart. Even though Ling Shu had lost her memory and only remembered being ten years old, she said the exact same things—yet Zhuang Jinfu still could not give her any emotional response.

The silver ring on the Fire Sparrow Fairy’s left ankle acted as a shackle, monitoring her movement and use of magic. Unable to escape, she followed them. She hovered near Zhao Chi, occasionally “accidentally” bumping into her.

Zhao Chi, annoyed, circled around to Auntie Hai to avoid her.

Auntie Hai stood between the two troublesome women. If she had to pick who she disliked more, it was definitely the Fire Sparrow. After all, Zhao Chi had been saved by Miss Ling and had some value; the Fire Sparrow was just a total eyesore.

So, Auntie Hai protected Zhao Chi a little—but not too much.

“She’s clearly uninterested. Why force it?” Auntie Hai asked the Fairy. The Fire Sparrow replied, “If I don’t force it a little, how will I know if I can have her?” Zhao Chi snapped, “Delusional.”

The two went back and forth like a scene from a cheap romance novel. Auntie Hai chuckled secretly. She stopped trying to mediate; she worried for Zhao Chi regarding the Fairy, but she also enjoyed the drama.

Auntie Hai loved watching other people’s romantic entanglements.

However, she remained wary of those who had harmed Miss Ling. Regarding the two of them, she was a classic spectator who didn’t mind the chaos as long as it wasn’t her own girl’s business. She teased, “Miss Zhao, you’ve grown so tall for nothing. How can you not even handle an evil cultivator bound by the Immortal?”

Zhao Chi’s face turned red then white, unable to defend herself. Auntie Hai softened her tone, seemingly helping her out while hinting at something deeper: “You are, after all, a proper cultivator. You’ve done bad things, but you aren’t thoroughly evil. You entered Upper Clarity Mountain through your own merit.

Later, when you encountered powerful people, you were too eager to find a ‘big tree’ to lean on. You didn’t realize those ‘benefits’ offered to you came with a price. You became a ‘blade’ used by others, and in the end, you were retaliated against, ruining your future.”

“Miss Zhao, if there is a next time, do not take the wrong path again.”

Zhao Chi listened quietly and gave a muffled “Okay” in response.

Just then, Ling Shu turned back and waved at Auntie Hai. Her smile was so brilliant, and her eyes so pure and clear, as if all the suffering in the world was far away from her.

Ling Shu: “Auntie Hai! We’re flying! We’re flying!” The group prepared to fly back to the sect on their swords.

She is just as unfortunate as I am, Zhao Chi thought. Why are her eyes so clear, while mine feel like they’ve rolled through hell—dark, gloomy, and devoid of light?

Ling Shu: “Woooow! So high! Master, fly faster!!! Charge!!! We’re in first place!!!”

Zhuang Jinfu: “Behave yourself.”

Ling Shu: “Mhm! Ling Bao is very obedient. Don’t leave Ling Bao behind.”

The mountain gate was now guarded by their own people. Zhao Chi and the Fire Sparrow entered as the senior sisters on duty turned a blind eye.

Back at Qingxi Hall, Zhao Chi and the Fire Sparrow were assigned rooms and settled in peaceably.

When Ling Shu first returned, she was quite settled, obediently drinking the ginseng chicken soup Auntie Hai prepared. But after four or five days, she began to get restless.

Qingxi Hall was designed according to Zhuang Jinfu’s preference for silence; there was nothing to play with. The servants were all of quiet temperaments, which made playing with Ling Shu a bit dull. The Fire Sparrow was lively enough, but she was the culprit behind Ling Shu’s condition, so the entire hall watched her closely, forbidding her from approaching the girl.

Finally, on the seventh day, Ling Shu insisted on going to the inner gate school.

She had forgotten everyone, but she still remembered going to school. Auntie Hai marveled at this.

Zhuang Jinfu initially refused. Ling Shu threw a tantrum and climbed to the roof of the main hall: “If you don’t let me go, I’ll tear your roof off!”

Zhuang Jinfu rubbed her temples and granted her permission.

On the first day, as Ling Shu walked into the classroom, the room fell silent. Some began to gossip about how she had caused the spiritual energy of the mountain to stall and made life difficult for everyone. More people, however, were simply afraid of her. The story of her nearly trapping twenty-three people on Bitian Mountain had spread, leaving the busybodies genuinely terrified.

Ling Shu seemed oblivious, scanning the room for an empty seat. In the crowd, she spotted a girl in orange clothes who waved at her: “Ling Shu! Sit here.” Ling Shu walked over.

“Who are you?” Ling Shu asked. The class went silent.

Li Chang was baffled. “I’m Li Chang! Are you pretending not to know me? Bold move.”

“Li… Chang? Do we know each other?” Ling Shu asked. The others were shocked.

Li Chang: “We’re friends! How can you not know me?”

Ling Shu looked confused. “Ling Bao doesn’t have any human friends.”

Li Chang: “?” Li Chang immediately skipped class to go to Qingxi Hall and ask Auntie Hai. After being told the truth, Li Chang returned, patted her chest, and vowed, “From now on, I will protect you.”

Word of Ling Shu’s amnesia spread throughout the sect.

In Beast Mastery class, Li Chang accidentally poked a hornet’s nest, causing the entire class to be chased by hornets. Ling Shu burned them all with a burst of fire. Li Chang cried, “Ling Shu, thank you!”

In Pharmacy class, Li Chang mistook a poisonous weed for medicinal herb. She immediately began foaming at the mouth. Ling Shu dragged her to the instructor and said expressionlessly, “She seems to have been poisoned to death.”

The instructor nearly had a heart attack—this was the daughter of the Li family’s third mistress, a true high-born lady whom Sect Leader Wang valued highly. If she died, it would be a disaster! After being resuscitated, Li Chang cried, “Ling Shu, thank goodness you were there.”

In Array class, Li Chang was confident: “Don’t worry, I reviewed my books last night.” Then, predictably, an accident occurred. She trapped everyone in the class inside a “Beast-Trapping Array.” Ling Shu slashed the array open: “Didn’t you say you reviewed?” Li Chang laughed awkwardly. “I can’t do it without you, Ling Shu.”

Ling Shu was speechless. “You should worry about protecting yourself first.”

Li Chang: “…”

After school, Auntie Hai came to pick up Ling Shu and asked how her day went. Ling Shu said, “Ling Bao shouldn’t have human friends after all.”

“Why not?”

“Too stupid.”

Li Chang: “…”

“You can’t judge everyone based on one person,” Auntie Hai consoled her. “You’ll meet good friends eventually.”

Li Chang jumped up. “Auntie Hai, you’re picking on me too!”

The second day of school arrived. In the afternoon, the martial arts instructor took leave. Bored, Ling Shu headed straight back to Qingxi Hall. Auntie Hai didn’t know about the instructor’s leave, so she wasn’t there to pick her up. Li Chang caught up to walk with her.

As they passed through a small grove, Ling Shu was suddenly drenched from head to toe with a bucket of cold water.

Li Chang immediately started cursing, “Which turtle-bastard is bullying people?! Come out!”

Three people jumped down from the trees—the same three cultivators who had bullied Ling Shu before.

Li Chang: “It’s you! You pretended to make peace just to do more evil! You never change!”

The three were named Qian Yu, Sun Wang, and Zhou Qi. Qian Yu wore a silk flower, Sun Wang had a green pouch at her waist, and Zhou Qi had a scar on her forehead.

Li Chang drew her sword to fight them, but her skills were lackluster, and she was defeated in moments. Ling Shu didn’t fight; she grabbed Li Chang and ran.

Qian Yu, Sun Wang, and Zhou Qi chased them toward a beast trap. They watched as the girls stepped onto the leaves covering the pit and fell in with two screams. The trio laughed and walked away.

As they walked, they suddenly realized Zhou Qi was gone.

There had been no sound, no struggle. Zhou Qi had simply vanished.

Qian Yu’s legs began to shake. “They’re coming for revenge.” Sun Wang acted unbothered. “She probably just fell into a trap. What’s there to be afraid of?”

As Qian Yu walked, the cord holding her sword snapped. The sword hit the ground. She looked at the break—it was perfectly clean. Her heart skipped a beat: It was cut. She bent down to pick up the sword, and when she looked up, Sun Wang was gone too.

She looked around. There was only the sound of the whistling wind.

“Sun… Wang? Zhou… Zhou Qi? Where are you?”

No response. Qian Yu clutched her sword and began to run.

She was panicked and confused. She tripped over a stone and fell. Suddenly, she heard a voice calling her name from above: “Qian Yu.”

She looked up to see Ling Shu standing on Li Chang’s flying sword, holding a bucket of ice water.

Ling Shu cheered, “Time to play with water!”

A bucket of water filled with crushed ice was dumped right over Qian Yu’s head.

Soaking wet and shivering, Qian Yu tried to crawl away, but her feet were pinned down. She turned to see Li Chang.

Ling Shu cheered from above, “So much fun! I want to play again!”

Li Chang smirked. “You aren’t going anywhere!”

The two girls surrounded her like a nightmare. Splash! Another bucket of ice water. Qian Yu immediately began to beg: “I was wrong! I’m sorry! I’ll never do it again! They forced me! I was coerced!”

Li Chang stepped on her: “Bullying has a price.”

Qian Yu wailed, “Cold… so cold… I’m scared, please let me go!”

Ling Shu dropped the bucket and jumped down from the sword. “Her crying sounds terrible. I don’t want to play with her anymore.”

Li Chang asked, “Should we let her go then?”

“Let her go? We didn’t catch her,” Ling Shu said. “We were just playing.”

Li Chang laughed. “Right, right. We won’t play with her anymore.” Li Chang released her foot. Qian Yu scrambled up and ran away stumbling. But when she saw what was ahead, she let out another piercing scream.

On a tree not far away, a rope hung from a branch. Dangling from it was Sun Wang.

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