When the group following Su Yang finally reached the first floor, a strong stench of blood and flesh penetrated their nose, and they were shocked by the bloody scene, which resembled a butcher's room.
In fact, the place was so gruesome that a few of the people there immediately puked, and someone even fainted on the spot.
"This is cruel…"
Although they were bandits and did horrible things to them, these people couldn't help but frown at the scene and the countless mutilated corpses that scattered in every inch of this floor.
Su Yang, however, ignored the scene and went straight for the exit, even stepping on the corpses as he walked.
The people there looked at Su Yang with a pondering gaze. Did he kill these bandits alone? After all, they have been here for some time now without seeing another individual.
That being said, they find it hard to believe that someone as young as Su Yang could possibly be this merciless, much less kill all of these bandits by himself.
Meanwhile, the Profound Blossom Sect disciples have been waiting for nearly an hour now.
"Do you think something happened to him? He did go to the bandits' hideout alone..."
One of the Junior Disciples asked.
"Don't say something that obnoxious! Senior apprentice-brother will be fine!" Qi Yue said with a frown.
Just as she finished saying those words, a figure could be seen approaching them from a distance, and a few seconds later, a large group of individuals followed.
"Senior apprentice-brother!"
Qi Yue immediately ran towards him with a bright smile on her face.
Su Yang quickly noticed the small figure running to him and smiled.
"If it isn't the little one," he said. "Are your legs doing fine?"
Qi Yue nodded.
"Un! And it's all thanks to senior apprentice-brother!"
Sometime later, Sun Jingjing and the sect elders approached Su Yang.
"Who are those people behind you?" asked Sun Jingjing.
"They were captured by the bandits, and I released them, that's all."
Su Yang then turned to look at the group behind him and spoke, "Now that you are free, you may do as you please. Ah… if you are thinking of repaying me for saving you today, don't bother..."
He then looked at the girls that would rather suicide than life and continued, "I will keep my words, so if you rather perish than continue living because of some painful memories, I will not stop you, even if you do it right now."
"..."
The place turned silent, and after a moment of silence, Su Yang continued: "That being said, if you want, I can erase your painful memories…"
The girls looked at him with wide eyes.
"You… you can do that?"
"Of course."
"Please… please help me forget…"
One of the girls immediately begged him while crying, and others quickly followed.
If they can continue living without the memories of their time in the bandits' hideout — living life as though it never happened, then these girls will choose that instead of death.
Although his face remained nonchalant, Su Yang smiled inside his heart.
"Very well," he nodded.
"Line up before me and I will erase your memories for you. However, in order for me to do that, I will need to see some of your memories, if you don't mind."
The girls quickly lined up before Su Yang, who placed his hand on these girls' forehead and closed his eyes.
And for the next half an hour, Su Yang would use a profound technique to read through these girls' memories before sealing them.
Indeed, what Su Yang is doing may not exactly be 'erasing' memories but more of 'sealing', so it can be reclaimed in the future, something the Su Family had done to him.
That being said, as long as these girls do not cultivate to the point where they can remove the seal on their memories, they will live life without any of the memories until the day they die.
Half an hour later, almost everybody that had been captured by the Red Mountain Bandits had their memories sealed by Su Yang.
"I… I can't remember anything for the last few months…"
"M-Me too! I can't recall no matter how much I try!"
The people there expressed surprise before looking at Su Yang.
Although their memories have been sealed, they were still able to remember Su Yang. And while they do not remember what he did to them, they felt nothing but deep gratitude to him.
After confirming that their memories have been sealed properly, Su Yang said to the Profound Blossom Sect disciples: "We can now return to the Sect."
"Huh? What about these people?"
One of the sect elders asked.
"I have already given them their freedom back. What they do now is no longer my problem."
"..."
However, before leaving them, Su Yang made sure to give them some gold — enough to live the rest of their lives without needing to work.
"Su Yang, how should we get back to the Profound Blossom Sect? If we don't use the flying treasure, it'll take us a few days…" Sun Jingjing asked him.
"Although it'll be a hassle to take many trips back and forth with the flying treasure, it'll definitely be much quicker than traveling on foot."
Su Yang looked at Sun Jingjing for a moment before speaking, "What are you talking about? Now that they are no longer in danger, we don't need to be here."
Su Yang then retrieved the wooden boat and jumped on it.
A few moments later, Su Yang said to Sun Jingjing, who was standing there with a dazed look, "What are you waiting for? If you aren't coming, I will return by myself…"
"I-I-I am coming!"
Sun Jingjing no longer pondered about it and jumped onto the wooden boat with him.
"Then… we will see you back at the Profound Blossom Sect…" Sun Jingjing said to the dumbfounded disciples in a slightly ashamed voice, before the wooden boat disappeared from the location.
Once they left the place, Sun Jingjing asked Su Yang, "Can you tell me your reason for not bringing them with us? I don't believe that someone like you would leave them there like that without any proper reasoning."
Su Yang remained a calm expression and asked, "Did you explain to them the situation with the Profound Blossom Sect?"
"I did…"
"Everything?"
"Yes…"
"Then did you stop to think that maybe some of them did not want to return to the Profound Blossom Sect after learning that the place they once knew is gone?"
Sun Jingjing's eyes widened with shock upon realizing that possibility.
Since the Profound Blossom Sect is pretty much abandoned at this state, would these sect elders and Junior Disciples want to continue being a disciple at such a place? After all, although these Junior Disciples are considered real disciples by the Profound Blossom Sect, they have not officially become one.
As for the sect elders, perhaps they no longer want to remain in a place that has almost no disciples.
"I left them there so they can decide whether they want to return to the Sect or not. As for why I did not tell them this… they can now truly decide for themselves without any influence. In other words, they can be true to their hearts."
"..."
Sun Jingjing turned silent, yet her gaze that was starring at Su Yang was filled with admiration. To think he'd think so far ahead… truly admirable.