Chapter 84: Isn't This Triple Zero?
"Hissâ! This isnât right! This shouldnât be happening!"
Su Qinian yanked out another strand of his beard, utterly baffled.
"So, Sect Master, is this my masterâs memorial tablet or not?" Li Qingran stared at Su Qinian anxiously, her fingers nervously clutching the hem of her dress.
The Sect Master had been staring at the tablet for over ten minutes now.
Could there be some issue?
"Well⊠how should I put this?"
Su Qinian tore his gaze away from the memorial tablet, his expression complicated.
The inscription read "Chen _ An," with the middle character missing.
Li Qingranâs master was named Chen Huaiâan, but with a missing character, he couldn't be completely sure if this tablet belonged to him. However, Li Qingran's master had claimed he was once a Senior Grand Elder of the Sword PavilionâŠ
Su Qinian was completely confused.
His memory told him there had never been a Senior Grand Elder named Chen Huaiâan in the Sword Pavilion.
But the ancestral hallâs records suggested there
had
been a highly revered ancestor with the name Chen _ An.
The tablet was placed at the very topâan indication of great status. Since it was missing a character, and because Su Qinian had no recollection of a Chen Huaiâan, he had originally glossed over it. If not for Li Qingran double-checking every tablet he had already dismissed, they might have completely missed it.
Could it be that, when he first joined the sect, this "Chen _ An" had indeed left on a journey?
Did his random nonsense just turn out to be
true
?!
Still in disbelief, Su Qinian took the tablet and hurried outside to find the white-clad female sword cultivator. Li Qingran quickly followed.
"Senior Sister Lin, you joined the sect earlier than I did. Do you recall an elder named Chen _ An?"
The woman in white turned at the mention of the name.
Her beautiful face instantly darkened as she unsheathed her sword and
whacked
Su Qinian on the head with its scabbard.
"Who gave you permission to move the memorial tablets? Are you looking for a beating?"
Despite being the Pavilion Master of the Sword Pavilion, Su Qinian didnât dare resist.
He simply lowered his head and endured her scolding.
"I do recall an ancestor with the surname Chen," Lin Yuxi eventually admitted, though her expression remained indifferent. "But Iâve long forgotten his full name." đÎŹÎöBĐs
She carefully returned the tablet to its original place and glanced at the two younger cultivators.
"That ancestor left on a journey a long time ago. He was the senior martial brother of our masterâs master. This tablet is extremely old. The previous caretaker of the ancestral hall failed to protect it, and one day, our sectâs guardian beast got in and clawed away the middle character."
Su Qinianâs vision darkened.
So the nonsense he had spouted had actually
come true
?
"Is there any other information about this ancestor?" He wanted final confirmation.
"HmmâŠ" Lin Yuxi frowned in thought. "He did leave behind a saying, engraved on the stele at Ten Thousand Swords Peak."
"You mean the inscription on the Ten Thousand Swords Peak stele was left by this Chen ancestor?!" Su Qinian was shocked. "I always thought our master wrote it!"
"I haven't been to Ten Thousand Swords Peak yet. May I ask what it says?"
"I suppose there's no harm in telling you." Su Qinian stroked his beard before reciting, "Just eight simple words, yet filled with overwhelming might, perfectly encapsulating the sword intent cultivated at Ten Thousand Swords Peakâ
'When the Dao collapses, only the sword remains!'"
Su Qinian shook his head, lost in admiration for the phrase's boundless arrogance.
But Li Qingran only blinked, her gaze flickering with uncertainty.
The words certainly carried an imposing presence, but they didnât sound like something her master would say.
Her masterâs words always carried an ethereal quality.
But that wasnât important.
The past was the past.
Her master had gone through countless experiences over the yearsâof course, the way he spoke would change.
"That settles it." Su Qinian clenched his fist, sealing his conclusion. "Li Qingran, your master, Chen Huaiâan, was not a Senior Grand Elder, but an
ancestor
of our sect. Perhaps he was just an elder when he left, and since his position within the sect is hard to define now, he told you he was a Senior Grand Elder instead."
Li Qingran didnât respond.
Actually, her master had never told her anything.
She had asked.
"Since your master is an
ancestor
of the Sword Pavilion, this matter must be handled with the utmost care. Go ask your master where he is now and what kind of poison he has been afflicted with. The Sword Pavilion will spare no expenseâwe
will
find the antidote, even if it costs us everything!"
Su Qinian's voice was resolute. He was all in.
Forget the sectâs principle of never abandoning a single discipleâ
Just the title
Sword Pavilion Ancestor
alone was worth going broke over.
If they managed to save this ancestor and bring him back, what did the
Qingyun Sect
amount to?
They could
storm
Qingyun Sect with the entire Pavilion.
Dig out every last one of their spirit stones.
Make their guardian beast
mate
with Qingyun Sectâs mother snake.
Would the Qingyun Sect dare say no?
Would they
dare
?!
"
Heh heh heh!
"
Lost in his fantasy, Su Qinian laughed like a true sword cultivator.
"Su Qinian! You touched an ancestorâs memorial tablet. Report to the Law Enforcement Hall and receive one hundred lashes!"
A cold voice suddenly rang out from behind him, sending a shiver down his spine.
"Ah, Senior Sister, I
am
the Pavilion Master now, you knowâ"
"Pavilion Masters get punished too." Lin Yuxi shut the doors to the ancestral hall with a cold glare. "Or what? Are you waiting for me to drag you to the sect plaza like when we were kids? Spank your backside with a vine rod in front of
all
the Sword Pavilion disciples?"
Su Qinian's face turned green. He hurriedly grabbed Li Qingran and made his escape.
He knew Senior Sister Lin
would
do it.
"Sect Master, Iâd like to visit the Scripture Pavilion as well."
Although Su Qinian had already promised to handle the situation, Li Qingran felt it was best to have a backup plan.
Her masterâs poisoning couldnât be delayed.
If Su Qinianâs efforts failed, she might still find a solution in the Scripture Pavilion.
"Go, go." Su Qinian waved her off in boredom. "The Scripture Pavilion is at the peak of the North Summit. Just remember to follow the rules."
He summoned his flying sword and prepared to head to the Law Enforcement Hall.
Then, he hesitated, turned back, and fixed Li Qingran with a dark expression.
"Qingran, about todayâs events, youâŠ"
Li Qingran straightened her posture, her face solemn as she cupped her fists.
"This disciple simply visited the ancestral hall with the Sect Master, glanced at the memorial tablets, and left. I saw
nothing
, met
no one
, and no one said a single word to us. This disciple also has
no idea
where the Sect Master is headed now."
"Mm~"
Su Qinian stroked his beard in satisfaction. "Good girl!"
With that, he soared into the sky on his sword.
Li Qingran let out a quiet breath of relief.
She unhooked the bell at her waist, summoned her celestial crane, and flew towards the North Summit.
Boom! Boom!
That morning, Chen Huaiâan was still asleep when two loud thuds echoed from outside.
Groggily, he opened his eyes.
"
No way⊠did the game send me another free item?
"
On the sofa, the black cat, Baji, also opened its golden eyes, a cold glint flashing within.
ăBlood⊠and the scent of that little thief from beforeâŠă
Chen Huaiâan got up and opened the door.
A strong stench of blood hit him straight in the face, making him frown.
A blood trail stretched from the window at the end of the hallway, leading
directly
to his doorstep.
And lying at his feet was a small, trembling figure.
Dressed in a bloodstained high school summer uniform, her hair matted with dirt and gore, her face was nearly unrecognizable.
A collapsed, bloodied little girl.
And most importantlyâ
He
knew
her.
"
Isn't this Triple Zero?!
"