Chapter 46 How could you be so cruel?

Left with no alternative, Su Yunqi had no choice but to order a retreat, knowing that if the commotion continued any longer, Elder Hong would likely be drawn over once again.

Meanwhile, Su Yunkhe, who was currently with Elder Hong, was practicing nearby, her eyes brimming with joy and excitement. Originally, she had sought refuge with Elder Hong simply to escape those troublesome members of the Su family, never expecting that she would genuinely acquire profound insights, plunging deeply into an ethereal state of realization.

Elder Hong, observing from the side, nodded in satisfaction, a smile involuntarily curving her lips. She had always favored students who possessed innate comprehension and a strong drive to excel, and watching her progress filled her with genuine pleasure.

Just then, whether because the disturbance caused by the Su family had grown too loud or for some other reason, the commotion reached her ears. Frowning, Elder Hong summoned Su Yunkhe, who was in the middle of her cultivation, and said, "People from your family have arrived and are searching everywhere for you."

"Elder Hong, I've already made it clear that I will not go back. I told them not to disturb me. I originally thought they would—" She paused midway, her expression faltering as if touched by a trace of guilt.

Elder Hong let out a long sigh and comforted her, "You need not reproach yourself. You could never have foreseen this outcome, so none of this is your fault. However, this incident has indeed served as a wake-up call for me. Continue with your cultivation; I will handle this matter."

She decided that she needed to speak with the academy head—security at the academy gates simply had to be reinforced. Allowing anyone to wander in at will was clearly detrimental to the students' cultivation.

Elder Hong departed swiftly, leaving Su Yunkhe to resume her practice in peace, unwilling to waste a single moment on such trivialities.

It must be said that once Elder Hong took matters into her own hands, the Su family quieted down, at least granting a temporary respite from their harassment.

Time flew by, and the day before their departure arrived. Because she was about to set off for the sect, she broke her routine, temporarily halting her cultivation to venture out and purchase supplies.

It was during this outing that she crossed paths with Su Yunqi, who glared at her with an icy expression. "Have you noticed that Xiaoyue has been nowhere to be found all these days?"

Su Yunkhe maintained a placid expression, blinking unconcernedly. "And so? What is it you're trying to say?"

"Xiaoyue is your cousin, after all! The family had hoped you would cooperate fully—had you done so, we might have found her long ago. But you? You flatly refused! How can you be so cruel?" Unable to contain her fury any longer, Su Yunqi snapped. The thought that her sister had been missing for days while the person before her acted as if nothing had happened filled her with bitter resentment.

"Cruel? Su Yunqi, aren't you mistaken? This has nothing to do with me from the beginning. Yet you insist on pinning it on my head. What am I? Her mother or her father? Her disappearance has nothing to do with me—I certainly didn't give birth to her!" Su Yunkhe was almost driven to laughter by the absurdity. Although she had indeed killed Su Xiaoyue, outsiders were completely unaware of the fact. Yet, acting in total ignorance, they were dead set on shifting the blame onto her. It was utterly speechless.

"How can you utter such unfilial and preposterous words!" Su Yunqi's eyes reddened with rage. By mentioning parents, wasn't she implicitly trying to take advantage of her seniority?

At this realization, Su Yunqi's face alternated between green and black with anger. She had no intention of letting a good-for-nothing take advantage of her, and she pointed an accusing finger at her in wrath.

To her astonishment, Su Yunkhe remained entirely unfazed, even responding in a leisurely, measured tone, "Am I wrong? If not, why else would you insist on forcing me to look after Su Xiaoyue? Is it not because you wish for me to act as your mother?"

"What a pity, however, that I have no interest in the role of a mother. You had best look elsewhere." She added an expression of profound disdain, making it blatantly obvious that she looked down on them from the very bottom of her heart.

This was the first time Su Yunqi had ever encountered such intense repugnance in another person's eyes, leaving her momentarily stunned. Recovering quickly, she put on a cold face and continued, "Su Yunqi, your attitude is entirely unacceptable. This time, you have truly let the Su family down. Do you have any idea how furious Grandfather is over this?"

"What does that have to do with me? We are leaving for the Qingwu Sect tomorrow, and yet you are still babbling nonsense to me now. It seems you simply don't understand human speech." Immeasurable annoyance filled her eyes. She felt the Su family members were intensely tiresome; she had already repeated herself countless times, yet they still persisted here.

"Have you really thought this through?" Su Yunqi asked in a stunned tone, for in her mind, this matter could by no means be dropped so easily.

Others might not know the truth, but she did. She knew that on that day, Xiaoyue had gone to confront Su Yunkhe, vowing vehemently to make her vanish from this world. Although she had offered verbal discouragement, she had taken no concrete action to stop her, simply watching her leave.

Initially, she had expected to await her triumphant return, especially since Xiaoyue had taken a large group of people with her, a thought that had brought her no small amount of joy. Yet, reality had turned out entirely different from her expectations—Xiaoyue had vanished, completely out of contact.

Such a situation strongly implied that she had encountered mortal danger, otherwise she would have returned long ago. And since the last person she was known to have met was Su Yunkhe, her suspicion naturally fell heaviest upon her. That was the primary reason she had gone to such lengths to track her down at the academy.

After searching everywhere and failing to turn up a single trace, she had even begun to suspect that Su Yunkhe might have hidden the girl away in secret. Yet the problem remained: after searching for so many days, not a single clue had surfaced, and the academy had received no news whatsoever. The girl seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Therefore, she remained convinced that the breakthrough in the case still lay with Su Yunkhe. She had attempted to find her a few days prior, but Su Yunkhe had remained locked in her room practicing, leaving no opportunity to speak with her. Thus, she had waited until today.

"Su Yunqi, I never imagined you were the sort of person who enjoys clinging stubbornly to a dead issue, repeating the same thing over and over. I believed I had made myself abundantly clear, yet it seems you are utterly incapable of comprehending human language." Su Yunkhe's tone carried a sharp edge of sarcasm.

With that, she turned to leave, ignoring her entirely. But how could Su Yunqi possibly allow her to walk away? This was her last chance. Once they set out on the journey tomorrow, without the backing of the Su family, matters would only become infinitely more troublesome.

"Since you refuse to listen to reason, I am truly sorry, but I am forced to take the hard approach!" With a wave of her hand, a group of figures emerged from the shadows, instantly surrounding Su Yunkhe.

This commotion naturally drew the attention of the surrounding bystanders. Su Yunqi smoothed her expression into a faint smile and addressed the crowd, "Please, everyone, go about your business. It is merely a private family matter that will be resolved shortly. My apologies for the disturbance."

Hearing this, some onlookers lost interest and walked away, while others, simply fond of a good spectacle, chose to remain in place to watch how things would unfold.

Looking at the men Su Yunqi had brought, a mocking smile touched the corners of Su Yunkhe's lips. "So, you intend to drag me back by force?"

"Indeed. Since you are unwilling to cooperate voluntarily, I have no choice," Su Yunqi replied, nodding with serene composure.