Chapter 70: Disciple and Wife
Tao Ning woke up faster this time, finding herself surrounded by another pile of spent spirit stones.
520, looking at the grey husks, commented, 【Your master is like a whale in a gacha game, and you’re the fragile character that needs constant reviving with premium currency.】
“How long was I out?” Tao Ning rubbed her temples, the throbbing pain from her earlier exertions now gone.
520: 【Not long. Just an hour.】
Tao Ning stood up, putting away the meditation cushion, and walked outside.
While it should have been bright daylight, the city remained shrouded in a perpetual twilight.
It would take time for Shadow City to recover.
Looking at the lingering resentment in the air, thinner than the previous night, she knew what Cen Dianshuang had been doing.
She saw a figure standing on a nearby rooftop and called out, “Master, we should hire some Buddhist cultivators to chant scriptures here. Seven days and nights should do the trick.”
Cen Dianshuang, with a graceful leap, landed beside her, her white robes swirling like butterfly wings.
“Let me see your hand.” She checked Tao Ning’s pulse, then, satisfied, released her wrist.
“Hiring Buddhist cultivators requires spirit stones.”
Tao Ning nodded. “Buddha doesn’t save the poor.”
Cen Dianshuang chuckled, lightly flicking Tao Ning’s forehead. “That’s not quite right.” She looked towards the sky, where a faint, shimmering, pale blue energy radiated outwards from the newly formed Eight Directions Cleansing Formation.
Tao Ning touched her forehead, her heart softening as she smiled back.
It wasn’t her imagination. Cen Dianshuang seemed… different since emerging from seclusion. Calmer, gentler, her aura resonating with the world around her.
The previous Sect Leader’s desperate gamble had paid off.
Cen Dianshuang felt a hand slip into hers, a warm, reassuring touch, not just a tug on her sleeve. The subtle shift made her pause, but she didn’t pull away, accepting the contact.
She led Tao Ning away, both looking up at the sky.
“I used a small Spirit Vein Pearl as the formation’s focal point. Within ten years, Shadow City should recover, its spiritual energy replenished. I’m not skilled in formations. I had to consult my senior sister. It took a while, but it worked.”
Tao Ning: “A Spirit Vein Pearl is… extravagant. High-grade spirit stones would have been sufficient.”
A moment of silence, then Cen Dianshuang’s voice, a gentle reprimand. “I didn’t bring many spirit stones. You used them all. Don’t do that again. Give your all in battle, but don’t exhaust yourself completely. It’s dangerous.”
Tao Ning, slightly embarrassed, scratched her cheek. “Sorry for the trouble, Master.”
Cen Dianshuang shook her head. “Nothing you do is ever trouble.”
Just as she spoke, a voice called out from the distance, its owner running towards them. “True Person Cen, the items you requested…”
Pang Xueting stopped abruptly, her gaze shifting between Cen Dianshuang and Tao Ning, their hands now separating. Her lips twitched.
“…are placed throughout the city.”
She smiled politely, her inner thoughts a silent scream. Why am I always the one getting hurt?!
Cen Dianshuang: “And the children? Have they recovered? Did you find their families?”
Pang Xueting, remembering the kidnapped children, nodded.
Cen Dianshuang: “I’ll go check on them.” She needed to see for herself.
With her most troublesome disciple awake and unharmed, she could finally focus on other matters.
As she turned to leave, she paused, touching her sleeve, a nagging feeling that she had forgotten something. She shook her head. “If I can’t remember, it must not be important.”
Back at the Hanshan Sect, Lizhu, staring at her communication jade, waiting for a reply: …Why hasn’t she responded yet?
Tao Ning, watching Cen Dianshuang leave, saw Pang Xueting looking at her with a strange, almost knowing expression. As their eyes met, Pang Xueting smiled brightly, patting her chest reassuringly.
Don’t worry, Senior Tao, your secret is safe with me!
Then, she walked away.
Tao Ning: …I don’t know what just happened, but I feel like I’ve received a very important promise.
With everything settled, it was time to leave Shadow City.
The decaying gates, their bronze hinges creaking, swung shut, sending a shower of dust into the air.
The disciples were discussing how to transport the rescued children, assuming Elder Cen wouldn’t want to be burdened with them. Her sword didn’t seem designed for passengers.
Before they could reach a decision, Tao Ning retrieved a small, exquisitely crafted boat from her spatial sleeve.
A child, pointing at the miniature boat, said, “It’s so tiny! Smaller than my finger!”
Children, despite their innocence, understood more than they let on. Pang Xueting had explained that without the “scary” woman who had saved them, they would have been devoured by monsters.
Seeing Tao Ning’s calm, composed demeanor, they felt less intimidated, even daring to approach her.
Cen Dianshuang, arriving, also saw the miniature boat. “A spirit boat? Where did you get that?”
Tao Ning: “A little something I made while waiting for you, Master. I thought we could use it to travel the Radiant Realm together. For… transportation and… relaxation.”
A little something? Cen Dianshuang, while not an expert refiner, had learned a thing or two from her Senior Sister Qianlian. The boat was clearly a high-quality artifact, its craftsmanship intricate and precise.
Pang Xueting was speechless.
While the others didn’t understand the implication, she did. She even prepared a spirit boat for their travels! Is she incredibly thoughtful, or incredibly reckless?
The child repeated, “Is that a boat? It’s so small!”
Tao Ning tossed the boat in the air, then, with a flick of her wrist, sent a wave of spiritual energy towards it.
The small boat expanded rapidly, its shadow falling over the city, hovering above them before slowly descending, landing just outside the city walls.
The onlookers gasped, their eyes wide with wonder.
While some of the Heavenly Heart Sect disciples, from wealthy families, had seen high-level artifacts before, a spirit boat like this, resembling a miniature palace, complete with a spirit gathering formation for cultivation, was rare and impressive. They eagerly approached, wanting a closer look.
Tao Ning, the first to board, turned and offered her hand to Cen Dianshuang. “Please, Master.”
Cen Dianshuang, her gaze lingering on the opulent spirit boat, placed her hand in Tao Ning’s.
Pang Xueting, standing nearby, closed her eyes, her mind reeling.
The other disciples, each carrying a child, followed, their excitement overriding any lingering questions about the hand-holding or the fact that Tao Ning, a sword and zither cultivator, could also craft such high-level artifacts.
As the spirit boat soared into the sky, a figure emerged from the shadows within Shadow City, watching their departure.
It was Er Lan.
She didn’t understand why Tao Ning, whom she had only met briefly, had attacked her without a word.
But she knew one thing: she couldn’t return to the Hanshan Sect. Doing so would be a death sentence.
She sighed inwardly, the loss of her hard-earned position within the sect a bitter pill to swallow, but her own survival, and the Demon Lord’s plans, were more important.
A gust of wind, and the pink-clad figure vanished into the shadows.
The Heavenly Heart Sect disciples, initially planning to disembark at a nearby city and return to their sect, now reconsidered. With such luxurious transportation, why rush?
It’s not… sightseeing… We’re simply escorting these children home.
That night, the spirit boat sailed through a sea of clouds.
Most of the children had been returned to their families. Only two remained, their homes further away.
In the quiet of the night, under the high-hanging moon, a figure moved through the ship’s cabins.
The excited disciples had declared their intention to cultivate all night, hoping to impress their masters with their progress.
Pang Xueting, however, quietly closed the door to one of the cabins, muffling the sounds of snoring.
One by one, she closed the doors, then headed towards the deck, seeking fresh air.
Another figure was already there: Tao Ning, her back to Pang Xueting, her silhouette familiar.
Pang Xueting: “…”
Hesitating for a moment, she decided to return to her room. I’ll enjoy the fresh air later.
Not now. Not appropriate.
Tao Ning approached the meditating figure, sitting down on a nearby cushion, her hand resting on her chin as she studied Cen Dianshuang’s profile.
Cen Dianshuang, sensing her presence, opened her eyes, meeting Tao Ning’s warm gaze.
“I woke up and you were gone. I missed you, so I came looking for you.”
Cen Dianshuang’s gaze lingered on Tao Ning’s forehead. “Your… resentment… It’s… fluctuating. Is it… diurnal?”
Tao Ning leaned closer, the fine hairs on her face visible in the moonlight, her eyes reflecting Cen Dianshuang’s image. “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Cen Dianshuang, her hands now clasped in Tao Ning’s, glanced down, making no attempt to pull away.
She shook her head. “Nothing. I’ll explain later.”
Tao Ning’s initial unease faded, and she raised Cen Dianshuang’s hand, pressing it against her cheek, rubbing gently.
She had noticed Tao Ning’s fondness for this gesture, and she… didn’t dislike it.
Tao Ning held Cen Dianshuang’s hand against her face, her eyes lowered, her expression soft and… harmless.
She nuzzled Cen Dianshuang’s hand, her voice soft. “Master.”
Cen Dianshuang: “Mmm.”
Tao Ning repeated, her voice even softer, “Master…”
Cen Dianshuang understood. She was simply… seeking attention.
But she still responded, her voice gentle. “I’m here.”
She allowed herself to be drawn into the moment, the warmth of Tao Ning’s touch a comforting presence. She had never considered simply… being with someone… a source of happiness.
She had always found such things… tedious, preferring the thrill of sword practice, dismissing romantic entanglements as a waste of time.
But now, simply being with Tao Ning, talking, sharing a quiet moment, seemed… almost… more enjoyable than practicing her swordsmanship.
Almost.
Tao Ning, her lips curving into a smile, her eyes gleaming with a fox-like cunning, whispered, “Cen Dianshuang.”
Cen Dianshuang’s fingers brushed against Tao Ning’s cheek, her eyes softening. She chuckled softly. “A disciple addressing her master by name. Such disrespect.”
Tao Ning smiled, repeating the name, “Cen Dianshuang. Cen Dianshuang.”
As if the name itself was a source of amusement, a newly discovered treasure.
Cen Dianshuang responded each time, her voice a gentle murmur. “I’m here.”
Tao Ning, releasing Cen Dianshuang’s hand, leaned closer, her gaze intense. “Cen Dianshuang, I admire you. I… cherish you.”
Cen Dianshuang, unable to resist, leaned in, their lips meeting, her words a soft, breathless whisper against Tao Ning’s mouth. “I know. I… feel the same.”
Their lips locked in a long, slow kiss, the empty deck of the spirit boat their private sanctuary.
Forty years of seclusion, forty years of silence, only her cultivation for company, her wings growing stronger with each passing day.
Alone in the vast expanse of Thunder God Valley, the silence had been… overwhelming. She had often found herself thinking, If Tao Ning were here, I wouldn’t be so bored.
A mix of avoidance and longing, a sudden emptiness in her heart as she finally acknowledged her true feelings.
Love was a feeling, not a logical construct. There were too many reasons, making it impossible to choose a single, definitive explanation.
But trapped in seclusion, unable to confide in anyone, she had been forced to confront her feelings alone.
So she had counted the petals on the plum blossom, a distraction from the agonizing pain of her expanding meridians.
Day and night, she had stared at the vase, memorizing the number of blossoms, their color unchanging, their beauty preserved. When she could maintain her human form, she would gently touch the branch, her fingers tracing its delicate curves.
If forty years weren’t enough time to understand her own heart, then she had truly lived in vain.
As they parted, Tao Ning, her gaze lingering on Cen Dianshuang’s lips, leaned in for another quick kiss.
She seemed to want to say something, but her strength failed her, and she collapsed against Cen Dianshuang, her body enveloped in a warm embrace.
“…”
So it’s like this again.
Cen Dianshuang held her, gently patting her back. “When we return, you’ll need to spend some time in the Ice Cavern, to cleanse yourself of the resentment.”
Tao Ning’s eyes snapped open. “No, I don’t want to go. I want to stay with you.”
Cen Dianshuang, startled by her sudden awakening, chuckled softly. “What will you do if you don’t cleanse yourself, and this happens again?”
Tao Ning rubbed her temples, her voice slightly slurred. “I’ll… I’ll manage.”
The Wanhun Cauldron, sealed for so long, had been overly enthusiastic upon its release, its power briefly overwhelming Tao Ning, who was no longer at Mahayana.
It wasn’t serious. Regular meditation would suppress the cauldron’s influence.
Cen Dianshuang, unaware of the true cause, relaxed, finding the situation slightly amusing.
Those influenced by resentment often became aggressive and violent. Her disciple, however, had simply become more clingy and prone to dramatic displays of affection.
She had abandoned all pretense of maintaining a master’s decorum, her behavior emboldened by Cen Dianshuang’s unintentional indulgence.
Cen Dianshuang shook her head, then sighed. “This isn’t something you can simply ‘manage’… Fine, I won’t say anything more.”
She kissed Tao Ning’s cheek, her hand resting on her wrist, channeling a cool stream of spiritual energy to help suppress the cauldron’s influence.
Tao Ning, no longer able to cling to Cen Dianshuang, reluctantly sat up, beginning her meditation.
Bathed in moonlight, she looked like a jade statue, her face serene as the faint darkness lingering between her eyebrows slowly dissipated.
Cen Dianshuang, seeing her recover, concluded that her disciple was simply… resilient.
And…
She looked at the spirit boat, its intricate design and spacious cabins a testament to Tao Ning’s skill.
It was far more than a simple “toy.”
A weight on her lap, and she looked down to see Tao Ning, no longer meditating, but lying down, her head resting on Cen Dianshuang’s thigh.
Cen Dianshuang gently brushed a stray strand of hair from Tao Ning’s face, her hand captured by her disciple, who, despite her closed eyes, was clearly awake.
“Can you even breathe with your sleeve covering your face?” Cen Dianshuang chuckled, gently pulling her sleeve away.
After returning the last two children to their families, Tao Ning chose a spot outside a city near the Heavenly Heart Sect to disembark.
The disciples, feeling indebted to their saviors, wanted to express their gratitude properly, perhaps even securing a formal thank you from their elders. The immortals’ abrupt departure felt… incomplete.
“You’re returning to the Heavenly Heart Sect, right?” Tao Ning smiled as they prepared to leave. “I won’t be joining you. Go on. Go home.”
Disappointed, but understanding, they disembarked.
Pang Xueting, lingering behind, turned to Tao Ning, her voice firm. “Our paths will cross again, Senior Tao! I’ll defeat my fellow disciples and visit you at the Hanshan Sect during the next competition!”
Tao Ning remembered the centennial disciple competition, hosted by the Hanshan Sect this year.
A young disciple’s ambition was admirable. She smiled, waving her hand dismissively. “Alright. I’ll be waiting for you to claim the top spot in the Foundation Establishment division. Your name will be on the Heavenly Pride Ranking. A new generation of prodigies.”
Pang Xueting, slightly embarrassed by the praise, blushed.
Before jumping off the boat, she said, “Thank you for your encouragement, Senior Tao. I’ll do my best.”
As the spirit boat ascended, Pang Xueting led her fellow disciples towards the city.
Cen Dianshuang emerged from the cabin, joining Tao Ning by the railing, looking down at the small figures below. “Those are the children you saved before joining the Hanshan Sect. Their hearts are pure.”
Tao Ning: “She told you that? I didn’t go out of my way to save them. I simply… repaid a kindness. They shared their food with me.”
Cen Dianshuang shook her head. “Actions speak louder than words. And in their hearts, you’re their savior, their guide on the path of cultivation.”
Returning to their sect, Pang Xueting informed her master of Senior Brother Qiu’s death and the events in Shadow City.
Before True Person Chang Xiang could question her further, she was summoned by the Sect Leader.
Pang Xueting was puzzled. Being summoned by the Sect Leader wasn’t unusual, but why would the Sect Leader want to see her?
Arriving at the meeting hall, she realized she wasn’t the only one summoned. Several elders were also present.
She was the second to arrive, preceded by Zhuang Shimei, the elder’s son, who looked as confused as she was.
Once everyone had assembled, the Sect Leader, who had been meditating with her eyes closed, opened them, addressing the group. “Do you know what artifacts were created in Shadow City that day?”
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