Chapter 111: — World 3 [25] Part 2

Yin Honglian and Ye Wenxin settling in Peace Offering City wasn’t a bad thing for Jing Ke. At least when the Yamen ran into trouble, their first choice would be to find Ye Wenxin, not to come to the Luo Residence to bother her.

After a few peaceful days, the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived.

Luo Yuezhu paid her respects at her family’s ancestral tablets as usual, then went to her own courtyard to admire the moon and celebrate Mid-Autumn with her master.

A reunion day spent only by two people was too dull.

Using such an excuse, and citing blood ties so distant they barely counted, Yin Honglian brought Ye Wenxin and knocked on the Luo Residence’s main gate on Mid-Autumn night. They carried a fresh box of mooncakes to visit.

In the past, Yin Honglian would undoubtedly have brought several jugs of fine wine, drinking while moon gazing.

But the lesson learned at Phoenix Cry Tower was still fresh. Yin Honglian rarely restrained her love of drink, pairing the mooncakes only with clear tea.

Jing Ke, knowing her little disciple’s pitifully low tolerance, also had no intention of drinking. She was happy to drink tea with Yin Honglian, nibble at mooncakes, and chat about this and that.

“Jing Ke, you were right. As long as you are strong enough, you have the power to rewrite the rules.” Yin Honglian couldn’t help but sigh. “It’s a pity I’m not strong enough yet. Otherwise, I could still be roaming the Jianghu freely.”

“Isn’t it good to live a peaceful life?” Jing Ke asked.

“It is good, but I still feel a sense of being fettered,” Yin Honglian smiled.

Although Yin Honglian didn’t say it explicitly, anyone just slightly familiar with the current situation and her identity could guess why she was allowed to settle here.

The Imperial Court’s wariness of the Devil Sect stemmed more from the fear they would raise a banner and rebel. If Yin Honglian displayed ambition, the court would certainly accelerate its actions.

Conversely, if the two remaining bloodlines of the Former Dynasty’s Imperial Family capable of producing heirs—Yin Honglian and Jing Ke—showed no ambition, the court might not press so hard.

After all, the court’s control over the Northwest region was always mediocre. The Prefects and County Magistrates sent there were mostly figureheads, just maintaining nominal rule over the area.

Even if the Devil Sect was the de facto ruler of that region, they posed little real threat to the court and might actually serve to buffer against foreign tribes.

“If you need it, I can pick a good cultivation manual for you,” Jing Ke offered, uncharacteristically generous.

“The Devil Sect doesn’t lack good manuals. Besides, I’m just weaker than a few people like you. I still rank quite high in the Jianghu,” Yin Honglian said, feeling a bit underestimated.

But then she thought of how the fifteen-year-old Luo Yuezhu was indeed stronger than her, and her spirit suddenly wilted.

“Fine, not ranking highly is good too. At least I won’t be targeted,” Yin Honglian muttered. Though she was clearly drinking tea, why did she still feel drunk?

“Jing Ke, I truly envy you sometimes. You are more carefree and free than I am,” Yin Honglian mumbled softly. “And you have such an obedient, good disciple. Do you think I should find someone to be my disciple too?”

Jing Ke didn’t deny the first half of her statement, but didn’t answer Yin Honglian’s question either.

Calculating it, Yin Honglian was actually a few years older than her. If she truly wanted to take a disciple, the Devil Sect had plenty of candidates for her to choose from.

“Not just a disciple. I am Master’s future wife,” Luo Yuezhu couldn’t help but correct.

“Oh, you’re also…” Yin Honglian responded casually, then suddenly shot upright. “What?! Future wife? You and Jing Ke are together? You got together so quickly?!”

“Hm?” Jing Ke raised an eyebrow. What did she mean, ‘so quickly’? Did Yin Honglian already know about her little disciple’s feelings?

“Ahem, I mean, how did you two confirm your relationship? Aren’t you master and disciple?” Yin Honglian refined her wording.

At Phoenix Cry Tower, she had seen clearly. Luo Yuezhu definitely hadn’t confessed her feelings to Jing Ke.

Now, less than a month later, Luo Yuezhu had revealed her hidden heart? And Jing Ke, being loved by the disciple she raised—wasn’t she the least bit surprised or shocked?

“Yes. There’s no rule in this world that a disciple cannot be with her master,” Jing Ke said.

Since her little disciple had stated it directly, she naturally couldn’t deny it. She would just ignore her earlier talk of eighteen and support her disciple for now.

“Yes, yes, there is indeed no such rule in this world,” Yin Honglian said, somewhat disappointed by Jing Ke’s utterly unruffled reaction.

She had thought that by staying and becoming Jing Ke’s neighbor, she could watch some entertaining drama. She hadn’t expected Jing Ke to be so open-minded, completely unbothered by being with a disciple ten years her junior.

Speaking of which, if Jing Ke could be with her little disciple, did that mean she could also be with Ye Wenxin?

Thinking this, Yin Honglian subconsciously glanced at Ye Wenxin and met her gaze, which held a hint of a smile.

Forget it. She was only responsible for Ye Wenxin for three years because of an accident. They were both children of the Jianghu; there was no need to bind two people with completely different stances together just because of one mishap.

After a little gossip about Jing Ke and her little disciple’s situation, Yin Honglian thought it impolite to linger at the Luo Residence past Hai Hour. Right on time, she returned to the neighboring property.

After the two left, Luo Yuezhu tugged at her master’s sleeve.

“Master, today is a day of reunion. Can I sleep with you… just for one night?” Luo Yuezhu asked, her tone very sincere. The upward curve of her lips was impossible to suppress.

Hehe, Master admitted it! Master admitted she was her future wife!

Just as she thought, Master did have feelings for her! Using her age as an excuse must be because Master was just shy!

Luo Yuezhu, whose romantic experience basically came from reading storybooks, came to her own conclusion. She looked at her master with sincere, expectant eyes, awaiting her answer.

“You may. But only tonight. Just this one night.” Accustomed to indulging her disciple, Jing Ke didn’t refuse.

“Yes! Master, it’s getting late. Let’s retire for the night quickly!” Luo Yuezhu’s smile curved even higher.

It wasn’t the first or second time Jing Ke had shared a bed with her little disciple. Sleeping together every Chinese New Year’s Eve was routine. Occasionally on her disciple’s birthday, she would also grant some small request.

After removing their outer robes, leaving only their underclothes, Jing Ke waited for her little disciple to burrow under the covers first before lifting the blanket to join her.

Using her inner strength, she snuffed out the candles. The moonlight filtering through the window gaps was still bright and clear, enough for the two, lying shoulder to shoulder, to make out the general outlines of everything in the room.

“Master,” Luo Yuezhu called out, proactively reaching to hold her master’s hand.

“Mm, I’m here,” Jing Ke said, tacitly allowing the gesture.

Just holding hands, that was no big deal. She’d held her little disciple’s hand countless times before.

“Master,” Luo Yuezhu called again. This time, she turned onto her side and leaned her head against her master.

“Here,” Jing Ke responded, now paying closer attention to her little disciple’s movements.

“Master, I like you so, so much.” Her little disciple confessed boldly, even proactively kissing her master’s ear.

“I know.” Jing Ke’s reply was tinged with helplessness. “Alright, time to sleep.”

“Master, can you kiss me? You’ve never kissed me before.” Her little disciple began to push her luck, wanting to test the limits of her master’s indulgence and see how presumptuous she could be.

“You are still young. When you grow up, I will kiss you,” Jing Ke said.

She kept telling herself internally: her little disciple was only fifteen, just a high schooler. Far too young for them to do those things.

“Alright. If Master is unwilling to kiss me, then I can only kiss Master more instead.” Hearing that answer, Luo Yuezhu was a little disappointed, but not discouraged.

What to do when Master wouldn’t take the initiative? Then she would just be the proactive one.

And so, Luo Yuezhu kissed her master’s ear, her profile, the tip of her nose, and finally her lips.

Lacking practical experience, Luo Yuezhu didn’t know that kissing could involve parting the lips and deepening the contact.

So her kisses were just superficial, at most gently licking her master’s lips as if they were candy, trying to taste something.

Let her nibble and peck a few times; she wouldn’t lose a piece of flesh. Just let her be.

That was Jing Ke’s initial thought. But she seemed to have overestimated her self-control and underestimated her little disciple’s allure.

Sometimes, an inexperienced display was even more seductive, much like a fruit just perfectly ripe and full, making one’s mouth water even more.

Jing Ke swallowed silently. Reason told her she should stay calm, but her body’s reaction was frustratingly uncooperative.

Her breathing grew rapid. Under her little disciple’s clumsy kisses, her heartbeat also began to quicken.

A martial artist’s five senses were inherently sharper than an ordinary person’s. The moment Jing Ke’s breathing and heartbeat became uneven, Luo Yuezhu nearly simultaneously detected the change in her master’s body, and she was thrilled.

The storybooks said that a heartbeat would speed up only during intimate contact with someone you liked.

Master’s heartbeat was speeding up! That meant Master liked her! Liked her kisses just now!

Receiving silent encouragement, Luo Yuezhu, who had intended to stop after a few nips, found the courage to continue.

How was it drawn in that erotic scroll? Bodies were supposed to be one on top of the other? And then touch the other’s skin?

Luo Yuezhu, itching to try, tentatively tugged at the collar of her master’s underclothes. Finding no resistance, she tentatively bit her master’s collarbone.

Mm? Master’s heartbeat seemed even faster now. Did Master like being treated this way? Could she continue?