Chapter 132: Chen Xingcai's Decision
Chen Xingcai remembered that embrace—warm, broad, and carrying a faint scent of pine.
The man's stubble pricked her tender cheek, both itchy and painful.
"Be good, Chan'er, listen to your mother." His voice was low and gentle. "When Second Uncle returns from Zhongzhou, I'll bring you something fun."
At that time, she could not speak. She only giggled, her tiny hands grabbing at his lapel.
But later—
She never received the promised gifts.
Instead, cold hands tore her away from that familiar embrace.
She remembered the flickering candlelight of the side courtyard.
She had been placed on a cold stone platform, surrounded by strangers. Her mother was not there, nor was that man.
"What are you standing there for?"
The cold voice sliced like a blade, making her body tremble.
"Bleed her! Drain the blood!"
Wrapped in swaddling clothes, she did not yet understand fear, but instinct made her cry.
Her cries, however, brought not comfort, but harsher treatment.
Pain…
The sting of a magical instrument piercing her skin, the chill as her blood was drawn away…
These fragments of memory surged in her mind, making her breath quicken slightly.
It had been a long time since she had recalled such bitter moments.
She looked at the tear-streaked man before her. Her lips moved, but in the end, she did not speak those two words.
The moonlight remained cold, falling between them like an unbridgeable gulf.
…
After a pause, Chen Xingcai drew in a deep breath and asked calmly, "Are you… here to ruin my life too?"
Hong Ang's Adam's apple shifted as he forced down the guilt rising in his chest. "I have no such intent… Please, Miss Chen, come with us to Lingzhou."
"To Lingzhou?" Chen Xingcai's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why not act here? Why go so far—doesn't that make it troublesome?"
"Please don't worry." Hong Ang paused, his voice low and firm. "This time, even if it costs my life, I, Hong Ang, will protect you."
"This time?"
Chen Xingcai stared at the man she once knew.
After a moment, she nodded. "Fine. I'll go with you."
"No!" Han Yu stepped forward, blocking their path. "You cannot go with him."
Chen Xingcai turned to Han Yu, her eyes full of quiet pleading. "Second Senior Brother, trust me this once, please?"
Han Yu shook his head, his tone unyielding. "Since you call me Second Senior Brother, then I cannot let you go. Normally, your willfulness and mischief are tolerated, but this time—you must inform Master first."
Chen Xingcai took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slightly. "Second Senior Brother, I have a reason I must go." Her voice was soft but resolute. "Please allow it."
"No." Han Yu still shook his head, refusing to budge.
At that moment, Chen Xingcai's voice suddenly rang in his ear. "Second Senior Brother, have you forgotten? I carry life-saving artifacts given to me by Father and Master. That uncle looks guilty toward me, but who knows what he is truly thinking. If a fight breaks out, you will be my greatest weakness. If you can escape, even a Saint Realm cultivator will not be able to do anything to me for a short while."
So that was it…
Han Yu's breath caught, a bitter feeling filling his chest. So, his little junior sister had already reached this point? He had thought his recent progress was something to be proud of, but now it felt like a heavy blow.
He needed to work even harder, to grow stronger!
"Then what should I do?"
"Just cooperate with me."
In that instant—
Chen Xingcai suddenly struck!
A ray of green light shot from her sleeve, transforming into an ancient bronze disk that hovered above Han Yu's head. Intricate runes covered its surface, spinning rapidly as beams of binding light fell down.
Han Yu stifled his sadness and feigned shock, his expression changing. "A Sealing Disk?!"
"Correct," Chen Xingcai said. "If this spiritual artifact strikes, even a cultivator at the Heaven and Human Realm would be trapped for an hour. Please, Senior Brother, let me go."
"Chen Xingcai!" Bound and unable to move, Han Yu could only watch her turn away. His voice rose in anger. "Do you even know what you're doing?!"
"My heart is certain. I don't need you to say more."
"Let's go." Chen Xingcai ignored Han Yu's earnest pleas and spoke to Hong Ang. "As long as you don't trouble my Senior Brother, I will leave with you."
"Of course."
Seeing his goal achieved, Hong Ang exhaled in relief. The zhenyuan gathered in his palm quietly dispersed…
…
An hour later.
In the Immortal Spirit Valley.
Sweat still clung to Han Yu's brow as he recounted everything to Chen Chang'an.
"Master," his voice carried rare urgency—an emotion seldom seen on his face. His fingers unconsciously gripped his robe. "Little Junior Sister was taken by the Hong clan! Please, Master, go rescue her immediately."
Beside him, Wu Bo rubbed his hands anxiously, his graying beard trembling. "Master, there's still time to intercept them! The Hong clan head is ruthless. Back then, he even…" He swallowed the words, worry clouding his eyes. "We cannot let them take the young lady away!"
Chen Chang'an stood with hands behind his back, listening with a solemn expression. After a moment's thought, he suddenly smiled. "I understand. Leave this matter to me."
Han Yu and Wu Bo both let out a breath of relief.
To them, Chen Chang'an was omnipotent. As long as he acted, no trouble was too great to solve.
But unexpectedly, Chen Chang'an remained still. His gaze shifted to the depths of the valley, as though piercing through the layers of trees.
For within his senses, a powerful aura had just surged skyward from the far side of the valley, vanishing into the horizon in an instant.
"This girl… she has truly grown up." Chen Chang'an sighed, though the corners of his mouth lifted in a faint smile.
He couldn't help but recall the first time he had seen his daughter.
No one knew her better than her father. He could already guess her intentions.
Still…
"Just in case, I should go take a look."
Chen Chang'an muttered softly, his voice barely audible.
He looked up at the sky. The morning sun had risen over the eastern peaks, bathing the Immortal Spirit Valley in gold.
At the valley's entrance, a white figure appeared out of thin air.
The figure wore a plain dress, their features hidden by the morning light. In the next instant, they vanished in a streak of brilliance.
{This new arc begins to resolve Chen Xingcai — or Hong Yuechan's — karma with the Hong family.
In these chapters, the story will take on deeper emotional weight. You'll see raw truths exposed, the bonds of blood tested, and the shadows of the past catching up with the present.
This isn't only about battles of cultivation or power, but about the heart. You'll see how low humans can fall when consumed by greed, fear, and guilt — and how those scars shape the people left behind.}
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