At her feet lay the broken pieces of a fine tea cup. When it had been smashed on the ground, a little of the clear tea had splashed out, dampening a small patch on the front of Zhaozhao's shoes.
Zhaozhao quietly crouched down and picked up the pieces one by one. This was the angriest her master had ever been with her.
Back on Wutong Mountain, no matter how big a mistake she made, no matter how much her master punished her, he would never speak to her in such a tone, let alone shout at her.
The pieces were too sharp, and she was absent - minded. Before she knew it, her finger was cut, and a bead of blood quickly welled up.
But even though it was Zhaozhao who was injured, it was Chongming, sitting upright in front, who felt the stabbing pain.
"What's the use of picking up broken things?" Chongming waved his hand and collected the pieces on the ground. His eyes fell on Zhaozhao's injured finger. He wanted to do something several times, but finally held back.
Looking at the suddenly empty ground, Zhaozhao thought sadly, but that cup was made by me when I was a child, learning from the tree spirits on Wutong Mountain. Master, you clearly liked it back then.
Thinking too much was useless. Zhaozhao tried hard to calm herself down. She slowly stood up straight, looked at Chongming, and began to explain the purpose of her visit: "Master, please return the Buye Cauldron to me."
Chongming knew that she must have come for this. Hearing this, he didn't show much reaction. Instead, he stubbornly repeated his first question: "I once told you not to return to the mountain without permission. Do you still regard me as your master?"
"Of course you are my master!" Zhaozhao didn't understand how the matter had escalated to this level. "Master, you clearly know why I came back. Why are you saying such things?"
She looked at Chongming with a sad look in her eyes: "I knew when I was very young that I was picked up by you, Master. If it weren't for you, I might have died long ago. How could I not listen to you? But Master, why are you so angry just because I came back once? Do you plan to abandon me forever? Did Wutong Mountain actually abandon me on the day I went down the mountain?"
Zhaozhao's words were like a handful of snowflakes falling into Chongming's heart. He moved his throat and said, "Master doesn't mean that."
"Then what does Master mean? Master told me to go down the mountain to help the Song family overcome their tribulation. You even nodded when I joined the Monster Administration Bureau. Why are you now opposing the people from the Monster Administration Bureau? What on earth are you going to do with that cauldron? Can you tell me, Master?"
As Zhaozhao said these words, tears gradually welled up in her eyes. Many things that had suddenly appeared were weighing on her heart, making it a bit hard for her to breathe.
The change in Su Yuan's attitude, the importance of the Buye Cauldron according to Nan Jia, and Master's purpose... There were too many things she couldn't understand.
"If you're here for the Buye Cauldron, you can go down the mountain now. I won't give it to you," Chongming turned his face away, looking as if he didn't want to say more.
"Why?!" Zhaozhao looked at Chongming, but the other party never gave a response.
The Buye Cauldron was just sitting on the tea table. Zhaozhao wanted to hear an explanation from her master, but Chongming remained unmoved.
As time passed by second by second, Zhaozhao looked at the Buye Cauldron and made up her mind in her heart.
Sorry, Master. Since you're not willing, I have to do something disrespectful.
A green vine grew from her wrist bone and reached out towards the Buye Cauldron. Just as Zhaozhao was about to succeed, a golden ring suddenly appeared and restrained her vine.
Zhaozhao reacted quickly. In order not to be controlled, she immediately cut off the vine herself.
"You—!" Chongming watched his little disciple's actions, his anger flaring up. He raised his hand and wanted to hit her.
Jian Yun and the others, who had been guarding outside, heard the commotion and rushed in immediately. The three of them knelt on the ground neatly and pleaded for Zhaozhao in unison: "Master, Little Junior Sister is still young. She doesn't understand many things. It's not her fault, Master!"
Yue Yao looked at the blood flowing from Zhaozhao's wrist. She got up distressedly and wrapped a handkerchief around Zhaozhao's wound.
Zhaozhao was a tree, and the vine was a part of her body. Now that she had cut off the vine herself, it was no different from a mortal cutting off their own arm.
"Are you really willing to go this far for that Su Yuan?" Chongming held his raised hand in mid - air. He didn't know whether to hit or not. His heart was filled with worry and a lot of anger.
He had raised his precious little disciple in the palm of his hand, treating her like a daughter. But now she was actually willing to do this for an outsider...
"No," Zhaozhao seemed particularly calm among the angry and flustered monsters. "If Master hadn't stopped me, I wouldn't have cut off my own vine."
"Master, you've always taught me this and that. You also said that Su Yuan was reliable when I was down the mountain. He's saved me many times and helped me a lot. Even if I have to pay something for him now, isn't it only right?"
"I just don't understand. Master, you may have your own use for taking the cauldron. But Master, why were all your moves against Su Yuan when you fought with him? You seem to know Su Yuan very well. No monster would study another monster like this. Do you want to kill him? Why?"
... The atmosphere fell silent for a moment. Zhaozhao looked at Chongming stubbornly, insisting on getting an answer.
After a long time, Chongming shook his head helplessly and smiled: "It seems that you've really grown up a lot."
"If you want to know why, come with me to a place."
As soon as Chongming finished speaking, he, Zhaozhao, and the Buye Cauldron disappeared from the bamboo house.
"What should we do now?!" Jian Yun grabbed his hair in frustration and paced around anxiously.
Yun Ze didn't know what to do either. He fidgeted, repeatedly rubbing the back of his knife.
"Don't panic yet. Send a message to the Queen Mother of the West. If there's anyone Master will listen to at this time, it should be the Queen Mother of the West," Yue Yao was the only relatively calm one among the three junior and senior brothers and sisters. She came up with a feasible plan.
"Okay, let's do it like this. I'll go right away," Jian Yun said hurriedly and left to prepare to send a message to the Queen Mother of the West.
On the other side, Zhaozhao was taken by her master into a cave.
Wutong Mountain was always like spring all year round, but this cave was covered in ice and snow and extremely cold.
Zhaozhao hugged her arms and rubbed them constantly because of the cold. Her eyes kept staying on the Buye Cauldron in Chongming's hand, which made Chongming smile silently.
Such a stubborn personality. He didn't know who on Wutong Mountain she took after.
"I'll only tell you one thing now. Stay away from Su Yuan after you go down the mountain. He's very dangerous. Will you listen or not?" Chongming stood not far from Zhaozhao and asked her coldly.
"Why?" Zhaozhao asked back. "I don't think he's dangerous. He's a good person."
"Good? Hmph..." Chongming smiled enigmatically. "You ask me why. Since you're so convinced of his goodness, then come and take a good look at what's really going on."
An ice mirror appeared in front of Zhaozhao. Chongming pointed at it and said, "Here's the reason you're looking for. After you've seen it, Master believes you'll make the right choice."