Chapter 90

Upon hearing this, Yang Shu’s body stiffened, and his crying ceased abruptly.

He turned slowly toward Yang Lingqing, disbelief shining in his eyes.

He’d maintained this act since childhood without anyone noticing. Neither Master Linghu nor Elder Yu had ever detected anything—why now?

"Hmph. Why could you see through it?"

Yang Lingqing’s sharp words pierced the boy’s thoughts as her gaze intensified.

She’d sensed something wrong the moment she first saw Yang Shu – that unnatural tension of someone acting against their true nature.

Others remained oblivious, but Yang Lingqing recognized it instantly. They were cut from the same cloth.

Yang Shu was precocious, just like her younger self, but different circumstances had shaped his coping strategies.

Panic surged through Yang Shu as his disguises crumbled under her scrutiny. Never before had he felt such nervous confusion, his usual composure deserting him.

"Ow! That hurts!"

Yang Lingqing dragged him by the ear to the meditation cushion.

"Will you behave?"

"I will! I swear! Please release me, Master—my ear’s tearing off!"

The moment she let go, Yang Shu rubbed his throbbing ear. The two individuals sat facing each other, though the boy kept avoiding her piercing stare.

"Truthful answers. No evasions."

"…Understood." Yang Shu stared at his knees.

"Why play the fool?"

"Fools face fewer demands. Fools get left alone."

The words spilled out: "Endless family matters suffocate me. Watching elders scramble over trivialities makes my head ache. Becoming trapped in that web terrifies me. Better to be thought simple."

"Besides…" He risked a sideways glance. "Our house has many capable members. When trouble comes, the Masters bear responsibility—never me."

Seeing her stormy expression, cold dread filled his chest.

Wait! I confessed everything! Don’t pull my ear again! he screamed internally.

Yang Lingqing stood without speaking, retrieving two manuals from a cabinet. When she approached, Yang Shu desperately covered both ears—only to yelp when she pinched his nose instead.

"Read these."

She dropped the books before him and resumed her meditative state on the cushion, ignoring his stunned expression.

Yang Shu rubbed his nose and picked up the two booklets, realizing they contained the Yang Family’s historical records.

Centered around Yang Guanfeng’s leadership, the chronicle split into two volumes.

The first volume detailed their wandering hardships following the family’s decline.

After settling in Willow Leaf Town, their situation slightly improved yet they still faced oppression. Facing troubles, they could only force smiles and swallow humiliation.

Lacking strength yet determined to survive, endless endurance became their only option.

Yang Shu had heard fragments of this history through elders’ conversations, but reading the detailed accounts now made him truly grasp their bitterness.

He opened the second volume to its opening line: "That summer, Yang Family disciple Yang Guanfeng rescued a drowning elder while fishing in Fish Ridge River."

This marked the Yang Family’s turning point.

The second volume’s first half, penned by Old Yu, described how he guided Yang Guanfeng onto the Path of Cultivation and helped reform the family. As Yang Guanfeng’s cultivation level grew, he journeyed seeking opportunities, repeatedly escaping death through desperate measures.

The emergence of Three Spirits finally signaled the family’s resurgence.

Reading this, Yang Shu sighed in relief – surely with three Masters, the Yang Family’s fortunes would flourish.

Yet subsequent pages revealed night raids by Wang Family, monster tide onslaughts, mine disasters, ancient tomb perils, disrupted ceremonial gatherings, Evil Spirits’ chaos, and Li Family’s schemes…

These cultivator-level conflicts were revelations to him.

Yang Lingqing had authored this section, omitting Chen Yang’s involvement while keeping other facts largely intact. Her annotations included strategic plans and post-event reviews.

After finishing, Yang Shu recognized his earlier naivety.

The younger generation’s peace…

Existed solely because others shouldered invisible burdens.

"Finished?"

Yang Lingqing emerged from meditation.

Yang Shu nodded silently, carefully returning the volumes.

He stepped back and performed a flawless bow.

"Self-realization is good," Yang Lingqing said. "Don’t blame yourself entirely – I once shared your thoughts."

"The Master too?" Yang Shu marveled. Among Yang Family members, Master Lingqing stood beyond reproach – her orders demanded perfect execution. Under her leadership after Elder’s departure, the family had prospered. Yet this revered figure once struggled like him.

"After Mother’s death, Father buried himself in family matters while I brooded alone," Yang Lingqing recalled. "Like you, I considered playing the fool to escape responsibilities."

"I had justification – grief-stricken, mentally unstable. None would blame me."

"I did so for a time."

"But back then…" Her voice softened. "Our family’s plight dwarfed today’s hardships."

"I watched Father work till coughing blood, saw Uncle Yang toil until legs failed – needing assistance for basic needs."

"Witnessing their sacrifices, I couldn’t remain idle."

As she spoke calmly, tear trails glistened on Yang Shu’s cheeks. He’d always flaunted intelligence, disdaining peers and dismissing family chores as beneath him. Only now did he recognize his arrogance.

"I was blind!" Yang Shu declared. "These records expose my foolishness. I beg punishment, Master."

"Punishment you’ll get!" Yang Lingqing’s voice turned icy. "Your cultivation talent is priceless! Yet you’d squander it? As Yang blood? Unforgivable!"

Yang Shu bowed deeply, trembling.

"Return to Sanglu Valley. Train under Elder Yu. Submit monthly reports on branch family affairs. Understood?"

"Understood! Yang Shu won’t fail you!"

When Yang Linghu arrived, he gaped in shock.

The boy’s demeanor had transformed – no trace of former foolishness remained. Yang Linghu sensed familiar energy about him – echoes of Elder Yu’s presence, Lingqing’s authority, now budding in this youth.

Catching Yang Lingqing’s glance, he understood – time to inform Elder Yu. After six years, the Yang Family’s main branch had finally produced another worthy heir!