After My Thoughts Were Read, My Master Led Me to Change My Fate - Chapter 36

She seemed a little distracted, her eyebrows unconsciously furrowed together. The young girl across from her timidly called out, “Teacher Lin, are you listening?”

“I apologize. I’ve been a little tired recently. Please say it again.”

The girl took a deep breath, seeming to have made some decision, and said, “I said, I also want to apply to the university you attended.”

Ran Fanyin was surprised and asked, “What is this?”

“…I, I want to be your junior schoolmate. I also want to be your colleague.”

Ran Fanyin slowly exhaled.

She couldn’t fully understand, but she could roughly guess the meaning. The so-called ‘colleague’ should mean tongliao (an associate), and ‘junior schoolmate’ means shimei (junior sister). The young girl in front of her wanted to use this to get closer to the person before her, but dared not speak directly, so she could only timidly sound her out this way.

She didn’t know how this “Teacher Lin” usually responded to her questions, but since she had come here today and heard these words…

Ran Fanyin smiled gently and looked out the window, saying, “Your own future is yours to decide once you have thought it through. Follow your heart in this matter, and you won’t feel regret later.”

Outside the window, a little girl was kicking a small round ball across the road. Perhaps afraid of accidentally kicking the ball into the middle of the road, she turned sideways, cautiously shielding the ball, and kicked it against the wall. Not far away, a girl wearing the same clothes as Ning Songwu was walking quickly, head down.

Then, they met.

The little girl kicked the ball into the older girl’s leg, leaving a large mark. The little girl then squatted down to clean it for the older girl. Judging by her back, she was constantly apologizing. The older girl didn’t seem to mind much, simply smiled casually, and continued on her way.

This was what she wanted to tell Ning Songwu at that time: those annoying things are just like this ball. It might dirty your clothes, but you just need to reach out and dust it off, or take a little effort to wash it, and then it will be over. The rest of the road still needs to be walked by yourself. Whether to continue moving forward or stay here depends entirely on your own heart.

It’s fine as long as you think it through.

It’s fine as long as you follow your heart.

Other things are not very important.

But at her age at that time, how could the youth fully understand this? Even for a long time afterward, she would confine herself in that swamp, with nowhere to go, yet she still changed a lot.

She actually made a choice: she didn’t walk away quickly, nor did she simply brush the dust off her leg. Instead, she picked up the little girl and her ball, led her to a place farther from the road, and repeatedly cautioned her not to play by the road again. Only when she left alone did she realize her own front was also covered in dust. She would have a lot of washing to do when she got back.

But so what?

She was not sad; she was happy.

But the current Ning Songwu has not yet gone through many of the subsequent events. She simply thought that “Teacher Lin” was gently rejecting her again. She sighed a few times in her heart, but her expression didn’t change. She just smiled and said, “Okay, I will think about it carefully. Thank you, Teacher~”

“A teacher’s role is to impart the Way, teach skills, and resolve doubts. No need to thank me.”

Although it was a formulaic reply, it still made Ning Songwu feel a little sad.

This is good enough. This is good enough.

Ning Songwu told herself in her heart.

A phone ringtone broke the strange silence. Ran Fanyin watched the young girl frantically pull a small box out of her backpack, looking embarrassed: “Teacher, I promise I wasn’t playing with it at school. Can you pretend you didn’t see it?”

“Yes.”

The young girl was visibly relieved. She swiped the screen, and moments later, a voice truly flowed out of the small box.

This thing was quite interesting. It could communicate remotely without spiritual energy. It sounded like it was called a ‘phone,’ and it used electricity? Why not thunder? Why hadn’t their world developed it?

Ran Fanyin observed carefully, thinking: I’ll have Mianmian study it later to see if she can invent one.

However, the voice from the box seemed somewhat unfriendly, so much so that Ning Songwu’s reply was equally harsh, and there were faint signs of an impending argument.

“I said I’ll be home on time before nine! Can you stop rushing me?”

“I’m with my teacher. I’m asking her a question. I will be back.”

“…I am not secretly running off with a boy! I am not!”

“I am not dating, and I am not planning to disregard your hard work!”

“My grades have not fallen. Enough. She helped me a lot. Don’t speak like that.”

“Can you stop using ‘not letting me come home’ as a weapon! I’m sick of it!”

“Enough, enough, enough. Goodbye.”

The girl flipped the phone screen down onto the desk, her face etched with bitterness. After a long while, she remembered there was another person across from her, and she said with some remorse, “I’m sorry, Teacher. You saw a joke. Thank you for today. I…”

Her wrist was suddenly seized, interrupting her words.

Ran Fanyin also paused for a moment before speaking.

It wasn’t that she didn’t know what to say, but this time she had touched that scar. It was hidden underneath the band of that small round wristband. Based on her experience, it looked like a scar that was several years old.

How old was this child in front of her now?

She felt extreme heartache and could only say very gently, “This is not a joke. Don’t apologize.”

“Teacher…”

Ran Fanyin had so many things she wanted to ask, things she wanted to say, but not to this child in front of her. She needed to say them to the real Ning Songwu, to the real person this child represented.

However, she couldn’t come here for nothing.

Ran Fanyin tilted her head and asked, “Do you want to see fireworks?”

Ning Songwu was startled by the sudden topic and responded hesitantly, “It’s not a holiday, and it’s daytime…”

Ran Fanyin smiled instead and lightly snapped her fingers.

Amidst the colorful glow of fireworks shooting up from the ground and blossoming against the wind, and as the gir (leaned) to the window in surprise to look, the illusion came to an abrupt halt, shattering into fragments that dissipated in a space of pure white.

And Ran Fanyin finally met the mastermind behind it all.

【When I checked the records, I saw that interfering with the fate of mortals brings karma. Except for those who cultivate the Red Dust Path and are unafraid of karma, the more karma others incur, the harder their tribulation becomes. A cultivator’s practice is already against the will of Heaven, relying on the will of the people. Master is already a Grand Ascension cultivator, and entering the Tribulation stage is inherently difficult. Let me take this little karma.】

【Master must smoothly pass the tribulation and ascend to immortality early.】

【Is Master going to sell me out… I know I’m a little clumsy, but she doesn’t have to sell me to this guy…】

【Master…!】

【Did you come here to show me how superior your physical growth and development are?】

【Isn’t this my food? Never mind, Ah Sheng… eat if you want to. Those things in the dream… sigh.】

【Those things in the dream, are they the future? Ah Sheng will suffer such heavy injuries, and we will all…】

【Can you do something that matches your appearance and figure!!!】

【Good heavens!! Look at this person, no, this fox! She is utterly abnormal. Can you please allocate her height to me!!】

After Cen Ran returned to the Sect, without even taking a sip of water, she summoned all disciples at the Void Refinement stage and above. She counted the heads and quickly assigned people and those they were to lead. This was the preliminary deployment.

Next was the arrangement for the various Elders.

“Elder He Lan will still be responsible for overall coordination and control of the comprehensive formation.” She spoke, her eyes meeting the woman’s gaze. Their mutual understanding was complete upon contact. He Lan acknowledged her words with a nod.

The Second Elder, skilled in heavy weaponry and a master of the saber, would form a defensive line with Cen Ran and Ran Fanyin. As for Qingye Peak, which had temporarily merged with the Medicine Sect, there was no need to say much. As for the Fifth Elder…

“Old Five, don’t hide your secret realms anymore. Fill them with all the useful things. Even if people die, the Sect’s heritage must not perish. Do you understand?”

This was already the most critical and urgent arrangement. They even had to prepare a retreat in advance. The Fifth Elder dared not hesitate. After accepting the mission, he was the first to leave, taking the secret realms he had created to provision the entire Shangyun Sect.

With this, the basic matters were prepared. The rest could only be dealt with as it came, to see how determined the ancestor of that faction was, and whether there was any room for maneuvering.

Most likely, there was none.

Cen Ran sighed softly.

Qin Siyue interrupted her melancholy and asked, “When will Ran Fanyin be back?”

“She sent a message saying the deployment in the north is complete and she is rushing back at full speed. It should take about another hour.”

“Good. The Tiancheng Immortal Gate probably won’t act that quickly. Also, have her keep an eye out on her way back. Additionally, how should Jiang Mang be handled? This Sovereign can remove the poison right now, but… it will cost her life.”

Cen Ran was shocked and quickly said, “This matter requires careful consideration. Moreover, the girl came seeking an explanation. Even if her cooperation is needed, she must be prioritized.”

Qin Siyue pondered for a moment and said, “Indeed, we need to consult the child for her opinion.”

Lan Yue chimed in, “However, that child is indeed quite dull and lovable. I wonder what exactly Venerable Wu Yan is after. The Grand Formation?”

“Perhaps she just can’t bear to see the Shangyun Sect rise,” Cen Ran laughed, stood up, and stretched her shoulders, wearing a look of self-possession, letting the world arrange itself as it willed.

What else could they do but this?

The few of them looked at each other in unison. A moment later, they smiled with resignation.

They were old people anyway. At worst, they would fight a desperate battle. It would be a worthy fulfillment of the oath the Founding Ancestor swore when establishing the Sect, and a worthy effort for the many people who relied on the Shangyun Sect for their livelihoods.

Many civilians relied on the Shangyun Sect for their livelihood, but when arranging for them outside, they encountered some resistance. Many sects in the north, upon hearing that the people were from this Sect, waved their hands in rejection, looking as if they dared not offend a certain power.

That was not surprising.

After all, the Immortal Gate had already released a message that the Shangyun Sect was harboring a traitor of the Immortal Gate and openly provoking them. If they did not hand over the traitors Jiang Mang and Jiang Yue before the deadline, they would bear the consequences.

Cen Ran stopped those who wanted to relay this news to the two younger generations, only saying, “Telling them would only increase their pressure and worry. Moreover, this is not their fault, yet they are called traitors by their own Sect… That must be incredibly difficult to bear.”

“Sect Master, I don’t understand,” the disciple frowned deeply. “Why are we protecting these two so much?”

The disciple’s head was suddenly tapped with a fan. Ran Fanyin drifted out from behind him and said, “Because the two of them are just an excuse. Even without them, the Immortal Gate would still find a way to swallow us up. But they have brought us a considerable amount of initiative. Do you understand?”

Seeing the disciple still look confused, Ran Fanyin sighed helplessly, “If it weren’t for the message they tried their best to pass along, we would probably still be at the Sect Grand Competition, like lambs waiting to be slaughtered. Do you understand now?”

After the disciple left, Ran Fanyin slowly sighed and asked gently, “Is Jiang Mang awake?”

Cen Ran shook her head sadly and said, “Old Qin said that according to the treatment method Little Ning brought earlier, the spiritual power inside Jiang Mang’s body is very firmly combined with the source poison. The source poison has already infiltrated her origin. If we rashly remove it, she might become a cripple.” The last two words were spoken with great apprehension. After all, in this situation… she didn’t know what would be the best outcome for Jiang Mang.

She truly couldn’t bear to see this kind of sword-wielding genius suffer even the slightest impairment. She wondered how cold Venerable Wu Yan’s heart was to use such a genius for experiments, even betting her life as capital.

Hearing this, Ran Fanyin pondered for a moment, “No matter. She should be able to wake up before the battle. Although it has already permeated her origin, since there is still room to wake her, there is still a chance.”

“I hope so. Human avarice is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant.”

Isn’t that the source poison? Magnifying human greed, making people stop at nothing to plunder and devour to satisfy their desires. Seen in this light, Venerable Wu Yan herself is probably deeply poisoned and beyond redemption.

At the same time, on Qingye Peak—

Qin Siyue casually glanced at the person knocking on the door. Seeing it was Ning Songwu, she said, “If you have any questions, ask quickly.”

Her hands packing the medicine didn’t stop. Round pills glowing with a faint green light were being sealed into medicine bottles. Beside her, Qin Mo led a group of disciples who seemed to be mixing incense pouches. Immortal grasses were ground into powder and mixed together. A light sniff of it had the effect of calming the spirit and settling the qi.

“Elder, what are you making?”

Qin Siyue: “Calm Spirit Pills, Tranquility Pouches. These are all the results of research we’ve been doing with the Medicine Sect over the past few years, targeting this damned poison.”

Lan Yue poked her head out from behind her and said, “Little lass, you better not say they’re useless, or else.”

Ning Songwu chuckled, nodding, “They’re useful, useful.”

【So Master customizing clothes in the style she likes is really efficient.】

【Where did this little puppy come from? So cute.】

【I, who am strong all my life, will never admit that I am harder to raise than that little puppy!】

【What to do when being mocked by a dog?】

【Wait, its name is Xiao Wu? (Little Five?)】

【Why does Xiao Wu sometimes look a bit familiar?】

Time and again, time and again!

Ran Fanyin tightly clenched her fist. How many times had it been! Even this time, the first thing she did whenever something happened was to see how she was, not caring about her own safety at all. How was she supposed to feel?

Oh, she couldn’t say the pre-battle argument was useless. It was useful; it served to add another constraint to her, to add another layer of danger.

She slowly exhaled, trying to suppress the turbulent spiritual power churning in her meridians.

Please, at least let her wait for her silly disciple.

Please.

Before long, the spiritual light gradually faded. Amidst the sky full of burning embers, the woman in green stood tall and graceful, looking up at the gradually clearing sky.

Not bad. Finally, I waited.

Ran Fanyin let out a sigh of relief. The spiritual power she had suppressed for so long was unrestrained in that moment, surging forth from her heart.

Ning Songwu merely took one step towards the direction where the two were standing. The next moment, the woman suddenly slumped backward, startling both of them. She almost rushed forward, but when she was only three steps away, she heard the woman’s weak voice—

“You, leave…”

Ning Songwu looked at her in surprise, “Master, we…”

Blood bloomed at the corner of her lips. Ran Fanyin forced herself to stand, leaning on something for support, and said coldly, “I said, if you left that gate, our relationship as Master and Disciple ends here.”

He Lan was stunned. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say. She even forgot how to breathe, stumbling out a few words, “Senior Sister, what are you doing?”

Ning Songwu anxiously said, “But, Master, your body, you are…”

“I managed just fine without you for all those years,” Ran Fanyin sneered, tightening her grip on He Lan Mianmian’s hand. “Mianmian, let’s go. As for this… inner disciple.”

“Let her be.”

He Lan couldn’t disobey her. She could only follow, supporting her as they left this space, all the while trying to give a meaningful look to the person who was frozen in place.

Silly child, hurry up and follow! Hurry up and appease her!

But the child was truly too foolish. She missed that look, which instead drew Ran Fanyin’s gaze. Ran Fanyin’s expression turned cold as she asked her, “Are your eyes broken?”

“Ah, ah, they’re a little itchy…”

“Then have Qin Siyue check them later.”

“Ah, ah… okay.”

He Lan looked at Ning Songwu helplessly.

She didn’t know what exactly happened between the two of them, but clearly, it wouldn’t be easy to appease her.

Keep going, little fool.

Yes, yes, nothing bad happened.

That was because there were many variables, because a variable like Xiao Wanchen could figure out a way to rush over from the vicinity of Qiping City, because of many variables.

What if they weren’t there?

If it weren’t for Xiao Wanchen, Ning Songwu might have already been severely wounded beyond cure by Venerable Wu Yan.

When would she ever realize that what her Master wanted wasn’t how obedient or how well-behaved she was? What she wanted was for her to pay a little, just a little, attention to her own life, and not always rush to the forefront to die.

And especially not choose such a dangerous, even likely fatal, possibility right in front of so many people who loved her.

She could understand, but she couldn’t help but be angry.

She understood the responsibility of a cultivator, but she was angry at someone who didn’t cherish herself.

It was irreparable.

And the girl quickly reacted, sighing softly.

Qin Siyue had to run to every peak these days. Her own few disciples were simply not enough. The Medicine Sect came to help, but so many injured—plus some people from other sects who paid extremely expensive fees to stay at Shangyun Sect for treatment—were waiting for the medical cultivators.

They were like hungry little pups waiting to be fed.

Yet, this Elder on Chaomu Peak only had minor injuries but her internal spiritual energy disorder showed no significant improvement. She still had to check her pulse daily to see if she was feeling better, or if there was finally a sign that she was about to die.

Regrettably, neither was the case.

Just as constant as the disorder of her spiritual energy was Ning Songwu, kneeling outside the courtyard gate regardless of wind, rain, or fierce sun. She stood proud and unyielding. It was unclear if she had truly recognized her mistake, but her desire to return to the peak was clearly almost sincere.

This time, even Qin Siyue, who was usually indifferent to such matters, instinctively slowed her steps. After a long hesitation, she sighed and walked up to Ning Songwu, saying helplessly, “What good is kneeling here, except to hurt yourself?”

Ning Songwu suppressed her tears. Her clear eyes were filled with mist. She seemed to have said nothing, yet also said everything.

Qin Siyue was utterly helpless.

She knew that these matters of love and affection were the hardest to understand!

Look at them. These two are sulking and taking it out on their bodies. One is kneeling herself to external injuries, and the other, angry, cannot regulate her internal organs properly. It won’t be fatal, but dragging it out like this is ultimately not good.

Qin Siyue simply manifested a rattan chair, sat down in front of Ning Songwu, and coldly ordered, “Stand up.”

“Ning Songwu, stand up.”

The girl just stubbornly shook her head, absolutely refusing to stand.

Her mouth was truly locked with an iron bar.

Qin Siyue gave a short laugh, raised her hand, and summoned two rattan vines, directly hoisting the person up. Her knees finally lifted off the ground, which she had literally knelt an indentation into, leaving two pools of moisture that sharply contrasted with the blurred, painful marks on her knees. Even Qin Siyue, an uninvolved party, found it deeply distressing to look at.

She sighed heavily and said, “You don’t even understand why she is angry. What good is you foolishly kneeling here?”

“Master…” The person who hadn’t opened her mouth for a long time suddenly spoke, her voice deep and hoarse, “She is angry that I was disobedient… that I didn’t listen to her words…”