537: Chapter 537 Surrender

In a residence, low walls of blue tiles enclosed a quiet world.

Several old osmanthus trees cast dense shadows in the corners of the courtyard, and the afternoon light leaked through the gaps in the leaves, scattering fragmented spots of light on the bluestone ground.

Supreme Elder Shi Wenxin sat in the main seat; though her hair was white and her face withered, she possessed a pair of eyes as clear as autumn water.

Sect Master An Suxin sat to her right, while An Ruosu stood behind her mother. Senior Sister Bai Zijin and Fang Qianyi sat on either side, their expressions carrying a touch of gravity.

Shi Wenxin set down her bamboo staff, her gaze falling upon An Suxin's face:

"Suxin, what are your plans for the future? We cannot continue to live under someone else's roof forever. You should understand that joining the Giant Clan is impossible. Having come all this way, you should see clearly by now. No Sect will take us in. The eighth-rank Sects do not trust us, and the seventh-rank Sects are too afraid."

"...You want to establish a new Sect?"

Upon hearing this, Senior Sister Bai Zijin frowned slightly:

"Establishing a new Sect is not impossible. With you, Supreme Elder, presiding over us, we barely meet the threshold for an eighth-rank Sect. But Qingmu Cliff still exists; who would dare join us? Without a source of fresh water, without new Disciples, this Sect would be nothing more than an empty shell."

She paused, her gaze drifting toward the distant horizon, and said in a low voice:

"Moreover, the eighth-rank Sects in Fusang Province all have to pay tribute to the Golden Crow Holy Land. This tribute is not so easy to pay—the amount, the timing, and what is given all depend on the Golden Crow Holy Son's mood. Since we have been expelled from Qingmu Cliff, if we were to establish a new Sect, no one can say how the Golden Crow Holy Land would treat us."

Fang Qianyi's face carried a hint of contemplation. She spoke slowly:

"In that case, why not leave Fusang Province and go to Cangwu Province? Fusang Province is currently mired in endless war with the True Demon Realm, and the Golden Crow Holy Land is entangled with the Niding Alliance, with world-suppressing monument anomalies appearing frequently. These are clearly signs of war."

"Cangwu Province is much more stable than Fusang Province. Not to mention the clearing of erosion qi and the stability of the people's livelihood, just speaking of the tribute, the Moon Shadow Holy Land has clearly written rules, without greed or deductions, and certainly no backroom dealings."

When An Suxin heard the words "Cangwu Province," her gaze shifted slightly, and she turned to exchange a look with An Ruosu.

In the instant their eyes met, mother and daughter both saw what the other was thinking.

They had come here with the intention of heading to Cangwu Province; it was just that these words had not yet been spoken aloud.

Shi Wenxin slowly stood up, her voice tinged with weariness:

"Suxin, you make the decision. My Lifespan is running low, and for the days I have left, I will follow whatever arrangements you make."

An Suxin lowered her eyes, just about to say something, when footsteps and voices suddenly came from outside the residence.

"My Lord, this is the residence our Giant Clan has arranged for you. Please take a look; are you satisfied?"

It was Ju Yunluo's voice, clear and respectful, completely different from the casual tone she used when speaking to her.

The eyes of everyone in the residence turned toward the courtyard gate simultaneously.

My Lord? What kind of person could command such a title from a Giant Clan Elder?

"I am not picky; as long as it can serve for a night, it is fine. However, the side rooms must be large enough to accommodate five or six people."

An Suxin and An Ruosu stood up at the same time, and Senior Sister Bai Zijin and Fang Qianyi also showed looks of astonishment—they recognized this voice.

Only Shi Wenxin remained bewildered, looking at the others and then at the doorway:

"You all..."

Outside the residence, Ling Hao stood with his hands behind his back, looking around.

The houses on this street seemed quite decent.

Several spirit lamps hung under the eaves of a few houses. His gaze swept over them.

"It seems there are already people living nearby?"

Ju Yunluo stood at his side, following his gaze:

"Those are friends who have come to seek refuge; I have temporarily arranged for them to stay there. My Lord, rest assured, I will instruct them not to disturb your rest."

Soon, the six of them arrived in front of a large residence.

Ling Hao nodded:

"Alright, this is far enough; we can go in ourselves."

"If you have any needs, feel free to transmit your voice at any time."

Ju Yunluo gave one more instruction before preparing to turn and leave.

Just as Ling Hao was about to push open the courtyard gate, he suddenly heard a voice filled with surprise coming from the gate next door.

"Senior?!"

Ling Hao turned his head to look and saw An Ruosu standing in front of a residence. Her pale green gradient chest-high dress shimmered with a soft luster in the afternoon light, and her eyes were sparkling, as if she had unexpectedly bumped into an unforeseen star.

Behind her, An Suxin, Senior Sister Bai Zijin, and Fang Qianyi had also come out, along with an old woman with white hair, who was observing him with a scrutinizing gaze.

Ling Hao was slightly stunned for a moment, then a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth:

"So it was you all."

...

The residence arranged by Ju Yunluo was located in the depths of the East Alley. The courtyard gate was wide and spacious, and a newly painted plaque hung above the lintel, inscribed with the three large characters "Lanyun Abode."

The brushwork was powerful and vigorous, possessing the bearing of one who could swallow clouds and spit out wind.

In the courtyard, several ancient pines had strange and magnificent postures. The ground was paved with bluestone, and a clear spring wound its way through the rockery, gathering into a shallow pond under the corridor. A few water lily leaves floated on the surface, quietly waiting for the buds to open.

Ling Hao sat at a stone table under the shade of the pines with An Suxin and An Ruosu.

Baili Rou and the others had already gone to the side courtyard to settle in, leaving only the three of them in the yard.

"I didn't expect to meet you here, Sect Master An,"

Ling Hao picked up a teacup and took a sip,

"And you too."

He tilted his head to look at An Ruosu. The young girl was bowing her head, her earlobes tinged with a shade of pink, her fingers unconsciously twisting her cuffs.

An Ruosu lifted her eyes for a moment, then quickly lowered them again:

"We are also happy to see you, Senior."

An Suxin shook her head, giving a self-deprecating, bitter smile:

"I am no longer a Sect Master. I can never return to Qingmu Cliff."

As she spoke, she bowed solemnly to Ling Hao,

"However, I must still thank the Moonshadow Sect Master for the grace of those two sword talismans."

Ling Hao waved his hand:

"That was something you traded for with the zhen cauldron; it was a fair exchange, not a favor."

An Ruosu looked up:

"If it hadn't been for Senior's sword talismans, my mother and I would have been trapped at Qingmu Cliff, unable to even escape."

Ling Hao raised his eyebrows slightly upon hearing this, connecting it with the news he had heard along the way.

"Have you really already separated from Qingmu Cliff?"

An Suxin nodded:

"Yes. Qingmu Cliff can no longer accommodate us."

She paused, as if having made a firm decision, and suddenly stood up. She walked to the front of Ling Hao, the hem of her deep green long dress brushing against the bluestone floor, and bent her knees, kneeling down.

"Moonshadow Sect Master, I want to take them to Cangwu and join the Tianyuan Immortal Dynasty."

An Ruosu knelt down almost simultaneously, the hem of her light green chest-high dress spreading across the ground.

Ling Hao looked down at the mother and daughter kneeling before him. He frowned slightly, then relaxed.

After destroying the Golden Crow Holy Land, if he wanted to quickly promote the construction of the resonance dao tower and the world-suppressing monument in Fusang Province, it would be best to have the assistance of local forces.

An Suxin had managed Qingmu Cliff for many years and knew the local customs and all the forces in Fusang Province like the back of her hand. Moreover, she had an old friendship with Shui Wanqing—this human connection and history were more useful than anyone else's.

He looked at An Ruosu again.

The young girl was kneeling on the ground, the cuffs of her light green gauze shirt slightly rolled up, revealing half of her slender wrists. She was bowing her head, and he could only see her slightly trembling eyelashes and tightly pursed lips.

She had a pair of shallow dimples when she smiled; he quite liked that.

"My Moon Shadow Holy Land and the Golden Crow Holy Land are at odds like water and fire. Are you sure you want to stand on my side?"

An Suxin looked up and said firmly:

"Actually, from the moment I exchanged the zhen cauldron with the Moonshadow Sect Master, I had already decided."

Ling Hao nodded:

"I can provide protection. But what I hope for is—for you to remain in Fusang Province."

An Suxin was slightly stunned, unable to react for a moment.

"After I destroy the Golden Crow Holy Land, I will need people familiar with the local area to advance the construction of the resonance dao tower and the world-suppressing monument."

"You staying in Fusang Province is more useful than coming back to Cangwu Province with me."

An Suxin was silent for a while. This meant that in this confrontation between the Moon Shadow Holy Land and the Golden Crow Holy Land, they could not remain on the sidelines.

She took a deep breath:

"Very well."

Since they had become subordinates, they truly could not remain on the sidelines; she only hoped to survive after it ended.

A trace of worry rose in her heart, but before she could speak, Ling Hao seemed to see through her thoughts.

"Rest assured, I do not look down on your level of combat power. Agreeing to your request is merely because I value your familiarity with Fusang Province. Once the Golden Crow Holy Land is gone, you can settle this area for me, and that will be considered repaying this favor."

An Suxin stared at him blankly. She had seen too many people show awe or fear when mentioning the Golden Crow Holy Land, but she had never seen anyone speak of "destroying the Golden Crow Holy Land" with such a flat tone.

She opened her mouth, complex emotions churning in her heart—where did this man get such self-confidence?

That was a Holy Land of the same ninth rank, and there were also people from the Xuanwu Holy Land on the sidelines.

But in the end, she said nothing, bowing her body deeply, her forehead touching the bluestone ground.

"Thank you, Moonshadow Sect Master."