Chapter 83: Found the Memorial Tablet?

Chapter 83: Found the Memorial Tablet?

The so-called "Senior Grand Elder" was just a lie Su Qinian had told Li Qingran to motivate her to cultivate harder. In reality, the Sword Pavilion never had a Senior Grand Elder, let alone one with the surname Chen.

But now what?

Li Qingran's master was poisoned and dying.

Leaving him alone didn’t sit right with Su Qinian.

But stepping in? He didn’t have the resources for that…

"Qingran, was informing me of this your idea or your master's?" Su Qinian decided to stall and gauge the situation first.

"It was my master's wish, and it is also mine!" Li Qingran bowed deeply again. "Sect Master, is there any way to save my master? I am willing to do anything!"

Su Qinian felt his head spin.

Great.

Not only had he accepted a disciple, but now he had also indirectly acknowledged a nonexistent Senior Grand Elder in the Sword Pavilion?

Was this even appropriate?

Was this… right?

Since the situation was getting out of hand, Su Qinian decided to create some distance. Testing the waters again, he said, "When I joined the sect, that Senior Grand Elder had already left for a journey. I only know his surname is Chen, but I don’t recall his full name…"

"My master's name is Chen Huai’an!" Li Qingran immediately supplied.

"Ah, I see. Then follow me to the sect’s ancestral hall. I’ll check the records and see which Senior Grand Elder he was, and based on his cultivation level, we can figure out a solution."

Su Qinian’s real plan?

The ancestral hall only contained memorial tablets of deceased elders, along with some for those who had left the sect and were missing.

If they didn’t find any tablet for a Chen Huai’an, he’d simply claim it was a mistake, brush the whole thing off, and then offer Li Qingran another encouraging lie to keep her focused on improving her strength.

It wasn’t selfishness.

The Sword Pavilion simply couldn’t afford distractions right now.

Resources were dwindling. They barely had enough for their own people.

Li Qingran wasn’t sure why she needed to confirm her master’s identity, but clinging to hope, she obediently followed Su Qinian to the ancestral hall.

The hall was old.

But it was immaculately maintained.

Li Qingran noticed a female sword cultivator sweeping fallen leaves in the courtyard.

She wore plain robes, her long white hair cascading down her back. Tall and slender, she stood bathed in the morning light, her pale face glowing with an ethereal radiance. Time had left no trace on her features. Ꞧ𝘈₦öΒΕʂ

For a moment, Li Qingran felt as though time itself had merged with this woman.

"Senior Sister Lin," Su Qinian greeted with a bow.

It was the first time Li Qingran had ever seen the usually irreverent Pavilion Master act so proper.

The woman merely nodded slightly, as if she barely noticed their presence. Su Qinian offered no explanation about her identity and simply led Li Qingran inside.

The hall was filled with neatly arranged memorial tablets.

Compared to the hall’s dilapidated state, the tablets themselves gleamed as if they had just been placed there.

Li Qingran couldn’t help but think of the ethereal woman outside.

The tablets must be her work—carefully maintained day after day, preserving the memory of those who had come before.

Su Qinian lit three incense sticks, placed them in the burner, and bowed three times before turning to Li Qingran.

"We’ll split up and search. Remember—do not move the tablets. You can look, but don’t touch!"

Li Qingran nodded seriously. "Understood! I won’t touch anything!"

"Good, you’re well-behaved, so I won’t keep an eye on you."

With that, Su Qinian wandered up to the second floor, planning to stall for time.

He was certain.

There was no record of any ancestor or senior with the name Chen Huai’an in the Sword Pavilion.

Li Qingran searched carefully, but with each passing moment, she grew more anxious.

Especially when she reached the section dedicated to those with the surname Chen—yet still, no sign of her master’s name.

Minutes ticked by.

Su Qinian eventually came back down, finding Li Qingran frantically scanning the memorial tablets.

Though he felt a pang of guilt, he steeled himself and said, "Well? Did you find your master’s tablet? If not, I must have remembered wrong. Ah—such is age, my memory fails me at times."

Li Qingran didn’t respond.

She kept searching, even revisiting the tablets Su Qinian had already "checked."

Her eyes were red, her lips tightly pressed together, as if determined to check every single one.

Su Qinian didn’t stop her, instead patiently continuing, "Qingran, even if your master isn’t one of our sect’s Senior Grand Elders, I’ll still try to help him. You don’t have to—"

"I found it!"

The sheer joy in her voice cut Su Qinian off mid-sentence.

"What?!" Su Qinian spun around, stunned.

Li Qingran rushed forward, clutching a memorial tablet in her arms.

Her eyes were slightly red, tears shimmering at the corners, but her face carried a look of profound relief.

"Master… I found my master’s tablet!"