My Household; Flowers Between the Peaks

He Shutong was immersed in the water, pressing tightly against her rapidly pounding chest.

"No need to say anything more, I understand what you mean..."

"I'm glad my Mistress understands me. You Su only hope that Mistress can focus on her You Su more. No matter what happens in these seven days, I will definitely get through it smoothly and not tarnish the reputation of Lotus Peak."

You Su nodded and solemnly agreed.

"It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that you're too young. Those hardships weren't directed at you; they were aimed at me."

"They dare not do anything to Mistress, which means they are still afraid of Mistress. Since I am Mistress's disciple, I naturally have no fear of them." You Su raised his fist, full of confidence.

You Su finished speaking, the mist between them thinned considerably, as if He Shutong no longer wished to look through the mist at this boy who held such great significance for her. Her eyes were deep and moist as she softly instructed him:

"It's excellent that you have such ambition. However, you still need to promise me that when faced with insurmountable difficulties, you won't force yourself to fight for a moment's pride. Because you will definitely go further than everyone else, you don't need to prove to others that you can become my disciple. My disciple, Lotus Sword Venerable, is none other than you."

Non-Self...?

These four words carried immense weight, You Su felt incredibly fortunate to have his Mistress value him so highly. He would cherish this unique feeling Mistress gave him.

"Mistress, I can assure you, but I dare to ask, and I also hope that Mistress can assure me of one thing."

It was undoubtedly presumptuous of a junior to ask an elder for a guarantee, but even at the risk of angering his Mistress, You Su had to speak out about his thoughts.

He Shutong couldn't bring herself to be angry with You Su, so she asked softly, "What is it?"

"I hope my Mistress will assure me that she won't end her seclusion to help me."

He Shutong sighed softly, thinking to herself, "Just as I thought."

I promise you.

Upon hearing this, You Su beamed with joy. What pleased him most was not the agreement he had reached with his Mistress, but rather that today's conversation had made him truly feel that his relationship with Mistress had grown closer.

Seeing You Su's genuine smile, He Shutong's lips also curved into a gentle smile. A soft splash of water sounded, He Shutong raised her hand, her delicate fingers tracing her slightly flushed cheek. This must be the feeling of joy; it's truly captivating...

As a result, the two of them silently immersed themselves in their joy, and it wasn't until You Su came to her senses that she realized she had been standing there quietly for quite some time.

Logically, since the two had finished speaking, You Su should have bowed and taken his leave. However, the unique, warm, and elegant fragrance emanating from his Mistress made him reluctant to leave and he couldn't help but want to take a few more breaths.

Although he had some strange fragments of memories in his mind, he was essentially a blind child who grew up without parents, and deep down, he naturally longed for love that belonged only to him. His master and Mistress replaced his parents in his heart.

Unfortunately, unlike his unreliable but caring master, his Mistress rejected his expectations with eight years of cold indifference. But just when he was about to lose heart after discovering that his Mistress had left without saying goodbye, Mistress returned and saved him, and she had changed.

You Su was captivated by this change in his Mistress, as if he wanted to make up for all the care he hadn't received from her in the past eight years. So he decided to be willful this time and not leave unless his Mistress took the initiative to say so.

Coincidentally, he wanted to stay, He Shutong didn't want him to leave either.

Looking at the bright and handsome young man, she felt increasingly pleased with him, as if heaven had been too kind to her, always bestowing gifts upon her. She hadn't been able to grasp the warmth she had missed before, but this time, she would hold on tightly.

Perhaps because they had been apart for so long, neither of them wanted their secret feelings to be discovered, so they tried to prolong their time together by talking.

"Division..."

"You..."

The two spoke at the same time, as if by telepathy. You Su scratched his head awkwardly and said, "Mistress, please speak first."

He Shutong asked, "Are you settling in well at Lotus Peak?"

"I'm very used to it. It's no different from being at the Mandarin Sword Sect. I really like it here," You Su said frankly.

"You'll get used to it. Don't be shy. You can ask your senior sister for anything, or you can come directly to me. Just make yourself at home here."

"Yes, Master's Mistress, Lotus Peak is my home," You Su said firmly.

He Shutong was moved and wanted to ask You Su what he wanted to say, but she suddenly sensed the change in the maze outside the pool. She frowned, annoyed that the Third Elder had come again. Although she knew that You Su couldn't see anything, it was still strange that he was so open and honest with his disciple in front of outsiders. Even though she was grateful that the Third Elder had unintentionally brought You Su and her closer, she still couldn't accept it.

"It's good that you think that way. Alright, go back now, the Third Elder is here." He Shutong said softly, feeling guilty for personally persuading the young man to leave.

Upon hearing that the Third Elder had arrived, You Su immediately bowed and bid farewell to his Mistress. He interpreted Mistress telling him the reason for the Third Elder's arrival as a subtle way of informing him that she had important matters to discuss with him and that he should tactfully leave. However, for some reason, You Su felt that his departure was more like a guilty conscience afraid of being caught...

On the way back, as expected, they encountered the Third Elder. You Su stopped to greet him, feeling inexplicably nervous.

The forest was ablaze with fallen petals, an unknown pink blossom fluttering down and landing on the Third Elder's slightly open collar. It seemed to be drawn to the majestic peaks of her body, sinking halfway into them. The Third Elder raised an eyebrow, pulled back her already loose collar, revealing a large expanse of soft, snow-white flesh that was dazzling and radiant. She picked up the petal with two fingers, gently plucked it, and casually tossed it away.

Just then, a gentle breeze blew, and the lucky petal landed right on You Su's lips.

Feeling something strange in her mouth, You Su quickly spat it out with two "pui pui" sounds, then licked her lips and muttered something under her breath, feigning disgust:

"Where did this beautiful flower come from? Its fragrance is so cloying."

No way, you brat, where do you get the nerve to complain?! You actually dared to say I'm cloying?! I'll fucking...

The Third Elder glared at him, both ashamed and angry. She reached out to cover her exposed skin, while simultaneously pressing down on the towering peaks that were heaving violently with rage.

She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the urge to erupt within her. She naturally knew that You Su could only see a blurry ball of light through her Divine Sense, unable to discern her movements clearly, so he certainly didn't know what this patch of flowers had gone through.

Her eyes held a resentful glint, as if in retaliation for You Su's blindness, and she muttered under her breath, "She really is blind!"

The voice wasn't loud, You Su could just hear it, so he replied firmly, "Absolutely true."

The Third Elder gritted her teeth, too lazy to argue with You Su, who was blind, and narrowed her beautiful eyes to carefully examine You Su.

She was surprised that the master and apprentice had been talking for so long. She had gone through the process of uprooting and replanting the peach tree three times, exhausting Xiao Wangshu's remaining trust in her, and they still weren't done. She even had a feeling that if she hadn't been unable to resist coming in to check, the two could have talked for much longer.

The Third Elder shook his wine gourd and asked, "How did the talks go?"

"I have shown my determination, and my master has promised me that he will not end his seclusion just for me," You Su replied truthfully.

The Third Elder nodded slightly, and his gaze towards You Su softened, no longer filled with resentment and disdain.

"That's good. You've shown some responsibility. Go back now. If anything happens, I'll do my best to help you."

"Thank you, Third Elder." You Su and prepared to return along the way.

"By the way, this flowering tree is called Half-Mountain Summer. It's an extremely rare and precious tree that I personally cultivated. Outside, countless people would ask me for a single sapling but couldn't get one. Although you're blind, you're still a disciple of the Thirteenth Elder. You should cultivate your taste more, so you don't embarrass yourself in front of outsiders."

The Third Elder spoke casually, catching two petals and scattering them in front of You Su. He then glanced at You Su before passing by him.

You Su bowed slightly. The fragrant breeze brought by the Third Elder as he walked by brushed against his face. He felt that the fragrance just now was not like the fragrance of flowers, but more like the fragrance of the Third Elder.

He raised an eyebrow, but still spoke respectfully:

"You Su has learned a great deal."

When You Su returned to the courtyard, Wangshu Fairy had been waiting there for a long time.

She seemed very happy about You Su's return, calling out "Junior Brother!" from a distance while waving her arms, even though she knew You Su couldn't see her at all.

You Su was in a great mood, so she called out "Senior Sister" in response.

Wangshu seemed completely uninterested in the conversation between You Su and her Mistress. She didn't ask a single question, as if You Su's return was enough for her.

She led You Su to the peach tree. The fresh soil on the ground was a darker color, indicating that it had been dug up and then refilled. You Su could not see the difference in the shape of the peach tree, but she could feel that the Mystic Qi emanating from it had become even stronger.

He thought to himself that although the Third Elder didn't have the airs of a venerable one, his real talent and learning were not to be underestimated. As expected of the peak master of Bihua Peak, who specializes in the art of spiritual plants, the quality of this peach tree had probably improved to another level.

"Junior brother, do you like peaches?" Wangshu Fairy asked.

You Su nodded. "I like it."

This wasn't just to please her senior sister; You Su genuinely loved peaches. Peaches are pink and tender, with perfectly rounded curves. Even if you can't see them, they feel incredibly comfortable to the touch. And one bite releases a burst of sweet juice—who wouldn't love them?

"The Third Elder said she improved the root system of Little Peach Blossom, so the fruit that grows in the future will be larger and rounder, but unfortunately it will grow slower. It won't be until next August to ripen. Will Junior Brother be able to wait until then?"

You Su smiled. Her senior sister had implicitly agreed to let her try the peaches she grew, so she said:

"I'm willing to wait as long as it's planted by my senior sister."

Wangshu Fairy's blue eyes flickered, and she gave a heavy "hmm".

You Su sighed, remarking that his senior sister's happiness was truly simple. He asked, "Why did you want to plant peach trees, senior sister?"

"Because I'm lonely."

Wangshu Fairy always answered questions sincerely. This peach tree was transformed from a peach pit that the Third Elder had casually given her years ago after he got drunk and explained the meaning of loneliness to her. She cherished it and has taken good care of it ever since.

You Su was deeply moved. He knew, of course, that his senior sister's answer wasn't meant to elicit sympathy, but he still couldn't help but comfort her, saying, "It's alright, senior sister won't be lonely anymore."

In her heart, she was thinking about what kind of gift she should give to repay the lonely senior sister who had patiently taught her.

"Thank you, junior brother," Wangshu Fairy said earnestly.

"Thank you too, Senior Sister. I'll go back to my room to cultivate now. If I have any questions, I'll come back to ask you again."

"Don't you need me to read it to you anymore?" Wangshu Fairy's tone was tinged with disappointment.

You Su took out the "Sun Yang Sword Nurturing Art" from his pocket and said with a smile, "I can understand this book, how could I keep troubling Senior Sister?"

Wangshu Fairy wanted to continue saying it wasn't troublesome, but she could sense that You Su really didn't want her to continue reading to him, so she had no choice but to give up and could only watch You Su return to his room with some sadness.

Inside the room, You Su had already placed this special Sword Nurturing Art in his Universe Bag and began to read it using his Divine Sense.

Instead of starting from the first page, he turned to the blank page containing the Golden Paper.

He looked at it from all angles, trying to feel it repeatedly, but the blank page remained unresponsive, no longer displaying the liveliness he had first encountered in the Book Mountain Pavilion.

The origin and purpose of this Golden Paper are a mystery. You Su doesn't know whether he should tell others or not. If it involves the True Lord's Power within him, it would obviously not be a good thing.

However, whether the Golden Paper is completely lifeless or temporarily dormant awaiting an opportunity, now is not the time to study it. Compared to the dangers he will encounter in the next seven days, the Sword Nurturing Art stored in the Golden Paper is clearly more valuable.

You Su then turned back to the first page of the book. Instead of directly displaying his Cultivation Method, Sun Yang Venerable first explained his understanding of the Dao.

You Su read the book multiple times and gained some understanding of the Sun Yang Venerable's philosophy. The book is said to be about nurturing a sword, but it is more like nurturing a person. Whether it is the sword in one's hand or the sword on a man's body, they are just external manifestations of this philosophy of 'nurturing a person'.

In the eyes of this venerable one with a legendary life, everyone is like a piece of firewood, some thick, some thin, some short, some long, some burning for a long time, while others burn out in an instant. And the Mystic Qi is the fire that ignites the firewood.

To make oneself burn brighter and longer, one needs to nurture, in other words, learn to settle and mature. When there is no need to burn, one should learn to reduce one's dependence on the Mystic Qi, but one must not lose familiarity with it. Only in this way can one become the best kindling when needed.

You Su was drawn to this novel idea and became engrossed in the book.

He was engrossed in his book and undisturbed, and the day passed quickly. For several days in a row, the token used for transmitting sound remained silent, and he spent his time reading, practicing swordsmanship, and occasionally chatting with his senior sister.

The food stored in his Universe Bag was quickly consumed, all because he had simply asked his senior sister, "Is there any food on Lotus Peak?" She then picked a basket of different kinds of spiritual fruits for him, which not only tasted delicious but also filled his stomach and stave off hunger. You Su was deeply moved, so much so that even when the Third Elder secretly came to check on his cultivation on the third day and saw the basket of fruits, angrily calling him a thief, he still didn't betray his senior sister.

As You Su practiced the Sword Nurturing Art, he also felt something unusual. It was a feeling that something had been accumulating inside him for a long time and needed to be released.

Fortunately, on the fifth day, Elder Liu's voice finally came from the token...