After My Paranoid Act to Woo My Cold Master Failed - Chapter 7

Today, Shen Shuheng wore an azure-blue Daoist robe embroidered with a crescent moon in gold thread. As the wind blew through the window, her robes fluttered like the swaying shadow of the moon upon a clear water surface. Her clothes, already somewhat wrinkled, became even more disheveled in the breeze.

Fu Xueke leaned down, using her hand to slowly smooth out the creases in her robes. “Now that your missing soul and spirits have returned, you must remember to balance your cultivation with rest.”

Sunlight filtered through the swaying trees and into the window, casting mottled shadows across Fu Xueke’s face. Shen Shuheng stared intently; the flickering light and shadows danced upon her Master’s face, capturing all of her attention. First, she watched the dancing spots of light, and eventually, she began counting her Master’s thick eyelashes.

After smoothing the wrinkles from her disciple’s clothes, Fu Xueke looked up, only to find the girl staring at her blankly. Those round, almond eyes were shimmering with moisture, resembling the eyes of a docile and cute little animal. Fu Xueke’s resting hand twitched, wanting to reach out and touch them.

“Sit down; don’t just stand there.” Shen Shuheng finally snapped back to reality. Hearing her Master speak, she hurriedly took her seat.

Once Shen Shuheng was seated, Fu Xueke remained standing by her side, continuing the lecture for the disciples. Shen Shuheng forced herself not to fall asleep again. The clear, cold fragrance emanating from her Master helped clear her mind; her Master’s scent was just like her personality—as if she had been immersed in ice and snow.

The heavy, ancient tolling of a bell rang out, marking the end of the history class.

“Go back and rest,” Fu Xueke instructed.

“Master, this disciple needs to go look for books on alchemy first. I will return a bit later.” Shen Shuheng wanted to go back with her Master, but the male lead’s class was the day after tomorrow. She had to successfully refine the pills before then.

Fu Xueke gave a slight nod. “Remember to return early.”

Shen Shuheng’s eyes curved into crescent moons, her tone a bit cheerful. “I understand, Master.” She watched as her Master’s figure vanished instantly. An expert of the Soul Transformation stage could “shrink the earth into inches”; her speed was truly remarkable.

The first thing Shen Shuheng did was look for the sect’s Library Pavilion, where books on alchemy should be located.

“Which way is the Library Pavilion, Fellow Daoist Chu?” she asked Chu Qingshui. Though she had been here for a month, she had not yet visited the Library Pavilion, nor did she have any memory of its location.

“I’ll take you there.”

“I am in your debt, Fellow Daoist Chu.”

“Just remember to spar with me next time,” Chu Qingshui replied. She truly was obsessed with swordsmanship. Shen Shuheng gave a light smile.

After leading her to the Library Pavilion, Chu Qingshui departed. Shen Shuheng walked inside and was immediately overwhelmed by the vast sea of books. Where was she supposed to start?

She casually picked up a book and opened it, only to find the pages blank. Not a single word appeared; it was cleaner than the spirit stones in her pouch. Suddenly, a five-colored light flowed across the pages, and the words The Demon Lord’s Cruel Love: You Can’t Escape appeared.

The title struck her eyes with such force that the corner of her eye couldn’t help but twitch. She put it back down. Returning the book to its shelf, she decided to find someone to ask about the alchemy texts.

“Giggle, giggle…” A fit of laughter caught her attention. Shen Shuheng followed the sound. She saw a woman holding a jade slip, laughing so hard that all eight of her teeth were visible.

Are modern cultivators really this competitive? she wondered. Laughing like that while studying a cultivation method? No, I have to be even more diligent than them.

On second thought, she decided not to disturb this “studious” friend. Looking around, she realized there was no one else present besides this woman, so she decided to interrupt her after all.

“Pardon the interruption, Fellow Daoist. Do you know where the jade slips for alchemy are located?”

Shen Shuheng saw the woman look up with a strange expression, appearing stunned for a moment.

“There are no books on alchemy here. However, I highly recommend the one I’m reading, I Must Become Master’s Heart-Tip Pet. It’s a super-taboo Master-Disciple romance!”

Shen Shuheng’s eyes widened. “Is this not the Library Pavilion?”

“It is, but the books stored here are all storybooks and fan-fiction written by the sisters of the sect.”

Well, this world is certainly trendy, Shen Shuheng thought. She asked again, “Does Fellow Daoist know where the alchemy books are?”

“Those are only kept at Spring-Return Peak. You can look for them there.”

After smiling at the woman to express her thanks, Shen Shuheng mounted her sword and flew toward Spring-Return Peak. This was the peak where the alchemists of the Yuheng Sect resided. As soon as she arrived, a thick medicinal fragrance wafted into her nose.

She wandered around for a long time before finally finding the local library. Just as she was about to enter, a barrier suddenly surged up. Not paying attention, she bumped her head right into it. Shen Shuheng rubbed her head in annoyance; it hurt quite a bit.

Suddenly, rows of golden characters lit up on the barrier: “To enter, please show a disciple jade plate from Spring-Return Peak. Non-peak disciples require 1,000 Sect Contribution Points to enter.”

Shen Shuheng stared at the number. One thousand points? This was highway robbery! She only had ten points to her name. Even if she went to the Law Enforcement Hall today to pick up missions, she wouldn’t be able to scrounge up a thousand points in time.

“Do you think alchemy is something a piece of trash like you can learn?”

Shen Shuheng saw Feng Ya suddenly appear before her. After dropping those words, he walked straight into the library. Shen Shuheng’s fists clenched involuntarily. The male lead was like a fly, constantly buzzing around to annoy people.

Left with no choice, she turned back toward the Inquiry Pavilion.

It was now the late spring season; the warm breeze was intoxicating, and every view was vibrant and bright. Only the Inquiry Pavilion was covered in a boundless expanse of heavy snow. Perhaps the vermilion gate of the pavilion was the only bright color in this snowy landscape.

Shen Shuheng pushed open the red gate with a creak. As the door opened, the scent of flour-based food wafted toward her. It felt like the only warmth in this frozen world. Shen Shuheng immediately thought of hot noodle soup.

“Master! I’m back!” She walked inside, following the scent to the kitchen.

She saw mounds of white dough and various fillings resting on a red sandalwood table. Her Master was actually making dumplings. She remembered now; during class today, she had mentioned eating dumplings.

“Some in the pot are already cooked. Eat those first; I’ll make more if it’s not enough.” A smile surfaced in Fu Xueke’s cold eyes.

Shen Shuheng walked to her Master’s side and noticed her hands were covered in flour. “Let me wrap them, Master. You should eat first.”

“Didn’t you talk about eating dumplings today? Hurry up and eat.”

At the mention of that, two thin patches of pink flushed across Shen Shuheng’s face. The boiling water made a gurgling sound, the rising bubbles causing the pot lid to shake slightly. Shen Shuheng reached out hastily to lift the lid. The moment she touched it, she hissed from the heat and her hand slipped. The lid slammed onto the ground with a clatter.

Hearing the noise, Fu Xueke walked over. “Let me see your hand. Does it hurt?”

Shen Shuheng held out her burnt hand; a white blister had formed on her index finger. “It doesn’t hurt,” she said, giving her Master a brilliant smile.

A green fluorescent glow flowed from Fu Xueke’s fingertips, resembling the light of fireflies on a summer night. The green light washed over Shen Shuheng’s scalded hand; once it enveloped her, a cool sensation drove away the stinging pain, and even the blister vanished.

“Be careful next time. Don’t get burnt again.” Though her Master’s voice was as cool as an icy spring, Shen Shuheng could feel the concern within.

“Master, in the future, can you only be this good to A-Heng? You aren’t allowed to be this good to others.” Shen Shuheng’s eyes were like autumn waters, rippling as she stared directly at Fu Xueke.

She saw the corners of her Master’s lips curve into a smile—captivating and eyes-snatching, like a spring breeze brushing through willow branches and stirring a shimmering lake. Suddenly, the lid on the floor floated up. Fu Xueke cast a Cleansing Spell on it and set it aside.

The dumplings tumbled in the boiling water. Puffs of white steam rose from the pot, blurring Fu Xueke’s features and adding a touch of domestic warmth to her usual “glacier” aura. Shen Shuheng stood right beside her as she skillfully scooped the dumplings into a white jade bowl.

“Take this bowl to the table and eat first.” Her Master carried the bowl over for her. The chopped green onions floating on the soup swayed with every step she took. After sitting down, Shen Shuheng picked up a dumpling and blew on it before carefully putting it in her mouth. It was her favorite corn filling; a hint of sweet freshness swirled across her tongue. She finished the bowl quickly.

“Master, A-Heng will wrap dumplings with you.” Shen Shuheng walked to the table. Fu Xueke stepped back slightly to make room for her.

Shen Shuheng picked up a dumpling skin; it felt slightly cool in her palm. She added the filling and tried to seal it, but no matter how she pressed with her fingers, it wouldn’t close. Her Master took it from her hands, and in her Master’s grasp, it transformed into a beautiful white ingot shape with a neat, pleated edge.

Shen Shuheng laughed awkwardly. She tried a few more, but they were consistently ugly, nowhere near as pretty as her Master’s. If her Master’s dumplings were plump, white ingots, hers were battered lumps of dough.

Eventually, Shen Shuheng gave up on making normal shapes. The dumplings she made afterward were all bizarre—some looked like buns, others like strange hybrids, each weirder than the last. Fu Xueke put all the dumplings into the pot, and they were cooked in no time.

Shen Shuheng scooped out all of her misshapen dumplings to try. As she bit into a “bun-shaped” one, her expression changed. No wonder nobody wrapped dumplings like that.

Fu Xueke noticed the slight furrow of her disciple’s brow. “Switch bowls.” She took her disciple’s bowl and pushed her own toward her.

After finishing the meal, Shen Shuheng headed out. She still had to resolve the issue of the Sect Contribution Points. Perhaps the Task Hall just happened to have a mission with a high reward.

As she neared the hall, a man leading a dozen disciples blocked her path.

“Returning your things.” Together, they reluctantly pulled out storage bags. They had sworn an oath upon their cultivation advancement, so they had to return her belongings with interest today. One round-faced disciple grit his teeth at the thought; this piece of trash doesn’t deserve this.

“I heard you caused Junior Sister Xiaoxiao to be locked in the Void Valley. Today, I, Qi Shen, shall teach you a lesson on her behalf,” the man leading the group said.

Shen Shuheng glanced at him. “Private fighting is forbidden within the sect.” Suddenly, she thought of a way to solve her point problem.

“This is my challenge. We shall go to the sect arena. If I win, the items my Junior Brothers just gave you shall be returned.”

Shen Shuheng heard their condition and realized she could set her own. She said coldly, “If I win, all of your Sect Contribution Points shall belong to me, and you must return double the amount of spirit stones you just gave back.”

One disciple looked at her with disdain and whispered, “Senior Brother, she’s overestimating herself. She’s just posturing by making those demands. How dare she set conditions for us?”

Qi Shen’s gaze was like a blade, and he gave her a chilly smile. “Very well. If you dare to bet big, let’s sign a Life-and-Death Challenge. If you die, everything goes to me. If I die, everything goes to you.”

He had come specifically to take Shen Shuheng’s life. He was in the middle stage of the Golden Core realm; killing her would be as easy as cutting grass.