After My Paranoid Act to Woo My Cold Master Failed - Chapter 10

Beneath the moonlight, the girl’s eyes resembled a pool of clear water. As the wind brushed past, ripples stirred within that pool. Watching her, Fu Xueke found herself reminiscing about the past.

When Shen Shuheng was a child, she was a soft, white little ball. Her large, dark, round eyes were always fixed on Fu Xueke; then, she would give a sweet smile, jump into her arms, and say, “Master, hug.”

“Am I to carry you back?” Fu Xueke asked with a faint smile.

Shen Shuheng rested her hands on her Master’s shoulders. “I want Master to carry me on her back.”

Shen Shuheng lay obediently against her Master’s back. The clear, cold fragrance wafted into her nose, causing her entire body to relax. It was a scent that belonged only to her Master, one that made her feel safe.

They drifted further from the ground, and everything below became smaller and smaller. Shen Shuheng looked up toward the horizon; an orange moon fell into her sight, and even the surrounding clouds were tinged with an orange-yellow glow.

“Master, look! Tonight’s moon is so beautiful,” Shen Shuheng said happily, her eyes curving into crescent moons as she shared her discovery.

Following her disciple’s voice, Fu Xueke also looked toward the moon. “It is very beautiful.”

“Master, I think tonight’s moon is orange-flavored,” Shen Shuheng said, a flash of mischief in her eyes.

“Hmm?” Fu Xueke asked, puzzled.

Shen Shuheng giggled against her back, her warm breath hitting Fu Xueke’s neck, creating a slight itch.

“Because today’s moon is big, round, and orange—just like an orange. So I thought, if the moon had a flavor, it would be orange-flavored,” Shen Shuheng said cheerfully.

A smile rippled across Fu Xueke’s lips. “So you want to eat oranges? We are still far from that season.”

Shen Shuheng couldn’t help but think of plump, juicy orange segments, the sweet and sour burst of flavor on the tongue. She subconsciously swallowed her saliva. Fu Xueke clearly heard the sound of her disciple swallowing.

Moonlight reflected off the snow. The snow at the Inquiry Pavilion was no longer a pure silver-white, but held an orange-yellow glow similar to the moon. Even the freezing snow seemed to carry a hint of warmth.

Carrying her disciple, Fu Xueke slowly landed on the snowy ground and pushed open the vermilion gate.

“The injuries you sustained today cannot be healed by healing spells alone; we need to apply some medicinal ointment.”

“Go bathe first, and then I will apply the medicine for you,” Fu Xueke said, leading her disciple to the edge of the bath.

Above the emerald ripples of the water, wisps of mist rose continuously, blurring Shen Shuheng’s features. Shen Shuheng stood there, her hand reaching for the sash of her robes, yet she didn’t move. She let it go, then reached out again to undo her clothes, a slight frown touching her brow. Her face was flushed red—whether from the warm mist or something else, it was hard to say.

Suddenly, Fu Xueke clenched her hand into a slight fist, placed it to her lips, and let out a soft cough.

“I will leave for now and wait for you in your room.” Fu Xueke turned and walked away. Her disciple had truly grown up.

Only after her Master left did Shen Shuheng slowly begin to undress.

“Hiss…” Some of the open wounds had stuck to her clothes with dried blood. She carefully peeled the fabric away from her skin. It took quite a long time before she finally managed to remove the blood-soaked garment. This robe had felt smooth and soft when she first touched it, but now it was rough and stiff from dried blood. Touching it, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache; she really liked this outfit.

Shen Shuheng walked into the pool, submerging her body completely until only her head remained above water. The warm current flowed over her body. She undid her hair ribbon, letting her long, dark hair spill over her snowy shoulders, and then plunged her head into the water.

After washing herself thoroughly, she stepped onto the dry ground, only to realize she hadn’t brought any other clothes—only the dirty ones remained. Having cleaned herself so thoroughly, she was unwilling to put them back on.

She had no choice but to return to the water. “Master, help me get some clothes!” Although she knew her Master likely couldn’t hear her, she tried calling out anyway—just in case.

Only her own voice echoed in the bathhouse. She sighed and sat by the edge of the pool.

Fu Xueke waited in her disciple’s room for a long time. Hearing only the sound of wind and snow from outside but no sign of her disciple’s footsteps, she realized the bath shouldn’t take this long. Suddenly, it occurred to her that the girl hadn’t taken a change of clothes. She walked quickly to the wardrobe, opened it, grabbed an outfit, and left.

Upon entering, she saw her disciple with her eyes cast down, her head resting on the edge of the pool, looking quite dejected.

“Master, you’re here!” A sliver of a white robe hem entered her sight. Her Master had finally come.

Her legs moved in the water; she was nearly ready to stand up. Although soaking in the warm pool was comfortable, she couldn’t handle it for much longer. After setting down the clothes, Fu Xueke glanced at her disciple and turned her back.

The sound of splashing water followed as Shen Shuheng emerged from the pool quickly. After drying herself, she immediately threw on the clothes.

“I’m ready, Master.”

Only then did Fu Xueke turn around to face Shen Shuheng. The girl’s damp black hair rested against her clothes, and transparent water droplets dripped from the ends, some sliding down her neck and into her robes. For a moment, the girl’s brow furrowed slightly, but it soon smoothed over.

Fu Xueke moved closer to Shen Shuheng. As they stood near each other, the fresh scent of the bath wafted from the girl. Fu Xueke cast a spell.

Shen Shuheng’s damp hair dried instantly. Her long, raven hair held a lustrous sheen; with her hair down, she looked a bit more youthful, making one want to rub her head. Fu Xueke reached out with her slender fingers and took Shen Shuheng’s hand. Her Master’s palm was very soft.

Back in the room, Fu Xueke produced a white porcelain bottle. The dim candlelight fell upon it, making its edges seem to melt.

“Time for the medicine.”

To apply medicine, wouldn’t I have to undress? This put Shen Shuheng in a difficult position again.

“I will only apply it to the wounds on your back. For the other places, you can apply it yourself since you can see them. How does that sound?” Her voice held a hint of a smile; Fu Xueke had seen right through her disciple’s small thoughts.

Shen Shuheng blinked, her clean face tinged with a thin flush. She nodded. “Mm.”

She turned around, presenting only her back to her Master before undoing the top of her robe. Fu Xueke’s heart suddenly ached. With her lashes lowered, she saw that her disciple’s slender back was covered in dark red wounds. They looked like ugly centipedes crawling across her pale skin. Particularly on her left shoulder, an entire piece of flesh had been torn away, leaving the white bone partially visible beneath the crimson wound.

“To be injured so severely… it must hurt a lot.”

Shen Shuheng habitually shook her head. Fu Xueke’s brow furrowed, her eyes full of pity. “If it hurts, say it. It’s alright; you don’t have to force yourself in front of your Master.”

“It hurts… it’s very painful,” Shen Shuheng finally couldn’t hold it back anymore, and a surge of tears welled in her eyes.

Fu Xueke let out a sigh, her palm slowly stroking the girl’s head. “A-Heng is a good girl.”

“It is my fault for not protecting you well.”

Seeing the Host deviate from the required persona, the System chimed in: “Host, you are a paranoiac, not a crybaby. Pay attention to maintaining your persona!”

“I know, I know,” Shen Shuheng thought, forcing back the tears.

Suddenly, her Master held a cool, sweet candied fruit to her lips. She opened her mouth and took it in. Fu Xueke felt her fingertips lightly brushed by something soft and warm; when she withdrew her hand, a moist sensation remained on her skin. When Shen Shuheng took the fruit, her tongue had accidentally brushed her Master’s fingers.

A cool, paste-like substance was applied to the wounds on her back, followed by a minty medicinal fragrance. When the ointment first touched the wounds, it felt like salt corroding them. Unable to bear the pain, Shen Shuheng let out a muffled groan.

“It will feel better in a moment,” her Master said. Sure enough, the pain vanished. “I’ve finished with the wounds on your back. You can apply the rest yourself later.”

Shen Shuheng gathered her clothes from her waist, dressed herself, and turned around. Suddenly, her Master’s finger lightly tapped the space between her eyebrows. She then saw a ball of red flame in her Master’s hand.

Wasn’t that the spirit-fire from her alchemy class? It seemed she had felt something strange between her brows after class that day.

“This is an Exotic Fire. Where did you get it?”

“It was the flame from Feng Ya’s alchemy class. It was different from the other spirit-fires and very hard to control; it nearly burnt me.”

“Feng Ya intended to use the Exotic Fire to prank you. He failed to subdue it, but now it has recognized you as its Master.”

Feng Ya went out for wool and came home shorn.

“An Exotic Fire possesses intelligence. If it is not someone it has submitted to, it will not easily allow itself to be controlled,” Fu Xueke explained. “This fire can be used for alchemy, and it can also be used to repel enemies in combat. You should make good use of it. Try to control it with your divine sense.”

The flame-red Exotic Fire wobbled in Fu Xueke’s hand as if it were trembling. She placed the ball of flame into Shen Shuheng’s palm.

Shen Shuheng examined the flame carefully. In her hand, the flame became significantly more arrogant, even making a “tooth-baring” grin at her. The flame making such an expression was so ridiculous it made her laugh. She tried to manipulate it with her divine sense and soon found she could command it at will.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. Now that she could control the Exotic Fire, she would use it to get revenge on Feng Ya during his alchemy class the day after tomorrow.

“I’m going back now,” Fu Xueke said before leaving, making sure to close the door for her disciple.

Shen Shuheng finished applying the medicine to the rest of her body and began her meditative cultivation.

The next day.

Shen Shuheng returned to Spring-Return Peak. She checked her accumulated contribution points; she had over 100,000, so she didn’t have to worry about entering the Library Pavilion to look for alchemy techniques. She tapped her jade plate against the stone wall by the door and walked in grandly. This time, the barrier couldn’t stop her.

The first nine floors of the Spring-Return Peak Library were filled with books on alchemy, while the tenth floor housed the refining rooms. As Shen Shuheng walked toward a large crystal screen, it suddenly lit up, and a child with twin buns appeared inside.

“Disciple, what alchemy book are you looking for?” The Artifact Spirit hadn’t spoken to anyone in a long time; after all, the Yuheng Sect was primarily composed of sword cultivators who only dabbled in alchemy. Although disciples from Spring-Return Peak came here often, they were so familiar with the place that they never needed her help.

Shen Shuheng began, “I—”

The Artifact Spirit completely ignored her words and continued on her own: “I recommend you choose the Compendium of Ancient Alchemy on the ninth floor. It is the only copy in the entire sect. It records every alchemy method from ancient times to the present. Seeing is believing—hurry up and go choose it!”

A look of doubt appeared on Shen Shuheng’s face. Was there really such a powerful alchemy method? How had she never heard of it? Was she just ignorant, or was the Artifact Spirit fooling her? Then she considered that Artifact Spirits cannot lie, as their birth is restricted by the Laws.

“Thank you, kid. I’ll go look for that book then,” Shen Shuheng finally decided to trust the spirit.

The Artifact Spirit tilted her head arrogantly. “This old one is ten thousand years old! I am much older than you, junior. Since I’ve told you about such a precious book, remember to come and talk to me often.”

Shen Shuheng pressed a hand to her forehead. The spirit looked like a five- or six-year-old child, but she was ten thousand years old; truly, appearances can be deceiving.

“Alright, I’ll talk to you next time,” Shen Shuheng promised.

Following the spirit’s directions, she indeed found a book titled Compendium of Ancient Alchemy on the ninth floor.

In a grand hall on Spring-Return Peak.

A disciple in blue said to Feng Ya, “Master, Shen Shuheng chose that useless piece of trash book.”

Feng Ya gave a mirthless smile. “Only someone who knows nothing of Spring-Return Peak would listen to that Artifact Spirit’s nonsense. She’s ten thousand years old; she’s likely grown senile and gives people bad directions.”

He had once believed the spirit and looked at that book himself. The alchemy methods described inside were utter nonsense. It suggested refining pills directly in one’s hand using an Exotic Fire without a furnace. How could that be possible? The single requirement of subduing an Exotic Fire was enough to stump almost everyone.