Master, Spare My Life: A Disciple's Sweet Rebellion | Chapter 186 | Shadows of the Past | Novela.app

"Bai Xue?" The group in the room spoke the name in unison. Countless questions swirled in their minds; they felt as if a thread had finally appeared to link the events of the past together, yet it remained just out of reach. Fenghuang finally reacted, pressing urgently, "Then what about my aunt?" Tu Ao’zhi let out a long, weary sigh, his face etched with old sorrows. "I do not know. After the incident twenty years ago, she simply... vanished." "Vanished?" Fenghuang eyed him with deep suspicion. "It is impossible for my aunt to have cut off all contact with Miaojiang for so many years. Did you people do something to her?" He waved a hand dismissively. "The four of us were sworn siblings. Why would we ever harm her?" "Adoptive Father, the situation has come to this. Please, just tell us everything," Bai Zhier pleaded. "You always told me those sects deserved to die, that they were capable of any evil, but you never explained why. And how did you ever become involved with Nan Menghua? You clearly know what she..." She took a sharp breath before adding, "And why did you cripple my father’s martial arts?" "Zhier," Chu Ruo sensed the shift in her emotions and asked with concern, "Are you alright?" "I’m fine." Bai Zhier forced a smile toward her. Even though she knew the woman she loved could not see it, she still reacted this way. Perhaps every girl, in her moments of vulnerability, only wishes for that one person to be by her side—even if that person does not belong to her. "Ruo’er, thank you." "Given our relationship, there is no need for... thanks." Chu Ruo squeezed the words out through gritted teeth. The "vinegar jar" beside her was already starting to simmer. Nan Muxue wordlessly pulled Chu Ruo closer, whispering into her ear, "My good disciple, what exactly is this 'relationship' you have with her? Why don't you explain it to your Master?" "Alright, you know it’s nothing. Why get jealous over nothing? And even if you must, don't do it here. Wait until we’re back in the room..." "Shut up." Tu Ao’zhi stared into the distance, his eyes filled with an unreadable complexity. "Everything began with the Alliance Master’s Token. Since you have already met Shen Wanxiong, you likely know the secret of the tokens. You want to know why I turned the members of those sects into Medicine Men?" He sighed again. "It was a long time ago. I remember when I was a child, my tribe lived in a beautiful place, much like the Demon Realm. That was until those so-called 'righteous' warriors paid us a sudden visit. We welcomed them as guests, greeting them with warmth and hospitality. Who could have known..." Tu Ao’zhi’s expression grew heavy. Even without him spelling it out, the others could guess the rest. Those people certainly hadn't come with good intentions; otherwise, such deep-seated hatred wouldn't exist. Nan Muxue added, "Since you mentioned the tokens, then those people must have found your home in search of the so-called treasure. And then..." "And then," Tu Ao’zhi continued, "they saw that our tribe was prosperous and well-fed. they assumed we had lived there for generations because we possessed the treasure. Every one of them was a top-tier master of the martial world. They bound us. They tortured us. In truth, we knew nothing of any treasure or secret. There was merely a silver mine nearby that our tribe had relied on for generations. Our chieftain led them to the mine, but they refused to believe him. The men were subjected to every conceivable agony—needles, whips, parasites, poisons... they spared no cruelty. As for the women and children..." Looking at his face, one could easily imagine the even more horrific fate that befell them. Chu Ruo, who could never bear to hear of such things, found herself thinking of that night at the Baihua Palace branch. She clenched her fists, her voice cold as ice. "Beasts. Scum." "In the end, when their interrogations yielded nothing, and they saw that we were broken—some driven mad, others dead—they realized we were of no more use. They slaughtered the entire tribe!" Bai Zhier had never known the true reason was so harrowing. "Adoptive Father... then how did you escape?" "I was only a child then. They were less guarded around children and didn't bother interrogating us much. At the very end, they intended to burn us all alive, but someone helped us." "Who?" "The Master of Green Willow Villa at the time. Perhaps he couldn't bear the cruelty. When he was assigned to cover their retreat, he secretly loosened our ropes and intentionally left a gap in the perimeter when he set the fires. I remember that while the others were torturing us, he had tried to intervene. Later, those of us children who survived crawled through the piles of bodies, searching until we found the few remaining adults. Together, we fled. After many hardships, we discovered the Demon Realm and settled here. Slowly, it felt as if our tribe had returned. But I swore... I swore I would have my revenge!" Chu Ruo nodded slowly. "No wonder Green Willow Villa enjoyed the protection of the Heavenly Demon Palace. It was out of gratitude for that Master’s kindness." But something didn't fit. If Tu Ao’zhi hated those sects so much, why would he become sworn siblings with Nan Menghua? "Then, what about Baihua Palace?" Nan Muxue answered calmly, "Baihua Palace was not among them back then." "Xue’er, how do you know?" "Have you forgotten that Baihua Palace has always been shunned? Those so-called 'righteous' sects looked down on a palace filled only with women," she replied softly. "They would never have been willing to share a treasure with us." *Yes, women,* Chu Ruo thought. *Despised simply for being women.* It was the height of irony—men who were incompetent and useless themselves, yet consumed by jealousy and fear. "What right did they have? They truly are lower than pigs and dogs." Nan Muxue added, "Furthermore, if Baihua Palace had been there... those atrocities against the women and children would never have happened." Though Baihua Palace was not known for being particularly noble, they harbored the deepest loathing for sexual violence. This was one of the reasons the martial world hated them; men claimed the Palace was "acting holier-than-thou." It was as laughable as it was tragic. "Correct," Tu Ao’zhi said. "Baihua Palace was indeed not involved. I memorized every sect that was. Fortunately, I later encountered a hermit master who took pity on our plight. He said I possessed extraordinary talent and kindly taught me martial arts. I spent decades building my power for the sole purpose of revenge. But first, I needed to seize the tokens. I wanted to lure them all to that 'treasure' and let them die within it. I wanted to destroy everything! So, twenty years ago, when the Martial Arts Assembly was held, I left the Demon Realm to seize the tokens." Fenghuang looked thoughtful. "So that was when you met my aunt? She left home the year of that assembly." "Yes. I had just left the Demon Realm. I was young then, and my internal power was nowhere near what it is now. I traveled disguised as an ordinary martial artist. On the road, I met Zhier’s father, your aunt," he looked at Nan Muxue, "and your mother." Tu Ao’zhi spoke in fragments, forcing the others to prompt him. Yet, hearing his story, one could imagine the weight of the trauma he carried. No one who hadn't lived it could truly understand that level of pain. It was only natural for his voice to falter as he recalled those memories. Chu Ruo asked, "And then?" "Our personalities were worlds apart. I still don't quite know how we ended up as sworn siblings. Perhaps it was because of Bai Xue. She was kind, gentle, and very beautiful. At her suggestion, we swore our oaths and agreed to travel to the Martial Arts Assembly together. After that..." He paused for several seconds before continuing. "After that, one night, I discovered that Bai Ji..." "Adoptive Father!" Bai Zhier cried out. "My father... what did he do?" "He... he slipped an aphrodisiac into the wine of the Third and Fourth Sisters..." "Impossible!" Bai Zhier stood up, trembling with agitation. "You’re lying! My father wasn't like that! No!" "I discovered him, so he did not succeed. However, the Third and Fourth Sisters misunderstood; they believed I was in league with your father. Our bond shattered then and there. Later, still fueled by rage, I crippled his martial arts. The Third Sister went her separate way, and as for the Fourth Sister... she vanished without a trace. We never saw her again." The revelation was staggering. Seeing that there was still no concrete news of her aunt, Fenghuang shrugged and walked out, seemingly indifferent. Bai Zhier, however, nearly collapsed as she stumbled out of the room. "Xue’er," Chu Ruo said, bracing herself for a scolding, "I’m going to see Zhier..." "Go then." "You’re not going to hit me?" Nan Muxue simply straightened Chu Ruo’s collar and whispered in her ear, "Just don't let your old habits flare up..." "I don't have any habits like that!" "Hmm?" "I know, I know! Don't look at her, don't hug her, no intimate contact. Besides, I’m blind; I couldn't look at her even if I wanted to. But... my Xue’er is the best. So considerate." "And here I thought I was a 'Little Scorpion'..." *Mwah!* Chu Ruo blew a kiss as she ran off. "I’ll be back in the room soon! Zhier, wait for me! I’ll walk you back!" *** Tu Ao’zhi was meditating in silence when his door was pushed open. He opened his eyes. "You?" "Palace Master, you didn't tell the whole truth today, did you?" "Chu Ruo," Tu Ao’zhi said coldly, "do you truly have no fear of death?" "I only came to clarify one thing. Regarding the four of you becoming sworn siblings and then falling out... you are definitely hiding something." The man stood with his hands behind his back, not looking at her. "I am not. Leave. You are the daughter of the Third Sister and the beloved of Zhier. I do not wish to harm you." "Is that so? When you spoke of the four of you going to the Martial Arts Assembly, you paused. You were clearly thinking of how to fabricate the rest. How could Bai Ji possibly drug both of them at once? And yet, somehow, *you* were the one misunderstood? When you mentioned Bai Xue, your heartbeat quickened noticeably. You had feelings for her, didn't you?" Tu Ao’zhi’s cold expression broke into a loud laugh. "You are indeed clever. However, your cleverness is misplaced." "Yes, someone once told me that I’m unnervingly sharp when I shouldn't be. Why would Bai Ji use drugs? Or perhaps it was a conspiracy between the two of you? Why did you gloss over every detail of your travels? Why did Nan Menghua and Bai Xue misunderstand you? Why did Bai Xue suddenly vanish? Or is the truth simply that you loved Bai Xue, and you..." *Swish!* A bolt of internal energy shot from his finger. Chu Ruo nimbly dodged it. "What did you do to them? You crippled Bai Ji because you were afraid he would talk, didn't you? Twenty years ago, the one who used the drugs... was you!" ***