Watching the Mountain

Chapter 61: Chapter 55: Abnormal

"You’re just a liar! You didn’t teach me anything at all."

"I did."

"Then why can’t I learn it?"

"It’s either because you’re too stupid or too weak. This is clearly your problem, yet you have the nerve to blame me. No, this won’t do. You have to make me a feast for dinner as an apology. Otherwise, I’ll never forgive you."

"You actually have the nerve to make demands? Shameless!"

The sounds of the fierce argument made Xu Ran sigh in relief. He turned his head, his gaze falling silently on the Pill-Digging Witch, Ye Qingxue. His meaning was self-evident:

’So this is what you call getting along intimately, laughing and talking?’

Facing Xu Ran’s stare, the imposing aura around Ye Qingxue faltered. After a moment of silence, she explained softly,

"They weren’t like this when I saw them a couple of days ago."

Xu Ran nodded slightly at her words. He had been too hasty, nearly forgetting that to a love-struck fool, the mere sight of their crush standing next to a member of the opposite sex would seem incredibly intimate.

’I must have been possessed to have actually believed her.’

Xu Ran let out a melancholic sigh and waved his hand. "Forget it. Let’s go see what’s actually going on."

As they walked over, Ye Shan’s eyes lit up upon seeing them. He quickly ran up to Xu Ran and started to speak, "Xu—"

Ye Shan paused for a moment, glancing at Little Xiyue beside them and then at Ye Qingxue, who was following behind Xu Ran. Only then did he continue,

"Junior Brother Xu, you’re just in time. You have poor talent, so you should understand the feeling. When you can’t learn something, you should look for the reason within yourself. How can you blame others?"

Hearing this, a vein throbbed on Xu Ran’s forehead. He was utterly speechless. ’So many years have passed,’ he thought. ’Senior Brother Ye Shan seems to have completely changed as a person, but his one talent for saying the most unpleasant things hasn’t changed in the slightest.’

Ye Shan didn’t notice Xu Ran’s reaction and turned his head to say to Little Xiyue,

"You should learn from Junior Brother Xu. His talent is even worse than yours, and he seems even dumber than you when he’s learning things. But he never blames others. Instead, he calmly admits that the problem is his own."

"You’re stupid and weak, so why can’t you just admit it’s your own fault?"

The moment he finished speaking, Xu Ran and Little Xiyue both put on stern, expressionless faces and stared at him, speaking in unison,

"Senior Brother, you can say what you want about me, but not my apprentice. My apprentice has been clever since she was a child."

"I told you, you can say whatever you want about me, but you absolutely cannot talk about my master. You’re making me very angry."

Ye Shan’s face stiffened when he heard their words.

At that moment, Ye Qingxue, who had been following behind Xu Ran and staring infatuatedly at Ye Shan, saw him being targeted by the pair and was instantly displeased. She spoke in a rushed tone,

"If Senior Brother Ye Shan says she has a problem, then it’s definitely her problem! It’s bad enough you’re not thanking him, but you dare to criticize him instead? You’re making me very angry."

The moment her words fell, Ye Shan cupped his hands in her direction and spoke with a sincere tone,

"Junior Sister Qingxue, Junior Brother Xu is my dearest friend. His apprentice is my apprentice. Please, don’t make things difficult for them."

At his words, Ye Qingxue’s mouth fell open. Her wide eyes swept over Xu Ran and Little Xiyue before finally landing back on Ye Shan.

"Senior Brother, I was speaking up for you."

"I know. So, could I trouble you to not make things difficult for them?"

A wronged expression was written all over Ye Qingxue’s face.

’This isn’t right. Shouldn’t Senior Brother Ye Shan be on my side, just like that master and apprentice pair? Why is he siding with them and speaking against me instead?’

She desperately wanted to tell Ye Shan how wronged she felt, but when her gaze met his solemn expression, her imposing aura instantly faltered. She then whispered, "I... I understand."

As she finished speaking, both Xu Ran and Little Xiyue whipped their heads around, their eyes fixed squarely on her.

Xu Ran’s eyes flickered slightly. He was thoroughly impressed with Ye Shan. ’Just a moment ago, she was the Little Witch who could bewitch the world,’ he thought, ’but the second she’s in front of Ye Shan, she instantly transforms into a delicate and obedient young maiden.’

Little Xiyue stared at Ye Qingxue and shook her head gently. Only one thought ran through her mind: ’This woman is so pitiful.’

Just then, Ye Shan looked at Ye Qingxue and asked, "Junior Sister Qingxue, weren’t you on the battlefield? When did you return?"

Hearing this, Ye Qingxue’s expression brightened, and she hurriedly replied, "The war is over. I missed you too much, Senior Brother, so I came back early. It’s just that as soon as I returned, I saw you, Senior Brother..."

As she spoke, her gaze fell on Little Xiyue, and she continued, "...and I saw you were always with her, so I didn’t come out to see you."

Ye Shan nodded slightly, his eyes narrowing as he stared directly at Ye Qingxue. He spoke slowly, "So you investigated her background, preparing to get rid of her?"

Ye Qingxue’s face turned panicked at his words. She explained, flustered, "I didn’t! I just did a simple background check to have her elders discipline her. I never had any intention of making things difficult for her."

Ye Shan nodded, then said in a heavy voice, "That’s for the best. Junior Sister Qingxue, I want you to remember one thing: I, Ye Shan, do not wish for anyone to interfere in my affairs."

Ye Qingxue’s face grew even more flustered. She was about to explain when Ye Shan cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"Enough. Tell me, what did you plan to do now that you’re back?"

Hearing this, Ye Qingxue immediately acted as if she were presenting a great achievement. She took out a Jade Box, ran up to Ye Shan, and opened it. Inside were row upon row of multicolored Elixir Pills.

She excitedly explained to Ye Shan, "Senior Brother, wasn’t your Golden Core shattered? I know of a Secret Technique that can use another person’s Golden Core to seize a sliver of heavenly fate and continue cultivating. Look, there are so many Golden Cores here! Pick one you like..."

Watching from the side, Xu Ran was completely shocked. A Golden Core was the manifestation of a person’s Dao. Normally, when a person died, their Golden Core would dissipate. It could only be preserved intact by using a special Secret Technique.

The Golden Cores in the Jade Box looked rather horrifying. He felt that this Pill-Digging Witch truly lived up to her name—she was clearly a bit unhinged.

’Normal people give flowers or gifts when they’re courting someone. But her? She goes and gives someone Golden Cores she dug out of other people’s bodies.’

’No wonder Ye Shan has been acting a little differently than usual since they met this time. It’s probably her appearance—this Witch of a junior sister—that’s making him behave this way.’

’After all, people with mental problems are especially prone to doing terrible things. Ye Shan is probably worried about that, too.’

Just as Xu Ran was thinking this, Ye Shan’s furious roar suddenly reached his ears. "You actually thought of giving me someone else’s Golden Core to use? Who do you think I, Ye Shan, am? Are their Golden Cores even worthy of my use?"

"This is a complete insult to me! Get out! Don’t let me see you again!"

Hearing this, Xu Ran sighed. The moment Ye Qingxue had taken out the Golden Cores, he had guessed this would be the outcome.

"Senior Brother Ye Shan, I..." Ye Qingxue was on the verge of tears. She stared blankly at Ye Shan, so distraught that she couldn’t form a complete sentence.

"Do I need to say it a second time?" Ye Shan asked, his face devoid of expression.

Ye Qingxue looked at his expression, fell silent for a moment, then put away the Jade Box. She gave Ye Shan a slight bow before gracefully drifting away.