Chapter 4

Why?

"Ah, that's good." She replied cheerfully, not feeling at all that I was punishing her... I looked up at the sky in silence, a female disciple so naive to this extent... In the end, she still went against the name I had given her.

I remain silent. Of course, I believe in Qiangu, as he is my first disciple, a student whom I have wholeheartedly taught. He can even be regarded as my greatest pride, something I would boast about for a lifetime. Although he later went astray, if one were to be precise, Qiangu actually did nothing wrong.

In those years, hearing this phrase could make one turn pale for three days

When the younger generation at the foot of the mountain came to me for the thousandth time to report that my granduncle was fighting with a certain uncle again, I could only wearily wave my hand and say: "Go ahead, if you win, I will deal with her; if you lose, you can just handle it yourselves." I had only one instruction: "Don't kill her."

Qian Ling covered her mouth and hesitated for a long time before telling me: "I went to Lingxu Cave to play with my second senior brother"

Go clean the study. I punished her, saying, "Clean it properly."

If there is a mistake, it is entirely my fault

"Master, who is this man? What is this posture you are in..." Qian Ling laughed heartily, "It is truly beautiful!"

Qian Ling scratched his head and smiled innocently: "However, it is worth mentioning that even after so many years since Senior Brother left the sect, Master still seems to have great trust in him in his words..."

However, after returning to the grand hall where I had lived for several hundred years and staying for a few days, the courtyard was devoid of the incessant chirping of the thousand stops, and there were no ancient figures pausing at the door to observe my silhouette. This mountaintop seemed to have suddenly fallen into a profound silence.

I have wandered the world for five or six years, hearing various rumors from the rivers and lakes. Throughout history, the reputation of the demonic path has been on the rise, seemingly poised to establish itself as a formidable faction. During this time, the Red String of Fate has assisted him considerably.

Qianling was taken aback for a long time after hearing my serious and earnest words: "So, Master, you have quite a few considerations in your heart..."

I did not explicitly prohibit visiting Qianling or Qianzhi, but I merely smirked and said: "You may play, but remember the principle: he must not be let out"

I caught a glimpse of the painting in her hand. In the scroll, a woman with a complexion like rouge lies back beside a willow-fringed wine pool, being secretly kissed by a man. I nearly gasped for breath in my chest.

Listen, is this something a daughter should say! I was seething with anger inside, but since this matter is a hidden wound in my heart, I lied without changing my expression: "The person in the painting is me, and the one who painted it is also me. This man is the dream of my youthful and reckless teacher, a figment of imagination that is no longer useful. Burn it, please."

Is this what a delicate and pampered daughter should say! I let out a sigh and set down the book. I look at her now and think back to her appearance as a child

Since that time, life continued as usual, but the instances of Qianling causing trouble gradually decreased. I thought that this girl had learned to grow up on her own, yet suddenly one day, after showing off a new spell she had learned, Qianling sighed, saying: "I practiced for three months to reach this level, but I heard that back in the day, Senior Brother only took a few hours to master this technique. I really am far behind."

On that day, when Qianling was tidying up the study, she dragged out a large box. It was the first time I had seen such an object, so I asked her, "What is this?"

Time and again, she causes trouble; I have initially educated her with gentle words, and have scolded her with a cold demeanor. I have repeated the phrase, "If you continue like this, I will expel you from the school," a thousand or eighteen hundred times, yet it has had no effect on her whatsoever

I don't know, it was dug out from a corner of the study's attic, and it seems that no one has touched it for a long time. I am afraid it might get moldy, so I will take it out to dry in the sun. " As she spoke, she opened the box, which was filled with a stack of scrolls. Upon unfolding them, every painting depicted the same woman's face, whether standing majestically on a mountain peak or lying on a bed, her expression, whether smiling or angry, always carried a hint of nonchalance and carelessness.

Compared to the concerns of the younger generation, I tend to have faith in the timeless character, and even knowing that he has fallen into darkness, I still believe in him

Then I traveled the world.

Once I finish speaking, I will return to the Pinnacle of Ethereality

Children nowadays are becoming increasingly difficult to manage

The younger generation of the Ethereal Sect fears that ancient grudges will lead to personal vendettas, gathering the forces of evil and heresy to attack our Ethereal Sect. The ancients are well aware of all the secrets of our Ethereal Sect and are familiar with all our techniques. If they were to act maliciously and break our Ethereal Sect's seals, allowing the source of evil to leak, it would indeed lead to a major catastrophe

On the last day, Qianling still managed to win back. With one eye swollen, she proudly told me: "Master, those scoundrels down there bullied the kitchen's cleaning boy again, so I helped the boy fight back. Let's see if they dare to bully the weak again; I won't let them off easily!"

He has concealed many matters throughout the ages

Qianling looked at the Second Senior Brother inside the jade iron fence and nodded

Your second senior brother has an unstable temperament. Keeping him confined serves two purposes: first, to stabilize his mind, and second... if he were to be released, he would undoubtedly rush towards the demonic path. He is unlike your eldest senior brother, who possesses a resilient mind and has a clear measure of right and wrong within himself. He would not engage in actions that are harmful to himself, to the ethereal, or to the world. Your second senior brother... is too easily swayed by others

She is a girl with excellent qualifications, lively by nature yet honest and kind. I named her Qianling. I do not wish for her to be renowned throughout the ages, nor do I expect her to be overly self-restrained. I only hope that she can live up to her great talents and be a charming and delightful girl.

Profound

I shot her a glance and said, "Do you think that I, as a master for these few hundred years, have lived in vain, doing things without using my brain like you?"

I was taken aback: "How did you know?"

After careful consideration, I have taken on another disciple in the fields and mountains.

I took her back to the Pinnacle of Ethereality and informed her that she had an elder brother who had already fallen into the path of darkness. I also led her to see the second elder brother, who was imprisoned in the Lingxu Cave, with his hair and beard grown long. I told Qianling: "You are a girl, do not become like them"

"Master, these are all you." Qianling unfolded a painting and suddenly burst into laughter, "Ah, this painting is truly lifelike. Master, look at yourself."

Sigh... I feel so overwhelmed!

She rubbed her nose: "Fists are more convenient"

He sulked like a child, not even looking at me

My third disciple is full of energy... too much energy

But now these matters are all external affairs; as long as I do not encounter the ethereal seal, everything else is of little concern to me

Years ago, a tactile sensation that only existed in my mind suddenly transformed into a painting that intruded into my field of vision, which truly caused a sense of panic. I stood by the door for a while, and suddenly caught a whiff of smoke. Peering through the crack of the door, I saw that Qianling had cast a spell, completely incinerating those scrolls.

I glanced at her and said, "Can we solve the problem using our brains?"

I do not know how Yue Lao Hong managed to manipulate Qian Gu into the demonic path. However, I can roughly imagine that she merely used the cold words of the Immortal Sect and your master's ungratefulness to instill resentment in Qian Gu, leading him to stray into the wrong path

Qian Ling looked at me strangely: "Master didn't even know what was in this box just now..."

I waved my hand and said, "There is currently no incident, and it is futile to make baseless suspicions. If he ever dares to offend me in the future, I will surely slay him under my sword."

I cannot stay here any longer, so I went to Lingxu Cave to ask Qianzhi: "Do you know your mistake? If you acknowledge your mistake, I will let you out. If you do not know your mistake, I will keep you here and then travel the world myself."

I twitched the corner of my mouth, but ultimately suppressed all my emotions, sitting in the room and sighing for an entire afternoon

Shutting the door, I dared to let my old face blush without restraint.

I got up and returned to the house: "It's burning, it's burning"

With extraordinary innate talent, he had attained an immortal body at an early age, and after falling into demonic ways, his cultivation progressed at an astonishing rate

I have been wandering alone in the world, and after a long time, I find it rather dull. I have carefully reflected on the matter of taking disciples over the past few decades and suddenly feel quite a sense of failure. One disciple has developed an affection for me that has crossed boundaries, while another disciple, though not crossing those boundaries, has ended up harboring grievances. In the end, it appears that no one has inherited my legacy.

In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed. During this decade, I have finally developed profound doubts about my character, judgment, and educational abilities