“What do you know about the old third disciple?” The Fifth elder asked Jin Hua

Jin Hua tilted her head try to remember what she know about Chi Zu “I know she was taken as a disciple after her entire village and family were massacred by a group of bandits, although she wasn’t too talented, but she was very diligent, patient and hard worker, therefore, my master care a lot about her, too bad she died suddenly and no one knows the cause” said Jin Hua in deep regret, she felt sorry for the girl who died too soon. 

The fifth elder sighed exaggeratedly, “Well, it’s not that we don’t have suspicions”

“Father, what do you mean?” Su Sheng throws an incredulity gaze towards the Fifth elder, the same with Su Feng as he was also stunned.

The fifth elder realized that he was talking too much, he waved his hand dismissively “No, it’s fine, I’m just being presumptuous, you know how old that person is” he brushed it off, obviously he didn’t want to continue the conversation, The fifth elder then end the conversation by saying: “Be nice to your Master, he needs someone to take care of his old bones!” he snorts then flicked his sleeve and left the room before anyone could say anything.

Everyone is left speechless as they watched the old man flee like a gust of wind, Jin Hua furrowed her brows out of curiosity, it seems she has more questions to answer.

Su Sheng turned to Jin Hua and smiled awkwardly, “Uhm…. the Fifth elder seems to have urgent things to do” he tried to lighten the mood.

Su Feng knew that his grandfather was hiding something important and his father also noticed, however, they couldn’t let outsiders Like Xiou Yan know anything about it.

“Miss Xiou Yan, I’m sorry the situation at my house is a bit uncomfortable so I can’t entertain you, I hope you don’t mind it” Su Feng politely asked her to leave.

Jin Hua didn’t feel offended instead she smiled kindly and bowed her head “It’s fine, I’m sorry to bother you, I’ll excuse myself first”

“I’m really sorry Miss Xiao…” Su Feng replied sincerely.

Jin Hua nodded then soon she was escorted by the old maid to leave the Fifth Elder’s residence. Before Jin Hua left, she glanced at the Fifth Elder’s residence. Looks like he’s not the only one who can’t trust anyone within the Misty Lake clan, Jin Hua retracted her gaze then she took a deep breath and then walk away.

The Third Elder told him in the midst of his lamentations about the past, about how the Misty Lake was before. Long ago the Jin family led several clans to escape the pressure of Emperor Weng Zhou because they refused to support the war-crazed Emperor Weng Zhou and caused his people to become poor and starve to death.

After a long tiring journey, they found a place surrounded by high mountains and a huge lake shrouded in thick mist, realizing this place was protected by thick mist and high mountains they decided to stay in this place and that’s where the Misty Lake clan name came from.

And the Jin family who freed them from tyranny was appointed as the clan leader and the seven great families became his advisor and right-hand man, which was become the origin of the Misty Lake clan.

The misty lake was supposed to be a safe haven for the oppressed people, in this place, everyone should be able to coexist in peace later on after several generations, the misty lake begin to expand and flourished beyond the imagination of its founders, decades past and the Misty lake clan stood stronger and longer beyond Emperor Weng Zhou reigns.

When the Weng Zhou emperor was destroyed along with his entire dynasty from another country’s invasion, the Misty Lake Clan continued to grow stronger and become one of the stronger clans in the world sadly at the same time, the Misty Lake clan slowly forgot their origins and began to fall deeper and deeper into power and greed.

Jin Hua Don’t Know The Misty lake clan that Third Third told because the misty lake she knows is a cold and lonely place, she always had mixed feelings of love and hate towards this place the same to its people, unlike Jin Hao she couldn’t leave the place and walk away, not like she never tries it but it feels like there was an invisible chain that tied her to this place.

Jin Hua arrived at Third Elder’s residence which was the residence of the Bu family but Bu San Giu or better known as Third Elder left in a building separate from the main hall for some reason Third Elder decided to live alone and he left the management of the Bu family to his eldest son, Bu Yang Ze while he concentrated on increasing his cultivation or so he told everyone but now Jin Hua wasn’t sure that was his real reason.

Jin Hua’s room was a small courtyard not far from Bu San Ge’s residence which was also quite far from the rest of the Bu family’s residence which gave Jin Hua a lot of privacy and made it easier for her to hide her identity, obviously Third Elder put her in this place for the exact same reason.

When Jin Hua walked towards her courtyard she coincidentally saw Bu San Ge sitting at a round stone table in the garden, he was deep in thought while drinking alone, the old man back looked so lonely she found it hard to ignore him.

Jin Hua sighed then she decided to accompany the lonely old man, Third Elder noticed someone’s approaching when he turned his head he saw Jin Hua wearing a disguised that he almost did not recognize her, it dawned to him that the mask was made by Jin Hao, the Third Elder examined the mask on Jin Hua face that looks very natural needless to say he was amazed by Jin Hao’s craftsmanship, but then he looked down with self-deprecating laughter.

A talented man like Jin Hao might only be born once in a hundred years but he couldn’t appreciate him instead he helping others to harm Jin Hao and as a result, Jin Hao detested his own clan, Bu san Ge had heard about Hei Shen’s sect White Dragon Place achievement and he wondered if Jin Hao was still in the Misty Lake clan, maybe they will never accept Jin Hua’s help, heck they even give the phoenix beast for exchange of the pills and elixir.

But nothing if there wasn’t a cure for regret and if there was she would drink it even at the cost of her life, Bu San Ge took a sip of her wine as if trying to swallow her sorrow.

“Third Elder, why are you drinking alone at night?” Jin Hua’s voice hinted at concern as he sat across from her.

Bu San Ge smiled faintly she poured another cup of wine then gently pushed it in front of Jin Hua as a sign for her to drink with him.

“Why not, don’t you think it’s a beautiful night?” said the Third Elder.

Jin Hua elegantly lifted the cup and took a sip, a sweet smell of alcohol wafted up to her nose followed by a sweet and bitter taste that lingered on her tongue before she swallow down and the warmth immediately spread in her stomach.

“This is good wine…” Jin Hua said then gently placing the wine cup on the stone table “But the bitter aftertaste is stronger than the sweet taste…” she commented later.

“he Bitterness overwhelmed the sweetness…” The Third Elder muttered with a melancholy look.

Jin Hua glimpsed at Bu San Ge face, a strong cultivator could easily outlive normal humans the higher the cultivation the more they were able to maintain their youth, Bu San Ge was already in her mid eighty but if one ignored her white hair and beard one would think she was no more than sixty years old, but tonight he looks like a hundred years old, but not because of his appearance but it was his gaze there’s a deep sadness and exhaustion filled his eyes that make him like a defeated warrior, funny how she used to meet with the third Elder in the past but she never realized this before.

“I managed to befriend Su Miou Lin” Jin Hua started the conversation abruptly.

Her words caught Bu San Ge’s attention as Jin Hua expected, then the old man raised her eyebrows in surprise “Oh, that fast…?” 

Jin Hua was known as a loner wolf in the Misty Lake clan, but it was to be expected that after what happened to her family, Jin Hua tended to keep her distance from the other Misty Lake members especially the Jin family so Bu San Ge didn’t expect that Jin Hua would have such good social skills to interact with young girls. However, Third Elder had no idea that after Jin Hua spent her time at Bei Li Yan’s place and interacted with Lan Hua and the other girls, Jin Hua’s serious demeanor changed and slowly become the way she was before Jin Hao left.

“Does Su Miou Lin have any useful information?” The third elder had a low opinion of Su Miou Lin because the girl was too gullible even by a young girl’s standards, still, he blamed the old Fifth for spoiling that girl too much and making that girl stupid.

“Actually, I picked up some important news…” Jin Hua’s gaze deepen as she continued, “At first we thought Jin Kai would slowly approach Su Miou Lin, we thought Jin Kai will swoon her, seduce her little by little but we were wrong, it turns out that Jin Kai used a harsh way to force the Fifth elders to submit to him”

The third elder frowned in shock and disbelief, “What do you mean?”

Jin Hua then explains again “I think Jin Kai used Su Miou Lin’s reputation to force Fifth Elder to submit to him, I think tomorrow you will hear the rumor about Jin kai and Su Miou Lin’s ambiguous relationship, I won’t surprise the rumor will be exaggerated saying that they might have an illicit relationship,” said Jin Hua said in disdain.

“It doesn’t make sense for Jin Kai to do that, The Fifth elders will never forgive him and it will be impossible for the old Fifth to support Jin Kai on contrary he will trouble Jin Kai in every way he possibly could, after all, Su Miou Lin was the apple of his eye so undeniably the old Fifth would fight to the death for that girl” The third elder was confused by Jin Kai’s actions.

Jin Hua didn’t understand either, she pondered for a moment then said: “Other than Fifth Elder’s support, what else can Jin Kai get from the Fifth Elder?”