Chapter 82: Once the Seeds of Doubt Are Sown - I Forged Them in Darkness, and They Buried Me in It

Chapter 82: Once the Seeds of Doubt Are Sown For reasons unbeknownst to herself, Su Chi Chi made no sound as she walked quietly towards the small hut she and her master had built together back in those days. The girl's figure was already delicate, and she deliberately controlled her steps. Yet, she knew it was impossible to conceal her presence from her master. So why had he not come out to see her yet? With this question in mind, Su Chi Chi approached the window step by step. She sensed someone inside, right in what used to be her bedroom. Gently tiptoeing, she craned her neck forward. In the next moment, her dark pupils constricted sharply. ... ... That stark white was truly dazzling. In the suddenness of the moment, Chen An genuinely hadn't anticipated Chu Qing Li pulling such a maneuver. For the first time, he stood stunned for several seconds until the woman lowered her head in a blush and softly asked, "Aren't we starting?" Even as Chen An's mind raced through hundreds of possibilities, he couldn't grasp what nonsense she was up to. "What are you doing?" He refrained from taking action, instead using spiritual power to drape her clothes back over her, covering most of the scene. Chu Qing Li blinked, looking confused, "Isn't this for healing?" Chen An, at a loss for words, couldn't help but flick her forehead with his finger. "Who told you healing requires getting undressed?" Chu Qing Li uttered an unsure sound of surprise. Shyly, she wringed her hands. "Well, you see, in those romance novels, that's how it's described. The male protagonist heals the female protagonist, and they have to undress..." "There's skin-to-skin contact, and sometimes, involves... tongues..." Chen An, speechless, thought to himself that she was really just an innocent girl who knew nothing but devoted cultivation. For a sword maiden like her, he thought, one candy might trick her a dozen times over. He quipped, "Stop, stop, stop—is your novel even legitimate?" Chu Qing Li pursed her lips, somewhat uncertain, "It should be, possibly, maybe... legitimate?" She tilted her head, eyes fixed unblinkingly on Chen An. Chen An suddenly turned his head to look out the window. Chu Qing Li followed, only to see the blue sky beyond. Other than the gentle breeze, there was nothing. “What are you looking at?” She asked in confusion. Chen An shook his head, "Nothing." He then reached out, taking hold of Chu Qing Li's hand. The woman was startled by this and instinctively wanted to pull back, applying force to break free. Yet in the next second, Chu Qing Li restrained herself. She let Chen An proceed. A massive, unimaginable pure spiritual power slowly seeped into Chu Qing Li's body through her palm. It encompassed everything like an ocean, engulfing all the chaotic sword energy and spells within her spiritual platform. Then, it assimilated them one by one, feeding them back into Chu Qing Li's body. Feeling the changes within, Chu Qing Li widened her eyes. She involuntarily shifted in her seat, whispering to Chen An, "It tickles." Chen An raised an eyebrow. "Ticklish? Endure it." "Oh." Perhaps Chen An's tone was a bit stern, which made Chu Qing Li reply with a slightly aggrieved "oh." The room fell silent once again. For a moment, the only sound was their subtle breaths. Chen An divided his focus, tending to Chu Qing Li's condition while his spiritual body ascended above the house. His spirit was invisible, and apart from Shenzhou's hidden sect patriarchs, it was unlikely anyone could perceive him. Watching a certain girl's resolute departing figure, he murmured to himself. "I wonder if she misunderstood." “Yet, it doesn't matter. This small thing isn't crucial...” Chen An furrowed his brows, knowing nothing of the girl's subsequent steps. He only knew that the time to part was nearing, but the how and the when remained unknown to him. Because everything, all of it, wasn't fixed. Even the true way of heaven could only steer the general direction. Ultimately, it depended on the girl's own choice. Only Su Chi Chi herself knew. And a radically bold and insane idea was brewing wildly in her mind. It was a seed deeply buried three years ago when she obtained a recording stone. An excised, bloody memory. The vivid past captured by the recording stone. The cruel massacre of all 361 households in Su Clan Village. A river of blood, a hell on earth. It seemed as if she was transported back to her childhood, witnessing it all anew. In the depths of her dark eyes, flames seemed to burn endlessly. Her eyes reddened. ... ... "Once the seeds of doubt are sown, they will inevitably take root and sprout." "It doesn't matter." In his consciousness, Chen An casually chatted with the system. "...Alright." The system hesitated for quite some time before uttering a single word. "You don't have to do anything with what's left. Just wait quietly." The man stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance. The mountain breeze stirred his robe. "Let her be," he said. ... ... After descending the mountain, Su Chi Chi sought out the mysterious entity, neither human nor ghost. When they first met, the entity had claimed to be the contemporary master of the Demonic Sect. It wanted to recruit Su Chi Chi, promising the resurgence of the Demonic Sect's former glory, to cause upheaval in Shenzhou. Naturally, Su Chi Chi wasn't one for such boredom, promptly refusing. However, after witnessing that scene today, she felt somewhat shaken. She didn’t know what was shaking her, or why. She couldn't explain. It was like many events in the world; even those at the epicenter often can't articulate or clarify. In any case, she felt particularly perturbed. Profoundly nauseated. And all along, there had been a voice in her heart, seducing, imploring. "He's not your master at all; he's the one who murdered your biological parents!" "He is your mortal enemy!" "What are you waiting for?" Su Chi Chi knew those words sprang from her inner demon. An inner demon was formless and often arose during a cultivator's self-doubt and deadlock. Until the day she confronts that man, the inner demon would only grow madder each day, eventually consuming her entirely. If it had been before, faced with such a problem of the inner demon. Su Chi Chi would have undoubtedly turned to her master for help. But now she didn’t. She had lost that initial trust in him. She was unwilling and afraid to ask. Furthermore, even if she heeded the inner demon's seduction, upon what grounds could she act? He was a true celestial being on earth, exuding the aura of a celestial exile. With a mere wave of his hand, he could rend the sky and uproot mountains and seas. The Demonic Sect master, hearing Su Chi Chi's thoughts, couldn't help but sneer. "No matter. To him, you're still that innocent disciple unaware of anything." "I have a plan to make the righteous four factions unite against him." "No matter how divine his powers, facing the full-scale siege of the four great factions, even if he doesn’t perish, he’ll certainly show a flaw." The voice was hoarse, resonating with endless malice. (End of Chapter)