Late 1474.
"Master! Are you there? Here is your letter"
The door to Otto's room burst open.
"Please, sit down, Suyi"
At that moment, Tian Shi and Otto were huddled together on the room's kang bed.
Seeing Qin Suyi enter through the door, Tian Shi did not stay behind and directly invited her to sit down as well.
"Thank you, Grand Master!"
Suyi bowed and, without refusing, took off her shoes and climbed onto the kang.
Tian Shi lived here for a year, and his female disciples and great-granddaughters got to know their ancestor's personality, so there was no pressure to get along with him.
Of course, the respect remains.
"Sister Otto, here is a letter, Senior Sister Lingshuang found it on an eagle"
Qin Suyi stretched her feet under the covers while pulling the letter from her chest.
Then, Qin Suyi showed a happy expression.
In moments like these, only their own Grand Master's house allows them to relax for a while, and it is also very warm.
"Let's see..."
Otto took the letter; her face seemed to anticipate something.
"Nagamitsu's letter, Schicksal has already contacted those northern nomadic tribes, they are currently stationed in the Kipchak steppe during the winter, when next year's spring arrives, Schicksal and the Ming Empire will go to war"
After reading the letter, Otto tossed it casually onto the table.
"I thought Schicksal would be a bit more impatient"
Forget it.
The weather in the north of the Ming Empire is truly terrible.
Schicksal is not strong enough to wage war against a huge empire under such unfavorable conditions.
Otto sighed.
Nowadays, it turns out we are in the Little Ice Age.
How fierce is it?
"For forty days heavy snow fell in the Jiangnan prefectures, and countless people in Suzhou and Changzhou froze and starved to death"
Even in the Jiangnan region, there can be heavy snow for forty days.
In the north... the temperature is enough to calm commanders blinded by greed.
In addition, those who have been fighting there for five years and are still alive should know how tyrannical God has been in recent years.
So the kang was really good...
While Otto thought about it, she shrank deeper into the blankets.
After having spent a winter here, Otto should not be surprised.
"However, we estimate that we will have to return in the spring, and Schicksal has begun to urge us to do so"
"Are you leaving, Grand Master?"
Qin Suyi, nearly fifteen years old, was still shy.
She was confused by words like "Schicksal" and "war", but she perfectly understood the word "return trip".
That's why Qin Suyi's face clearly reflected her reluctance.
"Don't worry, there are still two or three months until spring, but well... there are some things we should start planning soon"
Tian Shi sat at the head of Qin Suyi's bed, signaling the girl to calm down.
However, Qin Suyi was still not happy, after all, two or three months... it wasn't really that much time.
"Is there anything else, Grand Master? If Suyi can do it..."
"Eh... there is something I have to solve" Tian Shi nodded.
"What is Su Mei doing right now?"
"Second Senior Sister is preparing dinner now," Qin Suyi replied softly.
"Hua took Lin Zhaoyu with her this time, so the burden fell entirely on Su Mei"
Although it is terribly cold winter outside, nothing can stop Hua's determination to defeat the demons.
Therefore, Su Mei now takes care of all matters, large and small, on Mount Taixu.
"According to my past experience, Master should return in a couple of days," Qin Suyi said in a low, thoughtful voice.
"After all, it's almost the New Year... Never mind, let's talk about this after dinner"
Now that Hua and Lin Zhaoyu are away, it is much easier to talk about certain things.
"Oh..."
Qin Suyi felt that she hadn't understood anything all day.
The Grand Master sometimes said things that were hard to understand...
"I will write a reply here and ask Suyi to take it to Lingshuang later so she can put it on the eagle"
Otto also pulled out a pen to write a reply to Nagamitsu and let her know everything was fine.
But as soon as Otto spread the paper, she noticed that Qin Suyi's expression was somewhat hesitant.
"Suyi, say what you want to say"
"Um…"
Qin Suyi hesitated for a moment.
"The eagle was already roasted by Fifth Senior Sister"
"...?"
"Hahaha! I knew Lingshuang would be the first to discover this letter, it seems the eagle was flying in circles over Mount Taixu, which annoyed Lingshuang, and then Lingshuang cut it down with her sword!"
Tian Shi slapped his thigh and laughed happily.
"Our Grand Master was incredibly insightful..."
Qin Suyi's little face twitched and she nodded obediently.
"When Senior Sister shot down the eagle and found the letter, Suyi reminded her, but Senior Sister said at the time that since this gyrfalcon was going to die after stealing my sword, it was better to roast it than to carry it and bother the Grand Master, then we could share half with him"
"..."
Otto was speechless, but Tian Shi continued laughing.
What this girl said makes a lot of sense.
Bringing a dead eagle would be a mistake, but roasting it and bringing it as a tribute could even make up for the error.
"You spoil these girls too much"
Otto's face darkened.
This is a messenger eagle that can travel long distances in the middle of winter, and might even have suffered some positive mutations due to Honkai energy, and yet, it has been roasted like this...
This is a genuine strategic material!
And why didn't I get such good treatment back then...?
"(Did you make any mistakes when you were a child...?)"
"Void Archive," she complained.
"To be pampered like that, you have to make a mistake first! You never made any mistakes as a little girl, so why would you want to be pampered?"
That seems to be true.
Otto could only admit, in a rather strange way, that what Void Archive said made a lot of sense.
"But I really didn't expect Cheng Lingshuang to say something like that..." Otto sighed and resigned herself to her fate.
After all, the facts must be acknowledged.
After receiving a sword strike from Cheng Lingshuang, the messenger eagle was definitely dead... roasting it would be a way to make use of it.
Thinking about it this way, is this really the most correct decision?
Otto felt her brain had been attacked.
"It would be more accurate to say that this is Lingshuang's style, her way of thinking is quite peculiar, but she doesn't usually show it"
Hearing footsteps outside, Tian Shi laughed even louder.
"Grand Master, Lingshuang hunted a gyrfalcon today, it was plump and strong, and I roasted it specifically to offer it to you"
As usual, Cheng Lingshuang opened the door with a blank expression, holding a roasted eagle nearly two meters high and much larger than herself, skewered on an iron spike.
This forced Cheng Lingshuang to enter through the door at an angle.
"Can your gyrfalcon reach this size? If it's not a mutation, I'd rather die right here, on this corner of the table!"
"Will the few of us be able to finish eating this eagle?"
My God!
Could you focus on something more normal?
"Lingshuang believes Miss Kallen could finish it all by herself"
Cheng Lingshuang said respectfully.
"That is truly hard to refute."
Even though Otto's heart bled a little, the tempting aroma made her feel that this was also unacceptable.
After all, this gyrfalcon was not trained by us.
Even if we take a step back, it still belonged to Nagamitsu, or was even captured by Schicksal.
Yes, thinking about it that way makes me feel much better.
"Speaking of which, the gyrfalcon is actually a hawk," Tian Shi said abruptly.
"Discussing this is useless." Otto shrugged.
Does it even matter if this thing is a hawk or an eagle?
Let's not talk about these abstract things when we haven't even eaten enough.
No one, including her, is interested in this; at least in general terms, it is still called an eagle.
"True"
Tian Shi nodded.
"In that case, Lingshuang, take this to the kitchen and let your second senior sister process it carefully"
This mutated eagle, nearly two meters long, is a real problem to know where to start eating.
It would be better to give it to Su Mei and have us eat dinner together.
That said, it is quite impressive that Cheng Lingshuang was able to cook this thing...
"Lingshuang obeys"
Cheng Lingshuang bowed and then left.
"It seems there is no need to send this letter"
Otto sighed.
"Although there was really no need for it in the first place"
If it weren't for Kallen, Otto would be fine anywhere.
To her, her family was just a stepping stone to the future, but, to be honest, it didn't matter if she had that stepping stone or not.
No matter how many resources she had, none mattered as much as her own God's will.
But Kallen is different, her family is quite harmonious, unlike her, who has no connection to her family or her hometown.
Although Otto always feels she can't stand Kallen, as her only friend, Otto can actually consider Kallen in everything.
"If I stay here and don't return, and Kallen returns alone, Kallen's future will be difficult..."
Qin Suyi still doesn't understand things very well.
Is it really so simple that my senior sister's matter has been resolved?
Qin Suyi has begun to doubt her own common sense.
Isn't this kind of thing completely incomprehensible...?
…
"Grand Master, Suyi told me you have something to discuss with this disciple"
After dinner, Su Mei took the initiative to find Tian Shi.
"What instructions does Grand Master have?"
"Xiao Qi hides nothing from you"
Looking at the respectful Second Senior Sister of the Taixu Sword Sect in front of him, Tian Shi sighed slightly.
It must be said that Su Mei is truly filial.
Without God's perspective, Tian Shi would never have imagined that Su Mei would be the organizer of her Master's future assassination.
"Suyi told me it was actually about your departure, Grand Master, it was just something Suyi mentioned casually and why you came to me... But Su Mei believes that's what you really care about, Grand Master"
Su Mei always had a smile that did not provoke hostility in people.
"Hmm... I guess you could say that"
Tian Shi nodded, while Otto, sitting a little further away, made room for Su Mei; she knew she probably wouldn't be able to say a single word on that subject.
"Sit down, sit down, don't be so reserved, I'm not like your Master"
"Thank you, Grand Master, then please forgive Su Mei for overstepping"
Su Mei sat next to Tian Shi and casually slid him a piece of roasted eagle meat left over from dinner.
"That's quite inappropriate," Tian Shi said with a smile, taking a small bite.
"Su Mei, do you really dislike your Master?"
"Master?"
If it were Lin Zhaoyu, she would probably jump in shock and apologize, but Su Mei kept her smile, only tilting her head as if deep in thought.
"No, I don't think it's antipathy. Why do you say that, Master? Could it be that Su Mei has offended her in some way lately?"
"It's just that after spending a lot of time together, I started to feel something for someone"
Tian Shi offered an excuse, but Su Mei's expression became a bit complicated for a moment.
"It feels like..." Su Mei sighed softly.
"I thought you were really worried about the fact that your parents were killed back then"
"Oh... Grand Master, you really care about us, the disciples"
Hearing Tian Shi mention this, Su Mei's face showed no unusual expression; instead, she revealed a thoughtful look.
"My Master did have a blood feud with me for killing my father and mother, but in return, she also had the kindness to raise me and teach me… Su Mei had no complaints about serving my Master, so she considered it as paying the karmic debt"
Su Mei laughed softly as she said this.
"Could it be that the Grand Master thought Su Mei would plan to kill her Master? Even regardless of karma, Master is still the invincible Crimson Comet Immortal"
"..."
"Yes, you will"
Tian Shi thought to himself.
Su Mei sighed softly at that moment.
"However, the Grand Master is truly perceptive, although Su Mei does not dislike Master, she knows they are strangers, Master is the invincible Crimson Comet Immortal, while Su Mei is just a mortal who will become a handful of yellow earth after a hundred years"
"That..."
"But to be honest, Grand Master, Su Mei is also afraid"
Su Mei lowered her head as if talking to herself.
"What are we to our Master? Disciples? Or toys to hang out with?"
"She wouldn't go as far as looking for toys... She really cares about all of you"
"It's natural, otherwise, why would the invincible Master have the idea of accepting disciples at this time? She must be very lonely and, naturally, she must have genuine feelings... "
"But the Taixu Sword Sect has only one principle: those who fall into demonic possession will be killed without mercy"
"..."
"Although the Taixu Sword Sect is different from other sects in the martial arts world and does not cultivate true qi, it must circulate through the body, so there is still a risk of qi deviation... What would happen if one of us suffered a qi deviation? What would happen to Master?"
"Hua, she..."
"Master will kill those who have gone astray before they harm the world"
Su Mei answered his question with a smile.
"Those who fall into demonic possession will be killed without mercy… If you say Su Mei would want to kill her Master, then it must be because one of her sisters has fallen into demonic possession and her Master wants to kill her"
"..."
"Su Mei knows that killing them without mercy is the right decision, but being honest... these younger sisters were not raised only by the eldest sister, how could I, the second senior sister, stand idly by? "
"And being honest, falling into demonic possession doesn't mean there is no hope, back then, Yan Shilu was crazy, but he didn't fall completely into demonic possession, right? Are we less than Yan Shilu?"
After saying that, Su Mei's smile turned slightly bitter.
"My senior sister and I are like sisters, the third and fourth treat me like a trusted senior sister, the sixth and seventh consider me their closest relative"
"Although the fifth sister is distant, she is warm despite her cold appearance, I know she cares about us... If any of us found ourselves that day, not to mention the others, just me, would I sit here doing nothing to prepare her?"
"..."
Tian Shi remained silent.
It's hard to explain why both sides are equally valuable.
Even if Qin Suyi wanted to betray them in the future, she hesitated for a long time... If there were no feelings involved, why would she hesitate?
The act of the Seven Swords killing their Master was certainly unfair, but now it seems...
It is a universal consensus that the Immortal Hua is invincible.
If there were no other option, who would bother fighting an invincible immortal?
This is an immortal!
The seven were disciples of the immortal, and all their knowledge was taught to them by the immortal.
But even if they were favored by the immortal, they were still mortals.
Apart from Cheng Lingshuang, who could be sure she could withstand ten rounds against an immortal?
Daring to act through the "divine barrier"... that is essentially gambling with one's own life.
Even excluding Qin Suyi, everyone else decided to bet with Su Mei, hoping that the right time, location, and people would allow them to "kill the immortal".
"So, Grand Master, you overestimate Su Mei". She sighed softly.
"Even if the seven swords combined their strength, Su Mei would only have a small chance of defeating Master... But, if nothing happened, what merit or skill would Su Mei have to encourage her fellow disciples to risk their lives with me?"
"Then, if something happens..."
"If something happens, there is no reason for you to kill me and I simply offer my neck to be cut, Grand Master, you are wise, whatever happens, everyone has the will to live, as long as I haven't fallen completely into demonic arts, Su Mei's heart is made of flesh and blood, she cannot stand idly by watching her younger sister being slaughtered, she has to fight for her"
"But if we fight like this, the bond between the Seven Swords will be broken" Tian Shi sighed softly.
Killing your Master is an obstacle...
"Thank you for your teachings, Grand Master, but... what bond lasts forever?"
Su Mei smiled.
"Besides, it's just an example... Su Mei sincerely hopes that something like that never happens"
....
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