Chapter Forty-Seven: A Brilliant Plan That Satisfies Both Sides

Zhang Xuandao pondered for a moment, then, with elegant grace yet utter shamelessness, remarked, "Then let us say I remembered incorrectly. Since he and the current sect leader of Lishan are martial brothers, I should be as well. Besides, this matter is not merely about seniority."

"The development of a sect ultimately relies on strength. I suppose I am currently the Lishan disciple with the highest cultivation here," Zhang Xuandao continued, his tone remaining measured even as he backtracked, sounding for all the world like a man of reason.

A gentleman reasons; a hypocrite reasons on the surface; as for a villain, he only recognizes his own logic. But a man like Zhang Xuandao speaks in grand principles, and if those fail, he changes his logic; if that still fails, he abandons reasoning altogether and resorts to force.

Regardless, Elder Quan was invigorated by these words. He looked at Zhang Xuandao with secret delight, feeling that taking this boy in had not been in vain. Yet, watching Lord Rhys struggle—well, he was indeed quite adorable, but also infuriating, vexing, and helpless.

"How about this? I have a solution," Wu Daofa suddenly interjected. "Since you have not yet officially entered the sect, and you?"

"Five or six years, I suppose." Wu Yue counted his year in the Longevity Garden as three. Honestly, he needed this favor, but it was not of paramount importance; now, he was caught in a dilemma: either offend the Tower of the Sky or face impending disaster.

Facing this "martial junior," Wu Yue felt curiosity, but he was also filled with caution and, even more so, a lingering murderous intent, especially seeing the sweat still staining his clothes. Thinking back, Wu Yue still felt a lingering fear. If he had agreed just now, he feared that whenever he faced Zhang Xuandao in the future, let alone fighting or killing, he would only be filled with dread, retreating step by step. At this thought, though Wu Yue’s face remained expressionless, his heart turned icy cold.

"And what of this little friend?" Wu Daofa showed unexpected affection toward Yu Fu. Yu Fu did not quite understand why, so he simply assumed he was special, as he had always been.

"I’ve been on Lishan since I was born," Yu Fu said. "I never knew my father or mother; they must be dead. It makes little difference to me." Yu Fu sighed as he spoke, without any deliberate display of sorrow. Wu Daofa seemed quite moved, sympathizing deeply as he used his free hand to pat Yu Fu’s hair, sighing in return.

Unexpectedly, he was met with a roll of the eyes from Yu Fu. Since discovering that he would never grow up, or at least grew incredibly slowly, the boy truly detested having his head patted. He really hated it.

Wu Daofa did not take offense, remaining affectionate. "You will surely achieve the Great Dao in the future; at the very least, you will be better than me."

Both the speaker and the listeners appeared indifferent, yet the bystanders were shocked. Wu Daofa had not used any supernatural power, so most people heard that sentence clearly! What did it mean to achieve the Great Dao? What did it mean to be "at least a little bit better"? Was this man not the World Master? It was as if a heaven-shaking secret had been revealed to all, or a massive treasure was gleaming before their eyes.

Yu Fu suddenly felt as if he were being watched by a pack of hungry wolves; he could almost hear the sound of them swallowing. Still possessing the heart of a child, Yu Fu felt uneasy and, pretending to be calm, urged, "What exactly is this method?"

The source of all this, Wu Daofa, remained breezy and indifferent. "My method is a compromise, though I leave the decision to you. After all, you are the true veteran of Lishan, and I owe a debt only to Lishan. This should be the most reasonable approach." Wu Daofa announced the verdict. Zhang Xuandao grunted—damn it, all that effort for nothing.

"Since he wants me to release this little dragon, I shall." Elder Quan was on the verge of being moved to tears, but he stopped short. It was only half a sentence. "I will place it into his hands." He gestured toward Wu Yue, who received the dragon in bewilderment.

"Then, whether to release it or not is his decision. Is this not a good method?" Wu Daofa said with a smile. Yu Fu pondered it seriously for a moment and nodded. "It’s alright, I suppose."

"This?" Wu Yue held the Frost Dragon, feeling at a loss. His palm tickled; it seemed the dragon was biting him.

"Do whatever you wish—release it, roast it, eat it, or throw it away. It no longer concerns me. This is the best of both worlds, so do not trouble me further." Wu Daofa spoke lightly, but the listeners did not dare take it lightly, especially the final sentence, which held profound meaning worthy of careful contemplation.

Best of both worlds, my foot. Elder Quan’s eyes were practically spitting fire, while Ziyan and the Gold and Red Armored guards felt their brains struggling to keep up. Regardless, Wu Yue snapped out of his daze and stuffed the little dragon into his bosom. Inside, Ziyan slapped himself hard—was he dreaming?

Su Mu ran excitedly into the small courtyard, gasping for air. "Outside the city, there are several dragons outside the city!" There was no enthusiastic response as Su Mu had expected; the small courtyard was deathly quiet.

The vegetables in the small garden had been watered, the large vat was filled with water, and the corner was stacked with firewood. The courtyard was immaculate, and the aroma of a meal wafted through the air.

Su Mu suddenly realized something and rushed frantically into the house. Seeing the familiar figure, he exhaled in relief, but his heart immediately sank again.

The table was laden with delicious food, many dishes whose names he had only heard of, emitting a tempting fragrance. Yet, even Su Yin, usually the greediest of them all, remained silent, his eyes slightly red.

"Susu, are you leaving?" Su Mu did not know his voice was trembling.

"Yes," Susu forced a smile and said, "They are here to pick us up. Hurry and eat; we are waiting for you."

"Can you not go?" Su Mu asked a question that even he felt was unrealistic. He was not stupid; a fool could not be a skilled thief. He was clever; he knew Susu was no ordinary person, not one of those people he was destined to never even be worthy of looking up to.

That sliver of hope was quickly extinguished. Susu shook her head slowly, then frowned. "Don't look so gloomy. It’s not as if we won’t see each other again." Would they really? "Eat quickly. There is no feast that does not end." As soon as she said this, the room was filled with weeping.

The meal was consumed in profound sorrow. When young people part, their sorrow is no less deep than that of adults, yet they lack the adults' ability to let go.

The meal finished. The children helped clean up. In truth, what was there to pack? The things one truly wanted to take away could never be carried.