Senior sister, I'm going to control you.

Chapter 73 Entrusted by Someone

Li Tianran gritted his teeth and called out, "Sect Master."

Chen Xiaolu narrowed her eyes, a hint of amusement appearing on her usually indifferent face.

She tilted her head and looked at Li Tianran as if she were looking at a small beast that dared to bare its teeth at a tiger.

"You're smarter than I thought."

She didn't deny it; instead, her tone carried a hint of admiration: "Now that you know my identity, you still dare to stop me?"

Li Tianran didn't answer. His throat was dry, and only one thought occupied his mind:

The fact that she didn't make a move suggests that there's still room for maneuver.

Chen Xiaolu wasn't in a hurry. Her gaze swept over him as if she were re-evaluating him.

"Li Tianran, to be objective, your temperament is very suitable for cultivating immortality. If you had spiritual roots, you would definitely be a powerful figure."

She said this in a casual tone, as if she were commenting on an object that was reasonably pleasing to the eye.

"He has the mentality of a strong person, can be flexible and adaptable, and is smart enough, but unfortunately he has no spiritual root."

"You're the first person to have managed to cultivate the Blood Puppet Technique, which I created, to the pseudo-ninth level."

No spiritual root!

It was because she had no spiritual root that she was made a blood slave and captured by Wang Yin to test medicine.

He's being judged here by someone who could crush him at any moment.

Li Tianran respectfully said, "Sect Master, Shen Qing is just an outer disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect, and he is of no importance to you."

"Why don't you release her? What are your requirements? I'll find you someone even better..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Xiaolu interrupted him, her voice tinged with mockery: "She's important. You're the one who's insignificant."

Li Tianran: "..."

Chen Xiaolu said calmly, "You're so eager to escape the sect, yet you dare to make promises to me here? What makes you think you can do that?"

Li Tianran, I spared your life because my senior sister cares about you. Otherwise, what right do you have to stand here and waste your breath on me?

Upon hearing this...

Li Tianran took a deep breath.

Chen Xiaolu's meaning couldn't be clearer.

It's telling him: all your struggles are a joke in my eyes, and you have no right to speak.

"Chen Xiaolu!"

Shen Qing struggled to get up from the ground, the blood from her scraped knees staining the gravel red.

She stood in front of Li Tianran, looking up at Chen Xiaolu.

There was fear in his eyes, but even more so, a resolute acceptance of his fate.

"You promised me."

Shen Qing's voice trembled, but she spoke each word clearly.

"You said that as long as I cooperate, no one else will be implicated. You have to keep your word, otherwise I won't cooperate with you."

Chen Xiaolu didn't respond, she just stared at her coldly.

Receiving no response, Shen Qing took another step forward, raising her voice slightly: "You promised me!"

Chen Xiaolu finally spoke, her tone as indifferent as the wind: "I remember."

Shen Qing breathed a sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

She turned around and looked at Li Tianran.

Her eyes were already red.

She didn't speak immediately, but instead reached out and wiped the mud and tears from her face.

But instead of wiping it off, it made my face look even more smudged.

She smiled, and as she smiled, tears began to fall.

"Li Tianran, I have something to tell you."

Her voice was so soft, as if afraid of disturbing something: "Please remember this for me, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Li Tianran's Adam's apple bobbed up and down before he finally nodded.

He could sense Shen Qing's emotions and knew clearly that no matter how much he struggled today, it would be futile.

Shen Qing took out a handkerchief from her bosom, folded it neatly, and the edges were frayed.

The handkerchief was embroidered with a crooked peony flower, the petals of different sizes, and the stitches were so messy they looked like a spider crawling.

"Here, take this."

She stuffed the handkerchief into Li Tianran's hand; her fingers were icy cold and trembling.

"I embroidered this; my father taught me how to embroider it."

He was a grown man, yet he did the delicate work of a woman, and he still raised me. I, a girl, was the one who embroidered crookedly.

She laughed as she spoke, and tears streamed down her face.

He said, "Qing'er, what are you embroidering? Is it foxtail grass?"

My face flushed red, and I exclaimed, "This is a peony! Do you even know what a peony is?!"

Shen Qing's voice began to tremble, but the corners of her mouth were still trying to turn up.

"Later, I joined the Heavenly Sword Sect, and whenever I missed home, I would take out this handkerchief and look at it."

Shen Qing's tears fell drop by drop onto the crooked flower, wetting its petals.

"Li Tianran, if you have time, please go to the alley on West Street in Guangnan County, Dongyu Wentong Kingdom, for me."

Looking for a tailor surnamed Shen who has a slight limp and is missing a finger on his left hand.

Her voice grew softer and softer, as if she was afraid of being overheard.

"Tell him... that his daughter is promising, that she has been chosen by an immortal, and that she has gone into seclusion with the immortal to cultivate."

It might be a very long time before I can go back to see him. Tell him not to wait, to eat well, not to skimp on charcoal in the winter, and to get medicine when his legs hurt…”

Shen Qing couldn't continue speaking, so she covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking with each tremor.

Li Tianran gripped the handkerchief tightly, remaining silent.

He wanted to say, "Go tell them yourself!"

"Shut the fuck up!"

"I'll take you with me, let's run together!"

But it felt like something was stuck in my throat, and I couldn't utter a single word.

Because he knew that nothing he said would make a difference.

Her smile was more like a grimace: "I told my dad that when I become an immortal, I'll buy him a big courtyard filled with peonies."

She also told him that she would buy him charcoal for his house so he wouldn't freeze while making clothes in the middle of the night.

She looked up at the gray sky, tears streaming down her chin.

"Forget it, I'm not going to talk about it anymore. It's all impossible, it's all a lie."

Shen Qing took a deep breath, wiped away her tears haphazardly, and then looked at Li Tianran with a strange emotion in her eyes.

"You saved me twice."

That time in the town of Bamile, and that time in Zhao Ling's hands.

"But you also hurt me once."

She smiled and said, "You took me as a prisoner and brought me to the Blood Spirit Sect."

"So this time I saved you, we're even."

After she finished speaking, her voice suddenly went hoarse, as if she had used up all her strength.

"Li Tianran, live well."

He wanted to say something, but in the end, it all came down to one word: "Okay!"

Chen Xiaolu did not interrupt from beginning to end.

She just stood there, looking completely indifferent.

But Li Tianran noticed that her gaze was fixed on Shen Qing.

It wasn't the indifference one feels when looking at ants; it was something indescribable and hard to put into words.

Like a cultivator looking at his most cherished spiritual sword, afraid of damaging it or losing it.

She cares about Shen Qing.

It's not the kind of concern that comes from caring about a person, but rather caring about something that belongs to you.

Shen Qing turned to look at Chen Xiaolu, her voice still trembling, but much steadyer: "I'll go with you, I won't kill him."

Chen Xiaolu glanced at Li Tianran, a slight smile playing on her lips:

"No matter what, he is still a disciple of my Blood Spirit Sect, even though he is rebellious and thinks about how to escape all day long."