The Spring and Autumn Bell actually has such a function……
Helping the girl inside could earn some rewards—why not do it?
Jiang Tong was filled with longing. He knew he was just a salted fish; sitting in meditation and cultivating was a kind of torment for him. This method of cultivation suited him perfectly.
During his free time, he could refine new Dan, forge new swords, and deepen his relationship with Shizun. With each day, those small changes would eventually bring about a great transformation.
With a single thought, the Spring and Autumn Bell flew back into his Zhihai, beginning to absorb Lingqi in preparation for the next entry.
Outside, the sun slanted in the west as doves and wild geese returned to their nests.
Jiang Tong was a bit surprised. He had thought it would be night by the time he came out, but as it turned out, not much time had passed.
It seemed the flow of time inside the Spring and Autumn Bell was much faster than in the real world—this could save quite a bit of cultivation time.
Just as well, it was time to make dinner for Shizun.
Jiang Tong pushed open the door and adjusted his mindset.
A moment ago, he had been a senior in someone else’s eyes. Now he was again the disciple needing care in Shizun’s.
He couldn’t help but feel dazed, as if it were both real and illusory.
In a corner of the courtyard, Jiang Yueliu held a Guji in her hands, sitting on a swing. The pavilion above cast its shadow, and wisps of white mist rose from the Zisu Tea by her side.
Upon hearing the sound, her slender finger paused in the middle of turning a page. Without betraying her composure, she closed the Guji and set it aside.
“Just woke up now?” Jiang Yueliu raised her clear, cold gaze, watching him calmly.
She tried hard to keep her usual tone, but Jiang Tong, with his dog’s nose, still caught a hint of something different. Instinctively, his eyes fell to the closed Guji.
“Shizun.”
“Mm.”
“You’re looking for a treatment Fangzi for me again.”
“……”
Jiang Yueliu looked at Jiang Tong, her eyes flickering as her long lashes drooped slightly.
“Just reading some Hua Ben to pass the time.”
Jiang Tong studied her expression carefully and asked suspiciously, “Shizun reads Hua Ben too?”
“Occasionally. That’s not the point.” Jiang Yueliu lifted her gaze to fix on Jiang Tong, unable to resist asking, “This afternoon… why did you shut yourself inside?”
In the end, her worry showed. Jiang Tong’s behavior today had been too unusual.
For eight years, she had searched all of Qingyang Prefecture and not a single person could diagnose the cause of Jiang Tong’s illness. His cultivation had been stuck ever since, though he always wore a calm face and even comforted her now and then, acting optimistic.
But after today’s Lingqi test… this foolish disciple had eaten and then, instead of playing chess with her, making tea, or asking to massage her shoulders, had holed himself up in his room all afternoon.
How could she not worry?
Jiang Tong quietly gathered up the unused tea set, acting as though he hadn’t understood what she was asking, and softly said, “Is Shizun concerned about me?”
From the corner of her eye, Jiang Yueliu saw a hint of a smile flash through this fellow’s eyes, as if he were waiting for her to coax him.
Such a strange focus…
Jiang Yueliu suddenly felt as if her fist had struck cotton—powerless. She simply turned her head away, lips cold and stiff: “No.”
“Shizun doesn’t need to worry about me. Just give me some time, and I’ll make Shizun look at me in a new light.”
“No need for you to make me look at you differently.” Jiang Yueliu turned back to face her earnest, foolish disciple, her gaze wavering.
“Just do your chores—laundry, cooking, shoulder massages—that’s enough.”
The meaning was clear: Shizun would never send you away; you don’t have to force yourself, Shizun will always protect you.
Jiang Yueliu couldn’t bring herself to say anything sentimental, but Jiang Tong understood her completely, and he smiled.
“Shizun is still worried about me.”
Worried, worried… Was her worry really so important?
Jiang Yueliu didn’t look at him, not knowing who she was angry with: “I said I’m not.”
Her heart suddenly became restless, thinking of the ancient remedies from the Guji, and then of Jiang Tong’s gentle eyes—somehow, there was something inside that gaze now, something she couldn’t name.
Why did she turn her head—what was she hiding from?
Jiang Yueliu turned away, and Jiang Tong had already tidied up the stone table, cheerfully hugging the tea set. “It’s getting late, Shizun, I’ll go make dinner.”
With that, he scampered off to the kitchen, like a happy little dog.
Jiang Yueliu watched his figure disappear, lowered her eyes, and gently reopened the Guji. She carefully reread the old Fangzi inside, not knowing if they would be of any use.
She puffed up her cheeks and exhaled very slowly, reaching out her cold hand to touch her cheek. Her fingertips were burning hot.
Unknowingly, her face was already slightly flushed.
……
An unexpected guest arrived at dinner: Ji Nianxue, Shou Chuan Dizi of Zongzhu Yao Xining.
That morning on Celing Tai, Ji Nianxue had shown the cultivation of Jin Dan mid-stage, and with her Mu Ling Xuan Ti, she was already the undisputed number one among the younger generation of Shangyuan Sect.
At the age of five, she had caught Zongzhu Yao Xining’s eye and was taken in as a Shou Chuan Dizi. She had every resource for cultivation at her disposal, and any magical treasure or sword she wanted was within reach.
Ji Nianxue did not disappoint her Shizun, Yao Xining. Her cultivation progressed rapidly, and her genius began to shine.
But Jiang Tong knew that Yao Xining was never satisfied—in fact, she was sometimes jealous to the point of gnashing her teeth.
Because at that time, Jiang Tong always stood at the very top.
Both were Shou Chuan Dizi, so why was Jiang Yueliu’s casually chosen disciple better than the carefully selected prodigy?
Jiang Tong suspected that female Zongzhu had thought about it more than once. The woman had always aimed to surpass Shizun Jiang Yueliu, and when she realized she couldn’t, she pinned her hopes on her disciple instead, pushing Ji Nianxue to train harshly. That’s why, in Jiang Tong’s childhood memories, Ji Nianxue was always covered in wounds.
Still, his relationship with Ji Nianxue was surprisingly good.
At this moment, she wore a blue dress, her hair pinned up with an osmanthus wood hairpin, sitting quietly to the side, watching master and disciple eat, her eyes blinking.
She hadn’t yet reached the stage of not needing food, so eating was still necessary. As for Jiang Yueliu, a cultivator at the Integration Stage, she still ate with her disciple—truly odd.
“What did you come for?” Jiang Tong set down his bowl and chopsticks, wiping the oil from his lips with bamboo paper.
Ji Nianxue spoke softly, “I wanted to ask if you’re still participating in the sect tournament.”
Every autumn, Shangyuan Sect held a grand tournament. Best of three matches; the winner advanced to the next round.
And so on, until a champion was decided.
In previous years, Jiang Tong had always refused, saying his cultivation was too weak. He couldn’t handle fighting among the Foundation Establishment and Jin Dan disciples.
Jiang Yueliu had just picked up a piece of food with her bamboo chopsticks, when she heard Jiang Tong say, “Why not participate?”
Her hand paused, and under the stone table, she quietly nudged Jiang Tong’s calf with her toe.
Jiang Tong turned to look. Jiang Yueliu stared back at him, unblinking, making him feel uneasy.
Crap, I forgot to tell Shizun…
“I’ll reply to you later.” Jiang Tong said to Ji Nianxue. Ji Nianxue’s gaze swept under the table, and she bit her lower lip lightly, as if her eyes held something different.
She was tactful enough to leave, giving master and disciple room to talk.
“Why go?” Jiang Yueliu couldn’t understand what her disciple was thinking. She was faintly anxious and distressed at once.
She had clearly found a remedy—no matter whether it worked or not… but before she could even try, Jiang Tong was already eager to prove himself.
She wanted her disciple to have his own thoughts, but now she didn’t. If she could, Jiang Yueliu really wanted to tie this dog up and keep him by her side, so he wouldn’t be so desperate to run off.
Jiang Tong blinked and simply asked, “What kind of person does Shizun think I am?”
Such an irrelevant question—Jiang Yueliu put down her chopsticks and looked him over carefully.
“Thick-skinned.”
“In front of Shizun, that’s a virtue.” Jiang Tong replied cheekily, “Anything else?”
“Salted fish.”
“But I’m not a salted fish now.”
“Then what are you now? An idiot.” Jiang Yueliu reached out her slender finger and tapped her foolish disciple’s brow, “Do you know that with your strength, participating in the tournament is dangerous?”
“I know.”
“You know, and you still want to go?”
Jiang Tong narrowed his eyes in comfort, thoroughly enjoying his Shizun scolding him like this.
“Does Shizun think I’m someone who acts without certainty?”
Jiang Yueliu paused, seriously thinking back to the day Jiang Tong had come up the mountain…
It seemed that whatever he wanted to do, he always succeeded.
“That still isn’t a reason for you to take risks.” Jiang Yueliu closed her eyes, struggled inwardly for a moment, and lowered her lashes.
“I’ve found a way to clear your Jingmai and open your Qihai…”
“If you stay on Ningyue Cliff, you can set out again when you have the ability—wouldn’t that be better?”
Listening to Shizun’s cold, clear voice, Jiang Tong felt warm inside, yet even more curious.
“What way does Shizun have?”
“……”
Jiang Yueliu didn’t reply.
Jiang Tong opened his mouth but was stunned for a few seconds.
The sun had set, dusk was deepening. By all rights, it should have been too dark to see.
But in the gloom, he seemed to catch a glimpse of a faint pink hue flashing across Shizun’s snow-pale earlobe.
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