Does this person think Su Ji is an idiot

For the next half month, Su Ji lived with a guilty conscience.

He didn’t dare to seek out Su Jiu.

The events of that day had been far too harrowing.

Looking back now, he felt it was sheer luck that he was still standing here in one piece.

During this time, he hadn’t been idle.

Every day, without fail, he cultivated diligently.

His cultivation smoothly broke through to the fifth level of Qi Refining, with an exceptionally solid foundation.

Twice during this period, the cooldown for [Glimpse of Fate] had reset.

But strangely, every time he entered that gray-white world, he couldn’t see a single thread of fate.

The [Foundation Establishment Tribulation] and [Love-Longing Tribulation] he had planned to revisit later had inexplicably vanished.

Could it be that some unintentional action of his—like making Su Jiu drink that sip of "medicinal bath"—had boosted her cultivation so drastically that it forcibly erased his predetermined death tribulation?

Su Ji was utterly baffled.

At the same time, to avoid drawing attention, Su Ji deliberately took on low-level tasks at the Contribution Hall, like cleaning herb gardens or feeding spirit beasts.

Though it wasted time, caution was his top priority.

Without Su Jiu’s illusions to cover for him, he had to disguise himself as the most ordinary outer sect disciple possible.

Any eccentric behavior might invite unnecessary trouble.

...

On this day, after cultivating in his ramshackle hut for half the day, Su Ji finally couldn’t resist.

He meandered over to Su Jiu’s elegant private courtyard.

"Junior Sister?"

He called out tentatively.

The courtyard was silent, with no response.

Su Ji hesitated for a moment. The gate was locked, but that hardly stopped him.

He vaulted over the wall.

Walking with practiced ease to the small house, he knocked again.

Still, silence.

Su Ji simply pushed the door open.

The furnishings inside were unchanged, but the air lacked the faint, elusive fragrance that always clung to Su Jiu.

The teacup she often used had been put away.

Only a letter remained, pinned to the center of the table by a small stone.

Su Ji stepped forward, picked up the letter, and unfolded it.

Delicate handwriting greeted his eyes.

[Senior Brother Su Ji,]

[If you are reading this, consider it as if we’ve met.]

[The absurdity between us has left Su Jiu struggling to calm her heart. I’ve decided to travel for a while to clear my mind.]

...

Su Ji skipped over the long, rambling middle section filled with fox-like nonsense.

His gaze went straight to the end.

[For the time being, there’s no need to look for me.]

[If fate wills it, we shall meet again.]

[If not, the path of immortality is long—farewell forever.]

Huh?

His walking encyclopedia of cultivation had just up and left?

But on second thought, it made sense.

Su Ji didn’t believe it was entirely his fault—he wasn’t that conceited.

His guess was that some new opportunity or treasure had appeared elsewhere, and Su Jiu had rushed off to claim her share.

Still… that last line…

They’d shared a bath, for heaven’s sake.

Did she really have to go with the whole "farewell forever" bit?

It sent a chill down his spine.

After reading the letter, Su Ji ignited a small flame at his fingertip.

The paper swiftly turned to ash in his hand, scattering without a trace.

He turned and left the courtyard.

Pausing, he realized he had nowhere else to go.

He might as well return to his dilapidated wooden hut.

But as he reached the door, his steps halted.

A "familiar face" stood waiting outside.

Su Ji was practically a ghost in the Love-Longing Sect, with only a handful of acquaintances.

And this person…

Was Wang San.

Su Ji didn’t even bother lifting his eyelids. He moved to sidestep him and enter the house.

He remembered the Contribution Hall elder’s warning: infighting among sect members was forbidden.

Killing the fat elder last time had been a perfect storm of circumstances.

First, the fat elder had too many enemies.

Second, he’d been sneaking around, guilty as sin, leaving no witnesses.

Third, as a sixth-level Qi Refining cultivator, the sect would never suspect Su Ji, a mere fourth-level disciple.

But Wang San was different.

Their grudge was out in the open. If Wang San died now, Su Ji would be the prime suspect.

Killing him would have to wait until they were outside the sect.

For now, he’d treat him like a stray dog—ignore him and move on.

Yet the "stray dog" actively approached him.

"Senior Brother Su Ji."

Wang San’s face was plastered with a smile, his posture submissive, even bordering on obsequious.

"My actions last time were reckless. I misunderstood you, Senior Brother. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive this foolish junior."

"Here’s a small token of apology. Please accept it."

With both hands, he presented a cloth pouch.

Su Ji stopped.

What kind of act was this?

A trap?

The old saying went: don’t strike a smiling man. Su Ji kept his expression neutral, merely glancing at the pouch.

Remembering the fat elder’s caution, he decided to mimic it.

"Open it yourself. Let me see what’s inside."

Wang San’s smile stiffened before twisting into a pained grimace.

"Senior Brother, I wouldn’t dare harm you."

Su Ji sneered inwardly. Funny—he’d said the exact same thing before killing the fat elder.

Was this kid here for revenge?

Seeing Su Ji unmoved, Wang San reluctantly untied the pouch and dumped its contents onto the ground.

An assortment of oddly shaped herbs tumbled out, each emitting a distinct scent.

Su Ji recognized none of them.

He was practically illiterate when it came to cultivation—herbs, pills, talismans, formations, all a blur.

For a moment, he missed his walking encyclopedia junior sister.

Their partnership had been oddly fitting: one handled the brains, the other the brawn.

Not that Su Ji was slow-witted—he just preferred fighting when words failed.

Wang San, mistaking Su Ji’s silence for interest, eagerly explained, "Senior Brother, these are all premium herbs I handpicked from the gardens. ‘Greenwhisker Grass’ to condense spiritual energy, ‘Stonevine’ to temper the body—all incredibly beneficial for Qi Refining cultivators."

To prove his sincerity, Wang San plucked the most ordinary-looking Greenwhisker Grass from the pile and chewed it without hesitation.

"See, Senior Brother? No poison. I’m here in good faith, hoping to bury the hatchet."

Su Ji watched the performance, unmoved and mildly amused.

Too fake.

The desperation to reconcile only confirmed his suspicions.

After all, with the sect’s no-fighting rule, why fear a mere conflict?

"Is that so?" Su Ji finally spoke, his tone flat. "Since you’re so sincere, I’d be rude to refuse."

A flicker of triumph flashed in Wang San’s eyes.

But Su Ji’s next words froze his smile solid.

"However, Junior Brother, I’m a simple man. I can’t tell which herb does what. What if I take the wrong one and waste your kindness?"

Su Ji crouched, pointing at the colorful spread with an innocent smile.

Did Wang San think he was an idiot?

This was the most blatant setup since "the thief cries ‘stop thief.’"

Why the rush to prove they weren’t poisoned?

Maybe all that Bluevine Grass had rotted his brain.

Su Ji continued speaking, "How about this—to show your sincerity, you take a bite of each one and demonstrate for me?"

"This..." Wang San's expression instantly turned uneasy. "Senior Brother, this... this isn't appropriate, is it? All medicine carries some toxicity. Mixing them like this could cause problems."

"Oh? Problems?" Su Ji's smile widened, but his eyes turned cold. "Didn’t you say these were all good things? So, good things mixed together suddenly become dangerous?"

Su Ji stood up, dusting off his hands, and looked down at him.

Did Wang San really think Su Ji hadn’t seen this kind of plot before?

Each ingredient was harmless on its own, but combined, they formed a deadly poison.

Beads of cold sweat formed on Wang San’s forehead. He hadn’t expected Su Ji to be so sharp, cornering him with just a few words.

"Senior Brother, you must be joking..."