Battle Through the Heavens: Starting with Cao Ying as an apprentice

"He'll definitely yell at me, 'You can't even bake food properly, what good are you?!'"

"Is the next thing you're going to do is coldly tell me, 'Get out of here, we don't need you anymore'?"

Although Su Baichen usually treated her well and never criticized her, at this moment, due to extreme tension, she automatically imagined a cold and ruthless drama.

She could almost see Su Baichen, his face frosty, turning and walking away. A tremendous fear gripped her heart, making it difficult to even breathe.

Filled with the fear of being abandoned, she moved slowly toward Su Baichen, her steps faltering as if she were dragging a thousand-pound weight under her feet. Her delicate body trembled slightly, and her eyes began to redden uncontrollably. Her expression was exactly that of a desperate prisoner about to step onto the execution ground.

Su Baichen was completely dumbfounded by her death-defying appearance.

He subconsciously touched his face, and even took out a small water mirror from his storage ring to look at himself.

"That's right, with sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, and a high nose bridge, he still has that face that's so handsome it's outrageous."

"Still as dashing and handsome as ever, with an ethereal air, he's flawlessly handsome!"

"Why did I scare this little maid so much? Could it be that... the aesthetics of the snake people are completely different from those of humans, and my face looks like a blue-faced monster to them?"

Just as Su Baichen was sinking into deep self-doubt, Cai Die finally dawdled up to him.

Before Su Baichen could even ask a question, with a "thump," Cai Die suddenly knelt down on both knees, raised her tear-streaked face, and begged for mercy in a tearful voice:

"Young master! I know I was wrong! Please, give me another chance! I will do my best from now on and never be distracted again! Please don't send me away!" Tears streamed down her smooth cheeks like broken pearls.

The commotion finally alerted Cao Ying, who was focused on her cultivation. She slowly finished her practice, opened her beautiful eyes, and looked over in confusion. She saw Cai Die kneeling in front of Su Baichen, crying pitifully and pleading, "Don't send me away."

Cao Ying was simple-minded and kind-hearted. Upon seeing this, she immediately thought that Cai Die had committed some serious mistake and was being severely punished by her master.

She immediately leaped up from the ground, flying to Su Baichen's side like a light butterfly. She stretched out her small hands and tightly hugged Su Baichen's arm, gently shaking it, her soft, sweet voice full of coquettishness:

"Master, please give Sister Caidie another chance for Ying'er's sake!"

"Sister Cai Die definitely didn't mean it. Master, you're the best, the most forgiving. Please forgive her this once! Please, Master!"

As Cao Ying spoke, she gazed longingly at Su Baichen with her big, watery eyes, her little face filled with the determination to keep shaking her head if he didn't agree.

For a moment, Su Baichen had a little maid kneeling and crying on his left, pleading desperately, and a little apprentice hanging on his arm on his right, begging softly.

If someone unaware of the situation were to witness this scene, they would definitely think that Su Baichen was a cold-hearted and cruel master who mistreated his maids and disciples.

The key point is that Su Baichen himself is still completely confused and has no idea how things have developed to this point.

He opened his mouth, looking at the two beautiful faces in front of him, each with a different expression. He truly had no words to express his bitterness and felt extremely frustrated.

Finally, he could only sigh helplessly, his voice filled with powerlessness: "Sigh... I'm telling you two girls, what have I done?"

He first turned his gaze to Cai Die, who was kneeling on the ground, and reached out to help her up: "Get up and talk first. I just called you over, and you knelt down without saying a word. I haven't said or done anything yet."

"You have to tell me what happened first, right? How am I supposed to know what you're thinking if you don't tell me?"

Then, he looked at Cao Ying, who was hanging on his arm, with a slightly aggrieved expression: "And you, Ying'er, you're pleading for leniency before you've even figured things out, making it seem like your teacher is so heartless."

Upon hearing this, Cao Ying blinked her bright eyes, looked at her innocent-looking master, and then at Cai Die sobbing on the ground. She seemed to realize that she might have acted impulsively, and her eyes showed a questioning look, as if to say: Sister Cai Die, what exactly happened?

Upon hearing Su Baichen's explanation and seeing the genuine confusion on his face, Cai Die immediately realized that she had misunderstood and made a big misunderstanding.

Her tear tracks were still wet, but an embarrassed blush crept up her cheeks again, even her ears turned bright red.

She lowered her head shyly and explained in a voice barely audible:

“I…I thought…I burned the food, and the young master was angry and going to…to punish me and send me away…so, so just now…”

After listening to Cai Die's disjointed explanation, Su Baichen felt a mix of amusement and exasperation, and even a slight urge to vomit blood.

He raised his hand to rub his temples, looking at Cai Die with an extremely helpless expression:

"In your heart, am I the kind of tyrant who would drive people away over the smallest things?"

Upon hearing this, Cai Die immediately shook her head vigorously, like a rattle-drum, and nervously protested, "No! No! Young Master is very kind and reasonable!"

(If the fourth elder of the snake-people tribe, who was eating sand far outside the cave, could hear this, he would surely shout with tears streaming down his face: "I can testify! Senior Su is 'very reasonable'! I only cursed you a few times, and you buried me in the sand for half a day without saying a word! You are so 'reasonable'!")

Su Baichen looked at Cai Die's eager yet increasingly nervous expression and felt helpless. He almost shouted in his heart, "Seriously? Why are you getting more and more nervous the more you explain? I'm not going to eat you! Relax, girl!"

He knew that continuing the conversation would only make things worse, so he had no choice but to forcefully steer the veered conversation back on track.

He cleared his throat, his expression returning to its usual calm, and gazed peacefully at the colorful butterfly before asking:

"Alright, let's put this misunderstanding behind us. Let's forget about the burnt meat."

"Now, can you tell me what you were thinking about absentmindedly just now?"

Chapter 23 The Kind Butterfly (1)

Upon hearing this, Cai Die looked up at Su Baichen, knowing she had no choice but to explain, "Um, actually it's like this..."

Her voice was hesitant, and her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes as she recounted the predicament faced by the snake people, the Third Elder's worries, and her own momentary lapse in concentration.

"That's why I've been thinking about how to help the snake people."

After explaining the whole story, Cai Die was too embarrassed to look at Su Baichen and lowered her head, like a child who had done something wrong, waiting for her master's reaction.

After hearing Cai Die's reasons, Su Baichen was slightly taken aback, then a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He did think that the Third Elder was being a bit of a worrywart, but after a moment's thought, he had to admit that in the dog-eat-dog world of the Northwest Continent, it was indeed very possible for those forces hostile to the Snake-People to take advantage of your weakness and kill you.

"Okay, I understand. I have my own way. You don't need to worry about it."

However, Su Baichen didn't take the matter too seriously. He simply waved his hand casually, his tone indifferent, as if it were just a trivial matter. He already had a plan in mind: once Queen Medusa and the others arrived, he could have them search for the whereabouts of the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame. Free labor, might as well take advantage of it.

Hearing Su Baichen's casual yet undeniable assurance, Cai Die finally felt relieved and breathed a long sigh of relief. She knew that with the young master's words, the snake-people's crisis was resolved.

Although the process may be fraught with difficulties and the snake people may have to pay a price, it is still a thousand times better than facing annihilation.

Thinking of this, Cai Die's mood instantly brightened, and the corners of her lips unconsciously turned up, revealing a relieved smile.

The two women smiled at each other, but Cao Ying, standing to the side, was unhappy. She pouted, stomped her foot angrily, and protested loudly, "Hey, now that things are resolved, can't we cook first?"

As she spoke, she exaggeratedly clutched her stomach with her hand, her bright eyes blinking, her little face filled with grievance: "I've been cultivating for so long, and I'm still hungry! I'm starving!"

Unfortunately, although her aggrieved expression was convincing, not a single tear came out of her eyes, indicating that her acting skills clearly need further refinement.

Upon hearing this, Cai Die's face immediately showed embarrassment. Dinner was supposed to be her responsibility, but she had been so worried about the snake people that she hadn't cooked and had even accidentally wasted some ingredients.

Looking at Cao Ying's pitiful appearance, she was immediately filled with remorse. She knew very well that she and the young master were highly skilled and could go without food for a day or two without any problems, but Cao Ying was still just a child, at the age when she was growing. Cultivating during the day was extremely mentally taxing, and she absolutely could not go hungry.

Thinking of this, Cai Die quickly squatted down to be at Cao Ying's eye level, gently patted her head, and softly comforted her, "Little Cao Ying, don't be sad. I'll go cook now, it'll be ready soon."

Seeing that she had achieved her goal, Cao Ying nodded reluctantly and muttered softly, "Then...then we need to hurry."

Seeing this, Cai Die immediately stood up and gracefully ran to the side like a light butterfly. She took out ingredients from the storage ring given to her by Su Baichen and began to cook again.

The three sat around the table, the atmosphere warm and cozy. After finishing their meal, some food remained on the floor. Cai Die looked at the leftovers, then glanced up at Su Baichen, who was resting with his eyes closed, her eyes filled with a cautious plea, the meaning of which was self-evident.

Although Su Baichen didn't open his eyes, he seemed to feel her gaze. He sighed softly, his tone tinged with helplessness: "Sigh, I give up. Take it. I'm not that heartless." After saying that, he stopped talking and continued to meditate with his eyes closed.

Upon hearing this, Cai Die's face immediately lit up with a bright smile, as if she had received a great privilege. She carefully gathered up the remaining food, wrapped it in a clean leaf, and quickly turned and walked out of the cave.

Cao Ying, who was standing nearby, watched all of this. She shook her head in a mature manner, mimicking an adult, and sighed softly, "Sigh, Sister Caidie is just too kind. She even brings them food."

…………

Outside the cave, the moonlight was cold and clear, and the night breeze carried a hint of chill.

The Third Elder sat cross-legged behind the Fourth Elder, his palms pressed tightly against the back of the elder's chest. The pale green battle qi flowed into the Fourth Elder's body like a gentle stream, repairing the severely damaged meridians and internal injuries.

Fine beads of sweat had formed on his forehead, clearly indicating that the treatment had taken a toll on him.

A faint smell of blood and the unique fluctuations of battle qi permeated the air.

The Fourth Elder's face was as pale as paper, his chest heaving violently, each breath aggravating his internal injuries, causing him to cough in suppressed pain.

"Cough...cough..."

As the last breath of battle energy was injected, the Third Elder slowly withdrew his palm and exhaled a long breath. The Fourth Elder also slowly awoke, his cloudy eyes filled with the disorientation of surviving a calamity and the deep-seated pain in his bones.

"Fourth Elder, how are you feeling?" The Third Elder's voice was filled with undisguised exhaustion as he reached out to support the Fourth Elder's swaying shoulders.

The Fourth Elder tried circulating his battle qi and immediately felt a stinging pain in his meridians, causing his lips to twitch.

He smiled bitterly, his voice hoarse like a broken bellows: "Cough cough... Fortunately, I won't die for now. This old body of mine has really suffered a major setback this time... It's already a stroke of luck that I'm alive."

Upon hearing this, the Third Elder nodded solemnly, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards the unfathomable cave. He lowered his voice and said, "Yes, that Senior Su... he did indeed hold back. In my opinion, his attack that crossed space just now possessed such power with such ease, his cultivation... is probably at least at the Dou Zong level, or even higher. If he truly intended to kill, you would have no chance of returning here alive."

The Fourth Elder recalled the hand that had appeared before him like a ghost, and the overwhelming, irresistible power. A trace of lingering fear flashed in his eyes, and he sighed sincerely, "Third Brother is right... I was too impulsive and almost brought annihilation upon the clan. A Dou Zong expert... Heh, in front of him, my Dou Huang cultivation is nothing but an ant. It's a miracle I survived."

The relief of surviving the ordeal and the awe of absolute power left the two elders, who held high positions in the snake-people, speechless, their hearts filled with complex emotions.

In the darkness of night, only the faint sound of the wind rustling through the sand and gravel made the silence of this place seem even more oppressive.

Just then, a soft, gentle voice broke the silence, carrying a hint of concern, coming from the direction of the cave entrance:

"Elders, are you tired?"

Chapter 24 The Kind Butterfly (2)

As night falls, the desert temperature changes drastically. Unlike the high temperatures of the daytime, the temperature drops rapidly at night, making it extremely cold.

However, that gentle greeting was like a warm current, instantly dispelling the chill around the two elders and reaching their hearts.

The two looked up at the same time, following the sound. Under the cold moonlight, they saw the second young lady, whom they had once cared for so carefully but now had to fight to the death, carrying a dish that was clearly prepared with great care, walking step by step towards them on the fine sand.

Her figure appeared somewhat frail under the moonlight, but her steps were exceptionally firm.

"Second Miss, what's wrong with you...?" The Third Elder's voice trembled with disbelief. He had a vague guess in his heart, but the guess was too good to be true—after the previous pursuit and conflict, how could the Second Miss be...?

When the Fourth Elder saw the food in Cai Die's hand, his throat involuntarily bobbed. Then, as if stung by something, he abruptly lowered his head, avoiding Cai Die's gaze. His rough hands clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Although he was usually a bit reckless, he wasn't stupid, and now that the situation was so obvious, he had a guess about what the second young lady was up to.

The more the second young lady acted this way, the more guilty he felt.

As Cai Die approached, a warm and pure smile bloomed on her face, as if all the unpleasantness before had never happened.

She carefully placed the food, wrapped in large leaves, on the sand in front of the two of them, and as she untied the straw rope, she explained in a light tone, "Oh, it's like this. I was cooking inside just now, and I accidentally made too much. We had quite a bit left after we finished eating, and I thought you might be waiting outside and still hungry, so I brought it out."

The leaves were lifted, revealing steaming hot roasted meat and flatbread inside. The rich aroma immediately filled the cold air, strongly stimulating the taste buds.

On this desolate and cold desert night, this simple meal seemed so precious.

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Elder lowered his head even further, almost burying it in his chest.

After the initial shock, a deeper worry appeared in the Third Elder's eyes. He cautiously lowered his voice and asked, "Second Miss, we appreciate your kindness. But... if you do this, won't Senior Su... blame you?"

He knew all too well that the temper of a Dou Zong expert was unpredictable, even if that Senior Su had been kind to the Second Miss on the surface. But who knew what the future held? He was now a little worried that Cai Die would be punished for this.