## Chapter 248: Something Weighs on Your Mind
Luo Yueguan’s hand gently stroked Jiang Huai’s forehead.
The light outside the window was dim. Jiang Huai closed his eyes, faintly hearing the sound of light rain. Luo Yueguan’s legs felt so soft, and a faint fragrance lingered at the tip of Jiang Huai’s nose.
The room seemed to instantly become tranquil.
The chaotic thoughts in his heart gradually calmed down. The fatigue and loss also gradually melted away in the sound of the rain. Time seemed to slow down, and he gradually fell asleep, his breathing becoming even.
Luo Yueguan lowered her head, quietly looking at his features for a long, long time.
…
The Spirit Boat arrived above Tian Xuan Sect.
Luo Yueguan ascended on her sword, with Jiang Huai standing behind her. Soon, the flying sword brought the two to the courtyard gate. Jiang Huai gently pushed the door open. In the courtyard, Chu Xianning was sitting by the lotus pond, dressed in a simple and elegant white dress for summer. Her slender calves were submerged in the pond water, and several koi fish swam past her delicate bare feet.
The rain had stopped at some point, and the ground was still slightly damp. Chu Xianning’s expression remained as cold as ever. Her dark pupils seemed to reflect the light of ice in the dim light.
When Luo Yueguan quietly glanced at Jiang Huai, she caught a glimpse of the tenderness in his eyes at that instant. Suddenly, her chest felt as if it had been lightly pricked, and an indescribable pain spread throughout her body.
Had he ever shown such tenderness to her? Had he? Or hadn’t he? Luo Yueguan suddenly realized she couldn’t remember.
“I’m back,” Jiang Huai said softly to Chu Xianning.
Chu Xianning turned her head, her gaze merely glancing at him faintly. She nodded slightly, then turned back to look at the lotus flowers in the courtyard. The lush green lotus leaves swayed gently in the breeze, and the buds were preparing to bloom.
Jiang Huai was accustomed to Chu Xianning’s indifference. It would be strange if Chu Xianning rushed into his arms for a hug upon his return. He walked into the courtyard at a leisurely pace and then asked, “Has Master had dinner yet?”
Chu Xianning shook her head.
“Should I make something?”
“Not hungry.”
“Alright, is Qingyu staying here now?”
“She’s temporarily staying with Wen Wanwan.”
“Oh… did she choose to go herself?”
“Yes.”
Chu Xianning answered all of Jiang Huai’s questions calmly. Then, she stood up from the edge of the pond. Crystal clear water droplets flowed down her calves. Her eyes glanced at Jiang Huai, and then shifted to Luo Yueguan beside him.
A moment later, a hint of surprise appeared on her brow, and she asked, “You’ve broken through?”
“Fifth Level Transc Perfection,” Luo Yueguan said, tilting her head slightly.
“Congratulations.”
“Your disciple spent fifteen million Spirit Stones, plus my own savings of five million Spirit Stones, to buy me a Cold Soul Snow Spirit. After refining it, I naturally broke through. It’s a pity I’m still a little short of Fifth Level Transc.”
Although Luo Yueguan’s tone was as calm as she could manage, there was still a hint of pride in it. However, Chu Xianning’s expression remained unchanged. She simply nodded lightly and said, “You’ll reach it soon. You can’t rush these things.”
She always had such a detached demeanor.
An indescribable anger welled up in Luo Yueguan’s heart again. Even though she knew Chu Xianning had no trace of jealousy, and was simply congratulating her calmly, she still felt a tightness in her chest, as if she couldn’t breathe.
Jiang Huai first put down the two cats he was holding. He needed to prepare their bowls and litter boxes, and teach the two kittens how to use them. For the time being, only Luo Yueguan and Chu Xianning remained in the courtyard.
Luo Yueguan approached the chessboard and looked up at Chu Xianning. “Shall we play a game?”
Chu Xianning sat down opposite her and calmly picked up a white piece. Her eyes remained cold and aloof.
The first game quickly ended with Luo Yueguan’s defeat, as did the second. By the third game, Chu Xianning gathered the pieces on the chessboard and said indifferently, “Your mind is not at peace. Playing more games will only result in the same outcome.”
“When was my mind not at peace?”
“I can sense it,” Chu Xianning said softly. “Has anything happened recently?”
Chu Xianning’s concern wasn’t overly enthusiastic, but the fact that she was willing to care about you was already extremely rare. Luo Yueguan was silent for a moment, then thought about it. “It’s nothing. My Inner Demon situation has also improved a lot recently, so you don’t need to worry.”
“Then why is your mind not at peace?”
“I don’t want to say.”
Chu Xianning nodded gently and then stopped asking. She continued, “How long will you be staying here?”
“It depends on when you ask me to leave,” Luo Yueguan said, a slight smile on her lips.
“Seven days.”
The Eastern Region Grand Competition at Qingmu Immortal Palace was less than half a month away. If Chu Xianning hadn’t said seven days, Luo Yueguan would have wanted to stay for half a month and depart with Chu Xianning directly.
“Why are you in such a hurry to get rid of me?” Luo Yueguan’s voice held a hint of suspicion.
“Luo Qingyu’s Cultivation level has also reached Fifth Level Transc Perfection. In seven days, you can take her back to Qingxuan Sect’s Qingxuan Youquan to break through.”
Qingxuan Youquan was a blessed land within Qingxuan Sect, with vast and pure Spiritual Qi. The success rate of breaking through within it would be greatly increased.
Although everything Chu Xianning said was reasonable, Luo Yueguan still had a strange intuition. She hummed, “Then I’ll leave in seven days. Where will I sleep?”
Chu Xianning pointed to a room. The room was right next to her own, but Luo Yueguan winked at her. “Can I sleep with you?”
“No,” Chu Xianning refused flatly, shaking her head.
“Tsk, still so stingy.” Luo Yueguan pouted in dissatisfaction. “I’m going to use your bathhouse.”
Chu Xianning nodded gently and watched Luo Yueguan get up and walk away. Her eyes remained as cold and deep as ever. A while later, Jiang Huai, having tidied up the cat bowls and litter boxes, began building nests for the two kittens. Chu Xianning remained silent, simply watching him quietly.
“Luo Yueguan bought them. She’ll take them with her when she leaves,” Jiang Huai explained to Chu Xianning.
“She actually wants to raise Spirit Beasts?” Chu Xianning’s voice held a hint of confusion.
“I see her idle all day, always overthinking. I thought I’d find a way for her to alleviate her loneliness. She promised she’d take good care of them. If she really can’t raise them, then I will,” Jiang Huai explained softly.
Chu Xianning nodded and said no more. After Jiang Huai finished building the cat nests, he sat down opposite Chu Xianning and said, “I went to Ziyun Pavilion and found some medicinal materials. Those materials can repair a small part of my Qi sea. The good news is that the speed of Spiritual Qi dissipation has slowed down. The bad news is that I still can’t store Spiritual Qi.”
“But at least it proves that the research direction is correct. I sold my Pill Formation techniques at Ziyun Pavilion and left three million Spirit Stones there to continue helping me find medicinal materials. The remaining Spirit Stones were used to buy that Cold Soul Snow Spirit for Luo Yueguan.”
Chu Xianning nodded gently but didn’t ask further questions.
Jiang Huai also knew that he didn’t need to explain this matter to Chu Xianning. Chu Xianning knew that he didn’t care much about Spirit Stones; if he spent them on Luo Yueguan, that was that. She wouldn’t be unhappy just because he spent Spirit Stones on Luo Yueguan and not on her.
If Chu Xianning would be jealous about this, Jiang Huai thought he would be quite happy.
Jiang Huai took out many pieces of jewelry and placed them on the table. He looked up at Chu Xianning and asked, “Is there anything you like, Master? Pick a couple of pieces.”
These were all jewelry that Jiang Huai had bought at Ziyun Pavilion. There were so many. He hadn’t thought about who to give them to when he bought them, so he decided to let them choose for themselves. Chu Xianning lowered her head and looked for a long time. In the end, she only picked out a particularly small tassel earring and said softly, “This one.”
Jiang Huai put away the rest of the jewelry. The master and disciple were silent again. Then, Jiang Huai picked up the chess pieces on the table and looked at Chu Xianning.
Then he lost to Chu Xianning again.
“Something weighs on your mind,” Chu Xianning said indifferently.
“You can tell that?” Jiang Huai was taken aback.
“I can sense it.”
“A little. I just haven’t figured out how to say it yet. I’ll tell you when I’ve thought it through, Master,” Jiang Huai replied softly. Chu Xianning nodded slightly, and the two began to play another game.
This time, Jiang Huai felt more at ease. It was just a pity that he still couldn’t beat Chu Xianning. After being thoroughly defeated a couple more times, he lost interest. Luo Yueguan, who had gone to bathe, also returned. As the two looked towards the sound of footsteps, Jiang Huai hastily averted his gaze, and a hint of displeasure flickered across Chu Xianning’s brow.
Chu Xianning’s displeasure was likely due to Luo Yueguan’s black nightgown, which exposed her back and cinched her waist, being rather immodest. Moreover, Luo Yueguan’s figure was so exceptionally proportioned. Her skin glowed like warm jade in the twilight. The hem of the skirt didn’t even reach her knees, barely covering half of her thighs. The neckline of her chest was also excessively low, and Luo Yueguan’s *tuantuan* was so full and round.
“Change into something else,” Chu Xianning said.
“What’s wrong?” Luo Yueguan asked innocently, feigning ignorance.
“You’re six hundred years old. Dress appropriately in front of your juniors,” Chu Xianning said, covering Jiang Huai’s eyes with her hand. She added coldly, “You are not allowed to look.”
Jiang Huai was speechless, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Luo Yueguan placed her hands on her hips. “Didn’t I wear this the last time I came to visit you? Why didn’t you say anything then?”
“Jiang Huai was young then.”
“Is he not young to us now? He’s only a nineteen-year-old youngster, and you can’t even look?”
“Go change,” Chu Xianning was too lazy to explain.
“You’re just jealous that my figure is better than yours, hmph.” Luo Yueguan showed no trace of shame. She then looked playfully at Jiang Huai, whose eyes were covered by Chu Xianning. “Don’t worry, Jiang Huai. Next time you come to Qingxuan Sect, Auntie Luo will quietly wear it for you to see.”
Chu Xianning’s expression remained indifferent. She merely glanced at Luo Yueguan again, and Luo Yueguan obediently returned to her room to change.
Jiang Huai wasn’t too uneasy. In the past, when he was fifteen or sixteen, Luo Yueguan often liked to tease him a bit when she visited the courtyard. Chu Xianning was already used to it. At this moment, Chu Xianning lowered her hand from covering Jiang Huai’s eyes and looked at his face.
Jiang Huai looked at Chu Xianning before him innocently.
“Does it look good?” Chu Xianning’s voice held a hint of displeasure.
“How could it be as good-looking as Master’s?”
“No flattery,” Chu Xianning tapped his lips with her fingertip and then said, “Luo Yueguan acts like a child around those she is intimate with. You are not allowed to fool around with her.”
“Oh…” Jiang Huai started to feel guilty.
If the conversation continued on this topic, Jiang Huai felt he would slip up. He hadn’t figured out how to confess everything that had happened with Luo Yueguan these past few days to Chu Xianning yet. He felt he could justify it, yet he also couldn’t. So, he began to try and change the subject. “It rained all day again today. How is your body feeling, Master?”
“Much better than before.”
“Shall I give you a shoulder massage?”
Chu Xianning fell silent for a moment, then eventually looked away and softly hummed in agreement.
