Luo Xiu suddenly reached out, his hand pressing on Su Shanyue's pale shoulder and stopping the slow advance of her red lips.

Su Shanyue's beautiful eyes shimmered with tears as she stared blankly at him. "Why?"

Luo Xiu said, "Some regrets are best left as they are."

"Yueyue, I'm just a scoundrel. What have I possibly done to deserve you? I'm truly grateful for your affection, but I don't deserve this."

"You have a long life ahead of you. You'll meet someone better than me, someone truly willing to spend a lifetime loving you."

Su Shanyue let go of him and lay back on the pillow, covering her eyes with the back of her hand.

Luo Xiu watched her and sighed silently. He then placed his hand on her abdomen and began to remove the Seal.

"You just said I was like poison, but to me, you're like a pure, flawless white lotus—so pure that I can't bear to touch and harm you."

"I've never harbored any improper thoughts toward you."

"We're just friends, very good friends. I would go through fire and water for you, but I would never do anything beyond what friends do."

"Even now, with you lying before me like this, I only see you as a patient."

Su Shanyue turned her head away, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Thank you. I understand."

...

After a long while, Luo Xiu withdrew his hand and stood up, his back to Su Shanyue. "It's done. You can get dressed now."

Su Shanyue slowly sat up, discovering that with the Seal removed, she was once again unable to speak, just like before.

Luo Xiu smiled. "If we meet again, I trust you'll be able to speak normally."

Su Shanyue patted him and then began to gesture in sign language, insisting that they would definitely meet again.

Luo Xiu gave a faint smile and asked, "When are you leaving?"

Su Shanyue gestured that she would be leaving in the next day or two.

Luo Xiu nodded. "It's getting late. I'll walk you back so you can get some rest."

...

「Outside the Anna Hotel.」

Luo Xiu watched Su Shanyue go inside, only turning to leave after she had completely disappeared from sight.

Yueyue, I'm sorry...

Thank you for being willing to like a scoundrel like me. But I'm a dying man, and I don't know how many tomorrows I have left.

Perhaps after you go to Xianyin Valley, you'll meet more people, experience more things, and slowly forget about me.

But before you go, I have to pave the way for you.

...

「The next day.」

Luo Xiu went to the Shenma International Sports Stadium early in the morning.

There were no matches for the Provincial Capital Martial Association today, nor had Luo Xiu come to watch other teams. He was only there to find one person.

He stopped outside a private box high up in the stadium and knocked on the door.

A moment later, a beautiful woman in an ancient-style white dress, sheer stockings, and high heels opened the door. "What do you want?" she asked coldly.

Luo Xiu said, "I'm looking for Granny Miaoyu from Xianyin Valley."

The woman in the white dress remained expressionless, but a trace of disdain crept into her eyes. "The Sect Leader isn't someone just anyone can meet."

Luo Xiu smiled faintly. "Then please be so kind as to relay a message. Tell her I've come with a warning."

Hearing this, the woman's brow furrowed, and murderous intent flashed in her eyes.

Warning Granny Miaoyu? What audacity!

Just then, an elderly voice came from within the box. "Let him in."

Inside the spacious box, purple incense smoke curled through the air, mingling with the aroma of tea. Several sofas were arranged in a circle around a large screen in the middle. A few elders were drinking tea, chatting, and watching the live broadcast of the Martial Grand Ceremony. Behind each of them stood two personal guards.

As soon as Luo Xiu entered, his gaze locked onto Granny Miaoyu. She was the only old woman there.

Granny Miaoyu sized up Luo Xiu and said with a faint smile, "In all my years, this is the first time someone has come to warn me."

As her words fell, the air in the box grew heavy, as if solidifying. The young personal guards turned red, struggling to breathe. Several of them even began to tremble.

This was the pressure from Granny Miaoyu's aura. She wanted to put him in his place.

However, Luo Xiu was completely unaffected. He walked straight over and sat on the sofa opposite her.

Granny Miaoyu stared at him, somewhat surprised. She couldn't understand why he was untouched when she had specifically targeted him with her intimidating presence.

Luo Xiu said, "Granny, you don't need to be nervous. I've come with no ill intent."

"Heh..."

On another sofa, a long-haired elder couldn't help but laugh. "No ill intent? Boy, don't you have things backward? It should be us who have no ill intent toward you. However, I'm quite curious. If you did come with ill intent, what would you do?"

The other elders also began to laugh, looking at Luo Xiu as if he were a clown.

The short, thin elder said, "Watching his performance on the Combat Stage, I knew he was arrogant, but I see I still underestimated him."

The long-haired elder asked, "Boy, do you have any idea who is in this room?"

Luo Xiu ignored them, his eyes fixed on Granny Miaoyu. "Granny, I'm here today simply to give you a heads-up. If Su Shanyue is bullied or maliciously targeted by anyone after she goes to Xianyin Valley, I will come looking for you. That's all I came to say."

"Hahahaha..."

His words were met with a roar of laughter from everyone in the box.

"Interesting, truly interesting!"

"I was worried this morning would be dull. I didn't expect such an amusing little fellow to show up!"

Granny Miaoyu shook her head and chuckled, her eyes filled with disdain. "If there's something wrong with your head, you should get it treated. Shan Yue is the Successor Sect Leader of Xianyin Valley. When she arrives, I will naturally protect her. But it's not your place, an unknown junior, to say such things, let alone issue a warning."

She waved a dismissive hand. "Considering you came here out of concern for Shan Yue, I won't hold this against you. Besides, I can't be bothered to ask about your relationship with her, since you'll have nothing to do with her from now on. You should leave before I change my mind. I won't make things difficult for you."

But Luo Xiu continued to stare at her, his expression serious. "Yueyue has no background, no power, and comes from an ordinary family. The only reason you sought her out was because of a fortunate encounter with the Void Zen Sound. Therefore, anyone with half a brain could figure out that for her to go to a Secret Realm sect and immediately become the Successor Sect Leader will be incredibly difficult, if not impossible. Even if you're the Sect Leader, a sect isn't run by one person's word alone."

Granny Miaoyu grew impatient. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Luo Xiu replied, "If she suffers the slightest bit of bullying there, I will come and make trouble for you. That is my warning."

"Hahahaha..."

The room once again erupted in laughter.

Luo Xiu glanced around, a sense of awkwardness washing over him. This is making me look like a complete idiot.

"Umm... you're all well into your years, yet you're all being so flippant," he said. "Or do I need to be more assertive for you to take me seriously?"

The long-haired elder raised his teacup, a mocking smile on his face. "And how do you plan to be assertive? Are you going to teach us a lesson?"

Luo Xiu's eyelids drooped.

BANG!

BANG! BANG! BANG...

The next moment, the tea set on the coffee table exploded one after another.

Simultaneously, an unimaginably terrifying aura enveloped the room. The entire world seemed to drown in an endless sea of blood. A bone-chilling killing intent penetrated their marrow and stung their souls.

The young personal guards' knees buckled, their faces draining of color. One by one, they collapsed to the ground, their bodies as heavy as if a mountain had been dropped on their backs.

Dead silence filled the room.

Luo Xiu slowly stood up. A faint cyan Spiritual Energy radiated from his body as his piercing gaze swept over everyone.

"Old Sir, am I assertive enough for you now?"

...

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