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The habitual offender, Aunt Master, reined in her spiritual breath and quietly slipped out the door, two little hearts shimmering in her eyes.
This wasn’t the first time she had done such a thing. Sometimes she could hold back, but most of the time she couldn’t.
The only difference was that no one knew—without Yun Liu’s presence at night, the whole day was unbearable.
But just as she stepped outside, Yan Bingling froze, her pretty face puzzled, as if a thief had been caught sneaking around in the dark by the homeowner.
In the center of the courtyard, a white-clad youth stood alone, gazing at the moon, with a pot of wine and a stack of peanuts—waiting patiently for a long time.
“Please.”
Yun Liu smiled, raising his hand in invitation for his Master to sit.
This was a confession scene.
If after two lifetimes of soul fusion there could still be someone who truly opened their heart, it would definitely be Yan Bingling.
First, no bedroom resolutions; second, coming here like this—there was no way Master could keep calm.
Yun Liu himself was about to lose it.
Half-awake and half-asleep, the nighttime ambush was cruelly exposed.
A thrilling, playful smile curved at the corner of Bingling’s lips, but her eyes were flustered and shy, her body and mind constantly teetering on the edge of demonic corruption.
“It’s so late and you’re still not sleeping. Could it be that you miss Mommy and are waiting for me? Come here, Master will hold you!”
The Ice Fairy casually sat down, propping her chin on her hand as she gazed at her beloved son, shamelessly revealing her greedy desire.
Her flirtatious words masked her restless heart.
This was the real Aunt Master—before being purified by Liu Ru’s innocence, suddenly having a son and becoming a first-time mother.
Bingling was a terrifying Sword Demon of the Cloud Sea.
Over the years, as Tianxiang Peak softened, she had restrained herself greatly, her Sword Heart split in two, manifesting two extreme personalities.
“Yes, and no.”
Yun Liu smiled and nodded.
The fallen Master without her mask was strangely charming, but the deliberately aloof and cold fairy was equally adorable.
“Ha? So all those excuses you made, in the end it’s still because of that Yellow-Haired girl? Wanting to quit the sect and elope with that fox spirit? Did I ever agree to that?”
Yan Bingling’s smile was teasing.
Fox spirit?
Yun Liu rolled his eyes—where did that come from?
“I think you’ve misunderstood.”
That silly girl was at worst a weasel—bold and sneaky, ridiculous and immature, yet still with some charm.
“Speak. I’ll give you the time it takes for one incense stick. Are you begging me to let you run off? Or trying to persuade me to spare that girl’s life? Give up hope. Unless…”
Yan Bingling curled her fingers, her voice seductive, her half-lidded eyes flashing with cold light.
After the incense burns out, whether you’re lying down or standing up will be out of your hands, Liu’er.
Before me, you’ll always be that little baby who can only lie in my arms, even if you miraculously recover.
“Unless?”
“Unless you stay, accompany me every night, delight me every day—only then might I spare her a life, letting her stay by our side to serve us closely!”
At night, Master’s demeanor was far different from her daytime aloofness; she was wild and ruthless, terrifyingly frank, no longer struggling against the madness within but embracing the cold demonic energy.
“During the day, we can be respectful Master and disciple, but at night we must be inseparable mother and son. I want her to see with her own eyes the man she loves fall and rot, to experience the helplessness! We’ll share every corner of the house, and I’ll leave my mark on every part of you, until her Sword Heart shatters. Muahaha!”
Yan Bingling licked the corner of her mouth, breathing heavily, restless and eager.
“Hiss!?”
Every part, every corner—such a depraved ‘price’ sounded too tempting.
No, Master, please pamper me well!
Yun Liu’s heart raced, feeling surrounded by intense affection—perhaps a little sick, perhaps a bit twisted, but it was Aunt Master’s unreserved private treasure.
From the little toys secretly stashed in Master’s wardrobe to the strange weakness in his limbs every morning, and even the Earth-grade Foundation Establishment Pill slipped into his arms at night.
The “cold and ruthless” Aunt Master clearly wanted to stay with him forever, no matter if she was at Tianxiang Peak or in Shenhua Sect.
Had he known her feelings earlier, Yun Liu would have immediately planned to retire with Master, running away with Aunt Master from the start…
The boy quickly shook his head, no, that wasn’t right.
The priority was to suppress Master’s demonic nature first; other things could wait until she improved.
“What I want to say has nothing to do with Ji Shiyu. It’s for you. I want to save you from this madness.”
Perhaps this was the real purpose of the mother who left him—to redeem Aunt Master, what she never managed to do.
“Me?”
Yan Bingling laughed.
The scheming boy could fool his fiancée but not her.
“Which of your eyes saw that I need saving? I’m better now than ever. After I’ve eaten you, I’ll eat Ah Lian too. If Ji Xingshu dares to interfere… we’ll die together!”
The first and second ‘eat’ had completely different meanings, sending chills down Yun Liu’s spine.
Without Yellow Hair and Ao Tian interfering, Aunt Master actually planned to kill the Divine Dragon Maiden, stepping over the little Junior Sister’s corpse to steal the Fortune Fruit of Shenmu Yingzhou!?
Yan Bingling stretched leisurely, rising slowly with a mischievous smile, gradually darkening, ready to revert to her form from a thousand years ago.
That meant everything Liu Ru had done would be in vain.
“Time’s up. Should I carry you to bed or will you wash up and wait for me inside? I want you to understand one thing—you belong to me, always, and you’re not allowed to go anywhere.”
The stunning Master tilted the white-clad youth’s chin, whispering softly, stirring his heart.
The terrifying part was the faint spiritual pressure peaking—standing before Yun Liu was the Ice Fairy at her prime, utterly different from the struggling daytime Master.
There was no room for resistance.
“I agree.”
“What?”
Yan Bingling hugged her beloved son, tilting her head in confusion.
“I agree… to all those messy things you mentioned before.”
“Really!?”
The exquisite fairy was unexpectedly delighted, kissing the youth’s forehead, hardly believing it.
“But you have to cooperate with me for the treatment. Not for Ji Shiyu, but for your safety. If this goes on, you’ll end up a killing machine.”
The boy emphasized again, utterly unresisting.
Yan Bingling trembled in panic, curling into a ball in Yun Liu’s arms.
The battlefield deep in her mind flared once more—shy but joyful, leaving her flustered.
What was going on?
This was supposed to be a forced situation, and she had already prepared terrible lines.
“Go ahead and scream, no one will hear you!” But why didn’t Liu’er resist at all?
“Eh? No… you’re cheating! So sly! You were almost there—at least let me have a taste first…”
“Trust me, I have a way to cure the madness without hurting the little Junior Sister. Besides, I want the complete you, all of you—your days and your nights. Not just the surface-level Master and disciple, or plastic mother and son. When that day comes, I want to rightfully own you!”
Yun Liu cupped Yan Bingling’s delicate face, eyes bright, giving the most resolute confession in return.
Only children make choices—day and night, I want it all!
The fallen Master’s eyes blazed with two little hearts wildly beating; her frozen Sword Heart melted on the spot, caught at her weak spot, blushing and obedient.
He said he wanted to give me status…
Not a public/private on-off play, but to be true Dao partners, to stay together for life.
Whether right or wrong, good or evil, how long to live, tribulation or ascension—Yan Bingling didn’t care.
What she wanted was as simple as it could be.
“Then… next time I’m hungry, I have no excuse not to eat a bite, or a billion bites!”
“Mm, during treatment I won’t close the door at night.”
Yun Liu smiled and shook his head, letting Yan Bingling bury her head in his chest, softly coaxing.
“Mm, I have to believe you now. Don’t lie to me. If you hate it here, we’ll leave together, but you can’t leave me alone to chase after some wild woman outside.”
“Really, pinky swear—hang on a hook for ten thousand years without changing.”
No matter how tough Master was by day, at night the kisses were soft.
The fallen fairy showed a girlish, coquettish side, watching their pinkies intertwine in promise, finally letting go of her worries.
That night, Yun Liu held Yan Bingling in the attic, snuggling to sleep peacefully. From now on, there would be no more sneaking around.
With the fallen Master handled, the next task was to warm the cold, aloof Master.
This cold-violent patient, whose Sword Heart was split in two—one bright and dazzling, the other dark and demonic—was a tougher problem.
She had no memory of what she said or did during her madness, and couldn’t be treated by normal means.
Though split into two extremes, both shared the same feelings and thoughts.
When Yan Bingling fully controlled the cold demonic energy and her fractured Dao Heart was united—would she heal, lean to one side, or find balance?
Yun Liu didn’t care.
He loved every side of Aunt Master, and sooner or later would marry the complete Master home!
This burden was yet again carried by Yellow Hair, who, in the eyes of the daytime Master, had become the hateful fox spirit sent by Ji Xingshu to infiltrate Shenhua Sect—no objections accepted.
Meanwhile, some people outwardly distanced themselves from the sect but secretly moved further down a path that betrayed Master and mother alike.
After a night of deep communication, Yun Liu’s goal hadn’t changed but only intensified—he wanted to break free from his old identity and woo Master anew.
The title of Chief Disciple of Tianxiang Peak had become a shackle, blocking him from helping these lovely girls escape their tragic fate.
By day, Yun Liu needed to gather spiritual materials across Jiuzhou with Radiant Heaven Tower’s help.
By night, he would soothe the fallen fairy with supreme Fortune, preventing further deterioration.
He understood the origin of the demonic affliction best, but sacrificing innocent little Junior Sister was out of the question.
Yan Bingling had long suffered under the Demonic Prison Cold Qi, tormented and in pain.
She needed the Three Heavenly Dao Spirit Herbs—used as substitutes for Fortune Fruit—to rebuild her body and soul, all indispensable.
Before Yan Bingling woke, Yun Liu returned to his room, stretched, washed, and stepped out.
Daytime Master was like wearing heavy shackles—sect’s first seat, lonely foster mother, prisoner of madness.
These identities weighed her down, leaving her unsure how to act, no longer daring to be as reckless or honest with her true feelings as before.
Ripping off that mask recklessly might worsen the madness.
Medicine must be gradual, with several treatments to cure.
How to shatter Aunt Master’s self-imposed chains and break down Yan Bingling’s hypocritical facade would start with her retreat from the sect.
The fallen Master was already lost; the new round of struggles with the serious foster mother had begun.
The Clear Mist Sword came, and Qin Xing, riding on green light, hovered in the air with a sweet smile.
“Lazybones, I finished my morning practice long ago and you just woke up. Do I still have to bring the junior brother this time?”
“Why not? It’s good to take fewer steps.”
“Hmph~”
Yun Liu leapt into the air, wrapping his arms around Senior Sister’s slender waist, lightly inhaling the pleasant herbal scent.
Restoring the Qi Sea was the turning point in breaking through the shadow.
The change in mindset was especially clear in Yun Liu himself, slowly transforming from a clumsy player who only knew to wield a sword and follow the rules into someone who carefully adjusted his perspective and handled every relationship seriously—determined not to let tragedy repeat.
Yan Bingling had a rare beautiful dream. Upon waking, a smile lingered on her cheeks—a warm happiness, as if she had returned to the days before Liu’er’s initiation.
Such joy.
But upon waking, an emptiness weighed on her heart, as if she’d forgotten something important—only remembering that her beloved son planned to elope with Yellow Hair.
This was unacceptable!
Watching the two fly toward Sighing Peak for the sect’s assessment, Aunt Master’s lashes trembled, secretly anxious.
Though she didn’t know how Liu’er had recovered, passing the Inner Sect test shouldn’t be a problem?
What worried her most was if someone only sought escape and deliberately slacked off, wanting to resign from the sect.
The more Yan Bingling thought, the more anxious she became, hastening to Sighing Peak to observe.
She had tried to muster the courage yesterday to apologize and persuade him to stay, but that little Ji girl interrupted with a “Grandma” and unsettled her heart, angering Liu’er.
Did Ji Xingshu’s bastard have to break up this mother and son before giving up!?
At the peak forest’s summit, the rain cleared and the air was fresh, though the lingering frost and snow chill hadn’t faded.
The Sea of Clouds Five Peaks were shrouded in a veil of white mist.
The Five-Phase Trial, presided over by the Five Peaks Elders, was held annually to select a group of Outer Sect Disciples for promotion, most of whom would become disciples under the Five Peaks Elders.
To catch the favor of the Chief Disciple was even more extraordinary.
All Sighing Peak disciples arrived early at the mountaintop dojo, brimming with energy, standing tall, showcasing the spirit they had cultivated in the Outer Sect to the Inner Sect immortals.
Among the hundreds of Outer Sect disciples, some had trained for years—seven or eight at most—still without completing Qi Refinement.
Others were fresh recruits, here to learn and observe the seniors’ style.
Most conspicuous was Jing Tan’er, standing proudly in the front row, full of confidence and arrogance.
The villainous young lady rested one hand on her hip, a brand-new sword at her waist marked with the Vermilion Saint Princess’s emblem.
Her nose almost touched the sky, eagerly waiting to join Tianxiang Peak and live an unashamed immortal life with her fiancé, preparing to conceive on schedule.
The Inner Sect Elder stood on the cloud summit, overlooking the dojo, waiting for the moment to begin the Five-Phase Trial.
Though not as spectacular as the Cloud Summit Sword Contest, this test still revealed some promising talent.
Everyone was searching for promising disciples to recruit.
“When did Tan’er complete Foundation Establishment? I haven’t heard a word.”
“Probably wants to give everyone a surprise. The Vermilion Saint Princess is truly promising. Elder Xu is intrigued?”
“Of course! Promoting a Foundation Establishment disciple into the Inner Sect is a sure thing. Besides Tianxiang’s Chief, the other four peaks are scrambling to snatch her up.”
The elders nodded approvingly, stroking their beards in praise.
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