When I woke up, the entire cultivation world was talking about my master.

Do you feel lonely, annoyed, disappointed, or even angry because of the daily wait?

still is……

Do you... also feel nostalgic?

Yi Chen's heart skipped a beat—why did he say "also"?

A strange and belated feeling slowly welled up, seeping into every inch of his senses, making the familiar scenery seem empty, the usual tranquility unbearable, and even the forty-five days felt long and tangible. These were feelings he had never experienced before.

So... does he miss... does he miss Chu Xianlan?

This thought, like a tiny spark, landed in Yi Chen's heart, igniting a small flame.

Even though there were still many unresolved issues in my mind that I dared not delve into, that little spark of light stubbornly ignited, filling one of the dark corners.

A strange light flashed in Yi Chen's eyes. Something was silently driving him, telling him what he should do.

As the wind whistled by, the two spirits of heaven and earth who were swinging on the swing in the courtyard looked up at the same time and saw a flash of white light.

"Why did he leave?" Xue Ling asked.

"I've figured it out," Hua Ling said mysteriously, swinging her short legs on the swing. "As the saying goes, if you want something, you have to fight for it yourself. What's the use of just thinking about it? You have legs to walk on! Otherwise, how can so many good things be delivered to your door?"

As she spoke, she turned around and lightly patted Xue Ling on the shoulder: "Don't just stand there staring, push me! It's my turn to swing!"

Xue Ling nodded as if she understood, obediently said "Oh," and gently pushed the swing.

-

On the other side, Chu Xianlan neatly gathered the last file in her hand.

Looking up at the completely dark sky outside the window, his face scrunched up in a grimace.

What kind of mess is this?!

First, he was conscripted by Xiao Huandu in the Deacon's Office to take on most of the preparatory tasks. Then, he was intercepted halfway by the weapon-refining elder of the Thousand Refinement Hall and dragged back to test some newly developed gadgets.

I thought I could make a quick getaway after testing a few magical artifacts, but little did I know that the elder was a maverick in the world of artifact crafting. None of the "little gadgets" he mentioned were harmless; they were all heavyweight, lethal magical artifacts!

Sure enough, the third "little thing" went out of control and exploded, directly blowing up the Qianlian Hall that had just been rebuilt not long ago. Seven or eight unlucky people who were nearby were injured by the aftershocks and lay on the ground.

Chu Xianlan was exasperated. She helped the Qianlian Hall members clean up the mess and then sent the injured disciples to the Baicao Hall for treatment one by one.

They thought they could retire after delivering the goods, but with the Tianyuan Gathering approaching, Baicaotang was already short-staffed, and with so many injured people, they were even busier than before. They ran out of several commonly used healing plant ingredients.

Zhu Ling, expressionless, clutched a long list and shoved it at Chu Xianlan: "Why haven't the medicinal herbs been delivered from Lingtian yet? Go and run an errand for me; I don't trust anyone else."

Chu Xianlan: ...Alright then.

After finally finishing all the trivial matters, just as she was about to head back, several junior disciples from the Deacon's Office came to apologize, crying and sobbing. Only after asking did she learn that they had accidentally lost one of the files that Chu Xianlan had organized that morning, and they couldn't find it anywhere.

The young disciples, being quite young, thought they had committed a terrible crime and were terrified. Chu Xianlan sighed as she looked at their frightened expressions.

Without further ado, I returned to the Deacon's Office to complete the case file.

"Senior brother, thank you for your hard work. Leave the rest to us," the disciple said gratefully.

Chu Xianlan nodded, her gaze casually sweeping over the few sheets of paper spread out on the table. They were probably records of events reported by the surrounding villages or towns in recent days. These kinds of documents are usually requests for help or requests for assistance regarding unusual events.

His attention was drawn to a scroll with crooked handwriting, which read: "—In Qingyan Town of the North, six children have gone missing within seven days, and their spiritual roots have all been extracted."

The disciple beside him, noticing his attention, couldn't help but sigh, "This kind of thing happens once or twice every few years in remote places. I wonder if it's the same group of people doing it. It's truly a tragedy."

Chu Xianlan frowned. "After so many incidents, the perpetrator still hasn't been caught?"

"When our fellow disciples arrived, the villain had already vanished without a trace. However... however, a faint trace of half-demon malevolence remained at the scene, leading us to speculate that it was the work of a half-demon," the disciple said, his voice tinged with indignation and disgust. "These half-demons are truly wicked creatures that plague the world!"

Chu Xianlan didn't say anything, but secretly remembered the matter in her heart. Just as she was about to get up and leave, some noise came from outside.

After all the chaos of the day, Chu Xianlan thought something had gone wrong again when a clumsy disciple rushed in:

"Senior brother, Immortal Lord Jixue has arrived!"

Chu Xianlan: Who?

Master?

When Chu Xianlan arrived at the outer hall, she was still completely confused.

The deacon's courtyard was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The atmosphere was tense, and none of the disciples dared to utter a sound. They didn't know why this immortal lord, who rarely descended the mountain, would appear here. Their eyes couldn't help but frantically glance towards the end of the hall.

Chu Xianlan saw the tall figure from afar. Yi Chen turned around at that moment, and when their eyes met, they were both slightly taken aback.

After being separated for so long, besides the increasing number of days, there seems to be something more subtle, quietly changing invisibly.

Chu Xianlan swallowed subconsciously and quickened her pace to walk to her master's side.

"Master, what brings you here?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the disciples who had been eavesdropping nearby perked up.

Alright, finally getting to the point!

It's no wonder they're gossipy; it's just that Senior Brother Chu Xianlan is usually gentle and cheerful, while Immortal Lord Jixue is known for being aloof and taciturn. They're really curious about how these two get along when they're together.

Everyone kept their eyes downcast, but in reality, they were all holding their breath, waiting for Yi Chen's answer.

"I've come to take you back."

The disciples: ! ! ?

Gasps of breath rose and fell around them.

Chu Xianlan was also stunned, pointing to his face, "Get me...me?" His master had specially come down the mountain, crossing half the sect, to this noisy deacon's office, just to take him back!?

"Mm." Yi Chen looked at him and responded softly, "Give me your hand."

Chu Xianlan didn't understand the situation, but her body complied, and she opened her palm.

Yi Chen took out a still-warm oil paper package from his sleeve and placed it in his hand.

The paper package was warm to the touch, and a sweet aroma eagerly wafted out. It was osmanthus sugar cake, probably fresh out of the oven, still soft and fluffy.

The warm and cozy smell instantly whetted her appetite. Chu Xianlan had been running around all day and hadn't even had time to drink water... No, not just today. For the past month and a half since she went into seclusion, she had relied entirely on the Bigu Pill to keep herself alive. The feeling was just too bittersweet.

He looked at the packet of sweet cakes in his palm, then looked up at his master, somewhat dumbfounded.

Yi Chen didn't say anything more. "Let's go."

After the two left one after the other, the disciples of the Deacon Hall seemed to wake from a dream, their expressions astonished, and a burst of discussion erupted.

"Am I seeing things? Immortal Lord Jixue has come to escort Senior Brother Chu back to Jade Capital Pavilion??"

"My goodness, who said their relationship was lukewarm? This master-disciple bond is too good! It's completely different from the rumors!"

"So the Immortal Lord secretly cares about us..."

When Chu Xianlan returned to Yujing Pavilion, he still felt like he was dreaming. How did he get back? Wasn't he just struggling to write files? Wait, why did his master come to take him back?

Just as I was thinking about it, a cup of hot tea was pushed in front of me again.

Chu Xianlan was taking small sips of tea, wondering how to begin, when her master asked, "What have you been doing today?"

Chu Xianlan was even more confused.

Why ask about this instead of the results of the seclusion or the progress of cultivation?

He recalled carefully and began to speak honestly, "Reporting to Master, it was all trivial matters. First, I went to the Deacon's Office to help Xiao Huandu check the Tianyuan Society's supply list. I was busy for about two hours. I originally wanted to come back earlier, but then I ran into Elder Qianlian Hall..."

The boy was initially a little nervous, but he gradually became more open and his lively voice filled the surroundings. His expressions were vivid, sometimes helpless, and sometimes he would interject with a few complaints.

Yi Chen listened quietly, and the emptiness he had felt earlier gradually disappeared.

Chu Xianlan stopped speaking halfway through her sentence.

He saw his master gazing at him. There was a hint of a smile in his eyes, like a lake rippling with waves, making one willing to immerse oneself in it, and everything in the world seemed to stand still in his eyes.

Being stared at like that, Chu Xianlan felt her heart skip a beat.

He concealed his slight panic, lowered his head and continued drinking his tea. "Anyway... it's just a small matter, nothing to worry about."

Why do I always feel that Master's eyes are different?

In the past, he regarded the other party as a true immortal and never felt that there was anything in this world that his master should care about.

But now, Chu Xianlan had a strange feeling; he felt...

Does Master actually... seem to care about him quite a bit?

There was a moment of silence between them.

The teacup was empty. Chu Xianlan looked up, first frowning, then sniffing the surroundings before hesitantly asking:

"Master, can you smell something...that smells particularly fragrant?"