235: Chapter 235 Xu Ruyu: These people cannot be forgiven, I'm not a saint.

Madam Qingli then sauntered over to Xu Ruyu's side, her stunning face wearing an undisguised smile of appreciation.

She extended a slender, jade-like finger and lightly tapped Xu Ruyu's shoulder, her voice charmingly flirtatious:

"Not bad, Xiao Yuer~ Sister thought you might actually go soft-hearted and keep those pushovers around, playing out some drama of 'winning people over with virtue' or 'reforming traitors'~"

As she spoke, she leaned close to Xu Ruyu's ear, her breath like orchids: "I didn't expect, I really didn't expect that you, little fellow, would strike so ruthlessly and have such a devious heart~"

"You played a beautiful hand of 'killing with a borrowed knife' while giving them a seemingly 'honorable' way out~"

"Tsk tsk, it seems some people are finally starting to get with the program, knowing that the dangers of this Cultivation World aren't things you can survive just by being reasonable~"

Hearing Madam Qingli's teasing, the layer of solemnity and coldness belonging to the Sect Master slightly faded from Xu Ruyu's face, revealing a hint of self-deprecating laughter.

He turned to look at Madam Qingli, his eyes clear and his tone calm as he spoke:

"Sister Qingli, you're joking."

"I'm no Saint Bitch."

"For those who were dead set on killing me and couldn't wait to trample me underfoot to take my place, I won't be naive enough to think that if I give them a chance, they will weep with regret, turn over a new leaf, and become loyal from then on."

He paused, his gaze seemingly inadvertently sweeping over Xiao Nianyin in the corner, whose body stiffened slightly. His voice lowered a fraction:

"The human heart is the most unpredictable thing."

"It's hard to guarantee that someone who has betrayed once won't do it a second time."

"They submit today only because you, this 'Great Buddha,' are here—because the situation is stronger than the person, because of fear, not because of identification or loyalty."

"Keeping them is like planting a landmine beside oneself that could explode at any time."

"I don't have such a great breadth of spirit or confidence to gamble on their 'discovery of conscience.'"

Xu Ruyu withdrew his gaze and looked at the gradually fading light outside the hall, his tone carrying a hint of world-weariness that didn't match his age:

"Therefore, the best method is to let these 'mines' exert their last bit of 'value' far away from me."

"It cleans up hidden dangers, makes use of waste, and creates trouble for the enemy—killing several birds with one stone."

"As for whether they will truly 'defend to the death'..." A mocking curve hooked the corner of Xu Ruyu's mouth, "that depends on their own 'enlightenment.'"

"I think Elder Wang and the others should 'cherish' this opportunity to atone for their crimes through service."

The deeper meaning in his words was self-evident.

He never expected those people to actually hold the defense. The so-called 'staying behind' was merely an excuse to temporarily pin them and their factions to the ancestral land, leaving them to their own devices.

"Moreover, whether they retreat or hold, the initiative will be in my hands."

"If they retreat, the day we return will be the time for settlement; if they hold, what awaits them will be the enemy's wrath."

"Regardless, the advantage is mine!"

In the corner, when Xiao Nianyin heard Xu Ruyu's phrase 'I'm no Saint Bitch' and his subsequent remarks about 'unpredictable hearts' and 'people who have betrayed once,' her ice-blue pupils suddenly contracted. Her heart felt as if it were being squeezed hard by an invisible hand, sinking abruptly.

She couldn't help but think of her previous actions—summoning, exploiting, suspicion, and even the final murderous intent...

In Xu Ruyu's eyes, she probably also belonged to that category of people who were 'dead set on killing him,' right?

So, did he keep her around solely because of Old Ancestor Qingtian's order and that distasteful 'bed-warming maid' arrangement?

Or... did he have other plans? To him, was she also a 'mine' that needed to be dealt with?

An icy chill, mixed with an indescribable complexity of emotions, quietly crept up Xiao Nianyin's spine.

She suddenly felt that she might have never truly understood this young man from another world.

His mind was far deeper and... more terrifying than she had imagined.

Xu Ruyu paid no heed to Xiao Nianyin's psychological state. He withdrew his thoughts and said to Madam Qingli, "Sister Qingli, I'll need you to take more care in overseeing the evacuation preparations."

"Although the Grand Elder and the others are reliable, they are, after all, advanced in years or indifferent by nature. Many specific matters need someone to push them forward."

"Don't worry, Sect Master Xiao Yuer~" Madam Qingli giggled. "Sister still has this bit of capability."

"I guarantee I'll take your 'sparks' and belongings away safely and securely."

Xu Ruyu nodded, then as if suddenly remembering something, he turned and walked toward a side door of the main hall.

"Hmm? Xiao Yuer, where are you going?" Madam Qingli asked.

Xu Ruyu didn't stop walking, his voice drifting back: "To the back mountain, Soul-Falling Cliff."

Upon hearing this, Madam Qingli immediately understood his intention. A flash of realization crossed her eyes, and she followed him.

When Xiao Nianyin heard the three words 'Soul-Falling Cliff,' her body trembled slightly again. With her head lowered, she silently followed at the very back.

Soul-Falling Cliff... the place where, in her previous rage, she had cast Leng Ningshuang, Qingyan, Ning Caihe, Zhao Yan, and others who were close to Xu Ruyu or had spoken up for him...

Xu Ruyu going there now was naturally to release them.

He indeed... had not forgotten those people.

And from the look of it, he seemed to intend to... entrust them with heavy responsibilities?

Xiao Nianyin's heart was a mixture of many flavors—remorse, bitterness, and even more, an indescribable sense of loss and... panic.

She suddenly realized that what she had lost might not just be her cultivation and power, but many more intangible yet important things.

Xu Ruyu walked in front with steady steps.

He naturally had to go to Soul-Falling Cliff.

Leng Ningshuang and the others were implicated because of him; he had to acknowledge this debt of gratitude.

Moreover, in the upcoming, uncertain evacuation and reconstruction, he needed helpers who were truly trustworthy, capable, and shared a past bond with him.

The fence-sitters and traitors who had just been 'arranged' to 'stay behind' were unreliable. The older generation like Granny Liu and Venerable Kumu might be loyal, but their philosophies and ways of doing things might not necessarily align. Although Madam Qingli supported him wholeheartedly, she was, after all, only one person.

Leng Ningshuang, Qingyan, Ning Caihe, Zhao Yan... these young people had potential, spirit, and had suffered setbacks; they were perhaps the best candidates for his future core team.

Especially... Leng Ningshuang's cold and stubborn face surfaced in his mind, along with her subtle protection of him.

Xu Ruyu's eyes softened for a brief moment, but were immediately replaced by determination.

The road ahead was long and filled with hidden dangers.

But since he had chosen to shoulder this banner, he had to keep going, and take those willing to follow him to find a way out—even an unprecedented path to the heavens!

The sparks of Air Cultivation would surely burn tenaciously from these ruins and betrayals!