Chapter 3: The Rebellious Disciple’s Thoughts

The night was as dark as ink.

Inside the Heavenly Demon Palace.

Lu Ning lay on the inner side of the Black Ice Jade Bed, her body appearing somewhat stiff.

All because, less than a foot away from her side, lay another person.

Gu Qinghuan.

After moving in, Gu Qinghuan had all her belongings brought into the Sect Master’s bedchamber.

At night, she went even further, coming straight to Lu Ning’s bed under the righteous excuse of “conveniently taking care of Master”.

To Lu Ning, this was an utterly bizarre experience.

As someone whose psychological gender was male—a straight man—sharing a bed with a stunning beauty should have been an exciting affair.

But now, Lu Ning only felt her scalp tingle and a prickling sensation on her back.

Because she clearly remembered Gu Qinghuan’s character in the game—a villain who had almost succeeded in betraying her master and ancestors.

But then Lu Ning thought carefully.

Her current body was female.

The other party probably… couldn’t do anything to her, right?

Yet the thought of Gu Qinghuan’s playful and intense gaze made Lu Ning’s whole body feel wrong.

“Master, are you still awake?”

In the darkness, Gu Qinghuan’s voice suddenly sounded, startling Lu Ning.

But Lu Ning chose to keep her eyes closed and pretended to be asleep, not even altering the rhythm of her breathing.

Gu Qinghuan continued speaking on her own, “Though the Black Ice Jade Bed is good for helping Master focus and calm her mind, it might be a bit too cold for your current body.”

As she spoke, Lu Ning felt the quilt beside her shift.

Next, a warm, soft hand gently rested on her waist through the bedding.

Lu Ning’s body instantly tensed!

“Don’t be afraid, Master.”

Gu Qinghuan’s voice held a trace of laughter, “Your disciple just wants to warm you up.”

A pure stream of true essence slowly flowed from her palm, seeping through the quilt and nightgown into Lu Ning’s body.

That warmth dispelled the chill brought on by the Black Ice Jade Bed, and her cold, weakened body gradually gained a hint of warmth.

It was comfortable, yet Lu Ning became even more vigilant.

Was this a show of goodwill?

Or another form of test?

She didn’t dare move or make a sound, continuing to pretend to be asleep.

“Master’s body is even weaker than I imagined.”

“Nearly all your meridians are broken, and your dantian and qi sea are completely lifeless. It’s hard to imagine what kind of devastating injury you suffered.”

As Gu Qinghuan spoke, her hand slowly moved upward along Lu Ning’s waistline.

Lu Ning’s heartbeat quickened with the movement of that hand.

“But it’s all right.”

“In the future, as long as your disciple is here, I’ll ‘protect’ you well.”

She put extra emphasis on the word “protect”.

Lu Ning didn’t know how much time had passed, only that her nerves were stretched to the limit.

The Gu Qinghuan beside her seemed to have truly fallen asleep.

Her breathing became long and even, and the hand that had rested on Lu Ning’s body was withdrawn.

Lu Ning cautiously cracked open an eyelid, peering sideways by the faint light of the night-luminescent pearl.

Gu Qinghuan was lying on her side, facing her.

In the dim light, her beautiful face looked more tranquil and gentle than usual, her lips slightly pouting, giving her a surprisingly cute appearance…

Confirming the other party was truly asleep, Lu Ning finally closed her eyes to contemplate her way out.

The Yin Body…

This thought lingered in her mind like an inescapable curse.

Using Gu Qinghuan’s Yin Body to restore her cultivation—it sounded like the perfect plan.

If it worked, not only could she escape her current predicament, she might even benefit from the disaster, raising her cultivation another level.

By then, Gu Qinghuan would be nothing more than a toy in her hands.

But the problem was… how exactly should she proceed?

So-called “harmonizing”—to put it bluntly, wasn’t that… union?

But now she was a woman.

Could two women even…

Lu Ning felt her worldview was once again being shattered.

The scene was too wild—she didn’t dare imagine it.

Moreover, even if she could get over her own hang-ups, would Gu Qinghuan agree?

Although Gu Qinghuan was controlling her now, she still treated her as “Master” and at most had an excessive possessiveness.

If she put forth such a request, how would Gu Qinghuan take it?

Wouldn’t she see her master as not just a cross-dressing fraud, but a shameless pervert?

If Gu Qinghuan flew into a rage and revealed her secret to the world…

No, this method was far too risky.

She would have to plan carefully.

After pondering, Lu Ning reached a conclusion.

First, she needed to confirm whether the “Yin Body restoring cultivation” bug still existed in this world.

Second, she needed to find a logical, reasonable way to “borrow” Gu Qinghuan’s Yin Body without arousing suspicion.

This was truly a hellishly difficult task.

After much thought, Lu Ning felt the most reliable option was to look for related records in the study or scripture depository first.

After that, she could search step by step for a way to restore her cultivation.

Having made up her mind, Lu Ning felt the pressure in her heart ease a little.

No matter how hard the road ahead, at least she now had a direction to strive for.

Just as Lu Ning was encouraging herself and preparing to recuperate and take action tomorrow—

A hand suddenly stroked her cheek.

Warm fingertips glided from her forehead, down her nose, and to her lips.

Goosebumps shot all over Lu Ning’s body!

She cracked open her eyes only to meet a pair of startlingly bright eyes glowing in the darkness.

Gu Qinghuan hadn’t slept at all!

“Master…”

Gu Qinghuan’s body leaned closer, so close the two could almost feel each other’s breath.

Her voice was dreamy, as if in a trance.

“Your skin… is so nice.”

Her fingers gently caressed Lu Ning’s lips, the movement delicate and slow.

Lu Ning’s mind went blank—she didn’t dare move a muscle.

“In the past, your disciple always watched you from afar, seeing you so aloof, like a deity.”

“I always wondered… what kind of body a powerhouse like Master would have. Would it be as cold and hard as cold iron, or…”

Her voice grew lower, and her breathing a little rapid.

“Now, your disciple knows…”

“It’s… warm. Soft.”

She lowered her head and buried her face in Lu Ning’s chest, inhaling deeply.

“And… so fragrant…”

“Master, did you know?”

Gu Qinghuan’s red lips nearly brushed Lu Ning’s ear.

“Your disciple once hated you so much…”

“Hated your strength and coldness, hated how you manipulated everything in your palm.”

“So, I trained desperately, just so one day I could drag you down from that high pedestal…”

Hearing this, Lu Ning’s heart sank to the bottom.

As expected, this rebellious disciple had long since wanted to betray her.

“But now…”

Gu Qinghuan’s tone changed, trembling and feverish.

“Your disciple has realized that, rather than killing you and taking your place… I much prefer this.”

“Watching the aloof Master show such helpless and forbearing expressions…”

“It’s just… so thrilling.”

As she finished, she lightly licked Lu Ning’s earlobe.

A jolt like electricity shot from her ear through her entire body.

Lu Ning’s body trembled violently—she couldn’t pretend any longer.

She pushed Gu Qinghuan away with all her strength, sat up, and pressed her back against the headboard, watching her warily.

“Rebellious disciple, you’re being impudent!”

She shouted harshly, but her voice trembled from nervousness.

On the other side, the pushed-aside Gu Qinghuan wasn’t angry.

She propped herself up with one arm, leisurely gazing at Lu Ning, eyes flickering with mischief.

“Master, you’re finally done pretending to sleep?”

“Master’s scent… is even sweeter than I imagined.”

“You… you’re shameless!”

In her more than twenty years of life, Lu Ning had never been teased like this.

Her face flushed bright red.

“Shameless?”

Gu Qinghuan chuckled softly.

“Master, we’re from a demonic sect—isn’t shamelessness our basic operation?”

“And besides, your disciple is only ‘showing filial piety’ to Master.”

She sat up and slowly moved closer to Lu Ning.

“Master, it’s late. We… should rest now.”

“Don’t come any closer!”

Lu Ning shouted, her voice fierce but her heart lacking confidence.

Yet her warning, to Gu Qinghuan, was no fiercer than a kitten’s mew—if anything, it only made things more amusing.

Gu Qinghuan reached out with both arms, pinning Lu Ning between herself and the headboard, forming an inescapable circle.

She lowered her head, eyes gleaming with undisguised possessiveness.

“Master, don’t be afraid.”

“Before you recover, your disciple will… take good ‘care’ of you.”

With that, she lowered her head, drawing near to those lips she had coveted for so long—lips that would never stop chattering.