“Hah?”
Jiang Huai thought Chu Xianning’s punishment was over. Given Chu Xianning’s personality, she would usually relent a little after the punishment and give him a small reward. However, upon hearing that the punishment wasn’t over, Jiang Huai felt a flicker of anticipation.
Chu Xianning’s punishment last night… was quite interesting.
While it was indeed tormenting, it was also quite sensual. He rarely saw Chu Xianning acting so cute, so he deliberately leaned closer to her ear and whispered, “Then how else do you want to punish me, Ningning?”
“You’re not allowed to call me Ningning,” Chu Xianning replied coldly, her tone more commanding than usual. Her eyes were calm, “Once I allow you to call me Ningning, you’ll become even more presumptuous when you bully me.”
Chu Xianning suddenly realized that after accepting the name Ningning, she seemed to have become at a disadvantage in front of Jiang Huai, as if the roles of attacker and defender had reversed, making her feel particularly awkward.
Jiang Huai felt a slight weakness in his legs and immediately changed his address, “Then… how do you want to punish me, Master?”
Chu Xianning didn’t turn around, her gaze fixed on the swirling noodles in the pot. She said calmly, “You seem to be particularly fearless.”
“Do I? Where? I’m not…”
Even as he said this, Jiang Huai couldn’t help but chuckle. Chu Xianning’s punishment last night had been so amusing, and he was genuinely curious now as to how she would punish him further. He felt that her punishments also carried a hint of reward.
His aloof Master was always so incredibly cute.
“Eat first.”
Chu Xianning scooped out the noodles. A bowl of clear broth was garnished with a drizzle of scallion oil and soy sauce, blanched with a few crisp, sweet winter baby bok choy leaves, sprinkled with chopped scallions, and topped with a perfectly fried egg, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
The heavy snow still hadn’t stopped. Outside the pavilion, the world was blanketed in white. Jiang Huai and Chu Xianning sat in the pavilion, finishing their steaming bowls of noodle soup. Today, Chu Xianning was back in her white Daoist robe. Her cool demeanor had returned, like the cold and aloof Master she once was.
Jiang Huai cleared away the bowls and chopsticks and returned to the pavilion. He looked at Chu Xianning, who seemed to be frowning but was actually full of anticipation.
“Let’s go out to admire the snow with me,” Chu Xianning said softly.
Jiang Huai tilted his head, looking puzzled.
This hardly felt like a punishment; he couldn’t wish for anything more. Yet, Chu Xianning calmly stated, “Turn into a fox.”
“Huh?”
Jiang Huai conjured his fox ears and tail, but Chu Xianning added, “Your demonic true form.”
Ah, now Jiang Huai understood.
Despite a hint of reluctance on his face, Jiang Huai obediently transformed into his demonic true form: a nine-tailed demon fox, entirely snow-white. His demonic true form was enormous, comfortably able to seat Chu Xianning. Chu Xianning walked beside him and calmly sat down to his left. She lightly gripped a tuft of fur at his neck and asked, “Shall we go?”
And so, Fox Jiang carried Chu Xianning out of the courtyard.
Initially, Jiang Huai thought he had lost all shame. Chu Xianning’s move was clearly a “harm yourself to harm the enemy” tactic. His reputation had already spread throughout the Eastern Region, and news of the Five Regions Grand Competition had reached there as well. Many knew he possessed the Fox Clan bloodline. Now, transforming into his Nine-Tailed Fox true form, it wouldn’t be difficult for people to guess it was him. However, Chu Xianning’s expression was incredibly calm and composed.
Indeed, Chu Xianning was the type of woman who became cold and aloof when pushed to the brink of embarrassment. Jiang Huai’s fox tail swayed as he carried her across the sect’s mountain range. Looking at the trees in the snow, Chu Xianning’s buttocks felt soft against him. Jiang Huai, however, felt increasingly awkward. After walking for a while, he grumbled softly, “Master is bullying me.”
“So you do feel embarrassed,” Chu Xianning’s fingertip lightly toyed with his fox ear, she said faintly.
“A little, yes,” Jiang Huai mumbled. “But when I think about the person riding on me being Master, it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Alas, a disciple should serve their Master, be it as a horse or a fox. It doesn’t matter.” Fox Jiang began to wag his head and happily stick out his tongue, acting like a foolish fox.
He ambled slowly through the mountain gate. Chu Xianning had seen the snow scenery within the mountain gate. The disciples passing by cast curious glances. Chu Xianning’s reputation was well-known, but everyone was more curious about whose true form was under her. Could this be the champion of the Five Regions Grand Competition, Jiang Huai?
Chu Xianning’s earlobes gradually turned a faint pink. She bit her lip lightly and gently toyed with his ear with her fingertip, softly saying, “You once wrote in a book that if a man loses his dignity, he loses everything. The more he bows his head before a woman, the lower he will sink, until he sinks lower than dust.”
“I did say that,” Fox Jiang tilted his head up. “But in front of my beloved Master, there’s nothing wrong with making a fool of myself. As long as I can make Master happy, Fox Fox will do anything.”
“Little vixen.”
“Hehehe.”
Jiang Huai and Chu Xianning had been wandering the mountain gate for nearly half an hour, people and fox chatting while admiring the snow. They gradually arrived at the foot of the mountain. Jiang Huai suddenly thought of something and said softly, “Master, why don’t you ride on me? I’ll give you a ride.”
Chu Xianning hesitated for a moment, but with no one around and the forest at the foot of the mountain sealed off by heavy snow, no disciples ventured there. So, Chu Xianning stood up and mounted Jiang Huai. Jiang Huai then added, “You can lean forward a little and hug me.”
Chu Xianning did not obey obediently, merely gripping his neck fur. The next moment, the fox beneath her surged forward like lightning. Wind and thunder roared past Chu Xianning’s ears. Instinctively, she clamped her calves tightly around Fox Jiang’s lower abdomen.
The wind and snow howled past them. Chu Xianning’s body finally leaned forward slightly, pressing against his. She whispered into Jiang Huai’s ear, “Have you carried others like this before?”
“Of course not,” Jiang Huai replied immediately. “Only Master can.”
Fox Jiang then took Chu Xianning on a wild ride through the snow-covered plains before finally stopping at a bluestone platform in the heart of a lake at the foot of the mountain. Jiang Huai took out his fishing rod, and he and Chu Xianning sat shoulder to shoulder, fishing.
Snow fell on the lake, and the sky was dim. Chu Xianning’s skin was as fair and warm as jade.
Jiang Huai subtly turned his head to look at Chu Xianning’s profile. He seemed to see a faint smile at the corner of her lips. Now he knew that Chu Xianning’s slight resentment had disappeared. He softly said, “Master, I’ve cultivated the Azure Water Green Vine Divine Art to the sixth stage. We can depart for the Southern Region the day after tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Chu Xianning softly agreed.
The master and disciple fell silent again. Occasionally, a spirit fish would bite the hook. In the end, they released all the fish they caught. The two walked back to the mountain gate from the foot of the mountain shoulder to shoulder. Good, now those who had seen Chu Xianning riding a fox down the mountain no longer needed to guess who that fox was; it was him, Jiang Huai.
In the past, when Jiang Huai accompanied Chu Xianning, he would always walk half a step behind her. Chu Xianning was the Master, and he was the disciple; this was a matter of etiquette. But now, he walked side-by-side with Chu Xianning. If observed from a distance, it vaguely gave a sense of harmonious perfection.
Back in the courtyard, Jiang Huai began to teach Chu Xianning how to prepare hot pot ingredients. They sat in the pavilion. Outside, heavy snow blizzards raged. They began to cook a clear broth hot pot. The steaming vapor swirled, as if dispelling all the coldness of the wind and snow.
At night, Jiang Huai did not sneak into Chu Xianning’s room again.
Since they were going on a journey the day after tomorrow, he went to accompany Wanwan.
***
The morning of the day after tomorrow, Jiang Huai finally returned to the courtyard.
Chu Xianning was practicing her sword in the courtyard. Today, she wore a black Daoist robe, elegant and understated. The dark color seemed to enhance her cold aura. Her sword danced through the snow, emanating a brilliant light, slicing the snowflakes into two.
But when she raised her eyes to look at Jiang Huai, her lips parted slightly, and her dark pupils trembled for a moment.
“You…”
What surprised Chu Xianning, naturally, was Jiang Huai’s current cultivation level. She clearly remembered that when Jiang Huai left the courtyard two days ago, his cultivation was at the perfected Mahayana third stage. But now, as he returned to the courtyard, his cultivation was at the perfected Mahayana fifth stage.
If she didn’t know Jiang Huai’s character so well, having watched him since he was a child, she would have suspected he had used some evil cultivation techniques.
This was naturally thanks to the High-level Experience Scrolls he had obtained a few days ago. However, he couldn’t explain it clearly to Chu Xianning right now, so he could only say, “I accidentally broke through.”
Jiang Huai no longer hoarded experience scrolls. After all, they were going to the Southern Region, and it was better to be prepared. Raising his cultivation was a good thing.
Chu Xianning was speechless for a moment, unsure of what else to say. Meanwhile, Jiang Huai had already taken out a Spirit Boat, which belonged to Luo Yueguan and she had left for him. Chu Xianning and Jiang Huai boarded the Spirit Boat, set the navigation route, and in two days, they would arrive in the Southern Region.
Two days was considered a long journey. In the room, Jiang Huai and Chu Xianning played a game of chess.
Even now, relying on his own skill, he was still utterly defeated by Chu Xianning, whether it was in Chinese chess, Go, or Five in a Row. In frustration, he took out Ludo and finally won a game after pestering Chu Xianning for five or six rounds. Chu Xianning calmly said it was boring, but he sat there gloating.
At noon, Jiang Huai cooked two simple dishes in the small kitchen he had set up on the Spirit Boat. After they ate, Chu Xianning leaned back on the bed, holding an old scroll and quietly reading.
Jiang Huai, on the other hand, continued to study the Azure Water Green Vine Divine Art. When he tired of studying, he would put down the scroll, glance back at Chu Xianning’s face, and then look at her white and tender little feet peeking out from under the covers. However, as soon as she noticed his gaze, Chu Xianning would retract her delicate jade feet back into the covers. Jiang Huai said softly, “I’m just looking.”
“No looking,” she replied.
“Master is a cheapskate,” he grumbled softly. Chu Xianning merely continued to read her scroll indifferently, ignoring him.
