Volume One: A Stream Through a Thousand Years Chapter 32: Severing Love

Fu Zhe and his apprentice have truly pulled off a monumental feat. For so many years, who dared to speak against the Ma family? Everyone else could only suffer in silence under their tyrannical might. That door was smashed with purpose, and those insults were delivered with exquisite precision.

Ma Guanzheng nearly ignited a sectarian civil war, but Ma Dairan stopped him just in time. The reason was simple: the timing was not yet right. Cui Qingrui was still in robust health, and while the Ma family’s influence was concentrated within the sect, Cui Qingrui’s old friends were scattered across the world. If a real war broke out, it would lead to mutual destruction, and the aftermath would be impossible to manage.

Of course, this silent grievance could not be swallowed without a response. Ma Dairan had his own ruthless methods to deal with Fu Zhe.

Throughout the morning, no one dared to approach Fu Zhe’s door, and certainly no one dared to go to Ansheng Residence to curry favor. Yet, when Sun Zikai returned to the residence, the doorstep was piled high with fish and meat. The fish in the pond had increased tenfold, including many bizarre and rare fry. The vegetable patch had been watered, and the soil in the woods on the northern slope had been loosened.

Sun Zikai sighed, struck by the depth of the oppression the Ma family exerted over the sect members. Just the fact that someone had stood up to curse the Ma family was enough to make them this grateful.

Accepting everything, Sun Zikai walked into the courtyard. Feng Yueyi was waiting for him, her eyes lighting up as she exclaimed, "I heard you beat up the Ma family disciples! You are so cool, Brother Kai!"

"My door is closed; how did you get in? That’s very rude."

"The Xian Garden gate is still sealed, did you knock on that?"

"Fair point. Er, don't try to pull that on me."

"Oh, that’s not the point! Brother Kai, have you and your master lost your minds? How could you dare to curse that old man Ma Dairan? He’s incredibly powerful."

Sun Zikai said indifferently, "We ran away while he was still stunned. He wouldn't dare start a war easily; I calculated his motives. But the days ahead won't be peaceful. Before long, either Ma Kaiyu or Ma Yuhong will come."

"Ma Yuhong is very strong!" Feng Yueyi hurriedly warned. "We all stopped at the fifth level of Qi Refining because we need to accumulate spiritual energy for Foundation Establishment. He reached the fifth level four years ago. He is the strongest among the core disciples of our generation!"

"Hmm, I’ll try my best to lose to him."

"What?"

In the medicine courtyard, Ma Guanzheng watched Ma Dairan sipping tea leisurely and felt his anger boil over. "Brother, what are you thinking? Are you really going to let this go? They smashed your door and pointed fingers at your nose! Hey, Brother, give me some reaction!"

Ma Dairan said to him, "Stop pacing, you’re making me dizzy. I’ve already sent Yuhong."

"Sent him where?"

"To that isolated courtyard on the edge of the middle section of Xian Garden. That’s where Fu Zhe’s apprentice lives now."

"To do what? Oh—" Ma Guanzheng sat down. "Brother, you want to cripple that brat."

"So what if he’s killed a few people? Those were just squabbles among mortals. Among practitioners, it’s all about the difference in cultivation levels. I’ve already spoken to Yuhong. He is to break that brat’s legs and force him to crawl for the rest of his life. From now on, every apprentice Fu Zhe takes, we will cripple."

"Good. That little animal, we should have finished him long ago!"

Ma Dairan changed the subject, adding, "I told you not to make such a scene over that matter. Why did you have to go looking for Fu Zhe? You, you’ve never been able to control your temper since you were a child."

"The one who was killed was our nephew! Brother, have you found out who did it?"

Ma Dairan’s gaze turned icy as he calculated the fates of many. After several breaths, he said, "I have guessed the identity of one person, and I have a rough idea of what lies behind this."

"It’s the Sect Master, right?"

"Pah, would he need to take action himself to kill someone at the Spirit Accumulation Stage?"

"Then it was his instruction. It wasn't Fu Zhe or Wu Lanmu; we’ve kept them under tight watch. Who else could it be? We still don't even know where he was killed."

As it turned out, the assassination attempt on Sun Zikai by the Ma family member had never been reported to the higher-ups, and the body had been disposed of completely. Furthermore, when he left the sect, he had transformed into the likeness of Feng Yueyi, making his movements even more obscure.

Ma Dairan said coldly, "That person."

"Who?"

Ma Dairan locked eyes with Ma Guanzheng and said, "Bai Zhu."

"It was him?" Ma Guanzheng stood up, paced twice, stopped, and said, "He’s been missing for over a year. Wasn't it said that he was dead?"

"It seems he is not," Ma Dairan said ruthlessly. "I think I’ve figured out Cui Qingrui’s ruse. That fellow Bai Zhu is incorruptible and only cares for gold and silver, never taking a side—all that was a facade. He and Cui Qingrui are black and white, light and shadow. The feigned disappearance was actually a way to hide him in the shadows, a sharp blade ready to be thrust into my Ma family at any moment. Heh, I should have realized it sooner."

Ma Guanzheng was puzzled and asked, "But Bai Zhu is a Golden Core cultivator. It’s impossible for us not to have noticed any movement around the sect."

"That is precisely what puzzles me. By what means does that old thing hide so effectively?"

***

Inside the Sect Master’s Palace, Cui Qingrui looked pleased, and Wu Lanmu praised Fu Zhe repeatedly.

"Fu Zhe! Well done! Haha, that was beautiful!" Wu Lanmu wished he could travel back in time to stand with Fu Zhe and point at Ma Dairan’s nose, calling him an old immortal.

Cui Qingrui was also surprised and delighted by Fu Zhe’s performance. This move had brought the conflict between the Ma family and the sect out into the open, as if warning the whole world that the two sides had finally torn off their masks, forcing everyone to take a stand. This deprived the Ma family of many opportunities to use their favorite underhanded tactics.

"Fu Zhe, what were you thinking?"

Fu Zhe replied, "Sect Master, I intended to endure, but it was my apprentice who made me change my mind."

"Sun Zikai?" Cui Qingrui thought back to that unusual child. "I looked into his background; he is truly remarkable. This child has arrived bearing a weight of hatred. I wonder if the Ma family will truly fall at his hands."

Fu Zhe hurriedly said, "The child is still young. I do not intend for him to get too deeply involved. Let the matters of the Ma family be resolved by our generation."

Cui Qingrui stared at Fu Zhe meaningfully, a faint smile on his lips.

"Sect Master?"

Cui Qingrui blinked, gave a slight nod, and laughed, "Forget it, I won't tell you. You may go."

Back at the residence, Sun Zikai and Feng Yueyi had been sitting in the courtyard for a while when they heard a commotion in the distance.

Sun Zikai said, "They’re here."

He walked out the door and saw hundreds of outer and inner sect disciples gathered outside. Sun Zikai, worried about his vegetable patch, shouted at them not to trample his crops.

Ma Yuhong had indeed arrived, and Sun Zikai could sense that he had come with a mission.

With his hands in his pockets, the long sword at his left hip seemed eager to be drawn.

Sun Zikai stepped forward and asked, "Are you here to kill me?"

Ma Yuhong’s face was cold, his eyes filled with murderous intent. Sun Zikai took a breath, and currents visible only to him appeared, one of them pointing directly at his own legs.

"Oh—you’re here to cripple my legs."

Ma Yuhong’s brow twitched, but he didn't care how Sun Zikai had guessed. Today, in front of everyone, he had to beat this brat who disrespected the Ma family until he begged for mercy.

Two figures squeezed through the crowd: Ma Kaiyu and Yang Huanman.

Yang Huanman walked timidly toward Ma Yuhong and pleaded, "Brother... Brother Hong..." But with just one glance from Ma Yuhong, Yang Huanman was frightened into silence. She turned around, her face as pale as frost, and said to Sun Zikai, "Brother, hurry, run!"

Sun Zikai smiled at her and said, "Youshi, come back to my side. It’s time for you to sever ties with the Ma family. If I had known you were being taken as a disciple by the Ma family, I wouldn't have let you go. Come here."

"Ah?" Yang Huanman was at a loss. Ma Kaiyu, standing nearby, glared at Sun Zikai angrily, then spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear: "Yang Huanman is a member of the Ma family, a child of the Ma family. She has already severed all ties with the past." Yang Huanman looked at Ma Kaiyu with a hint of gratitude, but her expression toward Sun Zikai was complex.

In truth, Sun Zikai had investigated many times. The Ma family had treated Youshi quite well. Over that year, Yang Youshi and people like Ma Kaiyu had become almost like family. Ma Kaiyu’s move just now was intended to legitimize Yang Youshi’s position.

A family, no matter how wicked it might be, was still kind and supportive toward its own.

But Yang Youshi had family other than them. Sun Zikai called out to her again. He knew this was unfair to her; she didn't know, and shouldn't have to care about, the feud between Sun Zikai and the Ma family. She had been sent away, and now she was being asked to cast everything aside and return. By what right?

But Sun Zikai had no choice. He had learned the truth too late, and the matter had dragged on too long. Was he supposed to wait until the moment he slaughtered the Ma family to let Youshi return?

"Youshi, come here." Sun Zikai’s tone had turned stern.

Yang Huanman was deeply uneasy, her heart torn by contradiction. She had taken root in that small patch of comfort for too long. "Brother... I... I don't..."

"Why?"

Ma Yuhong sneered, "Why? Do you know what it means to be a member of the Ma family? This guy has grown accustomed to living a life of luxury instead of being a bumpkin."

"Hey, don't say that." Ma Kaiyu blocked Yang Huanman, ordering Ma Yuhong to shut up. Ma Yuhong glanced at him, and Ma Kaiyu’s heart tightened; though afraid, he did not back down.

"Did I say something wrong?" Ma Yuhong mocked, "When this brat first arrived, she wouldn't waste anything, dared not enjoy anything. But now? She only eats meat from Naxiang City, only eats vegetables provided by the Earth Salt Gang, no longer wears hemp, but chooses silk hand-stitched by Mother Siluo of Pingling City. She used to play with maids and servants, now she lives comfortably, served by four maids. Didn't I hear she was scolding a maid just yesterday?"

Yang Huanman’s face turned as red as a poppy. Having her secrets exposed, she buried her head low.

Ma Kaiyu was furious. He gathered spiritual energy in his fists, converting it into a technique—the three-colored art, "Wing-Clipping Hands."

Ma Yuhong laughed loudly, "The bumpkin doesn't want to go back, of course! She is a member of the Ma family now!"

"You bastard." Ma Kaiyu was shaking with anger, but he never dared to strike.

Sun Zikai looked at Yang Huanman and said, "Even if I have to drag you back roughly, I’m going to do it. I’ll explain everything to you later."

Just as he was about to move, Yang Huanman said, "I... I’m not going back. My name is Yang Huanman now, not Yang Youshi..."

"..." Sun Zikai looked at her calmly. "Are you reluctant to leave that life?"

"Yes."

"You never suffered, you were too young when we were wandering."

"I never tasted sweetness either. So, once I tasted it, it’s hard to dig myself out of that feeling of happiness."

Sun Zikai was not angry. He nodded indifferently and said, "Very well. From now on, you are Yang Huanman. But don't call me Brother anymore. We were just strangers who crossed paths by chance. I picked you up, but actually, you picked me up too. As long as you are living well, that is enough."

"Enough with the nonsense." Ma Yuhong had lost his patience. He wanted to cripple Sun Zikai immediately.

Ma Yuhong suddenly charged forward. Feng Yueyi screamed, "Sun Zikai, run!"

More than half of the people present had been oppressed by the Ma family, and they truly hoped Sun Zikai could hold his ground, but the attacker was Ma Yuhong.

Yang Youshi covered her eyes in fear.

*Bang!*

Sun Zikai leaned slightly and swung his arm, striking Ma Yuhong on the right cheek. Ma Yuhong flew backward, sliding along the ground, past the pond, and further on, stopping only after more than ten yards.

The air seemed to freeze. The speed of the shift in the situation was so fast that the image in everyone’s mind was still stuck on how Ma Yuhong was going to torment Sun Zikai.

When they all turned their heads in unison, they finally saw Ma Yuhong lying in the dirt, knocked unconscious by a single blow.

Sun Zikai leaped, crossing the pond in a single bound, flying over ten yards, and with a flick of his hand, threw Ma Yuhong back.

Seeing Ma Yuhong crash before him, Ma Kaiyu finally realized what had happened.

Someone in the crowd pointed in fear and shouted, "Look... look at him!"

They saw Sun Zikai walking slowly, treading on the surface of the lake as if it were solid ground, not even causing a ripple.

As he walked, he drew the long sword from his hip. He was going to cut off Ma Yuhong’s legs.

Ma Yuhong had regained consciousness, but he was lying on the ground, struggling to turn over. Finally, he managed to roll onto his back, only to see the cold blade hovering before his eyes.

"You... what are you doing?"

"Cutting off your legs."

"You dare? I... I am Ma Yuhong."

"I have no choice, since you are Ma Yuhong." Sun Zikai turned his head indifferently to look at the fish in his pond and said, "My fish are carnivorous, and they just happen to be short of two legs to use as bait."

Yang Huanman was stunned. She had never dreamed that Sun Zikai was this powerful. True, unlike Jiang Yujin, she had never seen Sun Zikai fight, nor had she ever seen that sword drawn. Now, she finally had.

Holding the sword with one hand, Sun Zikai’s expression remained indifferent. Just then, someone shouted, "Stop!"

Sun Zikai actually stopped, because the person was none other than Jiang Yujin, who had rushed over. Hearing that Ma Yuhong had gone to attack Sun Zikai, she couldn't stay away. She wasn't afraid of Sun Zikai being tortured; she was afraid he would slaughter Ma Yuhong. That would be an outcome beyond redemption; he might be fine, but the people of Ansheng Residence would likely suffer.

Sun Zikai immediately understood this. He gave a cold "hmph," swiped the sword in an arc, and sheathed it. He then walked back into Ansheng Residence. At that moment, Sun Zikai became the lifelong object of Feng Yueyi’s adoration.