Upon hearing those words, Gu Qinghuan’s body trembled violently.
She slowly raised her head, her entire expression looking somewhat dazed.
A personal maid?
‘Master… she actually wants me to be her personal maid? As expected, Master still cares about me more than that Little Martial Aunt. To think there would be such a good thing.’
However, before Gu Qinghuan could open her mouth to agree, Lu Ning’s voice rang out again.
“What? Are you unwilling?”
Lu Ning’s eyes narrowed slightly, and the Tianmo Domain instantly enveloped the entire Sovereign Hall.
Gu Qinghuan lowered her head, suppressing her joy as she responded, “This disciple… obeys.”
To Lu Ning’s ears, that voice was full of humiliation and resentment.
“That’s more like it.”
Lu Ning smiled with satisfaction.
Seeing Gu Qinghuan’s appearance of being angry but not daring to speak, the sense of relief in her heart was simply beyond words.
The tables had turned.
‘Rebellious disciple, you finally have your day!’
“Alright, why are you still standing there?”
Lu Ning’s voice sounded again.
“Shouldn’t a little maid hurry over and give her master a massage? Rub my legs.”
Hearing this, Gu Qinghuan’s delicate body trembled again.
She slowly walked to the large jade bed.
Under Lu Ning’s playful gaze, she reached out and gently placed her hands on Lu Ning’s shoulders, beginning to knead them clumsily.
The strength was light, and the technique was somewhat amateur.
But for Lu Ning, this was enough.
She was not enjoying the massage itself, but the feeling of suppressing her rebellious disciple once again.
“Qinghuan.”
Lu Ning’s voice carried a hint of sentimentality.
“Your technique is still the same as before—no progress at all.”
Gu Qinghuan was speechless.
“It seems your Master will have to teach you properly in the future.”
As Lu Ning spoke, she deliberately shifted into a more comfortable position, resting her slender legs across Gu Qinghuan’s lap.
Gu Qinghuan’s body stiffened abruptly.
In that moment, her breathing became somewhat rapid.
She looked at her Master, who was currently enjoying her “service,” and a flash of excitement crossed her eyes.
Just as she was secretly touching Lu Ning, a voice full of hostility suddenly rang out in her ear.
“Hey, bad woman.”
“You’re pressing too lightly. Sister Lu Ning is dissatisfied.”
A-Lin had crawled to the other side of Lu Ning at some point.
She puffed out her cheeks like a little tiger protecting its food, glaring at Gu Qinghuan.
“How about letting A-Lin do it?”
“A-Lin’s technique is much better than yours.”
As she spoke, she stretched out her small hands and began kneading Lu Ning’s other shoulder in a decent manner.
Her strength and technique were actually more professional than those of Gu Qinghuan, the “official maid.”
Lu Ning narrowed her eyes comfortably at the touch, letting out a satisfied grunt.
“Mm… A-Lin’s massage is still the most comfortable.”
Hearing those words, Gu Qinghuan felt like an arrow had pierced her heart.
She looked at the Little Martial Aunt who was wearing a smug expression in front of Lu Ning and even making a provocative face at her.
In an instant, her eyes were filled with killing intent.
‘This brat! She must be doing it on purpose!’
However, before she could lash out, a raspy voice suddenly drifted in from outside the hall.
“Reporting to the Sect Master. Half an hour ago, the former Holy Maiden of Xuantian Holy Land, Murong Xi, arrived alone outside our mountain gate.”
“She… she says she is here to seek apprenticeship.”
Outside the mountain gate of the Tianmo Sect.
A white figure knelt quietly on the bluestone slabs before the entrance.
She wore a simple, elegant dress that had long since been washed to a faded white.
Her jet-black hair was tied up with a simple wooden hairpin, cascading loosely behind her.
In her arms, she held an ancient longsword wrapped in coarse cloth.
She knelt there so quietly that she seemed to merge with the world itself.
This was Murong Xi, who had come to seek a master.
Ever since that day in the forest when she was awakened by Lu Ning’s words about “retracing the path one came from,” she had returned to the Xuantian Holy Land.
She ignored the strange looks from her fellow disciples and the disappointed sighs of the elders.
She walked straight to the Holy Lord Peak, standing before the Master who had once placed great hopes in her and viewed her as the future of the entire sect.
Then, under the shocked and angry gaze of the Xuantian Holy Lord, she slowly knelt.
She handed over the jade token that symbolized her status as the Holy Maiden of the Xuantian Holy Land.
She also handed over the Xuantian Sword Canon, which recorded the highest inheritance of the Xuantian Holy Land.
She said nothing.
She simply performed three respectful kowtows to the Xuantian Holy Lord.
Then, she voluntarily renounced her status as the Holy Maiden and gave up her easily attainable future.
She took only the Wentian immortal sword that had accompanied her since birth.
She wanted to find that man.
The man who had given her new hope and allowed her to see a higher landscape of the Way of the Sword.
Even if it was only as a named disciple.
To express her determination to become his disciple, she had walked from the Xuantian Holy Land to the Tianmo Sect on foot.
She encountered many obstacles along the way.
There were elders from the Xuantian Holy Land who attempted to capture her as a “traitor” and throw her into the celestial prison.
There were also “righteous heroes” from other orthodox sects who wanted to execute her, the “fallen demoness,” on the spot as an example to others.
But they all failed.
Though Murong Xi had lost her cultivation, her Sword Heart, which had long since merged with her sword, had become purer and firmer than ever before.
The Wentian sword in her hand, though its light was dim, still possessed an indomitable sword intent that remained incomparably sharp.
With just her and her sword, she slew any gods or buddhas that stood in her way.
Anyone who dared to block her path eventually fell beneath her blade.
Through her actions, she announced her determination to the entire Northern Region.
It was also because of this decisiveness that her reputation among the righteous path plummeted.
The former number one genius of the Northern Region’s younger generation had now become a traitor and demoness that everyone wanted to strike down.
But Murong Xi did not care.
The only things she cared about were her own Way of the Sword and the person who could lead her to a higher peak.
Finally, after a long journey spanning more than 2 months, she arrived here.
She had come to the Tianmo Sect, a place she once viewed as the source of evil, but now regarded as a holy land of pilgrimage.
She knelt here, waiting for that person to appear.
She was waiting for her new master, Lu Ning.
Inside the Sovereign Hall.
After Lu Ning finished listening to the disciple’s report, she was also slightly stunned.
‘Murong Xi? She actually came?’
Furthermore, she had arrived in such a manner.
The image of the white-clad woman with extraordinary sword talent from the mountain forest involuntarily surfaced in Lu Ning’s mind.
She had not expected the other woman to actually do it—giving up everything just to seek the Way.
This temperament and perseverance were indeed rare and commendable.
A hint of admiration rose in Lu Ning’s heart for some reason.
“Master.”
To the side, Gu Qinghuan’s brow furrowed tightly upon hearing the news.
Murong Xi.
She was no stranger to this name.
The Holy Maiden of the Xuantian Holy Land, the number one sword cultivator of the Northern Region’s younger generation.
She was also Gu Qinghuan’s greatest former rival.
Why would she come here?
And to seek a master?
Whose disciple did she want to be?
An absurd thought surfaced in Gu Qinghuan’s mind, making her heart, which had just calmed down, become wary once more.
“Master.”
Gu Qinghuan’s voice rang out again, tinged with uncertainty.
“The master she wants to follow… it wouldn’t be…”
“That’s right.”
Lu Ning nodded, a look of “it’s only natural” appearing on her face.
“The one she wants to apprentice under is, of course, this seat.”
Upon hearing this definitive answer, Gu Qinghuan was completely dumbfounded.
She stared blankly at Lu Ning, her eyes full of shock.
When her Master had first returned to the Tianmo Sect, she had mentioned taking on a named disciple.
At the time, Gu Qinghuan thought it was just a joke meant to annoy her.
As it turned out, it was actually true?
And the other party was her arch-rival?
‘This… what on earth is going on?’
“Master, you…”
“Enough.”
Lu Ning cut her off.
“This is a long story. I’ll explain it to you later.”
“Now, come with me to the mountain gate to have a look.”
After she finished speaking, she slowly stood up from the jade bed and walked toward the exit.
Although Gu Qinghuan was full of doubts, she ultimately followed.
On the other side, A-Lin also moved her short legs, following closely behind Lu Ning.
Although she didn’t know what was happening, to her, as long as she followed Sister Lu Ning, it was the right thing to do.