When Su Yu wanted to punish the father and daughter of the Zhou family, the border erupted in war. The capable generals in the court were all old subordinates of Zhou Dao.
Upon hearing of Zhou Dao's arrest, his old subordinates collectively petitioned His Majesty, pleading for leniency towards General Zhou.
Although Su Yu was obsessed with achieving immortality, when it came to matters concerning his ancestors and the country, he never acted foolishly. At this critical juncture, he naturally couldn't do anything that will destroy the morale of the generals.
However, he had long been wary of Zhou Dao. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he removed Zhou Dao from his official position and allowed him to retire back to his hometown.
As for Zhou Feihua, being a palace concubine, she naturally had to be dealt with according to palace rules. While her life was spared, she couldn't escape punishment and was sent to the Cold palace.
Yutong, after receiving a reply sent from her Master by the Vermilion bird, she proceeded with his instructions. With her brother, they sneaked into the Cold palace at night, putting an unclaimed female corpse dug from an unmarked grave in her place and setting fire to Zhou Feihua's residence.
After the people in the palace put out the fire, they would find a charred body, and from then on, Consort Jing would cease to exist.
Ranran only just learned about Shifu's private arrangements, now she couldn't help but look at Zhou Feihua.
Even though Su Yu was hateful, Ranran felt that Zhou Feihua was not as carefree as she appeared. She should have had feelings for Su Yu beyond their monarch-subject relationship.
Otherwise, sacrificing so much just to supervise the Emperor closely as a concubine would be too much! Perhaps Zhou Feihua entered the palace because she liked Su Yu, knowing full well that he had feelings for other women. She was willing to put on red clothes and dance with swords all night for him…
Now that Zhou Feihua had escaped from there, would she resent Shifu since she won't be able to see Su Yu again?
When Zhou Feihua and Ranran were taking a walk together, Ranran asked if she missed the palace. Zhou Feihua sighed and said, "He has changed. He's no longer the young emperor I once knew. He could even manipulate the person he likes, Mu Qingge. What am I compared to that? My father had hoped that I can leave the palace, and I was already tired of that life. Being able to fake my death and leave the palace is already a blessing from heaven…"
At this point, she turned to ask Ranran, "Who are you exactly? Su Yu said you are also a fruit from the Rebirth Tree? Could it be… you are Mu Ranwu who caused the death of Mu Qingge?"
Saying this, Zhou Feihua looked at Ranran with a sharp gaze.
Ranran understood the straightforward nature of this Consort and couldn't help but scratch her two buns in frustration. "Since I've already died once, I naturally don't remember anything from my past life. If Your Ladyship is willing to let bygones be bygones, then I'll be grateful for it. Otherwise, wouldn't it have been for nothing, hanging on that tree for so many years? I am just Xue Ran Ran now, nobody else!"
Seeing Ranran's pained look, Zhou Feihua couldn't bring herself to utter any malicious curses she intended to say. The young girl really didn't remember anything, and it would be really unfair to scold her for things she couldn't recall.
Netherworld realm, where he obtained the power of the Spirit Spring. Then, he incited his father to rebel and seize power. Which one of these things can be done by a good person?"
Ranran instinctively retorted, "You're lying… Is there some misunderstanding?"
Zhou Feihua smiled coldly, "Misunderstanding? It's hateful how he's always deceiving women, bewitching Mu Qingge and manipulating her. She ended up bearing the blame for harboring the Spirit Spring of the Demon's son! And in the end, he turned himself into a righteous hero, claiming to exterminate evil, while Mu Qingge died because of him, still carrying that blame! Is this something a good person would do?"
Ranran felt somewhat speechless. If that was the case, her Shifu had indeed acted dishonorably. Did he really deliberately frame Elder Mu?
While the two were talking, Zhou Feihua suddenly looked past Ranran's shoulder and saw Su Yishui standing under a tree. She immediately asked him, "You sure know how to pretend to be a good person in front of your disciple. Tell us, how did you ruin Qingge back then…"
It turned out that Su Yishui had followed them without them noticing and had heard everything Zhou Feihua said.
Before she could finish, her entire body rose into the air as if pulled by an invisible force, and Su Yishui grabbed Zhou Feihua by the neck.
Seeing Su Yishui's crimson red eyes, Ranran understood that Zhou Feihua's words had triggered something demonic in him. She hurriedly leapt over and grabbed Su Yishui's wrist, urgently saying, "Shifu! Control yourself, let go quickly, you might kill her like this!"
Seeing Su Yishui not loosening his grip but increasing the pressure, Ranran, had no other choice, she could only bite his arm.
Su Yishui, looking at her biting him, the redness in his eyes dissipated a little, and his grip on Zhou Feihua's neck began to loosen.
Zhou Feihua had almost suffocated moments ago. After breaking free, she took several steps backwards, glaring and asked, "What's this? You… cough … just realized you should kill and silence me?"
Ranran, afraid Zhou Feihua's words would fan the flames and incite more trouble, quickly turned to her and gestured for her to be quiet. "You are already aware that my Shifu is at a very critical time right now. His temperament is not the same as he usually is. Please stop and refrain from provoking my Shifu any further."
But before she could finish, Su Yishui coldly spoke up, "What she said is all true. I'm not the good person you think I am!"
After speaking, he didn't even look at Ranran's reaction and fell silent for a while before turning and leaving.
For some reason, Ranran, watching his receding straight figure as he left, felt a profound sense of pain and desolation…
Zhou Feihua finally recovered her breath and sighed in relief. However, the bruises on her neck were shocking, showing how much force Su Yishui had used just now.
Ranran applied a medicinal ointment to Zhou Feihua's neck and asked in a small voice, "You said my master is a demon's son, then…..did Mu Qingge know?"
Zhou Feihua stretched her neck for Ranran to apply the ointment and sighed again, saying hoarsely "Of course she knew, but she insisted that Su Yishui was bitter due to a difficult childhood and later felt resentful due to unfair treatment for his mother, leading to increasingly extreme thoughts. She was his master and couldn't stand by while he fell into darkness. She said since she failed to teach her disciple properly, it's only right for her to bear the blame on behalf of her disciple…"
Ranran knew that at first, Su Yishui had a deep misunderstanding of Mu Qingge, as seen in the "Playing Classics" Beasts chapter.
When Su Yishui silently ate the salted longan, did he think about seeking revenge against all those who had wronged him, including Mu Qingge, who didn't understand him back then?
If so, then his subsequent retaliation against Mu Qingge would be understandable.
Thinking of this, Ranran sighed softly again. Zhou Feihua looked at her and said, "Why are you sighing so much at such a young age? If he is harassing you, you can leave with me. Don't let him deceive–"
Before she could finish speaking, Ranran reached out to cover her mouth, and desperately signaled her to be quiet. In a low voice, Ranran said, "My dear Lady, please don't anger my Shifu anymore. Besides, even at his worst, his master never abandoned him. As his disciple, how can I leave him during his most difficult time?"
Zhou Feihua rolled her eyes and fell silent. In some ways, this young girl was just like her former close friend!
As for the incident of Shifu being possessed by the Spirit Spirit, Second Uncle Master, Gao Cang and the rest only discovered it later. Shifu's entire demeanor changed, becoming somewhat unlike Su Yishui…
People are always like this, they only cherish what they lose.
Qiu Xier now deeply missed the past when her Shifu had a hands-off approach and spoke little.
In the past, if Su Yishui saw them not performing to expectations, he would at most give them a cold look and then only make them write extra assignments or run laps up and down the mountain.
But now, Shifu… seemed to still have remnants of the dragon's influence, ready to spew venomous words at any time.
For example, after they descended the mountain and found an inn to stay in, finally able to enjoy some delicious food.
During dinner, Qiu Xier and Ranran fought over the chicken legs, a common occurrence among the XiShan disciples. Everyone was used to this.
In the past, Su Yishui would simply watch on silently, then give his own chicken leg to Ranran.
But now Su Yishui could say to Qiu Xier with a cold look, "Getting so fat that your clothes are about to burst open, and still so greedy? No wonder you never improved in your Lightness Technique; have you ever seen a sow climb a tree?"
In front of everyone at the table, Qiu Xier couldn't hold back her tears after being ridiculed by the master like this. She burst into tears, then ran back to her room, skipping dinner altogether.
After Su Yishui finished speaking, he coldly scanned the table, and no one else dared to take any more food. They silently finished quickly what was left in their bowls and then slunk away.
Ranran also wanted to leave, but Su Yishui held her back and placed two large chicken legs from the plate into her bowl.
"Shifu, this is too much, how can I finish it all? Besides, if I eat so much… I'll probably become too fat to climb trees…"
Su Yishui casually continued to serve her food, "Then get a bit fatter, it'll be more comfortable to hug you."
Hmm… its lucky that third senior sister isn't here, or after hearing Su Yishui's comments with extreme favoritism, she might likely die crying on the spot.
Ranran really couldn't bear to see her Shifu debase himself this way. She took him away from the inn and into the nearby woods. "Shifu, even if you're possessed by the Spirit Spirit and feeling out of sorts, you must try to restrain yourself. Third senior sister is very sensitive; if you speak to her like this, she won't be able to bear it."
Su Yishui didn't think he was being too harsh. He's aware he speaks more sharply now, but it was only because of the Spirit Spring's influence which no longer made him conceal himself, allowing him to express his true thoughts.
But he also knew that if the Spirit Spring's possession were to continue too long, he will eventually lose control of himself. Among other concerns, he was most worried about hurting Ranran.
Every time he looked at her, uncontrollable desires surged in his heart. If she knew what he wanted to do to her, she would surely be frightened, run away and avoid him forever…
Seeing Shifu silent again with red eyes, Ranran quickly *humored him. She took out a honey-glazed hazelnut and stuffed it into his mouth.
*顺毛驴 比喻顺着他的脾气和意愿就能很好相处,否则就不好相处的人
Someone who is very easy to get along with if you don't go against their wishes
Su Yishui seized the opportunity and pulled her into his arms, trying to calm himself, then said, "I'll try my best…"
Ranran understood he meant that he will refrain from saying hurtful words in future. But as his disciple, teaching her master how to behave seemed somewhat inappropriate.
Wasn't there supposed to be consequences according to Xishan's rules for such misconduct?
Before Ranran could think it through, her thoughts were once again swept away by Su Yishui's embrace and kiss, gone without a trace…
After their affectionate kiss, Ranran did manage to remember the main matter at hand.
Among all the events that happened in the palace before, the most puzzling was how Su Yu knew that Su Yishui once possessed the White Tiger.
This was something only the Xishan disciples knew, even their second senior brother did not know. Yet Su Yu was clearly well-informed, indicating a possible leak.
Ranran didn't want to speculate about the two senior uncle masters or Gaocang and Qiu Xier being the traitor.
So she had to first be on guard regarding matters pertaining to the Spirit Spring. Ranran had to be careful of eavesdroppers. With only the two of them in the woods, she took out a cloth bundle containing a book, which was the "Records of the Fantian Sect," that they intended to get during their visit to the Capital.
Zhou Feihua passed her the book when they parted ways yesterday. It was because Ranran had mentioned they went to the palace to find a book from the Xishan archives.
On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, chaos broke out in the collapsing palace and Su Yu had been caught by a dragon and taken to the skies. Everyone was in a panic.
Remembering Ranran's request, Zhou Feihua took advantage of the confusion and avoiding Old Feng, snuck into Su Yu's study, where she quickly found this unusually worn-out book on his usual bookshelf. She then passed it to her cousin from the Imperial Guards, to sneak it out of the palace in the chaos.
Afterwards, she was captured, and the Zhou family was raided. Fortunately, her cousin was quick-witted and hid the book under an old tree in the Zhou family's backyard.
Followed by a series of events involving faking Zhou Feihua's death, Ranran finally got her hands on this book.
Zhou Feihua's intention was clear: "Su Yishui was originally a cunning person, and now being possessed by the Spirit Spring, he has turned into an evil being. What do you think a 'demon's son' is? It's a very rare person who can reach the Netherworld Realm and take away the Spirit Spring. They must bear immense grievances to become the demon's son – a vessel for the Spirit Spring. Mu Qingge was misled by someone back then…If its as you have said, Su Yishui is willing to return the Spirit Spring to the Netherworld Realm, it would be a blessing for the world. Otherwise…"
Zhou Feihua didn't finish her sentence. She couldn't help but touch her neck, where the bruises had not yet faded.
She had to set off immediately to find her father and make arrangements to leave the country. Even though she couldn't help worrying about this young girl, she could only earnestly give her advice, bid a heartfelt farewell and leave.
Su Yu hasn't fully recovered yet, but once he has enough time later, he will definitely not let her father go. Only by fleeing far away can he temporarily avoid the current troubles.
Now, Ranran handed the book to Su Yishui, hoping to find a way to the Netherworld Realm from its contents.
Su Yishui looked at the book and suddenly asked Ranran, "I have said, that everything Zhou Feihua had said is true. Are you really not afraid of me at all?"
Ranran leaned against the tree trunk, looked up at him, and said softly, "Why should I be afraid? You once said that the little dragon, went on the wrong path because it was left unattended. Shifu, you are human, and you will inevitably make mistakes. But aren't you silently making amends for your past mistakes? I think if Elder Mu knew everything you've done, she wouldn't blame you too much…"
At this point, Ranran found it difficult to continue. Considering how Mu Qingge had secretly released the Immortal Devouring bugs on Tianmai Mountain, this master and disciple's feud seems far from over.
It would seem that Elder Mu has not forgiven Su Yishui at all.
Su Yishui took once glance at her, and continued to silently flip through the old book with his long fingers.
With both old books together, the next step was to carefully search for any clues inside. The book that was lent to the palace looked much older than the one left in Xishan. It seemed that Su Yu hadn't stopped reading this book over the years.
The section about the "Seven Evil Transformation Curse" had been read repeatedly. Su Yu had likely studied it extensively over the years.
However, regarding information of the Netherworld Realm's Spirit Spring, after searching the entire book, only a casual line was found – "Below the Falling Water Cliff is the Spirit Spring."
Ranran was unsure if this was a description of the Netherworld Realm's location, so she asked Shifu where the Falling Water Cliff was.
Su Yishui replied mildly, "It is said to be where heavenly water falls, creating a deep pit, bottomless abyss."
Ranran frowned and thought for a while. She had never seen where heavenly water fell in such a manner on Earth, but there was a saying by poets: "The Yellow River's waters comes from the sky." Could this heavenly water refer to the source of the Yellow River?
Su Yishui nodded, then shook his head. He remembered that when he went to the Netherworld Realm before, although he headed north, it was far from the Yellow River, let alone be its source.
The entrance to the Netherworld Realm shifted each time, making it hard to pinpoint its exact location. However, right next to this line, there was an illustration of a red flower resembling an eagle's beak.
Su Yishui squinted at it, recalling these strange flowers he saw at the entrance to the Netherworld Realm during his last visit.
Below the illustration, there was a line of annotation: Eagle Beak Demon Flower, blooms from blood.
Seeing this, Ranran had an epiphany. *"Heavenly water" could also be understood as divine punishment. Every few decades in the mortal world, wars would break out at the borders, causing a time of great suffering, which could be seen as a divine punishment.
*天水
During the great battle of Fan Yao, Su Yishui had also seen these flowers on the battlefield.
So, this demonic flower, which marks the entrance to the Netherworld Realm, might grow in places with the most bloodshed.
Now that Da Qi and neighboring country Gao Kan were in conflict, perhaps that was where the demon flower was about to bloom.
In any case, without other clues, they could only try with this direction and see if they could find any other leads.
Because Shifu couldn't wait any longer.
As they left the inn, a rude guest from before, annoyed by the Xishan disciples' carriage blocking his path, reached out and whipped their horses.
In the past, Shifu would have remained calm, secretly casting spells to teach a lesson to these arrogant bullies who only prey on the weak. But yesterday, Shifu actually lifted his leg and kicked the man into a tree. If Ranran hadn't grabbed his arm with her life, Su Yishui would have probably killed the man.
From the moment they left the inn, it didn't take long for their wanted posters to be plastered all over town.
The painter's skills were good, or perhaps Old Feng had an exceptional memory; each portrait was very lifelike.
Only Qiu Xier, due to her extreme weight loss, did not resemble her portrait, making the fugitive third senior sister feel inexplicably pleased in her despair.
But now they were all wanted criminals in Da Qi. If they caused more public violence, Xishan's reputation would be completely ruined.
Because Shifu's mood was unpredictable and his killing intent was now too strong, they couldn't stay in inns anymore and could only camp outdoors, as they headed towards the border.
During their journey, they visited Cuiwei Mountain, where Elder Jiu lived, hoping to get another talisman jade bottle for emergency use.
However, when they arrived at the foot of the mountain, they found that the once green fields were now barren, overgrown with weeds and untended.
The scarecrows that once worked in the fields were scattered, leaving only some dried grass and scattered clothes.
When they reached the peak of Cuiwei Mountain, the few houses had been burned to the ground, with charred wooden stakes and broken wine jars scattered everywhere.
Ranran inspected a half-empty jar of "Detain Heaven's Immortal" wine outside.
For someone who loved alcohol so much, there was absolutely no reason to smash the wine jar before finishing it. What kind of trouble had Elder Jiu encountered to abandon this secluded place?
Ranran couldn't help but worry about the old rascal. Elder Jiu has been living a peaceful life and shouldn't have any major conflicts with others.
Who came looking for revenge? And where was he now? These were all unknowns.
Ranran repeatedly inspected the chaotic items on the mountain. Finally, under a stone outside the courtyard, she saw a few hastily scratched lines: "The Fantian Sect has revived, be careful…"
The word after "be careful" was incomplete, hastily scratched out, making it unrecognizable.