The Beloved Master's Mad Dog Disciple - Chapter 46

Bo Xuenong wanted to feign kindness towards Wu Qingshu, but Shen Yanting didn’t expose her.

Shen Yanting picked up on Bo Xuenong’s cue, subtly warning her to stop: “They can’t escape Aunt Shu’s methods.”

Of course, they couldn’t escape Wu Qingshu’s methods. But if Wu Qingshu killed them, Bo Xuenong wouldn’t get to. What about her… her Points?

That’s right.

She was worried about the Points.

She didn’t want to kill anyone; she just wanted the Points.

Bo Xuenong secretly justified herself, her eyes fixed on the fleeing figures. Reluctantly, she retreated to Feng Jin’s side. Feng Jin, still dazed and unaware of the lost opportunity to earn Points, clung to Bo Xuenong’s sleeve. “Senior… Senior Sister, I killed someone!”

Feng Jin’s face was pale with terror, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. Her almond-shaped eyes were wide with panic, her entire body trembling uncontrollably. Overwhelming guilt crashed over her like a sudden tsunami, plunging her into an endless vortex of darkness from which she couldn’t escape.

Clinging to Bo Xuenong’s sleeve like a lifeline, Feng Jin’s grip tightened, nearly tearing the fabric.

Bo Xuenong gazed at Feng Jin, struggling to reconcile this trembling figure with the arrogant, domineering persona she had projected for years. How could she have maintained such a facade with such a timid nature?

Bo Xuenong softened her expression, trying to appear more reassuring. Just as she was about to offer a comforting word, a surge of spiritual power lifted them onto the back of the Fox.

Wu Qingshu and her group had arrived.

With the Master’s arrival, the talisman papers that had been sent ahead detonated instantly. The previously arrogant cultivators scattered in panic, but they seemed frozen in place, unable to move as the explosions engulfed them.

The cultivators surrounding Bo Xuenong were annihilated in an instant, their bodies torn to pieces by the blasts.

Without waiting for the explosions to subside, Wu Qingshu urged the Fox to carry them through the chaos toward the village’s edge.

As they weaved through the explosions, each blast made Feng Jin flinch in terror. Her grip on Bo Xuenong’s sleeve loosened, her frail body swaying precariously.

Bo Xuenong quickly reached out to steady her, but her fingertips brushed only the edge of Feng Jin’s robe, failing to grasp her.

Feng Jin collapsed onto the fox’s back, covering her ears with her hands as she murmured softly, “I… I killed someone.”

If only Feng Jin had actually killed him.

The man who had captured her was a Demonic Cultivator. Bo Xuenong didn’t need to check the System Panel to know he was a Gold-Rank, peerless villain.

If Feng Jin had killed him, she would have earned two hundred Points!

Wu Qingshu’s kill, however, was worth nothing.

Bo Xuenong felt a pang of regret at the Points slipping through Feng Jin’s fingers, yet also a pang of pity for Shen Yanting, witnessing Feng Jin’s terror-stricken state.

“Xiao Jin,” Shen Yanting said, her voice soft and soothing. She had just crouched down, not yet adopting her usual gentle Eldest Senior Sister demeanor, when the White Porcelain Doll in her arms spoke first. “Xiao Jin, you didn’t kill anyone.”

Lost in her terror, Feng Jin didn’t even register Shen Yanting’s words.

She had become like a lifeless puppet, her eyes hollow and vacant, her mouth repeating the same phrase over and over.

Shen Yanting had refused to let Feng Yingbo accompany them to the Heavenly Cuisine Sect that day, leaving Feng Jin behind to protect Fu Yunqing and the others, because she had suspected there might be something wrong with Feng Jin’s Golden Core cultivation. It wasn’t hard to guess that Feng Jin’s years of arrogance and cruelty had been a facade, though she didn’t know the exact reason. Still, she knew Feng Jin was suffering deeply.

Each falling tear was heavy with fear and self-reproach, and her frail, trembling body only made her appear more pitiful.

Shen Yanting reached out toward Feng Jin, wanting to wipe away her tears, but the White Porcelain Doll’s tiny body was too small to reach her.

Bo Xuenong understood Shen Yanting’s intention.

She respectfully lifted Shen Yanting out, tore off a tiny piece of fabric from her own robe, and placed it in Shen Yanting’s palm, then held the doll closer to Feng Jin’s face.

Shen Yanting gently wiped Feng Jin’s tears with the small cloth. Gazing at Feng Jin’s tear-stained eyes, their corners flushed like heavily rouged cheeks, she stroked her head tenderly. “Xiao Jin, he wanted to kill you. It’s only right that you defended yourself.”

While watching Shen Yanting, Bo Xuenong freed one hand to wipe away Feng Jin’s tears as well. “Listen to me, he was a bad person. Even if you had killed him, it would have been justified.”

Her actions were so natural, devoid of any pretense, that they struck Shen Yanting’s heart deeply.

In the past, Shen Yanting had always been troubled by Bo Xuenong’s Bloodline, constantly scrutinizing her fake smiles and feigned tenderness. After abandoning her pretense of coldness and distance, Shen Yanting had spent most of her time wondering how Bo Xuenong had raised her disciple to be so naive and somewhat simple-minded, more like a little beast than a person. Yet occasionally, she would glimpse the genuine tenderness hidden within Bo Xuenong’s heart.

In truth, Bo Xuenong possessed a delicate side, but that side belonged solely to Shen Yanting.

Shen Yanting was no fool; in fact, she was quite sharp-witted.

Her original mission had been to nurture and supervise Bo Xuenong. Observing Bo Xuenong had become a habit early on, so she had witnessed every change in her.

It seemed that ever since Shen Yanting had intentionally praised Feng Jin and the others in Bo Xuenong’s presence, Bo Xuenong had become less artificial toward them. She no longer clung to her forced smiles when interacting with them. Even her tone of voice just now seemed to be deliberately imitating Shen Yanting’s, especially that obedient “yes.”

Shen Yanting herself found it unsettling.

Bo Xuenong had no patience and no compassion, yet… she seemed to be trying to replicate Shen Yanting’s emotions and her way of treating people.

Shen Yanting harbored inappropriate feelings for Bo Xuenong—a sentiment that wasn’t particularly deep, merely a thought she refused to act on. Yet now, her heart seemed to have taken another half-step forward. After all, who wouldn’t crave favoritism? When Mo Tingshu had accepted Gong Wanyan and You Jingyi, Shen Yanting hadn’t voiced her feelings, but a subtle pang of jealousy had stirred within her.

Shen Yanting had confined herself within a box labeled “morality,” but she cultivated the Path of Emotion, not the Path of Detachment. Where there is emotion, there is desire.

Morality demanded she not possess her Master, harm her Junior Sisters and Brothers, and strive to be a universally praised Senior Sister. Yet this didn’t mean she lacked inner yearnings. She could embrace universal love, cherishing all beings, but she couldn’t escape the entanglements of personal affection.

Seeing Feng Jin still crying, Bo Xuenong placed her palm on the girl’s head and gently stroked it. “There, there, Xiao Jin is a good girl, a good child. Even when she kills, she’s still good. Besides, you didn’t actually kill anyone.”

Her attempts at comforting Feng Jin were half-hearted, and she soon grew impatient, unconsciously increasing the pressure of her hand on the girl’s head.

Startled, Feng Jin snapped out of her daze. Her tear-filled eyes blinked, and she wriggled free from Bo Xuenong’s grasp, muttering, “Eldest Senior Sister, why are you saying the same things as Martial Aunt Shen? You even sound like her when you praise me.”

The irritation that had briefly surfaced retreated, and Bo Xuenong asked, her voice filled with delight, “Really? Do I really resemble Master?”

Feng Jin nodded. “Just a little bit, just now.”

Bo Xuenong’s entire face flushed with joy, the corners of her lips curving upward uncontrollably, revealing a glimpse of her pearly white teeth. “Xiao Jin, I’m Master’s disciple, of course I should resemble her! But I’m nowhere near as good as Master. You’re exaggerating. Next time… next time, don’t say such things.”

Her words clashed sharply with her expression, and Shen Yanting sensed something unsettling. “Nong’er,” she called out.

Hearing Shen Yanting’s voice, Bo Xuenong immediately lowered her head. She withdrew her hand from Feng Jin’s head and cupped Shen Yanting’s face in both hands, bringing it level with Feng Jin’s eyes. She waited for Shen Yanting’s instructions. “Master, I’m here!”

The eagerness in Bo Xuenong’s eyes nearly overflowed. Shen Yanting could clearly feel that heart, which she had yet to set right, tilting once more in the direction she resisted.

Bo Xuenong was cold and indifferent to others, but toward Shen Yanting, she was fiercely devoted and tender.

This was like a honey-coated trap. Even knowing that falling into it would lead to eternal damnation, Shen Yanting still clung to the illusion that a mere taste would be harmless.

Shen Yanting’s heart grew even more unsettled, and she fell silent.

Si Xianling had never encountered a cultivator as timid as Feng Jin. Once Feng Jin had recovered her composure, Si Xianling couldn’t resist asking Wu Qingshu to bring her closer. She took the initiative to strike up a conversation: “Hey, that person was killed by my mother, not you. Besides, what’s so scary about killing? In the Cultivation World, if you don’t kill, you’ll just end up being killed yourself. You’re a Golden Core Stage cultivator—how can you be so cowardly?”

Feng Jin shrank back, clutching Bo Xuenong’s sleeve for courage before replying, “None of your… none of your business!”

Si Xianling wasn’t so easily dismissed. She retorted candidly, “I’m just curious.”

“I have no reason to satisfy your curiosity,” Feng Jin retorted, retreating further. After scrutinizing Si Xianling, she tilted her head and asked Bo Xuenong, “Eldest Senior Sister, who is she?”

Si Xianling, ever the social butterfly, seized Feng Jin’s hand and shook it warmly. “Hello! I’m Si Xianling, Young Sect Master of the Beast Taming Sect and daughter of the Cultivation World’s most powerful Talisman Cultivator.”

Feng Jin’s pupils constricted sharply, and she pointed a trembling finger at Si Xianling, her face pale with terror. “You… you’re supposed to be dead!”

Feng Jin knew the full plot of the novel even earlier than Bo Xuenong. As the System’s true Host, she instantly learned about any items Bo Xuenong exchanged through the System. While Bo Xuenong had to manually read the character expansions, these details were directly imprinted into Feng Jin’s mind upon exchange. However, Feng Jin remained unaware of the events that had transpired at the Heavenly Cuisine Sect. All she knew was that, according to the original plot, Si Xianling should have been dead.

“You’re the one who’s dead!” Si Xianling retorted, furious enough to pinch the girl’s cheek hard. But just as her hand reached out, Feng Jin coughed up a mouthful of bl00d. The crimson liquid blurred her vision, startling Si Xianling. “You… you cursed me, didn’t you? This is your retribution!”

Feng Jin clutched her mouth, yet bl00d continued to gush out, mirroring Bo Xuenong’s earlier predicament.

It seemed they couldn’t speak about the System, nor could they reveal any information about the original characters provided by the System.

Does this mean I have to keep everything hidden from Shen Yanting? Bo Xuenong inwardly groaned. For five centuries, she had been feigning innocence to deceive Shen Yanting. But this was different. Before, Shen Yanting hadn’t pressed the issue, so it was easy to avoid. But just now, when Wu Qingshu asked about the method she used to turn Shen Yanting into a White Porcelain Doll, Shen Yanting’s eyes clearly showed she wanted to know.

Shen Yanting should be told what she wanted to know. She should… Her thoughts abruptly halted, and she involuntarily coughed up a mouthful of bl00d.

Shen Yanting scrutinized the two women suspiciously, then noticed the deep guilt in Bo Xuenong’s eyes, suddenly understanding the key.

She glared at Bo Xuenong. “I don’t want to know your secrets.”

Shen Yanting’s tone was firm, her expression unchanged.

Bo Xuenong sighed in relief. Her urge to confess vanished, and the bleeding stopped.

“Sister Shen, aren’t you even a little curious? I’m quite curious myself.” The sight of Bo Xuenong and her senior sisters coughing up bl00d together was truly rare. Si Xianling couldn’t resist pressing further. “Why are you all coughing up bl00d together? The way you’re doing it is so similar, like you’ve been cursed by the same thing. Could you have been bound by a Life-Bound Gu?”

Bo Xuenong had no intention of being honest with Si Xianling.

She remained silent, but Feng Jin countered, “What’s a Life-Bound Gu?”

“It’s said to be a technique used by Gu Cultivators—a special Gu insect that binds two people’s fates together. But Gu Cultivators are rare in the Cultivation World these days, so it’s hard to say if this Gu insect is even real.”

Feng Jin muttered under her breath, “I should be able to get one.”

Si Xianling stared at Feng Jin with an expression that said, You idiot, you’re supposed to be a sword cultivator.

Feng Jin didn’t explain to Si Xianling. She simply tugged at Bo Xuenong’s sleeve.

Bo Xuenong understood immediately. Anything that existed in the Cultivation World could be exchanged through the System, meaning they had access to it all.

But what did Feng Jin want to do with the Life-Bound Gu?

Bo Xuenong couldn’t ask now. She pretended not to notice Feng Jin’s subtle gesture, carefully tucked Shen Yanting back into her arms, and began wiping the bl00d from her face.

Wu Qingshu suddenly crouched down, her gaze fixed intently on Feng Jin.

Feng Jin, confused, asked, “Sister, who… who are you?”

“Wu Qingshu.”

After giving her name, Wu Qingshu drew a Sixth-Rank Red Talisman and pressed it against Feng Jin’s forehead. With a tap of her fingertip, the talisman instantly turned to ash, leaving only the Spirit Pattern trembling. The pattern coalesced into a stream of water that washed away all the bloodstains from Feng Jin’s body, yet left her clothes completely dry.

Brushing aside Feng Jin’s disheveled hair, Wu Qingshu stared intently at her face, her expression shifting noticeably. “The Bl00d Qi is remarkably similar, and the face… You’re Cen Wan’s daughter, aren’t you?”

Bo Xuenong and Feng Jin froze in shock. After a moment, Feng Jin’s panicked thoughts flooded Bo Xuenong’s mind.

Ah! Wu Qingshu! A Great Ascension Stage cultivator… Is the perception of a Half-Step Divine cultivator really this terrifying? My cultivation is fake, but the Golden Core aura from the System is real! My Bl00d Qi should have been concealed long ago! Heavens, System, quickly exchange for an item that can hide my presence from Great Ascension Stage cultivators! Eldest Senior Sister! I didn’t mean to spend the Points you earned! Forgive me, forgive me!

Feng Jin’s terrified scream echoed in Bo Xuenong’s ears. After a brief moment of shock, Bo Xuenong realized something. Feng Jin’s inner thoughts seemed to be triggered not just by her, but by any Target. She hadn’t noticed this before because the only Targets near Feng Jin had been herself and Shen Yanting. Feng Jin knew Shen Yanting’s character well and held more respect than fear for her.

Bo Xuenong now understood why Feng Jin hadn’t immediately exchanged for a System item during the crisis. Feng Jin had genuinely intended to save all the Points Bo Xuenong had earned for her to use.

Congratulations, Host! You have successfully exchanged 400 Points for the Aura Concealment Ring.

Ding! Wu Qingshu has developed feelings of maternal affection towards the Host. Points +50.

Ding! Wu Qingshu has developed feelings of tender affection towards the Host. Points +50.

Wu Qingshu was truly fond of Yu Cenwan. Just the mere suspicion that Feng Jin might be Yu Cenwan’s daughter had stirred such deep emotions in her. Shen Yanting was the first to respond to Wu Qingshu’s words.

Shen Yanting gazed at Feng Jin and Wu Qingshu, her expression conflicted. “Aunt Shu, Xiao Jin is likely Junior Sister Feng’s daughter. Cultivators can conceal their Bl00d Qi after they begin cultivating, but newborns can’t. When Xiao Jin was first brought here, I sensed Junior Sister Feng’s Bl00d Qi on her.”

Feng Jin’s eyes widened in terror, and she hastily clutched the ring in her palm. “Martial Aunt Shen, Senior Wu, you must be mistaken! I’m an orphan! How could I possibly be Master’s daughter? As for this Yu Cenwan… I’ve never even heard of her!”

Feng Jin realized her mistake too late and frantically corrected herself. “That Miss Yu… Master mentioned she was her benefactor.”

Shen Yanting, who had initially doubted any connection between Feng Jin and Yu Cenwan, now grew suspicious. “Xiao Jin, I remember when Junior Sister Feng told us about Yu Cenwan saving her, you suggested she repay the debt with her body.”

Feng Jin nearly bit her tongue, beads of sweat rolling down her face. “N-no, I didn’t!”

Her pleading gaze kept darting toward Bo Xuenong.

Bo Xuenong stared at the White Porcelain Doll in her arms, marveling at Shen Yanting’s sharp wit. She had so easily caught the flaw in Feng Jin’s words and instantly recalled the crucial detail from that day.

She completely missed Feng Jin’s desperate glances.

“Are you really not Cen Wan’s daughter?” Wu Qingshu still doubted Feng Jin, but when she tried to sense the Bl00d Qi again, it had vanished. Before she could examine Feng Jin more closely, they were once again confronted by the mob hunting Spirit Supplements from Lanshou Village.

Liu Huairou, who had been quietly trailing behind, suddenly surged to the front, her eyes blazing with fury as she fixed her gaze on a distant figure. “Ren Qi!” she shouted. “Let Sister A’min go!”

Bo Xuenong and the others followed Liu Huairou’s gaze. They saw a boy around twelve years old dragging a woman with streaks of gray in her hair. The boy was gnawing on the woman’s arm as she knelt on the ground, her eyes filled with despair. Large patches of flesh had already been torn from her body.

She was still alive.

But she was barely distinguishable from the dead.

Along their journey, they had encountered the mangled corpses of Lanshou Village residents. While the unrecognizable bodies were difficult to identify, the sight of the living survivors struck them even harder.

The boy Liu Huairou had called Ren Qi showed no mercy. He continued to devour the woman’s flesh, spiritual power-infused bl00d and flesh flowing into his stomach. He even let out two sinister, satisfied chuckles.

Wu Qingshu threw out two talisman papers. One talisman froze the boy’s body in place, while the other adhered to the woman’s back.

The Spirit Talisman lifted the woman onto the Fox’s back. Liu Huairou rushed forward to support her. “Sister A’min,” she said urgently.

The woman’s injuries were severe. Beyond the large chunks of flesh torn from her body, a gaping, bloody hole marred her back. Her spine had been ripped out, and bl00d-soaked intestines spilled from the wound.

Though Liu Huairou and Wu Qingshu possessed abundant spiritual power, they had yet to begin cultivating and couldn’t absorb the energy from medicinal pills. The woman was beyond saving.

Hearing Liu Huairou’s voice, the woman regained a flicker of awareness. Her scattered gaze gradually focused. “You are…” she whispered weakly.

Her voice was frail, barely audible, betraying the fact that she was on the verge of death.

Tears blurred Liu Huairou’s vision. Knowing her appearance had changed significantly, she volunteered her identity: “I’m Xiaorou, Liu Huairou.”

“Xiaorou…” The woman, like everyone in Lanshou Village, knew about the Contending Blossom Talisman. She paused, her fingertips tracing Liu Huairou’s wrist before gripping it tightly. “Xiaorou… why? The Village Chief said Xiaoqi betrayed us, that he’d been colluding with the Heavenly Cuisine Sect all along. Those people are our enemies! They… they tore our families apart, turned the Village Chief into that inhuman monster, and imprisoned us in this sunless Formation, separating us from our loved ones. He… when he returned a few years ago, he swore he hated the Heavenly Cuisine Sect. He… he lied to me. He didn’t come back to see me; he came back to devour me. I cherished him, thought of him constantly, and he wanted to eat me… Xiaorou, I’m his own mother!”

The woman finished speaking and suddenly coughed up a mouthful of bl00d, dying instantly. Her eyes remained wide with confusion and resentment, staring unblinkingly into the void.

Liu Huairou let out a pained wail: “Sister A’min!”

Si Xianling sighed, “Are all Demonic Cultivators insane? They even devour their own kin! What a complete lack of conscience!”

Wu Qingshu gazed at the boy she had pinned down, her fingertip slowly igniting the talisman paper. The flames instantly engulfed him, carrying his life to atone for his mother’s sins.

The spiritual power he had just gained was extinguished along with his life, never put to use.

Ahead lay more Demonic Cultivators Feng Yingbo hadn’t yet dealt with. Some gnawed on corpses, while others devoured the half-dead.

Their faces twisted in grotesque hunger, they were even more terrifying than her own feral beast form. Subduing them would take time.

Bo Xuenong tucked Shen Yanting tighter into her arms and prepared to dismount the Fox, moving ahead of Wu Qingshu to assist Feng Yingbo. Using this as a pretext to slay more evildoers, she planned to replenish the Points Feng Jin had just spent. She didn’t even need to check the System Panel to know these fiends were all Gold-Rank, peerless villains.

As she stepped off the Fox, she suddenly heard Wu Liangyi’s voice behind her.

What a bunch of fools! Guarding such a wealth of spiritual power, how could they even consider using them as Spirit Supplements? They should erase their consciousness, refine them into puppets, and force them to cultivate. These women are naturally suited for the path of Spirit Cultivation—even the Sect’s geniuses possess less spiritual power than they do.

Bo Xuenong glanced back. Only Hua Jinshi and Wu Liangyi, both male cultivators, were riding on the fox’s back.

Hua Jinshi was being his usual noisy self. Bo Xuenong was very familiar with his voice, but the voice she’d just heard wasn’t his. Wu Liangyi hadn’t opened his mouth either. Could it have been Wu Liangyi’s thoughts?

She instinctively looked at Feng Jin and saw her staring at Wu Liangyi with a look of terror.

Feng Jin didn’t possess a Mind-Reading Technique, but the System would alert her to the presence of Otherworld Souls at opportune moments. Seeing Feng Jin’s reaction, Bo Xuenong immediately realized that Wu Liangyi had likely been possessed as well.

These Otherworld Souls could only possess those on the verge of death. Wu Liangyi had just been brutally beaten by Wu Qingshu and had his cultivation sealed. As a Body Cultivator, his physique was slightly more robust than Hua Jinshi’s, but the injuries Wu Qingshu had inflicted on him were far more severe.

In his near-death state, Wu Liangyi’s superior spiritual root and extraordinary cultivation had attracted an Otherworld Soul still seeking a host.

No wonder Hua Jinshi had been so incessantly noisy throughout the journey, frequently mocking Wu Qingshu and the others, while Wu Liangyi remained silent.

His severe injuries likely meant that even if his soul hadn’t been completely devoured, he had already lost full control of his body.

Bo Xuenong didn’t stop upon learning that Wu Liangyi had been possessed. With Wu Qingshu on the fox’s back, there was little chance of trouble. She needed to earn Points to deal with the Otherworld Soul. This would also trigger the System’s bonus reward of increased spiritual power, accelerating her cultivation. Otherwise, by the time Wu Qingshu and the others judged Wu Liangyi and Hua Jinshi, the soul might escape if she didn’t eliminate Wu Liangyi’s body first.

If not for the crowd and prying eyes, she would have used the Soul-Searching Technique directly.

After all, Wu Liangyi wasn’t Fu Yunqing. The two souls currently inhabiting his body were both deserving of death: one was the mastermind behind the Lanshou Village massacre, and the other was an evil spirit from another world.

The White Porcelain Doll tugged at her sleeve. “Nong’er, what are you doing?”

Bo Xuenong stopped running, fearing that Shen Yanting, who was weak from using her spiritual power, wouldn’t hear her otherwise. “Master, let Senior Wu handle these stragglers. We should detour to help Aunt Feng—I’m worried she can’t manage alone.”

This explanation was undoubtedly one Shen Yanting would readily believe. “It warms my heart that you care so deeply for your Martial Uncle. He’ll be deeply moved when he hears this.”

As if I want Feng Yingbo’s gratitude, Bo Xuenong thought.

Feng Yingbo should just stop trying to touch the White Porcelain Doll, lest she provoke her into wanting to kill Feng Yingbo. If Shen Yanting noticed, she might disapprove.

Bo Xuenong was about to flee again when Wu Liangyi’s thoughts caught up to her:

Wu Qingshu is here, Bo Xuenong is here, but where’s Shen Yanting? The book says she’s the most beautiful woman in the world. If I could capture her as my Dao Companion, win her heart, and make her stay here… But Wu Qingshu seems determined to kill this body. Good thing I’m a Bone Cultivator. Even if only a single bone remains, I’ll survive and preserve my cultivation. I might not be able to defeat Wu Qingshu, but I can certainly defeat Shen Yanting.

Shen Yanting, Shen Yanting!

It’s all about Shen Yanting!

Bo Xuenong knew these people were all after her Master! If he could survive with just a single bone, then today she would grind Wu Liangyi and this Otherworld Soul into dust!