# Chapter 877: Between Life and Death
The aura of death shrouded down from above. The fleeing disciples of the Tai Su Sect felt as if they had instantly fallen into a fiery furnace, letting out terrified and agonized screams.
Just as Yun Che, in his fury, was about to incinerate them all to ashes, Su Hengshan's urgent roar sounded from behind him: "Yun Che! Don't hurt them!"
Yun Che's movement paused slightly, but only for a moment. The next instant, his palm turned over, and the flames in the air descended ruthlessly.
"Stop... STOP!!!"
This roar nearly tore Su Hengshan's throat apart. Instantly, the sky-filling flames halted in midair. Yun Che's expression shifted several times. Amidst everyone's suffocating terror, he finally took a deep breath and withdrew his hand.
The flames above were extinguished as well. The Tai Su Sect disciples immediately escaped from that terrifying hellish furnace. They all collapsed to the ground, trembling all over.
Su Hengshan's lips quivered, and then he said painfully, "Let them go. The name 'Qixing Divine Mansion' is too terrifying. They were forced into this. They weren't just trying to save their own lives, but also their families... Their crime does not deserve death."
"Does not deserve death?" Yun Che said darkly. "Then does your crime deserve death? Do the sect disciples whose bodies now lie in the bamboo grove deserve death?"
"Those who were truly loyal to the Tai Su Sect died tragically. Yet these people—who betrayed their sect, betrayed their ancestors, harmed their own sect master and fellow disciples, and became dogs for others—they deserve to live?"
Su Hengshan's heart ached as he thought of those fellow disciples who had stood before him and fallen one by one in blood. His eyes glistened with tears. "The outcome today is mainly due to my incompetence as sect master and my failure in raising my son. They have been unrighteous to me, but I cannot be unrighteous to them. The Tai Su Sect has already lost too many people... Let them go..."
Yun Che's words had made those Tai Su Sect disciples lower their heads, but Su Hengshan's words made their entire bodies tremble with shame and remorse, almost wishing they could sink into the ground.
Since Yun Che had already withdrawn his Golden Crow flames, he had no intention of continuing to slaughter them all. His gaze swept coldly around, and his tone was extremely dark: "Kowtow ten times to Sect Master Su, and then you can get the hell out! From now on, never say you belong to the Tai Su Sect again!"
Yun Che's words were undoubtedly a reprieve. All the Tai Su Sect disciples hastily fell to their knees and kowtowed heavily to Su Hengshan... Their heads struck the ground with unusual force, not just out of a desire to live, but also out of gratitude and shame in their hearts.
"Sect Master, we have wronged you. We are worse than beasts. We will never have the face to see you again. Please... take care of yourself!"
"Sect Master, your grace in forgiving us—we will repay it in our next life, even if we have to become beasts of burden..."
Some Tai Su Sect disciples were already in tears after finishing their kowtows. Some even kowtowed dozens of times, blood streaming from their battered foreheads. Some bowed and took their leave from Su Hengshan, while others didn't dare meet his eyes.
Soon, they backed away and quickly scattered in all directions. Yun Che watched them flee coldly, making no move to stop them.
Su Haoran, Su Hengyue, and Su Wangji huddled together, trying to slip away cautiously. But a heavy, freezing aura suddenly pressed down on them, causing them to freeze in place.
"Did I say you could leave?" Yun Che's sinister, bone-chilling voice sounded behind them.
The three trembled and turned around. Their legs went weak, threatening to give way at any moment. Their lips moved repeatedly, but not a single sound came out.
"Su Hengyue, Su Wangji," Yun Che said, his eyes glaring darkly at their pale faces. "Six years ago, the two of you joined forces with the Heimu Fortress to pressure Sect Master Su. That alone was equivalent to betraying the sect. Even if I had killed you on the spot, it would not have been too much. But Sect Master Su, thinking of your bond as fellow disciples, not only didn't punish you severely but even let it go without any further inquiry. Not only did you fail to be grateful, but you committed this heinous act of ingratitude!"
"And you, Su Haoran." Yun Che's teeth clenched slightly. "As the young master of the Tai Su Sect, for the sake of your own selfish desires, you harmed your fellow disciples, harmed your own father, and brought the centuries-old foundation of the Tai Su Sect to ruin. You are utterly devoid of conscience, worse than an animal! You deserve to be struck by lightning! How do you still have the face to live?!"
Su Haoran trembled all over, then suddenly fell to his knees and kowtowed to Su Hengshan repeatedly. "Father, I was wrong... I truly know I was wrong! Save me... save me... Father!!"
"You still have the face to call him father?" Yun Che slowly approached them, his mind already running through dozens of ways to make them die in the greatest agony. "For Sect Master Su to have a son like you, and for Ling'er to have a brother like you—it is the greatest shame of their lives!"
"Just go." From behind Yun Che came Su Hengshan's dejected voice, causing his body to jolt abruptly.
"Never appear before me again... I never want to see you again." Su Hengshan's eyes drooped, his voice drifting as if talking to himself.
"..." Yun Che's footsteps halted, his face fixed in a cold hardness.
Su Hengshan's words made Su Haoran and the other two almost unable to believe their ears. Their eyes wide, they trembled as they got up, tentatively taking a few steps backward... Then, like three dogs with their tails between their legs, they scrambled and rolled away in a frantic escape.
Yun Che stood still, not giving chase. After a long while, he turned around and walked over to Su Hengshan.
Su Hengshan sat slumped on the ground, his head buried in his disheveled hair. He muttered, "Yun Che, I must look utterly contemptible to you now... Heh heh..." He laughed bitterly. "If it were any other sect master, they would have long wished to tear those men into pieces with their own hands. But I... I couldn't do it..."
"Over the years, I always thought about the bond of being fellow disciples. I compromised step by step, yielded step by step, naively believing that this would eventually move everyone. I truly... am not fit to be this sect master. If not for my soft-heartedness and indecisiveness, the Tai Su Sect would never have come to this today..."
Su Hengshan's shoulders heaved as hot tears streamed down his face.
"..." Yun Che did not deny Su Hengshan's words, because as early as six years ago, he had already seen Su Hengshan's soft-heartedness.
"Sect Master Su, you may indeed not be suited to be the head of a sect, but at the very least, you are a person worthy of respect. You have lived your life with a clear conscience." Yun Che said sincerely.
Su Hengshan's shoulder-shaking stopped. He lifted his head and stared fixedly at Yun Che. "Yun Che, did you come here this time for Ling'er? Do you still... still remember the words you spoke six years ago? Are you still willing... to take care of Ling'er?"
Six years ago, Yun Che had already given him a feeling of being too far away, too ethereal. Today's Yun Che was powerful to a degree he could never comprehend in his entire life. And with six long years in between, he truly dared not hope that such a person would still be willing to marry his ordinary daughter.
"I remember. Of course I remember." Yun Che nodded forcefully. "These years, I have not returned because... because of an unavoidable difficulty. But throughout these six years, I have thought of Ling'er every moment. Don't worry, I will go find Ling'er immediately. No matter what, even if I have to risk my life, I will bring Ling'er back safely."
"Good... good!" Su Hengshan's eyes grew moist with emotion. He could feel the unadulterated sincerity and concern in Yun Che's voice and eyes... From the fact that Yun Che was willing to kill all of Qixing Divine Mansion's people for his sake and for Su Ling'er's, he had no reason not to believe him.
Su Hengshan reached into his chest and took out a small crystal. The crystal was diamond-shaped, emitting a faint purple glow.
"What is this?" Yun Che asked instinctively.
"This is Ling'er's soul crystal," Su Hengshan said softly, then gently and carefully placed it into Yun Che's hand. His solemn expression seemed as if he were entrusting his entire world to him. "As long as the soul crystal is not broken, it proves Ling'er is still alive. If Ling'er is nearby, its light will shine brighter... Please, be sure to find Ling'er."
Ling'er's... soul crystal!
Yun Che held it gently in his hand and nodded solemnly. "Alright, rest assured. I will definitely bring Ling'er back safely."
"Good, good." Su Hengshan nodded lightly, finally showing a relieved smile on his face. "Then I entrust Ling'er... to you."
Yun Che was about to respond when he suddenly felt something was off about those words.
The moment he became alert, Su Hengshan's entire body trembled, the light faded from his eyes, and his body slowly slumped to the side, a stream of crimson blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.
"Sect Master Su!!"
Yun Che was greatly alarmed. He shot out his hand to support Su Hengshan's body, only to find that the vitality in him was rapidly dissipating like water being drained.
This was... he had severed his own heart meridian!
Yun Che understood in an instant. Su Hengshan wanted him to go save Su Ling'er immediately, without any distractions. He was afraid that if he remained alive, he would become a burden and delay Yun Che's rescue of Su Ling'er.
Furthermore, he had let those Tai Su Sect disciples go, felt guilty toward his dead fellow disciples, and believed that today's calamity of the Tai Su Sect was all his responsibility...
Thus, after entrusting Su Ling'er's safety to Yun Che, he chose to sever his own heart meridian and die.
"Sect Master Su... Sect Master Su!!"
Yun Che shouted repeatedly, but Su Hengshan had no response. This instantly reminded Yun Che of that day at the Sword Control Platform of Tian Jian Villa, when his grandfather Yun Canghai had severed his own heart meridian to allow him to see the light of day again...
Yun Canghai had done it for him.
Su Hengshan had done it for Su Ling'er.
He had indeed not been a qualified sect master, but he was absolutely a great father.
Back then, Yun Che had been unable to save his grandfather, and could only kneel on the ground and weep bitterly...
And now, faced with a similar situation, how could he let this tragedy repeat itself!!
Yun Che gritted his teeth. He mobilized the Great Dao Pagoda Art with all his might, his head...