The Beloved Master's Mad Dog Disciple - Chapter 4

The Imperial Tranquility Sect’s entrance requirements were laughably low. All fourteen individuals Bo Xuenong had brought passed the assessment without exception, officially becoming outer sect disciples. Their accommodation and cultivation arrangements were now beyond Bo Xuenong’s purview; other disciples would escort them to Feng Yingbo, who would handle the unified assignments.

If one ignored the straggling girl, Shen Yanting’s assigned task was complete.

Bo Xuenong didn’t rush to leave. Instead, she circled back to the sect’s entrance.

Now alone, the smile vanished from her face. Her eyes fixed intently on the entrance, her delicate, pale hands unconsciously clasped tightly together. Slender fingers pressed repeatedly into the back of her hand, leaving deep, conspicuous red marks.

Master will come.

Master won’t come…

Bo Xuenong’s lips remained still, but two voices clashed within her mind.

Xuan Mo, the ink-black sword at her waist, stirred again with her turbulent emotions. The blade slowly slid from its sheath, revealing a sliver of cold light—a glint that seemed sharp enough to sever the girl’s fragile neck. Bo Xuenong caught the scent of bl00d, fragrant and alluring.

She took a deep breath, a sudden idea forming in her mind.

If Shen Yanting didn’t come, she would turn back and kill that girl.

Why does she have to be so different? Not only can she make sounds only I can hear, but she also speaks in words I don’t understand. And worst of all, she’s trying to steal my alone time with Master!

Just as Bo Xuenong had this thought, she caught sight of two figures approaching her. The one in front wore a lake-green silk robe… Master… Master had actually returned to fetch her, just as the girl had said. Bo Xuenong couldn’t help but feel resentful.

Shen Yanting had never even come down the mountain to meet her.

So what if she faked a sprained ankle? I can do that too! I’m the best at pretending.

Bo Xuenong lowered her gaze to her white-booted feet.

If a sprained ankle would earn Master’s sympathy, what if I broke my own leg? Would she carry me on her back again?

When Bo Xuenong was very young, Shen Yanting had held her and carried her on her back. But those were the privileges of childhood, destined to fade with age. Now, at five hundred and five years old, she had long lost such treatment.

Bo Xuenong felt a pang of regret. She genuinely wouldn’t have minded breaking her leg if it meant earning a little more of her Master’s affection. After all, with the right medicinal pills, her bones would slowly grow back anyway.

She wasn’t afraid of pain.

“Nong’er.”

Bo Xuenong’s wandering thoughts were abruptly interrupted by that icy voice. The lake-green hem of Shen Yanting’s robe now drifted before her eyes, the pale green lake water shimmering with fine white mist. Even a corner of the garment radiated a chilling aura, yet Bo Xuenong inexplicably smiled. It was rare for Shen Yanting to address her unprompted.

She brightened her smile and looked up. “Master!”

Shen Yanting stood against the sunlight, fragmented rays scattering across her fair skin and seeping into her eyes. The flickering light in her gaze seemed to soften those usually glacial eyes, adding a hint of warmth. Bo Xuenong froze for a moment, the murderous intent that had been rising within her suddenly diminished. Perhaps she could forgive the girl after all. As she pondered whether to spare the tail behind Shen Yanting, the female voice spoke again.

Up close, Bo Xuenong’s facade is truly deceptive. A simple smile makes her look so obedient, and she’s quite attractive too. If only her inner self matched her outward appearance, the male lead might actually fall for her.

Her lips remained motionless.

Since her mouth wasn’t speaking, it must be her heart doing the talking.

Bo Xuenong scrutinized the girl several times, repeatedly examining Shen Yanting, before finally confirming that she alone could hear the girl’s incessant inner voice.

Bo Xuenong’s face really does look more and more like a good person the longer I look at it. No wonder she managed to deceive Shen Yanting into giving up her status as the Cloudmist Sect Leader’s direct disciple to accompany her to this third-rate sect and help her grow. What a waste! A beast is still a beast. My poor Immortal Venerable spent over five hundred years with her, yet she didn’t change one bit. She behaved better on the mountain, but her entire facade crumbled the moment she descended for trials. A beast is a beast—utterly incapable of withstanding verbal provocation. Not only did she provoke the three major sects, endangering the Immortal Venerable, but she even tried to kill the male lead, who possessed the protagonist’s halo. If the male lead hadn’t fallen for the Immortal Venerable at first sight, she probably wouldn’t have survived past the mid-point of the story. She wouldn’t have had the chance to plot against him later. Still, she wasn’t entirely bad to the Immortal Venerable. After failing to kill the male lead and accidentally killing the Immortal Venerable, she didn’t even need the male lead to act—she committed suicide to follow her master in death.

Bo Xuenong had read a few storybooks and, having grown accustomed to hearing Shen Yanting’s thoughts, could now understand some of them. In the stories the young woman had read, the Master had accompanied her to the Imperial Tranquility Sect for specific reasons. The girl possessed the bloodline of a ferocious beast, making her inherently bloodthirsty. The Master had tried tirelessly to change her, but not only did she fail, she eventually died at the girl’s hands.

Her?

She killed her Master?

Bo Xuenong found this story impossible to believe. Her greatest wish was to die for Shen Yanting; how could she possibly kill her? Even an accidental killing was unthinkable! If her sword ever pointed at her Master, she would rather suffer the backlash herself and would definitely risk her life to retract the lethal strike!

It would be more believable if her Master had killed her.

Hmm… dying by her Master’s sword… that doesn’t sound so bad either.

If she couldn’t be reformed, then she should let her Master kill her first. That way, she wouldn’t have the chance to cause her Master any more grief.

Bo Xuenong could barely contain the excitement that flickered across her brow. This made Shen Yanting, who was used to her gentle, fake smiles, feel somewhat uneasy. “Nong’er, you…”

She wanted to ask for clarification, but the words caught in her throat.

Shen Yanting’s voice remained calm, with a hint of coolness: “Nong’er, her name is Guan Caimei. She has cultivated before and is now at the Mid-Stage Core Formation realm. According to the Imperial Tranquility Sect’s rules, she should enter the Inner Sect. From today onward, she will be your Junior Sister.”

The joy that had just bloomed on Bo Xuenong’s face instantly vanished. “Master, are you going to take her as your disciple?”

“No,” Shen Yanting replied coldly.

Afraid Shen Yanting might change her mind, Bo Xuenong quickly volunteered, “Nong’er will take Junior Sister to Aunt Feng right away.”

Aside from Shen Yanting, Feng Yingbo was the most powerful elder in the Imperial Tranquility Sect. If Shen Yanting wouldn’t take Guan Caimei, a disciple with such talent, they would naturally ask Feng Yingbo if she was willing to accept her.

Though Bo Xuenong doubted Feng Yingbo would agree. Since taking in Feng Jin two centuries ago, Feng Yingbo had never mentioned taking another disciple.

Shen Yanting shook her head. “Have another disciple take her. You’ll return with me.”

“Then Master, wait for Nong’er!”

Ignoring whether Guan Caimei liked it or not, Bo Xuenong grabbed her and rushed toward the Outer Sect disciples nearby.

Master had just said she would return to the Inner Sect with her. She needed to hand Guan Caimei off quickly so Master wouldn’t have to wait.

Bo Xuenong’s eyes sparkled, and her smile suddenly brightened.

Unlike the jubilant Bo Xuenong, Guan Caimei was deeply frustrated. Though her face remained impassive, her inner monologue raged:

I thought my innate talent would surely earn me a place as the Immortal Venerable’s direct disciple! But Shen Yanting is so terrified of Bo Xuenong that she abandoned the idea the moment she sensed Xuenong’s disapproval. It seems I’ll need a different approach to get close to her. Well, makes sense! If she were easy to approach, she’d be the female lead! Why would she need to die?

No choice, though. This isn’t a harem novel. Whoever the male lead loves has to die to make way for the female lead—even if the female lead herself dies before the end! Hahaha! Maybe that’s karma for the male lead’s philandering! I’m not fickle; I only love the High Mountain Flower. Immortal Venerable, sleep with me!

Bo Xuenong unconsciously tightened her grip on Guan Caimei’s hand, her gaze turning icy. She struggled to restrain herself from crushing Guan Caimei’s wrist.

Guan Caimei’s infatuation with Shen Yanting was hardly surprising; despite her cold demeanor, Shen Yanting possessed breathtaking beauty.

Bo Xuenong could tolerate others admiring Shen Yanting, but anyone who dared to dream of sleeping with her was signing their own death warrant. In Bo Xuenong’s eyes, Shen Yanting was a celestial being, untainted by worldly desires, destined to remain aloof and untouchable. Anyone who dared to defile her would meet a swift and merciless end.

Of course, if Shen Yanting wanted to be with someone else, that was a different matter. But if Shen Yanting liked someone, Bo Xuenong would snatch them back for her. Still… Guan Caimei should take a page from her book and look in the mirror more often. How dare such an ordinary woman even think of catching her Master’s eye!

Bo Xuenong secretly sentenced Guan Caimei to death. Maintaining her composure with great effort, she hastily handed Guan Caimei over to another disciple and hurried back to Shen Yanting’s side. “Master, let’s go.”

Shen Yanting nodded and walked ahead.

Bo Xuenong rushed forward two steps, positioning herself slightly behind Shen Yanting, where she could still see her Master’s face.

They didn’t usually talk much. Just being near Shen Yanting made Bo Xuenong’s heart soar, words unnecessary. After hearing so many of Guan Caimei’s bizarre thoughts today, Bo Xuenong had few questions for Shen Yanting. She didn’t need to understand the reasons behind most things, except for Shen Yanting’s death.

That still weighed heavily on her mind.

The accusation that she had mistakenly killed Shen Yanting.

She couldn’t explain how she could hear Guan Caimei’s thoughts. Even if Shen Yanting believed her, she doubted she would believe Guan Caimei’s story—Bo Xuenong herself still harbored doubts.

Bo Xuenong pondered for a long time before asking cautiously, “Master, if I wanted to kill someone who admires you, what would you do?”

Shen Yanting’s brow twitched. “Killing is forbidden.”

Bo Xuenong took Guan Caimei’s heart’s words with a grain of salt. Shen Yanting was indeed sensitive to the mention of killing. She smiled at Shen Yanting, mustered her courage, and gently tugged on her sleeve. “Master, Nong’er doesn’t actually want to kill anyone. I’m just asking hypothetically, right?”

This coquettish gesture she had secretly learned from Feng Jin’s interaction with Feng Yingbo during their last meeting. She had practiced it in her mind countless times, but this was the first time she had actually used it.

Anxious about Shen Yanting’s reaction, Bo Xuenong carefully observed her expression. Shen Yanting remained as cold and impassive as ever, her flawless face devoid of emotion. Yet she answered Bo Xuenong’s hypothetical question: “Nong’er, I would stop you.”

“But what if Nong’er lost control and Master couldn’t restrain me in time?”

“Even if you lost control, I would still restrain you.” Shen Yanting frowned slightly, but continued to indulge Bo Xuenong’s line of questioning. “If I truly couldn’t restrain you, I would first trap you with an array to exhaust your strength, then awaken your consciousness.”

So that’s how it is.

The more Bo Xuenong listened, the colder her heart grew. Shen Yanting’s true strength had always been a mystery, but her words suggested she had complete control over herself. If Guan Caimei’s claims were true—that Shen Yanting wasn’t merely at the peak of the Golden Core stage but possessed the bloodline of an ancient ferocious beast—Bo Xuenong had read in ancient texts about the terrifying madness such beasts could unleash. Shen Yanting wasn’t one for empty boasts, which meant she was far stronger than anyone imagined.

Bo Xuenong wasn’t upset that Shen Yanting had concealed her power, but she couldn’t shake the suspicion that Shen Yanting’s death might have been caused by that damn male lead using her as a human shield!

This was the only explanation for why neither of them had time to react—Shen Yanting unable to retract her strike, and Bo Xuenong unable to retaliate. Shen Yanting’s behavior toward Fu Yunqing showed she had little guard up around those she was close to.

The “hero saves the damsel” scenario Guan Caimei had initially mentioned also seemed suspicious.

With Master being so powerful, how could she possibly need saving?

Guan Caimei couldn’t die yet, and neither could Bo Xuenong.

First, she needed to identify the male lead, find an opportunity to kill him, and then figure out how to get Shen Yanting to kill her!

Whether her guesses were correct didn’t matter.

As long as everyone connected to Shen Yanting’s death was eliminated, Shen Yanting could live. The male lead had to die, and so did she.

Guan Caimei had also mentioned that Shen Yanting died to make way for the female lead. Did that mean the female lead had to be killed too?