C97 Call Me Senior Sister

Upon hearing Su Yuqing's comment, Chu Yan's face broke into a wry smile, caught between amusement and exasperation.

"You're not thrilled to be ranked in the top ten?" Su Yuqing asked, her confusion evident as her long lashes quivered, accentuating her doe-like eyes that seemed to sparkle with curiosity.

"Before, I was practically invisible, but now I've been thrust into the spotlight. Countless eyes are watching my every move, making it impossible to keep a low profile. How am I supposed to be happy about that?" Chu Yan's voice was tinged with resignation.

At first, Su Yuqing was taken aback, but soon a smile blossomed across her face, spreading until she was covering her mouth, trying to contain her giggles.

Chu Yan, chin in hand, watched her with a soft gaze. It was undeniable—Su Yuqing's beauty was of a kind that was both gentle and captivating, her laughter as soothing as a spring breeze.

After a moment, Su Yuqing caught Chu Yan's stare and her cheeks flushed with a rosy hue. She ceased her laughter and shot him a playful, reproachful look. "Are you scared?"

"A bit," Chu Yan admitted with disarming candor.

His straightforwardness left Su Yuqing momentarily speechless. Most people would puff up their chests and vehemently deny any fear, feigning bravery even when they felt none.

She realized she was still unable to predict Chu Yan's thoughts with any certainty.

"Just think about it. I could've been quietly honing my skills, quietly getting stronger. In the tournament, my obscurity would've been my advantage—no one would've seen me coming. But now? Now I'm on this 'top ten' list, a prime candidate for the Mystic Moon Sect, and I'll be marked as a threat by everyone. They'll be giving their all to take me down, even if it means pushing past their limits. Tell me, how can I be happy about that?" Chu Yan lamented, his hand to his forehead, the picture of helplessness.

Yet, he understood the nature of things—every gain comes with its own cost. If he reaped the benefits of defeating Lin Ao, then becoming a household name was the price he had to pay.

Su Yuqing's expression turned serious, and she spoke without her usual laughter. "You know, if you had just made a decision, there'd be nothing to fear."

"What decision?" Chu Yan inquired.

Instead of answering directly, Su Yuqing said, "I was actually planning to send for you in the next few days to share some news, but since you're here today, I'll tell you now."

Chu Yan, recalling the information Li He had mentioned, straightened up. "Go ahead."

"I received word the day before yesterday that the Crippled Master... has passed on," Su Yuqing said softly, biting her lip.

"Ah? Who?" Chu Yan was completely confused.

Who is this Crippled Master? And why should his death matter to me?

Chu Yan was tempted to voice his questions, but he sensed that Su Yuqing would fill in the blanks.

True to his intuition, Su Yuqing elaborated, "I realize you're in the dark about this, so let me explain. Remember the last time you were here, you described the old man who taught you Inscription? The one who was blind, with a crooked nose, and a crippled leg?"

"Oh, yes, I remember," Chu Yan nodded, while internally he wondered: Could it be? That bizarre description was just off the cuff. Is there really such a person, and you know him?

"Given those unique traits and his mastery of Inscription, I was certain even then that this gentleman was our sect's Crippled Master," Su Yuqing revealed. "By seniority, I should refer to him as Senior Uncle."

"So, that means..." Chu Yan was momentarily lost in thought.

He had spoken in jest, never expecting such an incredible coincidence—that such a person existed, belonged to a sect, and most astonishingly, was Su Yuqing's Senior Uncle.

Snapping out of his reverie, Chu Yan picked up on a crucial detail in Su Yuqing's statement.

"Su Yuqing, this sect you're mentioning is..."

"Shattered Star Pavilion," Su Yuqing replied with a radiant smile.

Chu Yan had heard of the Shattered Star Pavilion before, during his journey to the Yunao Kingdom, and later, when he had come across it in his readings.

The Shattered Star Pavilion and the Profound Moon Sect were both situated within the borders of the Yunao Kingdom, yet they were quite distant from each other, essentially at opposite ends of the realm. Evergreen Town, on the other hand, fell under the influence of the Profound Moon Sect.

Unlike the Profound Moon Sect, the Shattered Star Pavilion's forte was the art of inscriptions. It suddenly clicked for Chu Yan why Su Yuqing, despite her youth, had already become an inscription master—it was due to her prestigious lineage and deep roots in the craft.

After a brief reflection, Chu Yan also began to understand the underlying message in Su Yuqing's earlier assurance that there was nothing to fear.

"Chu Yan, the Crippled Master who taught you inscription techniques was my teacher's junior brother. Though he never formally took you on as a disciple, my teacher believes it's highly probable that you were the last person to see him, and the sole recipient of his teachings. So, in a sense, it wouldn't be a stretch to consider you the Crippled Master's final disciple," Su Yuqing explained.

"Final disciple? The only one?" Chu Yan was taken aback. "He didn't have other disciples?"

"You've spent time with him; you must have noticed that the Crippled Master was somewhat eccentric. He devoted his life to the study of inscriptions, weapon forging, pill refining, and the like, without ever taking on a disciple. In fact, there's never been word of him teaching anyone before. Just four days ago, I received word from my teacher that the Crippled Master attempted to advance his cultivation level and failed, resulting in his passing."

"Are you certain he's no longer with us?" Chu Yan inquired.

"Yes, his body was found and has been returned to the Shattered Star Pavilion for burial," Su Yuqing confirmed.

"That puts my mind at ease," Chu Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

"What was that?" Su Yuqing, momentarily lost in his own thoughts, hadn't caught Chu Yan's comment.

"I said it's a real shame," Chu Yan quickly corrected himself, inwardly relieved at the narrow escape from revealing his true thoughts.

Had the Crippled Master still been alive, a mere confrontation would have unraveled Chu Yan's identity in an instant. But with the master gone, Chu Yan's concerns were alleviated. Should anyone question him, he could simply claim that the details eluded him due to his tender age at the time.

For Chu Yan, the most profound significance of this revelation was that his innate talent for Inscriptions and the mastery he had achieved now had a logical origin.

Moreover, this origin was not just any; it was the legacy of the Shattered Star Pavilion from the Yunao Kingdom—a sect of considerable repute!

While Chu Yan was pondering this development, Su Yuqing mistook his contemplation for shock and sorrow upon hearing the news for the first time, so she allowed him a moment to collect his thoughts.

After a short pause, Su Yuqing spoke up, "Chu Yan, from this moment forward, you can no longer address me by my name."

"Hmm?" Chu Yan, puzzled, looked at her.

With a slight tilt of her head and a playful twinkle in her eyes, Su Yuqing declared, "Starting now, you must call me Senior Sister."