Chen Ye couldn’t help but laugh.
"Then... then wait for me a moment. I’ll have Xiaoli put these away, and then we’ll leave..."
Mao Qingzhu leaned softly against his chest, her voice as thin as a wisp of smoke.
"Alright."
The corner of Chen Ye’s mouth curled into a faint smile; he was just about to enjoy another moment of tenderness, and by the way stamp a seal on those enticing red lips.
Suddenly.
"Aunt Mao——!!"
A voice brimming with energy exploded from outside the pavilion like thunder out of a clear sky.
They saw Qing Jun charge in, bristling with hostility.
Unforgivable!
An enemy’s diversion tactic, luring the tiger from the mountain!
The girl was seething with shame and rage!
After this, how was she supposed to explain herself to her senior sister?
However, who was Chen Ye?
His Divine Sense was sharp; from the very first footstep of those little short legs stepping onto the corridor, he had already noticed.
At this hair‑trigger moment—
Chen Ye’s expression didn’t change; that big hand which had been wrapped around the beauty’s waist withdrew without a sound.
At the same time, he stepped half a step back, opening up a distance that was intimate yet not overstepping.
"...Sister Qingzhu, if this cinnabar stains your clothes, you can wash it with Spiritual Spring Water."
He spoke in all seriousness, his tone steady.
Mao Qingzhu reacted half a beat slower, but when she heard that "Aunt Mao," she hurriedly turned around as well, pretending to tidy up the Spiritual Materials on the table. Only those earlobes red to the point of bleeding were impossible to hide.
"Bang!"
The bamboo door was shoved open hard by a tender white little hand.
Qing Jun stood panting at the doorway, her big dark eyes sweeping back and forth over the two people inside.
No hugging. No kissing.
The two stood properly: one speaking, the other packing things.
"Huh?"
Qing Jun furrowed her little brows and suspiciously twitched her nose.
She hadn’t seen any strange scene, but... why did the atmosphere in this room feel so weird?
Besides!
Why was Aunt Mao’s face so red?
"Master!"
Qing Jun planted her hands on her hips, lifting her head to question him,
"Did you sneak off to eat something tasty behind Qing Jun’s back?!"
"Why did you send Qing Jun away for so long? The fish feed Sister Xiaoli gave me is all gone, and you still weren’t done talking!"
Chen Ye’s face didn’t change; he raised a hand and lightly tapped his little disciple on the forehead:
"What nonsense are you spouting? Your Master was discussing serious matters with your Aunt Mao."
"You have to shut the door to discuss serious matters?"
Qing Jun, unconvinced, pointed at Mao Qingzhu’s flushed face,
"Then why is Aunt Mao blushing?"
"..."
Mao Qingzhu’s hand trembled, and she nearly flung away the list in her hand.
"Ahem..."
She gave a soft cough, forcibly pressing down the shame in her heart.
She turned around, not daring to meet Chen Ye’s eyes. Instead, she crouched down in front of Qing Jun, forcing out a gentle smile:
"Qing Jun, you’ve misunderstood."
"Auntie’s face is red because... because it’s too stuffy in here."
As she spoke, she produced an exquisitely crafted jade box as if performing a magic trick.
Once opened, a rich sweet fragrance spread out.
"Look, this is a Hundred‑Year Flower Honey Cake that Auntie specially asked someone to fetch from Hundred Flowers Valley. And this bottle of Jade Dew Nectar is also saved just for you."
"Really?"
Qing Jun had still been full of suspicion, but the fragrance of that Hundred‑Year Flower Honey was simply too tempting.
She swallowed a mouthful of saliva, her little gaze shifting between the pastries and Mao Qingzhu. In the end, she still lost to her appetite.
"Then... then I’ll reluctantly believe you this once."
The little girl haughtily accepted the jade box, and even remembered to turn back to warn Chen Ye,
"Master, if you don’t want your disciple to know, then don’t do it in the first place!"
Damned rebellious disciple!
Since when was it your place to meddle in what your Master does?
Chen Ye fumed, yet could do nothing.
"Alright."
Chen Ye glanced at the sky, then at the roomful of Spiritual Materials that were nearly all packed up, and spoke gently to Mao Qingzhu,
"Sister Qingzhu, since everything is prepared, let’s set out."
"There are still many matters waiting for us over at Baopu Peak."
...
Half a two-hour later.
A streak of Flowing Light tore across the sky, leaving Moon Rhinoceros Lake District.
Chen Ye was still using Sword Control.
It wasn’t that Chen Ye was frugal.
It was just that with the current speed of his Flying Sword, probably only a Second Tier Top Grade Spiritual Ship could match it.
Rather than sit slowly in a Spiritual Ship, it was better to just ride the sword directly.
Qing Jun sat at the tip of the sword, her little feet swinging and dangling, in an exceptionally sulky mood—so sulky that she couldn’t even be bothered to fear the boundless sea of clouds beneath her feet.
The Flying Sword was this small.
Clearly it could only hold one Master and two disciples.
So why was there suddenly someone else?
Meanwhile, Mao Qingzhu was standing behind Chen Ye.
Because the wind was strong high up in the sky, Chen Ye had specially raised a Spiritual Qi shield.
In this narrow space, Mao Qingzhu hesitated for a moment. Seeing that Qing Jun was staring worriedly at the distant sea of clouds and hadn’t turned around,
she finally plucked up her courage, stretched out both hands, and gently wrapped them around Chen Ye’s waist, pressing her face against his broad back.
Chen Ye’s lips curved slightly as he took hold of those cool, delicate hands at his waist.
The wind blew.
A faint conversation between one big and one small voice drifted over:
"Master, is Aunt Mao really going to live on Baopu Peak from now on?"
"Mm. She’ll be an Instructor in the future, so of course she has to live on Baopu Peak."
"Ah... live where? Is she going to live in Cangli Courtyard?"
"Aunt Mao will naturally have her own courtyard."
"Oh—"
Qing Jun pouted and quietly let out a breath of relief.
She knew it—Taoist Chen didn’t have guts that big yet!
...
By the time they returned to Cangli Courtyard,
Qing Jun was the first to hop down.
Before she even found her footing, the little girl rushed off in a hurry to complain to her Senior Sister.
"Senior Sister, something terrible’s happened! Master has abducted—brought Aunt Mao back!"
That shout somehow carried a hint of gleeful schadenfreude.
Zhiwei froze for a moment, put down the Dao Scripture in her hands, and looked up.
In the courtyard.
Master had put away the Flying Sword, and beside him stood a stunning woman in a moon-white long dress.
The woman’s bearing was gentle yet noble; though she wore no makeup, she still couldn’t hide that dignified, refined aura of a lady from a grand household.
Only right now, this Fairy who looked so unattainable was standing a little nervously at Chen Ye’s side.
Their gazes met.
Mao Qingzhu looked at the black-haired girl in a plain Taoist Robe before her, elegant as an orchid, and for no reason at all felt a little tense inside.
This... this is Zhiwei?!
She was somewhat surprised.
Because Qing Jun still looked like she hadn’t grown up, she’d subconsciously assumed Zhiwei would still look like the little girl from before.
But now, it was plain that she’d already grown into a graceful young lady.
She’d heard that it was usually Zhiwei who took care of Brother Ye’s daily life, and that she was serious and old-fashioned... all intel that Qing Jun had quietly whispered to her.
As for what little schemes that young girl was plotting, that was anyone’s guess.
"Heh heh... set a tiger against a wolf!" a certain girl thought smugly to herself.
Chen Ye broke the silence and explained to Zhiwei:
"From now on your Aunt Mao will serve as an Instructor on Baopu Peak. In the future, if there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask Aunt Mao more often."
Zhiwei’s gaze flickered slightly. She dipped in a graceful curtsey toward Mao Qingzhu, her manners impeccable:
"Disciple Zhiwei pays respects to Instructor Mao."
"Ah... no need to be so formal, just call me Aunt like before."
Mao Qingzhu hurried forward to help Zhiwei up.
She was quite fond of this pretty little girl as well.
Back when they were in Lisong Valley, Mao Qingzhu had already been deeply impressed by Zhiwei, knowing she was a diligent, hardworking, and polite child.
Besides, Qing Jun and Zhiwei, this pair of Senior and Junior Sisters, had such a good relationship!
She turned her wrist over, and a shimmering, iridescent brocade box appeared in her hand:
"Since you’re still going to call me Aunt, you can’t turn down this meeting gift."
"I h-heard your Master say you’re already a Foundation Establishment Cultivator now, and that you’ve cultivated a water-element Cultivation Technique."
"This Bihai Flowing Light Bracelet is a Second Tier Middle Grade Defensive Magical Artifact. Inside it is set a Water Curtain Heavenly Splendor Array, and at a critical moment it can block a full-strength strike from a Foundation Establishment Middle Period Cultivator. If you wear it long-term, it can also gently nourish your meridians..."
She spoke as she went, unceremoniously stuffing that priceless Spiritual bracelet into Zhiwei’s hand.
"Hiss—"
Off to the side, where she’d originally been waiting to watch the show, Qing Jun sucked in a sharp breath.
How hateful!
Such an expensive treasure—wasn’t Senior Sister going to be bribed?
Zhiwei’s little face remained calm as she turned to look at Chen Ye:
"Master, this... this is far too valuable. This disciple can’t..."
"Keep it."
Chen Ye leaned against the old pear tree and said with a smile,
"Your Aunt Mao is the young miss of Divine Mist Valley. She brought quite a lot of good stuff with her to Baopu Peak this time. And... it’s also a token of her feelings."
A token of her feelings?
Zhiwei keenly latched onto that phrase, her fingers unconsciously tightening.
She slowly let out a breath and bowed deeply:
"Many thanks to Aunt Mao for the generous gift."
"No need to thank me, we’re all family here..."
Mao Qingzhu let out a breath of relief and gave a gentle, warm smile.
Family?!
The two disciples instantly felt the world go dark.
So we’re not even pretending anymore?