Seeing his displeased expression, Su Su quickly explained, "I really did enter the alchemy furnace, but I was afraid you'd forget and didn't dare disturb you, so I came out early."
Her spiritual root was of the fire attribute, so the heat inside the furnace hadn't harmed her beyond discomfort.
The young girl leaned over the couch where he cultivated, her expression sincere.
Cang Jiumin said coldly, "Get off."
Su Su complied immediately, appearing several feet away from him in the next moment.
She gazed at him pleadingly: "You're the head disciple of Penglai, a great man who doesn't hold grudges against petty people. Please forgive me."
Cang Jiumin responded with a cold laugh, summoning several bolts of lightning that struck before her. Chased by the green thunder, she was driven out of the hall.
The immortal palace's door slammed shut before her eyes.
Feeling somewhat dejected, Su Su thought about clinging to the door and persisting. But as soon as she touched the handle, a sharp pain shot through her hand, forcing her to let go immediately.
Fine, hair-thin threads of lightning flickered across the immortal door.
A cold voice came from inside: "Get lost farther away."
Su Su kicked the door in front of her, then fled using Sword Control before Cang Jiumin could react.
Hearing the loud "bang," Cang Jiumin inside narrowed his eyes sharply and sent a thunderbolt from his palm, which naturally hit empty air—the girl had already escaped like a cunning little fox.
Cang Jiumin thought he wouldn't see Su Su for a long time, but when he opened his door the next day,
Apricot blossoms fell like rain, gathering around him without any wind, forming words in the air:
"Ninth Brother Jiumin has the broadest mind, the most handsome in all six realms."
Seeing "broadest mind," he almost thought she was mocking him. When "most handsome in all six realms" appeared, he paused, then waved his hand, scattering the apricot blossoms to the ground.
Cang Jiumin commented coldly: "Bootlicking and flattery."
Li Susu probably knew about his cold temper and didn't dare approach to provoke him, only venturing to seek his forgiveness through such methods.
Cang Jiumin decided to ignore her. At most, it would be half a year until their master finished refining his artifact. What trouble could Li Susu, a newly adult Fairy from Hengyang, possibly stir up in Penglai? Whether she stayed or left would be decided when their master emerged.
He focused on his cultivation.
Penglai had always been peaceful, with few disputes. Unless something important occurred, no one would come to seek his instruction.
Yet, just after returning to his hall, someone rushed in.
"Uncle Jiumin, something terrible has happened! Fairy Li and Junior Sister Cai Shuang have both fallen into the Nether Ice Pond."
"What?" He frowned.
The Nether Ice Pond was the coldest place in all of Penglai, used to punish disciples who had made mistakes. Falling in could damage one's cultivation at best, and at worst, be life-threatening.
In an instant, Cang Jiumin's figure swept like the wind toward the Nether Ice Pond.
Su Su hadn't expected things to happen so suddenly either.
Wanting to show the sincerity of her apology, she asked a Penglai disciple where she could perform a proper act of contrition.
The disciple, blushing while looking at her, pointed toward the Nether Ice Pond.
Su Su crouched down, looked at the pond water, and immediately abandoned the idea.
Her three tactics for begging forgiveness—flattery, persistence, and playing pitiful—were just to soften Cang Jiumin's heart so she could successfully learn the Light Swan Sword technique. There was no need to actually put herself in danger, which would only cause trouble for others.
Just as Su Su was about to leave, a woman suddenly leaped into the Nether Ice Pond.
Caught off guard, Su Su was pulled into the pond water along with her. A sinister cold spread from the soles of her feet throughout her body, and for a moment, she couldn't move.The pond's cold air was like a fierce gale, tearing at the body. Su Su quickly reacted and began swimming toward the shore. To prevent offending disciples from escaping, every step in the pond water was exceptionally strenuous. She felt as if she had fallen into a vortex, extremely uncomfortable.
The pale-faced woman had originally been determined to die, but upon jumping into the Nether Ice Pond and touching the terrifying water, she suddenly felt afraid. With nothing around to hold onto, she tightly clung to Su Su, wrapping her limbs around her.
It seemed as though if Su Su didn't save her, they would both die together.
Su Su was thoroughly enraged.
An unexpected disaster was one thing, but this person wanted to take her own life, regretted it at the last moment, and still tried to harm others.
A wicked thought surged within her. She patted the woman's arm and transmitted a message: "Let go, I'll find a way to take you to the shore."
The woman looked terrified, hesitated for a long while, but ultimately, fearing death in the pond, released her grip on Su Su.
Gritting her teeth, Su Su swam toward the shore with her in tow.
Her body was filled with fire spiritual energy, like a warm little sun, capable of resisting the icy pond water for a moment.
Outside, someone was shouting in panic—
"Trouble, trouble! Fairy Li and Junior Sister Cai Shuang have fallen into the Nether Ice Pond!"
As she struggled to swim forward, Su Su thought, So this woman is called Cai Shuang, is she? Very well!
Finally, her hand touched the shore, and Su Su climbed onto the bank.
Cai Shuang was also overjoyed and excited, saying, "Thank—"
Su Su lifted her foot and kicked her squarely on the shoulder, sending her tumbling back into the pond.
"Off you go!Cang Jiumin had just entered when he witnessed this scene—Cai Shuang being kicked into the freezing pond by the girl's pink-and-white boot.
"..."
The disciples behind him were dumbfounded, and it took them a long moment to stammer, "You... how dare you harm Junior Sister Cai Shuang..."
The pink-clad Fairy was drenched and disheveled. She clapped her hands, and red fire spiritual energy swirled around her, instantly drying her clothes.
Su Su turned her head and saw Cang Jiumin, his expression dark and unpredictable, watching her intently, while the disciples behind him stared in horror.
Su Su thought to herself, Not only did I kick her, but I also want to beat Cai Shuang up.
The cold energy of the Nether Ice Pond was incompatible with the cultivation method she practiced, and now Su Su felt uncomfortable all over.
Before she could say anything, Cang Jiumin swiftly flew into the Nether Ice Pond, parting the water as he went, and carried Cai Shuang out.
As he stepped ashore, the turbulent pond water calmed down.
Cang Jiumin set Cai Shuang down; she was already unconscious and unresponsive.
His slender fingers passed over her, transferring spiritual energy. Cai Shuang opened her eyes, and the moment she saw Cang Jiumin, she burst into heart-wrenching sobs, grabbing his sleeve.
"Brother Jiumin, I almost didn't get to see you again."
Hearing this address, Su Su immediately understood who Cai Shuang was—the pitiful mortal woman who had been deceived and taken advantage of, the adopted daughter of the East Wing Master.
Only she could address Cang Jiumin as an elder brother.
Cai Shuang cried pitifully, and Su Su frowned, growing more and more irritated. Crying so tragically made it seem as though Su Su had harmed her first.
Sure enough, the Penglai disciples nearby said indignantly, "Uncle Jiumin, we can't let this go unpunished."
Su Su immediately retorted, "Why don't you ask her who caused me to fall into the freezing pond and tried to drag me down with her!"
Cai Shuang's eyes flickered, her pale little face timidly hiding closer to Cang Jiumin, as if Su Su were utterly terrifying.Her demeanor, along with Cang Jiumin's silence, infuriated Su Su. "Since you claim I've harmed you, I might as well make the accusation true."
She suddenly smiled, pushed Cang Jiumin aside, and pressed Cai Shuang toward the Nether Ice Pond.
"After I've made the accusation real, I'll plead guilty." Before that, you can just die for now.
Seeing that Su Su was serious and about to be shoved back into the Nether Ice Pond, Cai Shuang shrieked, "Ah! Save me..."
A hand blocked Su Su and pulled Cai Shuang back.
Su Su turned and heard a cold voice say, "Coming to Penglai to train does not permit your insolence. Starting tomorrow, Li Susu is punished to the Sword Washing Pool to wash a thousand spiritual swords."
"Cang Jiumin, are you blind? If you love washing swords, you do it! Who cares about your Light Swan Sword Art? I'm not learning anymore! I'm leaving right now!"
Su Su shot a blast of heavy fire at Cang Jiumin, but the flames dissipated into nothingness as they neared him. Cang Jiumin remained expressionless, raising his hand to form dark thunder into chains as thick as an arm, trapping Su Su.
"You have no choice!"
Penglai disciples helped the trembling, sobbing Cai Shuang to her feet.
Cang Jiumin retracted his hand, taking Su Su to the Sword Washing Pool.
Along the way, Su Su mentally cursed every unreasonable, utterly blind Penglai disciple.
In her imagination, Cang Jiumin had already been torn to pieces.
Upon arriving at the Sword Washing Pool, a scorching heat, entirely different from the Nether Ice Pond, assaulted her. Su Su lifted her eyes to see a sea of fire filled with spiritual swords haphazardly embedded—some rusted and tarnished, others gleaming brightly, emitting faint hums.
Cang Jiumin sealed the Sword Washing Pool, released her, and sat cross-legged beside her.
His voice was icy. "Use the magma to wash the swords, cleansing them of impurities. You will not leave until you have washed a thousand swords."
Cang Jiumin walked to the edge of the pool, picked up a spiritual sword, and with his slender fingers guiding the magma like water, he wiped the blade over and over, meticulously cleansing it.
As the impurities faded, the sword regained its purity. With a wave of his hand, he returned it to the pool.
Any respect Su Su had felt for him, any desire to reconcile, vanished entirely.
Her clear, bright eyes fixed on him for a long time. Seeing him unmoved, she suddenly blinked and said sweetly, "Fine, I'll wash them. I'll start right now."
Cang Jiumin glanced at her with his dark pupils, silent.
Su Su crouched by the pool, a smile curling her lips. With a lift of her hand, dozens of spiritual swords rose into the air, dripping with searing magma.
The girl formed hand seals, and all the swords lunged wildly toward Cang Jiumin.
Su Su turned her head with a laugh. "Be careful, Senior Brother... I accidentally lost control of them..."
Cang Jiumin's face darkened as he dodged the swords and appeared behind her in an instant.
"Let me go! What are you doing?"
Su Su struggled, but the man unyieldingly brought her to the pool's edge, gripped her hand, picked up a rust-covered sword, and began washing it with her.
Su Su couldn't move. The scorching magma, infused with spiritual energy, stung faintly, making her uncomfortable.
As the rusty sword grew brighter, she felt both furious and wronged. She threw the sword back into the pool, splashing magma that flew straight toward her face.
Without a word, the man behind her blocked the magma with the back of his hand.
A sizzling sound followed as Cang Jiumin endured the scattered burns, still refusing to let her leave.
Seeing her aggrieved expression.Cang Jiumin paused, frowned, and stared at the churning magma before speaking stiffly, "When I was young, my master made me wash a thousand spiritual swords. Only by connecting with the Sword Heart could I wield the Light Swan Sword Art."
Su Su was taken aback, suddenly realizing he was actually teaching her the Light Swan Sword Art. She turned her head to look at him, "So what? It was Cai Shuang who harmed me first, yet your Penglai punished me for her sake!"
Cang Jiumin said indifferently, "I know it wasn't you."
"You... Huh? What did you say?" Su Su stared at him in surprise. Had she heard correctly?
Cang Jiumin said, "The East Wing Master dotes on her. Even if I believe you, and the Penglai disciples believe you, the East Wing Master would not. By punishing you today, this matter is settled. The East Wing Master has no reason to pursue it further." When mentioning his own father, he used the term "East Wing Master" coldly.
Su Su said, "If my father knew I had so little backbone, he would rather go to war with the East Mu Immortal Realm than let me concede over such a matter!"
Cang Jiumin's expression was cold and detached as he murmured, "Fighting for momentary superiority injures the enemy a thousand while harming yourself eight hundred. There are countless ways to achieve a bloodless victory—make her suffer bitterly, unable to voice her grievances, and keep her quiet. Just wait and see."
Su Su could hardly imagine such "vicious" words coming from his mouth. A chill ran down her spine.
Coming back to her senses, she realized Cang Jiumin's hand was still wrapped around hers—whether to prevent her from escaping or to stop her from suddenly summoning dozens of swords to attack him again.
His knuckles were distinct as he guided the scorching energy of the Sword Washing Pool to circulate through her body.
Su Su whispered, "Huh?"
The scorching energy of the Sword Washing Pool slowly dispelled the cold energy from the Nether Ice Pond within her. The pain vanished, replaced by a feeling of lightness.
So the cold energy of the Nether Ice Pond could be neutralized by the scorching energy of the Sword Washing Pool. But now that Cang Jiumin had sealed the Sword Washing Pool, wouldn't Cai Shuang, who was afflicted by the cold energy outside, be tormented and in excruciating pain?
She blinked and turned to look at the man beside her.
After being stared at for a while, Cang Jiumin finally couldn't take it anymore. He cupped her face and turned it away, forbidding her from looking at him any longer, his voice still sharp and sarcastic, "What are you looking at! Focus on washing the sword."
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