Under One Person: I, Jiaqian Jushi, work from nine to five

"An insider, and with a clandestine identity... Could it be... a member of the Quanxing Demon Clan?"

Upon hearing the words "a demon of the Quanxing Sect," Zhang Lingyu's pupils suddenly contracted, revealing his chicken feet. This subtle change in expression was precisely noticed by the old master who had tricked him.

The old Celestial Master stroked his beard and nodded: "Hmm, it seems he really is a demon of the Quanxing Sect..."

After saying that, he looked at Zhang Lingyu, who was kneeling on the ground, and then asked in a cold voice, "Zhang Lingyu, I'll ask you one more time, is this child... yours?"

The old celestial master's question was undoubtedly telling Zhang Lingyu: I already know what I need to know. If you keep beating around the bush, you're definitely not going to get away with it...

A disciple of the Celestial Master and a demon of the Quanxing Sect—if this were to be discovered, Zhang Lingyu would be in deep trouble...

Hearing the old master's questioning again, Zhang Lingyu took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled... He ultimately couldn't hide it from his master.

"No."

Having received Zhang Lingyu's answer, the Old Celestial Master continued to press, "Whose is it?"

"Yes..."

Zhang Lingyu paused, looked at the old Celestial Master, and instead of immediately mentioning Zhou Fengliu's name, asked:

"Master, now that you know, will you keep it a secret for your disciple?"

"I'll think about it." The old master did not give a direct answer.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lingyu frowned slightly, then steeled her heart and revealed the name Zhou Fengliu.

Upon hearing that the child was indeed Zhou Fengliu's, the old master did not show much surprise.

In fact, when he first saw Tuan Tuan, he noticed that the texture of Tuan Tuan's internal energy was somewhat familiar. This feeling of being superficial yet abundant was just like when he first met Zhou Fengliu.

Zhang Lingyu's answer at this moment can only be said to confirm his guess. He was more curious about the identity of the child's biological mother than the child's father.

"Who exactly is the child's mother?" the old master asked.

“The bone-scraping knife…Xia He of the Quanxing Sect.” Zhang Lingyu also revealed her identity as the child’s mother.

"Xia He..."

"No wonder..."

Upon hearing this, the old master understood why Xia He wanted to conceal the child's identity.

How can it be that a director of Na Du Tong had a child with a member of Quan Xing, a notorious woman?

Having received all the answers he wanted, the old master's last remaining hope was shattered. He had been wondering if Zhang Lingyu was really that bold as to give him a grand performance and create a grand-disciple...

The result was that I ended up taking the fall for someone else...

"Wait, don't you hate Xia He? Then why are you keeping her secret... Why did she come to you?"

Faced with the old Celestial Master's question, Zhang Lingyu couldn't help but sigh and recount the whole story in detail:

"This matter... I don't know, but I feel... it might be related to the beginning of everything. Do you still remember the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony and the Quanxing attack on the mountain?"

"Hmm...what?"

“This disciple committed a sinful act, letting Xia He escape. Xia He then led Zhou Fengliu, who was afflicted with the Qi Mu, down the mountain... This is the origin of all evil... and the greatest mistake this disciple has ever made in his life.”

"Oh~"

"So that's where you came from..."

Upon hearing Zhang Lingyu mention the timing of the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony, the Old Celestial Master finally pieced together the timeline. After listening to Zhang Lingyu explain what Xia He was and how she appeared, and after he asked Zhang Lingyu to keep the secret and take care of the child, the Old Celestial Master felt that this was destiny.

It was both Zhang Lingyu's tribulation and Zhou Fengliu's destined tribulation...

If Zhang Lingyu had spared Zhou Fengliu, Zhou Fengliu wouldn't have continued his ill-fated relationship with Xia He and had a child. It was precisely because of this child and their past that Xia He approached Zhang Lingyu, making him an accomplice...

Xia He has reformed and no longer wants to use the child as leverage to control Zhou Fengliu, but what about Zhang Lingyu? He remains fixated on his past mistakes and tries his best to make amends...

But unexpectedly, the more he tried to make amends, the bigger the mistake became, ultimately leading him to personally intervene, raise the child, and avert this long-standing fate...

In the end, it all comes down to the Celestial Master's Mansion's fault...

This child... seems to have a special connection with their Celestial Master's Mansion.

The old master came to a final conclusion.

Just as the old Celestial Master was brainstorming, Zhang Lingyu also thought a lot, and when he spoke, he said:

“Master, I have said everything that should be said and shouldn’t have been said. This is the cause I planted, and I must bear the consequences. I have no regrets. I only ask that you keep this a secret, Master. Please don’t tell Zhou Fengliu.”

Hearing Zhang Lingyu's words, the old Celestial Master came to his senses and did not agree:

"First Xia He begged you not to tell Feng Liu, then you begged me not to tell Feng Liu... You all think you're trying to make up for your mistakes..."

"But who knows what kind of catastrophic disaster will ultimately result from one mistake after another?"

Faced with the old Celestial Master's question, Zhang Lingyu was slightly taken aback:

"Master..."

"Let me ask you, even if you've kept this from him all this time and stopped him from having an affair, is it really fair to him? He treats you sincerely, but have you been truly sincere to him?"

"It would be best if he never knew the child's true parentage, but what if he discovered something amiss? How would you face him? And how would you face your own conscience?"

"Besides this child... have you been honest with this child?"

"This child is so young, she has a father and a mother but doesn't know it. When she grows up, are you sure she won't resent her father, her mother... and you?"

Chapter 609 The Old Celestial Master: I want to see rivers of blood!

"Lingyu, when you decided to raise this child, were you prepared to bear everything? Even the loss of your integrity after Fengliu learns of this, even the child's inability to accept your feelings when they learn the truth in the future..."

"Can you...accept this?"

The old Celestial Master looked at Zhang Lingyu with a very serious expression and began to question him. His series of questions left Zhang Lingyu's mind in a complete mess...

To be honest, Zhang Lingyu hadn't thought about it that way. When he got involved in this situation, he was only thinking about how to keep it from Zhou Fengliu and raise the child well until Xia He was released from prison and returned... He hadn't considered whether the child would blame him if the child found out or Zhou Fengliu learned the truth...

Yes.

If Zhou Fengliu really resented him, how would he face it if he knew?

He was genuinely kind to him, and even when he insisted on blaming the loss of his virginity on the other person, Zhou Fengliu never became angry and still helped him confront his inner turmoil...

Even after he was expelled from the mountain by his master, it was Zhou Fengliu who took care of him, guiding him step by step to the front of the South China Terrace, through trials and tribulations... and even mediating between him and his master...

Zhou Fengliu treated him very well, with genuine sincerity, but he...

Furthermore, no matter how well he raises this child, it can never compare to those children who grow up under the careful care of their parents...

Knowing that the parents are not providing a better upbringing environment for the child, how much affection will the child lose if the secret is kept until the child grows up?

Thinking of this, Zhang Lingyu was in a state of utter confusion.

On one hand, there's the promise to Xia He to keep the secret and allow Zhou Fengliu his freedom; on the other hand, there's the inner turmoil of questioning...

Just as his master had said, this was indeed a calamity, not only for Zhou Fengliu, but also for him...

Zhang Lingyu looked at his master with a complicated expression, and then asked his master to give him a name and path:

"Master...do you mean I should tell Zhou Fengliu about the child?"

Tell Zhou Fengliu the truth... that'll be some juicy gossip! The Old Master: I want to see rivers of blood!

Faced with Zhang Lingyu's straightforward question, the old Celestial Master paused for a moment.

While enjoying the gossip is a pleasant thing, he still desires a highly talented grand-disciple...

He had just stated his purpose, but he didn't mean to force Zhang Lingyu to confront Zhou Fengliu. What he meant was: since Zhang Lingyu has made these decisions, she should think it through and be prepared to accept everything.

Even if it meant breaking ties with Zhou Fengliu, he would keep the secret... going all the way down this path to ensure the child could grow up peacefully by the Celestial Master's Mansion...

This kid is so talented, he might just want to reopen the sect and make him a direct disciple instead of a grand-disciple...

After a moment of silence, the old celestial master slowly began to speak:

"Whichever choice you make, there will be a price to pay. What I've said so far isn't to force you to tell Fengliu, but to tell you that whatever decision you make, stick to it to the end... Don't change your mind halfway through, and stick to your heart."

The old master's answer was already quite clear, even if it was presented indirectly.

Since we've already started, let's go all the way...

As for the so-called sincerity...

That can be done in many ways... Telling Zhou Fengliu is sincerity, not telling Zhou Fengliu, letting him be free, and raising his child well to become a successful person is also sincerity...

Honesty doesn't necessarily have to be blunt. This kind of "unique" honesty is still honesty...

Sincerity leads to a clear path... allowing one to walk with an open mind and without fear.

Despite the old master's clear explanation, it seems Zhang Lingyu has some misunderstandings.

As we all know, our Celestial Master Lingyu is a typical person who gets stuck on trivial details.

Even if the other party's reasoning was very clear, he would still firmly believe in his own moral convictions, especially since the old master hadn't directly told him: "Just keep the secret and leave the child behind..."

"Thank you, Master. I understand."

After a long while, Zhang Lingyu seemed to have figured it out and knelt down to kowtow to the Celestial Master.

"What do you know?" the old master asked, still uneasy.

“Sincerity leads to the right path. If you firmly believe in your disciple’s choice, you will naturally gain something…” Zhang Lingyu said logically.

Hearing his answer, the old master nodded in satisfaction: "You are a promising young man. Go back and rest."

"Yes, Master."

Watching Zhang Lingyu leave his room, the Old Celestial Master began to plot something in his heart.

Ok.

Lingyu is a clever child...

He should know what I mean.

It seems... I also need to prepare myself. This philandering child... I definitely can't let him go astray again.

The old Celestial Master said that when he first saw Zhou Fengliu at the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony, he felt quite sorry that Zhou Fengliu's path was too wild, going astray all the way, with unstable Qi and mind... Although he was a good prospect, he went astray and became a good charlatan...

This time, Zhou Fengliu's child is equally gifted, and he must nurture her well, absolutely not letting her become another self-taught prodigy like her father...

The old master's idea was good, but unfortunately, his disciple was going in the opposite direction of his idea at 180 miles per hour.