Chapter 289: Then Master, You Shouldn't Have a Dao Companion Either

“You know… that actually makes a lot of sense,” Chen Huaian stroked his chin thoughtfully.

That logic? Kinda genius.

It sounded exactly like the modern-day reasons for not dating or getting married.

Stay single and you spend your money however you want.

Get married? Now you’re splitting expenses. Add kids and suddenly it’s split three, four ways. Fights mess with your mood, and if you get cheated on and divorced, you lose both your money and your pride.

Worst part? Wasted time, energy, and money.

And in the end, you’re left with nothing.

“Right? Right?” Li Qingran lifted her chin smugly, eyes twinkling. Then she asked slyly, “So, does Master have a Dao Companion?”

“No,” Chen Huaian shook his head.

“Did you before?” she pressed.

Chen Huaian opened his mouth.

Yeah… he had an ex.

An ex-girlfriend who treated him like trash.

Only after they broke up did he find out—

While he was working odd jobs, his girlfriend had been swiping male models at shopping clubs.

With his money, no less.

Back then, he was considered pretty decent-looking…

But no way he could compare to those pretty boys who literally made a living off their looks. People’s desires are never satisfied.

She counted as a Dao Companion, technically.

Dao Companions were supposed to help each other walk the path.

But when there’s no more helping—when it turns to betrayal—that’s called a breakup.

“Yeah,” Chen Huaian answered truthfully.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he saw a wild spark of curiosity bloom in his little disciple’s eyes. She straightened up and leaned in slightly, like a flower reaching for the sun.

“Then… why aren’t you still with her?”

“Well…” Chen Huaian thought for a bit, trying to sum it up in a way Li Qingran would understand:

**“Back then, Master was still weak. No talent, no strength. I was even gravely ill and constantly on the brink of death…

So under those circumstances, it’s only natural that my Dao Companion would choose to leave. She had every right to find someone better, didn’t she?”**

Li Qingran went quiet.

This kind of thing was common even in Cangyun Realm.

Talents from small sects would abandon their partners once they joined bigger sects. There were even cases where people turned on their Dao Companions for resources and killed them.

Li Qingran didn’t think betrayal was ever “normal.” But survival turned many into monsters.

“Don’t worry, Master. I’ll never leave you.”

“Because I’m powerful now and have lots of resources?” Chen Huaian asked with a smile.

“Nope.” Li Qingran smiled too, her lips curling gently like a moon hiding behind clouds. **“Because I’m your disciple, not a Dao Companion. All I need to do is follow Master. Dao Companions have way more to worry about.

A teacher is like a father. Sure, some people abandon their parents, and some parents abandon their kids… but I’m not one of those people.”**

With Chen Huaian’s life experience—

If anyone else had said something like that, he’d have rolled his eyes internally.

But this was Li Qingran.

He believed her.

She was the one who’d been so cruelly cast out of Qingyun Sect, forced to live in a straw hut on the verge of death before she finally gave up on them. It showed just how loyal and devoted she truly was.

“I believe you.”

“Then Master, you shouldn’t find a Dao Companion either.”

“Alright. I won’t.”

“Heehee~”

Her smile was like melting snow—soft and pure.

With a disciple this amazing, who needs a Dao Companion?

That was Chen Huaian’s honest thought.

“Chen-ge—”

A voice called out behind him.

Chen Huaian turned his head. Li Qingran instinctively gripped her sword hilt and narrowed her eyes at the newcomer. The gentle kitten instantly went into full alert mode, bristling like a hedgehog.

Wang Shouyi came rushing over, looking like a complete mess.

“Chen-ge, you okay? There was this huge battle on the lake just now. The cave we were in got destroyed, everyone got buried, and the formation disk—someone sliced it in half with a single sword strike… Holy sh*t! Chen-ge, you… you reached Foundation—”

SLAP.

Chen Huaian grabbed Wang Shouyi’s mouth and clamped it shut like a platypus’s bill.

“This place just had a major battle. Not somewhere low-level cultivators like us should be hanging around. Let’s move—now!” Chen Huaian cleared his throat, shooting a deadly glare at Wang Shouyi.

Wang Shouyi didn’t know why his mouth got silenced, but Chen Huaian’s expression said it all:

Shut. Up.

Chen Huaian’s plan now was to blend in like a wolf among huskies and quietly finish this Monster Hunting Tournament.

As for that brutal battle on the lake?

That was the Sword Pavilion Master with his three disciples… and a tiny dragon guy. What’s it got to do with him?

Every debt has its debtor. Good luck proving it had anything to do with Chen Huaian or Li Qingran.

Li Qingran followed behind her Master and Wang Shouyi, her curious eyes glued to Chen Huaian’s back.

The cultivation Master was displaying now was Foundation Establishment.

Which meant… his true body’s cultivation had been suppressed by the world’s will down to Unity Stage. That explained why only Foundation Establishment-level was visible.

As for why Pavilion Master Su’s cultivation didn’t drop?

Time.

Su Qinian had only been here for under a minute. The world’s will probably hadn’t even noticed him yet—no time to suppress his power.

But Master had been here much longer, so the Heavenly Dao’s suppression had already locked onto him.

His cultivation would definitely be pushed down further until the gap between his true self and shown power was balanced at Golden Core.

“I’m so smart!”

Li Qingran’s lips curled into a self-satisfied smile. Her eyes sparkled.

No need to bother Master with questions—solving the mystery on her own? That’s what a thoughtful disciple does!

Up ahead, Chen Huaian kept a stern expression.

Looking calm and collected on the outside—but internally losing his sh*t.

This was bad.

Really bad.

Just like that saying: one lie leads to a thousand more.

It felt amazing summoning Su Qinian earlier.

Watching Su Qinian thrash those people felt even better.

But how the h*ll was he supposed to explain Su Qinian’s peak Divine Transformation cultivation?!

Wouldn’t that blow his cover wide open?

But… judging by Li Qingran’s behavior, it didn’t look like she noticed anything?

If she didn’t notice, that was great.

If she stayed this adorably clueless, that was perfect. She wasn’t like that lunatic Lin Lingling—asking a million questions a day.

“Chen-ge, did you see a sword cultivator earlier? Wearing gray battle clothes, scar on the corner of his eye?” Wang Shouyi led Chen Huaian up a mountain occupied by disciples of the Kunlun Immortal Palace, and once he started talking, he couldn’t stop.

“Man, you wouldn’t believe it! This guy—fwoosh!—burst into the place, and fwoosh!—cut the formation disk with one strike. Then he—bam!—kicked a hole in the cave, and fwoosh!—was gone. Whole thing took maybe three seconds!”

After all that “fwoosh-ing,” Wang Shouyi looked totally awestruck. “When will I ever be that cool with a sword?”

“No idea. Never saw him.” Chen Huaian glanced up at the sky.

He knew Wang Shouyi was describing Duan Feng.

Among the three personal disciples, only Duan Feng had a scar by his eye. That guy hadn’t just killed an Ascender—he wrecked all the formation disks. Guy had terrifying execution skills.

“True. You’re lucky you didn’t. You’d have been sliced in half.”

Chen Huaian rolled his eyes. Speechless.

Li Qingran stayed behind him, head down, trying not to laugh.

“Senior Brother Wang, we lost contact with Senior Brother Zhang…”

Another disciple came over and whispered in Wang Shouyi’s ear.

Wang Shouyi’s expression grew serious. He cupped his hands toward Chen Huaian.

“Chen-ge, I’ve got some stuff to deal with. The elders from all sects were attacked and have gone missing. Looks like the tournament is ending early.”

“If you didn’t manage to hunt enough beasts—don’t worry…” He tugged Chen Huaian aside, out of view.

Then, sneaking a look around to make sure no one was watching, he shoved a porcelain bottle into Chen Huaian’s hand.

Whispered real quiet:

“This is a Bone-Cleansing Pill from Kunlun Immortal Palace. Mid-grade. Way better than the tournament rewards. Keep it for yourself, don’t tell anyone.”