The Beloved Master's Mad Dog Disciple - Chapter 48

Bo Xuenong didn’t sense anything amiss. Her tongue…

Bo Xuenong didn’t sense anything amiss. Her tongue even subconsciously moved forward slightly.

The wet tip of her tongue wrapped around the White Porcelain Doll’s fingertip, sending a tingling sensation racing up her finger to her heart. Shen Yanting hastily withdrew her hand and hid it behind her back, discreetly rubbing her fingertip to dispel the lingering dampness. Yet the more she rubbed, the wetter her fingertip felt, and it inexplicably grew hot.

Fortunately, the White Porcelain Doll’s body was slow to register temperature changes; otherwise, her fingertip might have burned.

Shen Yanting’s mind was in complete disarray. She thought she understood Bo Xuenong, but now she couldn’t even begin to guess what the other woman was thinking.

Even more baffling was Bo Xuenong’s ambiguous behavior, which was actually aimed at saving Fu Yunqing’s life.

Just now, touching her ear had earned fifty points, touching her lips another fifty, and touching her tongue a hundred… What other places would her Master normally avoid touching?

Bo Xuenong glanced back hastily. Feng Jin had apparently said something to Wu Qingshu, who had surprisingly lifted her up and held her above her head, allowing her a better view of Wu Liangyi and Hua Jinshi being butchered by the people of Lanshou Village—their flesh carved, bones dug out, hearts ripped out, and livers destroyed.

The Soul-Devouring Gu had already been placed on both Wu Liangyi and Hua Jinshi. No matter how Gui Nian’an and her group tortured them, the two would ultimately die under the Gu’s influence, granting Bo Xuenong two hundred Points and a tenfold increase in her Bloodline spiritual power.

Reaching two thousand Points shouldn’t be far off now.

Bo Xuenong withdrew her gaze, cradling Shen Yanting in one arm while involuntarily patting her own flushed cheek with the other.

Her face felt burning hot, making it impossible to focus on how to acquire more Points.

Her eyes drifted downward, suddenly settling on her chest. The eyes that had been clouded with worry now sparkled with dazzling light.

Lowering the White Porcelain Doll, she pointed earnestly at her chest. “Master, touch here.”

Did Bo Xuenong even understand the meaning of “propriety”?

They were master and disciple, not husband and wife.

Just because she had called Bo Xuenong “Husband” a few times didn’t mean their roles had truly reversed.

Moreover, even for Dao Companions, such a transgression would be inappropriate in broad daylight and under the public gaze.

Shen Yanting couldn’t recall whether she had ever taught Bo Xuenong about shame and propriety. She felt utterly mortified and paralyzed, especially when she sensed a flicker of desire within herself. She lacked the courage to even meet Bo Xuenong’s eyes directly.

She refused to move.

Bo Xuenong couldn’t help but plead softly, “Master.”

The crimson flush on the White Porcelain Doll deepened, faint traces of rouge appearing on her cheeks. Trapped with nowhere to escape, Shen Yanting saw Bo Xuenong was truly at her limit. Fearing someone might notice their inappropriate behavior as master and disciple, she steeled herself, hastily reached out, and tapped Bo Xuenong’s chest through her clothes before withdrawing her hand.

Points +50.

Fifty points even through clothing? Bo Xuenong’s eyes lit up even brighter.

She glanced furtively at the crowd and reached down to tug at her collar. Shen Yanting froze completely. “Nong’er, what are you doing?”

Bo Xuenong blinked in confusion. She thought her intentions were obvious—how could Shen Yanting not understand?

Strange as it was, Bo Xuenong answered earnestly, “So Master can touch me closer.”

Her sincerity was disarming, her guileless gaze utterly devoid of ulterior motives.

Shen Yanting couldn’t help but wonder if Bo Xuenong had somehow guessed her secret desires and was trying to please her out of filial piety. This thought made her feel deeply ashamed, and her voice dropped to a muffled tone. “Nong’er, I’m not a pervert.”

Bo Xuenong stopped tugging at her clothes, anger flashing in her eyes. “Master, who called you a rogue? I’ll go kill her!”

Shen Yanting remained silent, realizing that Bo Xuenong’s thoughts were completely different from her own.

After a long pause, she finally spoke again. “Why did you let me touch you?”

Bo Xuenong certainly couldn’t admit it was to earn Points to save Fu Yunqing. She hastily replied, “Because I like it.”

This wasn’t exactly a lie. She truly loved Shen Yanting’s closeness, and only Shen Yanting’s.

The word “like” softened Shen Yanting’s already wavering heart. If Bo Xuenong’s eyes hadn’t been so clear and innocent when she said it, Shen Yanting might have indulged in the fantasy that their five centuries together hadn’t been a one-sided deviation from the master-disciple relationship. She lowered her gaze slightly. “Nong’er, you shouldn’t say ‘like’ so casually.”

Bo Xuenong protested, forgetting all about earning Points, desperate to correct Shen Yanting’s misunderstanding. “Master, I didn’t say it casually. I was saying it to you.”

Bo Xuenong wanted to make it clear to Shen Yanting that anything involving her Master was far from casual. But Shen Yanting didn’t understand. “You especially shouldn’t say it casually to your Master.”

“Master, I’m being serious.”

Bo Xuenong was likely telling the truth.

But even different kinds of “like” aren’t the same. This disciple of hers probably hadn’t even figured out what emotions truly were.

A fleeting shadow of sadness crossed Shen Yanting’s eyes. She instinctively reached out toward Bo Xuenong, but her hand didn’t quite touch her.

Bo Xuenong’s eyes flickered. Suddenly, she pulled Shen Yanting back into her arms. Before Shen Yanting could react, she guided her slightly extended hand to rest on her chest through the undergarment.

Points +100!

Shen Yanting quickly realized where her hand had landed and recoiled as if burned.

She was relieved she hadn’t crossed a line, while Bo Xuenong felt only disappointment.

Just moments ago, Bo Xuenong had been contemplating using her spiritual power to lift the undergarment, allowing Shen Yanting’s hand to touch her skin directly.

Not only would it earn her points, but it would also help alleviate the heat.

The weather wasn’t particularly hot, but ever since Shen Yanting had touched her neck, Bo Xuenong had felt a sudden warmth rising within her.

The White Porcelain Doll’s cool hands could soothe this unexpected heat.

Bo Xuenong wished Shen Yanting would touch her more.

Unable to contain herself, Bo Xuenong whispered urgently, “Master, Master!”

In truth, Bo Xuenong rarely acted coquettish. She had always strived to be a gentle and virtuous Eldest Senior Sister, so it was rare for her to use such a strained, pleading tone.

The soft, sweet voice drifted incessantly toward Shen Yanting, as if her hand were stuck in honey. Though she clearly wanted to pull away, she found herself instinctively leaning toward Bo Xuenong’s chest.

Biting her tongue, Shen Yanting clasped her hands tightly together, desperately suppressing the urge to draw closer.

Her voice suddenly turned cold. “Nong’er, I need to speak with Aunt Shu.”

Since Shen Yanting had spoken, Bo Xuenong reluctantly handed the White Porcelain Doll to Wu Qingshu.

Wu Qingshu, still holding Feng Jin in her arms, glanced at the offered doll. After a moment’s thought, she set Feng Jin down. The moment Feng Jin’s feet touched the ground, Feng Yingbo clamped her arm around Feng Jin’s neck, glaring at her. Feng Yingbo was furious that Feng Jin, who usually ignored her own mother, was now actively seeking the attention of another elder.

Feng Jin’s face flushed slightly as she struggled against the chokehold. She pried at Feng Yingbo’s arm while glaring accusingly at Bo Xuenong.

Bo Xuenong understood Feng Jin’s meaning perfectly: she was being blamed for not earning enough Points and for suddenly interrupting her hard-won opportunity to finally earn some.

Feng Jin wasn’t her; how could she understand her suffering?

Bo Xuenong had immediately sensed the coldness in Shen Yanting’s voice. She knew her little schemes had likely displeased her Master.

Her Master seemed to dislike touching her—undoubtedly bad news.

Bo Xuenong felt both dejected and wronged, yet reluctant to part with the White Porcelain Doll. But since Shen Yanting valued obedience, she reluctantly entrusted the doll to Wu Qingshu. “Senior Wu, the porcelain doll is fragile. Please don’t drop my Master.”

The earnest warning reached Wu Qingshu’s ears, softening her gaze toward Bo Xuenong. “Yan Ting has raised you well.”

Seeing Bo Xuenong’s face flush crimson, her neck tinged with a faint blush, and fine beads of sweat rolling down her skin, Wu Qingshu offered her a Seventh-Grade Water Condensation Talisman out of concern for her junior. “If you feel hot, you can use this.”

Though Wu Qingshu believed cultivators shouldn’t feel heat, she acknowledged that everyone’s cultivation path differed. Perhaps Bo Xuenong’s path diverged from her own.

Bo Xuenong refused the talisman paper, her eyes fixed on the White Porcelain Doll resting in Wu Qingshu’s palm, her gaze filled with profound grievance.

Just as Wu Qingshu was about to retract her hand, the White Porcelain Doll seized the opportunity. As Wu Qingshu withdrew, the doll snatched the talisman paper.

Wu Qingshu felt a little strange, but she still lit the talisman paper for Shen Yanting, who had no spiritual power. The Spirit Pattern transformed into soft, azure strands of water that gently wrapped around the White Porcelain Doll’s forehead, bringing her a cooling sensation. Only after completing this did Wu Qingshu ask, “Yan Ting, do you feel hot too?”

“N-no,” Shen Yanting replied, her head bowed low in Wu Qingshu’s palm. She didn’t dare look up or make a sound. “I just… I just really miss Aunt Shu’s methods.”

Wu Qingshu remained skeptical but didn’t press further.

Cradling Shen Yanting, she walked forward, heading toward Gui Nian’an, who was still digging up Hua Jinshi’s bones.

Hua Jinshi had long since breathed his last, yet Gui Nian’an continued her frenzied excavation, as if she wouldn’t rest until every bone was unearthed, forcing him to taste the full extent of the suffering Gui Nianqin had endured. Wu Qingshu agreed that Hua Jinshi deserved to die, but Gui Nian’an’s state was clearly unstable. Allowing such a person to plant an inner demon in her heart would be a grave waste.

As Wu Qingshu moved forward with Shen Yanting, Bo Xuenong hurried to follow, taking only half a step before a hand tugged her sleeve.

She turned to see Feng Jin, still forcibly restrained by Feng Yingbo.

Feng Yingbo wasn’t gripping Feng Jin tightly, but Feng Jin struggled so violently that her neck and face flushed crimson.

Bo Xuenong, heeding Feng Jin’s silent plea for help, stopped in her tracks. “Martial Uncle, you’re going to choke her unconscious if you keep this up.”

Feng Yingbo hadn’t noticed the child’s distress. After all, she hadn’t been using much force, and Feng Jin was facing away from her.

Alerted by Bo Xuenong’s words, Feng Yingbo finally noticed Feng Jin’s reddened neck. She immediately released her grip, her fingertips tracing the child’s throat. “Why didn’t you say it hurt?”

When Feng Yingbo tried to apply ointment, Feng Jin darted behind Bo Xuenong.

Feng Yingbo stared at her empty hand, words catching in her throat.

After a long moment, she asked Bo Xuenong, her voice tinged with confusion, “Xuenong, am I really such a terrible elder?”

Feng Jin’s evasiveness seemed to have stung her deeply. Bo Xuenong was about to pull Feng Jin out from behind her when Feng Yingbo abruptly snapped out of her melancholy. She shoved the ointment into Bo Xuenong’s palm, tilted her head, and glared at the child hiding behind her. “If you don’t want me to care, then I won’t! From now on, your Eldest Senior Sister can handle you.”

“Why didn’t you ask if she wanted to?”

Bo Xuenong was about to protest when Feng Yingbo’s eyes suddenly glazed over, and her body collapsed without warning into Bo Xuenong’s arms.

Startled, Bo Xuenong quickly grabbed Feng Yingbo. She feared that Shen Yanting might turn around and see Feng Yingbo collapsed at her feet, suspecting Bo Xuenong had harmed her.

Bo Xuenong pulled Feng Yingbo’s arm upward, only to realize she had already lost consciousness. She was completely unresponsive, barely staying upright by leaning against Bo Xuenong’s arm. Utterly bewildered, Bo Xuenong pulled Feng Jin forward with her other hand. “What’s wrong with Aunt Feng?”

Feng Jin reached out hesitantly toward Feng Yingbo, then joined Bo Xuenong in supporting her. “Eldest Senior Sister, didn’t you know she’s been unwell?”

Bo Xuenong had overheard Feng Yingbo’s frailty from Feng Jinxin’s thoughts, but she hadn’t realized it was this severe. Normally, Feng Yingbo seemed perfectly fine, showing no signs of illness.

Feng Jin had been avoiding Feng Yingbo like the plague just moments ago, but now she desperately wished Yingbo could be grafted onto her own body. She kept propping Yingbo up, refusing to let her fall. “She forcibly transferred all her vital energy to me, leaving her with a severe deficiency of both qi and bl00d. No medicinal pill can replenish this; it can only be gradually nourished. It’s usually not noticeable, but any injury that causes bleeding makes it glaringly obvious. Even minor wounds take an agonizingly long time to heal, and Healing Pills are useless. She absorbs them far more slowly than other pills. Whenever she’s injured and bleeding, she’s either unconscious or on the verge of losing consciousness.”

Bo Xuenong suddenly remembered.

Feng Yingbo had indeed been injured and bleeding earlier.

Feng Jin deliberately spoke casually, as if she didn’t care much about Feng Yingbo. But… if Feng Jin’s grip on Yingbo had been even slightly relaxed, Bo Xuenong might have believed her. She had always suspected Feng Jin cared deeply for Yingbo, and her suspicion remained unchanged.

Feng Jin instinctively avoided Yingbo, but what she was avoiding wasn’t Yingbo herself, but the overwhelming emotions that threatened to engulf her.

Bo Xuenong and Feng Jin stood side by side, each supporting Feng Yingbo by an arm as they watched Wu Qingshu and Shen Yanting.

Bo Xuenong sent Feng Jin a telepathic message: “Even Master thinks Aunt Feng is a good person, so she must be. She won’t mistreat you like your parents did in your previous life. She’ll only be kind to you. Whether you acknowledge it or not, according to your current identity, you are Aunt Feng and Yu Cenwan’s daughter. Haven’t you always longed for family? Now you have a mother who wants to care for you. Isn’t that wonderful? Don’t rush to despair. Give yourself a chance, and give Aunt Feng a chance too.”

Feng Jin glanced at Bo Xuenong several times, gaining a clearer understanding of how Bo Xuenong’s attitude toward Shen Yanting had softened her approach to caring for others.

Using the telepathic technique she had acquired through exchange, Feng Jin replied, “Eldest Senior Sister, if I fail my mission, I’ll disappear from this world. Feng Yingbo is indeed a good person. Because she’s a good person, I hope she’ll love me less. That way, when I vanish, she won’t be so heartbroken.”

Feng Jin’s worries ran deeper than Bo Xuenong had imagined. She was a kind child, and kind children always think of others first.

Bo Xuenong disagreed. “If you hide from her, and Aunt Feng alternates between coldness and warmth, won’t Aunt Feng suffer even more?”

After a moment’s thought, Bo Xuenong continued telepathically, “You need to trust that Yu Cenwan is a good person. Once she knows you’re her daughter, she’ll only love you—love you wholeheartedly.”

Perhaps due to her upbringing, Feng Jin seemed perpetually shrouded in a cloud of self-doubt and timidity. She lacked confidence in her ability to complete tasks successfully and resisted the idea that she could solve the troubles piling up around her. This wasn’t healthy. Bo Xuenong wanted to tell Feng Jin that the Cultivation World was different from her original world. In this realm, with sufficient power, no problem was insurmountable.

Wholehearted love? With enough strength, one could even use the Soul Separation Technique to manipulate memories and force affection. The only catch was… the System would likely flag it as cheating.

Still, Bo Xuenong remained optimistic that Yu Cenwan wouldn’t disappoint her.

She had faith in Yu Cenwan, and the reason was simple: Yu Cenwan and Shen Yanting had been trained by the same master. Feng Jin herself had once remarked that Mo Tingshu’s disciples possessed a strong sense of morality and responsibility. Therefore, taking responsibility for her daughter was simply what Yu Cenwan should do.

In Bo Xuenong’s eyes, Yu Cenwan had long become the perfect target for earning points.

Bo Xuenong didn’t mention this to Feng Jin. Her gaze shifted, fixing on Wu Qingshu’s retreating figure. “Xiao Jin, I remember you said you could see the Affection Value of your Targets. What’s Wu Qingshu’s Affection Value for you?”

Bo Xuenong didn’t have a mission to conquer anyone to remain in this world.

The System didn’t track Affection Values for her, nor could she see others’ Affection Values for Feng Jin. She had no choice but to ask Feng Jin directly.

Feng Jin: “Ten.”

Bo Xuenong was somewhat surprised. Given how Wu Qingshu had been pinching Feng Jin’s cheeks, hugging her, and even gifting her so many points, she had assumed Wu Qingshu’s Affection Value for Feng Jin would be at least fifty. To find it was only ten explained why Wu Qingshu seemed so unenthusiastic about completing the mission. It seemed this “True Love Endures” Affection Value was much harder to raise than she had imagined.

No wonder Feng Jin wasn’t particularly hopeful about completing the conquest mission. As Bo Xuenong was still pondering this, she suddenly heard Feng Jin’s telepathic message: “Her Affection Value for me is the same as yours, Eldest Senior Sister.”

Her?

Only ten?

That made sense. After all, Bo Xuenong had never particularly cared for anyone besides Shen Yanting.

Bo Xuenong found this perfectly reasonable until she asked Feng Jin, “What’s my Affection Value with Master?”

Feng Jin replied, “Martial Aunt Shen’s Affection Value with me is seventy.”

Seventy!

How could it be so high?

Bo Xuenong suddenly felt her own Affection Value of ten was completely wrong. She had clearly been very kind and patient with Feng Jin—how could it be so low?

If Shen Yanting had an Affection Value of seventy with Feng Jin, then Bo Xuenong should have the same.

Forcing a smile, Bo Xuenong said, “Xiao Jin, Eldest Senior Sister will treat you even better from now on.”

Feng Jin blinked, still trying to understand what Bo Xuenong was planning. Suddenly, Bo Xuenong asked, “Has my Affection Value with you increased?”

Feng Jin answered blankly, “No.”

Unwilling to accept this, Bo Xuenong smiled more warmly and reached out to pat Feng Jin’s head. “Has it increased now?”

“No.”

Refusing to give up, Bo Xuenong smiled even more brightly and squeezed Feng Jin’s arm. “What about now?”

“Decreased by one point,” Feng Jin said.

Bo Xuenong was starting to get annoyed when Feng Jin suddenly added, “Another point down.”

“……”

The System’s Affection Value readings were clearly malfunctioning. How could Feng Jin’s Affection Value for her be lower than it had been for Wu Qingshu, whom she’d only just met?

If the System had a physical form, she’d hack it to pieces to vent her frustration.

Bo Xuenong secretly resolved to raise Feng Jin’s Affection Value eventually. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. “Yu Cenwan probably has zero Affection Value for you right now, right? I should have more than her, right?”

“Probably…” Feng Jin hadn’t even met Yu Cenwan, nor had she ever checked Yu Cenwan’s Affection Value for her. After a long pause, she finally transmitted, “Eldest Senior Sister, Yu Cenwan’s Affection Value for me is twenty.”

Twenty!

An Affection Value of twenty!

Bo Xuenong eyed Feng Jin suspiciously. “Have you met Yu Cenwan?”

Feng Jin shook her head vigorously. “No way! I haven’t left the Imperial Tranquility Sect in two centuries.”

Bo Xuenong couldn’t help but be curious. She wanted to know how Yu Cenwan, who had never even met Feng Jin, had managed to raise her Affection Value so high. Perhaps she could learn from this and finally catch up to Shen Yanting.

“Xiao Jin, do you think the System knows?” Bo Xuenong asked Feng Jin while pulling up the System Panel.

The System, having sensed her thoughts, immediately responded, its message already plastered across the panel:

Exchange for the truth behind Yu Cenwan’s Affection Value increase for just 20 Points! Exchange for the video for only 40 Points! Don’t miss out on this limited-time offer!

As expected, information related to the Target required very few Points. News about Yu Cenwan, the Female Lead, was even cheaper than that of Silver-Tier characters like Wu Qingshu. However, this might be because it was just a short story. Bo Xuenong glanced at her Points. They had been 900 short of 2,000 earlier, but thanks to her and Feng Jin’s efforts, they had now surged to 3,200.

True Love Endures really did earn Points faster than gold.

With this, they still had 1,200 Points left after exchanging for a Soul-Devouring Gu with a selectable soul for Fu Yunqing.

Bo Xuenong felt a surge of curiosity and couldn’t resist asking Feng Jin, “What’s a video?”

“A projected image,” Feng Jin replied.

Bo Xuenong’s curiosity deepened. These were items meant for long-term use, and Feng Jin could exchange for both and share the information with her for just thirty Points. There was no reason not to get them all. Soon, a video and a text description popped up on Bo Xuenong’s System Panel.

After confirming Shen Yanting was safe, Bo Xuenong secretly clicked play on the video.

The video wasn’t long. It showed Yu Cenwan rescuing Feng Yingbo in a mountain cave. By then, Feng Yingbo was unconscious, her body ravaged by poison and grievous injuries, barely clinging to life. She seemed to be dreaming, muttering in her sleep about her former home and family. “Mother… Mother…” she murmured repeatedly.

Yu Cenwan was a gentle soul. Her icy exterior was merely a mask forged from repeated bullying in the Cultivation World, a shield to protect her soft heart. Hearing Feng Yingbo’s broken, tearful murmurs, it was impossible not to feel pity. She sympathized with this dying woman and resolved to save her.

The demon form arrived with the pursuit. Ever since she had possessed this form, every time she revealed it, she had been met with harsh words and drawn swords. Even when showing it to an unconscious person, she was cautious, her head instinctively drooping, afraid to see panic and disgust in their eyes.

However, Feng Yingbo lacked the strength to feed herself the fruit.

Yu Cenwan leaned closer, cradling Feng Yingbo’s head against her chest. Before she could break off a piece of the fruit, the unconscious woman suddenly felt the warmth of an embrace and clung to Yu Cenwan’s waist. “Mother… Mother… I knew you wouldn’t leave me alone.”

Yu Cenwan had been orphaned at a young age. Even after joining the Pitying Silk Sect, her Master disliked her, her Senior Sisters were hostile, and her Senior Brothers resented her. No one had ever shown her such affection, let alone affection toward her demon form.

She froze for a moment, then finally stammered, “This… Senior Sister, I’m not your mother.”

Her voice was so soft that her weak protest couldn’t reach Feng Yingbo’s ears.

Feng Yingbo clung to her even tighter, burying her face in Yu Cenwan’s abdomen. She continued to call out, “Mother, I miss you so much. Please take me with you. I don’t want to marry or pursue cultivation. I just want to be with my parents.”

Yu Cenwan instinctively patted Feng Yingbo’s head in a comforting gesture. “I’m really not your mother.”

Feng Yingbo likely took this as her mother’s excuse to brush her off. With a hint of childish stubbornness, she tightened her grip on Yu Cenwan. “Then I’ll be your mother! Please take me with you.”

Yu Cenwan had long forgotten what her own mother looked like. At that time, Feng Yingbo, having started cultivation late, still retained a womanly appearance despite her exceptional innate talent. Her face bore an age similar to Yu Cenwan’s mother at the time of her death. Slowly, Yu Cenwan brushed aside the stray strands of hair obscuring Feng Yingbo’s face, feeling a genuine pull. “Alright.”

She was desperately lonely, having experienced only malice throughout her life. Burdened by intense guilt toward another person, she couldn’t help but yearn for the days when her parents had sheltered her.

Yu Cenwan knew this was wrong, yet she couldn’t resist the stirring in her heart.

Supporting Feng Yingbo, Yu Cenwan carefully broke the fruit into small pieces and fed them to her.

After feeding her, Yu Cenwan hoisted Feng Yingbo onto her back, ready to carry her away. But just as she was about to leave, several powerful auras suddenly converged on their location.

Reluctantly, Yu Cenwan set Feng Yingbo back down. Her gaze lingered on the unconscious woman, her disappointment palpable. A sudden worry struck her: What if one Buddha Fruit isn’t enough to save her? She conjured another Buddha Fruit and, after a moment’s thought, decided to store it in Feng Yingbo’s abdomen as a backup. She channeled spiritual power into Feng Yingbo’s abdomen, and the unfamiliar energy caused Feng Yingbo to stir instinctively.

Yu Cenwan had to free one hand to press down on Feng Yingbo’s shoulder. “Don’t move,” she said firmly.

Feng Yingbo grumbled in protest, “I’m your Mother now. You have to listen to me.”

Yu Cenwan couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time.

She had never imagined that a cultivator of Feng Yingbo’s age could act so childish.

Yu Cenwan fed Feng Yingbo another medicinal pill to conceal their auras before heading outside. Halfway there, she turned back, squatted beside Feng Yingbo, and said with a hint of reluctance, “You have to remember me. Remember my name is Yu Cenwan. You promised to be my Mother.”

With that, she left the cave, drawing the cultivators who were hunting them away.

The System explained that Yu Cenwan had initially developed a high Affection Value of forty toward Feng Yingbo due to their brief interaction. She had imagined that if Feng Yingbo truly had a daughter, she would be as adorable, clingy, and temperamental as herself. Over the past two centuries, Yu Cenwan’s life at the Cloudmist Sect had improved dramatically compared to her previous existence. She had found people who cared for her and had never even met Feng Jin, causing her memories of Feng Yingbo to fade. This gradual decline in Affection Value eventually brought it down to twenty.

Regardless of Yu Cenwan’s current feelings, during those two centuries of forced isolation, when she was hunted by her own sect members as a Demon Clan sympathizer, Feng Yingbo’s unintentional embrace, her reliance on Yu Cenwan, and her casual words of companionship had truly healed her wounded spirit.

The Affection Value had plummeted to 20.

Bo Xuenong was deeply frustrated. “How can she like you so much without even meeting you? I see you every day, and my Affection Value is only 10?”

Feng Jin was equally dismayed, her eyes brimming with sorrow. “Eldest Senior Sister, your Affection Value toward me is now 6.”

Bo Xuenong was shocked. “Didn’t it just drop by two points? It should be 8, not 6!”

Feng Jin replied bitterly, “After you read why Yu Cenwan has such a high Affection Value toward me, yours dropped another two points.”

“This…” Bo Xuenong felt a rare pang of guilt and quickly changed the subject. “Xiao Jin, do you think Aunt Feng still remembers saying she’d be Yu Cenwan’s mother?”

Feng Jin glanced at the unconscious Feng Yingbo beside them and said irritably, “It’s obvious she’s forgotten.”

Feng Yingbo lacked Yu Cenwan’s emotional sensitivity and keen awareness. Most of the time, she was thick-skinned, insensitive, and oblivious to her own carelessness.

Bo Xuenong suspected that after escaping danger, Yu Cenwan might have returned to find Feng Yingbo. However, by then, Feng Yingbo had already fled to the mortal realm in search of “quack doctors.” When Yu Cenwan finally encountered Feng Yingbo, the latter was already gravely wounded and likely hadn’t reported her condition to the Cloudmist Sect. Otherwise, Yu Cenwan might have come looking for Feng Yingbo at the sect.

Unlike Feng Yingbo… If Shen Yanting hadn’t shown Bo Xuenong the Heavenly Talent Register, leading her to discover Yu Cenwan’s entry, she might never have remembered Yu Cenwan at all. She had never mentioned wanting to repay Yu Cenwan before, only recently recalling the debt.

Fortunately, Yu Cenwan no longer needed Feng Yingbo’s concern.

Otherwise, she might have felt deeply disheartened.

Feng Jin’s way of thinking differed from Bo Xuenong’s. Her mind immediately jumped to another possibility: “Eldest Senior Sister, don’t you think it would be much easier for Feng Yingbo to win Yu Cenwan’s affection?”

Bo Xuenong avoided Shen Yanting’s gaze and playfully poked Feng Jin’s forehead. “What are you thinking? Even if Aunt Feng manages to raise Yu Cenwan’s Affection Value, it won’t benefit you.”

That’s not quite right.

Yu Cenwan’s highest recorded Affection Value spike was the forty points she awarded Feng Jin, whom she had never even met, for a brief moment of healing. If Feng Yingbo put in more effort to warm Yu Cenwan’s heart, her Affection Value toward Feng Jin might actually increase.

This fleeting thought quickly faded. “Still, I think telling her directly that you’re her daughter would be faster. After all, Aunt Feng will never cooperate with you.”

Feng Jin’s small face couldn’t hide her disappointment. She knew Bo Xuenong was right.

Feng Yingbo had no intention of repaying her debt through marriage. She was likely still secretly hoping Yu Cenwan would find herself in danger, allowing Feng Yingbo to rescue her and finally settle the score.

Bo Xuenong was about to persuade Feng Jin again when Feng Jin suddenly sent a telepathic message: “Eldest Senior Sister, have you ever considered…”

She trailed off, leaving Bo Xuenong to press, “Considered what?”

Feng Jin: “Eldest Senior Sister, if you suddenly had a child, would you be happy?”

Bo Xuenong froze, instinctively rejecting the idea. “No!”

Feng Jin’s expression was unsurprised as she continued, “See?”

“I…” Bo Xuenong’s long-held beliefs crumbled, leaving her speechless. She stammered, “I… I’m still young. I can’t be someone’s mother. I lack responsibility and morals. She has them! I just want to stay with Master. I… Yu Cenwan is different.”

“Eldest Senior Sister, Yu Cenwan is thirty years younger than Feng Yingbo, only ten years older than you. Her entire vision of the future has revolved around the Male Lead, focused on restoring his five senses. Do you really think she’d readily accept suddenly having a daughter?” Feng Jin forced a smile. “Not everyone is like Feng Yingbo, so easily accepting a daughter and willing to love her wholeheartedly.”

Bo Xuenong seemed to finally understand why Feng Jin had never believed she could truly stay in this world.

Even Bo Xuenong was gradually being convinced by Feng Jin’s words, leaving her utterly clueless about how to comfort her.

In her panic, Bo Xuenong blurted out, “Actually… if Master likes this suddenly appearing daughter… I’ll like her too.”

Now less afraid of Bo Xuenong, Feng Jin shot her a look. “Yu Cenwan doesn’t have a Martial Aunt Shen.”

Feng Jin meant that Yu Cenwan wasn’t the type to mimic others’ emotions. However, Bo Xuenong’s thoughts immediately veered off course, forgetting even to use telepathy as she blurted out, “Even though she’s a good person, she’s still your mother! But if she tries to steal my Master, I’ll kill her!”

“……”

Feng Jin fell silent for a moment. Then another voice suddenly spoke up from behind them: “Little disciple, aren’t you being a bit possessive? Your Master doesn’t belong to you alone.”