"You're a disciple I'm fairly satisfied with. As everyone knows, I like taking female disciples and dislike male disciples. The reason is simple: female disciples are simply more pleasing to the eye than male ones. Even someone like Zheng Ruonan looks better to me than a male disciple," Golden Jade True Person said.
"All of Master's disciples are women. With me, a male disciple, added in, I'm like a touch of green amid a sea of flowers, serving as a foil for all my Senior Sisters," Fan Lang joked.
"A touch of green amid a sea of flowers—quite the way with words you have."
"I'm only telling the truth." Fan Lang smiled faintly, then shifted to a more serious subject. "The royal clan members confronted me head-on just now. Fortunately, Master emerged from seclusion and helped me escape danger. I thank you for that."
"It is only natural for a master to protect his disciple. You were lucky that I happened to be nearing the end of my seclusion. When I saw that the situation was going badly, I emerged ahead of schedule. Otherwise, I might have needed another day or two."
"Will emerging early have any adverse effects?"
"Don't worry. That little effect is negligible, like losing a single drop of water from the sea."
"Then I'm relieved."
The master and disciple chatted and laughed, treating the extermination of the royal clan as though it were nothing at all.
Xu Yanran stepped forward then, her eyes brimming with tears. "Master, you finally changed back. Your disciple is so happy. I never expected Fan Lang's method to work so well. He changed you back in no time at all."
"Nonsense. I emerged from seclusion entirely through my own efforts. It had nothing to do with Fan Lang. The formation he