“Chen Xi, no need to pull such a long face. Even if you end up marrying Yan’er as his wife someday, I won’t make you serve tea and call me Master. You and I can just remain sisters as we always have.”
“…”
Hearing this, Chen Xi’s expression darkened even further, her resentment radiating like a tangible force.
“Even if you forcibly take Zhen’er as your disciple, the only master in his heart will always be me. At best, you’ll just be a temporary stand-in!”
“Chen Xi, that’s not right of you. Yan’er is a child who knows gratitude and repays kindness. Otherwise, in his previous life, he wouldn’t have refused to become my disciple for your sake.”
“…Hmph. In any case, if you ever make Zhen’er unhappy, I’ll take him back anytime!”
“That’s exactly why you’re spoiling him too much. Only a strict teacher can produce a skilled disciple. Since you can’t manage it like you did in his previous life, let me handle it. It’s only fair.”
Chen Xi clenched her fists, barely suppressing the urge to give this nagging old spinster a knuckle rap on the head—because for now, she still couldn’t beat her.
Turning her gaze toward her precious disciple, who had curled up into a little ball, her mood improved slightly. She reached out, wrapped an arm around his slender waist, and said softly,
“Though your master is very reluctant, Zhen’er, taking Jialan as your master really will help you become the Holy Son faster. That way, you can give She Ji a quiet place to rest and nurture the baby. You’ll be able to focus on your cultivation too. It benefits everyone.”
Yan Zhen scratched his cheek and murmured,
“If it makes Master unhappy, then forget it. Cai Lian can stay on Rain God Peak for now. It’s fine.”
At his words, the petty emotions in Chen Xi’s heart scattered like mist. Her beautiful eyes, like blue-tinted glass, brimmed with deep indulgence.
“With those words from you, Zhen’er, your master is already content~”
She shot a glance at the expressionless Jialan Fairy, and under the promptings of vanity, she cupped her disciple’s face and pressed her lips to his.
Mmwah~
It was a deep, affectionate kiss between master and disciple, one they hadn’t shared in some time. It lacked the fiery passion of their intimate moments but was all the gentler and more lingering, as if they were exchanging the love in their hearts.
Only after a long while did they part reluctantly, both their faces flushed with a soft pink glow.
Chen Xi glanced at her friend once more. Seeing no reaction, she let out a light hum and transformed into a swirl of black-and-white light, vanishing back into the Fire Refining Starry Sky.
Moments later, Cai Lian, Long Ying, Mentor Yu Xuan, Little Aunt Yu Qing, and Aunt Shui Bailan appeared one after another. The women had been hiding in the Fire Refining Starry Sky earlier, observing the outside scene through Master Chen Xi’s Crystal Reflection Technique, so they knew what had transpired.
Even so, though they had prepared themselves mentally, meeting the Holy Lord in person still made them a bit nervous—except for Cai Lian and Long Ying, who handled it better.
“Greetings, Holy Master.”
“Hello, Jialan Senior~”
“”We pay our respects to the Holy Lord.””
The women curtseyed in unison.
Jialan Fairy said calmly,
“No need for formalities. Everyone, have a seat.”
With a flick of her sleeve, five cups of Enlightenment Tea appeared on the table.
Seeing this, Long Ying sat down beside Yan Zhen, while Cai Lian sat on one side with Mentor Yu Xuan, and Little Aunt Yu Qing sat on the other with Aunt Shui Bailan.
“Snake Consort, how is your condition? Is the Flame Princess well?”
“Thank you for your concern, Holy Master. This Palace is fine, and Yan’er is growing normally. She just fell asleep before we came out.”
In truth, Cai Lian had “hypnotized” her to spare her foolish daughter the embarrassment of bawling in front of the elders and her sisters.
“How much longer until the end of the pregnancy?”
“Based on my previous life’s experience, it’s a three-year gestation. Two years have passed, so about one more year to go.”
“I’ve accepted Yan’er as my disciple. Until he becomes the Holy Son and moves into Holy Son Peak, you can relocate to my Jialan Peak for quiet recuperation.”
“This…”
Cai Lian immediately looked toward her husband, clearly deferring to Yan Zhen’s wishes.
Yan Zhen smiled faintly, indicating that she could decide for herself.
Only then did Cai Lian reply,
“This Palace appreciates the Holy Master’s kind intentions. We’re quite comfortable on Rain God Peak right now, with Long Ying and little sister Xuan’er and the others for company.”
Jialan Fairy persuaded her,
“Once Yan’er officially becomes my disciple, you’ll be my disciple’s wife. With you pregnant, as his master, it’s only natural for me to look after you on his behalf, so he doesn’t have to worry. At the very least, Jialan Peak is far safer than Rain God Peak. If you’re concerned about being lonely, you can have Your Highness Long Ying accompany you.”
Cai Lian felt tempted and looked to Yan Zhen again. He gave her an okay sign, signaling his approval.
“We’ll have to trouble the Holy Master with the arrangements.”
Jialan Fairy nodded and turned to Mentor Yu Xuan.
“Has the Yu Family girl also been reborn? That’s unexpected. You’ve already become intimate with Yan’er, but the Yu Family strictly forbids its heirs from marrying out. You’d better explain things clearly to your family and avoid causing trouble.”
Mentor Yu Xuan was exceedingly nervous.
“Please rest assured, Holy Lord. I-I’m already working hard to persuade the family, and we’ve made quite some progress.”
“Oh?”
“Little Aunt, Aunt, and Eldest Aunt have all agreed. And th-they all want to marry Yan Zhen too.”
“Hm?”
Jialan Fairy’s white brows twitched. She slowly turned her head, fixing her gaze on her disciple, with whom the master-disciple relationship had yet to be formally confirmed.
“Yan’er, what’s going on here?”
Yan Zhen inwardly cried doom—this was the consequence of not aligning their stories. Mentor Yu Xuan clearly thought the Holy Lord Teacher was as open-minded as the beautiful master, but in reality, they were polar opposites!
Everything was out in the open now. He was done for!
He could already envision his future of copying scriptures, chanting sutras, and enforcing strict self-discipline and celibacy. With a miserable expression, he said,
“Gomen nasai~”
Jialan Fairy’s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, a sharp glint flashing in her pupils.
“Not just your mentor, but your little aunt, aunt, and eldest aunt as well? That’s not good, Yan’er.”
It felt just like when a doting mother thought her son was a good boy, only to have a bunch of girls show up at the door and discover he was a total player…
Mentor Yu Xuan realized she’d spoken out of turn and cast Yan Zhen an apologetic look, fine beads of cold sweat breaking out on her forehead.
Little Aunt Yu Qing and Aunt Shui Bailan felt not only awkward but outright scared.
—It seemed the Holy Lord wasn’t too fond of them. Wasn’t this a bad sign?
Only Long Ying sipped her tea nonchalantly, finishing hers before sampling Yan Zhen’s, all with a look of refined expertise on her face.
Jialan Fairy took a sip of her tea and said flatly,
“Yan’er, be honest. How many partners do you have right now?”
At her question, the five women exchanged odd glances.
Yan Zhen forced a stiff smile and whispered,
“Twenty… like that?”
The air froze. Everyone sensed Jialan Fairy’s aura shift dramatically, like an angry mom on the verge of exploding.
Just as the tension peaked, the Lotus Root People reappeared. Four of them together lifted platters of lotus leaves bearing treats like Lotus Seed Crisps, Lotus Flower Pastries, and Lotus Root Slices.
They carefully placed the snacks on the table and arranged them neatly. Then the group of Lotus Root People let out “ying ying ying” cries toward Jialan Fairy, as if proudly showing off their work.
Jialan Fairy nodded slightly and exhaled a puff of pure, holy Mystic Qi, enveloping the Lotus Root People.
“Go play now.”
Bathed in the Mystic Qi, the dozen or so Lotus Root People curiously eyed the visitors before hopping away in high spirits.
“Let’s eat first. These are specialties from within the realm. Eating them will benefit your cultivation.”
“Oh? Thank you, Jialan Senior~”
Long Ying was first to grab a Lotus Seed Crisp and pop it into her mouth, savoring it with evident delight.
Seeing this, the others followed suit and took some snacks.
Yan Zhen reached out as well, only for Jialan Fairy to swat his hand from afar. He yelped and yanked it back in pain.
The pure-white Holy Lord Teacher declared,
“Bad kids don’t get snacks.”
