Chapter 176: Two Choices

Outside the Shu Stone Residence.

When he heard the sound of the sword's resonance, a touch of excitement and anticipation appeared on Lu Hao's handsome face. He said, "The Symbol Sword Treasure in Senior Brother Liu's hands is truly extraordinary. Even the sword's resonance possesses a soul-shaking power."

However, Tea Jin's heart tightened, her beautiful face changed drastically. This was not a sword's resonance; it was clearly a requiem for self-destruction!

She turned around, ready to rush into the Shu Stone Residence.

But Lu Hao stopped her in her tracks, earnestly saying, "Junior Sister, Senior Brother Liu has already taken action. Even if you go now, there is no chance to stop him. Moreover, Su Yi is about to die soon, you should be happy about it."

Tea Jin was infuriated, and she said, "I'm not worried about Su Yi, I'm worried that Senior Brother Liu will die!"

Lu Hao was stunned, as if he had heard the biggest joke, "How is that possible? If Su Yi can kill Senior Brother Liu, I'll kowtow to him."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly saw Senior Brother Liu's figure, dressed in white, appearing on the wall.

Lu Hao immediately smiled with joy, "Look, Senior Brother Liu..."

"Victory," he hadn't even finished uttering the word when he saw Senior Brother Liu suddenly stiffen, and a sword's edge emerged from his abdomen, bringing forth a spray of blood.

Afterward, Senior Brother Liu's figure standing on the wall fell backward.

Thud!

A dull sound could still be heard from behind the wall.

"This..."

Lu Hao's pupils suddenly widened as he stood there in a daze.

Tea Jin was also shocked by this scene, her hands and feet turning cold. It had only been a short time since the fight started, and Senior Brother Liu had already been defeated?

Looking at Lu Hao's dumbfounded expression, Tea Jin couldn't help but say angrily, "Just wait to kowtow to Su Yi!"

Leaving behind these words, Tea Jin immediately rushed into the Shu Stone Residence.

When she arrived at the lakeside, she saw Su Yi lazily reclining in a rattan chair.

And the frequent visitor dropped the body of Senior Brother Liu, which he had been holding, onto the ground. Fresh blood flowed from his body.

His handsome face was covered in dust, filled with astonishment and panic, as if he couldn't believe everything that had happened, even in his last moments.

Tea Jin felt a chill throughout her body, her hands and feet turning cold. Even on a hot day like this, her delicate body was covered in a layer of cold sweat as she stood there in a daze.

"Barging in through the door, dying from jumping over the wall. A respected Elder of the Outer Sect of the Moon Wheel Sect has ended up in such a pathetic state, it is truly lamentable," Zheng Tianhe sighed emotionally.

In the span of a few breaths, a terrifying figure from the Moon Wheel Sect's Martial Dao Triple Realm had been killed in such a manner, causing Zheng Tianhe, as the head of the Zheng family, to be shaken to the core.

"Thinking that he was well-prepared and could look down on everything, he even shamelessly called Su Brother a little brat. In my opinion, dying like this is a bargain for him," Zhou Zhili said disdainfully.

Chang Guke's gaze turned to Tea Jin and said, "Miss, are you alright?"

Tea Jin shivered, snapped back to her senses, and quickly shook her head, saying bitterly, "I tried my best to persuade him not to come, but..."

"It's difficult to advise the stubborn. Miss Tea Jin, you can't blame Su Brother for this. You don't know how arrogant and arrogant he was just now, and he was the first one to make a move," Zhou Zhili quickly explained.

Tea Jin's beautiful face changed, and she said, "I knew it would turn out like this..."

"Su Yi, you wait for me. This matter will not end like this!" Suddenly, a furious shout from Lu Hao came from outside the Shu Stone Residence.

Tea Jin's head buzzed, almost spitting out blood. She had to go ask the sect for help and ended up delivering someone's head instead!?

Just as she was about to chase after him, Chang Guke had already rushed out first.

Not long after, Chang Guke returned, shaking his head and saying, "He has already escaped."

Zhou Zhili and Zheng Tianhe exchanged glances, both looking at Tea Jin.

Tea Jin understood the reasons behind this matter the most.

Her heart was on the verge of collapse.

She had been advising Liu Hongqi and Lu Hao from the beginning, using all her persuasive words, but no one listened to her.

Now, things have turned for the worse, and the youngest outer sect elder, Liu Hongqi, has met his demise!

What's even more unacceptable to Tea Jin is that Lu Hao is foolish enough to shout about seeking revenge...

After a moment, Tea Jin took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. The urgent task at hand was to explain everything that had just happened.

"Master, I..."

Tea Jin had just opened her mouth when Su Yi, sitting in the rattan chair, asked, "Where is the dinner you bought?"

"Uh..."

Tea Jin was taken aback for a moment and instinctively replied, "It's outside the alley."

"Then why are you still standing there? Go get it."

Su Yi waved his hand.

"Oh."

Tea Jin turned and hurriedly left. It was only halfway through that she suddenly realized something was wrong. Wait, I haven't explained what happened just now...

Immediately, she sighed inwardly and suppressed the chaotic thoughts in her heart as she went to find the two boys carrying the food box and wine jug outside the alley.

Beside the lake, Su Yi said, "Help me search for any spoils of war and also dispose of his body."

Chang Guo Ke was the first to step forward and swiftly began searching through Liu Hongqi's belongings. He didn't miss a single inch, examining even the strands of hair, armpits, and even the underwear.

His techniques were so skillful that Zhou Zhili was amazed. It was evident that Chang Guo Ke was an experienced "old hand" who had done this sort of thing before.

Before long, a neatly arranged pile of spoils of war lay on the ground.

After completing these tasks, Chang Guo Ke took out a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve and poured a colorful powder over Liu Hongqi's body. The powder scattered down, and bit by bit, the body of Liu Hongqi dissipated, turning into a pile of charred ashes. With the evening breeze blowing, even the ashes dispersed into nothingness.

"This... Is this the method of the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect?"

Zheng Tianhe couldn't help but shudder.

Chang Guo Ke felt somewhat embarrassed and coughed, saying, "As we travel through the world, we inevitably encounter situations where we need to kill to silence and eliminate evidence. The more times we do it, the more familiar we become with it. I apologize for the inconvenience."

Zheng Tianhe took a sharp breath. It turned out that this transcendent cultivation force also employed such dark methods.

Truly an eye-opener!

At this moment, Tea Jin returned with the food box and wine jug, but all she saw was Liu Hongqi's blood-stained white robe left behind on the ground, with no trace of the body. She couldn't help but be stunned, her expression complicated.

"Brother Su, now that this matter is over, we will take our leave."

Zhou Zhili tactfully bid farewell.

Su Yi nodded and said, "When the tea gathering begins, come and see me."

Zhou Zhili hurriedly nodded in agreement.

Soon, he left with Zheng Tianhe and Chang Guo Ke.

The night was dark, with sparse stars and a faint moon.

In the brightly lit attic, Su Yi enjoyed roasted pomfret and whole roasted lamb while drinking wine, feeling quite content.

He threw the leftover bones to the Red Lion crouching on the ground.

The Red Lion sniffed at it and disdainfully moved away.

Tea Jin couldn't help but find it amusing. This was the descendant of the Crimson Flame Azure-Eyed Beast, not a dog. How could it eat bones?

"Master, are you... not angry about today's events?" Tea Jin hesitantly asked in a low voice.

"What is there to be angry about? From the moment I kept you by my side, it was to lure out your senior brother who once tried to assassinate me," Su Yi replied casually while drinking a cup of wine. "Speaking of which, you should hate me because of this."

Tea Jin felt a bitter and perplexed feeling in her heart.

Yes, she should hate this guy, but why couldn't she bring herself to hate him at all?

Instead, she still held resentment towards Senior Uncle Liu and Senior Brother Lu. Why was that?

At that moment, Su Yi suddenly looked up and stared directly at Tea Jin. He said, "After this incident, the anger in my heart has dissipated. I can give you two choices. One is that I help you remove the Soul-Binding Lock and restore your freedom."

"The second is to continue serving by my side as a maid. As a reward, I can guide you in your cultivation. Of course, even so, you can leave at any time."

Tea Jin was stunned and seemed unable to believe it. After a while, she trembled and asked, "Is it true?"

Su Yi frowned slightly and said, "You have been with me for some time now. Don't you understand that I, Su Yi, am always clear in my debts and grudges? I always keep my word."

Tea Jin quickly shook her head, a hint of shyness appearing on her beautiful and clear face. She said, "This servant... This servant is just too happy and a bit overwhelmed..."

Su Yi nodded and said, "Take some time to think about it and give me your answer."

Tea Jin secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She indeed needed to calmly consider this matter.

After finishing their meal, Su Yi went straight back to his room to cultivate.

Tea Jin also returned to her room. Sitting by the window, her charming and graceful figure gazed at the distant ink-like night sky, feeling somewhat restless.

"If I were to return to the sect now, the elders would surely be suspicious. After all, Liu Hongqi is dead. How could they believe that Su Yi would let me go so easily?"

"But if I choose to stay, I will still be just a maid, washing clothes and pouring tea..."

Note: The translation provided above is a literal translation and may not fully capture the nuance and elegance of the original text.

"However, he said he would guide me in cultivation, and with his incredible means, he can surely help me benefit greatly. If that's the case, staying by his side would also be a good thing..."

"But what should I do if someone from the sect comes seeking revenge in the future?"

Time passed, and Tea Jin's heart was in turmoil.

Suddenly, a sweet and naive meowing sound came from the quiet room.

The young beast, the Red Lion, swiftly jumped into her arms and stretched its furry paws lazily before curling up and falling into a deep sleep.

Seeing its carefree and worry-free appearance, Tea Jin couldn't help but feel envious. This little troublemaker was enjoying life more than herself!

"Forget it, let's take it step by step. After all, he did say that I can leave whenever I want..."

Tea Jin bit her rosy lips and made a decision.

Instantly, she felt much more relaxed.

The next morning.

Su Yi had just practiced the Songhe Body Refining Technique several times by the lake in the courtyard when he saw Tea Jin returning with breakfast.

She looked radiant, her fair and beautiful face glowing softly in the morning light. Her steps were light, and she seemed to be in a good mood.

She rolled up her sleeves, revealing her frosty-white wrists, and skillfully arranged the various dishes on the table. Then, she personally served a bowl of porridge for Su Yi and herself. After everything was prepared, she said crisply, "Master, you can have your meal now."

Such a peerless beauty seemed to have become accustomed to these mundane tasks of serving others, finding joy in them.

Compared to when she first joined Su Yi's side, she was now like a completely different person.