The Story of Mistress

When Ji Lingruo returned with Wangshu Fairy, laden with their spoils, You Su was chatting with Zi Yiyi in the carriage.

Even through the curtains, one could hear the women laughing and joking inside; the two must have been having a very pleasant conversation.

Ji Lingruo frowned slightly, wondering to herself when these two had become so close.

She was secretly annoyed at her carelessness. This senior brother was the kind of person who could offend her own sister with just a trip to Jade Ring Pool. How could she have been so careless as to let him be alone with Sister Yiyi?

So the girl quickly pulled Wangshu Fairy into the sedan chair, breaking the harmonious atmosphere of their cheerful conversation.

Upon seeing Ji Lingruo and the others arrive, Zi Yiyi quickly suppressed her smile, composed herself, and even straightened her posture.

"Sister Yiyi, what are you two chatting about that makes you so happy?"

Ji Lingruo's tone was curious, yet her gaze was sharp, making Zi Yiyi feel inexplicably guilty, even though they hadn't talked about anything particularly special.

"We were just chatting about interesting things related to spiritual practice."

"What's so funny? It's rare to see Sister Yiyi all smiles."

It's not just rare; even when something particularly funny happens on the way back from a trip, she always remains calm and composed, never laughing with such ease and contentment.

"It's just a very ordinary thing... It's just that the divine child has a humorous way of speaking, and he tells jokes in a very funny way, which is why I laughed."

Zi Yiyi's expression softened slightly. She couldn't very well say that You Su was talking to her about the stupid things Ji Lingruo had done in the past, could she?

It was already awkward for the two of them to be alone in the sedan chair, and the best way to ease the awkwardness was to talk about another person they both knew.

"Senior brother's voice is indeed very pleasant to hear."

Ji Lingruo praised them outwardly, but her tone was sarcastic, making You Su and Zi Yiyi feel extremely uncomfortable.

I think so too.

The Wangshu Fairy, with her pure and clear eyes, was more supportive, nodding in agreement.

Ji Lingruo rolled her eyes playfully, too lazy to pursue the matter further. In any case, she quietly reminded herself to always be wary of the enemies around her.

After speaking, Ji Lingruo took out her spoils of the day from the Universe Bag that You Su had given her.

To Zi Yiyi's surprise, Ji Lingruo even bought her share.

The young girl had a keen eye; the dresses she picked all perfectly suited her style and won her heart.

She was deeply moved. She had only taken the opportunity that night to save the girl from the evil spirit, yet the girl already regarded her as a friend.

Even without her, Wangshu Fairy wouldn't have let Cai Ling take Ji Lingruo away. This friendship seems like something she picked up for free.

Zi Yiyi thanked the girl repeatedly, but for a moment she couldn't think of anything she could give in return, so she could only stammer:

"Thank you, Junior Sister Ji... From now on, in the Evil Warding Department... I will take good care of the Divine Child..."

Ji Lingruo hearing this, and she forced a smile:

"Hehe, then I'll have to trouble you Sister Yiyi."

"I can do it too!" Wangshu Fairy chimed in.

Ji Lingruo looked around inside the sedan chair and felt a strange sense of helplessness.

So, I'm the only one here who isn't a member of the Evil Warding Department?

That won't do! I need to cultivate to the Condensing Water Realm as soon as possible to pass the Evil Warding Department's assessment!

Ji Lingruo vowed to herself that upon returning to the sect this time, she would start working diligently and would never be a lazy snake again!

At this point, she was still so confident, and she never thought that she couldn't endure the hardship of the monotonous cultivation.

Before they knew it, they had finished resting.

Filled with laughter and joy, the White Horse Carriage set off once more, slowly making its way towards the majestic sacred mountain.

It only took a little over five days from departure to completing the investigation in Moxie City, but it took a full seven days to return to the peak.

After entering the mountain, Zi Yiyi bid farewell to You Su and the others. At this time, You Su had recovered completely. Standing at the foot of Lotus Peak, he took a deep breath of the unique fragrance of Lotus Peak and felt refreshed.

Along the way, we passed many impressive cities and beautiful landscapes, but it wasn't until we got closer to Lotus Peak that we realized this place was the most captivating.

"Let's go home," You Su said hopefully.

As he was about to climb the mountain as usual, a burly, somewhat dark-skinned figure blocked his way.

"Junior Brother You, it's been a long time."

It turned out to be Fang Gong Earth Wood Peak Engineering Department. He also greeted the two women behind You Su.

"Senior Brother Fang? How have you been?"

You Su is extremely sensitive to sound and can basically remember everything she hears.

"Junior Brother You, are you out sightseeing and relaxing with your fellow disciples? I've been waiting for you for days, but I haven't seen you yet," Fang Gong joked.

You Su remained noncommittal. "Blindly practicing asceticism is not advisable. May I ask what business Brother Fang has with me?"

Fang Gong smiled brightly and quietly stepped aside, only to discover that behind his broad, door-like back was a strange cube.

The cube resembles a huge box made of clear glass, and if you look closely through the azure sky, you can see four thick silver ropes hanging from the top.

"This is..."

Ji Lingruo looked at the exquisite crystal cabin with curiosity.

"Senior Brother Fang actually did it?!"

Although You Su couldn't see it, he immediately guessed what the crystal capsule was based on the general outline scanned by his Divine Sense.

Fang Gong flashed his teeth and said heartily:

"Excellent! Under the leadership of the Peak Master, we have completed the initial construction of this structure, and with the full strength of the entire peak, we have created this Heavenly Ladder for Lotus Peak! Although there were some oversights compared to Junior Brother You's ideas, at least we have achieved the goal of being able to freely ascend and descend the mountain."

As he spoke, Fang Gong gestured across the crystal cabin, "The cabin walls are made of water-crystal glass, a unique product of the Southern Yang Continent. It's not only sturdy but also very transparent, allowing you to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way while seated in the Heavenly Ladder. And the cables are made from the tendons of snow carp from the Northern Ao Continent; they won't break even if they bear nearly ten thousand pounds!"

Fang Gong looked eager to try, clearly extremely confident in the Heavenly Ladder. He even personally opened the gate to the ladder for the three of them, greeting them:

"Junior Brother You, why don't you take your junior brothers and sisters for a ride? By the way, this project was completed under the supervision of the Third Elder, who raved about it."

Upon hearing this, You Su thought to herself that the Third Elder was truly responsible. Although she had already made arrangements with Earth Wood Peak, she did not allow the people from Earth Wood Peak to run amok on Lotus Peak. So she led the two women into the crystal cabin.

Fang Gong took out a token and handed it to You Su. It turned out to be the controller of the cloud ladder. The cloud ladder was maintained by Formation Technique of Spirit Stones, and the token could control the rise and fall of the cloud ladder. Without this token, the cloud ladder could not be controlled, thus ensuring security and privacy.

Ji Lingruo and Wangshu were both very curious about this novel object, and they kept looking at it and touching it.

Wangshu Fairy, who could fly, was somewhat better off, Ji Lingruo, sitting on this transparent chair, felt as if she were floating on clouds, feeling both terrified and incredibly curious.

"No more strenuous mountain climbing! Yay!"

Ji Lingruo stomped her little feet, cheering and jumping for joy.

You Su smiled as she looked out of the cabin, and even through her blurry vision, she could seem to make out the entire view of Lotus Peak.

He finally confirmed his relationship with his junior sister, passed the divine child's test, and even Lotus Peak became more and more habitable.

Life on this sacred mountain is becoming more and more hopeful.

"Why haven't they returned after so long...?"

In the clear pool water, He Shutong listlessly stirred the surface of the water.

Once upon a time, ten days or so seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, but now they feel like an eternity.

She's been all alone these days, and she's starting to feel a little uneasy.

She gently stroked her plump, round rabbit-like body, which was half-exposed above the water, as if asking herself, "Whom am I really thinking about?"

Wait, someone's here?

The Formation Technique within the Immortal Forest was connected to her Divine Sense; no movement could escape her observation. Anyone wishing to approach had to be guided by her, otherwise they would never be able to leave that Immortal Forest.

Is it... You Su?

The two heavy curves below her collarbone trembled involuntarily, indicating that she already knew the answer to the question.

You Su walked very slowly, afraid of disturbing his Mistress. If he found the slightest obstacle, he would turn back without hesitation.

But his concerns were clearly unnecessary. The journey was smooth and unobstructed. What was clearly a winding forest path was like a broad highway for You Su.

Soon, he stood in front of the Lotus Birth Pool.

After this battle, with his cultivation breakthrough and his physical injuries fully healed, You Su felt that his eyesight was clearer in his normal form. When he held an object very close, he could now identify what it was based on its general outline.

Facing the pure white mist, his breathing quickened.

Why are you here?

He Shutong tried her best to keep her voice calm.

"Didn't Mistress ask the Third Elder to leave a letter in Junior Sister's room, telling me to come find Mistress as soon as I return...?"

You Su spoke hesitantly, afraid that she might have said something wrong.

He Shutong then remembered what she had done... but that was all on the first day of her You Su.

"The Third Elder means well."

He Shutong's reply was ambiguous; it could be interpreted as the Third Elder voluntarily writing the letter for her, or it could be seen as the Third Elder enthusiastically agreeing to her request.

You Su smiled slightly upon hearing this, "The Third Elder is indeed a good person."

He Shutong changed the subject and asked:

"How did the assessment go?"

"Thanks to my Mistress's wife, I passed smoothly."

Of course, You Su couldn't tell his Mistress that he had personally killed a Void Glimpse Venerable, otherwise this female sword immortal who was "imprisoned" would definitely be worried about him every moment.

"You're not injured?" He Shutong asked doubtfully.

You Su seemed to be doing this to prove himself, opening his heart to He Shutong's observation, and even smugly teasing her:

"Don't you trust me, Mistress? I've faced the Tibetan lands head-on, so dealing with a mere Ghost Mite is a piece of cake for me."

"Perhaps you really are a born prodigy."

He Shutong sighed softly, unmoved by You Su's amusement.

The tone contained both praise and concern for You Su's future life.

If she could, she certainly wouldn't want her disciples to be in such dire straits, but she still couldn't stop them from doing anything.

Wangshu was like this, and so was You Su.

"Compared to the so-called divine child, all I know is that I am a disciple of Lotus Peak."

You Su spoke with conviction, and what he said came from the bottom of his heart.

He Shutong smiled gently:

"If you become a divine child, many people will want to take you as their disciple. There may be other teachers who are more suitable for you. You don't have to hang yourself on my tree."

Upon hearing this You Su nervously took a few steps forward:

"Does Mistress want me to leave?"

"Of course not! How could I think that?" He Shutong's heart tightened, and she quickly explained.

"In that case, Mistress, there's no need for you to say such things. I, You Su, am blind and cannot find a good teacher. Whoever comes to me first, I will follow. No matter what storms may come, my heart will remain unchanged!"

You Su clenched his fists, speaking with unwavering resolve, yet his words also contained a hint of anger.

He Shutong was slightly taken aback, feeling bitter inside, realizing that her unintentional words had hurt the boy's sensitive heart.

"I didn't mean to send you away, it's just..." He Shutong suddenly felt that further explanation would be futile, so she simply said firmly, "Fine, I will wholeheartedly teach you well on behalf of your master. Just be my Lotus Peak disciple."

Upon hearing this, You Su felt a surge of warmth in his heart and was deeply pleased with the domineering nature that his Mistress had inadvertently revealed.

"Yes!"

You Su smiled and agreed.

For a moment, the master and apprentice seemed to have said everything, and then fell into a long silence.

The two seemed to share a strange understanding; they didn't know what to say next, yet they were reluctant to part ways, leaving them in a slightly awkward stalemate.

It was You Su who found a topic and asked:

"Does Mistress still remember that you owe me a reward?"

He Shutong frowned slightly. "What reward is it?"

"Last time I said I wanted to hear my Mistress's story, but I immediately fainted, and nothing came of it. So I want to take the liberty of making it up to her..."

You Su called it a bold move, but in reality, it was full of caution.

He Shutong remained silent for a long time. She thought the boy had forgotten about it, but she didn't expect him to still remember it.

Does he really want to know more about me...?

Looking back on her fragmented life, He Shutong felt that everything was getting better after meeting You Su. Should she be more honest with him?

"No need to be presumptuous... This is what you deserve. When would you like to start listening?"

"If time permits, then all of them."

There's no reason to be greedy in this kind of thing.

He Shutong bit her thin lips lightly, her chest heaving, finally making up her mind to peel back the layers of this onion.

I just hope that after hearing her story, the boy won't be completely disappointed in her, so that at least she'll still have a chance to win him back...

"Is the Lotus Immortal Seed empty again?"

He Shutong glanced at You Su Sujiran's brow and suddenly asked.

Knowing that he couldn't hide this from his Mistress, You Su had no choice but to nod in agreement.

"Take off your clothes and soak in the water... There's not much I can do to help you right now, otherwise I wouldn't have agreed to let you participate in such a dangerous operation."

He Shutong wasn't stupid either; the fact that the Lotus Immortal Seed was empty meant that You Su had experienced battles beyond imagination.

No wonder he came back so late; he was waiting to recover from his injury.

Upon hearing this, You Su's heart pounded even harder.

He didn't know why, but to outsiders he was a strong and decisive person. Only when facing his Mistress did he always want to give up his principles and fully enjoy her maternal glow.

Even though she knew she should decline, her hand still obediently loosened her belt.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Mistress..."

The pool water was warm and had a captivating fragrance, yet You Su's body still trembled slightly with nervousness.

He Shutong pursed her lips and then began her brief narration.

"When I was very young, I wasn't actually Sword Cultivator; I was a book cultivator..."