After Faking Her Death and Fleeing, the Emotionless Daoist Master Regretted It - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Pleading – Shizun Is Angry

At this moment, all the existing worries in Su Lingqing’s heart were replaced by joy. She subconsciously wanted to run towards Shizun, but the moment she moved, she remembered something and forcefully stopped her forward steps.

This was not Xuantian Peak. Being here, with many fellow disciples watching, she couldn’t act on impulse.

She suppressed the urgent desire to be close to Shizun and performed a salute to the transcendent woman.

In Ling Yunyue’s eyes, this meant her disciple was distancing herself from her.

She pursed her lips, and a sudden surge of displeasure rose in her heart. Her gaze then turned towards Le Xi beside the girl.

“Using poison in combat by a pill cultivator is truly not the conduct expected in a Daoist sect.”

Seeing that Shizun intended to blame Senior Sister Le, Su Lingqing quickly said: “Senior Sister immediately took out the antidote and gave it to your disciple to consume the moment the trial ended. Your disciple is fine now.”

Le Xi heard the girl’s words and looked at her with gratitude.

The Venerable held absolute prestige in the sect. If she insisted on punishing someone, she could only accept it.

Junior Sister Su was the Venerable’s disciple. With her pleading, the Venerable might be lenient.

However… what Le Xi hadn’t expected was that after the girl spoke those words, the gaze from afar that fell upon her became colder.

Junior Sister Su’s explanation seemed to have been counterproductive…

Le Xi had a grievance but couldn’t speak of it.

She was about to apologize, but the Venerable’s cold voice reached her ear first.

“Le Xi improperly used a spirit-dissipating poison during the trial. Effective immediately, go to the quiet room on Dan Peak for reflection. You are not to leave without summons for one year!”

Hearing Shizun issue this command, Su Lingqing’s heart seized up. Disregarding everything else, she quickly knelt down to plead: “I beg Shizun to be merciful. Senior Sister Le is very kind to your disciple. Senior Sister she…”

Her words were cut short halfway by Shizun’s voice, which seemed to be infused with ice: “If Lingqing pleads for her again, the punishment will only be heavier.”

Seeing the situation turn sour, Le Xi also knelt down to admit her mistake.

The Venerable’s punishment was actually not severe for her. The quiet room on Dan Peak had an alchemy furnace. While reflecting on her mistakes, she could also attempt alchemy.

The only restriction was the last sentence: not to leave without summons.

She could only stay in the quiet room and couldn’t see her fellow disciples… At this moment, Le Xi remembered the warnings from her spiritual intuition the two times she approached Junior Sister Su, and a guess gradually formed in her heart.

Perhaps… the restriction on Junior Sister Su’s body that prevented others from getting close was placed by the Venerable herself…

But judging by Junior Sister Su’s reaction earlier, she truly seemed unaware…

Le Xi covertly glanced at the girl kneeling beside her. She wanted to warn her, but the Venerable was nearby. She hesitated for a moment and ultimately did not speak.

Ling Yunyue looked at the girl’s almond eyes gradually filling with tears, and her heart felt a little reluctant, but the moment she remembered her disciple was pleading for another person, this reluctance was quickly suppressed.

Since entering the sect, Lingqing had only left Xuantian Peak twice: once when accompanied by her to Fog Demon Island, and once when she was brought to Wangyue Terrace without permission by Xu Miaoluo of Beast Taming Peak. She had never been to Dan Peak, where Le Xi was.

Yet now, merely because of a trial, even though she had been poisoned herself, she was pleading so earnestly for her opponent…

Thinking of this, Ling Yunyue’s cold gaze instantly swept over the red-clothed woman beside her disciple, “Since Junior Niece Le has accepted the punishment, she should return to Dan Peak immediately.”

“Yes, Le Xi bids farewell.”

The woman responded respectfully, then looked at the girl beside her. Meeting her tearful gaze, she comforted her softly: “Thank you for pleading for me, Junior Sister Su. Le Xi appreciates your kindness. The quiet room on Dan Peak is very suitable for cultivation. To me, staying there is not a bad thing… After our parting today, the next time we meet will be after the new year. I wish Junior Sister a smooth cultivation path.”

Hearing this, Su Lingqing’s overwhelmed heart gradually calmed down.

Senior Sister was punished because of her, and her guilt was immense. Senior Sister did not blame her, and she was both guilty and very grateful.

“I also wish Senior Sister boundless progress in your cultivation and that everything goes well.”

Le Xi smiled gently and turned to leave Yanwu Peak.

Su Lingqing watched Senior Sister’s receding back, and the words of caution gradually surfaced in her mind.

Did she really have a restriction placed on her?

If so, when did it happen?

At this moment, Su Lingqing’s thoughts raced. She recalled the incident in Qingyun City’s Yingxian Tower, the first time Shizun took out the Bing Que Sword.

At that time, a streak of snowy light had emerged from the sword and landed on her forehead.

She had asked Shizun before. Shizun’s reaction at the time was somewhat strange, only saying that the light was harmless to her and was the sword spirit expressing its fondness for her.

Could the restriction… be related to that light?

As she was thinking this, a clear, pearl-like cold voice suddenly reached her ear: “She has already gone far. How long must Lingqing stare?”

The girl instantly snapped back to reality. Looking at Shizun, who was now close at hand, she was speechless.

She wanted to say that she was considering an important matter just now and wasn’t constantly looking at Senior Sister Le, but she felt this explanation was somewhat redundant, or rather, appeared weak. She could only remain silent.

Ling Yunyue pursed her lips. Looking at her disciple’s appearance, she forcefully helped her up. Her heart felt like it was clogged with cotton, extremely uncomfortable.

She had always disliked people kneeling to her and did not care for such etiquette. Since taking Lingqing as her disciple, she had never made such demands. Today was Lingqing’s first time kneeling to her, yet it was to plead for another woman…

That Le Xi’s appearance was indeed excellent, and their ages were not too far apart. Was Lingqing, like this, developing feelings for the other person?

Thinking of this possibility, Ling Yunyue’s left hand, hidden in her sleeve, gradually clenched. Her fingertips turned slightly white from the excessive force, while her right hand, supporting the girl, was doing its best to restrain itself.

Su Lingqing sensed something unusual and carefully called out “Shizun.”

It was this call that caused the woman’s right hand on her wrist to instantly withdraw.

She suddenly felt a pang of reluctance. It was undeniable that she really liked Shizun’s touch. If she hadn’t spoken just now, would Shizun have continued to…

Su Lingqing did not dare to continue the thought, or rather, did not dare to think further.

Because she knew that was an impossible expectation…

Shizun had reminded her more than once that they were Master and disciple, and could only be Master and disciple…

Su Lingqing retreated half a step. In the martial field now, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she was afraid that she wouldn’t be able to control the emotions that should be hidden in her heart, allowing others to see a clue.

Due to her Innate Fiend Body, she had been ostracized since childhood. Even if all her fellow disciples kept their distance and criticized her, she wouldn’t care too much, but Shizun was different. In her heart, Shizun was a perfect and flawless goddess. She could not allow Shizun to be tarnished because of her own actions…

At this time, the eighth round of lot-drawing on the peak had already begun. Su Lingqing was fortunate enough to draw another bye and remained by Shizun’s side.

Ling Yunyue’s prestige in the sect was extremely high. Since her appearance on the peak, the volume of discussions among the cultivators had significantly decreased. They all quietly stayed around the arenas, watching their fellow disciples’ trials, not daring to pay close attention to the two of them.

Su Lingqing stood beside Shizun, looking up at the woman’s flawless face. She had a thousand words in her heart she wanted to say, but she didn’t know how to start.

Ling Yunyue saw her disciple remain silent, no longer as close to her as in the past, and became even more convinced of her inner speculation. A chilling coldness gradually emanated from her, inside and out.

“Shizun…”

Su Lingqing felt the surrounding temperature suddenly drop, and immediately understood that Shizun was truly angry.

Shizun was a Spiritual Ice Root to begin with. In the past, she deliberately restrained her ice spiritual power in front of her. Doing this now definitely meant she was vexed with her.

What should she do?

The girl’s face was full of helplessness, and her almond eyes filled with tears again.

She was not a crybaby. Before meeting Shizun, she had fallen off cliffs twice. Even when facing the threat of death, she hadn’t shed a single tear.

It could be said that except for the death of her parents, she had never cried in any other situation, no matter how difficult or dangerous.

But after meeting Shizun, she had cried countless times.

She cared too much about Shizun.

Anything related to Shizun would be infinitely magnified in her eyes. This excessive care led to the current feeling of being overly anxious about gains and losses.

She had always known her problem and had even thought about changing.

But she couldn’t change.

She couldn’t force herself not to care about Shizun.

Since taking her as a Master, Shizun had given her a warmth she had never experienced before and had saved her life more than once.

Without Shizun, she might have starved to death in that mountain cave at Fantasy Moon Mountain long ago, unable to leave.

Without Shizun, she would have been severely injured or even died on the spot in the two trials when she encountered unscrupulous people and lacked preparedness.

Shizun treated her so well. How could she not care about Shizun?

The more Su Lingqing thought, the more distressed she felt.

Now that she had upset Shizun, she didn’t know what to do to make amends. She hesitated to speak, afraid of saying the wrong thing again and making Shizun angrier…

The Master and disciple remained completely silent. Ling Yunyue radiated an aura that warned people not to approach. Coupled with her immense prestige in the sect, the cultivators on the peak consciously avoided them. The area around them was empty.

Above the auspicious clouds, Rong Jiangzhu watched this scene and shook her head subtly.

Beside her, an elder curiously asked: “Why is the Sect Master sighing?”

Rong Jiangzhu pointed below: “Two silent gourds are sulking down there.”

Qin Su had naturally paid attention to the Master and disciple. Hearing this, she smiled gently: “Senior Sister Ling is always taciturn. As Lingqing can become her disciple, her personality must be similar to Senior Sister’s. Does the Sect Master still remember when Senior Sister refused a disciple from the sect, saying she disliked noisy and bothersome people?”

Rong Jiangzhu nodded: “I remember, of course. That little girl who was rejected was greatly devastated. After a period of depression, she has been in seclusion and it’s been nearly five years now.”

Qin Su sighed softly: “With Ye Yarou’s aptitude, if her character hasn’t developed any issues, she should be close to forming her Golden Core by now.”

Rong Jiangzhu did not comment on this.

“That girl Ye Lan, like the girl Miaoluo of Beast Taming Peak, has made becoming a disciple an obsession. I heard Miaoluo and Lingqing’s relationship is acceptable. I wonder what attitude Ye Yarou will have towards Lingqing when she comes out of seclusion.”

Qin Su pondered: “Given her character, she probably won’t make things difficult. In fact, when I first heard that Senior Sister Ling brought a disciple back to the sect, I was most worried about Miaoluo, afraid she might secretly harm Lingqing. I paid close attention to the movements of Beast Taming Peak for a while.

Later, I slowly realized that this worry was unnecessary. Miaoluo not only didn’t regard Lingqing as an enemy but even developed an interest in her…”

Rong Jiangzhu was slightly surprised. Looking at the Master and disciple below who were still silent, she had a change of heart and sent a voice transmission to the secretly sulking Ling Yunyue…