Chapter Thirty-Three: A Pity That No One Appreciates My Talent

Ling Hu's voice grew raspy. Suddenly, she dropped to her knees with a heavy thud.

"Master, I was wrong. It is all my fault. I should never have indulged Ye Chen in the first place."

"I failed to shoulder the responsibilities expected of a mentor."

"It was my lax discipline that turned him into what he is today, and led him to defy you, Master."

Ling Hu’s choked, sobbing voice caused a tremor in Xiao Chenxin’s heart.

If it weren't for Liu Ruyan toying with his predecessor and stirring up trouble, the Yaoguang Sacred Land would not have harbored such deep resentment toward her. In fact, when she eventually died, the entire Sacred Land had secretly celebrated. The subsequent chaos was stirred up entirely by Ye Chen, and it had nothing to do with Ling Hu. She was nothing more than a pathetic, lovestruck fool who had given her heart to the wrong person.

Xiao Chenxin truly had no intention of blaming her.

"Get up. This was never your fault to begin with."

"At most, you were negligent, not guilty."

Ling Hu, however, refused to rise. Suddenly, she lifted her head, her eyes burning with resolve.

"Master, if Ye Chen causes more trouble in the future, please deal with him according to the rules. Do not concern yourself with my feelings."

"The bond between him and me is severed."

"That you have allowed me to see through all of this is enough for me. I dare not harbor any other greedy desires."

Hearing this, Xiao Chenxin finally understood the situation. All this drama had been nothing but a misunderstanding. He hadn't held back against Ye Chen to save face for Ling Hu; if he had the chance, he wouldn't have hesitated for a second. He knew that since Ye Chen held the destiny of the Heavenly Dao, their conflict was an irreconcilable feud—either he died, or Ye Chen did. The best solution was to strike at the root whenever possible: to treat the still-weak Ye Chen as an equal, to methodically eliminate every path of escape, and to destroy him completely, from flesh to soul.

Unfortunately, Ye Chen could not be killed yet. He was still protected by the fortune of the Heavenly Dao. If Xiao Chenxin acted rashly, he would be subjected to a backlash from that fortune, which would be troublesome.

Since it was a misunderstanding, he should explain it clearly. Xiao Chenxin cleared his throat and said, "Ling Hu, I have my own plans; I am not acting based on your position."

"I am not such a fool as to let an opponent grow stronger unchecked. So, you need not worry."

Ling Hu pondered his words for a moment, but dismissed them as mere excuses. She had once wielded Xiao Chenxin’s sword and knew its immense power; Ye Chen’s strength could never withstand it. To her master, killing Ye Chen should be effortless. She felt touched that he had gone to the trouble of finding such a thoughtful excuse to spare her feelings.

***

Ling Hu had completely misinterpreted Xiao Chenxin's meaning. However, she chose not to be stubborn, as she did not want to make things difficult for him.

"Yes, Master. I understand," she replied.

Seeing Ling Hu calm down, Xiao Chenxin opened his system interface to check her status.

[Name: Ling Hu]
[Fortune: Golden]
[Simp Value: 15]

"Hmm? It went up again?"

Xiao Chenxin was now uncertain. Based on her behavior just now, she didn't seem like a simp for Ye Chen. Even if she had lingering feelings, she wouldn't have declared their bond severed. Clearly, Ling Hu had set her sights on someone else! His words just now had inadvertently pushed them together, making her even more enamored with that person. His disciple had only just escaped the sea of heartbreak to become his subordinate; he couldn't let her go astray again! Furthermore, he didn't know who she was interested in, nor did he know the character of that person. He had to warn her not to let their relationship develop too quickly, lest it spiral out of control.

"Ling Hu, we are practitioners. We are distinct from mortals, fundamentally different. You saw it today—with a single word from me, thousands of mortals retreated. We are not of the same kind."

"Since you have chosen the path of cultivation, you must walk it with unwavering devotion. Do not let your heart be distracted by other matters."

"Love may be an ordinary experience for mortals, but for us, it is a trial—a test of the entanglements of the mortal world."

Xiao Chenxin continued his lecture, not paying much mind to how much she absorbed. After all, her Simp Value had only just begun to rise; it hadn't reached the point where he needed to take drastic measures. A bit of advice was easy and saved effort. Having said his piece, he looked at Ling Hu again.

[Simp Value: 20!]

"Wait? It went up again!"

"Do you think you're a stock market ticker?"

Xiao Chenxin took a long look at her and suddenly realized something. It seemed that every time he spoke, her Simp Value increased. Could it be that she was simping for him?

As this thought crossed his mind, Xiao Chenxin folded his arms and stood in silence, not uttering another word. If she was simping for him, then based on the fact that his words triggered the increase, she must be awestruck by his profound wisdom and had fallen for him! If he stayed silent, the value shouldn't rise.

While waiting patiently for the change, a strange sense of anticipation grew in Xiao Chenxin’s heart. If she was simping for him, that would be wonderful. He had been single for so many years; while he claimed to be a man of clarity, who wouldn't want a romance? Especially on cold nights, his bed was indeed rather chilly.

But after waiting for about two minutes, Ling Hu’s Simp Value rose by another three points. By his deduction, this meant that Ling Hu was not simping for him.

Xiao Chenxin suddenly felt like a punctured balloon. "It seems my talent is not something an ordinary person can appreciate."

"Oh well. With the system, once my cultivation soars and I dominate the world, why should I worry about not finding a woman?"

Xiao Chenxin turned around with a flourish and waved his hand. "Cultivate diligently. Do not hinder your future."

"The entanglements of the mortal world are nothing but fleeting clouds and a grand dream."

Ling Hu watched him walk away, her eyes following him until he vanished into the sky. She finally looked away.

"Master is so handsome..."

"Why didn't I notice that before?"

"Was I bewitched by Ye Chen? No, how could Ye Chen compare to Master? He lacks Master's breadth of heart, his looks, and his magnanimity. Hmph, he is nothing."

***

*Achoo!*

Xiao Chenxin sneezed mid-air. "Who is singing my praises behind my back?"

As he rubbed his nose, the Master of the Alchemy Peak flew toward him in a hurry.

"Grandmaster, an elder from the Sword Immortal Sect just came to pay a visit and delivered an invitation."

"It is for the Alliance Martial Tournament. These are the latest rules and rewards."

"Would you like to see if we should send someone to participate?"

Xiao Chenxin took the invitation and opened it to read carefully. The Martial Tournament held by the Central Plains Sect Alliance was meant to be a decennial event. However, the various territories were not satisfied with that, so every two years, the major sects joined forces to host tournaments in their respective regions. It served as a way to scout talent for the Central Plains tournament.

Seeing Xiao Chenxin reading intently, the Alchemy Peak Master couldn't help but add, "The Holy Master has always refused to participate, but this is the final invitation."