Su Zhuyi collected pills, spirit stones, and some materials from the Treasure Peak. She planned to return and begin crafting straw man substitutes, as well as drawing some talismans and array disks to replace what she had lost in the Sword Tomb. When it came to life-saving measures, naturally the more the better.

When she entered her room, she saw Little Skull sneakily embroidering something.

Su Zhuyi moved closer to look, and Little Skull hurriedly hid what he was holding behind his back. But he was just a skeleton frame—transparent—and he forgot to use a spiritual qi barrier to block it. Without even using divine sense, she could see what he held in his hands.

A handkerchief?

“Where did you get this?” Su Zhuyi pointed at the handkerchief, asking with some confusion.

This was Silver Moon Silk woven from ice silkworm threads. A complete bolt of Silver Moon Silk was worth as much as an immortal sword. Years ago, there was an immortal treasure in the cultivation world called “Flowers Bloom, Moon Full,” preserved in the cave dwelling of a cultivator who had fallen tens of thousands of years ago. After changing hands several times, the treasure’s whereabouts became unknown. But Su Zhuyi knew it was a silk flower crafted from Silver Moon Silk—meaning Silver Moon Silk was an immortal-grade crafting material. Although the piece in Little Skull’s hands was very small, it could easily be exchanged for a high-grade spiritual treasure.

Seeing he couldn’t hide it, Little Skull could only bring out the handkerchief. “The silkworm on the mountain spun the threads and even wove the cloth itself.”

Although Little Skull looked quite ugly, his aura was very pure, so being welcomed by spirit beasts was normal. She just hadn’t expected that Luoxue Peak was hiding ice silkworms. For such a small piece of handkerchief, that ice silkworm would have had to weave for a hundred years. To actively give it to Little Skull—it was quite generous indeed.

But what did Little Skull plan to do with such a small piece? It wouldn’t even be enough to sew underwear.

“What are you planning to make?”

Little Skull fidgeted a bit. “A handkerchief. Little sister often cries, so she can wipe her tears.”

As his words fell, a cold voice came from behind them: “Next time she cries…”

Little Skull saw Qinghe standing outside the window with a gloomy expression, looking like an evil ghost with a green face and fangs from a nightmare. Frightened, his whole body shuddered, his bones making clattering sounds.

“Next time someone makes her cry, I’ll kill whoever made her cry.” Qinghe stood outside the window with a murderous aura, his voice cold as ice picks that could stab into one’s heart, freezing enough to make teeth chatter and bodies shiver. He stared at Little Skull, saying word by word: “What use is a handkerchief?”

Little Skull seemed to go limp, pitifully clinging to her as he stood. If not for leaning on Su Zhuyi, he would probably have been scared enough to collapse on the ground.

Su Zhuyi: “…”

No wonder Little Skull was always afraid of him. She had seen how all the spirit beasts on the mountain liked Little Skull for his pure and flawless nature. Only Qinghe seemed consistently cold toward Little Skull. This was probably the incompatibility between good and evil.

Qinghe took another deep look at Little Skull, then turned to glance lightly at Su Zhuyi.

He had heard about what happened with Master and junior sister while he was away. He rushed back overnight and learned from the sect master what had occurred that day. Qinghe had almost been unable to suppress his killing intent. When he returned to Luoxue Peak, he didn’t go directly to see Master but first calmed his mind in the snow for a while. Only then did he sit outside Master’s door for half the night, waiting until dawn before coming to Su Zhuyi’s side.

He hadn’t been there at the time.

The master was severely injured.

Su Zhuyi was only at the Golden Core stage.

So they had no choice and were nearly bullied by people from the Dong Fushang Sect.

But Little Skull had been there, and Little Skull was very strong. Yet he didn’t kill and wouldn’t attack anyone—this seemed utterly ridiculous to Qinghe. This was also why Qinghe had never liked Little Skull. Compared to this pure and kind ghost creature, he appreciated his little junior sister more. However, this time, she had thrown dirty water on Master.

And Master had taken the blame for him.

He couldn’t tell if he was happy or angry. Qinghe didn’t like anyone saying even half a bad word about Master, but he also had no reason to blame Su Zhuyi. Right now, evil fire burned in his heart, making him want to immediately destroy the Suyue Sect and slaughter the Dong Fushang Sect, leaving them without complete corpses, scattered to ash and smoke.

Seeing black qi surging behind Qinghe as he stared coldly at Little Skull with an expression of nearly losing control, Su Zhuyi steadied herself. She placed her hand on Little Skull’s trembling shoulder blade, gently pressing down, then called out cheerfully toward the window: “Master, you came?”

Qinghe was slightly stunned. “Master hasn’t awakened.”

“Yes, but she will wake up at any time.” Su Zhuyi smiled and waved her hand. “Come in quickly—I have something to discuss with you.”

“I know you want to destroy the Suyue Sect.” Looking at Qinghe’s expression, Su Zhuyi understood his thoughts. She chuckled twice, her eyes narrowing with a cold glint flashing in them. “I want to as well.”

“But you can’t kill people. If you kill, your murderous and resentful qi will become thicker. If you can’t control the Longquan Sword, the Master will suffer more.”

“I don’t have that ability either.” Su Zhuyi said, hooking her finger. “But I thought of a method.”

She told Qinghe her plan. “So you just need to go to Hehuan Sect now, deliver this jade slip to Xun Huan, the sect master of Hehuan Sect, and get him to agree.”

Qinghe was silent for a moment. “Where does your confidence come from?”

He quietly gazed at Su Zhuyi. “You even know where the Hehuan Sect master likes to stay. A demonic cultivator who has taken over a body?”

After capturing Zhang Enning, Zhang Enning had kept saying this, and he actually believed it too. After all, Su Zhuyi was only sixteen now—she couldn’t possibly know so much. Originally she was a little girl who could barely survive, despised by people and dogs alike. Suddenly she became a different person, making corpses come back to life, killing without blinking, smashing corpse heads with a hoe like mashing garlic.

Su Zhuyi remained calm and unhurried. She raised an eyebrow with an evil smile. “Does it matter? The Longquan Sword?”

Qinghe looked at Su Zhuyi.

Su Zhuyi also looked at Qinghe.

After staring at each other for a long time, Qinghe’s face showed a faint smile that disappeared in a flash, ephemeral as an evening flower. He nodded and said coldly: “Yes, I will make him agree.”

Su Zhuyi was startled by that smile.

She felt like that smile hid ice-cold knives, more frightening than not smiling at all. Su Zhuyi silently lit a stick of incense in her heart for Sect Master Xun Huan of Hehuan Sect. They had dealt with each other before—hopefully, you’ll be sensible, then you won’t be tortured too badly. After all, that guy Qinghe was the human weapon Longquan Sword.

After Qinghe agreed, he went to find Sect Master Xun Huan of Hehuan Sect. After he left, Little Skull pointed at his finger bones and asked Su Zhuyi in a low voice: “Little sister, did I fail to protect you properly?”

Well, in that day’s situation, it was better for Little Skull not to show himself. After all, he was a ghost creature—even with a pure aura, he was still a ghost creature. If he had appeared then, it would have been hard to explain, and they might have been accused of raising and refining corpses.

But Su Zhuyi didn’t expect Little Skull to be of much help anyway. He wouldn’t dare step on even an ant—what use could he be? He should just stay home embroidering flowers and sewing underwear. She hadn’t put much effort into caring for him anyway, and now she fed him fewer spirit stones. The spirit beasts on the mountain had good relationships with him and provided him with good food and drink.

Keeping Little Skull was at least better than Peak Master Yi’s golden sparrow.

“No.” Su Zhuyi shook her head. “You’re still young. You don’t need to protect us right now.”

“I promised little uncle.” Little Skull lowered his head. “But I didn’t do it.”

Two small green flames appeared in his eye sockets. “Next time, I, I will definitely beat them down.” Little Skull said with determination.

Su Zhuyi patted his head without speaking.

She didn’t need others’ protection, so she wouldn’t take these words to heart either.

In the evening, Qinghe returned. He said the matter had been arranged and Xun Huan had agreed. Next, they just needed to wait.

As the senior brother and junior sister were discussing bad deeds in the room, they suddenly sensed Master awakening. Qinghe whooshed away like a ray of light and disappeared. Su Zhuyi also got up, pulled out Little Skull, who had already hidden under the blankets upon seeing Qinghe appear, and brought him along to see Luo Ying.

They tidied up the room, and when going out, they greeted Qin Jianglan’s stone tablet and tossed a fruit to it. Su Zhuyi also said: “Who would have thought? Now people are even painting my portrait for blessings. In a few days I’ll paint you too and hang it by the door—it can also ward off evil.”

“Yes, hang little uncle up so green-faced, fang-toothed monsters can’t enter!” Little Skull said, clenching his fists.

Hehe, you have confidence in your little uncle.

They continued walking slowly for a while. When they reached Luo Ying’s room, Su Zhuyi saw that Qinghe was already kneeling outside the door.

“Master?” Su Zhuyi was somewhat surprised, then saw Luo Ying walk out wearing a cloak. She glanced at Su Zhuyi, then at Qinghe, and slowly said: “Go to the Punishment Hall.”

“Punishment Hall?”

“For stealing the sect’s treasure, the Sword Heart Stone—one hundred lashes with the Spirit Refining Whip.” Luo Ying’s brow furrowed slightly as she said coolly.

Qinghe had stolen the Sword Heart Stone ten years ago and still hadn’t been punished. Now that Luo Ying had awakened, the first thing she thought of was dealing with Qinghe and also disciplining herself.

Qinghe knelt in place without a sound, completely restraining his murderous aura. But for some reason, Su Zhuyi felt that Qinghe at this moment was somewhat frightening. This was specifically shown by how Little Skull, who had been properly holding her hand, was now hiding his body behind her.

Little Skull had previously dealt with the Longquan Sword and had always been resistant to that evil qi, finding it terrifying. In his eyes, Qinghe looked scary with his green face and fangs, so usually when Qinghe was around, he was very timid. The thicker Qinghe’s murderous aura, the clearer he sensed it, and the more afraid he appeared. Therefore, Su Zhuyi now felt something was wrong with Qinghe, though she didn’t know what Luo Ying had just said to him.

Su Zhuyi worried Qinghe might be exposed, so she had Little Skull wrap another layer of spiritual qi around Qinghe.

The Spirit Refining Whip was a severe punishment in the Gujian Sect.

It struck not only the physical body but also the primordial spirit. After a hundred lashes, even a Nascent Soul stage cultivator’s primordial spirit would be severely damaged, requiring at least several decades of recovery. However, Luo Ying’s punishment was also fair, because the Sword Heart Stone was too important to the Gujian Sect. Stealing the Sword Heart Stone was an enormous crime—if he hadn’t returned it intact, dying ten thousand times wouldn’t be enough, and being cut into pieces would be considered light.

Qinghe could endure a hundred lashes—he wouldn’t die—but if he forcibly endured a hundred beatings and his primordial spirit was damaged, the hard-won balance between him and the Longquan Sword would be broken. Then even Little Skull couldn’t conceal the murderous aura on his body. Most critically, if Qinghe lost control and went on a killing rampage…

Su Zhuyi felt her brain aching.

Every time she fought desperately to twist fate, why was it that just as she managed to pull things slightly off course, there was a tendency to return to the original position?