After My Thoughts Were Read, My Master Led Me to Change My Fate - Chapter 32

It was impossible for her disciple’s current cultivation and state of mind to summon a sword intent—especially one this formidable.

Little Ning’er, just how many secrets are you hiding?

A gentle breeze swept through the mist as a figure in white descended from the sky, drifting lightly through the air. The interaction followed the pre-arranged script: the villagers, trembling with awe and fear, repeatedly swore they would never practice that forbidden technique again.

However, as their eyes met from a distance, Ran Fanyin saw a gaze that did not belong to Ning Songwu. For a fleeting second, that gaze flickered with hesitation before softening into a faint, distant gentleness.

Once they had walked away and were side-by-side, Ran Fanyin asked, “Who are you? And what is your intent?”

The girl’s voice was flat. “In the future, do not let her face a Heavenly Tribulation alone. She will die.”

“Why? How do you know this?”

The girl did not respond further. As if wanting one last look, she took a few quick steps to stare directly into Ran Fanyin’s eyes. Her gaze sparkled, appearing as though it were filled with a thousand unspoken words, yet not a single one escaped her lips.

Finally, the girl’s body went limp, and she collapsed into Ran Fanyin’s arms. Her breathing was shallow, as if she had simply fallen into a deep sleep.

Ran Fanyin supported her, her gaze lingering on the side of the girl’s face. The fine hairs on her pale skin were visible; with her eyes closed, she looked exceptionally obedient. After this ordeal with the lightning tribulation, the girl seemed to have grown a bit taller, and she felt less like a rigid block of wood in Ran Fanyin’s arms.

Ran Fanyin pinched the girl’s slightly chubby cheek and whispered, “You’re much cuter unconscious than awake. Truly exasperating.”

As she pinched, her touch lingered, gently tracing the contours of the girl’s face, moving from the temple to the brow. Ran Fanyin could still hear the deafening thud of her own heartbeat from the moment she had seen that white robe fluttering in the wind.

My silly little disciple, why does it have to be you?

Seeing that Ning Songwu’s vitals were normal, Ran Fanyin let out a sigh of relief. Her tone shifted as she asked, “The plan you made for Huarong Village—why didn’t you tell me in advance?”

She tapped her folding fan against the girl’s shoulder with a sharp crack. Ran Fanyin was so annoyed her teeth ached. Her voice turned stern: “I would never stop you from helping others, but there was clearly time to devise a more thorough plan! Instead, you fill your heart with everyone else’s troubles and completely ignore your own safety! You must have experienced something within those tribulation clouds, didn’t you?”

This little “silent gourd” just stood there, staring back with her round, willow-leaf eyes, remaining mute. Her heart was bold enough to talk back, but her mouth only knew how to say “Yes, Master,” and “I’m sorry.” Ran Fanyin wondered where she had learned such behavior.

Ran Fanyin rubbed her temples. “Setting that aside for a moment, you wanted to help girls like Xiao Tao—why didn’t you just say so?”

Ning Songwu rubbed her shoulder and finally spoke, her expression slightly downcast. “I thought… Master would understand.”

“I can understand. But, Ning Songwu, a mouth is born for eating, drinking, and speaking. Once you reach the stage of Inedia (fasting), its only function is to speak. You cannot expect your Master to guess your thoughts every single time, can you?”

“I might guess them, but can others? Did you not want to eat those pastries? Who was it that was salivating while Luo Sheng swallowed them all in one go, hmm?”

Ning Songwu’s face flushed red. She cleared her throat and said, “I didn’t want them that badly.”

Ran Fanyin glanced at her and gave a dry laugh. “Fine. I was going to buy some, but I see there’s no need now.”

The “little puppy” was silently swallowing her pride (and her saliva). Ran Fanyin pretended not to notice and continued with the business at hand. Since she wants to be stubborn, let her be.

Ning Songwu struggled internally before changing the subject. “Master, I truly had personal motives regarding Xiao Tao, so I wanted to ask…” She hesitated, the words catching in her throat.

Ran Fanyin looked at her with a hint of coldness, waiting for the rest.

Ning Songwu took a breath. “I want to ask… does the Cultivation World experience things like this as well?”

Ran Fanyin lightly shook her fan. “Of course not. In a world where strength is paramount, we only care about power. No one cares about gender. Look no further than the present—Cen Ran sits firmly in the position of Sect Leader. Who would dare question her?”

“Furthermore, cultivators only care that the greatest sword cultivator in history was named Ran Quexin. Who would care that…” She paused. “That Ran Quexin was a woman.”

Ning Songwu was stunned.

The “subtitles” were quite active now. Without her even asking, they quickly displayed all the data on the Sword Immortal: Mortal-grade Ice Spiritual Root. Never reached the Tribulation Transcendence stage in her life, but reached the absolute end of the Path of the Sword. It was once said that even a thousand years after Ran Quexin’s death, no one could claim her title. It had been two hundred years since then, and indeed, the title remained hers.

But Ning Songwu wasn’t stunned by the history. she quickly pulled at the subtitles and whispered a question—

The subtitles, seemingly fed up, threw back two words: “Yes. She is.”

She wanted to ask more, but another tap from the fan landed on her forehead. The woman before her looked genuinely piqued. “No stray thoughts.”

Grandmaster was truly incredible,” Ning Songwu lamented sincerely.

A mortal-grade spiritual root is inherently flawed, making cultivation extremely difficult—let alone a mutated element like Ice. The stronger the element, the harder the path.

“But, if Grandmaster had an Ice Spiritual Root, why did you say there were no sword manuals for me to reference?”

Ran Fanyin glanced at her. “Her path was hers. You can learn from it, but it isn’t yours. If you want to improve, you must research your own way. Otherwise, you are merely a mimic.”

The Elder’s expression softened. “The mortal realm is not a place where the strong rule. you can only do your best to influence things, but do not take it too much to heart.”

“Yes, Master…”

After a long silence, Ran Fanyin finally lost her patience. “So, you still don’t plan on telling me what happened during the lightning tribulation?”

This time, she seemed truly angry. One sharp look made Ning Songwu break into a cold sweat. She nodded hurriedly. “I’ll tell you. I almost forgot again.”

She carefully recounted everything that happened during the roaring tribulation, though she omitted the events of the subsequent dream. She muttered a few things to herself internally and tucked them into a corner of her mind to sort out later.

Truthfully, she couldn’t reach a conclusion. At most, Ran Fanyin would simply tell her she wouldn’t be allowed to face a tribulation alone next time. But who knew what would happen when that time came?

The subtitles were becoming more sentient, yet the bright red word “DEATH” next to her name in the ending summary had not changed.

After finishing her explanation, Ning Songwu felt deflated but relieved. She had handed over the “hot potato” weighing on her heart. She began to zone out, staring at the tip of Ran Fanyin’s fan as it moved, then drifting to the white hair falling over the Master’s shoulder.

Whenever Ran Fanyin was silent, Ning Songwu did this. It was the “Self-Cultivation of an Introvert.”

As Ning Songwu’s mind wandered, she didn’t notice the gaze returning to her. Ran Fanyin recalled that final look the girl had given her earlier. It wasn’t filled with lust, but it was brimming with deep, tender attachment. Could that have been the “woman in green” Ning’er mentioned?

A strange thought suddenly surfaced. Ran Fanyin said deeply, “Follow me.”

Entering the pitch-black cavern, Ning Songwu’s first sensation was cold. The second was…

Slowly, a faint blue glow appeared in their sight.

Ran Fanyin glanced at the girl beside her. When He Lan (who was at the middle stage of Soul Transformation) had come here, her limbs had grown too stiff to move. Yet Ning Songwu, who was only at the early stage of Golden Core, seemed completely unaffected. She even took a few unconscious steps forward, staring toward the core of the formation.

The deep blue glow flickered on and off as if it were alive. As if it were breathing. Or rather… like a heartbeat.

Ning Songwu: “Master, can I go closer to see?”

Ran Fanyin looked at her. “Aren’t you cold?”

Ning Songwu opened her mouth, and white mist billowed out. “It’s cold, yes. But I feel…”

Ran Fanyin interrupted her. “Go ahead.”

The fact that her disciple was connected to this formation core was now almost undeniable. Recalling the words Ran Quexin had spoken while stroking the core in her dream, Ran Fanyin suppressed the bitterness rising in her throat and exhaled a cloud of mist.

The cave seemed to grow even colder.

[Ning Songwu’s Inner Monologue / Subtitles]

【Master is angry…】

【But they… weren’t exactly wrong, but they weren’t right either. Sigh.】

【If only I could find a way to change their way of thinking.】

【It wasn’t their intention. They just… couldn’t see a better option.】

【If I hadn’t said those things to Xiao Tao, at least Master wouldn’t have had to spend the night in this wilderness.】

【I…】

【Oh no, Master hasn’t answered in so long. She won’t even look at me. She’s definitely fuming.】

【I’m dead. I’m so dead.】

【A woman’s ‘I’m fine’ is a ghost’s lie. Saying she isn’t angry means she’s beyond furious. Let me think…】

【If I talk about my past, maybe I can explain the situation with Xiao Tao?】

【Just like my mom… she was confused for a while, but once she figured it out, she took me away from that toxic home.】

【What a classic backstory. Heh.】

【Thinking back, I was so immature. My mom gathered the courage to divorce for my sake, yet I cried and screamed about wanting to go back…】

【I miss my mom…】

【Seeing Xiao Tao makes me feel like I’m looking at my younger self. But she is more loved than I was, and I am luckier than she is… who can say? The best solution is education, but obviously… those conditions don’t exist here.】

【Compulsory education is truly great.】

【I wonder if the technique in Huarong Village is reversible. Yesterday, the flow of spiritual energy felt strange. Too bad my cultivation is too weak; I didn’t see the result and took a backlash instead…】

【Let’s start with this ‘Immortal Master’ first.】

【Master, Huarong Village is definitely a useful clue. It’s a clue that can be changed.】

【I will definitely change that glaring ‘Death’ ending.】

Perhaps the sunrise was truly beautiful, because as Ning Songwu watched the woman who had been staring into the distance, she saw the corner of the Master’s mouth quirk up slightly. Ning Songwu let out a sigh of relief.

【So many people. If that ‘Immortal Master’ can trick even half of them… it’s unimaginable.】

【It’s too crowded. Why are there so many people?】