Yan Zhen rarely saw his beautiful master acting so shy and girlish, even during their most intimate moments. Back then, her eyes had held only an instinctive reserve, along with far more indulgence toward him.
Though he felt plenty ashamed himself, thanks to their Holy Lord Teacher, he had finally glimpsed this adorable side of her. Unfortunately, she now seemed furious from embarrassment.
The Jialan Fairy showed no hint of remorse. Her gaze swept back and forth between the master and disciple pair, her expression growing more solemn as she said, “It’s wonderful that the two of you have finally come together, but you mustn’t sadden the Snake Consort and Purple Consort—especially the Purple Consort. Once Yan’er becomes the Saint Son, our Jialan Holy Land still needs to forge a marriage alliance with the Heavenly God Clan.”
Chen Xi let out a soft hum. “I know my limits. I don’t need you reminding me.”
“As the old saying goes, a woman in love can easily lose herself. That’s why I have a duty to speak up—after all, Yan’er is half my disciple too. I can’t let you lead him astray.”
“You’ve been single your whole life. What makes you think you can lecture anyone on matters of romance?”
“I’ve read my share of romance novels, and I’m no stranger to dual cultivation techniques. If you want, Chen Xi, I can copy one down for you.”
“…Pass.”
Chen Xi could practically feel angry veins bulging on her forehead.
Yan Zhen’s lips twitched.
For all that the Jialan Fairy always looked expressionless, like some untouchable ice goddess, that wasn’t the full story. She loved to lecture people—no matter who they were, she could rattle off advice. She had even more to say to those close to her, blurting out whatever came to mind without a second thought.
Her voice carried the gentle warmth of a benevolent saintess, brimming with compassion, and her words always came from a place of good intention. But in essence, she was no different from that nagging monk from the old tales, spouting one moral lesson after another. She could’ve broken into a rendition of some sappy ballad about destined love at any moment, and no one would’ve batted an eye.
Neither Yan Zhen nor Chen Xi could handle her at the best of times.
Take right now, for instance—the Jialan Fairy showed no sign of stopping. “Yan’er is still so young. Chen Xi, you mustn’t cling to him for bedroom matters. Once a month is plenty. The sooner he advances to Mystic Venerable, the sooner you can leave the Fire Refining Starry Sky. Beyond that, you need to consider the feelings of the Snake Consort and Purple Consort. We can set the Purple Consort aside for now, but the Snake Consort is carrying Little Yan Yan at the moment. She needs peace to nurture the child properly. Why don’t you two move to Jialan Peak instead, Yan’er? That way, we can avoid any more unpleasantness.”
Chen Xi closed her eyes, opting to ignore her.
Yan Zhen cleared his throat awkwardly. “Holy Lord Teacher, Cai Lian is doing just fine on Rain God Peak. She has Mentor Yu Xuan and Long Ying for company… Actually, Yan’er has reincarnated too. If you have time, maybe visit her.”
“Little Yan Yan has reincarnated as well? The Heaven’s Mandate Power truly is unpredictable.” The Jialan Fairy nodded thoughtfully, then abruptly shifted topics. “And who’s this Mentor Yu Xuan? A girl from the Yu Family? What’s your relationship with her, Yan’er?”
—Holy shit, I slipped up!
Yan Zhen wiped away a cold sweat, mumbling weakly, “Mentor Yu Xuan was the teacher assigned to guide my cultivation back at the Silver Moon Mystic Academy. She’s also the Yu Family’s heir and is currently cultivating on Rain God Peak.”
“Ah, I remember now—that child from the Yu Family.” The Jialan Fairy nodded in realization. “A mentor must be closer than a mere teacher, right? Teachers instruct students, but mentors guide their personal disciples.”
Yan Zhen was at a loss for words. Beside him, Chen Xi remarked offhandedly, “Yu Xuan is already Zhen’er’s fiancée. Naturally, she’s closer to him than some teacher.”
At the words “fiancée,” a flicker of confusion crossed the Jialan Fairy’s eyes. “The Yu Family heir doesn’t marry out. Does that mean Yan’er is planning to join their household?”
“It’s a long story,” Yan Zhen said awkwardly. “I have no intention of joining the Yu Family. I simply want to marry Mentor Yu Xuan.”
“Why marry your mentor? You’re already set on marrying your master, and now you want to marry your mentor too? That can’t be right.”
Her gentle, saintly questioning felt like an earnest attempt to guide a wayward lamb back to the straight and narrow.
Yan Zhen went utterly speechless, ducking his head in embarrassment as his handsome young face flushed bright red.
—Sorry. I’m guilty.
Time to confess to the saintly mother.
The Jialan Fairy’s personality was traditional and rigid. She had only accepted the master-disciple romance between Chen Xi and Yan Zhen because, in her previous life, she had witnessed their heartbreaking separation firsthand—a rare exception born of pity and regret.
Now that Yan Zhen wanted to marry his “mentor” too, she simply had to weigh in.
“You marry your master, then your mentor. Does that mean you’ll try to marry your teacher next? Yan’er, do you have some special fixation on your elders?”
Yan Zhen felt like he could sink into the ground. In a tiny voice, he murmured, “Gomen nasai~”
“Your obedient admission is praiseworthy,” the Jialan Fairy said with a soft sigh, “but this isn’t something a simple ‘sorry’ can brush aside. Chen Xi has been far too lenient with you since her rebirth. This time around, I’ll take charge of your education.”
Chen Xi’s expression soured. “What exactly do you mean by that, Jialan?”
The Jialan Fairy replied gravely, “I gave you a pass once in the previous life. Not this time. I’m taking Yan’er as my disciple. From now on, he’ll train under me until he ascends to emperor.”
“What?” Chen Xi’s brows shot up. “Absolutely not! Zhen’er is my disciple—no one is taking him from me!”
“You’ve already shared your bed with Yan’er. You’re his wife now. How can you keep hogging the title of master?” The Jialan Fairy said sternly, “You don’t look anything like a master anymore. You’re just a girl lost in love. You can’t teach him properly.”
“I’m no naive little girl. I know where to draw the line.”
“But when it comes to feelings, you’re exactly like one. Besides, Yan’er never harbored any unusual thoughts about his elders in his past life. This is clearly your influence. We need to correct it before he develops even stranger habits.”
“You’re being too presumptuous, Jialan. Zhen’er and Yu Xuan only got together by accident.”
“We can’t dismiss the underlying inevitability in every accident—that’s something Yan’er himself told me in the previous life.”
“…”
The Jialan Fairy’s arguments were endless; she always had a counter ready.
Chen Xi felt a headache coming on. A firm refusal would dissuade her dear friend, of course, but the Jialan Fairy was stubbornly principled. She wouldn’t give up easily.
Yan Zhen didn’t dare utter a word. He dreaded the thought of her serenading “Only You” in his ear nonstop.
The Jialan Fairy’s face remained impassive, but the soft light in her eyes hardened into solemn resolve, underscoring her seriousness. “It’s settled, then. I’ll take Zhen’er as my disciple. That makes him the Quasi-Saint Son. As long as he passes the Seven Peaks Trials, he can skip the Heavenly Selection Saint Canon entirely, become the Saint Son outright, and take up residence on Holy Son Peak. That should give the Snake Consort all the peace she needs for her pregnancy.”
Those final words stirred Yan Zhen’s heart. After the incident with Ling Jun, he desperately wanted to boost his cultivation and claim the Saint Son position—for Cai Lian’s sake, if nothing else, to give her a tranquil place to rest.
With his current strength, overcoming the Seven Peaks Chiefs would be a stretch. But once he broke through to Mystic Lord, his odds would skyrocket.
At most half a year, and he’d reach Mystic Lord. That would let him become Saint Son two full years ahead of the original script!
