Yu Shisheng didn't even call Haoyu "Ancestor" anymore. He simply addressed him as "Senior Brother."
Technically, it wasn't wrong. Both of them were at the Golden Core stage, and calling someone "Senior Brother" was acceptable in that context. But Haoyu wasn't just any cultivator, he was the founder of the sect. Out of basic respect, he should still be addressed as "Ancestor." Everyone else had done so.
This was enough to show how truly furious Yu Shisheng was.
He had even pulled in that elder with an outside surname. They had gone through all kinds of trouble, paid a huge price, calmed every faction, and finally persuaded Ancestor Haoyu to take in a disciple and pass down his legacy.
All they needed was to wait until the old man passed on. Then the Yu family could seize complete control of the sect. With its resources under their command, they could produce Golden Core cultivators one after another. And maybe, one day, even produce a Nascent Soul cultivator.
They could dominate the entire Anshun Prefecture.
But now, someone else had snatched the opportunity right from under them and completely ruined the plan. Worse, Haoyu had thoughts of suppressing the Yu family.
And the reason for all this was that lowly little wench standing right there. Yu Shisheng wanted nothing more than to crush her with his bare hands.
At the same time, he silently cursed the incompetent fools left to guard the Lingyun Market ancestral home. They should have acted more decisively.
What he didn't know was that Liu Yujun had escorted her the entire way. With only two elderly Foundation Establishment first layer cultivators left at the ancestral home, they truly didn't stand a chance.
As Yu Shisheng expressed his dissatisfaction, all the inner disciples and the outer disciples invited to witness the ceremony lowered their heads but perked up their ears.
The ones who didn't know any better thought he was just standing up for his favored heir. But those who knew a little of the inside story heard something deeper.
First, 'Our Yu family spent all those spirit stones, made all those exchanges and deals, and now you just brushed it all aside with one sentence. Isn't that a bit too much?'
Second, 'Even if you won't take a Yu descendant as your disciple, suppressing the Yu family like this is crossing a line.'
Meanwhile, Ancestor Haoyu's Golden Core pressure burst out in full force. On the grand square in front of the hall, the air itself seemed to freeze.
Xu Luoshui could feel it clearly. 'So this is the pressure of a Golden Core cultivator?'
She glanced at her newly acquired master, who hadn't made a move yet, and began to think.
In her mind, what was happening here was similar to this:
A company's founder and chairman had just been publicly challenged by a new shareholder. And not just anywhere, but right at the company's annual meeting.
Even in the modern world she had come from, something like that would end with the challenger being kicked out without hesitation. Not to mention here, in a world where personal power was everything.
Yet Ancestor Haoyu made no move to retaliate.
That could only mean one thing. The new shareholder—this Yu Shisheng—was still somewhat important, still had value, and couldn't be touched for now. But things had already come to this point. The atmosphere was completely tense. Someone had to step up and smooth things over.
She looked at the other Golden Core cultivators.
One seemed completely spaced out. Another had his eyes closed, pretending to meditate. The third kept watching Ancestor Haoyu intently, ready to act at the first sign of movement.
'Got it,' she thought. 'Two of them are just here for the drama, and one is clearly on Yu Shisheng's side. Haoyu's standing alone.'
Xu Luoshui felt like she had to do something.
Anyway, as a clone she didn't care about her future. She wasn't afraid of offending any of the other Golden Core elders. She just needed to cling tightly to Haoyu and squeeze the sect for as many spirit stones as possible.
As for whether her act looked too obvious in front of these old foxes—well, that was the point.
The more obvious the trick, the more comfortable they'd feel. It was like watching a child play with little schemes, you only worry about what you can't see through.
After all, given a choice between two subordinates—one who constantly plays little tricks but is easy to read, and one who is deep, unreadable, and always keeps their thoughts hidden—the answer is obvious.
While Xu Luoshui was figuring out how to curry favor with her master, Ancestor Haoyu was looking at the two troublemakers from the Yu family. As someone at the fifth layer of the Golden Core realm, he could easily crush these low-tier nobodies.
He was a little angry, and really did want to unleash his wrath. But he wasn't the same as before. Now, he had to think about the sect's future.
If something happened to his one and only disciple, and she failed to enter the Golden Core stage, then no matter how talented she was, it wouldn't matter. A dead genius was no different from waste.
He needed to keep Yu Shisheng around, as a backup plan. But that didn't mean he wouldn't give him a warning. The only issue was... no one had come out to smooth things over. That made it a bit awkward.
He had already given the sect leader a look, but the man just lowered his head.
'Yu Shisheng, you really are unpopular,' Haoyu thought with mild contempt.
Just then, a clear, crisp voice rang out across the platform.
"Master, why don't you give me a different cultivation method instead? Although I haven't started cultivating yet, I know that this sword technique must be incredibly precious. It's a treasure of the sect. You must have made an exception for me. As your disciple, I haven't been able to ease your burden, and now I've caused you trouble. It's my fault. Please punish me."
Xu Luoshui's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she dropped to her knees before Ancestor Haoyu with a solid thump.
The Golden Core grandmaster who had been spacing out looked over with interest.
The one who had been meditating cracked his eyes open.
Even the sect leader, who had lowered his head just now, stretched his neck to look in their direction. He didn't dare use his spiritual sense, so he had to rely on good old-fashioned eyesight.
Everyone present was experienced. Her little performance was obvious to them. They knew exactly what she was trying to do.
She saw the tension rising and stepped forward to give Ancestor Haoyu a way out.
But the fact that this girl had just been accepted as a disciple and was already defending her master—it was interesting.
Unfortunately, Cheng Qian didn't know that the man causing all this trouble was one of the Yu family's Golden Core cultivators. Nor did he understand the depth of the Yu family's schemes.
Otherwise, he would've stirred the pot even more. Since he'd already blocked their path and ruined their plan, making enemies for life, then he might as well go all in. If he couldn't kill them, he could at least hurt them a bit.
The moment Xu Luoshui knelt, the heavy tension on the platform began to lift.
Ancestor Haoyu felt slightly comforted. At least his disciple cared enough to speak up for him. Even if she didn't hit the point and her performance was a little clumsy, the sentiment was what mattered.
"Luoshui, get up. This isn't about you," Ancestor Haoyu said gently.
But when he turned to Yu Shisheng, his tone hardened.
"This matter is settled. My decision is final."
"Senior Brother Haoyu! Please reconsider."
Yu Shisheng no longer cared about the cultivation technique, and he wasn't even concerned about Yu Dazhi being rejected as a disciple.
What truly mattered was the message Haoyu had just sent: the Yu family was going to be suppressed.
Yes, Ancestor Haoyu was at the fifth layer of Golden Core, far above him and that elder with the outside surname. They couldn't beat the old man, but he had to defend the family's interests.
And the only way to press Haoyu was in a public setting like this, where the pressure might force him to change his mind.
The atmosphere grew tense again.
Then, without a word, Xu Luoshui slowly walked up to Yu Shisheng.
Thump. She knelt once more.
Bang. Bang. Bang. Three full kowtows, loud and deliberate. Her forehead split open, blood seeping down her face.
"Does Grandmaster dislike me?" she asked quietly, her voice trembling. "I kneel here and beg your forgiveness. Please don't hold it against me."
Yu Shisheng was stunned. What the hell was this girl doing? Why was she always meddling?
She didn't even know the full story and still had the nerve to get involved.
Ancestor Haoyu now truly struggled to hold back. This was too much, forcing his disciple to kneel like this was humiliating.
He could see where it came from. Xu Luoshui hadn't fully adjusted her mindset yet. She had come from the bottom of the society. Being overly cautious was normal. He couldn't really blame her.
But his reputation had still taken a hit.
"Get up, Niece Luoshui," said the previously spaced out Golden Core cultivator.
He waved a hand and gently lifted Xu Luoshui to her feet.
"Junior Brother Yu, don't you think you're going too far? You're a Golden Core elder. Why are you picking on someone who hasn't even begun cultivating?"
His voice echoed across the square.
Xu Luoshui finally realized—this old man's surname was Yu. The previous attitude all made sense now.
If she'd known sooner, she would've handled things differently. But it didn't matter. Since she knew who he was, she'd definitely return the favor one day.
And the elder who helped her up? Quite the character. He went straight for the throat.
A Golden Core elder of the sect bullying a mortal who hadn't even stepped onto the path of cultivation—what kind of reputation would that leave behind?
Xu Luoshui decided to push a little further.
"Is it because I stole the spotlight from the Yu family's prodigy that Grandmaster Yu dislikes me so much?"
She kept her head down, looking like she had done something wrong, and muttered quietly.
But with everyone here at the Foundation Establishment or higher, that soft muttering may as well have been shouted directly into their ears.
A stifled laugh came from the elder who had been resting earlier.
Yu Shisheng's face turned an unsightly shade.