The Beloved Master's Mad Dog Disciple - Chapter 17

Hands won’t do; we need faces.

The moment Fu Yunqing opened her mouth to challenge Cui Huaizhou, Bo Xuenong’s gaze snapped toward him, her anger slowly rising.

She had never particularly liked Cui Huaizhou. He had too many flaws, and every time an Outer Sect Disciple qualified for the Inner Sect, he would rush to recruit them. It wouldn’t have been so bad if they were merely less talented, but the real problem was that he never bothered to teach his disciples properly. Of the three disciples under his name—Bai Zaiyi, Ge Qiqin, and Chen Zhou—only Bai Zaiyi showed him any respect; the others merely feared him.

Cui Huaizhou fell silent at Fu Yunqing’s anger, but his words still stung like needles: “Junior Sister Fu, if Master knew the Imperial Tranquility Sect had withered to this state under your leadership, he would surely… Well, it’s only natural, considering you were never a candidate for Sect Leader in the first place.”

Before Shen Yanting joined the Imperial Tranquility Sect, Cui Huaizhou and Ye Zhiyao had been the leading contenders for the position. They had never taken Fu Yunqing seriously, often bullying her. Yet, in the end, Fu Yunqing became Sect Leader. At the time, none of the senior brothers and sisters ranked above her were truly convinced of her legitimacy, but they dared not object out of fear of the Sect Leader and Shen Yanting.

Now that only Ye Zhiyao and Cui Huaizhou remained alive, no one knew what Ye Zhiyao truly thought. At least outwardly, she acknowledged Fu Yunqing as Sect Leader, unlike Cui Huaizhou, who constantly opposed her and seized every opportunity to undermine her.

Bo Xuenong felt Fu Yunqing was far too lenient. Cui Huaizhou had bullied her when she first joined the sect, and even now, as Sect Leader, he showed her little respect. Yet Fu Yunqing, despite her position, harbored no thoughts of retaliation. After all, though she lacked personal strength, Shen Yanting had always staunchly supported her.

If Bo Xuenong were in Fu Yunqing’s place, she wouldn’t spare Cui Huaizhou, let alone Ye Zhiyao. What nonsense about sect camaraderie and… so soft!

As Bo Xuenong’s murderous intent intensified, Shen Yanting suddenly took her hand again. Overwhelmed by joy moments earlier, Bo Xuenong hadn’t noticed how delicate and smooth Shen Yanting’s hand was. Now, with her anger soothed by that gentle touch, she finally noticed Shen Yanting’s jade-like, creamy-white hand—so tender and smooth it seemed almost incongruous for a sword cultivator.

Sword cultivators, constantly handling their swords and seeking materials to repeatedly forge their Lifebound Swords, inevitably accumulate fine scars on their hands. Yet Shen Yanting’s hands were not only devoid of scars, but lacked even the slightest wrinkles. When Bo Xuenong’s cheek had rested against them, she hadn’t noticed the difference. It was only when Shen Yanting’s grip tightened that she realized the disparity between their hands. Suddenly, she worried that the scars on her palm might hurt Shen Yanting.

After all, she had slashed a long gash across her palm just the night before. The wound was barely scabbed over, and the rough texture would surely be uncomfortable to hold.

She tried to pull her hand away, but Shen Yanting’s grip only tightened further.

Bo Xuenong looked up, puzzled, and met Shen Yanting’s equally bewildered gaze.

Shen Yanting couldn’t understand why Bo Xuenong, who had been pressing her palm so eagerly against her cheek moments ago, was now struggling to break free. “Nong’er?” she murmured, her voice tinged with gentle confusion.

Hearing this, Bo Xuenong immediately realized her mistake. Shen Yanting had finally taken the initiative to get so close. If she pulled away now, what would Shen Yanting think? That she didn’t like it?

After a moment’s deliberation, Bo Xuenong’s eyes flickered. She slowly pried Shen Yanting’s hand open, then swiftly pressed it against her own cheek.

Bo Xuenong pressed her delicate cheek firmly against Shen Yanting’s palm, finally stopping when she felt completely satisfied. At the same time, she resolved to take better care of her hands in the future, ensuring that the next time her Master held them, they would be perfect.

Shen Yanting, unaware of Bo Xuenong’s thoughts, simply followed her gaze and looked down at her outstretched hands.

Perhaps due to her ancestral bloodline as a Divine Beast, Bo Xuenong’s natural endowments were exceptional, save for the malevolent energy in her bl00d.

Her face was beautiful, and her hands were equally exquisite—slender, pale, and graceful as willow branches, their gentle movements a sight to behold. Yet the wound on her palm marred this beauty.

Shen Yanting’s gaze darkened slightly as she retrieved a jar of medicinal ointment from her Storage Ring and handed it to Bo Xuenong. “Remember to apply this.”

Bo Xuenong had many such ointments in her Storage Jade Bracelet, all given to her intermittently by Shen Yanting over the years. Since Shen Yanting could access her Storage Jade Bracelet, she knew Bo Xuenong already had plenty. Yet she still gave her a fresh jar each time, as Bo Xuenong often seemed to forget what was in her bracelet and only remembered to use the ointment when given a new one.

Bo Xuenong was always like this, never taking enough care of herself.

“Okay!” Bo Xuenong replied obediently, pressing her cheek even closer to Shen Yanting’s palm, causing Shen Yanting to instinctively recoil slightly.

Bo Xuenong’s appearance resembled the sacred lake of Cloud Immortal Mountain, perpetually veiled in a soft, delicate mist. Whenever one gazed upon her, the first sensations were always of gentleness and tranquility, stirring an irresistible urge to protect this fragile beauty.

In truth, Bo Xuenong’s acting and lying skills were mediocre at best, but her deceptive appearance made her remarkably convincing.

Cui Huaizhou continued his tirade, each word more venomous than the last. Shen Yanting remained utterly indifferent until Cui Huaizhou rose to his feet and shouted, “Senior Sister Shen, you truly don’t care about the Imperial Tranquility Sect at all! How can you still find time to joke around with your disciple?”

Joke around?

When did I…? Shen Yanting turned her head just in time to see Bo Xuenong, her cheek pressed against Shen Yanting’s palm, smiling smugly.

Shen Yanting silently withdrew her hand and asked coldly, “Junior Brother Cui, what exactly are you trying to say?”

Cui Huaizhou sneered. “I want to ask Senior Sister Shen, now that nearly all the Outer Sect Disciples have left, what will become of the Imperial Tranquility Sect’s legacy?”

“Since when has the Sect’s legacy depended on Outer Sect Disciples?” Shen Yanting knew Cui Huaizhou harbored resentment toward her, but she couldn’t care less. “Those disciples’ hearts had already left the Imperial Tranquility Sect. Even if we could keep them here temporarily, they would still leave for better opportunities in the future.”

“Senior Sister Shen comes from the Cloudmist Sect and must possess many valuable treasures. If she had used them earlier to help the disciples break through, they wouldn’t have left.”

“And how do you know I haven’t?”

Shen Yanting’s calm gaze made Cui Huaizhou’s jealousy appear ugly and repulsive, revealing not a trace of guilt on her face. Before Cui Huaizhou could retort, Fu Yunqing cut in, finally voicing the words she had been holding back: “For years, Senior Sister Shen has been dissolving Spirit Gathering Pills into the Sect disciples’ meals. She has also secretly given Senior Brother many medicinal pills. Senior Brother Cui, before you speak, you should first ask your conscience if it agrees. If not for Senior Sister Shen’s generosity, you wouldn’t have broken through to Golden Core cultivation and extended your lifespan. You would have died with me by now.”

Fu Yunqing paused, then said with a smile, “No, Senior Brother is older than me. He should have been dead long ago.”

Cui Huaizhou’s finger, pointed at Fu Yunqing, trembled violently. “You! You’re the one who’s going to die!”

Fu Yunqing remained unfazed. She spoke of her impending death without anger or regret, only with composure. “Core Formation cultivators naturally have a lifespan of around eight hundred years. I’m only at the mid-stage of cultivation, and I’m already seven hundred and seventy-four years old. I was going to die anyway. Senior Brother Cui really loves stating the obvious.”

Seeing Cui Huaizhou’s face turn a livid purple with rage, Bo Xuenong found herself thinking for the first time that Fu Yunqing wasn’t so annoying after all. She appreciated Fu Yunqing’s protection of Shen Yanting.

She looked at Fu Yunqing, feeling a pang of regret for the first time at someone’s impending death.

Shen Yanting’s emotions were even more complex. When she had left the Cloudmist Sect with Bo Xuenong, she had needed to find a place to settle down. Hiding her own identity and concealing Bo Xuenong’s bloodline meant joining a major sect was out of the question. For Shen Yanting at the time, the Imperial Tranquility Sect—a small, remote sect with few worldly connections and a focus on pure sword cultivation—had been the perfect choice.

As a sword cultivator herself, joining the Imperial Tranquility Sect was a natural fit. At the time, the sect’s talent pool had dwindled, and the Sect Leader’s lifespan was nearing its end. Including Fu Yunqing, there were only five Inner Sect Disciples. Ye Zhiyao, the disciple with the highest Innate Talent, had only reached the peak of the mid-Core Formation Stage in cultivation, making her utterly unqualified to succeed as Sect Leader. The moment the Sect Leader saw Shen Yanting, he offered her the position.

Shen Yanting could only remain at the Imperial Tranquility Sect for five hundred years and couldn’t become Sect Leader herself. She struck a bargain with the Sect Leader: in exchange for the sect sheltering her and Bo Xuenong, she would ensure the sect’s continued existence for five centuries. After five hundred years, she would leave with Bo Xuenong. The Sect Leader readily agreed, even granting her the authority to choose his successor. At the time, Shen Yanting knew no one in the sect except for the face that had soothed Bo Xuenong for hours—naturally, she chose Fu Yunqing.

As it turned out, Fu Yunqing proved to be an excellent Sect Leader. She possessed a remarkably gentle nature, harbored no vengeful tendencies, and placed unwavering trust in Shen Yanting and Bo Xuenong. She even stubbornly believed that Bo Xuenong adored her as Sect Leader. The only flaw was… her short lifespan.