Chapter 156: Tribulation of Emotions is Hard

During lunch, Long Qing’er showed even more enthusiasm, not hiding her liking for her friend Ye Wenxin at all. Treating her like a friend made Ye Wenxin feel like a little kid.

“Senior Sister Qing’er, weren’t you afraid our closeness would be discovered? Why are you so bold today?” Ye Wenxin asked Long Qing’er with a forced smile, not understanding why Long Qing’er was acting so unusual today.

“Is there anything wrong with that?” returned Long Qing’er, putting a piece of meat into Ye Wenxin’s bowl.

“It’s fine, it’s just that the sudden change is a bit unsettling,” Ye Wenxin forced a smile, looking around at the people whispering and pointing.

Everyone knew that Ye Wenxin had climbed up the social ladder through Ling Jue’s influence, even becoming a Beginner Alchemist. But seeing Ye Wenxin have lunch with Long Qing’er, the Golden Age Dynasty’s princess, was truly surprising.

Although Long Qing’er was known for being crafty and unruly, there were countless people who wanted to get close to her in order to climb higher, but now, Ye Wenxin’s effortless success in doing so left everyone puzzled.

Some people even brought up the fact that Long Qing’er had known Ye Wenxin for a long time, even mythologizing Ye Wenxin as a scion of a mysterious, hidden clan.

Even more strangely, there was indeed a mysterious, hidden Ye Clan in this world. Ye Wenxin could only smile wryly as she listened to these gossips, making this meal far from peaceful.

By the end of the day, Ye Wenxin had become well-known.

On one hand, people talked about Ye Wenxin’s shamelessness on the field, and on the other hand, they enjoyed discussing her relationships with others. Ye Wenxin felt helpless; she did not want to be famous at all, but it seemed that the low profile she desired had disappeared.

“Baili Mu, how are you asleep again?” Ye Wenxin was confounded to see Baili Mu apparently sleeping while holding a book. But when she looked closer, she found Baili Mu was not asleep at all; her roommate had been knocked out.

The same old plot, a simple trick. Probably only Fairy Fengya could effortlessly pull off such a feat.

The candlelight flickered, then returned to its original state. Fairy Fengya had appeared, as if out of nowhere, still in her white robes, resembling a ghost beneath the moonlight.

If she were a ghost, she would be the most beautiful one in the world.

Ye Wenxin stared at Fairy Fengya for a few seconds, then finally set down her book and greeted her with a clasped fist.

“Master, why have you come?” Ye Wenxin’s attitude was not particularly warm. She used to always think about Fairy Fengya, wondering when she would appear, or when she would kick the bucket.

But now, as Fairy Fengya appeared more and more in her life, Ye Wenxin became increasingly annoyed.

She could not help but feel that with Fairy Fengya showing up so often, Baili Mu might end up becoming mentally impaired.

“You’re doing well.”

“Master, did you hear it from someone else, or did you see it with your own eyes?” Ye Wenxin’s distrust of Fairy Fengya became even stronger. She thought of the pitiful Gu Aotian; if only Fairy Fengya had shown him a little love, he would not have ended up as a common disciple.

Despite being an enviable closed-door disciple, he seemed to have not benefited at all.

Fairy Fengya silently raised her hand.

Ye Wenxin was puzzled. She reflexively prepared to check Fairy Fengya’s pulse, but suddenly realized how strange her behavior was. After a moment’s thought, she withdrew her hand and continued, “Master, what do you want to convey?”

Fairy Fengya remained seated, her hand outstretched. Though Ye Wenxin felt helpless, she saw Fairy Fengya conjure a thick book. On the blue cover were the words [Immortal Sect Grand Tournament Finals Roster], and upon closer inspection, the ink had not dried yet.

Ye Wenxin took the roster and flipped through it. She saw her own name, and her next opponent, Zhang Taitai. The opponent was a disciple from the Broken Dragon Cave, and according to the records, this senior brother’s cultivation was two realms higher than hers.

“Master, perhaps you should change your disciple.” Ye Wenxin furrowed her brows. With her current level, she would not stand a chance in this fight.

“Fear not; I will assist you,” Fairy Fengya responded. Ye Wenxin could not tell if she had come specifically to create pressure for her, or to reassure her.

Ye Wenxin became even more curious about how Fairy Fengya would help her. After pondering for a moment, she decided not to ask anything, creating more anticipation and suspense for the future.

After doing all this, Fairy Fengya intended to leave quickly.

“Master, you’re leaving already?” Although Ye Wenxin finally had some understanding of her master, her coldness was still difficult to get used to.

Fairy Fengya stopped in her tracks, and looked at Ye Wenxin. “Is there anything else?”

The tone remained as cold as ever, as if Fairy Fengya did not want to stay any longer with Ye Wenxin.

Ye Wenxin, who had always been loved by everyone, finally tasted the feeling of being ignored, but this Fairy Fengya presented more of a challenge.

So, how could she make this woman notice her?

“Master, although we’ve been master and disciple for several months, we don’t really understand each other. How about we chat and get to know each other better?” Ye Wenxin thought of the simplest way to understand what kind of person Fairy Fengya was: Q and A.

Would she be like Hall Master Bai Chi of Shura Hall, who got Alzheimer’s, or like Head Senior Sister Qian Bingxue, who was cold inside and out?

Fairy Fengya looked at Ye Wenxin for a few seconds before finally choosing to sit on the chair nearby. Her movements were precise, as if she were following instructions like a robot.

Ye Wenxin asked Fairy Fengya some trivial questions, hoping to elicit more responses, but Fairy Fengya was as tight-lipped as ever, showing no intention of interacting with her.

Ye Wenxin: Master, where are you from?

Fairy Fengya: …

Especially when she asked about Fairy Fengya’s background and birth, her silence could only be described as eerie. Ye Wenxin had already asked all the questions she could think of, ranging from what Fairy Fengya liked to eat to what she disliked.

“Master, you have to interact with me a bit. Otherwise, who would dare to be your disciple in the future?” Ye Wenxin sighed, feeling frustrated with the cold and aloof Fairy Fengya.

Fairy Fengya finally frowned slightly and continued, “Are these things important?”

It seemed that in her eyes, the mundane world was all but an illusion. Her obsession was only with becoming stronger through continuous cultivation, without being tainted by any other color.

“But don’t you find this kind of life boring?” Ye Wenxin could not help but ask again. It was hard to imagine how Fairy Fengya had lived up to this point.

Fairy Fengya seemed unable to understand Ye Wenxin’s sentiment. As their eyes met, she could see sympathy in Ye Wenxin’s eyes.

This expression annoyed Fairy Fengya a little, but she could not understand why she was experiencing such a strange feeling.

The great-grandma began to remind Fairy Fengya again to stay true to her original intention.

Fairy Fengya: Why is she showing such a subtle expression?

Zhu Ling: Mistress, this woman doesn’t understand the joy of cultivation. She only sees you as a martial maniac.

Fairy Fengya: Is being a martial maniac bad? It’s better than her shallow way of cultivating, entangling herself with many others.

Zhu Ling: Mistress, you’re getting emotional again.

Fairy Fengya: Can she really help me overcome the Tribulation of Emotions?

Zhu Ling: Mistress, haven’t you noticed that you’ve been emotional lately?

Fairy Fengya fell silent, as if realizing the intensity of her recent emotions.

Zhu Ling: Mistress, perhaps you can try indulging your emotions. Going against the norm might lead to unexpected breakthroughs.

The great-grandma advised again, but Fairy Fengya did not want to speak anymore, vaguely sensing that she could not do that. If she lifted the restrictions on her emotions, the power would backlash against her.

Fairy Fengya looked at Ye Wenxin, who was still talking. She had seemed so impatient with her just now, yet now she was chatting with her for so long.

She seemed to genuinely want to understand her, but Fairy Fengya ironically realized that the first half of her life was a blank slate, with nothing she could say.

“Sigh, Master, you’ll end up alone like this.” This was the sentence Fairy Fengya heard Ye Wenxin say the most, with a look and tone of disappointment out of worry for her.

Fairy Fengya had never responded to this sentence in any way. Thinking about what Zhu Ling had said earlier, and Ye Wenxin’s efforts just now, she finally spoke up.

“You and I will become Dao companions, why would I be alone?” Fairy Fengya had meant this as a joke, but she saw the astonished expression on Ye Wenxin’s face, even taking a few steps back, looking at her with a strange expression.

Fairy Fengya became even more bewildered. Ye Wenxin was the one lusting after her, but her attitude was extremely subtle, showing inadvertent disgust and even hatred, as if Fairy Fengya had done something heinous to provoke such a reaction from Ye Wenxin.

She could neither comprehend nor see through it. After a moment of thought, Fairy Fengya stood up to leave.

However, this time, there was no sign of reluctance in Ye Wenxin’s eyes, and she even looked quite happy as she asked, “Master, are you leaving?”

“I am.” For the first time, Fairy Fengya felt a bit gloomy, but after thinking about it, Ye Wenxin was just a fourteen-year-old child, no matter how stubborn she was. She just nodded and did not ask any more questions.

But that feeling of gloom lingered in her mind, badgering and making her disgruntled.