But there are only twelve double hours in a single day.
Shan Tongtong was utterly astonished. She had initially thought that the disciples of these great sects lived in the lap of luxury and didn’t care about cultivation at all. Who would have guessed they were actually wrapped up in such fierce, cutthroat competition?
She couldn’t help but look at her with a bit more respect now.
“However, you don’t need to copy me.” Jiang Qianxun had been about to leave, but suddenly remembering something, she turned back and said, “Because I cultivated too intensely, a spiritual nodule formed inside my body. Right now, I’m recovering from the injury and my cultivation is on pause. You just stick to your usual intensity.”
This was simply too terrifying.
She felt a wave of solemn respect welling up inside her.
After Jiang Qianxun left, Shan Tongtong looked around her room. Suddenly, a profound sense of security washed over her. This was the first time she had a place to call her own. Even though it was only temporary, it was a space where no one else could barge in.
She touched this and patted that, feeling that everything was absolutely perfect.
This was wonderful. Finally… she finally didn’t have to sleep on the streets anymore.
Over on the other side, after taking her afternoon nap, Jiang Qianxun went to find her Master for her healing session as usual. Shen Qingchen was already waiting in the training room. Having calculated the time, she had prepared the mat and a soft quilt. After what had happened the previous night, her guard against Jiang Qianxun had mostly dissolved. Coupled with a lot of mental preparation she had given herself, she was now handling the situation with relative ease.
Jiang Qianxun walked in, called out “Master,” and went to the back to change her clothes. Sensing that her disciple was in a low mood, Shen Qingchen asked softly, “What’s wrong? You seem a bit listless.”
Jiang Qianxun opened her mouth but hesitated. “Not really.”
In truth, there was. Ever since that Shan Tongtong arrived, she had felt uneasy all over. The girl had so flamboyantly secured a spot as a disciple and through such an unfair method, no less. It made all of Jiang Qianxun’s past hard work feel completely vain.
She was terrified that her Master would pour all her care into the new disciple, yet she had no right or standing to say anything. She could only nurse her grievances alone in secret.
“Do you know? Her background is very pitiful,” Shen Qingchen said. Brilliant as she was, it was easy to guess what Jiang Qianxun was thinking, so she explained patiently, “Her entire clan was wiped out. When Sister Su found her, she was begging on the streets. If we hadn’t taken her in, she would either starve to death or be hunted down by her enemies. Would you have the heart to watch such a young girl suffer such a terrible fate?”
Jiang Qianxun had not expected the girl’s background to be so tragic. For a moment, she felt a pang of shame. Shaking her head slightly, she said, “I’m not angry at her, nor do I want to drive her away. I just… feel it’s a bit unfair.”
“What is unfair?”
“When I first came up the mountain, it was because I needed treatment. But she… well, she is running from enemies. But she was brought back by Elder Su, so shouldn’t she live on Qianyu Peak? Why did she have to come here…”
At this point, Jiang Qianxun realized she was crossing a line, so she shook her head. “Forget it, I’m talking too much.”
Seeing her act like a jealous little puppy, Shen Qingchen couldn’t help but smile faintly. In truth, wasn’t she exactly the same? It was just that as the Sect Master, she had responsibilities and duties, she couldn’t simply act on a whim.
“Actually, it’s like this…” Shen Qingchen gave her a brief explanation, then added, “So, if we didn’t take her in, she would be kicked around like a ball from place to place. Is that the outcome you want to see?”
“Of course not…” After hearing the explanation, Jiang Qianxun found it reasonable. She stopped dwelling on the fairness of it all. After all, she still had friends and family, whereas the other girl had lost everything. Comparing the two, it seemed she was much happier.
Since that was the case, she would yield to her a little.
Seeing her disciple return to her usual self, Shen Qingchen felt a wave of relief. She teased, “You came up the mountain before her. Strictly speaking, you are the Senior Sister. Is a Senior Sister really going to act all jealous over her Junior Sister?”
“I am not jealous,” Jiang Qianxun retorted, her face flushing slightly. “But Master, can you promise me that the cooking lessons will only be for me?”
“Naturally.” Shen Qingchen smiled warmly at her stubbornness. “We agreed on that long ago. This is our secret.”
Hearing the word “secret,” Jiang Qianxun instantly grew jubilant, tossing her previous misery to the wind. That’s right! Master and I share a secret that no one else has. As expected, we are closer, closer than anyone else could ever hope to be.
With the idle chatter out of the way, it was time for the serious business of healing.
Shen Qingchen had already mentally prepared herself and readied the Perception Swapping Talisman. Utterly unaware of her Master’s inner turmoil, Jiang Qianxun proceeded with the usual routine. Before long, her hand expertly moved to rest upon Shen Qingchen’s chest.
Shen Qingchen’s body stiffened involuntarily.
To be honest, she thought she had prepared herself thoroughly. Yet, Jiang Qianxun’s practiced, almost casual touch still brought a wave of shame, making her feel like an object being handled carelessly. This feeling of not being cherished ought to have felt violating. Yet deep down in her heart, it gave rise to a faint, hidden thrill of being dominated and mastered.
A figure of her noble status was actually succumbing beneath her own disciple.
This caused her to think back to the plots of those storybooks. Those high and mighty Immortals and Demon Lords were always conquered by a weak, lower-status, ordinary protagonist. It defied all logic, and she had never agreed with the rationality of such relationships.
She knew the audience for those books consisted of ordinary people.
They could project themselves onto the mortal protagonist, imagining the thrill of playing a grand Immortal like a puppet in the palm of their hand. But for the one in the higher position, where lay the attraction? Was it the enjoyment of being toyed with?
Before this, Shen Qingchen would have dismissed it as utter nonsense.
She didn’t even like reading storybooks that much, and she certainly didn’t think projecting onto an Immortal being toyed with could bring any pleasure. But some things were better left unexamined, thinking about them too deeply now left her terrified.
Last night, when Jiang Qianxun had approached her with the rope, she hadn’t stopped her. She hadn’t called out. At the time, her excuse to herself was that she wanted to give her disciple a chance. But was that really the truth?
When Jiang Qianxun handed the rope to her, was what she felt most astonishment, surprise, or a faint trace of disappointment?
What had she been anticipating?
And what was she disappointed by?
Shen Qingchen didn’t dare think any further. She knew she was stepping into a dangerous, dark maze. No, no, I am not that kind of perverted person. I don’t have such strange fetishes.
At the very least, she shouldn’t harbor such expectations toward her own disciple.
Her eyes turned hollow as she gazed up at her own serious face above her, it was like her soul had detached from her body, scrutinizing her own physical form. Before this, she had never distracted herself to look closely at her own reflection, nor did she know what kind of expression she usually wore. But one thing was certain, it was absolutely nothing like the way she looked right now.
The “herself” right now looked incredibly earnest and focused, as if she had entered a state of deep meditative trance. Jiang Qianxun’s young soul made this body look much younger, resembling a teenage girl at first glance.
So dazzling, so full of vitality. She could barely tear her eyes away from that face, from the soul resting deep within it.
Until “she” suddenly turned her head, locking eyes with her.
Through that cool, indifferent gaze, she saw Jiang Qianxun.
The girl rarely wore such an expression. Just like last night… when she had first stepped through the door last night. At that time, Shen Qingchen had only felt how unfamiliar, how dangerous, and how inexplicably terrifying she was. Thinking about it now, it felt like a dog she had raised since puppyhood had suddenly grown powerful enough to suppress her, looking down at her coldly. It gave her the distinct, chilling illusion that she could be pinned down and forced at any moment…
“…Master?” The other spoke suddenly, shattering Shen Qingchen’s wild imaginations. “What’s wrong? Your face is so red.”
Was her face red?
Shen Qingchen snapped back to reality instantly, covering her face and tossing those random thoughts to the back of her mind. Her disciple’s near innocent gaze made her feel utterly ashamed of herself.
What was wrong with her?
Hadn’t they already cleared up the misunderstanding? Why was she letting her mind wander again? Her disciple clearly hadn’t done anything to provoke a misunderstanding, yet she was actively looking for trouble within her own thoughts. Wasn’t that incredibly unfair to Jiang Qianxun?
If her disciple knew she was being fantasized about like this, what would she think of her?
How could she ever have the right to guide and discipline her disciple then?
Shen Qingchen admonished herself sternly in her heart, deeply criticizing her tendency to over-imagine things. On the outside, she kept up a flawless facade, asking in a deep voice, “Is it over?”
Jiang Qianxun nodded and slowly withdrew her hand.
Shen Qingchen didn’t get up, waiting for the effects of the medicine to fade before letting her disciple dress herself. Jiang Qianxun didn’t leave either. She just looked down at her quietly. After a long silence during their shared gaze, Jiang Qianxun suddenly said, “Master, once the healing sessions are over… are we going to be separated?”
She had actually pondered this question long ago. Once these two weeks passed, would her time with her Master come to an end? After all, her Master was the honorable Sect Master and had so many affairs to manage, she couldn’t possibly let her cling to her side forever.
When that time came, wouldn’t only Shan Tongtong be left on the mountain?
A quiet dread crept back into her heart. She was terrified that the newcomer would take her place, stealing the position closest to her Master. When that happened… what was she supposed to do?
Seeing her disciple acting like a jealous puppy again, Shen Qingchen said, “How could that be? Even when your injuries are healed, you can still come back to stay occasionally. I promise you, this side room will always be reserved for you.”
“But…”
Jiang Qianxun felt a wave of helplessness, unable to argue. Even if her Master kept it for her, so what? The main peak never lacked a spare room.
Perhaps she was just too clingy. In the end, she simply wasn’t needed anymore. At that thought, her eyes began to sting and grow red.
Seeing her disciple’s eyes welling up with tears, Shen Qingchen quickly said, “Don’t cry. Master misspoke. It’s not coming back occasionally, you will continue to live here, alright?”
Jiang Qianxun still shook her head. Even if her Master let her stay, under what title could she continue living here? She wasn’t an official personal disciple. People would gossip, and the gossip would only bring trouble to her Master.
Her heart was breaking with sorrow.
Seeing no other choice, Shen Qingchen sat up, pulled her into her arms, and cooed, “Alright, alright, don’t cry. Master won’t leave you. Look at you, you were perfectly fine before. Why have you become so deeply insecure just because a newcomer arrived?”
If she hadn’t comforted her, it might have been fine, but this comfort made Jiang Qianxun’s tears flow completely unchecked. She realized she couldn’t accept a future where they would eventually part, yet how could her Master possibly stay by her side forever?
Neither of them knew that this entire scene was being witnessed by Shan Tongtong, who had rushed over to investigate after hearing the sound of crying.
Even if she racked her brains for a lifetime, Shan Tongtong could never have imagined why the legendary, ice-cold Immortal Shen Qingchen would be weeping so beautifully like a pear blossom in the rain, while her half-naked disciple patiently and tirelessly comforted her over and over again.
This sect… must have some serious issues, right?