When I woke up, the entire cultivation world was talking about my master.

Outside the door, Yi Chen's tall figure paused for a moment.

He thought he had misheard or that Chu Xianlan had mistaken him for someone else, but after waiting for a long time, no explanation came from inside the house.

As if he couldn't believe his disciple would speak to him in such a tone, he blinked slightly.

After his conversation with Master Zhiyue today, his mind was filled with complicated thoughts, which made him unusually restless.

Thinking... perhaps... seeing my apprentice, seeing what that child is doing, and exchanging a few words with him might dispel some of that inexplicable restlessness.

But, for some reason...

Just then, the tightly closed door to the forge was suddenly pushed open a crack.

Chu Xianlan knew that the guy standing outside the door hadn't left yet. After thinking it over, she decided that she couldn't be soft-hearted this time and had to say something definitive to prevent the girl from going on and causing trouble by using her master's appearance.

He steeled himself and opened the door, deliberately avoiding the face that offered him no resistance. Turning his eyes to the other side, arms crossed, he said sharply, "Do you find this back-and-forth entanglement interesting? Or do you think it's fun to tease me?"

The boy stood in the shadows.

The dim light blurred the expression on his face, but one could still see a hint of impatience from his tightly pursed lips.

"Don't talk to me with that face on your face. Get out of here, I don't want to see you right now!"

"..."

After Chu Xianlan finished speaking, she quickly lowered her eyes, as if she couldn't bear to stay for even a second longer. Without giving the people outside the door any time to react, she slammed the door shut.

"Bang!"

Only after the scent outside had completely disappeared did Chu Xianlan breathe a sigh of relief and sit back down at the forging table.

After calming down for a moment, the resolute momentum I had when I closed the door gradually faded, and I felt a little uneasy instead.

Did I say something a little too harsh?

"..."

In fact, he has always been like this.

After each outburst of anger, I don't feel much relief; instead, I feel a tightness in my chest, making me feel suffocated.

This time, Hua Ling's behavior was indeed too much. Knowing that he cared, she repeatedly teased him by using his master's appearance, which touched his sore spot and made him lose his temper.

But... on the other hand...

Hua Ling didn't utter a single word of rebuttal from beginning to end, and was just driven away by my scolding, which is unlike her usual personality of never being at a disadvantage.

Chu Xianlan felt increasingly uneasy and put down the magical artifact she was polishing.

That guy... Hua Ling... is a girl who's several hundred years old. Could it be that she secretly ran back and cried because he said a few harsh words to her?

Imagining the scene of the centenarian spirit hugging the tree trunk and wailing, Chu Xianlan couldn't help but shudder, her scalp tingling.

He furtively reopened the door.

Perhaps because the forging room is always burning with spiritual fire and has a high temperature, there is a noticeable coolness coming from outside.

Without further ado, we returned to the Jade Capital Pavilion and headed straight for the Spirit Platform.

From afar, Chu Xianlan saw a small figure sitting under a peach tree with his back to her, his shoulders seemingly trembling slightly! She felt even more strongly that something was terribly wrong.

"Cough cough." He stopped a few steps away and coughed twice.

Hua Ling felt a shiver run through her body.

She quickly hid the treasure Pei Fang'an had given her, composed herself, and turned to ask in a muffled voice, "What's wrong?"

Thankfully, she doesn't look like she's been crying.

"I went too far just now. I was just saying it in anger. I'm sorry, please don't take it to heart."

"Huh?" Hua Ling reacted a little slow, then waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, it's nothing, just a small matter. I'm very magnanimous, I'm not that petty!"

"Aren't you angry?"

"No," Hua Lingfeng said calmly.

Now it was Chu Xianlan's turn to be dumbfounded.

As he looked on in confusion, Hua Ling raised her delicate fingers and pointed towards the cold pool. "However, your master seems quite angry."

Chu Xianlan: Hmm?

"He just flew back on his sword and went straight in that direction, his face as black as the sole of his shoe."

Chu Xianlan: Hmm?

After staring at each other for a while, Chu Xianlan asked, "Didn't you go to the Thousand Refinement Hall to find me just now?"

Hua Ling: "What do I need you for? Didn't you want to get rid of me?"

After he finished speaking, there was silence.

Chu Xianlan's face gradually paled. Hua Ling didn't go to the Thousand Refinement Hall... then who was outside the door just now...?

Is it Master himself?!

Suddenly, Hua Ling saw Chu Xianlan jump up as if she had suddenly fallen ill, her face full of panic, and run away.

-

Cold pool.

Yi Chen's eyes were closed, his white clothes were soaked through by the pool water, and the chaotic ice-elemental spiritual power around him merged with the cold air.

In his memory, his disciple always spoke to him in the most affectionate tone, a light and cheerful tone unique to young people, with a clear and gentle timbre that would warm and soften one's heart upon hearing it.

Therefore, even though he often found many things absurd, he would always find it difficult to refuse when he heard that they were requests from his apprentices.

Chu Xianlan's sudden change in attitude today—her aloofness that kept people at arm's length, and her voice that suppressed her anger—was all completely unfamiliar to him.

After the initial shock, there was more panic and confusion.

It's much like the sun is suddenly obscured by thick dark clouds, no longer revealing any light. Without the sunlight, the already desolate winter day becomes a true eternal night and a cold abyss.

He had never felt this way before.

Because no matter how subtle the changes in their mindset were, no matter what had happened between them, Chu Xianlan's gaze was always following him, and the presence of that ray of warm sunshine would never change.

Will it really not change?

At this moment, Yi Chen felt as if something he had long been accustomed to holding tightly in his hand was about to slip through his fingers.

Could it be that his "giving up" doesn't just refer to illicit romantic relationships, but also means he no longer wants this master-disciple relationship after developing a desire to withdraw?

Yi Chen couldn't imagine what Yujing Pavilion would be like without Chu Xianlan.

If that's the case... then perhaps...

Yi Chen slowly opened his eyes, a hint of darkness flashing in the depths of his deep gray vertical pupils.

……wrong.

Chu Xianlan has always been straightforward and never takes her anger out on anyone for no reason. She would never get angry like this without any cause. There must be another reason behind it.

Instead of speculating here, it's better to go and find out for yourself.

With that thought, Yi Chen got up and left the cold pool. His wet hair was dried by magic, and he returned to the meticulous state of Immortal Lord Jixue.

However, in his troubled state of mind, he forgot to set up the usual isolation barrier around the cold pool.

Chu Xianlan was rushing towards the cold pool.

He saw the familiar outline of the courtyard in the distance, his heart pounded, and his mind was a mess. In short, he thought, "I'm so damn stupid."

Oh my god, I actually... I actually managed to drive my master away with my insults! This is truly a momentous occasion in the history of rebellious disciples. Even Ji Cheng'an would have to kowtow to me if he came, ahhh...

Master must be very angry!

It's unimaginable how much self-control Master must have used to resist rushing in when he heard those outrageous words outside the door! He must have slapped himself so hard he'd be stuck in the wall and couldn't get out!

Chu Xianlan was focused on sliding to her knees, completely forgetting that the Cold Pool usually had a barrier. Her speed increased, and she almost turned into a gust of wind as she rushed towards the courtyard gate.

Just as he rushed to the door, it was pulled open from the inside. Chu Xianlan's pupils shrank, and he couldn't stop himself from falling into the other person's arms.

But this was not what alarmed Chu Xianlan the most.

The force of the impact made him lose his balance. In his haste to separate, he slid forward a step. Due to the height difference and the perfect angle, his vision flashed and his lips collided with his. The soft and familiar touch came again.

The two of them stood frozen in place, as if the pause button had been pressed.

My life is over!

Chu Xianlan used her hands to support herself as she stood up, remaining in the "ground slam" position, her eyes wide open, her body as stiff as a ten-thousand-year-old fossil.

They kissed again!

Yi Chen was tackled to the ground by his disciple, his long silver hair spread out in disarray, and the mist in his eyes disappeared, slowly gathering into a clear understanding.

His disciple... kissed him again.

It wasn't an accident, it wasn't the effect of the medicine, and it wasn't a flare-up of the Gu poison, so... he never intended to sever the master-disciple relationship, and he never... truly gave up?

Just because... I like it too much?

--------

Puppy: I deserve to die!

Master: He doesn't like me, he doesn't like me, he doesn't like me... wait, he likes me?

Demon Ball: I don't know~~ My transformation technique is very beautiful~