Chapter 985: Cliché Master-Disciple Romance

“Wait, carrying me with your small body will look strange.”

“Then… you can ride on me?” Liuli paused before kneeling. Although she was the Colored Flags, Ye Wenxin thought riding astride her would be too crazy.

But she couldn’t enter someone’s dream without physical contact with Liuli. Ultimately, she chose to be princess-carried. Liuli seemed quite happy as she held the taller Ye Wenxin and flew toward Han Shanxue.

The moment they nearly touched her, a light flashed, pulling them into Han Shanxue’s dream world.

Pure white snow covered everything as far as the eye could see, matching Han Shanxue’s name. Nothing else caught their attention. The surroundings stretched endlessly, with no other dream elements visible.

Noticing Ye Wenxin searching, Liuli pointed toward somewhere in the distance. “Master, they’re still far away.”

Ye Wenxin hesitated before asking, “So, how do we get there?”

Liuli kneeled again. It was an obvious invitation to ride her.

“Do we really have to do this?”

“Yes, Master. Riding me is the fastest. After all, this is someone else’s dream, and you have no control here.” Liuli’s tone and actions were natural. She had no idea how suggestive her words sounded.

Ye Wenxin wasn’t exactly a model student at this moment. However, worried the dream might end soon, she cautiously climbed onto Liuli.

Liuli gave a pleased smile, turned into a white light, and disappeared into the snowy landscape. Before Ye Wenxin knew it, they had reached a mountain.

Wind and snow whipped around them, blocking the sky. A woman identical to Han Shanxue floated in the air. Beside a house nearby, two women watched everything.

One was Immortal Lord Taohua, the woman who haunted Ye Wenxin’s dreams. The other looked very much like Fairy Fengya, but even more beautiful.

They possessed indescribable beauty, exuding ethereal quality. One was black, the other white. The two stood with little space between them, indicating an intimate relationship.

Not once had they looked Ye Wenxin’s way, solely focused on Han Shanxue.

“Feng Jiu, you took in an exceptional disciple. She’s mastered my Cherished Flower Scroll to this extent in such a short time.”

Immortal Lord Taohua spoke first. Feng Jiu gave her a side glance but said nothing. That emotionless face looked exactly like Fairy Fengya’s punch-worthy expression.

Ye Wenxin had only suspected it before. However, seeing Feng Jiu’s true appearance now convinced her that Fairy Fengya was her reincarnation. Immortal Lord Taohua might’ve descended to the mortal realm to rekindle their past relationship.

A wave of irritation rose within her, but Ye Wenxin kept watching.

Before long, Han Shanxue suddenly fell from the air. She coughed up blood, her stunning face paling. Immortal Lord Taohua immediately checked on her while Feng Jiu stayed where she was.

Even though Han Shanxue was Feng Jiu’s disciple, she showed little concern. Instead, Immortal Lord Taohua acted more like her master. With a flick of her hand, the snow covering the entire mountain melted, and trees began to glow, making the snowy mountain from moments ago seem like an illusion.

Immortal Lord Taohua didn’t stop there. Her hand glowing with green light, she tapped Han Shanxue’s body a few times.

Han Shanxue’s complexion gradually improved and returned to normal in a few breaths. This secret technique was likely Spring Upon a Withered Tree¹, Cherished Flower Scroll’s healing art.

Ye Wenxin knew Immortal Lord Taohua was powerful but didn’t expect the Cherished Flower Scroll to be able to defy nature and create such a miracle. She watched with a complicated expression.

Han Shanxue rose and respectfully bowed to Immortal Lord Taohua.

“Thank you for your help, Master’s wife.”

“You said it yourself—I’m your Master’s wife. You don’t need to thank me for something like this. Here are the other techniques from the Cherished Flower Scroll. You should learn these, too, since you’ve already mastered Tundra Demesne.”

Even though Han Shanxue’s face was as cold as a thousand-year glacier, Immortal Lord Taohua smiled radiantly and gently patted her head.

Han Shanxue briefly stiffened but didn’t resist and politely uttered her thanks. After giving her a few more instructions, Immortal Lord Taohua quickly left. Han Shanxue remained where she was, staring blankly at the woman’s retreating figure.

So far, this didn’t look like a nightmare. But Ye Wenxin sensed that Han Shanxue also seemed drawn to Immortal Lord Taohua. She just hid it due to Taohua’s relationship with Feng Jiu.

Still, Ye Wenxin had no interest in some cliché drama of an ice queen disciple falling for her master’s wife. She approached Han Shanxue to glimpse those techniques and satisfy her thirst for knowledge.

However, she couldn’t see the characters, as if a seal prevented her from reading them.

Han Shanxue only glanced at the manual a few times before storing it in her bag of holding. She then walked toward the house, trying to peek inside.

As a guest, Ye Wenxin could slip into the house unnoticed. What she saw made her pause.

Immortal Lord Taohua held Feng Jiu from behind. Feng Jiu looked like a lifeless doll, unmoving as Immortal Lord Taohua kissed her lips. “Why don’t you treat your disciple better?”

“……”

Immortal Lord Taohua sighed at her silence and teasingly left a mark on Feng Jiu’s neck. Feng Jiu didn’t resist, only turned toward her.

“Time is running out.”

“So you keep saying, but what time are you referring to?” Immortal Lord Taohua became even more confused. She tried to stir some emotion in Feng Jiu, but Feng Jiu remained distant and cold.

That scene looked exactly like Ye Wenxin and Fairy Fengya’s interactions. For some reason, even though she should’ve felt enmity toward Immortal Lord Taohua, all she felt now was sympathy.

Unlike Han Shanxue, Feng Jiu seemed completely unresponsive. Immortal Lord Taohua looked at Feng Jiu’s beautiful body again and tempted her, “Xiao Jiujiu, it’s been so long since we did that.”

Feng Jiu’s placid eyes finally showed a ripple of emotion. Ye Wenxin thought she was about to witness something steamy in Han Shanxue’s dream.

But the two suddenly started fighting.

Sure, there was passion and tension as a thunderstorm raged over the mountain right after it finally regained its peace.

Ye Wenxin stood there, mouth agape. She wanted to retort but held it back in the end.

No matter how many lifetimes had passed, even after reincarnation, Fairy Fengya only ever cared about cultivation. Ye Wenxin even suspected that Feng Jiu hooked up with Immortal Lord Taohua because the woman could help improve her cultivation.

Watching them battle back and forth, Ye Wenxin lost all interest. Han Shanxue gazed upward at the pair, seemingly murmuring something.

Ye Wenxin tried to lean in and listen, but the scene suddenly froze, and she felt a force pulling at her.

“Master, Han Shanxue noticed,” Liuli’s voice came through, immediately dragging Ye Wenxin away at full speed.

The dream shattered, and Ye Wenxin returned to reality. She fell from the air, landing squarely in Han Shanxue’s arms.

Han Shanxue coldly stared at her.

Liuli had already vanished without a trace. Though the two had committed the infiltration together, only Ye Wenxin remained to face Han Shanxue’s wrath.

“Master, I was worried you might get cold, so I sat in your lap to warm you up.” Ye Wenxin bluffed her way through the overwhelming embarrassment.

Han Shanxue glanced at her, then reached out and stroked her head. The strange gesture unnerved Ye Wenxin. She would’ve preferred Han Shanxue to lose her temper or freeze her.

But Han Shanxue just gently petted her hair.

“I will treat you well.”

“???”

Ye Wenxin was stunned.

But then she recalled Han Shanxue had never received any care from Feng Jiu. Now, it seemed she didn’t want to be as harsh as her master, even if her disciple looked nothing like a proper student.

Ye Wenxin felt like she just insulted herself.

“Disciple, how did your practice go?” asked Han Shanxue.

Ye Wenxin immediately demonstrated her spark. Han Shanxue patted her head again.

“Disciple, you’ve done well.”

Ye Wenxin was so mortified she wanted to die. She felt like Han Shanxue was mocking her talent. Yet, given Han Shanxue’s straightforwardness, she couldn’t have meant anything that complicated.

Under such embarrassing praise, Ye Wenxin’s face turned bright red, and she accidentally bit her tongue. “Master, I’ll keep working hard.”

She didn’t know why she was suddenly acting like an actual disciple. However, the way Han Shanxue spoke left her no room to say anything else.

Han Shanxue gave a small nod and added, “Also, don’t sit on me so casually from now on.”

Ye Wenxin coughed. “It was an accident.”

Han Shanxue acted as if she didn’t hear. “That is my future wife’s seat.”

Ye Wenxin hurriedly got off her. Things between them were still a bit awkward, after all.

Han Shanxue slowly stood. Seemingly recalling something, she lowered her gaze and looked at her hands.

Meanwhile, Ye Wenxin had already pieced together a full-blown love triangle drama in her head. She was even more certain that the emotional entanglements between Fairy Zhuling, Feng Jiu, Immortal Lord Taohua, and Han Shanxue must’ve been quite a mess.

“Master, what kind of person was your master?” Ye Wenxin couldn’t resist asking. Considering Feng Jiu’s indifferent demeanor, she wondered how this pitiful girl had made it through.

“A good person.”

“……”

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Footnotes:

1. 1. This is a Chinese idiom, meaning “new lease on life; revival; sudden improvement of a difficult situation” ↩︎