Chapter 116: Embrace Being Single Gracefully

The crowd fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts.

Just then, Wulei burst in, asking timidly, "Did you call for me, Father?" He kept his small hands helplessly behind his back, feeling uneasy. He knew he had over-slept and would surely be punished, and he felt guilty for letting his father down.

Bufeng beckoned him over. Though he was angry, he could never truly hold it against the boy. "Come here to me."

Wulei obeyed, trotting to his side. "Father."

"Do not be lazy next time. This time, your sister Yi pleaded for you, so I will spare you."

"Thank you, Father!" Wulei looked up, beaming.

Bufeng patted him gently. The child had been back for some time now; though he hadn't grown much, he was finally starting to grow closer to him. Feeling a deep sense of relief, he said, "Go and practice with your senior brother. I will come to see you later."

"Yes." Wulei nodded and scurried out of the room.

Suddenly, Mingying arrived with a letter. "Sect Master, there is a letter here addressed specifically to you." He presented it respectfully.

Bufeng cast a sidelong glance, then took the letter slowly. It was clearly marked "To be opened personally by Bufeng." He unfolded it and asked, "Do you know who sent this?"

"I do not. A disciple found it while cleaning the hallway."

"I understand. You may go." After reading it, Bufeng handed the letter to Que Yunzi.

Mingying bowed and withdrew, whispering a few words to Mingyi before leaving the courtyard.

After reading it, Que Yunzi grew furious and slammed the letter onto the table. "This is an intolerable insult!"

Yun Xingyu and Zou Jiren, who had remained silent, raised their eyebrows, then lowered them again.

Yi Qingchen asked, "Senior Que, why are you so angry? Is it..."

Que Yunzi did not answer her, instead saying to Bufeng, "They have climbed onto our heads and insulted us at our own doorstep, and you can still remain indifferent?"

Bufeng tucked the letter into his sleeve and replied calmly, "What else would you have me do?" He seemed to anticipate Que Yunzi’s retort and added, "I am not afraid of them acting; I am only afraid of them doing nothing."

Su He asked, "Is it the Three Evils?"

"Indeed." Bufeng gave him an appreciative look. "Several small sects have already met with disaster; this is their letter of challenge. They are merely trying to provoke me into action. I expect the Soul-Governing Sect, the Spring and Autumn Calligraphy, and the Royal City have all received similar missives."

"Do you mean to say, Senior, that the Three Evils are targeting the remaining seals?"

"Exactly. It seems the evildoers cannot find information on the Zen Sect or the Southern Sea of Clouds, so they have turned their attention to us."

"And what is the method for breaking them?"

"The methods vary by sect, but they all require the blood of the 'Seal-Breaker.' To break a seal, the evildoers must find the Seal-Breaker of each sect. However, this is a secret, and I cannot say more."

Su He nodded in understanding. "Do you have a plan to counter them, Senior?"

Bufeng’s expression shifted, becoming as cold as an autumn wind. He stared at those present and said, "I wish to speak with Su He privately. I must trouble you all to wait outside."

Yun Xingyu was the quickest to move, immediately helping Zou Jiren away to rest. Yi Qingchen and Que Yunzi hesitated for a moment before following suit.

In the vast room, only the two remained. Bufeng swung his hand, closing the door and casting a barrier. Those outside felt a chill, wondering what could be so grave to warrant such an action from Bufeng.

"Senior?"

Suddenly, Bufeng pulled up his robes and knelt on one knee before Su He, startling the latter so much he nearly tumbled off the bed. "Senior... what are you doing?"

"Baili Su He, I have never knelt to beg anyone in my life. But today, I will leverage the debt of gratitude I owe you to ask for one thing."

"I..."

"I know your heart is not in the Desire Sea Heaven. But have you considered that to achieve your wish, you must first survive the present? If the Desire Sea Heaven falls, and you still lack the strength to enter Siyou, you will not escape this calamity."

"What do you mean, Senior?"

Bufeng looked at Su He, speaking each word with heavy resolve: "I want you to be the bait."

Su He fell silent, supporting Bufeng.

"Each sect has only one heir; if one falls into their hands, the entire sect is in peril. If one sect is destroyed, the Desire Sea Heaven becomes that much more vulnerable. I will not hide it from you: I am the Seal-Breaker of the No-Life Gate. I do not fear death, but I cannot allow the evildoers to succeed. Therefore, I want to teach you the method to break the seal—only the form, not the inner technique—and announce to the world that you are our sect's Seal-Breaker."

Su He’s hand, which had been holding Bufeng, trembled for a long time before he let go.

"You may refuse me. But if the No-Life Gate should fall, I ask only that you do your best to protect Wulei and Mingyi, to preserve a sliver of the No-Life Gate’s lineage."

"What are you saying, Senior? The lineage of the No-Life Gate should be held by you. I am already a man who should have died long ago; being a Seal-Breaker once more is of no consequence."

Bufeng looked up after a long silence. "After this ordeal, my life shall be yours."

...

Three days passed. At first, everyone thought Bufeng just had a few words to say, but they never expected the door to stay shut for so long. Wulei watched the closed wooden door, sweat blurring his vision, and asked Mingyi, "Senior Brother, how much longer will Father be?"

Mingyi smiled. "Very soon." He kept his eyes fixed on the door.

Finally, at sunset, the door opened. Bufeng emerged and announced that he would be inducting Su He into the sect on behalf of his late master. Neither Mingyi nor the others—not even Buwen—were prepared for this. They were of the "Bu" generation; what would Su He be called?

Bufeng told them it was an extraordinary situation and ordered Buwen to prepare the apprenticeship ceremony. That very night, tea was served in the Wind and Thunder Hall, leaving the disciples of the No-Life Gate in disbelief. They had never seen such a rushed induction; the entire process left the sect in an uproar.

Thus, Su He was promoted from Mingyi’s peer to his elder. Bufeng held a banquet to celebrate.

Late that night, Bufeng walked Su He back to his room. "After tonight, I have wronged you, Junior Brother."

It was a selfish decision, but it was the most beneficial one for the No-Life Gate and the Desire Sea Heaven. They all knew who stood behind Su He. The Baili clan could purge their own rebels, but they would never allow others to cross the line; that would be a provocation and an insult. Furthermore, the incident with the "Undying Ash" proved that someone within Siyou did not want Su He dead, which was a massive opportunity for them.

The rest of them, no matter how strong, were ultimately minor players. When the time came, there would be no choice but to sacrifice themselves. But Su He was different. Regardless of his grievances with the Baili clan, his background made him a better bait than any of them. At the very least, Su He might not necessarily die.

Yet, this was the most guilty act of his life. Using gratitude as leverage was the act of a petty man.

Su He leaned against the bed, exhausted by the day’s events. He tugged at Bufeng’s sleeve, gesturing for him to sit.

Bufeng sat down. "Do you blame me?"

"Heh, what is there to blame?" Su He tilted his head. "Senior Brother is right. I cannot achieve what I desire yet. Since I cannot, am I not just one of the common masses? If the Desire Sea Heaven falls and the world ends, I will just follow along."

"I don't know much about the Baili clan. But if you want revenge for your mother, you must be patient. As long as you do not reveal your intent, even if people from Siyou come, they will not dare to act openly. Otherwise, the impeachment by the Four Great Families would be enough to give them a headache."

After all, the power of the Divine Realm was enough to destroy a realm. Thus, once power reached a certain level, there were relative constraints; one could not interfere in other realms at will.

Su He looked at Bufeng and suddenly laughed. "Was I that obvious?"

Bufeng smiled too. "What do you think?"

"Sigh, I was indeed too impatient." He thought he had hidden it well, but it seems he was still lacking.

"If I hadn't spoken, were you planning to leave once your wounds healed?"

"Nothing escapes your eyes, Senior Brother. I did think so. When I first came to the Desire Sea Heaven, I didn't want to return. It was only for Wushuang's wish that I embarked on this path. Later, a friend saved me, and my dead heart began to stir; I wanted to save Wushuang. Once he was saved, we would be even. After that, I would leave. But then I saw Di Shui Ling, and the hatred I had planned to abandon resurfaced. Before my mother died, she told me not to seek revenge, to stay away. I listened, and after surviving, I went to the Heavenly Palace alone for I don't know how many years. But seeing her before me again, a voice in my heart told me she was the one who killed my mother."

Bufeng sighed. "It has been hard for you all these years."

Su He shook his head. He didn't care about those things. The people he cared about were gone; it didn't matter where he was. Good or bad, it had no meaning to him. He only felt conflicted whenever he thought of Wushuang.

He teased Bufeng, "Senior Brother, don't you think I'm too noisy? Or perhaps, not steady enough?"

"Ha, what are you saying? When I made a name for myself, you were still in your mother’s womb. Isn't it normal for young people to be noisy and impulsive? Besides, the time difference in the lower realms is different from ours. No matter how long you stayed, it’s only been a few thousand years in the Desire Sea Heaven. In a thousand years, you aren't much older than Wulei."

Su He laughed until he wept. "What do you mean 'not much'? That is several thousand years. The world has changed so many times, I don't even know how many times it has turned over."

Bufeng did not answer but asked, "When do you plan to leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. I lost a spirit pet some time ago. I’ll take this opportunity to look around and see if I can find it." And, he added silently, keep an eye out for the location of the No-Life Pure Land.

"Very well. Rest early then. I am going to check on Wulei."

"Yes, take care, Senior Brother."

Bufeng stood up, walked a few steps, and suddenly turned back. "What are your thoughts on Qingchen?"

Su He froze, looking at Bufeng in astonishment. "Se... Senior Brother?"

"Nothing, I was just asking."

Su He breathed a sigh of relief. "She is quite good."

"Is that all?"

"Senior Brother, don't you know my situation? Why go and harm a girl?" Su He felt a mix of laughter and tears. How had he never noticed the old man liked this sort of thing?

"True. I warn you, stay single and don't go causing trouble." One less attachment meant one less vulnerability and a better chance of survival.

"Understood."

Bufeng stared at him, making Su He feel uneasy. He quickly promised, "Rest assured, Junior Brother will stay single." Even if Lady Yi were perfect, he would only look, not act.

"Good." Bufeng withdrew his gaze and walked out of the room.

Su He stood up and poured himself a cup of water. Looking at his reflection in the cup, he suddenly spilled it on the ground. He poured three cups in succession, a tribute to his past.

After tonight, the past self would be considered dead in yesterday.