Chapter 80: Yun Che's Thoughts

“Oh?” Qin Youyu stumbled again, for Yun Che’s words could not possibly have come from the mouth of a sixteen-year-old boy. They sounded far more like the seasoned voice of a middle-aged or even an elderly person.

“You believe me… no, rather, you believe in your own intuition?” Qin Youyu felt increasingly unsettled by Yun Che.

“More or less,” Yun Che smiled faintly. Yet no one but himself understood the true meaning behind that smile. Once, there had been so many who sought to kill him—too many to count across the entire continent. Only that one girl, the one he owed his life to, remained untouched by his deadly gaze. Every person he encountered, from the moment he was born until now, might have been sent to end his existence.

After countless encounters—here a dozen, there a hundred, then a thousand, then ten thousand—he could tell in a single glance whether someone meant to kill him. Whether they were real or feigning, good or evil. This skill, forged through countless brushes with death, defied explanation. It could never be grasped by words, nor understood by another.

That was why Xiao Luo City had resolved to destroy him, only to face Yun Che’s most merciless retaliation. Even a man of deep cunning could not pierce through the eyes of Yun Che, which cut straight to the heart.

“Moreover,” Yun Che continued, his voice light, “even if the Patriarch’s temperament differs from what I anticipated, I am still a disciple of the New Moon Sect. The Patriarch would never permit harm to come to his disciple on his own grounds, would he?”

Qin Youyu’s face hardened. “You only joined the New Moon Sect today, a mere novice. Even if you’re sensitive, you couldn’t possibly feel such deep attachment to this place. Yet you’ve repeatedly introduced yourself as a disciple of the New Moon Sect—over a dozen times—and often invoked your duty to defend our sect from oppression. I found that peculiar. Only when you repeatedly humiliated disciples from the Seven Great Sects, provoked their limits, and spurned their dignity with reckless mockery and scorn, did I begin to understand. That constant self-reference as a ‘New Moon Sect disciple’ was his way of reminding me.”

Yun Che did not deny it, nodding calmly. “The Patriarch is perceptive. My thoughts could never evade his notice.”

“Hmph, you never intended to deceive me at all,” Qin Youyu’s expression darkened slightly. “But I cannot fathom why you’d go to such lengths. What benefit is there in provoking grudges? Don’t tell me it’s mere posturing. Well, that’s tolerable enough. But your final act—wounding Xiao Luo City—do you know the calamity you’ve unleashed? Here, in the New Moon Sect’s territory, I could protect you for now. Yet the Xiao Clan’s retaliation, though an outsider faction, is not something I can easily repel.”

Not easily repelled, he meant. The implication was clear: it could be done, but it would take effort. This struck Yun Che as a surprise. The Xiao Clan’s influence in New Moon City was formidable. That this new Patriarch would speak so boldly to them, knowing their power, suggested his own backing was no small thing.

Such a man, yet taking up the mantle of Patriarch here—this was curious indeed.

“My purpose is my own,” Yun Che said, his brow furrowed. “But this matter with Xiao Luo City was not part of my original intent. I’m certain the Patriarch, with his keen eye, has already discerned that Xiao Luo City sought to destroy me.”

Qin Youyu said nothing, assenting with his gaze.

Yun Che’s lips curved into a grim smile. “For one who harbors no grudge and holds no enmity, yet seeks to do me ill, I have no reason to show courtesy. If I can kill him, I will. If not, I will cripple him. Who cares who he is—I spare no one.” This was one of his guiding principles.

Yun Che’s words sent a chill up Qin Youyu’s spine. He realized he could not fathom this boy’s nature, nor the experiences that had shaped him. Taking a slow breath, he turned away from the matter of Xiao Luo City and asked, “Then why provoke the Seven Great Sects? What was your aim?”

“I need three things,” Yun Che said.

“Three things?”

Yun Che spoke with crystalline clarity: “First, a place where my spiritual power can rapidly ascend. Second, sufficient challenges and pressure to refine me. Third, someone who can ensure I retain the first even when facing the second.”

Qin Youyu furrowed his brows, musing deeply before questioning, “I still don’t grasp what you’re truly after.”

“Simple,” Yun Che replied. “I intend to reach the Earthly Spirit Realm within three years.”

“What!” Qin Youyu’s eyes widened to their limits. “Three years? The Earthly Spirit Realm? Are you joking?”

Yun Che said nothing.

“You’re serious?” Qin Youyu stared at his face, stunned. Standing before him was a boy claiming he’d ascend from the Nascent Soul Realm to the Earthly Spirit Realm in three years—and yet, his expression was one of earnest conviction.

“Certainly,” Yun Che nodded. “I have a reason to achieve this within three years.”

For a moment, Qin Youyu remained silent. Then, after studying Yun Che’s face, he asked, “Yun Che, do you know how old I was when I entered the Earthly Spirit Realm?”

“…”

“At sixteen, just as you are now, my spiritual power was at the Nascent Soul Fifth Level—a prodigy even in my clan. Though I was a level above you then, I’d be no match for the strength I possess now. Later, at nineteen, I entered the True Spirit Realm. At twenty-eight, the Spiritual Spirit Realm. At thirty-eight, I reached the peak of the Spiritual Spirit Realm and remained there for six full years, until forty-four, when I finally stepped into the Earthly Spirit Realm. And even then, across the entire Cang Feng Empire, I’m considered a rare genius. Since entering the Earthly Spirit Realm, fifteen years have passed. Now I stand at the sixth level. Yet in this life, I’ve no right to dream of the Celestial Spirit Realm.”

“To go from the Nascent Soul Realm to the Earthly Spirit Realm in three years,” Qin Youyu shook his head. “At least among those I know, and throughout history, no one has ever achieved this. Not to mention the Earthly Spirit Realm—three years to ascend from the Nascent Soul to the True Spirit Realm? That would be a miracle.”

“Others cannot do it, but I can,” Yun Che said dismissively. “Just as today, you thought I could defeat Xiao Luo City with my nascent strength?”

Pale, Qin Youyu chuckled softly. “It seems you’re truly committed. Ah, youth—how admirable. No matter the magnitude or difficulty of your goals, they inspire envy and longing in those of us who’ve long since settled into our paths. But you’ve told me so much, even your life’s ambition in three years. Do I not have reason to withhold my aid? After all, we’ve only met today. What interest does your goal hold for me?”

“That depends on your choice,” Yun Che met his gaze unwaveringly. “If I’d spoken these words without preamble, you’d dismiss them as idle fantasy. Today, with my efforts, you’ve seen enough to believe—perhaps just a fraction. But even that small faith… do you not wish for a once-in-a-lifetime prodigy, one who might shatter history and shake the continent, to rise under your protection and guidance? Someone who could reach the Earthly Spirit Realm before twenty?”

At these words, Qin Youyu was moved. But then he smiled gently. “You misunderstand. I admire your ambition and believe in your resolve. Yet you’re still young, only now entering the Nascent Soul Realm. The path ahead grows arduous. The trials and bottlenecks ahead defy mere talent, determination, and effort. I’ve walked this path for nearly fifty years, understanding it a hundredfold more than you. To reach the Earthly Spirit Realm in three years from the Nascent Soul? I believe you could achieve the True Spirit Realm, but not this.”

“Yet today, I’ll do everything in my power to protect you. After all, you’re a disciple of the New Moon Sect, and I am its Patriarch. A Patriarch protects his disciples—this is natural. Moreover, after today’s banquet, your name will echo across New Moon City and beyond. The New Moon Sect’s reputation will flourish. If you ever reach the Earthly or Celestial Spirit Realm, we’ll take pride in you. A disciple like you—rare in over a century—we’ll cherish. This, too, is for the sect and myself.”

“But I can only protect you on the surface. The Xiao Clan’s hidden retaliation will surely come, and I cannot guard against every contingency. If I fail, you’ll have to face it yourself.”

Yun Che’s face showed a trace of disappointment, though the outcome was still within his expectations. He bowed politely. “Thank you for your assent, Patriarch. My first day in the sect has brought me great trouble. I owe you a debt.”

“No need to dwell on it,” Qin Youyu smiled. “They came to test me, but you struck them down. Beyond my role as Patriarch, I’d owe you thanks anyway. Haha…”

————————————

After his conversation with Qin Youyu, Yun Che left the main hall, his steps heavy with fatigue.

“You seem disappointed,” said the cold and elegant Moli, her voice like frost.

“Yes,” Yun Che sighed, shaking his head. “I’d hoped to use my ‘grand ambition’ to sway Qin Youyu, and with today’s performance, perhaps win him as a direct disciple. That way, the New Moon Sect’s resources and techniques would be at my disposal. But it seems I was too naive.”

“Hmph! How could he accept you after just one day, not knowing your background?” Moli scoffed. “Your performance was too sharp for your age, making him admire you while also sensing danger. How could he comply with your wishes?”

Yun Che paused mid-step, realization dawning. “She’s right. I was too bold.”

“What now?” Moli pressed. “The Xiao Clan won’t let this go. They’ll kill you if they can—or worse.”

“That’s easily handled,” Yun Che said, his smile carrying an eerie edge. “This was their own making. Had I not held the upper hand, they’d have crippled me, not me them. If they accept this, it’s their own reckoning. If they come after me… I’ve got ways to turn their entire sect into chaos.”

“As for Qin Youyu’s ‘protection’—it’s welcome if it comes, irrelevant if it doesn’t.”