"How can this be? I'm clearly an orphan," Cang Zhu murmured to himself, his expression so fragile it seemed it might shatter at the slightest touch.
Sikong Yanguang hadn't expected Cang Zhu to push the door open at that moment, inadvertently overhearing those words. But since he had heard them, he had no choice but to tell him the truth. He had originally kept all of this hidden to protect his only grandson from further harm and to let him grow up carefree, but now it seemed that was nothing more than a vain hope.
"This all goes back to the year I was forced to betray my senior brother, Sikong Kuang. I remember that night, drinking and laughing with him, making the most ambitious vows, dreaming of all the美好 ahead."
"But right then, Sikong Cheng took control of my entire family—my parents, my wife, my children—so I had no choice but to betray Sikong Kuang. From that day on, I've lived in guilt. When I learned that my closest brother had also betrayed him, I felt a deep bitterness, but I had no standing to condemn him."
"I thought I'd spend the rest of my life drowning in guilt, but then my first catastrophe struck: my parents died resisting Sikong Cheng."
At this, a bitter smile flickered across his face.
"Did you never think of revenge?" Ye Lanshan tapped the table, listening to this all-too-ordinary story, only showing a flicker of interest when he mentioned his parents being killed by Sikong Cheng.
"Revenge? I've thought about it. But my wife and children were still in his hands, so I didn't dare act rashly."
"And then?"
"Then..." Sikong Yanguang erupted with a hatred greater than any he had ever felt before, its intensity so fierce that even Ye Lanshan felt a jolt of alarm.
"They abused my wife. My son barely escaped their clutches, found a wife for himself outside, and they were both slaughtered. I went through hell to find Cang Zhu. To avoid arousing Sikong Cheng's suspicion, I kept this secret until now."
"So you never sought revenge because you were afraid that if you died, no one would take care of Cang Zhu?" Yun Di ventured.
Sikong Yanguang shook his head. "Not just that. I did it for my wife as well."
Ye Lanshan: "Hmm?"
In response to her question, Sikong Yanguang said, "My wife had some beauty, and to keep me in check, Sikong Cheng never had the heart to kill her."
"I see. So this Sikong Cheng is truly the worst of the worst." Ye Lanshan felt a stir of emotion inside, but on the surface, she remained indifferent, making one wonder if she had any sympathy at all.
"Grandfather, I want to avenge my parents." After hearing this, Cang Zhu was consumed by a surge of hatred. So he did have parents. So he could have been happy once. But all of that was destroyed by Sikong Cheng.
"Master Shanluo, I'm willing to trade my strange fire and my life with you in exchange for rescuing my grandmother." This time, Cang Zhu remembered Ye Lanshan's words. He stood tall and straight, looking at her fearlessly.
"Keep your life and your strange fire." Ye Lanshan spoke calmly, and before Cang Zhu could grow anxious, she added, "But I will definitely bring your grandmother back. On one condition: you must become my disciple."
Though taking him as a disciple was Sikong Yanguang's request, this young boy had also sparked her desire to nurture talent. At such a young age, he could endure the pain of a strange fire entering his body, and he possessed the rare Star Source constitution, allowing him to cultivate at an extraordinary speed under starlight. How could she let someone like that slip away?
"Master, please accept my bow." Cang Zhu froze for a second, then knelt with unwavering resolve, the force of it shaking even the table.
"Good, good. Rise." Ye Lanshan helped him up herself, and for the first time, she revealed a genuine smile.
Feeling the warmth of Ye Lanshan's hands, Cang Zhu finally saw her as a real person, not some ethereal deity.
"Master, since you're my master now, you have to teach me well," Cang Zhu said, showing a rare childish playfulness.
"Of course. Rest assured, I will teach you properly." What did Ye Lanshan feel taking on this disciple? It was a sensation she had never experienced before. From this moment, she knew her ties to this continent had deepened.
"Ha ha ha ha." Sikong Yanguang watched this heartwarming scene and couldn't help but laugh heartily—the most joyful laugh he'd had since being forced to betray Sikong Kuang.
"But on a serious note, when will you announce me as the new valley master?" Ye Lanshan allowed herself a rare moment of relaxation but didn't forget the main issue.
"Hmm, that will have to wait a few more days. In ten days, the Medicine Valley will hold a grand exchange conference. At that time, you can refine a divine pill and prove yourself to everyone. Then I'll smoothly pass the valley master position to you."
"Oh, an exchange conference?" Ye Lanshan found the term familiar. In her past life, she had attended countless such conferences among cultivation families.
"Very well, we'll wait until then. In the meantime, I can focus on cultivating and see if I can break through to the Divine General level." Ye Lanshan didn't object, as she was curious to see what this exchange conference was like.
"Good. For now, you can stay in the Medicine Madness Courtyard." Sikong Yanguang took a sip of tea.
"Mm." Ye Lanshan nodded in agreement.
"Master, come on, I'll take you to the Medicine Madness Courtyard." A flicker of nervousness crossed Cang Zhu's eyes, afraid Ye Lanshan would ask where it was.
"Alright." Ye Lanshan felt a certain indulgence toward her new little disciple, perhaps because this was her first time taking one.
"Oh, isn't this little Cang Zhu? Don't you know outsiders aren't allowed in the Medicine Valley? And yet you brazenly bring strangers in. This time, I doubt even your valley master grandfather can protect you." A grating, raspy voice rang out, grating on everyone's nerves.
Looking up, a middle-aged man with a face full of spots, a bloated belly, and an oily, disgusting appearance jumped out to block their path.
"They're not strangers. She's my master. If you have nothing to do, get out of my way." In the past, Cang Zhu would have slunk away, but now with his master backing him up, who was he afraid of?
His fearless demeanor surprised the middle-aged man, but he didn't dwell on it. He raised his hand to slap him. "You little bastard, you've grown some nerve, talking to me like that."
But before his slap could land, a pale hand caught his wrist. Cang Zhu, who had squeezed his eyes shut in fear, peeked open. Just as he expected, his master wouldn't let him be bullied.
"Master, you have to teach him a lesson. He always bullies me because his mystic power is higher than mine and he's a third-rank alchemist." Cang Zhu scurried behind her, peeking out with his little head to tattle.