The two little ones, hearing their second senior sister's words, chose to obey without question.
After all, most children lack the ability to make independent decisions and often follow the advice of others.
Jiang Wanxi and Jiang Wanru were no exception.
"Hehe, Yuan, they both think you're a bad guy~?."
Poking Chang Yuan's cheek, Elysia covered her mouth and giggled softly.
Chang Yuan, however, didn't care.
Heh, this was exactly what he wanted—to treat them differently.
He wanted the Seven Disciples of Taixuan to know that his target was only Su Mei and Ma Yanqing.
This way, conflicts would arise from within their group.
If the Seven Disciples still chose to kill their master, then it would mean he had misunderstood them, and he would personally eliminate them all.
But if some of them stood up to protect Hua, it would prove he wasn't wrong.
In that case, only those two truly deserved to die.
Because of Su Mei's words, Jiang Wanxi and Jiang Wanru avoided any contact with Chang Yuan for the past few days, fearing they might be scolded.
However, after a few days, their impression of him changed.
"Huh? Wanxi, Wanru, where did you get those candied haws?"
Lin Zhaoyu, seeing the candied haws in their hands, was puzzled.
She and their master hadn't gone down the mountain recently, so where did these come from?
"Oh, Senior Chang Yuan made them for us. He's really nice to us. He said it's a reward for our hard work in training."
As she spoke, Jiang Wanxi took a bite of the candied haw, savoring it happily.
"...?"
Hearing this, Lin Zhaoyu's heart filled with confusion.
Wait, why didn't she and Su Mei ever get such treatment?
Senior Chang Yuan, why have you never shown me this trick before?
It was impossible for Lin Zhaoyu not to feel a little jealous.
After all, she had learned from her master that these two were not only friends but also stronger than her master herself.
So, for the sake of her master, Lin Zhaoyu also wanted to earn their recognition.
That way, she wouldn't embarrass her master.
"Hehe, Senior Chang Yuan and the others aren't as bad as Second Senior Sister said. They even told us that if there's ever something even Master can't handle, we can go to them."
After finishing her candied haw, Jiang Wanru looked longingly at her sister's half-eaten one.
As the older sister, Jiang Wanxi could only sigh and pat her sister's head, handing over the remaining candied haw.
"Thank you, Sister. Om nom~."
Unbeknownst to them, everything they said and did was observed by Chang Yuan.
To be honest, if it weren't for the bad impression left by Shenzhou: Broken Sword, Chang Yuan would have found Hua's little disciples quite adorable.
"Don't disappoint me, or else..."
Chang Yuan's hand rested on the Third Divine Key, the Seven Thunders of Retribution.
If Hua couldn't do what needed to be done, he would.
Meanwhile, Su Mei, who had somehow gotten wind of this, was seething with anger.
"That man is deliberately targeting me. I've never offended him, so why?"
In her room, Su Mei vented her frustration.
The blatant favoritism was obvious even to a fool.
Su Mei couldn't understand why Chang Yuan was singling her out when she had never done anything to provoke him.
"Ugh, there must be another way."
After venting for a while, Su Mei calmed down and began to think of other plans.
To achieve her revenge, she couldn't rely on her own strength alone.
She needed to enlist the help of others, preferably those not much weaker than her master.
Nuwa and Fuxi weren't options, as their bond with Hua was too strong for her to break.
But Chang Yuan and Elysia, who had only arrived a few years ago, might be more malleable.
A few years later, Hua brought another disciple up the mountain.
Cheng Lingshuang, a natural Stigma Awakener, appeared innocent and pure, but her face showed no emotion.
"She's here, the natural Stigma Awakener. With proper nurturing, she could grow to be almost as strong as Hua."
Looking at Cheng Lingshuang, who still had black hair, Chang Yuan commented.
"Yeah, I wonder if Hua, with her current emotions, can guide her properly."
Cheng Lingshuang wasn't truly emotionless; she just rarely showed her feelings.
In the original timeline, she had been swayed by the other disciples because of her close relationships with them.
But with Hua's current emotional state, that might not happen again.
"Chaoyu, this child is Cheng Lingshuang. She's naturally a bit reserved, so take good care of her."
"Understood, Master."
Taking Cheng Lingshuang's hand from Hua, Lin Zhaoyu met her gaze.
Compared to Lin Zhaoyu's lively eyes, Cheng Lingshuang's were empty, as if nothing interested her or held any meaning.
If this were Honkai: Star Rail, she'd be a perfect example of nihilism or a follower of the Path of Nihility.
The books never explained why she was like this—perhaps it was just her innate personality.
"You're Cheng Lingshuang, right? Why do you always look so serious? Smile a little, okay?"
Elysia reached out and pinched Cheng Lingshuang's cheeks, forcing a smile onto her face.
Cheng Lingshuang tilted her head, seemingly curious about Elysia's actions.
"Why should I smile?"
"Because looking expressionless all the time makes you seem dull. Plus, smiling kids have better luck."
"...Why should I care about others' opinions?"
"It's not about opinions; it's a fact. Kids should be happy and smile more. You don't need to overthink like adults."
"...I see."
For some reason, Cheng Lingshuang felt a warmth from Elysia that made her want to trust her.
This scene surprised even Chang Yuan.
Elysia had somehow connected with Cheng Lingshuang so easily, which was unexpected.
"Could it be because of her beauty? I guess looks are always useful."
But Chang Yuan didn't dwell on it.
If he had, he would have realized that Hua, who was also stunningly beautiful, didn't have the same effect on Cheng Lingshuang.
If it were truly about appearance, Cheng Lingshuang wouldn't have been so distant with Hua.