Chapter 16: Su Wan’er

They initiated the form again.

SHING!

This time, Chen Feng’s broadsword whistled through the air with a clean, explosive crack, the blade’s hum resonating with twice the force of his previous attempts. Right alongside him, Liu Mei’s twin swords wove a flawless, airtight barrier of silver light, her transitions completely seamless.

The two of them stopped, staring at their weapons in sheer, wide-eyed astonishment.

"The resistance in my shoulder... it’s completely gone!" Chen Feng gasped, his face flushing with excitement.

"My twin strikes linked without stalling my breath!" Liu Mei looked at me as if I had performed a divine miracle, quickly dropping into another deep bow. "Thank you for the profound guidance, Martial Uncle Lu! Your pointer saved us at least two months of bitter trial and error."

"It was nothing. Just keep your minds steady and practice diligently," I said with a chuckle, waving my hand dismissively. "Now, go meditate on what you just felt. Where is your Master, by the way?"

"Master returned to her private quarters about an hour ago," Chen Feng replied respectfully. "She instructed us not to disturb her unless there was an urgent sect emergency."

"Understood. Carry on with your practice." I nodded, leaving the garden and strolling toward the grand double doors of the inner residence.

I pushed the heavy sandalwood doors open, expecting to hear Wan’er’s sharp, nagging voice asking why I was loitering around her halls again. But as I stepped into the spacious, incense-scented main hall, the place was completely silent.

"Senior Sister?" I called out softly.

No response.

I checked her personal study and the central sitting room, but both were entirely empty. Just as I was beginning to wonder if she had flown off to another sect summit, a faint sound reached my ears from the rear corridor.

Splish. Splash.

The soft, unmistakable sound of rippling water.

A slow, mischievous grin crept onto my face.

I held my breath, retracted my Late-Stage Golden Core aura into a tight knot, and tiptoed down the quiet wooden corridor leading toward the secluded courtyard at the back of the mansion.

I slid open the delicate paper partition an inch, peering out into the private garden.

Sitting in the center of the terrace was a natural, crystal-clear thermal pool, surrounded by white spirit blossoms and weeping willow branches. Above, a bright full moon hung in the midnight sky, bathing the entire courtyard in a soft, silvery glow.

And right there in the center of the pool, rising partially above the steaming, moonlit water, was my dear Senior Sister.

She was completely, gloriously naked.

Drops of glistening water clung to her smooth, porcelain skin, trailing down the graceful curve of her slender neck and over her sculpted, ivory shoulders. Her waist was narrow and supple, tapering into the breathtaking, voluptuous swell of her hips, while her magnificent, full chest rose and fell with each slow, rhythmic breath she took. Her long, ink-black hair was soaked, clinging to the pale curve of her spine like wet silk.

Under the cold, luminous moonlight, the imposing, terrifying Sect Master looked less like a fearsome Nascent Soul powerhouse and more like an untamed, intoxicating water spirit.

I leaned against the doorframe, resting my chin in my hand, thoroughly appreciating the view.

Borrowing a few sets of robes was definitely the best idea I’ve had all day.

I let my gaze linger on the shimmering water without a shred of shame.

Su Wan’er was undeniably the closest person to me in this vast, ruthless world. Ever since our old master passed away a decade ago, we had nobody else to truly lean on except each other. Over the years, she had gained friends, Elder Council peers, and even talented personal disciples who bowed to her every command, but none of them were ever truly close to her heart.

To the rest of the world, she was the untouchable Sect Master of the Mystic Cloud Sect, a terrifying prodigy, an austere Nascent Soul sovereign, and a symbol of sect authority.

Everyone treated her with cold deference, cautious reverence, or political calculation. I was the only person alive who still treated her simply as Su Wan’er: the headstrong girl who used to split steamed buns with me in the outer sect dirt. That was why, no matter how many times we bickered, no matter how furiously she cursed my lazy habits, and no matter how close she came to freezing my beard with frost-qi, the bond between us had never frayed.

Naturally, that familiarity meant I never missed a chance to tease her. I loved her, plain and simple. How could any sane man not fall for a Senior Sister who was both stunningly gorgeous and fiercely devoted to keeping him safe?

In the past, I had deliberately buried those romantic desires deep in my gut. Her talent had reached the heavens while I was stuck at an Early Core Formation bottleneck, doomed to turn to dust in three hundred years while she soared toward immortality. Acting on my feelings back then would have done nothing except drag her down and burden her path.

Now, everything was different. With the 10x Disciple Investment System in my soul and my Spiritual Root refined to pristine Heaven-Grade resonance, I no longer had to look up at her from the shadows. I had the power to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her, to surpass her, and to protect her when the burden of the sect threatened to crush her shoulders.

I stepped out from behind the partition, letting my boots click softly against the wooden deck to reveal my presence.

"Senior Sister," I said with a smile, leaning casually against the railing with my hands tucked in my sleeves. "The water looks exceptionally warm tonight. Mind if your handsome Junior Brother joins you?"

I wasn’t a peeking tom, not at all. If I was going to watch her, then I would let her know. It also gave me material to tease her. So, of course, I had to announce my presence.