A piercing pain brought Yu Daohen back to his senses, his teeth clenching instinctively.
He had been so focused on the young man's safety that he hadn't even noticed his thigh was injured.
Now, the pain made him grimace.
Seeing Yu Daohen's state, Zhou Fu asked, "Master, are you really alright?"
Yu Daohen suppressed the pain and forced an awkward smile. "Probably... alright."
Zhou Fu didn't press further, feeling a slight confusion.
Was this person truly his master?
In his memory, his master had always been profound and enigmatic, like a reclusive immortal.
But now, he seemed like a complete clown.
Had his mind gone haywire?
Were his memories jumbled?
That shouldn't be the case.
The two fell silent, staring at each other, unsure what to say.
Finally, Yu Daohen broke the awkward silence. "Let's get out of here first."
Zhou Fu nodded and prepared to follow Yu Daohen.
Escaping now was impossible; he knew he couldn't outrun a master of the Heavenly Ranking.
Some things had to be faced.
Yu Daohen saw that Zhou Fu hadn't moved.
Zhou Fu looked bewildered and was about to ask what was wrong when he saw Yu Daohen's embarrassed expression. "Uh... help your master up."
"..."
Looking at Yu Daohen, Zhou Fu's image of a noble and esteemed master instantly vanished.
They walked in silence, though Yu Daohen had many questions, he didn't know how to ask them.
Unknowingly, a gap had formed between them.
Perhaps sensing the awkward atmosphere, Yu Daohen decided to make small talk. "By the way..."
Before he could finish, Zhou Fu tensed up and suddenly spoke, "Master, what is it?"
Yu Daohen looked at Zhou Fu with a hint of suspicion. "Why are you so nervous, kid?"
Zhou Fu realized he had lost his composure and gave an embarrassed smile, shaking his head. "No, Master."
Yu Daohen naturally noticed Zhou Fu's fleeting nervousness but didn't dwell on it.
He had initially thought this might be a fake Zhou Fu, but after his observations, he was certain this was his disciple, Zhou Fu, and he wasn't possessed by any spirits or monsters.
Even if he didn't understand why his personality had changed so drastically, as long as he was his disciple,
Nothing else mattered!
Seeing that Yu Daohen wasn't angry, Zhou Fu asked, "Master, what were you going to say?"
People changed, and external forces couldn't alter that.
Even old friends were like that.
Zhang Xiaoqiang too...
Thinking of this, Yu Daohen shook his head and didn't continue, saying, "Do you remember that kid Zhou Fu?"
Upon hearing Yu Daohen mention Zhou Fu, Zhou Fu immediately understood what his master wanted to say.
It seemed his junior disciple had already been accepted as a disciple by his master.
"I remember. He joined the Yan Huo Sect around the same time I did. By seniority, I'm his senior disciple," Zhou Fu nodded.
Yu Daohen nodded and continued, "That kid has good talent. I originally planned to take him as a disciple after finding you. He needs someone to guide him properly with his temperament and personality."
Zhou Fu nodded in agreement. "Though my junior disciple is a bit cold, no one in the sect can match his talent."
Yu Daohen agreed. "Indeed, his talent is exceptional. With time, he will surely make a name for himself in the martial world."
"I thought changing that kid's personality might take some effort, but I didn't expect him to suddenly open up, his old personality completely gone."
Yu Daohen was also surprised by this.
He couldn't understand why Zhou Fu's personality had changed so suddenly.
Although he didn't know why, it was a change for the better.
Now that he had accepted both Zhou Fu and Zhou Fu as his disciples,
If anything were to happen to him in the future, the Yan Huo Sect wouldn't be without hope.
Although that little girl Yu Yijun could carry the burden, he didn't want her to bear any pressure.
He had lost both his father and mother's love since childhood, and he didn't want Yu Yijun to experience the same fate.
Seeing his master's high praise for his junior disciple, Zhou Fu smiled with relief. "That's good. Someone can inherit Master's legacy."
Hearing this, Yu Daohen sensed something was amiss and immediately asked, "You brat, what are you...?"
Before Yu Daohen could finish, Zhou Fu nodded and said, "Master, I plan to leave the Yan Huo Sect!"
He had already intended to do so but didn't know how to bring it up.
But now, at this point, he had to be direct.
Yu Daohen looked incredulous and after a long pause, said, "You plan to leave the Yan Huo Sect?"
Zhou Fu nodded affirmatively. "That's right, I plan to leave the Yan Huo Sect!"
Yu Daohen looked at Zhou Fu without speaking.
From the moment he saw Zhou Fu, he knew that the young man's heart no longer belonged here.
He had been unwilling to ask, simply unable to believe it.
The surrounding forest was deathly quiet, moonlight shone on their faces, and time seemed to stand still.
After an unknown period, Yu Daohen slowly asked, "Why?"
At this moment, looking at his master's confused gaze,
Zhou Fu's well-prepared reasons vanished, and he stammered,
"I... I don't want any constraints. I plan to live for myself."
Yu Daohen didn't get angry at Zhou Fu's explanation but looked at him with a serious expression. "Is that your reason?"
Seeing his master's calm demeanor, Zhou Fu's hands trembled, his heart pounding, but he still nodded affirmatively. "Yes."
Hearing Zhou Fu's firm answer, Yu Daohen reached out to his shoulder.
Zhou Fu thought his master was going to hit him, and instinctively lowered his head, gritting his teeth, not intending to dodge.
The next second, the hand didn't strike but rested on his shoulder.
Zhou Fu swallowed and looked up at his master.
He saw a smile on his face and heard a gentle voice, "Since you have made your choice, your master supports you."
Seeing that Yu Daohen wasn't angry at all, Zhou Fu instinctively asked, "Doesn't Master blame his disciple?"
Yu Daohen patted Zhou Fu's shoulder. "Silly boy, you are my disciple. No matter what choice you make, your master will support you."
Hearing these warm words, Zhou Fu felt a surge of warmth.
Although in his past memories, his master had always appeared as a reclusive immortal, he had always treated him very well.
Now, seeing it firsthand, even if he didn't know what kind of person he was, he was definitely a good master.