Seeing his composed and unfazed manner, Luo Li nodded inwardly and reached over to pour tea into the cup before Yang Kai, saying, "Try my Snow Tip with Buds." Clear tea flowed in a gentle stream, carrying a refreshing fragrance that wafted toward him.
Yang Kai's expression shifted. He lifted the teacup to his nose and took several deep inhales, a look of intoxication spreading across his face. Then, with a tilt of his head, he drained the entire cup in one gulp, catching even a single tea leaf between his teeth and chewing on it continuously.
Luo Li was slightly taken aback, then chuckled. "Young Hero Yang doesn't seem to be very well-versed in the art of tea."
"Never studied it." Yang Kai grinned sheepishly. "These years I've been too busy running around everywhere to have the time or inclination to study such things."
"That's only natural. You're so young yet possess such astonishing cultivation — you must be someone who has worked incredibly hard."
"You flatter me, Senior. But although I may not know much about tea, I can tell this tea has the effect of calming the mind, reducing desires, dispelling evil, and quelling internal heat. So why would you offer me this tea right off the bat — what are you worried about?" Yang Kai said with a half-smile.
Luo Li let out a soft sigh. "Why must Young Hero Yang ask what he already knows?"
Yang Kai's expression turned serious. "Then I'll speak plainly. Ice Heart Valley's previous attitude and actions truly angered me. For one brief moment, I even wanted to destroy the entire Ice Heart Valley!"
Luo Li's expression didn't change. She simply gazed at Yang Kai in silence, waiting for him to continue.
"But thinking about it now, that was just a heat-of-the-moment impulse. There was really no need. Besides, even if I had wanted to do it, Su Yan wouldn't have agreed."
Hearing Yang Kai mention Su Yan, a flash of sorrow crossed Luo Li's face. "Su Yan is a fine child. I taught her on several occasions. Her comprehension, aptitude, and temperament were all exceptional. If not for this matter, the Su Yan of the future would surely have become the pillar of Ice Heart Valley, leading it to new heights of glory."
"Pity there are no ifs." Yang Kai gave a cold smile.
"This time, Ice Heart Valley was in the wrong. I, Luo Li, was in the wrong. That Young Hero Yang can be magnanimous and set aside past grievances — I, Luo Li, thank you for that!" As she spoke, Luo Li rose to her feet and gave Yang Kai a graceful bow.
Yang Kai frowned, though his expression had softened somewhat. After a moment's thought, he said, "Senior is too kind. You are a Void King Realm powerhouse, while I am merely at the Return to Void Third Stage. For you to bow to me is more than I can bear."
Luo Li shook her head gravely. "Rather bully the old than provoke the young. I am old, but you still have a brilliant future ahead. Though my vision may be somewhat short-sighted, even I can see that your future is bound to be radiant."
Yang Kai laughed heartily. "I'll take your kind words, Senior."
His laughter subsiding, Yang Kai said solemnly, "Since Senior has been so open and honest with me, I'll lay my cards on the table as well. From now on, Su Yan and Qing Ya are no longer disciples of Ice Heart Valley. As for everything Ice Heart Valley has done before, I will not hold it against you any longer."
A faint shadow of sorrow passed over Luo Li's face, and she gave a slight nod. "That is for the best. It is Ice Heart Valley that lacked the fortune and destiny. No one else is to blame."
"I'm glad you see it that way, Senior." Yang Kai nodded with satisfaction.
Luo Li was quite easy to reason with. Though Yang Kai had primarily come to take Qing Ya away, he had also intended to meet with Ice Heart Valley's Supreme Elder and formally sever ties with the valley on Su Yan's behalf.
After all, Ice Heart Valley had raised and instructed Su Yan and Qing Ya for over thirty years — a great merit. Though their actions in the final moments had filled Yang Kai with fury and disappointment, some things still needed to be said clearly.
"All right, private matters are settled. Now let's talk business." Yang Kai's expression shifted, and he looked at Luo Li with a grin that made him look like a sly merchant, as if he were about to strike some sort of deal.
Luo Li blinked. "Business? What business?"
Even with her sharp wit, she couldn't quite keep up with the pace of Yang Kai's mental transitions.
"The Fire Radiance Sect and Ice Heart Valley have been fighting on Crimson Star for thousands, even tens of thousands of years. The two sides share an indelible blood feud. Countless Ice Heart Valley Disciples have died at the hands of Fire Radiance Sect warriors. Now that I've slain their Supreme Elder, Chi Huo, don't you have any thoughts about that, Senior?" Yang Kai smiled at Luo Li and said leisurely, "For example, pulling up the weeds by the roots to eliminate future troubles, or something along those lines."
Luo Li's expression changed as she stared at Yang Kai in astonishment. "Young Hero Yang is quite the ruthless one."
"Hmph. If you're not ruthless, you can't stand your ground." Yang Kai sneered repeatedly.
An extraordinary gleam shone in Luo Li's beautiful eyes. "That saying appeals to both the refined and the common. It seems I've underestimated you, Young Hero."
"So what does Senior think?"
"To be honest, Young Hero, I've had this very thought for some time now. With Chi Huo dead, the Fire Radiance Sect is like a dragon without a head. Now would indeed be the perfect opportunity to settle the ten-thousand-year grudge between our Sects. But... I lack the strength to follow through."
Yang Kai looked thoughtful and nodded gently. "Senior is referring to your hidden injuries and the lingering instability in your mind, aren't you?"
"Young Hero Yang has a sharp eye." Luo Li did not deny it.
The hidden injury in her body had resulted from a cultivation error during her last practice. As for the instability in her mind, it had been left behind when she made the decision to give up Su Yan. The latter had made the former even worse, and this was why Luo Li had been holding back all this time.
Otherwise, given the enmity between the two Sects, Luo Li would have headed for the Fire Radiance Mountains on the very day Chi Huo was slain and uprooted the Fire Radiance Sect entirely.
"Even so, with Senior's abilities, is there really nothing you can do about the Fire Radiance Sect?" Yang Kai asked, skeptical.
"You jest, Young Hero Yang." Luo Li shook her head with a rueful smile. "If I were at my peak, perhaps I would have a seventy percent chance of breaking through the Fire Radiance Sect's Mountain Protection Grand Formation. But given my current condition... it's difficult. Although the Fire Radiance Sect no longer has a Void King Realm powerhouse to anchor them, they still have quite a few experts at the peak of the Return to Void Stage. Combined with their Mountain Protection Grand Formation, they could potentially keep me there."