Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 516 - Three Hundred and Thirty-Five: Promise

Chapter 516: Chapter Three Hundred and Thirty-Five: Promise

The mother and son peaks of Tianyuan Mountain stood tall and verdant,

On the mother peak, one could barely discern figures, wielding swords and traversing the distant summit, then soaring to the sky only to descend once more.

The son peak was fully occupied by layer upon layer of majestic buildings, with countless flying beasts rising and falling amidst them.

Zhuyuan Pavilion, where the Sect Master’s family resided, was a rare tranquil territory within the gates of the Sword Sect.

Birdsong and cicadas vibrated through the air, the lush green bamboo rustled, and the clear streams babbled, bringing with them the desolation of deep autumn and fluttering leaves.

The sound of lotus boots treading on fallen leaves was accompanied by the soft voice of a young woman as two figures followed the winding stone path into the deep mountains.

"... actually, your master had his considerations for not taking you to the Imperial Capital, don’t be so angry with him."

Ran Qingmo bowed her head, carrying her sword, and stared at the patterns on the brick pavement without responding.

Luo Wei looked at the silent girl beside her, her eyes curving slightly as she raised her hand to rub her head, her gaze filled with affection:

"Boys pine for love, and girls long for spring; our Qingmo has also reached that age. Xu Changtian is handsome and lingers among the flowers; it’s not surprising that you feel affection for him."

Ran Qingmo lifted her gaze:

"Teacher’s wife, have you met him?"

"No."

Luo Wei shook her head with a smile, noting her disciple’s puzzled eyes and a trace of reminiscence flashed across her eyes: "Although I have never seen him, I did meet his father and mother. Considering their looks, their offspring couldn’t possibly be ugly."

Ran Qingmo’s eyes flickered twice.

"Curious?"

"Mhm..." Ran Qingmo nodded.

Luo Wei leaned closer to Ran Qingmo’s indifferent and untarnished demeanor, her voice brimming with laughter:

"Teacher’s wife hasn’t seen our Qingmo smile in a long while."

Ran Qingmo, expressionless, was silent for a moment before forcing a grim smile.

"Pfft..."

Luo Wei seemed amused by the expression, raising her hand to pinch her soft cheek.

Ran Qingmo, dissatisfied, blinked and turned her face to shake off teacher’s wife’s hand.

Luo Wei’s gaze was indulgent as she whispered, "Alright, teacher’s wife will tell you. When Prime Minister Xu first came to the capital, his fame far surpassed that of the current Xu Changge. He was as handsome as a banished immortal and achieved top honors in the imperial examinations. When the imperial proclamation was announced, if not for his astonishing cultivation, he would have been seized by some noble families and great merchants to be taken back for marriage alliances."

She paused, then continued with a somewhat resigned tone:

"Though the end result was the same."

"Was it... Xu Yuan’s mother?" Ran Qingmo asked quietly.

"Who else could it be if not that boy’s mother?"

Luo Wei’s eyes twinkled with amusement as she watched her curious gaze before laughing, "Teacher’s wife isn’t privy to their family matters. We did not engage deeply with their circle back then; when we learned of their marriage arrangement...."

"His mother was killed by us?"

"....." Luo Wei’s expression turned serious.

Ran Qingmo’s eyes, as serene as a mountain water painting, stared unblinkingly at her teacher’s wife, slightly nervous.

"Mhm... it depends on how you understand it."

Luo Wei did not avoid the topic, casually catching a bamboo leaf drifting down with the autumn wind and gently caressing it: "Just like this fallen bamboo leaf, if one cannot prevent it from reaching the ground then is seen as an accomplice, then it was us who killed her. If not, then it was not us."

Ran Qingmo’s eyes blinked twice, showing a hint of understanding.

Luo Wei casually tossed the bamboo leaf away, her voice tinged with regret:

"Qingmo, although your master and I did not directly participate, we indeed knew about it. The death of Feng Qinshu was inevitable. She... was formidable, but for that exact reason, what she did provoked the world to a point of no return."

The sunlight pierced through the bamboo forest, casting speckled light upon her, and Ran Qingmo’s beautiful eyes flashed with a trace of sorrow unnoticed by others,

"...Was it because of the martial halls?"

"That’s one of the main reasons," Luo Wei nodded.

Ran Qingmo’s eyes sparkled as she whispered, based on what she had seen and heard in her travels, "Teacher’s wife, with these martial halls... there will be more cultivators, and the plight of the Demonic Beasts could be resolved, couldn’t it?"

Not all in this world were bustling cities; there also existed mountains, villages, and wilderness where poverty ruled.

Luo Wei’s footsteps on the fallen leaves rustled as she walked:

"Did Xu Changtian tell you this?"

"....." Ran Qingmo fell silent, gripping her Ink Sword tightly.

Luo Wei smiled gently, her gaze sweeping over the bamboo forest with the coolness of an autumn breeze:

"Actually, these martial halls are undermining the foundations of the great noble families, sects, and even the Imperial dynasty."

"..." Ran Qingmo’s eyes showed confusion.

As the two of them progressed, the bamboo grove suddenly opened up before them; a clear stream and a colossal waterfall merged into a deep pool with a bamboo pavilion standing prominently in sight.

The master and disciple did not immediately return to the pavilion,

instead, Luo Wei brought Ran Qingmo to the lake’s edge to sit down, turning her gaze back with a smile in her eyes:

"Take off your boots; the water of Tianqing Pool nourishes the skin."

"...."

Upon hearing this, Ran Qingmo dutifully removed her lotus boots, folded her black silk stockings neatly to the side, and dipped her snow-white, crystalline feet into the water.

The icy cool touch made her eyes flicker, but she soon asked softly,

"Teacher’s wife... why did you say that just now?"

Luo Wei knelt on the grass by the lake, watching the ripples from the waterfall’s splashes into the lake:

"Don’t be nervous, teacher’s wife didn’t refute what Xu Changtian said. More cultivators indeed could resolve the Demonic Beast catastrophe of our times, but you should also realize that ’heroes with martial abilities disturb the peace.’"

"..." Something seemed to dawn on Ran Qingmo.

Lifting her gaze, Luo Wei looked towards the azure sky, her voice trailing off in contemplation:

"It is a common belief among mortals that cultivators are fiercer than tigers.

"Most people, upon gaining power, will not risk drawing their swords against the strong or hunt Demonic Beasts because both acts can be fatal.