Evaporates "So you still don't treat your disciples as family... or rather, you only treat Lin Zhaoyu as family."
"..."
Hua was left speechless.
After all, the question posed by Tian Shi as an example was too simplistic and direct, and it hit the mark.
To be honest, this kind of question does not require emotion; it can be deduced solely through rational reasoning.
But it had never occurred to her.
Su Mei was the first to discover this, which is why she spoke so much with Tian Shi when they went down the mountain that year.
"Lin Zhaoyu only stopped me because she considered the third and fourth brothers as family..."
Hua sighed, but she had to admit that even now, when she thought of her third and fourth sons, she felt almost nothing.
There aren't even many memories.
"Then Su Mei and Qin Suyi..."
"After all, they still think of you, even if their feelings are not very strong. The deceased are gone and you, the living, are the most important person to them."
Tian Shi also explained why Su Mei and Qin Suyi were still willing to stay by her side to care for her during this time.
"I have failed them."
Hua lowered her head.
"Can I go see them now?"
"Of course, they are right outside the door, but whether the Taixu Sword Sect dissolves today depends on you."
"The disciple understands."
Hua smoothed her clothes, which had become wrinkled from being in bed for so long.
Then she took a deep breath, as if she had instantly recovered the majesty of the Crimson Phoenix Immortal.
Hua walked slowly toward the door and opened it.
"Mmm..."
The dazzling sunlight made Hua feel a bit uncomfortable.
"The disciple respectfully welcomes the Master emerging from her seclusion."
During that brief moment of discomfort and daze, she heard the somewhat unfamiliar voice of a disciple.
This is...
"Su Mei."
Hua looked at the beautiful woman with red hair and a jade-colored face in front of her as if seeing Su Mei for the first time.
"Have you grown? It seems I haven't looked at you like this in a long time."
It should have been a statement of fact, but Hua said it in a questioning tone.
"My disciple is already twenty-six years old this year and has grown quite a bit."
Hearing the slightly amused tone of the other party, Hua seemed to see the shadow of Lin Zhaoyu again... although Su Mei's tone was not as submissive as Lin Zhaoyu's.
"It has been twenty-three years since you adopted me... Not to mention me, even the fifth and seventh daughters have already grown up."
Su Mei chuckled, but there was a strange look in her eyes.
It was not surprising that her grand master had persuaded her master, but she was a bit surprised that her master brought up this topic.
However, she had to admit that Hua's topic largely dissipated the subtle atmosphere of antagonism.
After all, the days when they were all adopted were not painful memories.
On the contrary, even Su Mei had to admit it was a memory worth treasuring.
"You are becoming more and more like Lin Zhaoyu, although in a different way."
Looking at her second disciple, who felt a bit unfamiliar to her but should be the closest to her besides Lin Zhaoyu, Hua commented.
"I... like the Eldest Sister?"
Su Mei finally showed a look of surprise.
"It is just an image from a different direction."
Hua could not explain the feeling either, and then her gaze slowly turned to Cheng Lingshuang and Qin Suyi.
"Lingshuang is the one who resembles me the most among the seven of you."
"Ha!"
Cheng Lingshuang accepted Hua's evaluation with a blank expression.
Although her tone was slightly sarcastic, she said nothing more.
Similar?
In what sense?
"In the chest?"
Su Mei joked from the side.
"..."
Cheng Lingshuang's long robe moved without wind, and the next moment, a few strands of red hair fell from Su Mei's bangs.
"It was just a joke, Junior Sister, you are taking it too seriously."
Su Mei did not seem scared at all and continued joking cheerfully.
However, Hua, who was standing next to her, nodded calmly and said:
"Su Mei is half right."
She really does have small breasts!
Even Su Mei, who has excellent social skills, did not know what to say at that moment.
"The younger sister is still young, so there is no need to take it to heart."
"When you get older, there is no longer a need to worry, right?"
Cheng Lingshuang looked at Hua's chest, then her own, and then looked silently at Su Mei.
"I'm starting to hate this comment."
What is this? Is the Master cursing herself to only grow to her size?
The Master said that the Second Older Sister resembles the Eldest Sister... Could she also be referring to her chest?
"Qin Suyi..."
"Master."
Qin Suyi cupped her hands in a respectful gesture toward Hua.
"You have all grown… You and your second older sister have suffered these past few days."
"..."
"I am sorry about Lin Zhaoyu, Wanru, and Wanxi... I should have let Lin Zhaoyu talk to them then," Hua sighed softly.
"The Taixu Sword Sect kills without mercy those who fall into demonic possession... This disciple can still understand the Master's feelings."
"Do not mention that again, I, as your master, have also failed to fulfill my responsibilities as such."
Hearing this, Su Mei exhaled a sigh of relief.
Good! Once this problem is resolved, we are halfway to overcoming it.
"What about the Eldest Sister and the third and fourth sisters..."
"Their three bodies have already sunk into the abyss of the East Sea... We shall erect a cenotaph for them on Mount Taixu."
"The disciple obeys."
Su Mei bowed.
"There is no longer a need for you to call yourself a disciple."
Seeing Su Mei bowing to her, Hua suddenly spoke.
"Now I understand how you feel... I fear that Mount Taixu has become a place of pain for you, now that I can move freely, I no longer need your services, if you wish to leave the mountain, you may do so on your own."
"..."
No one expected Hua to say something like that.
"Speaking of this child... Sushang, right? The third-generation successor of our sect."
Although Hua had been lying on her back in bed for the last few months, she was still aware of the outside world.
"What are you doing, big villain?"
When Li Sushang saw Hua's calm but slightly serious expression, she couldn't help but shrink back.
"Now I am also a Grand Master..."
Hua leaned over and patted Li Sushang's head.
What were my dreams when I was a normal girl...?
Oh, I want to live a simple and peaceful life with Master Tian, and ideally, I want to be called a great-grandmother before I die... which are the so-called four generations under one roof.
Looking back, although it turns out a bit strange, including my master, is it still a unique family of four generations? My own generation has inexplicably become that of a grand master.
Rounding it off, I would say I have fulfilled more than half of my dream.
No... I should say a bit more than half, shouldn't I?
After all, the core of that dream was "spending my whole life with Master Tian."
Even so, Hua's gaze toward Li Sushang became much more affectionate.
After all, in a sense, she was practically her granddaughter.
"Consider this Taixu Sword Intent as my apology as a 'big villain', the path of martial arts is long, and you might need it in the future."
"Ugh-!"
Li Sushang felt a sharp pain in her head, and the next moment, Hua pulled her hand away.
"Isn't the tradition of our Taixu Sword Sect the family affection between grandparents and grandchildren?"
Su Mei couldn't help but laugh at the scene.
"Our grand master treated us like that then, and now you treat Sushang the same way... Heh, thinking about it like that, it's not so unfair."
"If Su Mei wants one, I can give it to her without hesitation."
"Master, there is no need to worry, Su Mei's martial arts have reached their limit, so there is no need for this sword intent."
Su Mei shook her head.
Then Hua looked at Qin Suyi, and Qin Suyi shook her head.
Among the Seven Swords, Cheng Lingshuang's talent is undoubtedly the strongest, followed by Su Mei.
Su Mei felt she had reached the end of her journey in martial arts, and Qin Suyi also felt there was no need to waste her energy on it.
And most importantly, they have already passed the ideal age to learn martial arts.
In contrast, Li Sushang is only four years old.
Her talent is barely inferior to Cheng Lingshuang's.
As long as she receives instruction, even if she cannot become a sword goddess at thirteen like Cheng Lingshuang, she should reach the level of sword goddess at fifteen or sixteen.
"If I learn this, will I be as flat as my stepmother?"
The exceptionally intelligent Li Sushang only understood half of what she was hearing, so she cautiously asked a very important question.
And so, the next moment, everyone else saw that Cheng Lingshuang and Hua, who were expressionless, seemed to have evolved into frozen faces in an instant.
"Children speak without restraint, children speak without restraint."
Qin Suyi quickly pulled Li Sushang back.
"How could you say something like that?"
But there is no way to refute that statement.
After all, the only two people in the world who can use the Sword God skill have flat chests.
Well, to be honest, Qin Suyi felt that even if those two combined and multiplied by ten, they still wouldn't be able to beat her.
"Eldest Sister, don't you think so? This girl is really..."
Qin Suyi was halfway through her sentence when she noticed her second older sister's expression was also somewhat unnatural.
Su Mei smiled while looking at Qin Suyi, who was seeking her help.
"To be honest, in another ten years or so, with enough time and effort, I might reach the realm of the Sword God."
"..."
That's not what you just said!
But thinking about it, there seems to be nothing wrong with what she said.
After all, among the Seven Swords, besides Cheng Lingshuang, the strongest is Su Mei...
As long as my second older sister is willing to dedicate herself to cultivation, it seems it is not impossible for her to reach the realm of the Sword God in more than ten years.
So... did this girl offend not only the two strongest fighters present with a single phrase, but also the one with one of the highest IQs?
My unfortunate child is probably doomed.
Even if we don't talk about Su Mei, let alone Li Sushang, even if she were pinned to the ground and beaten, she wouldn't be able to fight back, okay?
"Cheng Lingshuang..."
Qin Suyi looked with pity at Cheng Lingshuang, who was reaching her hand toward Li Sushang.
She could also see that her master's personality was not so bad as to follow Li Sushang's path; to put it bluntly, none of them had been defeated by their master, okay?
Li Sushang's words were a bit excessive, but not enough to justify a beating by the immortal.
But my fifth older sister... well, she really meant it when she said she would take action.
"Sushang, your stepmother will give you candy... How about coming to play with her?"
Cheng Lingshuang pulled out a piece of candy from somewhere, tempting Li Sushang.
"You already accepted being called 'stepmother'."
Tian Shi approached Otto.
"But this scene is really pretty."
"As expected."
Otto nodded to the God at her side, but the next moment, Otto's expression hardened.
Uh... wait a minute, it seems my own God didn't use a soul steel body, but how did I see that?
Otto instinctively reached out to touch Tian Shi, but as expected, she touched nothing.
"What are you doing here?"
"Ah, this? Actually, I can let you see me."
The additional effect of the Guardian skill at level 10 is that it allows the host to see him.
Back then, Himeko and Tian Shi stared at each other every day during the simulation, but after entering the Otto Simulation this time... well, due to initial mentality issues, Tian Shi deactivated this function.
And then he forgot about it...
Mmm, he forgot.
After all, Tian Shi himself couldn't discover this, and his original intention was to distance himself from Otto.
With the passage of time, Tian Shi forgot about it.
Because the time Tian Shi was seen during his ghostly life was much less than the time he was not seen, Tian Shi simply did not feel that anything was wrong.
"..."
Otto's lips twitched slightly.
She suddenly felt like she wanted to say something.
But... ah! This figure! This appearance! Ah! I'm dead!
There is a difference between a doll and a life-size figure.
At least a life-size figure allows Otto to better understand the gender and charm of her God.
Then Otto knelt down.
It is an honor for you, Otto, that God plays with your feelings.
Now He allowed you to see His majestic form.
You should be grateful! How can you be dissatisfied?
"I am self-motivated..."
Successful PUA!
"Ugh...!"
"Otto, why are you kneeling on the ground crying? And why are you covering your mouth?"
"Do you feel sick?"
Otto's commotion drew everyone else's attention.
"No... it's just that I'm moved... yes, moved... God really loves His believers."
"Huh?"
Cheng Lingshuang looked up.
For some reason, she felt really uncomfortable hearing those words.
Could the "God" mentioned here refer to the Grand Master?
Well, no need to think about it, it must be so: she and Otto have known each other for at least seven years!
But what's wrong with this person suddenly acting like this...?
"Isn't it a bit inappropriate for our Grand Master to always stay at someone else's house?"
Su Mei asked in a low voice.
"A bit."
Cheng Lingshuang nodded.
Unlike their current barely warm relationship with Hua, they have always had a warm relationship with their own Grand Master, okay?
Without their own Grand Master, it is still uncertain whether they can reconcile with Hua.
Even Tian Shi, who had remained silent during this reconciliation, had to intervene!
There are those who do not speak, and everyone can pretend they do not exist.
But there are those who do not speak, and everyone has to remember their good deeds and give them prestige.
"Hey Otto, why are you covering your mouth?"
Cheng Lingshuang asked curiously.
"Nothing."
Otto wiped her mouth, calmed down, and stood up.
This was the first time in her life that something called "beastly instinct" woke up inside her.
It's true that she had just had a bunch of crazy ideas, including some outrageous ones.
From "pushing the God" to "I hope no one notices if I secretly lick the God's shoe"?
Hmm... Otto even wondered if she was crazy when she had some of these thoughts.
However, these ideas finally succumbed to reality (yes, reality, not reason).
Our own God has no body! So we can't beat Him even if we wanted to!
...
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