After the Demon Lord was Reborn, She Switched to a Master-Disciple Romance Script - Chapter 20

Despite her joy, Zhu Jiyun remained steadfast in her lifelong ambition.

With clear, unwavering eyes, she suddenly spoke, her voice tinged with shyness and apprehension. “If the path I find differs from what Master envisions, would she be disappointed?”

Xun Juexue looked puzzled. “Why would I be disappointed?”

The Great Dao has three thousand paths, each person destined to find their own. As long as one doesn’t betray their true nature or harm living beings, no one, not even a master, has the right to interfere with a disciple’s path.

Zhu Jiyun lowered her head, as if afraid to meet her master’s gaze. But she quickly lifted it again, her beautiful eyes fixed on the master she dared only look up to. The light in her eyes shone with unhidden brilliance. “Master is a revered genius in the Cultivation World, known for her diligence and dedication to the well-being of all living things. She inspires awe in everyone. Yet as her disciple, my path is one of freedom and unrestraint, drifting with the wind and following only my heart. Compared to Master’s path, my pursuit might seem unambitious, perhaps even tarnishing her reputation.”

Xun Juexue frowned, clearly disagreeing with her words.

“Your Master’s path is her own, and your path is yours. There’s no rule that Master and Disciple must follow the same path. Besides, how can a path of freedom and unrestraint be described as lacking ambition?” After a moment, she looked at Zhu Jiyun with approval. “Still, I’m glad you were honest with me about this.”

Yet a flicker of doubt flashed through her mind.

Observing her disciple’s actions, Xun Juexue sensed a strange dissonance with the path she herself sought.

But she quickly dismissed the thought.

Zhu Jiyun couldn’t help but grin at her.

Her smile was so radiant it seemed to burn the eyes, but in the perpetually cold and desolate Hall of Unforgettable Solitude, it precisely banished the chill, bringing a warmth as brilliant as sunlight.

Seeing that smile, Xun Juexue couldn’t help but soften her gaze.

Zhu Jiyun, still beaming, exclaimed, “Master, you’re the best!”

Xun Juexue cleared her throat, tapped the table, and handed her the book of sword techniques. “This is a sword art I’ve prepared for you. Though your path is free and unrestrained, you must still apply yourself diligently and practice diligently.”

Zhu Jiyun: “……”

For over half a year at Azure Phoenix Courtyard, she had coasted through every class except Pill Refinement. With so many students, the instructors rarely paid attention to each individual.

Now that she was about to switch from group classes to one-on-one private tutoring, Zhu Jiyun wanted to try to get out of it.

Not for any particular reason, just so she wouldn’t have to work so hard.

“Master, how many hours do I need to practice each day?”

Xun Juexue seemed to see through her attempt to slack off. In the blink of an eye, she shortened the previously agreed-upon time. “How about six hours?”

Six hours…

Zhu Jiyun’s face fell slightly. She asked tentatively, “…How about three hours?”

Xun Juexue was speechless. Even though she felt sorry for her disciple’s still-healing injuries and wanted her to adjust gradually, Zhu Jiyun’s immediate request to cut the time in half left her stunned.

Seeing her Master’s expression turn cold, Zhu Jiyun quickly changed her tune. “Six hours it is!”

She said it with such determination, it would have been more convincing if her originally radiant, peach-blossom-like face hadn’t looked so pitiful.

Her large, expressive eyes blinked, as if tears were about to well up at any moment.

For some reason, seeing her act so insincerely, Xun Juexue’s rising anger vanished instantly.

This little girl really should be more cheerful.

“Five hours.”

Zhu Jiyun: “Huh?”

Completely unaware that her Master had already decided she was a little girl, Zhu Jiyun’s face lit up with joy. Afraid her Master might change her mind, she quickly agreed, “Yes, Master!”

She eagerly grabbed the sword manual her Master had handed her across the table. With a graceful movement, she floated down from her seat to the open courtyard outside the pavilion. Holding the manual, she smiled brightly at her Master and asked, “Master, can I start practicing now?”

Xun Juexue nodded.

Standing at a slight distance, Zhu Jiyun could only clearly see her Master’s movements and the faint expression on her face. She missed the sparkling amusement in those clear, bright eyes.

Seeing her Master’s approval, Zhu Jiyun opened the manual, thinking she’d finish her practice early and be done with it.

But as she flipped through the first few pages, she found herself irresistibly drawn to the manual’s profound and intricate sword techniques. Before she knew it, she was completely absorbed.

Time slipped away unnoticed. When Zhu Jiyun finally pulled herself out of that mystical state and looked up, a deep, searching light flashed in her eyes.

“Master,” she called out to the figure beneath the pavilion, holding up the sword manual, “did you create this specifically for me?”

******

In her previous life, after becoming an inner sect disciple, Zhu Jiyun had spent considerable time studying the Qingmiao Sect’s sword manuals in the library. Yet she had no memory of ever encountering a sword technique so exquisitely refined and perfectly tailored to her own style.

It was obvious where this sword manual had come from.

Xun Juexue nodded, explaining, “Even back in the Human Realm, I noticed your exceptional talent in the Sword Dao. You could create your own sword techniques even before formal training. To ensure your talent wouldn’t be wasted, other sword manuals wouldn’t suit you. Fortunately, I have a deep understanding of the Sword Dao, so I created this manual specifically for you.”

She answered Zhu Jiyun’s question plainly, without any hint of boasting or seeking praise. It was as if this was simply what a master should do for their disciple. Yet Zhu Jiyun couldn’t help but feel a stirring in her heart.

Taking a few steps closer to her master, Zhu Jiyun asked, her expression unchanged, “Master, may I ask when you began creating this sword manual?”

“I started when I first considered taking you as my disciple,” Xun Juexue replied.

Far from being deterred, Zhu Jiyun took a few more steps forward, her curiosity piqued. “Then… Master, when did you first consider taking me as your disciple?”

Xun Juexue fell silent.

A strange feeling suddenly stirred within her.

Though her little disciple was merely asking out of curiosity, Xun Juexue felt a forceful, almost aggressive energy emanating from her.

Yet when she looked again, Zhu Jiyun’s face was clearly filled with innocent curiosity.

Xun Juexue carefully chose her words. “The day I asked if you wanted to become my disciple.”

Zhu Jiyun blinked, mentally calculating the time. She looked at Xun Juexue with admiration. “Master, you’re amazing! You created such a perfect sword manual for me in such a short time!”

So Master had already decided to take me on so early?

Sigh, if my backing is this solid, why did I work myself to death trying to prove myself?

Zhu Jiyun couldn’t help but regret her past efforts.

The System picked up on her internal grumbling and, recalling Zhu Jiyun’s fierce performance at Heart-Questioning Cliff, shrank back inwardly.

Host, you’re such a hypocrite! You clearly enjoyed that!

Facing this blunt praise again, Xun Juexue’s snow-white earlobes flushed with a faint, barely noticeable pink, completely hidden beneath her soft, cool hair.

She lowered her gaze and said calmly, “Flattery will get you nowhere.”

Zhu Jiyun wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. Though they had only known each other briefly, she had already grasped her Master’s temperament. To those she was close to, Xun Juexue might appear cold and aloof, but she was actually quite tolerant.

And conveniently, Zhu Jiyun was now her Master’s favored little disciple.

Mm, my only little disciple.

Zhu Jiyun took this as a sweet compliment, her eyes curving into a smile. She drew her sword and said, “Master, I’ll start first.”

Following the sword forms imprinted in her mind, Zhu Jiyun quickly became immersed in this profound sea of swordsmanship.

No wonder it’s a sword manual created by Immortal Venerable Qingwu himself!

It’s truly marvelous!

As Xun Juexue watched Zhu Jiyun’s movements, a rare sense of admiration and pride welled up within her.

Though she wasn’t one easily swayed by external emotions, at that moment, seeing her disciple wield the sword manual she had painstakingly created with such graceful ease, Xun Juexue couldn’t help but think, She truly is the disciple I chose.

But as soon as the thought arose, she suppressed it, feeling a sudden awkwardness.

Her disciple’s current excellence is clearly the result of her own hard work. What does it have to do with me?

Xun Juexue’s gaze remained clear and her expression icy, making it nearly impossible to discern the admiration and praise hidden beneath her impassive facade.

Only the faint softening in her eyes, like melting ice, betrayed a hint of her true feelings.

Zhu Jiyun focused intently on the sword manual in her Sea of Consciousness and the sword in her hand. After practicing the basic forms, she finally began to sense a subtle awkwardness and stiffness in her movements.

This was normal, she thought, since it was her first time practicing.

Just as Zhu Jiyun was thinking this, she suddenly heard her Master call for her to stop.

She stood still, not even having time to wipe the fine sweat from her forehead, when she saw her Master slowly approach, her brow slightly furrowed, bringing with her a refreshing, cool fragrance.

“I’ve been watching your sword forms,” her Master said. “Why does your sword intent feel stagnant, as if you haven’t practiced in a long time?”

Zhu Jiyun’s heart skipped a beat.

She had assumed this was a natural consequence of learning a new sword manual and practicing the basic techniques. But she had forgotten that this manual was custom-made for her by Immortal Venerable Qingwu, the most renowned sword master of their era.

There shouldn’t be any stagnation in her sword intent.

She never imagined her Master would notice such a subtle flaw after only a few swings.

A whirlwind of thoughts raced through her mind in an instant. Zhu Jiyun lowered her gaze, a faint blush rising on her cheeks, and stammered, “Master… it might be because I’ve been a bit lazy with my practice lately.”

“Hmm?” Xun Juexue replied.

A bead of sweat slid down Zhu Jiyun’s delicate nose, landing silently on the ground and spreading into a dark spot. She nervously scratched her pale earlobe and said, “Back at the Sect, I was always the most carefree one. Maybe I relied too much on my natural talent and grew complacent with my sword practice.”

It’s said that if you skip practice for one day, only you will know. Skip two days, and your peers will notice. Skip three days, and the audience will know.

Her Master was both a peer and an audience member, and a deeply accomplished practitioner of the art. Her eyes were truly sharp.

“…I understand,” Xun Juexue said, her brow furrowing deeper as she grasped the unspoken meaning.

But then her gaze fell on Zhu Jiyun’s sweat-dampened forehead and cheeks, flushed with a delicate pink like a flawless peach. Cool water, still clinging to her skin, trickled down her fair complexion, making her look especially fresh and alluring. Xun Juexue’s throat involuntarily tightened.

Zhu Jiyun saw her Master’s stern expression, her face grave and radiating an unspoken severity.

“Never let this happen again,” Xun Juexue said. “You must practice diligently. Arrogance will only lead to ruin.”

Zhu Jiyun nodded obediently, her face earnest.

She didn’t notice her Master’s apparent thirst as Xun Juexue turned back to her seat, poured herself another cup of tea, and drank it without any emotions.

Having narrowly avoided a silent crisis, Zhu Jiyun’s tense nerves finally relaxed, and she belatedly felt a wave of fatigue.

I definitely need to unwind tonight! she thought.

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