Chapter 46

Once Qing Zhouxue realized she could suppress all her urges to be near her master, Yun Shuchen no longer resisted sleeping beside her.

After a period of inexplicable loss, her heart actually felt lighter—so this was the reason.

Thinking back, she had insisted on climbing into bed time and again without understanding why. That must have put her master in an awkward position.

But since she was still willing to hold her while sleeping, she probably hadn't crossed any line.

Qing Zhouxue turned her head slightly to look at the woman beside her. Yun Shuchen's sleeping posture remained unchanged; when she wasn't cold, she would lie on her side next to someone, one hand resting on their waist.

Qing Zhouxue carefully lifted that hand and set it down, but just as she was about to get up to practice her sword, she felt a gentle rub at her waist as Yun Shuchen's hand settled back on her.

After repeating this action three times, she still hadn't managed to get out of bed. She let out a soft sigh, stopped struggling, and lay obediently, face to face with Yun Shuchen.

Yun Shuchen kept her eyes closed, but the corners of her lips curved up for a moment before returning to a calm sleeping expression.

The last time she had reviewed her disciple's notes, the "her" character that had been stained through with ink had been quite conspicuous. Yun Shuchen didn't know who she meant, nor did she want to think too deeply, so she pretended she hadn't seen it. But seeing it now suddenly planted a seed of concern in her heart.

Whenever she had something on her mind, she had a habit from childhood—she liked to tease people to let off steam.

Let's see how much patience her little disciple had.

The result was: very good.

Qing Zhouxue remained still, calm and composed, accompanying her until the sun was high in the sky. Finally closing her eyes, Qing Zhouxue seemed to be drifting off as well.

"Not going to practice sword today?" Yun Shuchen finally opened her eyes, a hint of a smile in them as she looked at her.

"It's fine to go in the evening."

"Then what now?"

"I don't know." Qing Zhouxue thought for a moment, still not wanting to be too idle. "Cultivate?"

Qing Zhouxue felt her cheek being lightly pinched as the woman teased in a low voice, "Are you a little immortal who fell from the sky?"

She looked at her. "Why does Master say that?"

Yun Shuchen propped herself up, looking as if it were only natural. "Otherwise, why would you be in such a hurry to ascend to immortality? You're not reporting back to the Heavenly Court, are you?"

Qing Zhouxue was silent, gazing intently at Yun Shuchen's back. After looking for a long time, she felt that it was Yun Shuchen who had truly fallen from the sky.

"I need to go out for a while," Yun Shuchen said, sitting before her bronze mirror and picking up a comb at random. When she looked up at her reflection, she found her disciple looking serious.

"What's wrong?"

"How many days will Master be gone this time?"

Yun Shuchen put down the comb, leaning against the table, and turned her head to look at her. "Why ask that? You're coming with me."

Qing Zhouxue was briefly stunned, then her eyes lit up as she nodded. She quickly got out of bed to find her outer robe, her movements as light as the wind.

Yun Shuchen dressed unhurriedly, and when she had combed and arranged the last strand of hair neatly, she turned and found her disciple already seated nearby, waiting.

She gave her a few appraising glances and smiled. "Come here."

Qing Zhouxue was guided by the shoulders to sit in the chair Yun Shuchen had just occupied. Yun Shuchen bent down from behind her, cradling her face.

She had always looked as fresh as a lotus emerging from the water, with black hair simply tied back with a silk ribbon that fell to her waist.

Yun Shuchen, seemingly taken by a whim, picked up a white jade hairpin and gathered a few strands of Qing Zhouxue's hair, coiling them up.

"In all of Taichu Sect, there's no other little immortal as beautiful as this," Yun Shuchen said softly, hands resting lightly on her disciple's shoulders after she finished, glancing at the mirror.

Qing Zhouxue also looked at her reflection in the mirror, but she had seen her own face for years and found it unremarkable.

Her gaze shifted an inch and landed on Yun Shuchen's face. She thought inexplicably: if she could match her, that would be wonderful.

It wasn't until the two of them flew past the mountain gate that Qing Zhouxue remembered to ask, "Master, where are we going?"

"Nothing major. Continue northeast from here to a certain temple. Many years ago, I borrowed a book from their sutra library; now it's time to return it," Yun Shuchen said, looking at Qing Zhouxue. "I noticed you stay cooped up in the mountain these days as if you're growing moss; I thought to bring you out for some fun."

After crossing several lofty peaks, they landed right in front of the temple to the faint sound of bells, accompanied by the delicate scent of incense.

They stepped inside through the threshold.

A young monk chanted a Buddhist invocation and greeted them with a palm salute. "Benefactors."

"Is Master Huijue still here?"

"The abbot is still here," the young monk nodded. "Benefactors, please follow me."

"Abbot?" Yun Shuchen murmured, seemingly surprised.

They passed through several old vermilion gates and turned to a side hall. The door was slightly ajar, and the scent of incense inside was already very rich.

Qing Zhouxue looked into the hall. The light was not very bright. From the ground up, there were rows of lotus lanterns, each flame flickering faintly, like thousands of stars within the hall.

A monk sat cross-legged before the lamps, his back slightly hunched, the wooden fish in his hand striking dull, steady beats.

Yun Shuchen walked over. "Master Huijue? It's been a few years; you've finally made abbot."

The monk's wooden fish paused, and he looked up at the woman before him. "Amitabha. So it's Immortal Yun."

Yun Shuchen drew from her sleeve a sutra with an air of great antiquity, quite unlike the neat, new volumes on her own bookshelf. Clearly, it did not belong to her.

Qing Zhouxue caught a glimpse of the cover: Diamond Arhat Formation.

Huijue rose, lifting his monk's robe, and stepped off his cushion. He took the book. "Immortal Yun has come to return it?"

He looked at Qing Zhouxue. "And this is...?"

"My disciple," Yun Shuchen said with a smile. "Besides returning the book, I also need to repay a favor. If the abbot doesn't mind, could you keep us for a simple meal?"

"It's not yet noon," Huijue said. "Then please wait a moment, both benefactors."

"Mm." Yun Shuchen turned to Qing Zhouxue. "I intend to catch up with this master here; it might be quite boring. Qing'er, this is your first time at a temple, isn't it? If you're truly bored, have the young master from earlier show you around."

Since Yun Shuchen was conversing with an old friend, Qing Zhouxue staying in the hall would indeed be awkward. So she nodded and followed the young master outside.

The hall door returned to its previous half-open state.

Huijue withdrew his gaze from Qing Zhouxue. "That young benefactor—her fate is deeply entangled with yours. This kind of affinity is truly rare."

"That's how it appears in the hexagrams," Yun Shuchen hummed in agreement. "But it's hard to say whether it's good or bad; the road ahead is unpredictable."

Huijue sat down with her and poured a cup of tea. Looking again at Yun Shuchen, he slowly furrowed his brows. "Amitabha. Immortal Yun, it's been years, but the karmic debts upon you seem to have grown heavier."

"In life, one cannot avoid accumulating a little here and there," Yun Shuchen said, taking a sip of tea. She raised her eyes. "Over the years, I have written down the ways to break all the Buddhist formations in your hands. They're all recorded in that book, so there should be no mistakes."

"The Arhat Formation that your ancestors lost has also been completed. Even if it's not exact, it can restore perhaps seventy or eighty percent of its original essence."

She looked at the monk and spoke slowly.

"Huijue, in exchange for this, can you now keep your promise?"

Outside the hall.

Qing Zhouxue followed the young monk around the temple. He was a man of few words and still young, but he already carried the calm demeanor of a monk. He asked her, "Since you're here, benefactor, would you like to pay respects to the Buddha?"

Qing Zhouxue had never been to a temple before, but from books she could infer that there were many halls, each enshrining various Buddhas and bodhisattvas. These deities each governed different aspects—some for love, some for fate, and so on, with their own duties; it was all quite complex.

"What do people usually pray to the Buddha for?"

"Many things. Matters of grievance, trials and tribulations, all sorts of things when life is difficult," the young monk thought for a moment. "That's usually why pilgrims come."

"If I go in and pay respects, will it be enough?"

"If your heart is sincere, it will work," the young monk said with a smile.

Qing Zhouxue did not fully believe in gods and Buddhas, but as the young monk said, prayer couldn't hurt.

What could she pray for?

There was nothing troubling her. Since meeting her master, every day had been good; even when the days were somewhat dim, they shone even brighter afterwards.

Life was said to be mostly hardships, but she was one of the few exceptions. Keeping this small blessing close was all she wanted.

Her master was immortal, but she always had some ailment or other, and she had to drink medicine all year round—just watching it made Qing Zhouxue feel it was hard.

If she could already live long,

then let her wish that her master, year after year, stayed healthy and free of illness and worry.

Qing Zhouxue followed the young master and bowed before all the various immortals and Buddhas.

She made only this one wish, no matter whether the deity enshrined there governed love, career, or family prosperity...

She had but this single wish.

It was neither grand nor small. Grand enough to last for years; small enough to be bound to one person alone.

* * *

The two stayed for a vegetarian meal at the temple, chatted and laughed with their host for a while, then took their leave of Master Huijue.

Qing Zhouxue did not know what her master had discussed with the abbot, and since Yun Shuchen didn't mention it, she didn't ask—that had always been the tacit understanding between master and disciple.

Back in the sky, Qing Zhouxue was the one flying on her sword this time. Yun Shuchen was glad to relax, standing behind her. The wind blowing past ruffled the strands of hair at the back of Qing Zhouxue's head, which, set off by the white jade hairpin, looked quite ethereal.

While Qing Zhouxue was flying with full concentration, she heard Yun Shuchen's voice from behind her ear. "This hairpin suits you well. You can wear it from now on."

It seemed to be her master's habit: whenever she saw something she liked, she'd let Qing Zhouxue try it on a whim, and then gift it to her. Qing Zhouxue rarely bought trinkets herself, yet she somehow ended up with many from Yun Shuchen.

Thinking of trinkets, Qing Zhouxue remembered the little lotus she had carved. It was made of jade, and she thought it was rather beautiful, but after giving it to her master as a birthday gift, she never saw her wear it.

Did she think it was ugly? Qing Zhouxue hugged this nameless disappointment and quietly thought, Maybe it would be better to give something practical next time?

As they flew above Heyi Peak, they spotted a figure standing dainty in the snow. In the freezing cold, her shoulders were half bare, dressed alluringly in cool clothing.

When Yun Shuchen saw who it was, her expression suddenly stiffened.

Elder Yue's fingertip twirled a strand of her hair around as she let out a cold snort. "Faithless woman! You made an appointment with me, then took another little sweetheart out for fun, leaving me waiting here for ages. Is this the way to treat people?"