Chapter 40 - Troublesome Matter

“She ran really fast!” Qi Qiqi stomped her feet.

When she saw the ink marks on her sparkling toes, her anger flared up.

“Ah…” Qi Qiqi scratched her head like a madwoman, “Pisses me off!”

We’ll settle accounts once I catch you, you scoundrel! Qi Qiqi snorted. She had no intention to let off this “Young Ancestor” who doesn’t act like an elder.

Be that as it may, she had to wash her foot.

Oh, it can’t be helped! Looking at the warm water that was left after Xue Qilin has washed up, Qi Qiqi sighed helplessly.

If she went to fetch water and boiled it, it would really be a bit of a waste of time. She still has a bunch of daily affairs to deal with.

After washing her feet, Qi Qiqi found a clean towel in Xue Qilin’s house to dry her feet, and then put on her boots.

“Ugh! Really, she left this mess for me to tidy up!” Staring at the scattered paper and writing brush, Qi Qiqi stooped down.

As a neat freak, she hated when people messed up. Of course, this is limited to people who were close to her.

Thus, the result can be imagined.

Qi Qiqi took a moment to put Xue Qilin’s room in order, and then closed the door and left.

That lass Little Xue has no apprentices to attend to her. Should I find her a maid? Qi Qiqi mused as she walked.

In her eyes, Xue Qilin’s character was too casual, which left her vexed. Qi Qiqi was worried that the other party will even fail to take care of herself.

It was hard for Qi Qiqi not to think this way of a person who couldn’t even comb their own hair.

“Temple Master.” Just as Qi Qiqi left the scope of the Snow-facing Abode, she heard someone calling her.

Ah? Qi Qiqi looked up and found the white-haired Liu Chengzong instantly appear in her line of sight.

It’s Uncle Teacher Liu again! Qi Qiqi couldn’t help but frown. How many times has it been now?

Although she felt annoyed and impatient, but because of her identity, Qi Qiqi couldn’t show her feelings on her face. She had no choice but to assume a polite smile.

“Is something the matter, Elder Liu?” Liu Chengzong has just stopped in front of Qi Qiqi, when she asked flatly.

This is not to say that Qi Qiqi wanted to keep a distance from the other party, it’s just that she felt that the other party was a little annoying.

For the sake of “that matter”, he has pestered Qi Qiqi for more than two months.

Liu Chengzong glanced in the direction of the Snow-facing Abode, and then asked in a neither flattering nor bullying tone, “Temple Master, have you seen the Young Ancestor?”

Qi Qiqi was angered when Xue Qilin’s name was brought up.

“I didn’t see her, nor do I know where she went.” She clenched her white teeth gloomily, but then still lied with a straight face.

In her view, this was a white lie. If Liu Chengzong really found Xue Qilin, then the both of them will definitely argue about “that matter” again.

The disagreement isn’t the scary part. What Qi Qiqi feared was that the two would come to blows.

Put it plainly, Liu Chengzong was old and stubborn. Even though the Young Ancestor has an edge on him in terms of seniority and strength, but he still was undaunted. As for Xue Qilin, her character was even more straightforward. If Liu Chengzong really makes her angry, then a beating is inevitable.

At least, a month ago, Liu Chengzong has argued with Xue Qilin. In the end, he was beaten black and blue. He couldn’t go out for a whole week.

Alas, Uncle Teacher Liu can’t even find the Young Ancestor.

In the Merak Temple, Xue Qilin has the highest cultivation base. If she wants to avoid people, then even Ye Zhen can’t catch her, let alone Liu Chengzong whose cultivation base was only at the Earth Realm.

Liu Chengzong who always has “that matter” at heart has long since become quite the nuisance to Xue Qilin. According to her: “Pestering men are really annoying.”

When she recalled how Xue Qilin has wrinkled her nose in annoyance as she spoke that sentence, Qi Qiqi couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What’s so funny, Temple Mater?” Liu Chengzong asked, amazed.

“It’s nothing.” Qi Qiqi promptly adjusted her expression and calmed herself: “Elder Liu, if you’re looking for the Young Ancestor because of the matter with Qin Chen, then I advise you to give it a rest. You should know how the Young Ancestor is.”

“I just want to get justice for the death of Chen’er! Is there something wrong with this?”

Clearly provoked by Qi Qiqi’s words, Liu Chengzong became so emotional that he almost jumped up.

“I didn’t mean that…”

“Sorry, Temple Master, I’m just…” Apparently aware that it was improper, Liu Chengzong took a deep breath and apologized dejectedly.

“It’s okay, I understand.” Qi Qiqi waved her hand.

In her heart of hearts, Qi Qiqi felt that Liu Chengzong was really pitiable.

He lost his son when he was middle aged, and now Qin Chen whom he had treated like an adoptive son was killed earlier.

This is a double blow to him.

The sorrow of bereavement is the most painful thing in the world, let alone when it’s a parent who lost a child. And it still happened twice. If it was someone else in his shoes, they might not be able to bear it.

Although Qi Qiqi hasn’t experienced this pain, but she still can imagine how it would feel – it must be a heart-breaking, nearly despairing feeling. No, it may be even worse.

It’s precisely because Qi Qiqi has experienced the pain of losing her close relatives that she was putting up with Liu Chengzong.

Those who have lost their loved ones were pitiable. However, this doesn’t mean that you can wallow in sadness forever.

While Qi Qiqi thought so, Liu Chengzong didn’t.

“Regarding the matter With Elder Luo, Temple Master, won’t you reconsider.”

“Elder Liu, Elder Luo’s burial site was suggested by the Young Ancestor, and the council of Elders has approved it.” Qi Qiqi enunciated each syllable.

“But I refuse to accept it!” Liu Chengzong shouted emotionally, his eyes already red. It was a frenzied and unreasonable red.

“Elder Liu, please calm down…”

Not appreciative of Qi Qiqi’s coaxing, Liu Chengzong didn’t listen to her.

“This isn’t fair! She’s clearly a murderer who killed a fellow sect member, so why can she still be buried in the Merak Temple’s cemetery? She isn’t qualified!” Despite the tight frown on Qi Qiqi face, Liu Chengzong spit out those words hysterically.

As a result, Qi Qiqi also spoke her mind, “Elder Liu, you should be well aware about Elder Qin’s deed. If Senior Disciple Luo isn’t qualified, then the same goes for Elder Qin.”

“Do you have proof, Temple Master?” Liu Chengzong didn’t back down, “Chen’er is innocent! He was slandered by that slut Li Wanting! But Luo Qing is different, she murdered Chen’er! She admitted to it in writing!”

Liu Chengzong gnashed his teeth hard when he spoke the words “admitted to it in writing”.

Qi Qiqi was left speechless.

Until now, there was no definite evidence proving that Li Wanting’s apprentice was killed by Qin Chen. As for Qin Chen’s death. Luo Qing has admitted to his murder in her written confession.

But so what?

“No one believes it.” Qi Qiqi spoke.

“…” This time, Liu Chengzong had nothing to say.

If Qin Chen’s innocence was still up in the air, then Luo Qing’s culpability was also still up for debate.

In the absence of hard facts, people tend to believe in what they want to believe.

No one believed that Luo Qing was guilty, just like no one believed that Qin Chen was innocent.

And that is enough.

It’s a simple argument. Although it’s unconvincing, but no one can deny it either.

“If I can find evidence proving that Chen’er is innocent, will you overturn Chen’er’s case?”

“Elder Liu, ask yourself, is there really such evidence?”

“…” Liu Chengzong didn’t answer.

He also must have known that Li Wanting’s apprentice was killed by Qin Chen. At that time, there was already enough evidence. It was only because of the confrontation between Qi Qiqi and Ye Zhen that things were left unsettled.

“Elder Liu, you should understand that I don’t want to reopen this case. Firstly, it’s been too long, so most of the evidence is already lost. Secondly, considering that Elder Qin has passed away, I don’t want to rake up the past.”

When she reached this point, Qi Qiqi sighed: “Even if you really find proof, you still won’t get through the Young Ancestor.”

Even if Luo Qing has wrongly killed an innocent person, but with Xue Qilin’s character, she would sigh at most. There was no way that she would dig up Luo Qing’s tomb and toss her body out of the Merak Temple. Qi Qiqi was sure of that.

There are different degrees of relationships between people, and Xue Qilin’s relationship with Luo Qing was clearly more intimate than with Qin Chen.

People are selfish, and Qi Qiqi was no exception, Xue Qilin was no exception, and Liu Chengzong was no exception.

“In this case, why bother? Whether it is Elder Qin or Elder Luo, they’re both no longer alive, so why make a fuss?”

“Make a fuss?!” Liu Chengzong roared, “Tell me why I cannot make a fuss?”

Qi Qiqi suddenly felt sorrow for Liu Chengzong.

In her impression, although Liu Chengzong was stubborn and rather self-centered, but he was not unreasonable.

What made Liu Chengzong so… so blind? Hate? Qi Qiqi felt that it wasn’t it.

It was self-blame. The self-blame for failing to protect a close one prompted Liu Chengzong to become so blind and unreasonable.

When she reached this point in her train of thought, Qi Qiqi shook her head bitterly.

“Teacher…” A timid voice suddenly sounded.

Her round face adorable, Gong Tianqing dressed in a pink dress was standing not far away.

“Qing’er, what’s the matter?” Qi Qiqi approached Gong Tianqing and asked softly.

Gong Tianqing peeked at Liu Chengzong’s calm face, and then spoke in a trembling voice like a frightened bunny, “See, seeing… that, that you were late, Teacher, the Vice, Vice-palace Master Ye asked me to come and urge you to hurry.”

Qi Qiqi looked up at the sky and secretly cried out – dammit, I’m going to get an earful again!

“Qing’er, you go first. I’ll be there shortly after.”

“Oh, got it.” Gong Tianqing replied, and then looked at Liu Chengzong again.

After Gong Tianqing disappeared from her sight, Qi Qiqi uttered softly: “Elder Liu, I know that you have a knot in your heart, but I hope that you understand… Regarding some matters, truth is not as important as hope.”

“…” Liu Chengzong looked deeply at Qi Qiqi, and then quickly retracted his gaze, thinking who knows what.

Qi Qiqi sighed, a little irritable. She didn’t know when this knot in Liu Chengzong’s heart will be untied.

I can only give him a bit more time – Qi Qiqi believed that Liu Chengzong will understand.

Her conviction stemmed from the fact that Liu Chengzong was also her family, after all.

“Elder Liu, I still have sect matters to attend to. I will take my leave first.”

Liu Chengzong still didn’t reply. Qi Qiqi helplessly turned around and left.

“Xue Qilin…” Qi Qiqi faintly heard a voice filled with resentment.

When she looked back, she found that Liu Chengzong was no longer there.

Translator’s note: This is one of the reasons why Luo Qing has effectively committed suicide – she killed Qin Chen.

Didn’t Ye Zhen say that the reason why he stuck up for Qin Chen was because he wanted to preserve the temple’s strength?