Hearing words that sounded like an invitation to elope, Ma Yanqing was completely hooked.
"Heh, I'll definitely protect you, Second Senior Sister."
Soon, the entire bottle of poison was added to the dishes.
Su Mei worried that a single drop might not be enough to kill someone known as an immortal.
To ensure success, she poured the entire bottle into the food.
Then, Su Mei carried the dishes while Ma Yanqing brought the rice, and they headed to the dining area.
"Master, the meal is ready."
After setting the dishes down, Su Mei went to call Hua, who was still meditating.
Looking at the food, Hua's eyes flashed with disappointment.
To ordinary beings, the poison might be odorless and tasteless.
But to Hua, a MANTIS warrior, a single whiff revealed the discordant scent in the food.
In the end, she had lost. Human nature couldn't be easily changed. An ungrateful person would always remain ungrateful.
But she hadn't expected Ma Yanqing to be involved as well.
"Master, let's eat. I'll serve you."
Su Mei picked up a bowl and eagerly served Hua, appearing every bit the dutiful disciple.
Picking up her chopsticks, Hua sorrowfully picked up a piece of the poisoned dish.
Under Su Mei's eager gaze, Hua ate it. Qin Suyi had already been sent back to her room earlier.
Though confused by Hua's order, Qin Suyi obediently complied.
Seeing Hua actually eat the poisoned dish, Su Mei couldn't hide her excitement.
But since the poison hadn't taken effect yet, Su Mei calmly ate the non-poisoned dishes to avoid raising suspicion.
After the meal, Su Mei went to wash the dishes.
"Strange, the poison should have taken effect within ten minutes. Is it because Master is an immortal?"
After some thought, Su Mei concluded that must be the reason.
She decided to take a bath and check on Hua afterward.
When she returned, she found Hua slumped over the table, unconscious.
"This poison only made Master unconscious? But that's enough. Master, I'll avenge my parents."
Drawing the Xuanyuan Sword Hua had given her, Su Mei's eyes flickered with hesitation before she steeled herself.
But as she swung the sword, a blue figure suddenly sprang up.
With just two fingers, Hua caught Su Mei's blade.
"Mas... Master."
Seeing Hua stop her full-force strike with just two fingers, Su Mei's eyes widened in shock.
She wanted to say something, but Hua's disappointed gaze silenced her.
"Su Mei, I thought that by teaching you with all my heart, I could make you understand and change your mind. But you... sigh."
With a sigh, Hua struck Su Mei's chest with her palm, sending her flying.
Su Mei crashed through the door and rolled on the ground, coughing up blood.
"Second Senior Sister!"
Hearing the commotion, Ma Yanqing rushed over.
He saw his beloved Second Senior Sister standing there, blood dripping from her mouth.
"Hua! How dare you treat Senior Sister like this!"
Ma Yanqing, eyes red, drew his Xuanyuan Sword and charged at Hua.
But the outcome was inevitable. Hua easily sent him flying as well.
"I killed Su Mei's mother, who was corrupted by Honkai, to save her. I understand her hatred and have devoted myself to teaching her all these years.
But you, Ma Yanqing, I've never wronged you. I've taught you diligently, yet you raised your sword against me for her sake."
Honestly, Hua could understand Su Mei's desire for revenge.
But she couldn't accept Ma Yanqing, who had no reason to hate her, betraying her for a woman.
"Sigh, perhaps I should have listened to him back then. Maybe none of this would have happened."
Hua knew she couldn't afford to be indecisive anymore.
In a flash, she struck both Su Mei and Ma Yanqing, severing their meridians.
They were now crippled, unable to even stand.
Due to years of teaching, Hua couldn't bring herself to kill them.
Instead, she took out the Fenghuang Down.
"From today onward, you are no longer my disciples, and I am no longer your master. Our bond is severed."
As the red light of the Fenghuang Down flashed, Su Mei and Ma Yanqing's eyes glazed over.
Hua erased all their memories of Mount Taixuan.
Then, she carried them down the mountain like sacks and left them in a remote area.
Whether they lived or died would be up to fate.
This was the harshest punishment Hua could bring herself to deliver.
Humans are not unfeeling stones.
Only an outsider like Chang Yuan, who stood apart, could act without hesitation. Hua, as the one involved, couldn't do the same.
Returning to Mount Taixuan, Hua altered her own memories. She now only had five disciples, not seven.
She believed Chang Yuan and the others would explain the situation to the others.
The next morning, Chang Yuan and the others returned to Mount Taixuan after their festival trip.
As soon as they arrived, Chang Yuan noticed two people were missing.
"Hua, where are Su Mei and Ma Yanqing?"
"Su Mei?"
"...I see."
Understanding what had happened, Chang Yuan gathered the remaining five disciples.
"Senior Chang Yuan, why have you called us here?"
Lin Zhaoyu, the eldest, looked at Chang Yuan in confusion.
Seeing everyone present, Chang Yuan got straight to the point.
"From today onward, you are the Five Disciples of Taixuan. Jiang Wanxi is the second disciple, Jiang Wanru the third, Cheng Lingshuang the fourth, and Qin Suyi the fifth."
"Huh? What about Su Mei and Ma Yanqing? Senior Chang Yuan, where are they?"
Hearing the sudden change in seniority, Lin Zhaoyu was puzzled.
Then Chang Yuan revealed the truth, shocking everyone except Cheng Lingshuang.
"Su Mei and Ma Yanqing conspired to kill Hua and have been expelled from Mount Taixuan."
"How could they? Why would they want to kill Master?"
"That's the truth. Hua has altered her memories to forget that painful chapter. So, from now on, remember your new positions."