Chapter 51: Clarity of Mind

The woman's voice was calm, leaving it unclear whether she was praising or mocking. Yet it confirmed Lin Ze's suspicion: in the simulator, this sword immortal had indeed noticed the little fox's presence and simply chose to ignore it. Now, caught in the act, he felt no shame whatsoever.

The other party was a figure capable of striking terror into the hearts of golden core monsters, naturally unafraid of retaliation from a mere young demon, while he himself had not yet reached such heights. The weak must always live more cautiously than the strong—it was only natural.

The white fox stared tensely at the cub, its blood-red eyes swirling with murderous intent. Xiao Bao, on the other hand, ran up cheerfully, grabbing the Daoist's sleeve and exclaiming with joy, "Master, why are you here!"

"Don't cause trouble next time," Lin Ze glanced at him, quietly retracting the white glow, gently stroking the round, shiny head of the little one.

Qin Hongxiu watched the two with keen interest. The white glow had not escaped her eyes just now.

If it had been her in such a predicament, what would she have done? With a mid-stage foundation cultivation, helplessly watching her disciple held captive by a golden core monster, perhaps she would have drawn her sword and struck, or perhaps fled the scene altogether. Without truly experiencing it, no one could guarantee anything.

Yet Lin Ze had found the white fox's weakness. In a moment when his disciple's life hung in the balance, he decisively abandoned the other side and sought out the little demon alone.

At this point, what would she have done? Taken the cub to negotiate with the white fox, trading it for her disciple's life...

She surely would have done so, but had to admit such a move was utterly foolish.

Qin Hongxiu shook her head lightly. When the gap in strength is so vast, there is no room for negotiation.

Lin Ze's choice was to quietly eliminate this foundation-stage little demon.

A life for a life.

He was cold enough to be called indifferent, chilling to the bone, ruthless and vengeful—a cultivator whose heart harbored not a shred of mercy.

This was why Qin Hongxiu had spoken so wistfully earlier.

She had to admit, facing the current predicament of Little Green Mountain, he was far more suited to be its master than herself or her senior brother.

Aside from his lack of strength, there was nothing to fault.

If he were a true immortal of similar cultivation, possessing such temperament, even she would have to fear him.

After a moment of silence, Qin Hongxiu sighed.

She admitted inwardly that the Daoist was right, yet she simply could not be as merciless as he.

Fortunately, her strength was a thousand times greater, so she need not bother with reason.

Qin Hongxiu slowly extended her hand, saying calmly, "I guarantee Xiao Bao's safety. Consider it a favor to your elder."

Lin Ze raised an eyebrow, gently tossing the little fox cub over.

For the first time, the sword immortal acknowledged the title of elder, even using a tone of negotiation, though she left him no real choice.

The white fox nearby still eyed them fiercely.

The tiny creature pinched between his fingers had nearly shattered his Dao heart; whether he killed it or spared it today, it would leave a hidden danger in his future cultivation—a troublesome burden.

Letting the other party decide was not a bad idea.

Qin Hongxiu caught the small fox, barely larger than her palm, and played with it for a moment. The cub looked terrified, and if she hadn't been holding its ears, it would have tried to crawl back to Lin Ze.

She looked up in puzzlement and found the Daoist watching her quietly. She rolled her eyes and said, "Rest assured, I am still your elder—I won't break my word."

Lin Ze nodded noncommittally, not withdrawing his gaze.

"Who taught you to be so cautious?" Qin Hongxiu complained, kicking the floating, pitch-black heavy sword beside her.

The heavy sword tumbled twice in the air, then shrank suddenly. By the time it reached the white fox, it was only as long as a finger, like a small pendant hanging from the fox's neck.

"I promised not to kill it, and I can't think of a way to go back on my word. Might as well have it guard your door."

"Little Green Mountain cannot accommodate a golden core monster," Lin Ze shook his head and took Xiao Bao's hand. He would never allow an uncontrollable presence at his side, no matter how tempting it sounded.

"Tch," Qin Hongxiu felt a stifling tightness in her chest. How could there be such a person in the world, almost infuriating her to death.

She tapped the air lightly with her fingertip.

The sword pendant tightened further, and the white fox's face twisted in pain as it realized its demon core had been sealed. If the restriction was not lifted, it would never again be able to use any core power. It couldn't help but look pleadingly at the murderous figure before it.

"Don't look at me, that's what you get for being timid," Qin Hongxiu shrugged.

"...," Lin Ze finally couldn't help but reveal a bitter smile.

What exactly did this little elder want? Clearly she was of the same generation as Zhang Dahai, at least two hundred years old, yet she still acted like a mischievous child.

"Hey, your disciple is much more pleasant," Qin Hongxiu caught sight of the boy out of the corner of her eye, watching him exchange faces with the little fox in her hand—boy and fox making silly faces at each other.

"Here, hang it up."

Her lips curled slightly as she tossed the cub, which landed clumsily on Xiao Bao's neck.

Now the matter was settled.

Every cultivator's Dao heart is different, each with their own karmic burdens. Only when one's thoughts are clear can one seek the true path.

For example, Lin Ze's earlier hesitation.

Or Qin Hongxiu, who claimed never to repay debts, yet her obsession was to owe no favors. Taking the fox's life from Lin Ze, she repaid him with a stroke of fortune.

In the end, whatever one is attached to, the goal is to have a clear conscience.

"Thank you, Elder," Lin Ze said, his tone crisp, offering a cupped-hand salute. The other party had done so much, so he did not linger on ceremony.

Hearing this, Qin Hongxiu's smile faded. After a moment's silence, she tossed out a cryptic remark: "If the path to immortality is visible from the start, it loses all its charm and meaning."

At her words, Lin Ze's fingers trembled slightly.

"Living in constant fear is exhausting. I prefer to rely on my sword and seek freedom and ease."

She teased him meaningfully, gathering azure clouds beneath her feet and vanishing across the sky: "Nonsense—don't take it to heart."

The little fox scratched at Xiao Bao's neck, and the two mischievous creatures chased and played.

A trace of gentleness flickered in the white fox's eyes. It turned to glare at the Daoist, snorting pridefully.

Lin Ze stood silent for a long while, finally exhaling deeply and shaking his head in self-mockery. No wonder she was a golden core cultivator; her insight was annoyingly sharp.

She might not have discerned the simulator's existence, but she had certainly noticed the hesitation on his face.

Compared to being meticulously cautious and leaving no room for error, this sword immortal preferred to grow stronger, so that the world would fear the blade in her hand—thus, she would never fear any revenge.

That was her path—not necessarily suited to him, yet worth learning from.

Lin Ze suddenly felt more open-minded. He cupped his hands toward the sky with a carefree smile and said, "Thank you."