Chapter 84: Then, what is the price of growth?
“Master, where did you find me?”
This question was somewhat abrupt. Chen An paused and replied, “I don’t remember.” He didn’t want to bring up that past, lest Su Chichi recall the bloody scene back then.
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?” he asked in return.
But the young girl had already lowered her head and softly replied, “No.” Since her head was lowered, Chen An couldn’t see her expression, but he had some guesses in his heart. He didn’t expose her, so she didn’t press further. Only Qingli Chu, who had been watching from the side, felt the strange atmosphere between the master and disciple.
…
…
After returning to the valley, Su Chichi seemed like a different person. She was no longer half-hearted about cultivation, but diligently trained every day, even meditating in her Cave Mansion for days on end. This kind of determined effort would never have appeared in this lively and active young girl before. Chen An watched this, surprised and relieved, like finally seeing a long-nurtured child suddenly achieve enlightenment and know the importance of hard work. Su Chichi’s talent was already exceptional, and with Chen An’s careful guidance, her progress was rapid, and her cultivation naturally soared. In the third year of her return, she could already faintly sense the threshold of breaking through.
It was also in this year that Chen An found an excuse to send Qingli Chu and the fox demon down the mountain. He had no other intentions, but he didn’t want to cause further trouble and involve innocent people. One day, Chen An was meditating and cultivating in his Cave Mansion as usual. To describe his cultivation, “napping” would be more fitting. All his cultivation was essentially gained by chance, so he had never experienced the feeling of being underestimated for being young and poor.
With her white skirt fluttering, Su Chichi burst in. The liveliness had faded from her face, and her demeanor had become somewhat cold. It was only when she was with Chen An that she would reveal a hint of a young girl’s playfulness. These details all served as reminders to Chen An. Su Chichi had grown up. She was no longer the little girl who was willing to share everything with her Master, and she now had her own little secrets.
Over the past three years, apart from becoming more dedicated to cultivation and her personality becoming a bit more aloof, Su Chichi’s interactions with Chen An hadn’t changed much. Just like now, she could still fawn over Chen An with eager eyes.
“Master, I want to go down the mountain.”
Chen An didn’t stop her, only smiling in agreement. But Su Chichi didn’t leave in a hurry. Instead, she persistently shook the man’s arm. “Master, when a disciple goes out to roam the world, the master will always give them their best magic artifacts as a parting gift. Aren’t you going to give me something?”
Chen An was stunned for a moment, then nodded. “Indeed. Everyone else has one, so my Chichi naturally should too.”
“Then what magic artifact do you want?” Su Chichi’s eyes flickered. She first rambled about many things, such as a Flying Boat for travel, a Jade Pendant for self-defense that could withstand an Immortal’s strike, and so on. After Chen An agreed to everything, she then casually brought up, “Master, tell me, is there any magic artifact in this world that can allow someone to kill across realms?”
Chen An casually replied, “There are many. For example, the Kunlun Sect has a treasure of the sect called the Tai Shi Ruler. Whoever wields the ruler can command the spiritual energy contained within, which has accumulated for thousands of years. If one can communicate with the Tool Spirit, even a mortal holding it has a chance to slay a cultivator. If it were a Nascent Soul cultivator, as long as it is used properly, it might even be possible to defeat a strong enemy across one or two realms.”
Su Chichi’s eyes lit up as she heard this. She asked, “Then, will powerful Immortals like you also face defeat one day?” Chen An looked at her and said, “Of course. Mahayana Immortals are also human. It’s just that ordinary means cannot break my protective divine aura.” As Su Chichi, who spent every day with Chen An, naturally knew this.
She fell silent and didn’t ask any further questions. Three days later, Su Chichi approached Chen An again, requesting that her Master forge for her the sharpest divine weapon in the world. A weapon that would allow her, with her Nascent Soul cultivation, to easily pierce the protective divine aura of a Mahayana Cultivator. Su Chichi didn’t hide anything, saying it all directly. She had already prepared for the ensuing questioning from her Master, or perhaps a complete confrontation about the matter of Su Family Village.
But Chen An said nothing. He even agreed with a smile. He didn’t ask a single question, as if no matter what Su Chichi wanted to do, he would willingly do it. Su Chichi soon left in a daze. No one knew what she was thinking at that moment, or what she was feeling. She vaguely felt that something was wrong, but she was like someone possessed, unable to muster any energy to think about it. She was like a puppet being manipulated, and only by completely severing all ties with a certain person and getting revenge could she cut off her inner demons and regain her sanity.
In the Cave Mansion, after Su Chichi left, Chen An sat alone in place. He wasn’t meditating, and his posture appeared relaxed. Half-sitting and half-lying, in the secluded Cave Mansion, the man’s murmurs could be heard. “Where in the world is there a divine weapon that allows a mere Nascent Soul to slay a Mahayana cultivator?” |
…
…
Although he said that, three months later, Chen An still forged a “divine weapon” and handed it over to Su Chichi. The divine weapon was a Long sword, its blade shining brightly, and its sword cry clear and pleasant. Anyone who saw it would have to call it a good sword. During this time, Su Chichi began to become increasingly silent. Chen An sometimes wondered if this was part of growing up. Then, what was the price of growth?
Chen An’s thoughts wandered, and he mused. With nothing else to do in the valley, he often thought about such things. This day was the day Su Chichi came to bid farewell. She had obtained everything she wanted and had no other reason to stay. Chen An, on a whim, took her to do the things they often did when they were young. For example, teasing the Tiger Spirit in the forest that absorbed the essence of the sun and moon. Or picking up a fishing rod without any bait and going fishing in the lake called the Great Lake.
He also took Su Chichi to see the bamboo grove outside the valley. When they first arrived in the valley, Chen An had cut bamboo here to build houses. Their fishing rods and bamboo chairs were all made from the bamboo here. He remembered that at the time, most of the bamboo in the grove had been taken, making it look particularly pathetic. When the mountain wind blew, only a few surviving bamboos swayed. Now, time had passed, and Chen An came again. The bamboo grove had recovered to its former glory, dense and lush, rustling with the wind.
Finally, Chen An held Su Chichi’s hand and returned to the valley. It was dusk, and the setting sun was a deep red. From a distance, there were faint traces of blue-purple barely visible to the naked eye. Chen An pulled the silent girl closer and cupped some water to gently wipe her face. He smiled with a hint of emotion. “Do you remember when you were little, you were so mischievous, always covered in mud, on your face and clothes everywhere.” Su Chichi remained expressionless, letting the man handle her. She said, “It was Chichi who was ignorant when she was young and bothered Master.” (End of this chapter)
