Chapter 81: Master, Do You Know Your Mistake? [Two-in-One]

When the cold system prompt echoed in her mind, Lu Ning’s heart, which had just begun to settle, instantly spiraled into panic again.

She looked down at her ankle, which was as smooth as jade.

Although there was nothing unusual on the surface, she could clearly feel a cold, overbearing force wrapping around her.

How was this a “mark”?

This was clearly an all-encompassing, zero-blind-spot monitoring and tracking device.

At the thought that every one of her future actions, even whom she came into contact with, would be known by this rebellious disciple, Lu Ning felt a chill run down her spine.

‘No! I absolutely cannot just sit here and wait for death! I must find a way to remove this damned soul seal!’

[System! Is there any way to shield this “Lunar Soul Seal” or remove it directly?]

Lu Ning urgently issued an instruction to the system in her mind.

The system was currently her only hope.

[Ding! Performing analysis…]

[Analysis complete! The “Lunar Soul Seal” was formed by a Great Ascension stage cultivator using their own origin essence blood. It is deeply bound to the host’s soul. With the host’s current Nascent Soul mid-stage cultivation, it cannot be removed by yourself.]

[To shield its perception, special items or techniques are required.]

Special items or techniques?

Lu Ning’s heart stirred upon hearing this.

‘System, do you have those kinds of items here?’

[Ding! Not at the moment. The system is about to automatically enter an upgrade state. The shop function will officially open after this upgrade.]

[At that time, the host can exchange various items, techniques, and pills in the shop by completing tasks or earning special points in this world.]

After hearing this news, a flicker of hope was rekindled in Lu Ning’s heart.

As long as there was a way, it was fine.

Although the process might be difficult, at least it was not a dead end.

‘System, how long will this upgrade take?’

Lu Ning only wanted to escape Gu Qinghuan’s control as soon as possible.

[Ding! The system is entering an upgrade state. Estimated upgrade time: 10 days.]

[During the upgrade, the system will temporarily close some functions, but system items already obtained by the host can be used normally.]

[System upgrade countdown: 9 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes…]

As the words fell, the cold mechanical voice fell completely silent.

No matter how much Lu Ning called out, the system gave no further response.

10 days?

Lu Ning calculated silently in her heart.

10 days was not long, but it was not short either.

For her current self, every minute and every second was filled with unknown variables.

She was like a person with a time bomb strapped to her body, and the person holding the detonator was this moody, rebellious disciple beside her.

She had to be careful and walk on eggshells during these 10 days.

However, everything had two sides.

Although these 10 days would be difficult, the benefits brought by the system upgrade were also obvious.

The system shop.

The opening of this function meant she would have more choices and trump cards.

She would no longer have to passively wait for the system to issue task rewards like before.

She could actively earn points and exchange them for what she needed.

For example, she could exchange for a “Great Ascension Stage Consummation Experience Card.”

Or perhaps a “Top-tier Quality Immortal Artifact.”

At that thought, Lu Ning’s hanging heart settled slightly.

She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing all the stray thoughts in her mind.

She knew that what she needed to do most right now was to stabilize the rebellious disciple, Gu Qinghuan.

And while Lu Ning was secretly calculating in her heart…

….

Gu Qinghuan, who was nearby, finally snapped back from the pleasure of having her wish fulfilled.

She looked at the faint ice crystal snowflake mark on Lu Ning’s ankle, her cold eyes filled with unprecedented satisfaction.

This was a mark she had personally planted.

…

A unique mark that belonged only to her.

From today on, Master would be completely branded by her and would never be able to escape her world again.

This realization made Gu Qinghuan’s mood incredibly pleasant.

She took a step forward and pulled Lu Ning into her arms once again.

This time, her embrace carried a rare hint of tenderness and lingering affection.

“Master.”

Gu Qinghuan greedily inhaled the scent that intoxicated her.

“Are you very angry now?”

Hearing this, Lu Ning’s body stiffened slightly.

She did not expect Gu Qinghuan to ask such a question.

“No.”

Lu Ning’s voice was very calm, devoid of any emotion.

“Master, you are lying to your disciple again.”

Gu Qinghuan chuckled, her laughter carrying a trace of helplessness and indulgence.

“But it does not matter. I know what Master is thinking. Do you think your disciple is being excessive? Even somewhat unreasonable?”

Lu Ning: “…”

Lu Ning secretly thought that this rebellious disciple actually had quite a bit of self-awareness.

“Master, I did not want to be like this.”

Gu Qinghuan’s voice suddenly carried a hint of grievance.

“But I am truly afraid. I am afraid you will leave me, afraid you will be snatched away by other women. Whether it is the Eldest Princess of the Dahuang Dynasty or that deep-scheming Su Yuexi… the way they look at you makes me feel disgusted. Master belongs to me alone. No one can take you away from me.”

Her words were still as overbearing and paranoid as ever.

But Lu Ning heard a deeply hidden sense of fragility and insecurity in her voice.

Although this rebellious disciple seemed powerful and cold on the surface, deep down, she was perhaps just a child afraid of losing her beloved possession.

At that thought, Lu Ning’s heart softened inexplicably.

She hesitated for a moment before reaching out and gently patting Gu Qinghuan’s back.

“Qinghuan, Master… will not leave you.”

Lu Ning’s voice was very soft, as if she were comforting a child who had been wronged.

Having received a response, Gu Qinghuan’s body visibly froze.

She slowly raised her head, her cold eyes now filled with unbelievable surprise.

Master… she was actually comforting her?

“Master…”

Gu Qinghuan’s voice trembled, and a thin layer of mist gradually clouded her beautiful eyes.

….

She suddenly felt that the things she had done to Master before were perhaps a bit too much.

Maybe she should be even better to Master?

A little gentler?

Seeing Gu Qinghuan’s tearful appearance, Lu Ning secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed that the soft approach was indeed useful.

Lu Ning decided to strike while the iron was hot.

While Gu Qinghuan was in a good mood, she would resolve the matter she had encountered on the road.

Otherwise, when Murong Xi came to the Tianmo Sect, there would surely be a conflict with Gu Qinghuan.

“Qinghuan.”

Lu Ning cleared her throat, a “kind” smile appearing on her face.

“Actually, besides handling the sect’s affairs, Master has another very important thing to tell you after returning this time.”

“What is it?”

Gu Qinghuan blinked her eyes, which were still moist, looking curious.

“Ahem…” Lu Ning put on a “difficult” expression.

“It is just that… on the way back, Master incidentally took a named disciple. Only a named one, though. So, starting from today, you have an additional Junior Sister.”

After Lu Ning finished speaking, she carefully observed Gu Qinghuan’s reaction.

She was already prepared; as long as the other girl showed any signs of blackening, she would immediately change her words and say she was joking.

However, what Lu Ning did not expect was that after Gu Qinghuan heard her words, instead of flying into a rage as she had imagined, she stood frozen on the spot.

A strange expression appeared on her face.

A named disciple?

A Junior Sister?

Master… she actually took a disciple?

…

And she did it while Gu Qinghuan was not around?

“Master…” Gu Qinghuan slowly raised her head.

Her eyes, which had been moist, had now turned cold.

“What did you just say? You took another disciple?”

Her voice was very gentle, yet it made Lu Ning feel a sense of hair-raising dread.

It was over!

This rebellious disciple had blackened yet again!

Inside the Sect Master’s Hall, alarm bells rang in Lu Ning’s heart.

‘I made a mistake! I should not have mentioned it at all. How could I forget how strong this girl’s possessiveness is…’

“Qin… Qinghuan, let me explain. Master… Master was just joking with you just now. Yes, it was a joke. How could Master take another disciple? I only have you as my disciple.”

Lu Ning only wanted to move past this topic as quickly as possible.

However, Gu Qinghuan did not believe her nonsense at all.

“A joke? Master, do you think I am that easy to fool? Back at Baihuagu, in order to trick me into leaving, you promised me that you would grant me any request once you returned. I believed you. I waited for you to come back to the sect with a heart full of joy. But what about you?”

Gu Qinghuan’s voice was full of grievance.

“As soon as you return, you tell me that you took a new disciple outside. Master, what do you take me for? A plaything that can be discarded and replaced at will?”

With every sentence Gu Qinghuan spoke, the aura around her grew a degree colder.

Lu Ning was forced backward by this momentum, and eventually, her back hit that jade bed that had left her with psychological shadows once again.

“Qinghuan, calm down.”

Lu Ning’s voice trembled slightly.

“It is not what you think.”

“Then what is it?”

A dangerous light flickered in Gu Qinghuan’s eyes.

“Could it be that Master wants to tell me you had some unavoidable reason for taking that disciple?”

“Ye… Yes!”

Lu Ning nodded repeatedly, as if grasping a life-saving straw.

“Master encountered some trouble on the way back, and she stepped in to help. To repay her, Master…”

Lu Ning’s brain worked at high speed in this moment, trying to fabricate a seamless reason.

However, before she could finish, Gu Qinghuan suddenly laughed.

“Trouble? Master, do you think I will still believe your nonsense? You are clearly discarding the old for the new! You have grown tired of me! You think I am not good enough, not obedient enough, so you want to find a more well-behaved and sensible disciple to replace me!”

Lu Ning: “…”

This rebellious disciple’s ability to overthink was way too strong!

What was all this?

“Qinghuan, you… you are simply being unreasonable!”

Lu Ning was so angry that her whole body shook.

She pointed at Gu Qinghuan and shouted sternly, “I, Lu Ning, have no need to explain my actions to you!”

By now, Lu Ning knew that any further explanation would be hollow.

She simply gave up on continuing to argue and directly put on the air of the Sect Master, intending to use her authority to intimidate this completely blackened disciple.

However, she still underestimated Gu Qinghuan’s current madness.

“Explain?”

A sickly smile appeared on Gu Qinghuan’s face.

“Master, you are right. You indeed do not need to explain anything to me. Because…”

She slowly leaned into Lu Ning’s ear.

“I will find out for myself. Let me see clearly whether you have truly given my position to another woman.”

As she spoke, she once again tore apart the Sect Master’s robes that Lu Ning had just changed into.

Looking at the girl in front of her who had completely lost her sanity, Lu Ning felt a wave of despair.

It was over.

This time, it was really over.

“Master, tell me… does your new ‘good disciple’ know what you look like right now? If she found out, would she, like me, have some thoughts she should not have toward you?”

“Shut up!”

Lu Ning’s voice carried a sob.

The thing she regretted most now was ever mentioning Murong Xi to this girl.

“Master, are you angry? The angrier you are, the more excited I become.”

She slowly lowered her head and once again began that “punishment” which made Lu Ning feel incredibly humiliated.

“Master, do not worry. I will show you with my actions. From beginning to end, I am the only disciple you can ever have.”

As her voice faded, she spoke no more. Inside the entire Sect Master’s Hall, only suppressed sounds and those ear-reddening noises remained.

It was unknown how much time had passed. When this long and crazy “punishment” finally came to a temporary halt, Lu Ning’s originally cold eyes had become hollow, losing all their luster.

Gu Qinghuan lay beside her contentedly, holding her tightly in her arms.

“Master.”

Gu Qinghuan’s voice sounded in her ear, carrying a hint of playfulness.

“Do you know your mistake now?”

Lu Ning did not answer.

She only wanted to have a good sleep and think of nothing.

“Not speaking? It seems your disciple hasn’t worked hard enough.”

As she said this, she prepared to roll over again.

Lu Ning’s body jolted, and she quickly reached out to press Gu Qinghuan down.

“I… I was wrong…” Lu Ning’s voice was slightly dry.

“Oh? What did Master do wrong?”

Gu Qinghuan arched an eyebrow, a cunning light flickering in her cold eyes.

“I… I should not have taken another disciple…”

Lu Ning spoke with difficulty.

“Mm, and what else?”

“I… I should not have lied to you…”

“And what else?”

“I…”

Lu Ning felt like she was about to cry.

This rebellious disciple was simply pushing her luck!

“It seems Master still has not truly realized her mistakes.”

A “disappointed” expression appeared on Gu Qinghuan’s face.

“In that case, your disciple has no choice but to help you deepen your impression again.”

This time, Gu Qinghuan was even more overbearing and crazed than before.

She wanted to make this disobedient Master remember, once and for all, exactly who her only disciple was.