After My Paranoid Act to Woo My Cold Master Failed - Chapter 33

The moment the city’s lockdown was lifted, the remaining members of the Demon Race utilized every escape treasure and skill at their disposal to flee. Within moments, the area was left only to the human cultivators.

Fu Xueke gazed down at the quiet sleeping face of the person in her arms. Shen Shuheng’s eyes were gently closed, her thick, long eyelashes casting soft shadows upon her nose.

The girl seemed to be dreaming of something, for her brow was slightly furrowed. Fu Xueke freed one hand, her slender fingertips lightly smoothing the crease in the girl’s forehead. Seeing her features relax once more, a faint smile played on Fu Xueke’s lips.

The fragmented golden light of the setting sun fell upon Shen Shuheng’s face, tinting her porcelain-white skin with a rosy hue. Her dainty earlobes did not escape the glow, turning a delicate shade of pink. Fu Xueke’s fingers unconsciously pinched the girl’s rounded earlobe; it felt soft to the touch.

Their shadows stretched exceptionally long across the ground. Fearing the bright sunset would wake her disciple, Fu Xueke pulled the girl closer to her chest, shielding her face from the direct light.

Xu Wu saw the Sect Leader of the Canghai Sword Sect walking toward him. He suppressed his previous dark expression, shook out his sleeves, and prepared to step forward. To his surprise, the leader passed him by as if he didn’t exist, heading straight for another spot.

Xu Wu clenched his fists as he watched. These people treated him, the Sect Leader, as a non-entity, bypassing him entirely to find Fu Xueke. His dark, sword-like brows pressed low over his eyes, which flashed with a coldness like poisoned blades.

Xiao Xiaoxiao watched with a fake smile as the great masters brushed past her, though she was burning with jealousy. Just wait, she thought, the Great Sect Tournament is coming. I will kill her then and show everyone who the true genius is.

Gifts of Gratitude

Fu Xueke looked at the circle of Sect Leaders and Elders surrounding her and couldn’t help but press a hand to her forehead; she truly disliked crowded places.

“How is the little Daoist friend Shen? Is she alright?” they asked, their voices lowered to a whisper for fear of waking her.

“Thank you all for your concern. She is fine, merely exhausted and has fallen asleep,” Fu Xueke replied.

“That’s good. If not for her, our disciples would never have returned.”

“To show our gratitude, we must offer a few gifts to the young friend!”

“Yes, indeed! I shall start with this Plain Pattern Mirror; it can withstand three strikes from a Great Convergence cultivator,” the Canghai Sect Leader said, producing a jade-green mirror.

Seeing such a treasure offered, the others refused to be outdone. They were in front of all the major sects, after all—no one wanted their own sect to appear stingy.

“This is the Cold Plum Zither; its music can resist illusions and clear the spirit,” the Leader of the Wuyin Sect announced, presenting a zither carved from a single piece of White Moon Jade.

“And this is my sect’s Moon-Gazing Map…”

The leaders competed to present their treasures to Fu Xueke. These men were old foxes; they could see that Shen Shuheng’s future would be extraordinary. After all, she was the only one who could command lightning without being harmed. They used this opportunity of thanking her for saving their disciples to win her over.

Fu Xueke accepted the treasures on Shen Shuheng’s behalf. She then released the townspeople from her disciple’s spatial pocket.

Yuebai and Ye Huanzhen only approached once the crowd had dispersed.

“If Senior and Daoist Shen have time, please visit our Dao Sect as a guest,” Yuebai smiled.

“I will,” Fu Xueke replied.

“I have informed my Master about the connection between the Penglai Sect and the evil entity,” Ye Huanzhen sent a private sound transmission to Fu Xueke. “Master told us not to alert the enemy yet. Those Penglai people are dead, and we have no evidence.”

Fu Xueke nodded. After bidding them farewell, she took Shen Shuheng into her arms and stepped into the sky.

A Teasing Awakening

The familiar, cold fragrance of plum blossoms filled Shen Shuheng’s senses as she slowly woke up. She felt something exceptionally soft against her face. As she opened her eyes, a deep crimson instantly flooded her entire face.

She realized her face was pressed directly against her Master’s chest. No wonder it was so soft.

“You’re awake,” Fu Xueke’s voice rang out.

Shen Shuheng tensed up. She had intended to pretend to be asleep and move her head away as if nothing had happened. “I didn’t mean to press against… there! What I do while asleep has nothing to do with the conscious me!” she squeaked, her face burning.

“What?” Fu Xueke looked at her disciple, puzzled.

“Just… your chest,” Shen Shuheng’s voice grew smaller and smaller.

Fu Xueke paused for a moment, then quickly regained her composure. Her eyes were bright in the darkness. “What nonsense are you thinking about now?”

“I’m not! I didn’t!”

A layer of amusement rose in Fu Xueke’s eyes. “Still denying it? Every time you think of something scandalous, your face gets incredibly hot.” She placed her hand against her disciple’s cheek; it was scorching. Suddenly, Fu Xueke felt a flicker of heat in her own heart as well.

“When you were little, you always insisted I hold you; you wouldn’t sleep unless you were in my arms. Now that you’re grown, you’ve learned to be shy.”

“I truly don’t know what goes on in that head of yours,” Fu Xueke teased, flicking her disciple’s forehead.

Was I that clingy as a child? Shen Shuheng wondered.

“What am I thinking about? Doesn’t Master know? It’s all about you!” Shen Shuheng decided to go on the offensive to maintain her “obsessive” persona.

“Oh? If it’s all about me, do you remember the daily task I set for you?” Fu Xueke pinched the girl’s earlobe.

Shen Shuheng went blank. A daily task? It could only be… “Practicing the sword every day!”

Fu Xueke shook her head. “So that’s all you think about regarding me? You can’t even remember your Master’s words. You just love the sword that much.”

The Penalty

“Do you think you deserve a punishment?” Fu Xueke asked calmly.

“I do! I deserve it! Whatever Master chooses, I am willing. I would climb mountains of blades or jump into seas of fire!” Shen Shuheng blurted out, trying to prove her loyalty.

“There is no need for mountains of blades. However…”

“However what? Whatever it is, I won’t back out!”

Fu Xueke smiled slightly. “Remember those words. As for the punishment, you will find out soon. It will be for your own benefit.”

Shen Shuheng felt a sudden sense of dread. She felt as though her Master had dug a hole and coaxed her into jumping into it.

“From now on, you will practice your sword under the waterfall in Moon-Cold Valley.”

Shen Shuheng’s heart sank. Moon-Cold Valley was the most frigid place in the Wenxin Pavilion. Practicing under a waterfall there would be a miserable existence.

“I am not intentionally making things difficult for you,” Fu Xueke said softly. “It will temper your body and make your sword intent more pure.”

Home

“Master, you must be tired. Let me fly the sword while you rest,” Shen Shuheng offered. But as she moved, she hissed in pain. Every muscle in her body ached from the previous battle.

“I am not tired. You rest,” Fu Xueke said, her voice carrying a hint of her own fatigue.

Soon, the snow-covered peaks of Wenxin Pavilion came into view. “We’re home,” Fu Xueke said softly.

They landed on the soft snow in front of the familiar vermilion gates. Two lanterns hung by the door, their warm yellow light driving away the desolation of the icy landscape.

Inside the house, Fu Xueke handed her disciple some fresh clothes. “Go and bathe. Since you are in pain, do you… need me to help you?”

Shen Shuheng froze. She was exhausted and every movement was agony, but the thought of her Master helping her bathe was… overwhelming.