Having cultivated myself into an immortal, all I want to do is raise female disciples.

"Speaking of which, where is Huang Luoren?"

Looking around, Zhang Ruoxue did not spot any Qin Sect disciple.

In fact, Huang Luo never appeared again after they entered Huang Yisi's cave.

Lu Yingqiu seemed to have thought of something, and raised her small hand to say, "He must have gone to find what he needs, right? I remember he came here with us to look for something."

"Ah, I remember now." Ye Yuchan exclaimed in sudden realization, "A gift from a simp!"

Yunping stared at the girl with his dead fish eyes: "She's working so hard, yet your words are surprisingly offensive."

"Then... a gift for a diligent simp?"

Yunping: "..."

It seems that Huang Luo will never be able to escape the terrible label of "simp" in his life.

Everyone probably knows how things usually end up for a simp.

After that, the group had nothing left to discuss, since they wouldn't be able to meet the so-called Lord of Lake City until tomorrow, so they started worrying about the room assignments.

The cave dwelling where Huang Yisi was located was only one floor. Although the room was very spacious, Huang Yisi had also kindly brought them beds, so there was no need to worry about sleeping.

However, for some reason...

For example, Zhang Ruoxue insisted on sleeping with Ye Yuchan because she could bully a little leaf at night.

Ye Yuchan firmly opposed it, but Yunping's response was that his opposition was invalid.

Gu Xingzhuo stated that he did not need to sleep and chose to keep vigil and cultivate himself.

Lu Yingqiu naturally slept with Xiao Yuan'er, while the scholar Ning Xuchen found it too frightening to sleep with his grandmaster Yun Ping, so he chose to get to know his master Gu Xingzhuo better and exchange ideas.

That's true...

……

night.

For some reason, the nights in the Azure Secret Realm are always filled with stars.

The cloak of night spread across the entire lake, casting a beautiful glow over the only area in this murky land that could be called beautiful. The moonlight scattered down, filtering through the window and gently and slowly landing on the gray stone bricks.

In the cave where there was no other light source, this sliver of moonlight became the only source of light. Through this light, one could vaguely glimpse a corner of the cave, where on a soft bed covered with purple gauze, two figures were intertwined, whether they were playing around or doing something else, it was unclear.

Quiet.

Although the bed occasionally creaked and shook inside, the room was generally quiet.

"Master Gu..."

Sitting cross-legged on the cold floor in front of the gate, Ning Xuchen could still hear the extremely faint moans of the girl. His face flushed red as he lowered his head: "What are they doing..."

Gu Xingzhu shook his head and said in an unquestionable tone, "Don't ask, don't look, don't listen."

Ning Xuchen nodded helplessly upon hearing this.

But at a certain moment, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught sight of a small figure tiptoeing toward Yunping's bed.

He swallowed hard and whispered, "Master Gu, that..."

"Don't ask, don't look, don't listen."

Gu Xingzhuo, with his eyes still closed, interrupted Ning Xuchen.

Ning Xuchen dared not waste any more words and could only force himself to calm down before helplessly entering a state of cultivation.

The white-haired boy, who was sitting cross-legged against the gate, quietly opened one eye after a moment of silence.

What was reflected in his eyes was... a wisp of crimson hair behind the petite girl.

He didn't say anything, but instead smiled slightly and silently closed his eyes.

"Master Gu..."

Ning Xuchen's words came to my ears again.

Gu Xingzhuo's expression was subtly strange: "What is it now?"

"I think I need to pee..."

"Hold it in."

"what……?"

"The basics of cultivation are about controlling oneself. It's just some excess fluid; just bear with it. Since you want me to guide you, continue according to my method."

"but……"

"Hold it in—or just inhale it back."

Ning Xuchen: "..."

He suddenly felt a little regretful.

He'd never heard of Gu Xingzhuo being such a strict person...

Ning Xuchen, whose legs began to tremble, continued meditating, on the verge of tears.

43. Night Talk and Entry

night.

The girl tiptoed barefoot and carefully lifted the curtain.

She seemed quite uneasy; her soft, fair legs trembled slightly, her shapely body shook twice, and her timid, clear eyes looked around.

After confirming there were no suspicious eyes in the darkness, she slowly walked to the bedside, her red hair falling down, her eyes sparkling with a bright, watery light.

The girl pursed her red lips, her face hesitant. She raised her head and looked at the moonlight that was streaming into the room through the paper window outside the curtain. An indescribable coldness and loneliness welled up in her heart.

Like a child afraid of the dark and loneliness, she tiptoed to the bedside, looked at the young man in white shirt who was leaning over and resting with his eyes closed, hesitated for a few meters, and then quietly climbed onto the bed.

After that, she seemed to feel a little more at ease, gently nestled in the young man's arms, and let out a long sigh.

As if all the fatigue of the day would disappear because of this, the corners of her mouth turned up in a long time.

However, just as the girl peacefully closed her eyes, preparing to drift off to sleep—

"What, you didn't act cute during the day, but you can't resist at night?"

Huh?!

Lin Yuan's face showed surprise, and she quickly looked up.

Unsurprisingly, the familiar face was right in the center of my vision.

Yunping stared at the shy-faced girl with a knowing look in his eyes.

"teacher?"

"Don't worry." Yunping knew what the girl wanted to say: "It won't wake anyone up, the sound won't carry."

Yuan'er was taken aback, her gaze falling on the curtain beside her—a thin, dim film shimmering subtly in the moonlight.

She bit her lower lip lightly, seemingly a little embarrassed, and lowered her head: "Was it Yuan'er who woke up the teacher..."

"I didn't sleep at all."

Yunping narrowed his eyes, his gaze passing through the curtains to Yuan'er and Lu Yingqiu's bed, and asked, "Where is my lovely little grand-disciple?"

"She's fallen asleep." Lin Yuan took a deep breath to calm herself down. "She was tired too... so she fell asleep quickly."

"And then Yuan'er sneaked off to my place?"

Seeing Yun Ping's mischievous grin, Lin Yuan puffed out her cheeks, glanced at him shyly, and then nodded slightly, unable to refute him: "Mmm..."

……

really.

Even though so many years have passed.

Xiao Yuan'er is still Xiao Yuan'er. Even though she is now Lu Yingqiu's teacher and an elder to many people, she hasn't changed in essence.

The reason she sneaked over to my place in the middle of the night wasn't just because she missed me; there were other reasons as well.

"Are you uneasy?" Yunping asked.

The moonlight outside the window seemed even stronger.

A cold wind blew through the cracks in the paper window, causing the scholar at the gate to shiver three times, and also adding a touch of frost to the already desolate and cold house.

Lin Yuan buried her head in Yun Ping's arms like an ostrich, nodding her head twice and letting out a tiny, mosquito-like voice: "Mmm..."

Two small hands gripped the snow-white clothes tightly, squeezing them so hard that their palms trembled, veins bulged, and their bodies quivered slightly.

She refused to lift her head, keeping it buried in Yunping's arms.

"teacher……"

The voice was trembling.

Trembling with unease and fear.

"Senior brother... Senior brother Jiang... he'll be alright, won't he?"

"No, it won't."

Yunping said in a low voice.

He reached out and stroked the girl's hair.

He stroked her from top to bottom, from the top of her head to her back, slowly and carefully.

"Xiao Jiang will be fine."

"but……"

Yuan'er's delicate body trembled violently, and Yunping felt as if a liquid had soaked his clothes on his chest.

"That person said... Senior Brother Jiang is a cursed lone star..."

"They say that Senior Brother Jiang is destined to be alone in this lifetime..."

"Senior Brother Jiang, whom even the heavens have cursed... will he really be alright?"