Chapter 118: The Old Bull and the Tender Grass

The old man came running the instant he received the voice transmission. He couldn’t understand why the Grandmaster would personally instruct him to bring one of the girl’s robes up to the tower, but as a junior, he would never dare question orders. So he obediently grabbed one of Yun Qiao’s spare Taoist robes and began the long climb.

The ice covering the tower had melted by then, but everything was slick and dripping wet, as though the place had just been washed clean.

He climbed carefully for a quarter of an hour before reaching the top. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, his eyes fell on the sight before him—

Two figures entangled on the floor.

Both were half-dressed, their clothes scattered in tatters. The person in the Grandmaster’s arms was pressed tightly against his chest, her face buried in him, revealing only a glimpse of red silk at the edge of a bellyband. The shredded fabric strewn around the floor carried an unmistakable air of… indecency.

For a long moment, the old man just stood there, utterly thunderstruck. His first, instinctive reaction was—

“I—I’m sorry for disturbing you!”

He spun on his heel to leave. So the Grandmaster was this kind of man?!

“Stop.”

The single cold word froze him in place.

The old man’s heart plummeted. He blurted out in panic, “Grandmaster, I swear I didn’t see you holding a girl—absolutely not!”

Ye Yuan’s expression darkened, though there was also a flicker of confusion. What’s wrong with me holding my own disciple? He exhaled slowly, then said, “Bring the robe.”

“O-oh… yes, yes…” The old man hesitated, then, in a futile effort to look innocent, covered his eyes with one hand and shuffled backward, holding the robe out with the other. His entire body screamed I saw nothing, absolutely nothing.

Ye Yuan ignored him completely. Taking the robe, he carefully wrapped his unconscious disciple from head to toe. Then, lifting her easily into his arms, he began descending the stairs.

The old man blinked, watching in bewilderment. Should I follow? Or not?

…Follow. Definitely follow.

He hurried after them and saw Ye Yuan heading toward the right wing behind the main hall. Just as the Grandmaster was about to push a door open, the old man blurted out, “Wait—Grandmaster, that’s the girl’s room.” He turned his head, looking around for Yun Qiao. Odd—she’d vanished after going up the tower.

Ye Yuan said nothing, simply entered the room and laid the girl on the bed, pulling the blanket up to cover her completely.

The old man followed in to protest. “Grandmaster, you can’t just—what the—?!”

He stopped dead.

Now that the girl wasn’t buried in the Grandmaster’s arms, her face was clearly visible. It was Yun Qiao.

For a long moment, his brain stopped working. He looked from the unconscious Yun Qiao to Ye Yuan’s half-disheveled robes and back again.

Boom.

It was as if thunder exploded inside his head. Grandmaster… and the girl?

(⊙_⊙)

The Grandmaster’s a beast?!

“This… this…” He paced in tiny circles, trying to process what he’d just seen. After several failed attempts at words, he finally took a deep breath and stammered out, “Grandmaster… this doesn’t seem… appropriate.” Different generations!

Ye Yuan’s expression turned icy.

The old man, in a burst of suicidal courage, added, “The girl’s still just a—” child!

“Get out!”

A blast of immortal energy sent him flying before he could finish. Outside, a series of crashes followed as several roofs collapsed in succession.

Today, Ye Yuan’s most hated three words were, without question—

“Not appropriate.”

(╰_╯)#

---

When Yun Qiao finally woke, the world felt… different.

She couldn’t describe how, exactly—only that she sensed a new, inexplicable connection with this realm. Before, she’d always felt like an outsider; whether studying spiritual medicine, alchemy, or formations, there had been a faint barrier between her and the world’s energy. But now, that barrier was gone.

Every principle she’d learned suddenly made perfect, tangible sense. Even her past half-formed theories now fit together seamlessly. She could almost feel how to draw spiritual energy into her body.

Excitement stirred in her chest. She was about to test it when a figure appeared at her bedside, holding a bowl of brown liquid. “Drink this.”

Yun Qiao blinked. A wave of strong herbal scent reached her nose—she recognized several of the ingredients, all nourishing and restorative. Taking the bowl, she nodded politely. “Thank you, Grandmaster.”

“Mm.” He watched closely as she drank it all, then spoke seriously. “You’ve only just merged with the Xuan Vein. Your mortal body isn’t used to it yet. Rest and recover—don’t rush cultivation.”

Remembering the agony from before, Yun Qiao shivered. She obediently nodded. “Understood, Grandmaster.”

Ye Yuan’s expression grew even more solemn as he took the empty bowl. “You’ll need to drink this medicine for seven days before you begin practice. It’s bitter, but you must persevere.”

Yun Qiao opened her mouth to say it wasn’t that bitter, but he continued—

“If you really can’t bear it,” he said gravely, “there are ways. Make some candied fruits, sweets, or small pastries to offset the taste. You could also prepare a few side dishes with stronger seasoning.” He paused, then added, completely straight-faced, “Ah—and that thing you made before. The ‘cake.’ That worked quite well. Have some of that after your medicine; I won’t stop you.”

He looked utterly self-satisfied, like a man announcing his enlightened benevolence.

Yun Qiao: “…”

Just admit you want to eat it yourself, old man! Why the long detour?!

凸(艹皿艹)

Sighing, she rubbed her forehead. “How long was I unconscious?”

“Three days, five hours, and forty-five minutes,” he replied instantly. After a brief pause, he added helpfully, “Half an hour until noon.”

“…” Right, lunchtime.

She got out of bed with a resigned sigh, rolling up her sleeves. “I’ll go make lunch then.” So that’s what all those hints were about.

“Wait.”

As she turned toward the door, Ye Yuan caught up with her, still completely serious. “You’ve only just recovered. Don’t overexert yourself.”

She blinked, startled. Was he… actually worried? Maybe I misjudged him—

Then he pulled out a gold talisman and handed it to her with genuine earnestness.

“So I prepared this Lightness Talisman for you. That way, it won’t tire you out.”

Yun Qiao: “…”

(￣△￣；)

I want to drop out of this sect.

(End of Chapter)