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

"Yes, I am your buyer!"

Su Baichen's clear, cold voice, like icicles frozen in the twelfth lunar month, struck Yun Yun's eardrums clearly, word by word, carrying an unquestionable authority.

The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to carry immense weight, instantly crushing the already thin air around Yun Yun and making the chill in this dark cell even deeper.

Yun Yun huddled on a pile of hay in the corner, her previously empty and lifeless eyes trembling violently at the sudden announcement.

She struggled to lift her head, peering through her disheveled hair at the figure standing against the light. The person was tall and straight, dressed in spotless white, a stark contrast to the filthy environment.

His face began to lose its clarity; his eyes, deep and cold, were like an unmelting snowfield, devoid of any human emotion.

Before Yun Yun could recover from her shock, Su Baichen stepped forward, looked down at her, and continued, his voice calm and even: "From now on, you will be my maid."

He paused slightly, as if assessing the effect of his words, and looked at Yun Yun's eyes, which widened slightly in disbelief, before declaring in his icy voice: "Everything you own no longer belongs to you. Your past, your name, your identity, even your life and death, from this moment on, belong only to your master, which is me!"

Every word was like a cold chisel, chiseling into Yun Yun's already riddled heart.

The air around them seemed to freeze and drop because of his words, causing a fine layer of goosebumps to rise on her skin, which was exposed outside her tattered clothes.

She had once been the high and mighty young sect leader of the Yunlan Sect; how could she have ever heard such blunt and humiliating words? A wave of immense humiliation washed over her, making her want to cry.

The glimmer of light that once entered my heart is no longer warm; it has turned cold.

It turned out that it wasn't salvation, but a deeper darkness. The faint glimmer of hope that had just been ignited instantly turned into a biting cold wind, freezing her last remaining thoughts into ice.

The shock in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a deeper silence and gloom. She lowered her head again, burying her face in her knees, as if this could shut her out the cruel reality.

"Now, as the master, I issue my first command." The icy voice rang out again, breaking the suffocating silence.

Yun Yun's body trembled almost imperceptibly as she awaited an even crueler verdict.

However, Su Baichen's next words were completely opposite to his cold tone: "Eat."

As soon as she finished speaking, a steaming hot meal was placed in front of her by a hand with distinct knuckles. The rich aroma of the food was irresistible to Yun Yun, who hadn't eaten properly in a long time. The rising steam was the only warmth in this cold, damp cell.

Yun Yun suddenly looked up, her pupils contracting in shock. She looked at the fragrant food in front of her, then at Su Baichen's still expressionless handsome face, her eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment.

The stark contrast between this extreme indifference and this sudden display of concern left her momentarily bewildered.

"What are you looking at?"

Su Baichen's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, her tone carrying a hint of impatience. But if one listened closely, a different emotion seemed to be hidden beneath that coldness: "Eat. I don't want people to know in the future that the maidservant beside me, Su Baichen, is a pitiful creature who can't even afford a decent meal. I can't bear that shame."

He paused, then his voice suddenly became more forceful, carrying a commanding tone: "Eat!"

This is perhaps the most awkward form of concern in the world, wrapped in the coldest voice.

But for Yun Yun, who was in dire straits and exhausted both physically and mentally, this firm order was more powerful than any gentle words.

It was like a rope that had been thrown down, pulling her back a little from the edge of the abyss of self-exile.

She stared at Su Baichen, trying to read something from his icy eyes, but ultimately failed.

After a long silence, hunger finally overcame humiliation and doubt. She reached out her slightly trembling hand and accepted the bowl of warm rice.

At first, she remained somewhat reserved and restrained, swallowing her food in small bites. But the warmth and flavor of the food quickly awakened her body's most primal needs, and she unconsciously sped up her eating, eventually almost wolfing it down.

She didn't care about her appearance or the gazes of those watching her; all she wanted was to fill her empty stomach and soul with this long-lost warmth and fulfillment.

Su Baichen stood quietly to the side, watching the once radiant young sect leader of Yunlan Sect now wolfing down his food like a wounded little beast.

From an angle she couldn't see, his tightly pursed lips loosened almost imperceptibly, revealing a faint yet genuine smile of satisfaction.

After finishing her meal, Yunyun involuntarily let out a soft burp.

The sound was exceptionally clear in the silent cell. She immediately covered her mouth with her hand like a startled rabbit, her cheeks flushing red. She looked up somewhat embarrassedly and timidly at her new master.

Seeing this, Su Baichen's smile deepened slightly. He turned around and his tone returned to its previous coldness: "Now that you've eaten your fill, come with me and leave this godforsaken place."

Yun Yun obediently stood up. Her legs were a little numb from being curled up for so long, and she swayed slightly.

Su Baichen did not offer to help her up, but waited until she was steady before speaking in an unquestionable tone: "Remember, from today onwards, Yun Yun, the young sect master of Yunlan Sect, is dead. The only one living in this world is my maid, Yun Yun."

His gaze was sharp as a knife, fixed on Yun Yun's eyes, and his voice turned icy again: "Do you understand?!"

This last sentence is both a declaration and a warning.

He had to draw clear lines from the start to ensure that this newly acquired maid fully understood her place, otherwise it might cause trouble in the future.

Upon hearing these cold words, Yun Yun's body stiffened slightly, but then she took a deep breath. Although there were still some complex emotions in her eyes, they quickly transformed into a kind of resigned clarity.

She nodded gently, her voice low but clear: "Yunyun... understands."

Yes, she lost all the glory, status, and freedom she once had, but at the same time, she broke free from the shackles of the past.

As he said, the old Yunyun is dead, and she will begin a completely different life as a maid.

Seeing the calm, even submissive look in Yun Yun's eyes, a barely perceptible sense of relaxation flickered in the depths of Su Baichen's profound gaze.

"Phew, finally done." He breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Then, without warning, he raised his hand, his index and middle fingers together, and pointed at Yun Yun with lightning speed.

Two streams of pure and sharp battle qi energy were released in an instant, directly entering Yun Yun's body.

Yun Yun felt a sharp pain in her dantian, followed by a long-lost feeling of fullness, like thawing spring water, which began to slowly flow and revive in her parched meridians.

The seal of the snake-people within her body shattered under the impact of this domineering battle aura! Her cultivation began to recover steadily, eventually settling at the level of a five-star Dou Wang.

However, before she could fully savor the joy of her power returning, another, more subtle energy, carrying a chilling restrictive force, wrapped around the source of her battle qi like chains.

"Of the two streams of battle energy I just injected into your body, one of them broke the seal on your body."

Su Baichen's voice remained calm and even, as if he had only done a trivial matter: "The other one is a restriction."

"It will be deeply rooted in your fighting spirit. If you ever dare to rebel or commit treason in the future, the restriction will immediately backfire."

He leaned forward slightly, his icy gaze carrying an invisible pressure: "Do you understand?!"

Yun Yun felt a slight tightness in her chest as she sensed the faint binding force within her body, but then she relaxed. He had released her from the bindings and placed a restriction on her; this was perfectly reasonable.

It would be foolish to be completely unprepared for someone you've just forcibly subjugated and whose background you don't know.

She raised her head, her gaze calmly meeting Su Baichen's, without the slightest resentment or fear, and simply nodded obediently again: "Yunyun understands. Please rest assured, Master."

She didn't care about the restriction. Having chosen this path, she would abide by the new rules. She believed that as long as she behaved herself, did her duty as a maid, and proved her loyalty with time and actions, she could succeed.

One day, she will gain her master's trust, and her master will personally remove the curse from her.

Chapter 53 The Astute Second Elder

"This is my room?!"

Yunyun stood in front of the door, almost unable to believe her eyes, her voice filled with disbelief and astonishment.

She instinctively turned her head to look at the gentle-faced snake woman leading the way beside her, and asked again to confirm, "Are you sure you haven't led us the wrong way?!"

A few days ago, Su Baichen brought her out of the dark dungeon. Instead of making things difficult for her, he instructed people to arrange accommodations for her to rest.

Yunyun originally thought that as a maid, even if her treatment improved, she would at most only have a clean and tidy room.

However, what she saw before her completely overturned her imagination.

This is hardly the room a maid or captive should have! This is clearly the exquisite boudoir of a noble lady!

The room was spacious and bright, with excellent ventilation. Soft sunlight streamed in through the windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor.

A faint, almost imperceptible fragrance filled the air, refreshing and delightful.

Moreover, the room is fully furnished.

In response to Yun Yun's question, the snake-woman who led the way bowed slightly and said respectfully and confidently, "Miss Yun Yun, yes, this is the room that Mr. Su specially arranged for you. Mr. Su instructed that you must be comfortable."

"Mr. Su made special arrangements..." Yun Yun repeated softly, the shock she felt gradually being replaced by an indescribable warmth.

She naturally understood that receiving such treatment in this sacred land of the Serpent People was no ordinary occurrence. All of this stemmed from the will of that mysterious and powerful master—Su Baichen.

"Thank you for me, Master," Yun Yun said softly.

The snake-woman acknowledged and withdrew, gently closing the door behind her.

Yun Yun was left alone in the room. She slowly walked to the bedside, stretched out her fingertips, and gently touched the smooth, cool silk, feeling an unprecedented comfort.

She lay down on the soft bedding, and the tension, exhaustion, and gloom that had accumulated in the dungeon seemed to be quietly dispelled by this warm home.

A faint fragrance lingered around her nose, and before her lay an elegant arrangement of furnishings. She closed her eyes, and the calm yet unfathomable face of Su Baichen involuntarily surfaced in her mind.

Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, but a deep sense of gratitude had undoubtedly taken root in her heart, growing ever stronger. With these complex emotions, she gradually drifted off to sleep.

……

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

In a side hall of the Serpent Clan's council hall, Su Baichen was leisurely sipping tea.

A respectful announcement came from outside the door, and then the second elder of the snake-people walked in with steady steps, a perfectly appropriate smile on his face.

"Mr. Su."

The Second Elder bowed slightly, his voice loud yet respectful: "The ransom from the two great empires and those sects has been delivered in full. It has been exchanged for gold cards universally accepted across the continent, exactly as you requested."

As he spoke, the Second Elder presented several cards that shimmered with a soft golden light. Each gold card represented an astonishing amount of wealth; these cards combined likely amounted to tens of millions of gold coins, enough to support the expenses of a small to medium-sized country for several years.

Despite the enormous sum of money, Su Baichen remained calm. He casually accepted it, scanned it with his soul power, and confirmed that the amount was correct.

However, the Second Elder did not stop. With a flick of his wrist, he took out another gold card with an even more antique style and mithril patterns inlaid on the edges, and respectfully handed it to Su Baichen.

Upon seeing this, Su Baichen raised an eyebrow, a hint of barely perceptible doubt flashing in his eyes: "Second Elder, what is the meaning of this?"

His voice was flat, revealing no emotion.

Upon hearing this, the Second Elder bowed even lower, his smile becoming even more sincere: "Mr. Su, please don't misunderstand. This is just a small token of our Snake-People clan's gratitude, and we sincerely hope you will accept it!"

He paused, observed Su Baichen's expression, and continued to explain, "During your stay in our clan, you not only refined a large number of precious pills, but also greatly enhanced our clan's strength."

"Such kindness cannot be measured by a mere ransom. The gold coins in this card are just a small token of our appreciation; please accept them!"

Upon hearing this, Su Baichen was taken aback at first, then accepted the gold card. He probed it with his soul power and found that the amount inside was several million gold coins more than the huge sum he had just received!

He raised his head and looked intently at the Second Elder, a man of high standing and renowned wisdom among the snake-people, and couldn't help but admire him inwardly.

"That old guy is a real shrewd shrew."

Su Baichen's mind raced, and he instantly understood the other party's intention: "This is not a thank-you gift at all, but a carefully prepared and generous gift! Moreover, the reason given is so high-sounding—'to express my gratitude', which not only highlights the Snake People's gratitude but also gives me face, making it difficult for me to refuse. This way of making amends is truly smooth and secure."

Having roamed the Dou Qi Continent for many years, Su Baichen had seen all sorts of people, but in terms of interpersonal relationships, the Second Elder was absolutely top-notch at giving gifts so subtly that the recipient felt comfortable accepting them and even developed a good impression.