Bo Xuenong tapped Shen Yanting’s back, signaling her to turn around.
Shen Yanting turned, and Bo Xuenong whispered, “Master, actually, Ji Caiyan is quite willing. She doesn’t mind Shishu dragging her into dual cultivation at all. What she minds is Shishu treating her as a human cauldron.”
Shen Yanting froze. “Why doesn’t she mind?”
Bo Xuenong said, “She likes Shishu.”
Shen Yanting asked, “Did Caiyan say so?”
Bo Xuenong replied, “I guessed.”
“You…” Shen Yanting gently pushed Bo Xuenong’s forehead. “Xuenong, you can’t guess like that. In this world, which disciple covets their master?”
That was quite a lot.
Shen Yanting still had one sitting right in front of her.
Bo Xuenong naturally did not dare to voice such words. She lowered her gaze slightly and instinctively shifted the conversation elsewhere. “Master, since my blood can help Caiyan break the restriction, when do you plan to help her do so?”
Shen Yanting’s gaze trembled a little, but she did not answer Bo Xuenong.
Bo Xuenong felt something was off and called out to her. “Master?”
Shen Yanting clenched her palms. “Does Xuenong want to help Caiyan break the restriction?”
Why was Shen Yanting asking her?
Bo Xuenong instinctively thought that since Shen Yanting had mentioned a way to break the restriction, she intended to help Caiyan. But now she suddenly recalled that Shen Yanting had only spoken of the method without ever requiring her to help Ji Caiyan break it. Somewhat uncertain, she asked, “Master, don’t you want to break Caiyan’s restriction for her?”
Shen Yanting fell briefly silent before speaking softly. “Xuenong, now that you know about your own bloodline, you should understand how many people will covet it and how many will fear it and keep their distance. I cannot be sure whether Caiyan will still truly treat you as her senior sister once she knows about your bloodline.”
She wanted to help Ji Caiyan.
But she feared even more that Ji Caiyan would harm Bo Xuenong.
Bo Xuenong had originally offered help for the sake of points, but seeing Shen Yanting’s attitude now stirred a bit of genuine intent in her. She said quietly to Shen Yanting, “Master, what about using a parasitic gu? It can directly siphon off my bloodline to break the restriction, but as long as I recall the parasitic gu, that siphoned bloodline won’t count, and her restriction will reappear.”
“That’s a good idea.” Shen Yanting nodded. “It’s just that gu cultivators are rare these days, so finding a parasitic gu will take some effort.”
Seeing Shen Yanting approve of her idea, Bo Xuenong blurted out instinctively, “Master, I have a parasitic gu.”
Shen Yanting looked at Bo Xuenong suspiciously. “Why does Xuenong have one?”
Bo Xuenong then realized she had let it slip. She seemed to lose some of her wits whenever she faced Shen Yanting.
She rubbed the hollow of her neck with her fingertip, and just as the urge to confess welled up, her throat began to itch.
Shen Yanting caught the motion out of the corner of her eye, and the image of scarlet blood surging from Bo Xuenong’s mouth flashed in her mind again. Her heart sank.
Before Bo Xuenong could speak, she cut in. “No need to tell me.”
Bo Xuenong froze. She parted her lips but made no sound before Shen Yanting leaned in close, covered her mouth with her hand, and gazed into her eyes from very near, whispering, “Xuenong, don’t force yourself to tell me things you can’t.”
She could feel the softness and heat of Shen Yanting’s palm. She could see the resolve and pity in Shen Yanting’s eyes.
Shen Yanting was too perceptive.
She had seen through Feng Jin’s fake cultivation and guessed the reason for her first two instances of vomiting blood.
The more Shen Yanting cherished her, the stronger Bo Xuenong’s impulse to confess everything.
Shen Yanting saw through Bo Xuenong’s intent and pressed her palm tightly over Bo Xuenong’s mouth. With cold eyes sweeping over her, she said, “Bo Xuenong, I don’t want to know.”
Those eyes were like a lake frozen with ice, the outermost layer a chill that made breathing difficult, and beneath the ice lay a complex tangle of things.
What Bo Xuenong felt was not coldness, but Shen Yanting’s worry for her.
She leaned her body forward and wrapped her arms around Shen Yanting’s waist.
Shen Yanting released her hand from Bo Xuenong’s lips and felt the arms around her waist tighten. She felt as if she had sunk into a softness that soothed everything, joyful yet afraid of her own greed. She pushed at Bo Xuenong. “Xuenong, let go.”
Bo Xuenong loosened her hold on Shen Yanting a little but did not fully release her.
The pretty little beast’s ears grew out again, and her long tail unconsciously wrapped around Shen Yanting’s waist, the tip lightly brushing against Shen Yanting’s back. “Master, I want to hug you.”
Her reddened eye tails and rippling eyes made it hard to refuse.
Shen Yanting’s voice softened. “Go ahead.”
“Master!”
Bo Xuenong had long mastered the art of pushing her luck. Seeing Shen Yanting agree, she felt her previous hug had been too loose. She simply stood up, sat directly on Shen Yanting’s lap, locked her arms tightly around her waist, and buried her face in the hollow of Shen Yanting’s neck.
Thin hot breaths puffed against the hollow of her neck, and Shen Yanting could not help blushing.
She should have pushed Bo Xuenong away and scolded her sternly, but she did not.
Shen Yanting let Bo Xuenong cling to her, not even minding the tail rubbing against her back. Bo Xuenong herself felt inexplicably guilty for some reason.
Sniffing that familiar cool fragrance, she mumbled, “Master, just treat me like a demon pet.”
Shen Yanting’s lips curved up slightly as she murmured very softly, “Even a demon pet isn’t as clingy as you.”
Bo Xuenong pulled her head back a little, no longer pressed against Shen Yanting’s neck.
She tried to let Shen Yanting clearly see the tears welling in her eyes. “Master, are you tired of me?”
Shen Yanting lowered her gaze to Bo Xuenong’s body pressed so tightly against hers and thought Bo Xuenong dared to say anything. If she were tired of her, how could she allow her to cling so close? She had never been this intimate with anyone, so close that… not even a needle could fit between them.
Somewhat helpless, she said, “No.”
That single “no” gave Bo Xuenong more room to act. She buried her face back into Shen Yanting’s neck, wrapped her arms tightly around Shen Yanting’s waist, and eliminated the last sliver of space between them. “I knew Master wouldn’t.”
They were too close.
So close that even breathing grew difficult.
Shen Yanting wanted to lift Bo Xuenong off her, but half her heart worried Bo Xuenong would pin more false charges on her, while the other half was reluctant to end the embrace.
Her thoughts were completely disrupted, and the flame in her heart burned ever brighter.
The relentless joy urged her toward the boundary.
A glance at Ye Zhiyao and Ji Caiyan by the window brought her back to calm. Her emotions gradually settled, allowing her to think of more things. Mentioning a demon pet inevitably brought Si Xianling to mind, and thinking of Si Xianling… Shen Yanting recalled Si Xianling’s final attitude toward Bo Xuenong, which clearly carried a fawning tone, along with the storage ring she had generously given.
The scenes connected, and Shen Yanting suddenly realized. “Xuenong, did you use a parasitic gu on Fellow Daoist Si?”
She regretted asking the moment the words left her mouth.
Shen Yanting was unsure if Bo Xuenong could answer this question.
Bo Xuenong pulled back a little from Shen Yanting. Since Shen Yanting had already guessed this, she felt entitled to confess. “Yes.”
After answering, she hurriedly added, “Master, I didn’t mean to hide it from you.”
Shen Yanting did not care to dwell on that. Her first reaction was worry. “Xuenong, Fellow Daoist Si has too many people behind her. If Aunt Shu and the others find out you used a parasitic gu on her…”
Bo Xuenong quickly raised her hand in a vow. “Master, Si Xianling was willing. Though I initially wanted to seal her lips, after she sensed my bloodline could benefit her, she begged me not to remove the parasitic gu.”
Afraid Shen Yanting would think she had bullied her friend, Bo Xuenong spilled the whole story in a panic and failed to notice she had let something slip.
“Seal her lips?” Shen Yanting scrutinized Bo Xuenong. “What secret of yours did Fellow Daoist Si learn?”
Bo Xuenong certainly did not dare tell Shen Yanting that her feelings for her went beyond master and disciple.
Not daring to overstep, she shut her mouth.
Bo Xuenong guiltily nestled back into Shen Yanting’s neck, not daring to move as she clung to her.
Seeing her reaction, Shen Yanting knew this was something she could say but simply refused to.
She gently patted Bo Xuenong’s back.
Feeling the pat, Bo Xuenong whispered so softly it was barely audible. “No, no secrets.”
Shen Yanting’s gaze dimmed for an instant. Suddenly, she grabbed Bo Xuenong by the scruff of the neck, pulled her out of her embrace, and pushed her back onto the chair.
The warmth that had enveloped her body suddenly withdrew, filling Bo Xuenong with unprecedented panic.
She cautiously leaned her face close to Shen Yanting and asked in a pinched voice, “Master, are you mad at me?”
Shen Yanting’s lips moved. “No.”
It was a lie.
Shen Yanting felt she was acting strangely. She had always said everyone could have their secrets and allowed Bo Xuenong to keep things from her. But as Bo Xuenong’s secrets multiplied—those with Feng Jin, with Si Xianling—she could tolerate it when Bo Xuenong could not tell her. Yet when Bo Xuenong simply would not, she could not help feeling dejected.
This contradicted the magnanimity a master should have and her own nature.
It should not be like this.
Shen Yanting could not help reflecting, her thoughts drifting further.
Bo Xuenong gazed at Shen Yanting eagerly and called out very cautiously. “Master.”
Her thoughts gathered, and her gaze met Bo Xuenong’s reddened eye tails. Shen Yanting sighed inwardly, reached out, and touched Bo Xuenong’s drooping furry ears. “Xuenong, I’m not angry. Put away your demon body first. It would be bad if someone saw.”
The furry ears trembled against Shen Yanting’s palm and quickly retracted.
After retracting her demon body, Bo Xuenong still wanted to explain, but Shen Yanting had already changed the subject. “As for the restriction on Caiyan, you decide for yourself. You don’t have to help if you don’t want to.”
The restriction would not take Ji Caiyan’s life.
Revealing the bloodline might very well take Bo Xuenong’s.
That was Shen Yanting’s worry, not Bo Xuenong’s. She helped Ji Caiyan partly to gain points—the more points, the more life-saving trump cards she had. Besides, she could revoke the parasitic gu anytime. If Ji Caiyan harmed her, she would simply withdraw its power.
Bo Xuenong felt tempted, but she still wanted to ask Shen Yanting. “Master, do you think Caiyan is good?”
A flash of confusion passed through Shen Yanting’s eyes, but only for an instant. She soon understood what Bo Xuenong sought from her. She gently stroked Bo Xuenong’s soft cheek, her eyes growing even more helpless. “Xuenong, you can’t always copy emotions from me. You need to have your own independent feelings. It’s not that if I think someone is good, you should too, or if I like something, you should like it.”
Her little scheme was seen through.
Bo Xuenong still saw no issue.
“Master, I do have independent feelings.” Bo Xuenong grasped Shen Yanting’s wrist and pressed her cheek fully into Shen Yanting’s palm. “Forever obeying Master and forever following Master is the result of my own thinking, uninfluenced by anyone.”
Bo Xuenong’s firm voice struck her heart, stirring ripples.
More distraction appeared in Shen Yanting’s eyes. Once she recovered, she slowly withdrew her hand and softly replied, “Xuenong, if Caiyan always treats you as Eldest Senior Sister and never harms you, then she is good.”
That meant Ji Caiyan was currently good in Shen Yanting’s eyes, so she could help.
Bo Xuenong pulled up the System Panel, intending to redeem a parasitic gu for Ji Caiyan, but her gaze first caught the steadily decreasing points.
Not good!
Feng Jin and Feng Yingbo were in danger!
Bo Xuenong glanced at the redemption panel. The popped-up redemption item left her baffled. Who could tell her what this upgraded and enhanced Vital Energy Five Red Tea from the system was? Could tea kill? How? By drowning the enemy?
Bo Xuenong closed the System Panel and suddenly tugged at Shen Yanting’s sleeve. “Master, let’s go back to the inn.”
“Alright.” Shen Yanting agreed.
They had just stepped out of the private booth when Shen Yanting suddenly pulled her sleeve from Bo Xuenong’s grasp. As Bo Xuenong stared blankly at her empty palm, Shen Yanting offered her hand, clasped Bo Xuenong’s tightly, and led her downstairs…
