CH 85

Villainous Master (7)

An individual who is aware of their physical attractiveness and uses it to carry out malicious deeds is an immensely terrifying type of person.

Ning Jing Yu has effectively showcased this reality to Song Xu Yi.

As someone who is highly influenced by physical beauty, Song Xu Yi was greatly disturbed by Ning Jing Yu’s stunning appearance, causing her to abandon her usual ethical principles.

At that moment, Song Xu Yi was so captivated by Ning Jing Yu’s beauty that she believed she would have willingly leapt off the flying sword if instructed to do so.

The allure of such beauty was powerful enough to drive her to commit a crime!

Shortly after, Ning Jing Yu reverted back to her haughty and composed demeanor, causing Song Xu Yi to question whether the mesmerizing beauty she had witnessed was nothing more than a figment of her imagination.

Upon seeing Ning Jing Yu return to her normal self, Song Xu Yi felt a sense of relief and sheepishly pulled her cloak around herself tightly, trying to hide her embarrassed and rapidly beating heart.

The downside of serving a breathtakingly beautiful master is that it can be difficult to remain composed in their presence.

However, it’s likely that a master who has experienced a great deal in life wouldn’t be concerned with the attentiveness of her disciple…

……

Song Xu Yi was feeling extremely self-conscious, to the point where she couldn’t bring herself to meet Ning Jing Yu’s gaze. Unbeknownst to her, Ning Jing Yu was observing her thoughtfully, taking note of her behavior.

It was apparent to Ning Jing Yu that she had lost her composure, and she was aware that very few people were aware of her ability to charm others. However, upon seeing her disciple fall under the spell of another entity, Ning Jing Yu became bored and wanted to teach her a lesson. She unconsciously released her charm, with the sole intention of imparting wisdom upon her little disciple.

As she watched her little disciple succumb to her charm, Ning Jing Yu felt as though she had just awakened from a dream. In that moment, she forgot about the potential consequences of her actions – that the charmed individual would eventually become enamored with the charmer, leading to irrational behavior.

Considering her disciple’s young age, Ning Jing Yu began to worry about the potential consequences of her actions. If she were to…

Although Ning Jing Yu did not consider herself to have a strong sense of morality, that did not mean that she was reckless in her actions. She did not resort to seduction as a means of controlling others.

Despite her shyness and awe, Song Xu Yi’s eyes remained clear when she looked up at Ning Jing Yu. There was no hint of the perverse desire that Ning Jing Yu had witnessed before.

This could only mean one thing: her disciple held an exceptionally pure heart, untainted by any impurities.

Ning Jing Yu felt a sense of relief wash over her, and her admiration for Song Xu Yi grew even stronger. As someone who was well-aware of her own beauty and its ability to attract people from all walks of life, Ning Jing Yu had always kept herself at a distance from others. However, she never imagined that she would come across a treasure like Song Xu Yi – a disciple with a heart so pure that it was a rare find in the world.

Ning Jing Yu felt that a disciple as special as Song Xu Yi deserved to be treated with more care.

As she looked at Song Xu Yi, blushing all the way up to her neck and avoiding her gaze, Ning Jing Yu couldn’t help but reach out and adjust her wind-blown hair and the collar of her cloak. Watching her little disciple bite her lips nervously, Ning Jing Yu’s heart swelled with joy. She felt like a little bird had taken flight from her chest, and she couldn’t help but let out a laugh before speeding up the flying sword’s pace.

The two of them arrived back at the Fallen Cloud Peak.

As Song Xu Yi settled into her routine of daily cultivation, time seemed to both stand still and fly by.

She didn’t want to push Ning Jing Yu to overexert herself, so she instead resorted to buying her books like “Caution and Pride,” “Complacency Cost Me My Prime Ministership,” and “Be Careful.” Hoping her master would become more careful. However, Ning Jing Yu didn’t seem to have any interest in these books and instead preferred the joke books…

Knowing this, Song Xu Yi had to ask her fellow disciples who went down the mountain to bring the books back without revealing that it was for her master. She simply said that she enjoyed them, unable to risk them finding out.

In just five years since joining the Xuan Shu Sect, Song Xu Yi’s cultivation level had skyrocketed and she successfully built her foundation.

This news caused a stir throughout the entire cultivation world as Song Xu Yi became the youngest cultivator ever to achieve such a feat, with the exception of Ning Jing Yu who had built her foundation in the Black Water Pool!

Song Xu Yi was both delighted and fearful upon hearing the news of her success. She was aware that she owed much of her achievement to the guidance of Ning Jing Yu, leaving her feeling inadequate and wishing to do more for her master.

Although Song Xu Yi was skilled in cooking, she refrained from showcasing her abilities due to her master’s superior culinary skills. As a result, she sought to make up for it by saving useful or delectable items for Ning Jing Yu, collecting amusing jokes from the Sect and Three Realms to entertain her, and speaking highly of her master at every opportunity. This prompted the Xuan Shu Sect to dub Song Xu Yi as one of the 24 Filial Children.

Song Xu Yi was unconcerned about the teasing; in her view, she had benefitted more from the master-disciple relationship, so any effort she made for Ning Jing Yu was worthwhile.

In the sixth year of her time in the Xuan Shu Sect, word began to spread throughout the Three Realms that the biennial Great Immortal Sect Competition was soon to take place.

The competition was open to all Immortal Sects and was divided into three categories that tested cultivation levels: one for those at the Foundation Establishment stage, one for Golden Dan stage cultivators, and one for those at the Yuan Ying stage.

The great immortal sects of the immortal world collaborated to establish a secret realm that contains numerous treasures and weapons suitable for new cultivators as a way to encourage those who have just started their immortal cultivation. However, the secret realm restricts one’s cultivation level, allowing only those below the Golden Dan stage to enter.

The Great Immortal Sect Competition, which showcases many exceptional talents, has always been the focus of attention in the three realms.

Song Xu Yi was surprised when the sect chose her to participate in the Foundation Establishment Competition. She had only recently built her foundation, and her cultivation level was not yet stable. However, she quickly agreed to compete since the Xuan Shu Sect had treated her well over the years, and she felt obligated to step forward when the sect needed her.

Ning Jing Yu’s agreement to lead the team to the competition came as a surprise to Song Xu Yi, who knew how much Ning Jing Yu disliked crowded events.

Initially, the sect had appointed Zeng Li, the Sect Leader’s disciple and former leader of the Golden Dan stage competition, to lead the team. However, due to some undisclosed trouble with the Sect Leader, Zeng Li had gone into seclusion, leaving Ning Jing Yu as the unexpected choice.

Unbeknownst to Song Xu Yi, the Sect Leader had identified a potential leverage point in Ning Jing Yu’s desire to avoid attention. Rather than force Ning Jing Yu to lead the team, the Sect Leader only mentioned in front of her that “Xu Yi is now 16 years old, and is at the age of marriage negotiations. This time, the Immortal Sect Competition will be held, and Xu Yi is an attractive one, it is not known whether Xu Yi will bring us a disciple or a son-in-law…”

Ning Jing Yu’s body stiffened at that moment. She had been thinking about it all night, and the thought that her disciple would be with some brat out of nowhere made her incredibly angry, yet it was only natural for a man to love a woman, and she didn’t seem to be in a position to stop it… At dawn, Ning Jing Yu finally found an excuse to convince herself: she had only managed to find such a diligent and talented disciple, and if Song Xu Yi were to indulge in lovemaking, it would definitely affect her cultivation, she had devoted so much effort to training Song Xu Yi, so she had to keep an eye on her disciple and not let her waste her talent!

After coming up with what she deemed a valid excuse, Ning Jing Yu went to the Sect Leader to obtain the leader’s token, even though it would be at Song Xu Yi’s expense, who was oblivious to the situation.

Song Xu Yi didn’t want to dwell on it, as she could tell what was going through Ning Jing Yu’s mind. Since the small world forbade taskers from engaging in romantic relationships, she wrote a letter to reassure her master that she would forgo love and focus solely on her cultivation to alleviate Ning Jing Yu’s concerns.

Ning Jing Yu’s lips almost formed the question “Why did you suddenly give me this?” when she received the letter, but her smile betrayed her true feelings. She carefully placed the letter in her spiritual space, and Song Xu Yi’s promise did not cause any more issues with Ning Jing Yu until it was time for the journey.

Soon, the time for the journey arrived.

Song Xu Yi had a hidden motive for agreeing to the journey – she wanted to pass through Gui to visit her family and give them some valuable treasures to keep them safe. She also intended to advise them to purchase property elsewhere to have a safe place in case of a demon attack.

When she mentioned her desire to return home to Ning Jing Yu, there was no objection.

However, what Song Xu Yi didn’t anticipate was that Ning Jing Yu would disguise herself as a plain-looking servant girl and follow her back to the Song family.

Ning Jing Yu’s lips visibly curled up at the corners.

Ning Jing Yu was selected as the team leader for the Great Competition of the Immortal Sect because the Xun Sect, ranked second in the Immortal Sect, had grown increasingly arrogant in recent years and hoped to use Ning Jing Yu as a deterrent to the other teams.

The Song family’s parents were overjoyed to see their daughter again after six years of absence. Song Xi, the female lead, had grown into a cute and intelligent young lady who bore a resemblance to Song Xu Yi when she first arrived at the mountain. Ning Jing Yu took a closer look at Song Xi and gifted her a talisman.

After accepting Ning Jing Yu’s gift of a talisman for her younger sister, Song Xu Yi spent the night discussing plans with her family before departing early the next morning.

Her parents trusted her judgment as a member of the Immortal Sect and followed her suggestions.

When she returned to her room late at night, Ning Jing Yu was there, reading a new book of sayings that Song Xu Yi had given her. With a casual glance at Song Xu Yi, Ning Jing Yu remarked, “Your mortal sister is clever, but she may fall prey to romantic distractions.”

Song Xu Yi was taken aback by Ning Jing Yu’s ability to read people’s fates. She was reminded of the story of Song Xi and the Third Prince from the plot summary and was deeply impressed. She nodded repeatedly and couldn’t help but ask curiously, “What about me?”

Ning Jing Yu peered deeply at Song Xu Yi, but her fate path was shrouded in a mist and could not be seen clearly. As Ning Jing Yu recalled the image of herself crushing Song Xu Yi’s throat and the strange being in Song Xu Yi’s head, she finally smiled and said, “You are destined to be with me.”

Even if Song Xu Yi was still destined to have a short life, it didn’t matter. If she became Ning Jing Yu’s disciple, she would have the means to change her fate against all odds!

With a smile on her face, Song Xu Yi expressed her belief in Ning Jing Yu’s words. She even added a sweet sentence, “Meeting Master is indeed the luckiest thing in my life,” before starting her meditation practice.

However, Ning Jing Yu’s smile gradually disappeared, and she stared blankly at the textbook in her hands for hours without reading a single word. Her gaze then shifted towards Song Xu Yi, who was calmly meditating with her eyes closed.

If… Xu Yi knew of her true identity, would she still be so glad to be her disciple?

A sudden, unprecedented panic arose in Ning Jing Yu’s heart.

The trip to see her family went extremely well.

Song Xu Yi bid them farewell on the second day of her return. As she prepared to depart, her entire family gathered at the doorstep to see her off. Meanwhile, the festive sounds of drums and gongs resonated from the house next door, where a new scholar was parading on horseback. A handsome scholar on a white horse couldn’t take his eyes off Song Xu Yi and remarked, “Sister, the other day, Brother Wang was still talking about you! When you were a child, you even talked about marrying Second Brother Wang. If you hadn’t become an immortal, I’m sure you two would have been a good match…”

Amused, Song Xu Yi laughed, but Ning Jing Yu’s eyes darkened at his words.