"A kind person is easily bullied. If you want to curry favor with me, then don’t blame me, Xu Qingjun, for being arrogant..."
The young girl secretly thought, feeling proud instead of ashamed.
Truly an evil little girl!
"Stop!"
Mao Yanyu hurriedly called out to stop.
Letting her go?
How would she explain to the family and clan members?
These clan members, still hoping for one person’s success to bring everyone else up...
She took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing her anger, and said coldly:
"Sharp tongue! Fine, let’s not mention the ancestral teachings for now. But it’s a fact that your mind was unsettled just now, revealing murderous intent! The Heart Slaughter Cave cannot tolerate the slightest distraction; if you can’t eliminate them, don’t even think about entering!"
Qing Jun stopped in her tracks, glanced back at her, and pouted:
"Got it. Isn’t it just about calming the mind, what’s so hard?"
Fortunately.
Now she didn’t have to bear those headache-inducing ancestral teachings.
Actually, Qing Jun could no longer stand it, but she dared not resist before, fearing that she might accidentally ruin her master’s painstaking efforts.
She didn’t care whether she went to the Heart Slaughter Cave!
It was just a flying sword.
Was the lack of this flying sword, or even the Xu Family True Seal, enough to prevent Xu Qingjun from achieving her path?
The young girl was only afraid of seeing her master’s disappointed expression, so she suppressed her nature.
After observing Mao Yanyu’s attitude for the past few days, she gained confidence and used the opportunity to stir things up.
Qing Jun sat back on the mat, closed her eyes, but still cursed secretly in her heart:
"Stupid master, bad master, just wait until I get out, I’ll make you pay! And that big dumpling... is that big dumpling seducing my master?"
Her master often called her little dumpling, then Mao Qingzhu must be the big dumpling, the old dumpling!
Mao Yanyu plainly watched Xu Qingjun’s change of demeanor, seemingly when she became well-behaved and cultivated her nature.
She just felt a blockage in her chest, neither ascending nor descending.
This little girl, impervious to reason, and yet her arguments were all well-structured, left her feeling utterly helpless.
With a cold snort, she had to sit back and continue supervising, also cursing inwardly:
"Stupid girl, just wait, entering the Heart Slaughter Cave will bring you suffering!"
Meanwhile, outside the Calm Hall,
there was also a withered middle-aged Daoist looking on silently, rubbing his temples headache-induced:
"Unbelievable! Why is Qingzhu’s daughter so unruly? Fine! Fine! I, Mao Cheng, deserve this calamity, it’s all a tangled fate!"
Today’s result, because of past causes.
If he hadn’t forced Qingzhu to marry into the Xu Family, at this moment Qingzhu would still be cultivating in Lingyin.
If she hadn’t wasted so many years, she might have already achieved the Middle Period of Foundation Establishment, destined to become a Peak Master-level figure in the future...
"Blame me... for being obsessed with the old favor, considering the ancestral teachings, and not wanting Qingzhu to stay within the sect, ruining her life."
Mao Cheng looked haggard.
How could he not regret it?
Precisely due to the lesson from Mao Qingzhu, he later allowed Mao Songli, another talented member of the Mao Family, to join the sect.
Not allowing might have been better, allowing only led to...
Even though Qingzhu got along well with Songli, she became more resistant to him as her father instead.
Mao Cheng cast a last glance at the restless young girl in the Calm Hall, tightened the yellow gourd at his waist, sighed inwardly:
"Fine! Fine! Sorry to Qingzhu, I cannot wrong her any further."
As he was leaving, a thought struck his mind.
He went to the place where Mao Qingzhu was recuperating, glanced from afar.
Saw his daughter smiling like blooming flowers in March, indescribably radiant, whispering with Xiaoli about something.
The middle-aged Daoist stroked his beard contentedly, smiled:
"Seems Qingzhu already knows Qingjun has returned, she’s been worried and finally smiled this time..."
Just as Chen Ye thought, as the Patriarch of the Mao Family, if he intended to solidly confine Mao Qingzhu, he would certainly consider controlling the maid at her side.
Like some days ago, that Xiaoli couldn’t even leave the courtyard.
And now Xiaoli communicating with Zhiwei was within Mao Cheng’s acquiescence.
Of course,
he absolutely did not anticipate Mao Qingzhu meeting with Chen Ye in private...
"Humph! Qingzhu is a proud and lofty child, she wouldn’t even think well of Xu Buhui, how could she think well of a Spirit Plant Cultivator? It’s all just outside rumors, common people wishing for a melodrama between the young lady and such a rustic character."
Mao Cheng assumed he’s not a common person, nor would he indulge in hearsay.
The reason Qingzhu helped Lisong Valley was necessarily, simply because Qingjun lived there.
He had previously stopped Qingzhu from acting, not wanting her to invite enemies to the Mao Family, not because he believed that Mao Qingzhu had illicit relations with Chen Ye.
...
Zhiwei sat on the cold steps, burying her face deep into her knees.
Master and Aunt Mao...
They were so close, their clothes in disarray, their breaths intertwined.
Aunt Mao’s face was full of panic and embarrassment, with the master’s words, "It’s not convenient for outsiders to see..."
"Outsiders?"
Zhiwei’s fingertips dug deep into her arm, but she couldn’t feel the pain.
The strands of ink-black hair fell, covering her pale little face and isolating her from all outside sounds.
She just wanted to shrink further, to disappear if possible.
The master who always protected her, who would ruffle her hair and praise her for being sensible, in that moment, she became the redundant, troublesome outsider.
Yes, indeed, she was not meant to be involved in between her master and his Dao companion.
Of course, this was all Zhiwei’s wild imagination.
Chen Ye didn’t mean that at all.
Amidst the self-loathing that almost swallowed her, she suddenly heard her master’s muttering.
"Sacrifice... yourself?"
Wait a minute...
Was the master sacrificing his appearance for her sake?!
In that instant, she couldn’t describe the emotion in her heart, she only heard a suppressed whimper escaping from deep within her throat.
Her small body curled up tighter on the steps, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably, her whole body as cold as if she had fallen into an icy cave.
Gradually, another Spiritual Root of the Purity Glaze Body began to awaken, the Fire Spiritual Root!
Up to now.
Zhiwei had already successively awakened the Water, Fire, and Wood three major Spiritual Roots, each of which is equivalent to a Celestial Spiritual Root!
And the culprit behind all this still remained unaware of the consequences.
Chen Ye felt like he was a genius!
"Heh heh! If Zhiwei knew how much the master sacrificed, she’d definitely be moved!"
The master was already imagining the little girl with ink-black hair being moved to throw herself into his arms, begging for a hug.
This was truly a win-win situation!
Not only could he appease Zhiwei.
See, with the master sacrificing so much, you can’t exactly question the master harshly, can you? You can’t exactly give the master a cold face, right?
And most importantly, knowing how much the master sacrificed, she’d definitely give it her all in the Heart Slaughter Cave!
"Besides, I was telling the truth, I didn’t deceive Zhiwei at all."
The master continued musing!
He believed he considered everything from all angles.
He even figured out why Zhiwei interrupted him.
"Zhiwei is very obedient, after last time’s incident, she definitely wouldn’t dare to peek at the master again. So, most likely, seeing me and Mao Qingzhu in the room for so long made her uneasy. That’s understandable too..."
The complacent master stepped out, habitually looking for that quiet little figure, his gaze quickly locking onto the ink-haired girl curled up on the steps.
"Zhiwei?"
Chen Ye called softly, his tone gentle and expectant.
He imagined the disciple lifting her head in gratitude and snuggling into his embrace.
When Mao Qingzhu left, he had casually lifted the Sound Concealing Array, assuming Zhiwei had heard his words.
"Master..."
The light of moon mixed with mist reflected on her pale little face.
Zhiwei took a breath, her black eyes full of tears.
As Chen Ye imagined, the disciple did throw herself into his arms, but not out of gratitude, rather she was weeping.
"Wuu wuu wuu—"
The warm tears quickly soaked Chen Ye’s clothes on his chest.
The small body in his arms was trembling violently, her sobs were muffled and fragmented, making one’s heart tighten.
The once-proud master, where did he dare to be proud now,
"Damn it... Why is Zhiwei reacting so intensely?"
Chen Ye felt he had made a fool of himself.
But he couldn’t pinpoint where the foolishness lay.
It was just a little compromise of appearance, did Zhiwei have to feel so wronged?
Moreover, to be precise, it was to the master’s benefit...
"Wuu... Master... it’s all Zhiwei’s fault."
The eldest disciple cried like a pear blossom bathed in rain, her eyes rimmed with red.
This was the first time Chen Ye had seen his disciple cry.
Just a moment ago, her little face was still extremely cold, now she’s crying like a child.
Chen Ye panicked, not thinking about the reasons anymore.
The disciple was crying, and crying she was.
He cupped Zhiwei’s small face, using his thumb to wipe her tears, hurriedly saying, "Master was just joking earlier!"