Take this armor, for example, it can’t adapt to the cultivator’s body like a magical treasure can, and it looks rather cramped on Qingzhi.
Once Qingzhi was fully equipped, he looked more like a normal cultivator from the outside.
Chen Ye nodded with satisfaction.
This puppet, already formidable, now armed with two upper-grade magical artifacts, was truly a force to be reckoned with.
"Come, let’s meet your young master."
Chen Ye patted Qingzhi’s rock-solid shoulder, speaking indifferently.
On this journey, he planned to bring Lin Jin along.
These days of companionship have allowed Lin Jin to grow accustomed to his presence. It’s time to further develop their relationship and let Lin Jin experience the outside world.
This child, paralyzed at home all day, surely has a somewhat gloomy psyche, and needs to see the sunlight.
In the Lin Family’s small courtyard.
Lin Qiongyu had already risen and was cleaning the courtyard.
Upon seeing Chen Ye, especially the tall figure behind him wearing a black robe whose restrained aura nonetheless caused inexplicable anxiety, her pretty face turned pale, and she hurriedly bowed: "Master."
Chen Ye nodded and looked past her towards the tightly closed door: "Is she awake?"
"Master, my sister... is already awake," Lin Qiongyu whispered.
"Alright, prepare some breakfast. I will first go in to see your sister."
Chen Ye had deliberately gotten up very early to avoid his two apprentices and hadn’t eaten breakfast yet.
Although it’s not a problem for a cultivator to go days without eating, especially with Grain Avoidance Pills.
But Chen Ye didn’t want to become an ascetic cultivator... It’s better to satisfy one’s cravings when possible.
After Lin Qiongyu bowed and left,
Chen Ye then pushed open the door.
The scene inside the house was the same as yesterday.
Lin Jin sat quietly in the wheelchair, only now she held a broken doll in her arms.
With Chen Ye’s support, this little girl seemingly dared to openly display her doll...
"Jin’er, this is Qingzhi," as Chen Ye approached, he brought the towering Qingzhi before Lin Jin, "this is the puppet I mentioned to you before."
Qingzhi stood silently there, like an emotionless statue.
Tall and cold.
Ordinary girls would likely find it somewhat intimidating.
Even Lin Qiongyu was somewhat afraid of Qingzhi.
But when the little girl saw Qingzhi, her somewhat dull eyes slightly brightened instead.
She stared at Qingzhi, then at Chen Ye, her eyelashes trembling, as if pondering something.
Chen Ye saw this and couldn’t help but wonder:
Why does this girl seem to be comparing him to Qingzhi?
But he didn’t dwell on it, and slowly squatted down, extending his arms towards the girl in the wheelchair.
"Come, Master will take you to the Peach Mountain District for some fun."
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this.
Lin Jin suddenly clutched her doll tightly, shrinking into the wheelchair, clearly resistant.
"Master knows you’ve been tormented by Cold Flame since you were a child and have almost never gone outside..."
Chen Ye sighed.
Lin Jin’s Cold Flame was innate, not only ravaging her body but also preventing her from seeing sunlight, because once Cold Flame is exposed to sunlight, it becomes more active.
As such, the little girl has spent almost her entire life in this cold, dark little room.
No wonder she has psychological issues - not having them would be abnormal.
Chen Ye gently patted her fluffy head and softly said:
"But, with Master accompanying you Jin’er..."
If either of the two apprentices heard these words, even frightening things would be bearable.
However, for Lin Jin, Master doesn’t carry the same weight.
Chen Ye understood this, but building a close relationship can’t be achieved overnight, he planned to repeatedly emphasize the Master’s identity in front of Lin Jin, hoping to leave a psychological imprint.
The girl curled further into the chair, ignoring Chen Ye’s words.
Coincidentally, Lin Qiongyu was also coming out of the kitchen with a bowl of freshly made Spirit Porridge.
She heard Chen Ye’s words, showing a bit of joy on her face, but was soon replaced by concern:
"Master... Jin’er has been troubled by Cold Flame since childhood, her legs paralyzed, though with Master’s grace she’s gradually able to stand, but... but she’s far from moving freely. If Master plans to take her out, it’ll likely... likely be inconvenient."
Chen Ye understood, years of paralysis and a recently healed body indeed require prolonged training for full mobility.
"No problem..."
Chen Ye contemplated, deciding to use the method he had previously employed when treating her legs: a combination of stick and sweet date.
He extended his arms and directly lifted the girl from the cold wheelchair.
The girl’s body was as light as a feather.
To his touch, it was the distinct cold and frailty unique to a young girl felt through the thin fabric, seemingly fragile enough to break with a slight exertion.
"Mm!" Lin Jin, caught off guard, resisted by placing her little hands against Chen Ye’s chest.
Her ink-like, softly curled long hair cascaded down with her movement, swaying gently at Chen Ye’s waist.
For the first time, she had this intimate contact with a man and an outsider.
She could distinctly smell the faint herbal fragrance emanating from the man, and feel the warm body heat beneath his clothes.
The unfamiliar sensation left her at a loss.
All she could do was look to Lin Qiongyu for help, her beautiful eyes filled with pleading.
"Sister..."
Lin Qiongyu’s heart trembled at her sister’s distressed look but was powerless, only able to deceitfully lower her pretty face, not daring to meet her gaze.
"Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of your sister."
Chen Ye’s aged face darkened, this scene felt like a kidnapping.
He’s no devil!
Next, Chen Ye gave the girl no chance to resist, holding her, he briskly walked out of the small room where she’d been confined for over a decade.
Once in the courtyard, he ordered the silent shadow: "Qingzhi, enter the Storage Bag."
Without hesitation, the puppet transformed into a black light and disappeared into the inconspicuous bag at Chen Ye’s waist.
This trip to Peach Mountain District, Qingzhi was the hidden trump card for assassinations, not to be revealed.
Having done all that, a flash of spiritual light appeared beneath Chen Ye’s feet, and the Flying Light emerged out of nothingness, hovering steadily mid-air.
Holding the rigid girl in his arms, he stepped onto the Flying Sword, the sword vibrated slightly, then transformed into a white rainbow, shooting up into the sky and speeding towards Peach Mountain District.
The speed of sword control was far beyond that of a carriage.
The whistling wind, the rapidly receding mountains and valleys beneath, the boundless sky overhead...
For a girl who had spent a lifetime curling up in a cold little room, this was an immensely overwhelming experience!
Lin Jin only felt the world spinning, her entire world turning into a blur of colors.
Her mind was blank, and her body’s instincts triggered intense physiological fear.
Her tiny hands clutched Chen Ye’s collar tightly, knuckles turning white, and her whole body uncontrollably trembling violently, making faint whimpers.
Chen Ye watched without being moved.
This was exposure therapy, letting the patient directly face the scenes that trigger terror and anxiety, prolonged exposure until the fear and anxiety emotions dissipate.
Moreover, he has divine sense, allowing continuous monitoring of Lin Jin’s condition, preventing accidents.
But the girl’s endurance was weaker than he expected.
"Damn... I should’ve studied psychology in my previous life. Does exposure therapy even work on Jin’er?"
Chen Ye thought nervously, he’s merely a dilettante, relying on cultivation and divine sense to timely address and resolve accidents, he dares to act half as a doctor.
Seeing Jin’er trembling increasingly, her slender legs pressed tightly and shifted uneasily, threatening to lose control.
Particularly strange: although she was extremely terrified, she should have been scared into closing her eyes, but instead kept staring at the high altitude below...
No... seems... seems she’s been scared silly??
Chen Ye promptly halted the sword control, tearing a piece of soft black cloth from his sleeve.
He lowered his head, using the gentlest voice possible, softly whispered in her ear: "Jin’er, don’t be afraid, close your eyes, it’s less scary that way."
Then, without caring whether she could comprehend him, gently covered her eyes with the black cloth.
In an instant, the blurred world of colors vanished completely before Lin Jin’s eyes.
The little girl breathed a sigh of relief, finally showing some physical reaction.
She could do nothing else but hold the man tightly, not daring to move in his arms.
"...Hmm, seems somewhat effective."
Chen Ye was somewhat nervous, suddenly remembering, wasn’t there also the suspension bridge effect in his previous life?