Chapter 84

Yun Shuchen had never seen her disciple look at anyone like that, as if she hadn't yet come back to herself.

As she walked toward her, her disciple kept staring, her gaze following her every move.

Yun Shuchen felt as if her disciple were some small beast whose nest had been drenched by rain, sitting there damply, looking utterly pitiful.

She was somewhat gratified that Qing Zhouxue had recovered another fragment of her emotions. That fragile look made her seem more like a living person of flesh and blood—far improved from before.

Vaguely, a hope she’d been nurturing seemed a step closer.

But such an easily shattered expression was endearing. Yun Shuchen lifted her sleeve to stroke her disciple's soft hair and asked, "What's wrong?"

"This story..." Qing Zhouxue paused before continuing, "Qiu Yuebai chose this path, so her master will inevitably ignore her. But she loves her so much that she can't live without her. What should she do?"

Yun Shuchen started, then stared at the tale spread open on her disciple's lap—something she hadn't wanted to face.

But her disciple was clearly absorbed, deeply entangled, and had already empathized with the characters. She hadn't questioned why her master would keep such a tale, only poured her heart into the pages.

Yun Shuchen inwardly shook her head. The content was quite explicit, which was why she'd been reluctant to lend it out.

She hadn't expected her disciple to fixate on such a strange detail and get hurt by the messy plot.

Who, after reading such a tale, would dwell on such trivialities?

It was all just sensory stimulation.

Yun Shuchen took the heart-wrenching tale and set it far away, then sat beside Qing Zhouxue and chuckled, "You're grown now. Why take a story so seriously? Haven't I told you? It's just for entertainment."

A warm weight pressed against her shoulder.

Qing Zhouxue leaned into her, silent for a long moment, then said bluntly, "But I've thought of doing that to you."

Yun Shuchen froze.

Her disciple's words were soft, yet they struck her heart like a boulder, leaving her speechless.

Qing Zhouxue felt that their relationship was so similar to the one in the tale, which was why the plot struck her so painfully.

Yun Shuchen finally found her voice. "The couple in this tale were separated by fate, and it's hard to mend broken mirrors."

"But... Qing'er is confused." She lowered her gaze with a faint smile. "I am not Xiao Chengyu, and you are not Qiu Yuebai."

Qing Zhouxue lifted her lashes and straightened up to look at her master's expression.

But her vision went dark, and a soft warmth pressed against her lips.

This kiss was different from before—not just a light touch.

While she was still dazed, her chin was tilted up, her lips parted, and she tasted a different sweetness, faintly osmanthus.

Because it was Yun Shuchen, Qing Zhouxue was utterly at ease, with no thought of resistance. Seeing her master's beautiful face so close, she closed her eyes peacefully.

Her master's long hair fell, soft and cool, coiling around her neck and shoulders. Qing Zhouxue instinctively gathered a strand in her hand, stroking it to the end, unconsciously pulling her closer.

She felt only the familiar, tender scent of the woman, her mind drifting until she forgot to breathe.

It wasn't until Yun Shuchen felt Qing Zhouxue about to suffocate that she released her and chided, "Another moment, and you'd have ascended to heaven."

"Master..." Qing Zhouxue took a breath, then looked up seriously. "I like it when you kiss me like that."

Yun Shuchen's ears felt as if a fire were burning there, warm and faint.

She straightened, suppressing her shyness, and raised a brow. "Satisfied now?"

Her disciple nodded.

Yun Shuchen smiled, then picked up the tale again. "Still bothered by the story?"

Her disciple tilted her head, then shook it. "With Master here, I don't want to read stories right now."

Yun Shuchen thought that reading more tales wasn't so bad after all. Her disciple seemed to have gained insight from them, and she regretted having once tried to stop her from absorbing such ancient wisdom.

Oh, that had been because of a misunderstanding with that Junior Sister Ruan.

Then her master sighed softly, drew a wooden box from her jade bracelet, and before she opened it, Qing Zhouxue smelled osmanthus.

"I passed by and found a new shop at the foot of Taichu Sect," Yun Shuchen said. "They make decent osmanthus cakes, so I brought a few to satisfy your cravings."

The cakes were soft and delicate, white as snow, cut into neat squares, set on green leaves, with a thin layer of honey brushed on top and dotted with osmanthus petals.

From the subtle change in her disciple's expression when she took the first bite, Yun Shuchen knew she'd found another snack to keep on hand to coax this girl.

Qing Zhouxue chewed quietly; the cake stuck slightly to her teeth, a tender, lingering texture.

She glanced at Yun Shuchen's profile and was lost for a moment.

That texture reminded her of the kiss they'd just shared, which had also carried the sweetness of osmanthus.

*

The two had kissed inexplicably, and in that silence, they'd conveyed what words could not.

Since learning of her incomplete Emotion Root, Yun Shuchen had never pressed her on matters of love. Of course, she'd also never allowed her disciple to cling too closely at night.

Now Yun Shuchen felt like someone who had just planted a seedling; she would watch it grow in peace, sprouting branches and leaves, and eventually hope that one day it would bloom and tell her the same feelings.

Before that, there was no need for haste. She trusted in the wisdom of the Dao and let things take their course.

Qing Zhouxue, for her part, was not one to cling to conventions. Seeing that her master had settled into a normal rhythm with her, she felt no guilt about the "impropriety," and gradually, all her worries faded.

With Qing Zhouxue's mind at ease, the Sect Leader, though unaware of what had transpired, saw that the girl had returned to her former undistracted state while practicing the sword, and even improved several levels due to her good mood. He was finally relieved.

But as the head of the sect, the Sect Leader could rarely relax completely.

He heard a commotion outside and was just wondering when the doors of Chunqiu Hall burst open, and a few disheveled disciples rushed in.

"Sect Leader! There's a fire!"

His brow furrowed. "A fire on the mountain? If it's nothing unusual, send some water-attributed disciples to put it out."

"Sect Leader, it's very unusual."

One disciple said tremblingly, "It's phoenix fire. Ordinary water can't extinguish it; it won't go out no matter what. What should we do?"

"Phoenix fire?" The Sect Leader was startled. "Taichu Sect has never kept a fire phoenix. How..."

Then his eyes widened slightly as if remembering something.

A few days ago, Elder Zhong mentioned that his young disciple, on a wandering journey, had struck down a phoenix in its weakened state and picked up its egg—what a stroke of fortune. The Sect Leader said solemnly, "Send word to Huangzhong Peak and Heyi Peak, requesting Elder Yue and Elder Yun here."

Yue Changge had a single water spiritual root, and Yun Shuchen had a water spiritual root.

After a moment's thought, the Sect Leader summoned Qing Zhouxue as well, that fortunate girl with the Ice Spiritual Root.

The elders, accompanied by a junior, stood grimly on the mountain peak, watching the summit almost engulfed in flames.

Yue Changge sighed leisurely. "Each disciple either brings great fortune or great calamity. We elders' assets really can't withstand such trials. Either struck by lightning or burned by fire. Fortunately, my disciples don't like to cultivate, so we've passed the years without illness or disaster. Is that a blessing in disguise?"

Qing Zhouxue shifted at these words.

Yun Shuchen said coolly, "All your possessions are on yourself. What do you have to fear from thunder or fire?"

Yue Changge humphed.

"I've ordered all disciples to evacuate; no lives will be lost. Can the two of you handle the phoenix fire?" The Sect Leader looked at the half-burned sky. The fire could not be delayed.

"Sect Leader Senior Brother, if I put out the fire, it will consume all my spiritual power," Yue Changge said, stroking the flute at her waist, while her other hand stopped before the Sect Leader, rubbing her fingers subtly as if asking for a reward. "Would you be willing to grant me some face?"

"Enough." The Sect Leader darkened and glanced at Qing Zhouxue. "Before the junior, can you at least comport yourself properly?"

Yue Changge laughed. "Ah, Senior Brother is magnanimous."

She stopped joking, twirled the flute on her fingertip, and set it to her lips.

A majestic melody rose, like a tsunami surging thousands of feet.

Wherever the sound waves reached, ripples appeared in the void.

In a great marsh in the middle of Taichu Realm, the water surged violently, ready to rise into the sky.

Yue Changge raised nearly half the marsh, pouring a torrential rain onto the burning peak, a spectacular scene in a roaring downpour.

The cloudburst drenched the sky and earth, washing away many trees that had been charred by the fire.

But the fire only dimmed slightly, still blazing through whatever combustible soil remained.

"As expected, it's useless," Yun Shuchen said, who had been watching all along. She shook her head. "It seems it can't be extinguished. The best course is to contain the burning area and prevent it from spreading."

"Qing'er."

"Mm."

The master and disciple exchanged a glance, perfectly in sync.

Qing Zhouxue drew the Qingshuang Sword at her waist, while Yun Shuchen made a hand seal, and amid the torrential rain, a dragon took shape, writhing as it darted toward Qing Zhouxue.

Qing Zhouxue was familiar with Xuanming. She stepped onto the dragon's head, and wherever her toes touched, frost formed.

She and the azure dragon moved swiftly and soon reached the edge of the sea of fire.

The fire was spreading to the surrounding vegetation, like a merciless open mouth trying to devour all life.

She alone did not have such power, but with the aid of the rain brought by Senior Aunt Yue, and the vast spiritual energy that her master had woven into her meridians, she could condense ice within the flames.

Using a newly realized technique, Flowing Clouds and Floating Snow, she released frosty white aura, instantly wrapping the peak in a white scarf that separated the flame line from the treeline.

Ice did not evaporate as easily as water, so the phoenix fire could not advance another inch.

Below, the water-formed azure dragon circled the mountain once, layer upon layer of white frost coating it, turning it into a delicate and magnificent ice dragon that encircled the sea of fire on the mountain.

By the way, she wanted to change her name to something fresh, elegant, and immortal-sounding with such an impressive title, but she didn't know what to change it to...