This statement was met with solemn expressions from everyone, especially Su Yi Shui and Xue Ranran. They both thought of the skull of the demon king that had not been completely destroyed.
All along, there had been a hidden hand manipulating everything behind the scenes, silently guiding them into the Netherworld Realm and then finding the remains of the demon king.
Although the person guiding them so far seemed to have not shown too much malice, the feeling of being manipulated and played in the palm of someone else's hand was extremely uncomfortable!
Who could that person be, who keeps impersonating others, disguising as the Medicine Immortal, an unknown elder, and even as the innkeeper?
Su Yi Shui said immediately, "We leave at night, and depart right now from the territory of the Red Flame Mountain!"
This place was too close to Wei Jiu's territory, so it was indeed not suitable to stay for long. Moreover, the identity of the hidden manipulator was unknown, and they could transform into different forms, making it difficult to be detected. Therefore, they needed to return to their own sanctum as soon as possible to be able to set up a proper defense.
Of course, on their way back, they also heard some updates from the Red Flame Mountain.
After Wei Jiu obtained the Tempering Flame, he easily brought the elders of those sects under his control.
It was said that Emperor Su Yu also sent people to commend Wei Jiu for his painstaking efforts in obtaining the Flame for the sake of the masses, showing an intention to restore the Crimson Gate sect to good standing.
Wei Jiu had saved him before, which deserved some royal favor. This time, the extraordinary talents sent by Su Yu were nearly entirely annihilated, and now that demons were constantly emerging, Su Yu urgently needed powerful individuals to help him suppress the chaos. Naturally, he had to flatter Wei Jiu, the Demon Lord.
Furthermore, Su Yu had always been wary of the prestige of those righteous orthodox sects, fearing that they might overthrow his reign. If he could elevate the Crimson Gate through this opportunity, it would be a good counterbalance against those three declining major sects.
Now, Wei Jiu had already led the Crimson Gate sect out of the mountain and renamed the Tempering Flame to the Crimson Gate Sacred Fire. They were subduing and destroying demons along the way and gaining significant prestige.
Perhaps it won't be long for Wei Jiu to become the new highly sought-after Imperial advisor of his generation, after the War Goddess, Mu Qingge.
As for Elder Jiu, he couldn't return to Cuiwei Mountain at this time, and had to return to Xishan with them.
When he was almost sober, he finally explained everything clearly. Although the Soul-Cleansing Talisman could not be undone by another spiritual talisman, if the person affected by the charm fell deeply in love again with the person they have forgotten, the effect of the spiritual talisman would be automatically lifted.
After saying this, Elder Jiu also did his best to elaborate, "This deep love, means being together in life or in death, to be willing to die for the other. If Ranran encounters any danger next time, just use your chest to block the sword for her. If you are fortunate enough to survive, your memories will fully recover!"
Listening to this, Su Yi Shui's face turned very frosty. He couldn't even accept the possibility of having loved Mu Qingge before, so how could he fall deeply in love again? And he would even have to die for her by blocking a blade?
It's really truly, utterly, ridiculous!
Xue Ranran also smiled wryly as she listened.
She felt that Su Yi Shui might have really loved Mu Qingge in her past life. This kind of love that could sacrifice half of one's cultivation was undeniable.
But she was not Mu Qingge. She was just a fruit that fell from the Rebirth Tree, with her own skin and flesh as Xue Ranran.
Because of the memories and longing owing to the separation of life and death, in seeking solace, Su Yi Shui may have transferred his affections to her, and loved Xue Ranran.
And hence, there was his indulgence after being influenced by the Spirit Spring. Those memories had been sweet and beautiful, but were now bitter and sour to recall.
Now that Su Yi Shui lacked the deeply etched memories of Mu Qingge, Xue Ranran would mean nothing to him.
She couldn't even be like those silly maidens in books, to confront and question whether the fickle person had ever loved her.
A man who now remembers nothing, explicitly informed her of the depth of his love, completely removing the ambiguous unease in guessing the degree of affection. It was almost too honest to look directly upon.
After hearing Elder Jiu's words, Ranran again found a quiet hillside alone, gazing silently at the moon in the treetops to dispel her anguish.
Not too long later, someone sat down beside her. The man's cold voice said, "You've also heard the solution. If you really want me to remember, be more proactive. Do exactly what you did to beguile me back then."
Hearing the homework set by her former beloved disciple, the former Master of Xishan found it difficult to sustain her melancholy. She turned her head in surprise and asked softly, "Are you… implying that I seduced you?"
Su Yi Shui didn't think he was being unreasonable, merely stating calmly, "Isn't that so? In your past life, you have always liked good-looking young men, able to win hearts with just a few words. Although I'm not that kind of weak-minded person, I can't say for certain that you didn't use some extraordinary means to bewitch me when I was young and naive back then. Since it's like this, just do it again one more time."
Ranran was dumbfounded. Thinking carefully, in her memories, Shifu was the one who used his outstanding looks to bewitch her when she was young and naive!
As far as she could tell, there was indeed a fox spirit here, but unfortunately, it was a male fox spirit!
So she bluntly said, "Shifu, I can swear a soul oath that I have never tried to seduce you! Besides, you said the Soul Cleansing Talisman doesn't bother you much, so… why don't we just forget about it?"
Su Yi Shui felt that he had made a significant concession by coming over. But unexpectedly, this little demoness didn't appreciate it and even hinted in her words that he was the one who was desperately clinging onto and deeply infatuated with Mu Qingge!
Could it be that he had actively pursued Mu Qingge back then? Su Yi Shui became angry. Anyone with a brain couldn't write such an absurd scenario!
"Xue Ranran, don't push your luck! Is it really that proud to make the effort to claim about having a leg-up about this kind of matters?"
With the conversation reaching this point, the deep bond between master and disciple was about to be temporarily set aside.
Xue Ranran rolled up her sleeves, preparing to have a serious analysis with Su Yi Shui, "No… let's not talk about the present. Let's just talk about Mu Qingge in her past life. Shifu, you should have heard from second uncle master that Emperor Su Yu built such a splendid residence in Xishan just to win a smile from Mu Qingge. And the Demon Lord Wei Jiu was also awkwardly trying to win her favor. At that time, Shifu, apart from being more good-looking, you didn't seem to have any advantages! Although I don't remember my past life, I can imagine being surrounded by so many handsome young men… If you didn't put in more effort at that time, you probably wouldn't have stood a chance…"
When she reached the end of her analysis, Ranran's voice trailed into a lower pitch instinctively under Su Yi Shui's sharp gaze.
"Why? Are you very proud of bewitching so many men in your past life?"
Ranran was somewhat speechless at being cornered "I… I mean, it's my past life, it has nothing to do with who I am now… Even if I get married, I will have to wait for my mother to arrange it for me…"
Due to the issue of who seduced whom in the past, their moonlit heart-to-heart conversation ended on a sour note.
For the next few days, the two of them remained silent, not speaking to each other.
Even Elder Jiu could see that they were having a tiff, and he chuckled, "See, the Soul-Cleansing Talisman is also a touchstone talisman. No matter how deep the love, it's just each taking what they need. If you easily forget and part ways, it's also good!"
After hearing his words, Su Yi Shui glanced at the old man, then gestured with his long finger and spilled the wine that Ranran had brought for Elder Jiu onto the roots of a tree.
This made Elder Jiu jump in anger, cursing Su Yi Shui for being despicable!
After their fierce battle on Red Flame Mountain, everyone was somewhat worn out. When they left the territory of Crimson Gate, Su Yi Shui instructed Yuchen and the others to buy a carriage to transport Yue Sheng.
Ranran also had them change their clothes and shoes and wash them by the stream.
While washing the clothes, Qiu Xier saw Ranran staring blankly at the shoes in her hand, seemingly lost in thought. She couldn't help but nudge her and then signaled with her eyes that their master was looking sideways at her from the other side of the stream.
Considering that the two of them hadn't spoken or interacted for several days, Su Yi Shui's face became increasingly sullen, frightening the uncle masters and fellow disciples not to even breathe loudly.
Unfortunately, the usually sweet-talking Ranran seemed to have lost her wit this time and didn't try to cheer their master up.
If this awkwardness continued, perhaps Xishan would really witness a tragic drama of killing a disciple to right a wrong.
Feeling that she had perhaps gone a little too far these past few days, Ranran slowly put down the shoes and then lightly jumped over the stream, coming to Su Yi Shui's side.
Qiu Xier couldn't help but look at the two of them with a subtle atmosphere, sweating for Ranran.
But the two of them didn't speak, just slightly moved their throats for a while before going to a nearby grove of trees one after the other.
Qiu Xier, seeing their throats move, also guessed that they were using voice channeling to communicate, and others couldn't hear what they were saying.
She sighed, "What should we do? Junior sister has suddenly become our demonic Grandmaster. Will Master bully his Master?"
Gao Cang, who was helping her make *soap nearby, felt like Xier's words were like a tongue twister and said foolishly, "Junior sister is so adorable, how could Master bear to scold her?"
*猪油胰子 is 肥皂
Before too long, Su Yi Shui and Ranran came out of the woods.
Perhaps because they had cleared up the misunderstanding, the impasse between the two seemed to have eased a little after that day.
Finally, two days later, Yue Sheng has regained consciousness. Ranran asked Shen Kuo and Qiu Xier to fetch some clean water from the stream.
Then she changed Yue Sheng's bandages while casually asking, "When we went up Red Flame Mountain, junior brother Shen Kuo stayed by your side all the time, didn't he?"
Yue Sheng struggled to remember. "My wound was too painful at the time. Shen Kuo said he had some calming pills, and after I took them, I fell asleep. When I woke up, it was when Master and you all came back… My life is completely over now… You shouldn't have saved me, it would have been better if I died then!"
Ranran glanced at him. "If you really had a death wish, when we faced the Five Fiends Formation, you wouldn't have abandoned us and rushed to leave with Old Feng, the person with Yin-Yang Eyes. If entering the formation was a gamble, you should be willing to accept the consequences. You were lucky to come out alive; you can't blame us for saving you and then giving up on yourself!"
If the former arrogant Yue Sheng had heard this, he would have stomped his feet in protest by now. But now, hearing this, he felt ashamed.
If he had trusted Master and followed them into the most dangerous North Gate, he probably wouldn't have ended up like this? Thinking of this, the young man looked at his severed arm and burst into tears, whispering, "Senior sister, I'm disfigured now and disabled. Will you… not like me anymore?"
Hmm… Ranran helplessly shook her head. "Even if you weren't disfigured, I still wouldn't like you. When we get back, I'll ask Fourteen uncle master to make you a well crafted prosthetic limb. Maybe it can help with basic daily activities. Cultivation is about transcending the physical body in the first place. If your body was meant to be discarded, why care about its condition? As long as you're alive, even left with only one aspiring breath, you can still maintain your dignity! If you see fourteen uncle master with his disabled hands, you'll know that it doesn't matter being physically disabled. If your spirit is disabled, that's truly beyond remedy!"
Ranran's tone was always gentle, but her words were firm. Hearing this, the despondent and dejected Yue Sheng felt a lot more at ease in his heart.
The next day when they were about to set off, Yue Sheng, who had been lying half-dead in the carriage, even got up and tried to help Qiu Xier and the others with their tasks using his other hand.
Actually, along the way back, Yutong had been on edge. She and her brother's gazes always unconsciously scrutinized Xue Ranran.
Upon closer inspection, there was that feeling of awakening from a dream, wondering how she had been so blind before.
Although Xue Ranran seemed to have undergone significant changes in appearance compared to her past life, her gaze was very much the same.
And that calm and composed demeanor was also exactly the same, and her persuasive eloquence has been inherited completely.
Especially when she lazily lay down, eating snacks on a big rock! She was plainly Mu Qingge herself!
Yutong didn't talk to Ranran any more now. She was not deliberately ignoring her, but really more not knowing what to say.
Only those involved in the situation knew the subtlety. Ranran felt that she really shouldn't return to Xishan anymore.
So, when the group returned to Xishan, during a break in their cultivation exercises, Ranran tactfully expressed her thoughts to Su Yi Shui. If he agreed, she wanted to go back to spend the last bit of time she had left with her parents.
They didn't have any children of their own, just this one adopted child, so she wanted to accompany them properly.
Su Yi Shui listened to her farewell, which sounded like her last words, and felt unhappy deep down.
He didn't even look at the young girl standing by the bookcase. As he tidied the bookshelf, he said, "Since you are Mu Qingge, I naturally can't have you as my disciple anymore. From this day forth, you are expelled from Xishan."
Ranran had only wanted to bid farewell and cherish the time she had left, but she didn't expect Su Yi Shui to be so unfeeling and actually expel her from Xishan!
In other words, in the time Su Yi Shui had started to accept disciples, the first one he would expel was actually her, Xue Ranran!
Hearing this, Ranran quickly glanced at Su Yi Shui and said, "I don't have long left. What's the harm to let me be associated with the name of Xishan? Must you expel me…"
Su Yi Shui vigorously dusted the non-existent dust on the bookshelf with a chicken feather duster. He said coldly, "Since you are already so detached about life and death, why care about being linked to the reputation of Xishan?"
Ranran felt that what Su Yi Shui said made sense. For someone who was going to die soon, there was indeed no need to care about the stigma of being a traitor to Xishan… Strictly speaking, she must be the only grandmaster ever to be driven out of the sect by her former disciple in the entire world.
She sighed softly, then turned around intending to go pack her luggage. But Su Yi Shui turned around and asked, "Where are you going?"
Ranran muttered, "Since I'm no longer a disciple of Xishan, how can I continue eating your food? I'll pack my things and leave right away."
Su Yi Shui sat back on his chair. "Where are you planning to go?"
Ranran looked out the window and said, "Naturally I'm going to find my parents. The taste of glutinous rice in Jiangnan is best at this time, making steamed cakes is very delicious. I will get a boat and travel along the Nan River, shop during the day, and stay overnight on the boat…"
She had sure thought it out thoroughly. This kind of journey filled with shopping and eating sounded beautiful just thinking about it.
It's ironic that she had encouraged Yue Sheng to pull himself together the other day, but when it came to herself, she was so dispirited, only thinking about seeking death?
He didn't say anything more, just coldly told her to leave the room.
The argument between the two could be heard from the study, causing the disciples in the martial grounds to look at each other and glance over there frequently.
Ranran lifted her head to look at the man with frosty expression… After this parting, they probably won't see each other again in the future.
It's not that she was in despair and seeking death, but her body was like a bottomless pit, truly a burden to him.
Now that someone was plotting something devious behind the scenes. If Su Yi Shui didn't make adequate preparations, he might be dragged down by her.
So Ranran felt that leaving was the best choice. It seemed that he now understood this as well. Also since knowing that she was Mu Qingge, he probably felt thoroughly disgusted in his heart.
By expelling her like this instead of taking back the cultivation of his golden core, it could be considered as fulfilling their bond between master and disciple of two lifetimes…
Since realizing that all of this was the best choice, Xue Ranran didn't hesitate when she packed up her things.
However, when she returned to the courtyard, she found that the Rebirth Tree in her courtyard had been dug up.
After asking Qiu Xier, she learned that it was Shifu who had senior uncle master dig it up. As for where it was transplanted to, Qiu Xier didn't know either.
Without this tree, Ranran's body would be even more difficult to sustain.
But this tree belonged to Su Yi Shui. If he didn't want to give it, she couldn't ask for it. Fortunately, there were still two portions of roots in her room, which should barely be enough to support her to return to see her parents…
So, after packing her luggage, Ranran left a farewell letter to her senior brothers and sisters and left.
When she was leaving, Su Yi Shui announced that he was entering seclusion, and spiritual shields were placed on the mountaintop. Even Yutong couldn't get close, so there was no further need to bid farewell to Shifu.
Ranran didn't want to go through the whole process of a dramatic farewell, so she quietly left by herself.
But when she left the Xishan Mountain Gate, someone behind her called out, "Senior sister, please wait!"
Ranran turned around and saw junior Shen Kuo who had followed her down the mountain without her knowing: "Senior sister, why are you leaving with your luggage?"
Ranran smiled faintly, "Yesterday at dinner, didn't second uncle master passed down Shifu's instructions and announced that I was expelled from Xishan? I'm no longer a disciple of Xishan, so naturally, I have to go back to my parents."
Shen Kuo's face showed a look of sadness. "I heard third senior sister mention about the grievances between you and Master, but maybe Master was just angry for a moment. He didn't say he wanted to drive you off the mountain. Your vitality is really unstable now. What are we going to do if you leave by yourself and encounter danger? No, even if you insist on leaving, I must escort you. I won't let you go alone."
Ranran looked at the sincerity on Shen Kuo's fair face, considered for a moment, then said hesitatingly, "If you insist, then let's go together. This would be just right. I was going to ask Uncle master Zeng yi to make a prosthetic limb for junior brother Yue Sheng, so you can bring it back then."
After reaching an agreement with her former junior brother, Shen Kuo didn't even go back to the sect and directly left with Ranran.
In his words, his light body technique had already reached a high level, so even with two trips to go forth and back, it wouldn't take too long. With Master in seclusion and no one supervising them, it was just right for him to escort senior sister back home.
The journey went relatively smoothly. Ranran couldn't afford to casually expend true qi now, so Shen Kuo hired a carriage at the foot of the mountain to take her.
Sitting in the carriage, since they had nothing else to do, Ranran chatted with Shen Kuo, "Did you grow up on Red Flame Mountain when you were young?"
Shen Kuo shook his head. He was the descendant of the former Crimson Gate Leader. When the old master had been killed by Wei Jiu, he hadn't been born yet, so he had never stayed on Red Flame Mountain.
Ranran hummed a song for a while, then suddenly said, "Since you've never been to Red Flame Mountain and are not familiar with the terrain there, how did you manage to go up and down the mountain in less than an hour?"
Shen Kuo was puzzled by the question, "Fourth senior sister, what are you talking about? Why don't I understand?"
Ranran looked at him and said, "Do you remember when I brought everyone's clothes and shoes to wash at the creek? I found something interesting. The soles of the shoes of senior brother and the others were stained with the unique red clay from the top of Red Flame Mountain, which was very difficult to wash. But junior Yue Sheng, who didn't go up the mountain, had clean shoes. However, you… who were supposedly taking care of junior Yue down the mountain, your shoes also had red clay. Junior brother, can you explain to me what happened?"
Shen Kuo was at a loss for a moment. Then his face filled with shame as he said, "Senior sister, I was wrong. I indeed didn't take good care of junior brother. At that time, he had fallen asleep. I was bored and also worried about you all. So I left Yue Sheng one time to investigate, but I got lost up there and came back down. I know it was wrong to leave him alone by himself. I won't dare to do it again in the future."
Ranran shook her head. "You weren't bored; you were scheming carefully. That's why you gave Yue Sheng a sleeping pill, deliberately creating an alibi and going up the Red Flame Mountain. I asked Yue Sheng, and he said he fell asleep when the sun was high, exactly when Shifu and I accidentally went in the crevice. When you secretly went up the mountain at that time, what were you planning to do? And the tub of enhanced golden water, you also secretly drained it, didn't you?"
Shen Kuo chuckled lowly, his usually shy and reserved demeanor now tainted with a sinister aura.
"Fourth senior sister, you're really wasting your talents not becoming a magistrate for criminal cases. Just an oversight on the soles of shoes have led you to so many conclusions. Yes, I did sneak up the mountain. After all, welcoming the bones of the Demon King is an important event. To take it away under the noses of everyone on Red Flame Mountain requires some effort. As for that golden water… if it weren't for your meddling, our grand plan would have been accomplished by now, and why would I need to waste time talking to you here?"
Ranran stood upright now, looking at him warily. "Who exactly are you?"