Chapter 124: White Lotus

Chapter 124: Chapter 124: White Lotus

Today, Sui Sui’s main task was to continue purifying the Spirit Jade Fruit Tree and help it absorb and circulate its spiritual energy. He arrived at the back of the garden as usual, already preparing to begin his work, but was surprised to find that Elder Shan Li was there ahead of him.

The elder stood beside the tree, his dark green robes swaying gently in the breeze.

"Ah? Elder, what brings you here so early? Is something wrong?" Sui Sui asked curiously as he approached.

"Nothing is wrong." Elder Shan Li glanced at him before holding out the spirit bag. "I’ll be away for the entire day tomorrow, so I’m giving these to you in advance. Keep them with you in case you run out."

Sui Sui accepted the bag and briefly checked its contents. Just as he had expected, it was filled with high-grade Spirit Stones. He couldn’t help feeling a little touched by the elder’s consideration. Elder Shan Li had always been generous when it came to providing the resources needed to care for the tree.

"Alright. Thank you, Elder!" Sui Sui said with a bright smile. He carefully stored the spirit bag before remembering something else. "By the way, I might also be away tomorrow afternoon. Elder Jingyan asked me to help out with some work."

Elder Jingyan had approached Sui Sui earlier, asking if he could lend a hand at the herb garden the following afternoon. It seemed they were short on manpower again, and since Sui Sui had been finishing his usual duties earlier these days with the help of the additional three disciples, he had readily agreed.

"Alright, no need to worry," Elder Shan Li replied with a simple nod.

After their brief conversation, Elder Shan Li returned to his residence, leaving Sui Sui to continue his work as usual.

Sui Sui began by preparing the soil around the Spirit Jade Fruit Tree. He crushed the remaining Spirit Stones into fine powder and carefully mixed them into the soil, allowing their spiritual energy to seep into the earth. Once he had finished preparing the soil, he proceeded with the purification process, using his Soul Force to carefully examine the ground and remove the impurities that might affect the tree’s growth.

Everything proceeded as usual, and Sui Sui soon became absorbed in his work. However, because he had to extend his spiritual senses throughout the soil and into the surrounding roots, his perception of the area had become much more sensitive than before. As he continued guiding his Soul Force through the earth, he suddenly felt a strange sensation, as though someone—or something—was watching him from nearby.

The feeling was faint but persistent, making him increasingly uneasy. Sui Sui continued working until he had finished the purification, then slowly withdrew his spiritual senses and opened his eyes to survey the surroundings. However, there was no one in sight, and nothing appeared out of place.

After looking around for a while without finding anything unusual, Sui Sui eventually dismissed the feeling as his imagination. He turned his attention back to the tree, intending to continue with his usual routine, however there is still an inexplicable sense of foreboding lingered in his heart, leaving him with the uneasy feeling that something was about to happen.

---

High above the ground, far beyond Sui Sui’s sight, two crystal-clear butterflies hovered in the air, their delicate wings shimmering faintly as they watched him from a distance. One was male and the other female, and both were Crystal Butterflies, a rare species of spirit beast with little to no ability in direct combat. However, what they lacked in offensive power, they more than made up for with their extraordinary senses, making them exceptionally valuable for tracking, surveillance, and gathering information without being detected.

The pair continued observing Sui Sui for a while, carefully watching his every movement. Only after they were satisfied with what they had seen did they finally turn away and fly toward a certain direction.

Their destination was another part of the herb garden.

The two Crystal Butterflies soon arrived beside a young woman and settled gracefully on her shoulder, their transparent wings fluttering gently.

The woman was none other than Chu Ran.

The previous night, after finally recovering from the spiritual depletion she had suffered while working in Elder Shan Li’s herb garden, Chu Ran had immediately sought out Jiang Huan to complain.

The more she thought about what had happened that afternoon, the angrier she became. She had originally volunteered to help Elder Shan Li because she wanted to make a good impression and earn his favor. Yet not only had she failed to accomplish the task she had chosen for herself, but Sui Sui had also exposed her shortcomings in front of the other disciples. Even worse, he had done so without appearing the least bit malicious, making it difficult for her to accuse him of deliberately humiliating her.

That was what made the whole incident so infuriating.

The moment she saw Jiang Huan, Chu Ran hurried over and caught his sleeve, her eyes immediately turning red. She had clearly prepared herself for this conversation on the way there, and within moments, tears were already gathering along her lashes. She lowered her head slightly, allowing them to fall as she spoke in a trembling voice.

"Senior Brother Jiang, you have to help me! I really can’t stand that Bai Sui Sui anymore. I only wanted to help Elder Shan Li with his work, but he kept making things difficult for me. I tried so hard to do everything properly, yet he still found fault with me in front of everyone. Now the other disciples must think I’m incompetent!" She dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, looking as though she had suffered some terrible injustice. "I don’t understand what I’ve done to offend him. Why does he insist on making things so difficult for me?"

Jiang Huan’s expression darkened as he watched his junior sister cry. He had always been protective of Chu Ran, and seeing her so aggrieved naturally stirred his anger. Although he had not witnessed the incident himself, he had little reason to doubt her account. In his eyes, Chu Ran had always been a delicate, well-behaved girl who can do no wrong to anyone. If she had been pushed to the point of coming to him in tears, then surely Sui Sui must have gone too far.

"Don’t cry. Tell me what happened," he said, gently patting her shoulder. "If Bai Sui Sui really has been bullying you, I won’t simply stand by and let him get away with it. But what exactly do you want me to do? You can’t expect me to confront him without knowing the whole situation."

Chu Ran’s sobs gradually subsided. She lifted her head, and although her eyes were still damp, a flicker of resentment passed through them.

What did she want?

She wanted Bai Sui Sui to fall from the position he had somehow managed to secure for himself. Ever since that little fool had caught Elder Shan Li’s attention, he had been given opportunities that other disciples could only dream of.

The thought made her chest tighten with jealousy.

"I don’t want anything unreasonable," she said, her voice softening again as she tried to make herself sound understanding. "I just want Elder Shan Li to see what kind of person Bai Sui Sui really is. He’s only been here for a short time, yet the elder already seems to favor him. If this continues, who knows how arrogant he’ll become? I simply don’t want him to keep looking down on the rest of us just because he has Elder Shan Li’s support."

Jiang Huan frowned thoughtfully. He understood that Chu Ran was upset, but he also knew that Elder Shan Li was not someone who could be easily influenced by complaints. If they wanted to make Sui Sui lose the elder’s favor, they would need something more convincing than a few accusations.

After thinking for a moment, he finally spoke. "If that’s what you want, then you shouldn’t confront him directly. Elder Shan Li clearly trusts him, so arguing with Sui Sui will only make you look unreasonable. Instead, we should find out what he’s doing when no one else is around. If there’s a problem with his work, or if he’s hiding something from the elder, we might be able to use that against him."

Chu Ran slowly raised her head. The tears were still clinging to her lashes, but her attention had sharpened considerably.

"But how am I supposed to find anything out?" she asked. "He’s always at some secretive area behind Elder Shan Li’s residence, and I can’t exactly follow him around without being noticed. Besides, that place isn’t somewhere I can wander into whenever I want. If Elder Shan Li catches me snooping around, I’ll be the one in trouble."

"That’s why you shouldn’t go there yourself." Jiang Huan’s expression eased as an idea came to him. "Fortunately, I have something that might help."

He reached into his storage pouch and carefully took out two delicate butterflies made of translucent crystal. Their wings were so clear that they almost seemed to disappear against the light, leaving only a faint shimmer whenever they moved. Although they possessed little strength in direct combat, Crystal Butterflies were highly valued for their extraordinary senses and their ability to observe their surroundings without easily attracting attention.

Chu Ran’s eyes widened slightly when she saw them. "Senior Brother, you actually have a pair of Crystal Butterflies?"

"I obtained them some time ago," Jiang Huan explained, placing the two spirit beasts in her hands. "They aren’t useful in a fight, but their senses are exceptionally sharp. Once you establish a connection with them, you can see what they see from a distance. As long as you send them somewhere discreet, they can observe a person without that person ever realizing they’re being watched."

He paused, making sure she understood the significance of what he was offering.

"Use them to watch Bai Sui Sui for now. Find out what he’s doing and whether there’s anything unusual about the work he’s been assigned. Don’t rush into anything. If we want to make Elder Shan Li lose faith in him, we need something that will convince the elder himself."

Chu Ran carefully accepted the Crystal Butterflies, her expression brightening as she finally saw a way forward.

"Thank you, Senior Brother! I knew I could count on you." She lowered her gaze to the two delicate spirit beasts, concealing the excitement in her eyes. "Don’t worry. I’ll be careful. I’ll find out exactly what that little fool is up to."

She sounded grateful, and her expression was once again that of a gentle, well-mannered young woman who had finally received help after being unfairly treated. But beneath that seemingly innocent appearance, her resentment toward Sui Sui had only grown stronger.

She had no intention of stopping at merely discovering his secrets. Once she found something she could use against him, she would make certain that he regretted ever crossing her.

And that was how the Crystal Butterflies had come into Chu Ran’s possession.

When the pair finally returned to her side, Chu Ran immediately established a connection with them. Through their shared vision, everything they had observed was transmitted directly into her mind, allowing her to see Sui Sui’s activities at Elder Shan Li’s residence as though she had been there herself.

The moment she saw what he was working on, her eyes widened slightly.

The Spirit Jade Fruit Tree!

She had known that Elder Shan Li kept a precious spiritual tree in his residence, but she had never expected him to entrust its care to Bai Sui Sui. After all, this was no ordinary task. Even disciples with considerable talent would rarely be given such an opportunity, yet that little fool had somehow managed to earn the elder’s trust in such a short time.

Chu Ran’s expression gradually darkened as jealousy began to gnaw at her.

If Bai Sui Sui had never appeared, perhaps she would have been the one chosen for this task instead. She had worked so hard to catch Elder Shan Li’s attention, yet the elder had barely given her a second glance. Meanwhile, Sui Sui had somehow managed to obtain a privilege that she had wanted for so long.

The more she thought about it, the more unbearable it became.

Still, Chu Ran refused to give up. Even if she couldn’t find anything suspicious about Sui Sui’s work, that didn’t mean she had to return empty-handed. After all, if she couldn’t find a mistake, couldn’t she simply create one?

A faint smile slowly spread across her lips as an idea began to take shape in her mind.

Since Elder Shan Li trusted Bai Sui Sui so much, she would simply have to give him a reason to regret that trust.