“It might hurt a little, Master. You’ll have to endure it for a moment.” Jiang Huai took out a silver needle. Chu Xianning bit her lip and finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Compared to the pain, the disobedient disciple’s touch on her white and tender little feet made her feel more uneasy. She wasn’t afraid of pain. Jiang Huai held the silver needle, carefully and with utmost seriousness, inserting it into the sole of Chu Xianning’s foot. Chu Xianning didn’t even make a sound, as if she had only been bitten by a mosquito.
After a little more than ten breaths, Jiang Huai removed the silver needle and looked at Chu Xianning. “Master, try circulating your spiritual qi?”
Chu Xianning instantly circulated her spiritual qi through her body. As expected, the acupoints on the sole of her foot that were previously blocked were now all open. The spiritual qi flowed much smoother than before. Jiang Huai’s secret technique was truly magical.
“You can’t casually open acupoints for just anyone from now on,” Chu Xianning advised softly.
If this secret technique were to fall into the wrong hands and become known to many, it would inevitably cause Jiang Huai a lot of trouble. Jiang Huai patted his chest. “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. I only help those closest to me.”
“Does Luo Yueguan count?”
“Her condition was a side effect of the cold toxin. How could that count?”
“Then… aside from her, have you only opened acupoints for me?” Chu Xianning asked him softly.
Jiang Huai was taken aback. He had subconsciously started to say yes, but then he suddenly remembered. No, that wasn’t right.
“There’s also Wen Wanwan. To cultivate the ‘Mist Slash’ from Master’s Silver Ray, two acupoints needed to be opened.”
“So she’s also a very close person.”
Chu Xianning’s voice was very calm. Jiang Huai looked into her eyes, not knowing what to say for a moment. Perhaps he could lie, but one lie always required countless others to cover it up. Lying would be unfair to Wen Wanwan.
He couldn’t just kiss Wen Wanwan and then deny everything.
“Yes, she counts as well,” Jiang Huai replied softly.
“Oh.” Chu Xianning responded faintly and stood up. “I’m going to bathe.”
Jiang Huai watched her figure walk towards the bathhouse. He didn’t know what else to say, as if he truly couldn’t say anything. He could only look up at the full moon in the sky.
When Chu Xianning emerged from the bathhouse, she had changed into a white, sheer long dress. The ankle visible beneath the hem was smooth and snow-white. She had already taken off her white silk stockings, and her hair was let down behind her. She simply stood there quietly, as cold and aloof as a beam of moonlight.
“I want to sleep in a little longer tomorrow. You don’t need to make breakfast for me.”
She glanced at Jiang Huai indifferently before walking towards her room. Jiang Huai still didn’t know what to say, so he could only agree and watch her return to her room. Chu Xianning closed the door, and he remained sitting alone in the courtyard, gazing at the moon.
***
The next day, early morning.
Since Chu Xianning wasn’t eating breakfast, Jiang Huai completely lost the motivation to prepare one. He casually cooked a bowl of noodles, slurped them down, and returned to his room to continue writing his “Warm Jade Exquisite Melody.” The submission deadline was approaching. He had almost finished the ending, and the version he had told Chu Xianning earlier was the bad ending he had planned.
But Chu Xianning didn’t like it, so he would change the ending. It didn’t matter to him. He wasn’t someone with scholarly integrity; he just felt that tragedies were more memorable. But if Chu Xianning didn’t like it, he could change it.
So, he had to overturn his work and rewrite it. At lunchtime, Chu Xianning still hadn’t left her room. Jiang Huai knocked on her door and asked softly. However, Chu Xianning only replied, “You eat.” So, Jiang Huai quickly made a dish to satisfy his hunger and retreated back to his room to continue writing his “Warm Jade Exquisite Melody.” It wasn’t until late at night that Jiang Huai opened his door and saw Chu Xianning practicing her sword in the courtyard.
She had changed back into her plain white Daoist robe. Her black hair was tied up with only a single ribbon. The serene and beautiful face was bathed in moonlight. Jiang Huai stood quietly under the eaves, watching the Moonlit fairy’s graceful sword dance.
Perhaps Chu Xianning wasn’t angry with him, but rather sulking with herself.
Jiang Huai sat quietly in the courtyard. At this moment, he suddenly understood what Wen Wanwan meant when she told him that day, “Just pretend nothing happened.” If he could just pretend nothing happened, he could honestly admit to Chu Xianning that Wen Wanwan was just an ordinary junior sister. Perhaps Wen Wanwan had meant for him to say that to Luo Qingyu, and then he wouldn’t have to worry about any burden. But it had led to an unexpected misunderstanding, which could also be applied to Chu Xianning.
But Jiang Huai actually guessed why Wen Wanwan had said that.
It was because she was alone, with no background in the sect, and her cultivation talent wasn’t particularly outstanding. That’s why she was always so cautious in front of him, and even in front of Luo Qingyu, she seemed meek and unable to hold her head up. Because of this, it seemed that every time they met, Wen Wanwan would have a slight succubus-like attribute. Perhaps it was precisely because of that little inferiority complex that she always felt that the only thing she deserved to be liked by Jiang Huai for was her body.
And because of this, Jiang Huai felt he couldn’t truly just pretend nothing happened.
***
Chu Xianning finished her sword practice.
“When are you going down the mountain?”
“Probably the day after tomorrow,” Jiang Huai replied softly.
“Then aren’t you going to hurry and accompany your Junior Sister Wanwan?”
Jiang Huai let out a chuckle.
His laughter caused Chu Xianning’s eyes to show a hint of annoyance.
“I used to hear that many mothers are particularly jealous of their sons’ wives. I didn’t believe it before, but it seems there’s some truth to it.”
“Who’s your mother?” Chu Xianning took a deep breath.
“But when I was little, Master always agreed when I called you Mother.”
“I told you not to call me that anymore. If you still do… it means you’re asking for it.”
“Yes, I’m asking for it. Master, please punish me.”
“Do you think I wouldn’t dare?”
“I don’t believe you. Master isn’t someone so unreasonable.”
As soon as Jiang Huai’s words fell, Chu Xianning had already raised her hand. Spiritual qi threads instantly attacked him. Before Jiang Huai could even speak again, he was pulled by the spiritual qi threads and tied to the ancient tree in the courtyard.
Chu Xianning walked towards him step by step, her hand clutching a segment of snake bone whip. The jade-white snake bone whip emitted a faint cold glow under the moonlight.
“I’m telling you now, I’m about to beat you until your skin is torn and your flesh is mangled. Do you believe me?” The hand holding the whip seemed to tremble slightly.
“Although I’ve been beaten quite a bit since childhood, Master always had reasons for beating me, reasons I couldn’t refute. But if Master is going to beat me just because I’m close to another junior sister, then there’s absolutely no reason. Of course, Master is Master. She doesn’t need a reason to discipline her disciple.” Jiang Huai, tied up like a bundled-up rice dumpling, looked innocently at Chu Xianning.
He didn’t really care about being beaten by Chu Xianning. He knew that Chu Xianning must be feeling awkward in her heart right now, perhaps with a little resentment. It would be good for her to vent her resentment.
“Your closeness with Junior Sister has nothing to do with me. But I said, you can’t call me Mother anymore. I’m not your mother. You could call me that when you were young and ignorant. Now that you’re grown up, you can’t. Is this reason enough for me to whip you?”
“Enough,” Jiang Huai nodded.
“You are my disciple. I have already arranged your marriage with Luo Qingyu, yet you are involved with other women before the wedding. Is this reason enough for me to whip you again?”
Jiang Huai suddenly laughed.
“What are you laughing at?” Chu Xianning took a deep breath.
“No, I was just wondering if Master has any other reasons?”
“Are you saying my second reason is unreasonable?”
“No, I think Master is right. I was wrong.” Jiang Huai had no intention of arguing with Chu Xianning. He said softly, “Wanwan and I are indeed close. But I am not yet married, so I am not Luo Qingyu’s husband. It doesn’t seem unreasonable for me to be close to any woman. Even if I were to be disciplined, it should be Qingyu who disciplines me. Master didn’t ask for my opinion before, and then she hastily arranged my marriage with Luo Qingyu. I didn’t even have a chance to say a word.”
“Do you have an opinion?”
“Not really. I just feel that Master should have discussed it with me, right? Just like when Luo Yueguan eagerly came to break off the engagement without even asking Luo Qingyu’s opinion. The first time Master arranged my engagement, she threatened to expel me from the sect if I refused. The second time she finalized my wedding date, she didn’t ask me at all. We’ve known each other for so many years, but Master has been unreasonable like Luo Yueguan only those two times.”
Jiang Huai looked gently at Chu Xianning. “I don’t blame Master at all. I just feel a little wronged. For such an important matter… Master should have discussed it with me properly.”
“Are you saying you won’t marry Luo Qingyu?” Chu Xianning stared at him intently.
“No. But is the end of the year too soon? My cultivation might not even be recovered by the end of the year. Is Master in such a hurry to send me away? Master has always liked peace and quiet. Once Luo Qingyu and I are married, I can’t live with Master every day anymore. I’ll have to move out. Then I won’t be able to see each other every day like I do now… I’ve been having trouble sleeping at nights recently. I’m not ready for that yet. I don’t want to get married so soon. I still want to stay by Master’s side and fulfill my filial duties for a longer time.”
Chu Xianning fell silent.
Jiang Huai had grown up under her eyes. She could distinguish when he was pretending to be wronged and when he was genuinely wronged.
Everything Jiang Huai said now was filled with genuine grievance, not an act.
She couldn’t refute Jiang Huai, nor could she explain why she had subconsciously agreed to Luo Yueguan’s proposal back then. Perhaps it was because Luo Yueguan always joked about her and Jiang Huai’s relationship, which made her restless and uneasy, so she finalized the marriage without asking Jiang Huai.
She had thought Jiang Huai wouldn’t have any objections, anyway… he was already so close to Luo Qingyu, and Luo Qingyu liked him so much. An early marriage might not be a bad thing for them.
Chu Xianning remained silent for a long time. The clear moonlight fell on her cheeks. After a long while, she raised her eyes and looked at Jiang Huai with a cold gaze. “When did I ever say that I would ask you to move out after you got married?”
Jiang Huai was stunned, then blinked at her.
“That’s just it. Luo Yueguan thinks the same way. She hopes that in the future, Luo Qingyu can come live on Guanxue Mountain. To learn sword from Master, and then the three of us will live in the same courtyard. How lively that will be.”
Chu Xianning was taken aback.
Previously, Jiang Huai’s face was indeed full of grievance, not an act.
But now, the smile on his lips seemed just as genuine.
