“Greetings, Master.”
“Greetings, Head of Tianxiang Peak.”
Yun Liu and Qin Cha bowed with swords, like a newlywed couple meeting their parents, making Yan Bingling’s heart flutter once again.
“You still know how to come back.”
Yan Bingling remained expressionless and aloof, her aura ethereal, her voice hollow.
“I should have returned long ago, but some unexpected events happened along the way, causing a delay and worrying Master.”
“Hm.”
Yan Bingling nodded, reluctant to say more.
With a flick of her long sleeves, she turned and left.
Though she said that, the rigid Sea of Clouds did seem to improve; the snow stopped, the weather cleared, the dark clouds dispersed, and the sun came out.
Old Shen Tou rolled his eyes and silently mouthed curses.
Is your precious son even human?
Are disciples from other sects all pig feed, doomed to suffer?
Clearly, he was worried sick, afraid Yun Liu would lose all hope and never return, standing outside the gate every day, longing and watching, yet pretending as if nothing was wrong.
After all these years, it was still the same—only that stubborn mouth was the hardest part!
Yan Bingling seemed to sense something and glanced back at the old man sweeping the floor.
His wrinkled face was kindly, as if nothing had happened.
It wasn’t until the white-robed woman disappeared from sight that Qin Cha finally relaxed.
She nudged Yun Liu with her elbow and whispered, “When did Little Senior Sister return? And why is she here?”
Coincidence?
Or did her divine sense detect that she had come back?
“Master’s cultivation is profound and unfathomable; her actions are even more unpredictable, impossible to guess.”
Qin Cha had barely dared to breathe earlier, feeling as if a pair of eyes had thoroughly examined her from head to toe.
One was already accustomed to Little Senior Aunt’s strange temper; the other didn’t think much of it.
Qin Cha decided to check the shop first to see if the Junior Sisters had gotten into trouble.
Yun Liu, however, followed Master’s footsteps briskly.
One after the other, they strolled toward Tianxiang Peak, unaware that during this time Master hadn’t returned to the already “taken over” three-member family.
“When did Master return?”
“Not long ago.”
“Is Junior Sister alright?”
“Not dead.”
“Trust…”
“I checked.”
“That’s good.”
Yun Liu nodded.
By now, Master probably knew the whole story, so no need to explain further.
Like Master, like disciple.
This was the tradition of the Tianxiang Sword Cultivators—each one as cold and distant as their surname.
No wonder Ji Shiyu tagged the Divine Oil Boy with a Nan Tong label.
Unless something unexpected happened, this would likely be the last time walking this mountain path with Master.
The address could finally revert back, no longer “Little Senior Aunt” or “Master.”
Yan Bingling paused, her small hand hidden in her sleeve clenched tightly before continuing, with Yun Liu following slowly behind.
The same question lingered—what was so good about it?
After years of bitter cultivation, Yun Liu had become a cripple because of an unworthy woman, no longer able to feel Spirit Breath in his body.
It was hard to imagine how heartbroken Liu’er must be right now.
Yan Bingling’s first appearance in the game stunned everyone, but the timeline was unclear, since the player’s perspective had stayed outside the Xishu Peak training, enjoying the amusing sect courses, with the inner peak map not fully unlocked.
All contact between Ji Shiyu and Yan Bingling was to rescue Yun Liu.
Hearing that the disciple was crippled and his cultivation on the brink, her first reaction was fury and how to save him, second was revenge.
Then came Da Congming’s silly ideas.
Yun Liu had seen the arrogant lord’s mouth already—suddenly, there was an adopted daughter.
In the face of the great Dao and all living beings, what was shame?
Could it be eaten?
Under the guidance of the external brain, Ji Shiyu immediately made a deal with Yan Bingling to obtain a Reversion Pill.
Crossing the long distance between Star Isle and East Pole Province had cost them dearly.
Correspondingly, Bingling had to promise Little Yellow Hair three things, opening a new main story route.
In theory, with Master’s cultivation, even if drenched in blood, she would snatch the life-saving spiritual medicine for Yun Liu.
But time was tight, and the estranged Junior Sister had fought fiercely in the outer sea, causing old wounds to flare up, so Master couldn’t intervene easily for now.
Yan Bingling was thus trapped, agreeing to anything—even thirty things, not just three.
Then she quietly joined the protagonist’s popular, aloof enforcer—not only to protect the disciple but to cure her own chronic illness, helping the stranded Mystic Maiden gather Fortune.
Clearly, such things would never happen again.
Yan Bingling remained silent.
Yun Liu casually followed, the two quietly ascending Tianxiang Peak.
Little Senior Aunt dared not speak; unlike that cow, she neither comforted people nor acted like a teacher, excelling mainly in swordsmanship.
Though after so many years, she’d only produced one decent disciple—and that one was crippled, to her anger and frustration.
Moreover, her private treasures were missing, uncertain whether the “handle” was in the hands of those thieving cats or if Yun Liu had found it. She was uneasy.
“Qin Cha is a good kid, at least better than the Xiao family girl,” Yan Bingling finally said after holding back, instantly regretting it.
What am I doing?
Wasn’t this handing over the precious cabbage she raised by hand?
“Indeed, Senior Sister is both talented and wise, she’s helped me a lot.”
Yun Liu smiled.
Now, Qin Cha meant far more than a thousand Spirit Stones to him.
Yan Bingling bit her lip, just as she was about to say more, the mountain path ended.
Yun Liu’s face twisted; before them stood a massive palace. He looked at Master.
“Don’t look at me; I thought you were the one behind this mess!”
Yan Bingling sneered, her chest full of grievances with no place to vent.
Before she could care, she blamed him first.
Little Senior Aunt’s style was simple; she never cared for appearances or superficialities.
Then who was it?
Yun Liu clenched his anger.
No farce escaped the Three Big Troublemakers, and upon entering the courtyard, they saw a “corpse.”
The golden-haired girl lay on the ground motionless.
Her daisy-patterned cheongsam was tattered from rolling in the field, exposing a pair of pale legs.
“Wake up.”
Yun Liu nudged her with his foot, frowned, and helped Ji Shiyu up. She still had breath.
Little Yellow Hair twitched faintly; her stomach gurgled. After a long absence, she was thinner and slimmer.
“…”
Yun Liu laughed angrily, seeming to understand. He begrudgingly took out a rice ball and waved it in front of her.
Ji Shiyu’s eyes immediately snapped open, sparkling with starlight. Her little nose twitched, smelling the food’s fragrance.
Her red lips parted, swallowing the rice ball along with her hand.
Da Congming covered his face and sighed, silently burrowing back into his shameful daughter’s hair to sleep.
“Hey, let go! Let go, you pig head!”
Yun Liu shook his arm in pain, finally shaking her off after a long time, his hand covered in saliva and bite marks.
Goodness, how long had she been starving!?
Ji Shiyu licked her lips and sank onto the ground, looking blissfully intoxicated.
Da Congming sighed again, quietly retreating into the daughter’s hair.
Yes, that was the feeling—the taste of an adopted father.
“Teacher! Wuwuwu, you finally came back!”
The yellow-skinned Wild Boar suddenly butted into Yun Liu’s arms, sobbing.
The endless efforts of the “Child of Destiny” had failed; no one fed her, and she couldn’t rise again.
She promised she’d return quickly, yet three days turned into three more, and half a month passed in a blink.
Now, the happy farm was completely out of supplies.
Not only was the back pay unsettled, but the rice balls had all been eaten the next day.
Besides fertilizing, watering, protection, and pest control, she was also snowed in, maintaining the spirit garden by shoveling snow and breaking ice—far beyond her job.
After more than half a month of hard work, Little Yellow Hair had literally starved herself into unconsciousness!
Now she survived by shamelessly stealing leftovers from roommates and relying on the Rosy Fragrance Pavilion Senior Sisters’ charity.
But that was never enough…
Having tasted hardship, Ji Shiyu had become an adopted father in spirit, turning into a second miser.
Every penny earned was saved meticulously; she lived frugally while studying and working, running to Tianxiang Peak to guard and weed the place whenever free—like a big yellow dog—earning the Mistress’s satisfaction.
“This…”
Yun Liu scratched his head, hesitant to reprimand due to his own negligence.
The sun had risen from the west; Ji Shiyu was actually the most reliable one?
“What’s going on?”
“Who else? Of course, that wicked Jing Tan’er! While you were gone, she went completely out of control! If I hadn’t fought tooth and nail to protect our precious assets, she’d have moved the herb garden and set up a viewing platform by Mirror Lake.”
These days, the Three Big Troublemakers quarreled, fought, and created chaos nonstop.
The fiancé was in the past; now it was the little princess’s turn.
Every move was a declaration of sovereignty, crushing Xiao Xinran face-first!
Speaking of which, Ji Shiyu had a lot to say.
As the farm’s appointed successor and heir, with Master absent, she had the right to take charge and kick out irrelevant intruders, causing quite a commotion.
Yun Liu nodded, keeping a calm face, knowing what was going on.
“Thanks for your hard work; I’m glad you were here.”
His divine sense swept over the herb garden, noting how well cared for it was, spared from Master’s unpredictable moods.
He immediately paid a full month’s wages as a reward.
Receiving praise and recognition, Ji Shiyu happily lifted her chin, beaming with pride.
Yun Liu glanced back awkwardly.
Little Senior Aunt’s expression was sarcastic as she watched the little village girl fuss in front of her.
“Master, this is my apprentice. If there is any offense, please forgive her.”
“Hmm hmm.”
Ji Shiyu nodded smugly, admitting it—he finally acknowledged her!
“Huh?”
Master!?
Little Yellow Hair was dumbfounded, expecting the heads of the Five Peaks to be a bunch of old men or half-aged women like the Head of Qingxia Peak, but this divine sister was so young!
Gelan: Are you being polite?
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