The Thousand-Layer Schemes of the Sickly Beautiful Master - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Yun Shuchen realized moments later that the little one couldn’t get in and was stuck guarding the door because she had overlooked this detail.

“Alright, my mistake.”

Yun Shuchen gently touched her fair face, finding it soft and surprisingly pleasant to poke, so she poked a few more times. Then she cleared her throat, withdrew her hand, and said seriously, “Watch closely. I’ll show you how to open the door.”

It was simple. She grasped the door knocker and tapped three times. A tricolored cat’s head popped out from the wall, sniffed with its nose, and its nimble figure soon leaped down, opening the door with a rustling sound.

Once inside, a young man in fine clothes stood with his head bowed, respectfully calling out, “Master.”

A cat tail hung obediently behind him. Qing Zhuxue stared intently, trying to figure out if it was glued on or part of his body.

“All things have spirits. It’s not surprising for them to become demons.” Yun Shuchen pointed with her delicate hand, and the young man turned into white smoke. When the mist cleared, only a tricolored cat remained, meowing once.

“Follow me.”

Yun Shuchen’s steps were unhurried, yet somehow she covered several meters in an instant. Qing Zhuxue couldn’t keep up and instinctively reached out to hold the hand of an elder, as she used to do.

Her soft sleeve slipped through Qing Zhuxue’s hand, lightly dodged. Yun Shuchen kept her hands behind her back, her expression calm, as if she hadn’t noticed the girl’s brief shock. She slowed her pace slightly to ensure Qing Zhuxue could follow.

Perhaps she didn’t like her as much as she seemed to.

Children’s instincts are sharp. Thinking this, Qing Zhuxue didn’t bother her again and followed quietly with her hands at her sides.

“There are a few empty rooms here. Pick one.”

“But you might not sleep here tonight. I didn’t expect to bring you back. These rooms have been empty too long, the furniture isn’t complete, and they need cleaning and arranging.”

Qing Zhuxue looked around and chose the one farthest from the master bedroom. Yun Shuchen glanced at her, thoughtful, and said, “So remote. Aren’t you afraid?”

Seeing her silently shake her head, Yun Shuchen just hummed.

“Hungry?”

When people run out of things to say and fall silent, they often turn to talk of food.

Qing Zhuxue’s first meal in Taichu Realm was set under an old locust tree in the courtyard. The tree was massive, its branches thick and leafy, probably as old as the elders.

Bamboo shoots, greens, fish. Fish took up half the spread. One whole steamed fish sprinkled with green onions and soy sauce, small crispy fried pieces, and a bowl of fish soup.

Made by the tricolored cat demon.

“Maybe it thought we had a guest today and couldn’t wait to show off its best dishes?” Yun Shuchen sighed, glancing at the cat perched on the wall, explaining the fish-heavy meal.

Qing Zhuxue wasn’t picky. After days of being fed only pastries, she hadn’t eaten anything savory and was even less choosy.

Yun Shuchen used her chopsticks sparingly, setting them down after a few bites. She watched the girl across from her—eating quickly from hunger but still refined, never stuffing her mouth until she swallowed. Not like the little disciples at He Yi Peak who chatted and sprayed rice…

Girls were always more delicate.

“Thank you.”

After finishing her last bite, Qing Zhuxue set down her chopsticks, paused, and softly asked, “Is there anything here I can help with?”

“Why ask?”

“Because you took me in.”

“Fair enough.” Yun Shuchen propped her chin and smiled. “Taking you in might be because we’re short on help and need a kid for hard labor. Can you really handle tough work?”

“I… I’ll try.”

Realizing she was just a small child, she didn’t dare promise too much.

“Hmm, you said it.” Yun Shuchen stood, smoothing her dress, and went to the study to fetch a letter, handing it to Qing Zhuxue.

“Deliver this to Elder Liu. She lives on the neighboring Lingsu Peak. You can see it from here.”

Following her pointing finger, Qing Zhuxue saw another peak at the same height, faintly visible through the mist.

“It’s simple. No need to worry about getting lost.” Yun Shuchen leaned lazily in her chair, her tone casual.

“You just go down one mountain and up another.”

Maybe it was simple for an immortal like Yun Shuchen who could ride clouds. Not so simple for a mere mortal crawling along the ground.

By the time Qing Zhuxue reached the base of the next mountain, her legs ached and trembled. Lingsu Peak and Crane Feather Peak looked close, but measuring the distance step by step revealed the true challenge.

She struggled to stand before the towering Lingsu Peak. Located in the southwest of Taichu Realm, it was a place of medical cultivators, overgrown with exotic flowers and herbs, some with fierce thorns.

Qing Zhuxue wiped the sweat from her forehead and took her first shaky step upward with her sore legs.

She didn’t know how far she’d climbed when her clothes were torn by low plants. Not a single piece of fabric remained intact. Just as she was about to collapse from exhaustion, a young woman’s voice rang out.

“Hey, are you a new disciple? Why are you walking up the mountain?”

Qing Zhuxue closed her eyes tightly, wiped them, and opened them to avoid the sting of sweat. Before her stood a girl in plain clothes, graceful like an orchid, carrying a basket of herbs.

“No. Elder Yun sent me to deliver a letter to Elder Liu.”

“A letter for my master?” She muttered in surprise. “If Uncle Yun wants to contact her, isn’t it just a matter of sending a message? Why make someone run?”

Moments later, she understood and looked at the tiny girl with sympathy. “You’re unlucky. Uncle Yun’s like that, occasionally teasing people. But she’s pretty nice.”

“I’m Bai Su, the head disciple of Elder Liu Xunqin at Lingsu Peak. You look exhausted today. Give me the letter, and I’ll take it to my master since I’m heading back with these herbs.”

“She told me to deliver it myself.” Qing Zhuxue shook her head and kept climbing.

Perhaps medical cultivators all had kind hearts. Bai Su felt uneasy watching a powerless little girl cross mountains. She summoned her spirit sword. “I’ll give you a lift.”

The small spirit sword carried them soaring through the air.

They passed through layers of bamboo shadows and stopped before a bamboo hut. Bai Su jumped down first, then helped Qing Zhuxue down, nodding toward a shadow in the hut. “My master’s usually here when she’s free. Take the letter to her. Leave quickly after—she doesn’t like being disturbed.”

Qing Zhuxue thanked her and walked toward the figure, holding the intact envelope.

Surprisingly, it was a young girl, looking no older than sixteen. Her loose green robe hung casually, her long hair flowing with a touch of freedom.

Liu Xunqin held a black pipe with intricate golden patterns, leaning to one side. She sat with her legs crossed, holding a medical book, occasionally taking a puff, smoke swirling around her.

She glanced over only when Qing Zhuxue reached her.

“Elder Liu, your letter.”

Liu Xunqin took it expressionlessly. Her sharp medical senses caught a faint scent of powder on the child, and she frowned slightly.

No need to ask its source—only Yun Shuchen was so particular.

She raised an eyebrow and opened the letter in front of her. It contained no words, just neatly folded banknotes used in the cultivation world, a substantial amount.

Qing Zhuxue remembered Bai Su’s advice and prepared to leave after delivering the letter, but Elder Liu stopped her. “Wait.”

She set down her pipe and gave Qing Zhuxue a quick look. “Minor injuries, malnourished. Nothing serious.”

She pulled a bottle of pills from her sleeve and tossed it to her.

Qing Zhuxue caught it clumsily, puzzled by her words. But Elder Liu stood and returned to her room without a hint of explanation.

It was afternoon when she left, and night had fallen by the time she returned to Crane Feather Peak. Mimicking Yun Shuchen, she knocked three times on the door knocker. The little cat smelled her and opened a crack in the door.

The cat demon turned into the finely dressed young man, his voice soft. “Master says to wash up and go to her room. Follow me.”

He showed her where to go, prepared hot water, and politely left. Qing Zhuxue scrubbed herself as clean as she could and climbed out. Being short and the tub high, the effort nearly sent her tumbling back into the water.

Following the silent cat-like steps, she stood before a carved door. Qing Zhuxue knocked lightly on tiptoes, hearing, “Come in.”

She pushed open the door.

The room was spacious, elegant, and bright.

The woman reclined behind beaded curtains, slowly opening her eyes with a faint smile. “You’re back. Tired?”

Qing Zhuxue nodded instinctively, then met her gaze and shook her head.

“If you’re tired, say so,” Yun Shuchen chuckled. “Why stand so far? I won’t bite.”

Qing Zhuxue shuffled a step closer.

“What did Elder Liu say?”

She repeated her words.

“Got it. Keep that bottle of pills. Coming from Liu Xunqin, they’re not cheap.”

“But that’s your money.” Qing Zhuxue’s gut told her this wasn’t something she could repay with a few days of hard work.

“You’re something I picked up too.”

Yun Shuchen didn’t care. By the warm lamplight, she saw the girl’s tattered clothes and frowned slightly, saying with disdain, “Change out of those.”

She removed a white jade bracelet from her wrist, seemingly a storage artifact. Before Qing Zhuxue could see clearly, a soft white dress landed in her arms.

She was a bit thin, but after shedding the worn-out clothes, she looked clean and quite lovely.

Yun Shuchen found her much more pleasing.

“Sleep early. I’ll have more letters for you tomorrow.”

At those words, Qing Zhuxue’s legs ached. But she didn’t object, quietly twisting her sore ankle. “Where do I sleep?”

Noticing her gaze on her bed, Yun Shuchen extinguished the lamp, teasing, “Hang there.”

The room fell silent.

Then came a rustling sound as the child pushed a chair, seemingly planning to sleep on the table.

She’d climbed mountains all day, exhausted, holding on by sheer will to avoid collapsing in front of Yun Shuchen. Now, touching something, even a hard chair, her consciousness faded, ready to slip into dreams.

In the darkness, tiny lights gathered around her, lifting her gently.

She jolted awake, kicking in the air, but the glowing lights held her steady, ensuring she wouldn’t fall.

After a while, she understood and calmed down. Sleeping on an intangible bed was comfortable, far better than a cold table.

“…Thank you.”

She hesitated but felt she should say something.

Yun Shuchen lowered the beaded curtain. “Next time, try a different word.”