Chapter 7
A moment later.
Helan Xue took a deep breath. “You are too young, with too little experience. Can you distinguish between love, admiration, and impulse?”
Lin Queli nodded like a bobblehead. “I can! I can distinguish them very clearly! I have an overwhelming amount of love, admiration, and impulse for Shizun!”
“…”
Helan Xue said coldly, “Cultivators of the Dao of Cangsheng achieve twice the result with half the effort after renouncing the mortal world. My life is for the common people. It is absolutely impossible for me to involve myself in matters of love, let alone break the sect rules with a young disciple.”
Tears welled up in Lin Queli’s eyes again. He pitifully wiped them away. “It-it was this disciple who overstepped… I should have known long ago that Shizun is like the bright, clear moon in the sky, while I am like the messy, rough stone on the ground. How could I ever be worthy of Shizun, sob, sob… But this disciple knew his place in his heart. I just never thought that this heart full of sincerity would be misunderstood as something so sordid. I’m so heartbroken…”
Helan Xue: “Oh, so now This Venerable is the sordid one?”
“No, no!” Lin Queli rubbed his bruised neck with a sob, weakly getting to his feet. “This is not Shizun’s fault. It must be that this disciple’s actions were too sordid… This disciple will definitely go back and reflect properly.”
As he spoke, Lin Queli backed away.
Helan Xue’s gaze was stern as he watched Lin Queli.
He saw the purplish-blue marks on Lin Queli’s neck.
The force of a high-level cultivator was like the weight of Mount Tai. A light touch could leave a deep mark on that fragile neck.
“This disciple will go back and reflect now… I won’t disturb Shizun’s peace!”
Lin Queli slipped away. Helan Xue just watched with a cold face but said nothing.
After Lin Queli had gone far, and without the sobbing person, the surroundings returned to tranquility.
For no reason, Helan Xue thought of those wet eyes.
—I have loved Shizun for a long time.
—I have had designs on Shizun for a long time.
Helan Xue’s hand turned the spirit beads as he took a deep breath.
Absurd…
Simply absurd to the extreme.
…
On the other side.
“Phew…”
After returning to the main hall, Lin Queli let out a breath of relief as if he were completely drained.
He had originally thought that every part of the Myriad Sword Mountain was cold, but now, after visiting Helan Xue’s seclusion cave and kneeling outside, he finally realized how warm the hall was, how beautiful life was.
At least it wasn’t as drafty as his life!
Lin Queli panted heavily, his heart still pounding.
【Congratulations, Host, on a successful escape! You even earned 6 points!】
Lin Queli said in despair, “6 points… A heat pack for half my life, is that a good deal? And what if Helan Xue realizes what happened later? Will he kick me out again? Will he punish me again?”
Lin Queli wiped away a fake tear, but now he really wanted to cry. “What kind of pervert is this seduction target? The difficulty level is so high.”
His fate was so unpredictable!
“Young Master Lin?”
Just as Lin Queli was worrying, he saw Ji Chun waiting for him by the door.
Ji Chun held up a small bottle in his hand. “Medicine for your wound.”
“Thank you, Brother Ji!”
Sob, sob, sob, Shizun is cold, but both roasted chicken and Brother Ji’s chest are warm!
(TN: A pun. “Ji xiong” (纪兄, Brother Ji) sounds like “ji xiong” (鸡胸, chicken breast).)
Ji Chun asked with concern, “How did it go? Did you explain things clearly to the Xianzun?”
“I think so…”
Does a confession count as explaining things clearly?
“Oh, right, there’s also this.”
Ji Chun handed a letter to Lin Queli. “It’s a letter from your family in the Changming Clan. I was going to give it to you just now, but the timing wasn’t right.”
Lin Queli was stunned.
“Thank you.”
After returning to his room, Lin Queli first applied the medicine, grimacing in pain.
Fortunately, the immortal medicine was truly amazing, and his wound disappeared in an instant.
Lin Queli then opened the letter.
It was personally written by Immortal Lord Changming, asking how “Lin Luo” was doing recently.
At the end of the letter, there was another sentence.
—Your parents passed away early and entrusted you to me. Now, seeing you under the tutelage of Taxue Xianzun, my heart is greatly comforted. The ever-bright lamps in the clan will light your way every day.
Lin Queli sighed, a strange feeling in his heart.
He was now occupying “Lin Luo’s” identity, but the real Lin Luo was long dead, his body’s whereabouts unknown. Yet his clan members still didn’t know. Was this… not very good of him?
【Wait, Host, ‘the ever-bright lamps in the clan will light your way every day’?】
“Is there a problem?”
【Wait a moment, I’ll watch an ad to check the lore!】
A moment later, the System reappeared.
【Host, I checked, and it’s true. Every member of the Changming Clan has their own ever-bright lamp. If they die, the lamp will go out. But the Host’s current body is the Demon Lord’s. We’re just impersonating Lin Luo, not occupying his body. Why…】
A chill ran down Lin Queli’s spine.
That’s right.
Why was Lin Luo’s ever-bright lamp still lit?
“Could it be that Lin Luo is still alive?” Lin Queli scratched his head, and a chill ran down his back as he realized the implication. “If that’s the case, won’t I be exposed the moment he appears?”
【Well, not necessarily… He hasn’t appeared yet, has he?】
This matter was full of suspicion, but it was difficult to investigate at the moment.
Investigating Lin Luo’s whereabouts would not only cost a lot of points, but since it didn’t concern Lin Queli’s life or death, the System couldn’t grant him a loan.
With this doubt in mind, Lin Queli took out a brush and ink to reply to Immortal Lord Changming.
【Exchanging for the “imitate handwriting” skill requires… ah, 6 points. It’s exactly what the Host earned today!】
Lin Queli gritted his teeth.
Profiteer, a huge profiteer!
Without points, everything was inconvenient.
Lin Queli slammed the brush and ink aside with a smack and grumbled as he got into bed to rest. “I’m not writing back! I’ll save the points. Anyway, the Immortal Lord’s letter is just a normal daily correspondence, nothing important. It won’t be a big deal if I don’t reply.”
Lin Queli grumbled as he went to sleep.
Sigh, he didn’t know what storms he would have to face when he woke up tomorrow.
Lin Queli silently prayed that Helan Xue would calm down and not kick him out.
The current Lin Queli no longer hoped for a successful seduction or to move Helan Xue with love; that was simply a fantasy.
As long as he could survive in the sect and find opportunities to earn points, that was enough. With points, he could directly drug him, complete the mission, and run away!
…
The next day, Lin Queli was woken up by the cold.
What’s going on…
The moment Lin Queli opened his eyes, he found himself lying on the stone platform in the Ice Cave Abode. The familiar icicles made the blood in his veins run cold.
How did he get here again?! Was he having a nightmare?
Lin Queli shot up and saw Helan Xue meditating on the stone platform opposite him.
?!
Holy shit!
Lin Queli was instantly wide awake.
“Shi-Shizun!” Lin Queli’s voice was hoarse from just waking up. He hadn’t even washed up or gotten dressed properly, and he was still covered by a blanket!
It must be that Helan Xue had summoned him, but didn’t expect him to sleep so late, so he was teleported over in his sleep.
Helan Xue also frowned.
It was already noon.
Lin Queli didn’t dare to imagine how long Helan Xue had been watching him sleep. He said with a tremble, “Shizun, why didn’t you… wake me…”
And…
Was Helan Xue not angry anymore? Was he not going to pursue the matter?
He had just confessed to Helan Xue yesterday! Why was it as if nothing had happened now? Could this be the way of a great master of the Dao of Cangsheng who had renounced the mortal world?
Lin Queli wiped his face and carefully approached Helan Xue, blinking. “Shizun isn’t angry anymore?”
“Why would This Venerable bother with a child like you? Your mind is not yet mature. It is normal to go astray.”
Lin Queli scratched his head.
He felt like he was being underestimated.
Helan Xue: “Since Changming entrusted you to me, from now on, I will teach you proper ethics, so that you can become an upright cultivator.”
Lin Queli thought to himself, although I don’t know what’s going on in Helan Xue’s mind, at least I won’t be kicked out now, and I can even cultivate with Helan Xue every day. It seems like what happened before has been put behind us?
That was great!
This was the best possible outcome for him!
Lin Queli breathed a sigh of relief and said with a grin, “Okay, Shizun! What is this disciple going to learn now?”
“Kneel properly.”
Hmm…?
Lin Queli straightened his back and saw Helan Xue pull out a small to medium-sized wooden discipline ruler from somewhere, its surface still covered in ice shards.
“Without rules, there can be no order. If you make another mistake, This Venerable will punish you.”
“…?”
Bro, so you were waiting for me here!!
The things in the dream were put behind us, but I knew Helan Xue wouldn’t be that nice!
Good news: because he was too rebellious, his Shizun was personally teaching him for once.
Bad news: his Shizun was personally teaching him.
Lin Queli looked at the discipline ruler and could only think, holy shit.
He was already so old, was he still going to be spanked?!
Although in the eyes of the thousand-year-old Helan Xue, he was indeed no different from a child. But, but… sob, sob, sob!
He was feeling it too strongly; his whole body was already starting to hurt.
Lin Queli could only suppress his emotions, pout, and say obediently, “Yes, this disciple will remember.”
Helan Xue: “The mistakes I speak of are not just mistakes made during cultivation.”
“Hmm…?”
Lin Queli blinked.
What did that mean?
Helan Xue handed the discipline ruler to Lin Queli. “You shall keep this yourself and carry it with you as a warning. If you make another mistake, bring the ruler yourself next time to receive your punishment.”
“…”
Oh.
Helan Xue was hinting at him. It meant that if he secretly ate meat in the future, or made a mistake where Helan Xue couldn’t see, he would still be punished if he was found out. He was telling him not to pull any tricks behind his back.
“Yes.”
Lin Queli took the discipline ruler with both hands and put it in his spirit pouch, thinking to himself, I’ll be even more careful and secretive when I eat meat from now on.
Helan Xue then told Lin Queli to get on the stone platform.
“First, learn how to clear your six senses and calm your mind.”
“Oh…?”
Lin Queli sat cross-legged like Helan Xue, and after adjusting his posture, he blinked and asked, “And then?”
“Quiet your mind.”
After saying that, Helan Xue closed his eyes—and entered deep meditation.
Lin Queli: “…”
Huh?
Is that it? It’s over?
Helan Xue reiterated, “Quiet your mind.”
“…Oh.”
Lin Queli shrank his neck and also closed his eyes.
Then, what appeared in his mind was golden-brown, tender meat. Roasted chicken was so delicious. He hadn’t even had breakfast today before being summoned. He was so hungry… No!
Lin Queli took a deep breath and forced himself to count sheep to quiet his mind.
…
The surroundings were filled only with the ethereal sound of the wind in the cave and the faint clinking of ice crystals. The world seemed to have quieted down.
Lin Queli had never cultivated before and didn’t know what it meant to enter a state of enlightenment. He could only clumsily try to clear his mind of distracting thoughts.
Three hours passed, and he counted one sheep after another…
“Phew…”
Lin Queli’s head tilted to the side, and he fell asleep.
—Now his mind was completely quiet.
