After Faking Her Death and Fleeing, the Emotionless Daoist Master Regretted It - Chapter 35.1

Chapter 35.1: Lingering Touches – Shizun’s Hidden Thoughts

The peak-top cave dwelling of Xuantian Peak.

On the ice couch made of ten-thousand-year-old Profound Ice, a woman in a plain white dress, with skin like snow and a cold, ethereal demeanor, sat cross-legged, cultivating in meditation.

At a certain moment, the woman’s picturesque, slender willow eyebrows slightly furrowed. She opened her somewhat aloof eyes.

A strange sensation constantly emanated from her body. Ling Yunyue immediately thought of Lingqing. Her initially calm and undisturbed emotions suddenly fluctuated. Her jade-like face was tinged with a rosy blush, and she was both embarrassed and annoyed.

She had explicitly emphasized more than once that she was not allowed to randomly touch the clay doll…

Could the girl who acted so obediently in front of her also be acting in overt compliance but covert opposition?

The strange sensation grew stronger, impossible to ignore.

Ling Yunyue’s slender fingertips slightly curled. She quickly recited the Heart Cleansing Incantation.

However, the spell that usually calmed her mind and stabilized her emotions was completely ineffective at this moment.

She bit her lip, desperately trying to endure. Her naturally light lip color gradually turned to a rosy red, like a solitary red plum blossom in the snow, aloof and enchanting.

As time passed, a thin layer of sweat gradually formed on the woman’s forehead.

Ling Yunyue used the utmost restraint of her life. Embarrassment and annoyance mixed in her heart. For the first time, she was vexed with her own disciple.

The strange sensation from her body persisted. At a certain point, no longer able to endure, she rose from the ice couch. Her figure flickered, turning into a streak of light, and she rushed out of the cave dwelling.

After a moment, a graceful figure appeared in front of the jade couch where Su Lingqing resided.

Ling Yunyue looked at the peacefully sleeping girl. The expression of someone about to demand an explanation froze.

So it wasn’t intentional?

The girl’s breathing was long and steady. She was clearly not feigning sleep to avoid punishment, having guessed her Master was coming.

The anger in Ling Yunyue’s heart instantly dissipated by more than half.

However, the strange sensation emanating from her body reminded her that even if her disciple didn’t do it on purpose, the fact that it caused her great distress hadn’t changed.

Actions subconsciously performed in sleep often represented one’s deepest thoughts.

Ling Yunyue still decided to punish the girl.

She slowly sat down beside the couch, extended her slender, jade-like finger, and rescued the clay doll from the girl’s ‘clutches’.

At this moment, her mind was no longer as clear as before, and the means of punishment she thought of were also unexpected.

She leaned down and fiercely bit the girl’s small, soft lips, grinding them slightly.

A soft moan escaped the girl’s lips. The slight stinging sensation signaled Su Lingqing’s inclination to awaken from her deep sleep.

Ling Yunyue regained a bit of clarity. She rose slightly, and instantly touched a pressure point to induce sleep in the girl.

Looking at the cherry lips she had ravaged until they bled, the slight exposure of her teeth made them less playful and cute than usual, adding a touch of alluring beauty.

Remembering what she had just done, a very unnatural expression flashed across the woman’s face.

Ling Yunyue quickly convinced herself that this was to punish Lingqing.

A voice deep in her heart urged her to continue, but her gradually returning reason stopped that thought.

She couldn’t do this. Lingqing had been put to sleep by her. She couldn’t take advantage of her.

However, she had to find a way to curb this embarrassing situation tonight, or if it continued every night, she didn’t know how much more ‘torment’ she would have to endure.

At this moment, Ling Yunyue thought of a secret technique, perfectly suited for use on the clay doll.

She formed a single-hand seal. A silver light instantly emerged from her jade-like fingertip, outlining a complex rune in the air, which fell onto the clay doll around the girl’s neck in the blink of an eye.

Seeing the secret technique successfully deployed, Ling Yunyue’s mind settled slightly.

When she molded the clay doll, she infused it with her own heart-bl00d. With this secret technique now in place, if Lingqing touched the clay doll again in the future, she could retaliate instantly.

At that time, even if the girl was in a deep sleep like tonight, she would have countless ways to instantly wake her up and make her pay the corresponding ‘price’ for her actions.

Thinking of this, Ling Yunyue took a deep look at the girl. Her gaze lingered on the cherry-red lips for a moment. Suppressing the renewed flutter in her heart, she rose and left the place…

The next morning, as the sky gradually brightened, Su Lingqing awoke from her sleep.

Thinking of today’s trial, she quickly got up. After a simple wash-up, she took out her breakfast from her storage bracelet. While eating, she belatedly realized something was amiss. Her pair of beautiful almond eyes were instantly filled with confusion.

The girl extended her slender, jade-like finger and gently touched her small lips.

“Hiss~ It hurts so much… What happened to me?”

Su Lingqing immediately took out the Twin Life Mirror. She saw that the girl’s lips in the mirror were swollen, and a light scab had formed on the peak of her lip.

Her complexion paled slightly.

“How could this be… It looks like I was bitten by something. There are restrictions set by Shizun outside the cave dwelling. Except for Shizun and the sword spirit, Aunt Bing, no one can come in. Aunt Bing went to the True Martial Continent a while ago. It’s impossible for her to return so quickly. Shizun definitely wouldn’t do such a thing. Then… did I bite myself?”

The girl reached out again and touched her swollen lips.

Another sting of pain instantly erupted. Her brows slightly furrowed. At this moment, a hint of suspicion arose.

“The peak of my lip… it’s clearly hard to bite. How could I…”

Su Lingqing’s thoughts turned quickly. She began to consider other possibilities.

Just then, Ruozhu came into sight.

The girl immediately put down the Twin Life Mirror. Her almond eyes instantly filled with suspicion as she looked at the little fox.

“Ruozhu, after I fell asleep last night, what did you do?”

The little fox was bewildered by the owner’s slightly questioning tone and froze on the spot.

This reaction just happened to mislead the girl.

Su Lingqing was very angry. She quickly stepped forward and grabbed the little fox’s furry ear.

“Ruozhu, why did you bite me for no reason? And you bit me in that place…”

“What?” The little fox was even more confused. It raised its puzzled fox eyes and instantly saw its owner’s swollen lips. The entire fox was stunned.

Su Lingqing saw this as a look of feigning ignorance and was immediately furious.

“You still want to argue… No outsiders can enter the cave dwelling. The injury on my lip is in a special location. It’s unlikely I bit myself. If it wasn’t you, Ruozhu, then it was Xiwu pecking. Xiwu is always well-behaved. Only you, Ruozhu, constantly pounce on me, making it easy to do such a thing.”

Being falsely accused, the little fox, who had regained its senses, was on the verge of tears.

“Wuwu… Owner, it really wasn’t me. I was cultivating last night, but then I somehow fell asleep on the ground. I have no idea what happened…”

Seeing the girl’s expression growing colder, the little fox knew its owner didn’t believe its words. So, it raised its paw and swore a poisonous oath.

“Under the Dao of Heaven, if Ruozhu has even a single lie towards the Owner, I shall immediately be struck by lightning and die tragically!”

An oath to the Dao of Heaven, once sworn by humans or demons, would be sensed by the Dao of Heaven of this realm. If the oath was false, it would immediately be fulfilled, resulting in death.

These words completely dispelled Su Lingqing’s suspicion.

She released the little fox’s furry ear. An evident look of apology appeared in her almond eyes.

“Ruozhu… I’m sorry. I misunderstood you…”

Seeing that her owner was no longer blaming her, the little fox immediately nestled against her and transmitted a comforting thought: “Owner doesn’t need to apologize. It’s normal for Owner to suspect Ruozhu when something like this happens. Owner, rest assured, Ruozhu will never do anything presumptuous without Owner’s permission.”

The girl slowly nodded. Her gaze then fell upon the little Phoenix, who was flying towards her.

Although Xiwu didn’t know the conversation between Ruozhu and its Sister, its powerful divine beast instinct had already sensed something was wrong. It immediately slowed down and did not land on the girl’s shoulder as usual.

Because of the previous incident, Su Lingqing did not rashly jump to conclusions again, but asked in as calm a tone as possible: “Xiwu, do you know if anything unusual happened in the cave dwelling last night?”

Hearing this, a hint of hesitation appeared in the little Phoenix’s dark, bright eyes. It first shook its head, then nodded.

The girl’s brows slightly furrowed: “What do you mean, Xiwu?”

The little Phoenix flapped its wings and scratched its own head: “Sister, Xiwu isn’t sure…”

“How so?”

“Usually, Xiwu never sleeps at night, but last night, shortly after Sister fell asleep, Xiwu also fell asleep. The feeling at that moment was very strange, as if I was being hypnotized by something.”

These words were similar to what the little fox Ruozhu had said.

Could it be that… someone really intruded into the cave dwelling last night?

Shizun had said when setting up the restrictions that no one could force their way in unless their strength surpassed hers.

Furthermore, Aunt Bing was the spirit of Shizun’s natal Dao artifact, the Ice Labyrinth Sword, and shared the same aura, thus she could also enter and exit freely.

Excluding Shizun and Aunt Bing, logically, no one else should have been able to enter.

Thinking this, Su Lingqing walked to the entrance of the cave dwelling, released her divine sense, and carefully examined the restrictions. There were no signs of disturbance.

Had Aunt Bing returned? But… even if she returned, Aunt Bing shouldn’t have done this to her. As for Shizun, it was even more impossible…

Su Lingqing was at a loss.

Could it really have been herself who bit her lip?

But… it was quite difficult to bite the peak of her lip like this… What exactly did she do after falling asleep last night?

To solve the confusion in her heart, Su Lingqing picked up the Twin Life Mirror again.

A night had passed, and her spiritual energy had long recovered. Circulating it slightly now, she immediately activated the precious mirror.

Unlike yesterday, Shizun’s countenance did not immediately appear on the mirror surface.

Su Lingqing simply assumed that Shizun was preoccupied with something and waited quietly, not thinking too much about it.

After about a hundred breaths, a brilliant light flowed across the clear mirror surface. Shizun’s jade-like countenance gradually appeared…

At that moment, in the peak-top cave dwelling, Ling Yunyue held the Twin Life Mirror. Looking at the girl’s swollen lips in the mirror, she recalled what happened last night. For the first time, she felt an emotion called guilt.

Before she could think further, the girl’s clear voice reached her ear. Listening closely, one could detect a hint of grievance.

“Shizun, your disciple fell asleep last night and was somehow bitten on the lip. It’s still swollen now…”

Ling Yunyue lightly coughed and lied with a straight face: “After a cave dwelling has been opened for a long time, it’s inevitable that various insects and ants will appear.”

The girl’s face showed a trace of hesitation at these words: “Does Shizun mean… the wound on your disciple’s lip was caused by an insect or an ant?”

Ling Yunyue avoided a direct answer: “The area around Lingqing’s cave dwelling is all set with restrictions personally placed by your Master. If anyone were to force their way in, your Master would know immediately. The restrictions were not disturbed last night, so the possibility of an outsider trespassing can be eliminated.”

The girl had complete trust in Shizun. Hearing this now, she was completely relieved and silently accepted that the wound on her lip was caused by an insect or an ant… although this insect or ant was indeed a bit large…

“Shizun, in a little while, it will be time to gather on the spiritual boat. The injury on your disciple’s lip…”

“Your Master has excellent healing ointment here. I will bring it to Lingqing now. After applying it, the swelling will quickly disappear and will not be seen by others.”

Hearing this, Su Lingqing’s mind was at ease. A smile blossomed on her face: “Thank you, Shizun!”

Ling Yunyue returned a gentle smile, temporarily cut off the connection with the Twin Life Mirror, took out a cyan jade bottle, and quickly left the Xuanbing-surrounded cave dwelling, heading towards her disciple’s residence…

Su Lingqing put down the Twin Life Mirror. Thinking that Shizun would arrive soon, her heart was filled with joy.

A moment later, a familiar figure came into view.

The girl immediately stood up, slightly lifted her skirt, and rushed to Shizun’s side.

Ling Yunyue looked at her charming disciple. The memory of last night’s kiss replayed uncontrollably in her mind. Her jade fingers, concealed in her sleeve, instinctively curled up.

Lowering her eyes and suppressing the slight flutter in her heart, she slowly opened the cyan jade bottle in her palm. Using her fingertip, she dabbed a bit of the transparent ointment and reached forward, gently applying it to the girl’s still swollen lips.

Su Lingqing subconsciously held her breath. Her heart pounded heavily, and her pretty face slowly turned rosy.

The ointment landing on her lips was cool and refreshing. The slight stinging sensation immediately disappeared the moment it was applied.

Looking at the jade-like countenance so close to her, the girl’s mind began to wander uncontrollably.

Had Shizun ever treated anyone else like this?

She wished so much that this Shizun belonged only to her…

Since entering the sect, she had known that she was Shizun’s only disciple. At that time, she felt she was the luckiest and happiest person in the world… This thought remained true even now.

To be able to become Shizun’s disciple, she had no regrets in this life…

Under the effect of the cool ointment, the swollen lips quickly subsided. However, the slightly burning fingertip resting on her lips did not withdraw.

Ling Yunyue lingered over the overly soft touch. The girl’s now-unswollen lips became moist and plump, nourished by the crystal-clear ointment.

The fingertip resting on her lips continued to caress. As time went on, a tingling sensation arose in Su Lingqing’s heart. More and more strange thoughts gradually surfaced in her mind.

She wanted so much to be held in Shizun’s arms… She wanted to press closely against Shizun… She wanted Shizun to have her way with her…

Ling Yunyue looked at the girl’s gradually hazy almond eyes. Knowing she couldn’t continue, she instantly withdrew her fingertip and pulled back her extended right hand.

“The injury has been restored to its original state. You will be heading to the spiritual boat soon. Lingqing, prepare early.”

The gentle voice reached her ear. The girl instantly snapped back to attention and softly acknowledged with a downward nod.

Ling Yunyue looked at the spiritual cuisine placed on the huanghuali table, understanding immediately: “Has Lingqing not eaten yet?”

“Yes… I intended to after washing up this morning, but then I discovered the injury on my lip, so I didn’t continue…”

“Then take advantage of the remaining time and eat quickly.”

Su Lingqing smiled and agreed, but her heart was somewhat distracted. The originally delicious spiritual cuisine had completely lost its appeal…

Nearly half a zhancha (approx. 5 minutes) later, the girl put down her bowl and chopsticks and quickly cleaned them with a simple Cleansing Spell.

Ling Yunyue took out a handkerchief woven from celestial silkworm silk, slowly walked forward, held the corner of the handkerchief, and gently wiped away the grease clinging to the girl’s lips.

The familiar pure fragrance reached her nose. Su Lingqing instinctively reached out and touched her chest.

Inside her innermost clothing lay the handkerchief she had begged from Shizun at the Welcoming Immortal Tower Inn in Qingyun City…

She had always worn Shizun’s item close to her body. This was a secret exclusive to her, known to no one…

Ling Yunyue was unaware of her disciple’s current thoughts. After wiping away the grease clinging to the girl’s lips, she put the handkerchief away and said softly: “It’s getting late. It’s time to set off.”

The girl looked up, meeting Shizun’s gentle gaze, and smiled, nodding.

It was also at this moment that a thought transmission came from the little fox in her Sea of Consciousness: “Owner, can you take Ruozhu along? Ruozhu wants to stay by Owner’s side and see the outside world…”

The latter half was a casually fabricated reason. The little fox had only one goal: to follow its owner’s side.

It couldn’t fly, unlike Xiwu, who could go anytime…

Listening to Ruozhu’s soft, pleading voice, Su Lingqing’s eyes curved into a smile. She transmitted a thought agreeing to it. Her footsteps paused slightly. She squatted down, skillfully picked up the little fox, and gently rubbed its soft fur.

Ling Yunyue looked at this scene, her lips slightly pursed.