After the Demon Lord was Reborn, She Switched to a Master-Disciple Romance Script - Chapter 29

Xun Juexue smiled faintly, unconcerned. “I’ve already eaten.”

Her soft lips parted, and the warm breath she exhaled made Zhu Jiyun’s fingers curl involuntarily.

Zhu Jiyun suddenly realized that touching her Master like this wasn’t proper.

Glancing sideways, she saw that her Master didn’t seem angry, and Zhu Jiyun secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

But…

Zhu Jiyun quietly tucked her hand behind her back, rubbing her fingers together a few times. They felt numb.

She shook her head slightly and sat down across from her Master, pouring herself a cup of water and drinking it to soothe her dry throat.

She wanted to ask her Master what had happened in Kangtuo and why she looked so unwell upon her return. But her Master hadn’t brought it up herself, and Zhu Jiyun worried that asking would yield no answers, or worse, prompt her Master to comfort her instead.

Better to let it go.

She couldn’t bear to see her Master, pale and unwell, trying to reassure her.

So, Zhu Jiyun kept her eyes fixed on the tea leaves swirling in her cup and asked about Yue Changqiu’s case: “Master, has Elder Yue’s matter been entrusted to the Sect Leader?”

Xun Juexue wasn’t surprised by her question.

“Yes, as Sect Leader, your Martial Aunt is responsible for handling such matters within the Sect.”

She remembered that it was her disciple who had first uncovered clues about this incident in the Human Realm. On her very first mission, the young woman had witnessed the Cultivation World’s darkest side. It was only natural for her to feel troubled and want to know the final outcome.

Xun Juexue looked at her and said, “If you want to know what happens next, you can follow your Martial Aunt and observe how she handles the situation.”

Zhu Jiyun replied, “So Master won’t be involved anymore? That’s good. Now Master can rest properly in the Hall of Unforgettable Solitude.”

A fleeting trace of melancholy crossed Xun Juexue’s eyes before being replaced by deep loathing.

Though her relationship with Yue Changqiu had been merely cordial, they were still old acquaintances who had known each other for over a thousand years.

To see him fall so low was shocking.

But the fact that a Sect Elder had committed such vile acts filled her with utter disgust.

“I erected a barrier around Jade Horizon Peak immediately after returning to Qingmiao Sect. Your Martial Aunt knows what to do from here.”

“If you want to go, go down the mountain. If your Martial Aunt asks, tell her I gave you permission.”

Zhu Jiyun shook her head. “Master, if Elder Yue really did such a thing, will he die?”

Xun Juexue answered without hesitation, “Yes.”

If someone committed such heinous crimes and was allowed to live, wouldn’t that be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains, allowing him to continue researching dark arts? Neither her Junior Sister nor the other Elders of Qingmiao Sect would tolerate Yue Changqiu’s continued existence.

Hearing this, Zhu Jiyun’s eyes flickered, a hint of satisfaction in her heart. “Then I won’t go. I want to stay on Forgotten Solitude Peak and keep Master company.”

Xun Juexue paused, surprised. “I don’t need you to keep me company.”

Her words sounded as if she were treating Zhu Jiyun like a child who needed supervision.

Despite her words, the slight upturn of her lips betrayed her true feelings.

Seeing this, Zhu Jiyun smiled. “I’m staying on Forgotten Solitude Peak to keep you company, Master. Don’t send me down the mountain!”

But beneath her smile, a trace of worry remained hidden.

Another night fell, the stars and moon hanging high in the windless sky.

Zhu Jiyun stood on the veranda, not returning to her room to rest.

Master coughed several times today, she thought.

Twice, he even covered his mouth with his sleeve, hiding it from her view.

This evasive gesture stirred unsettling thoughts in Zhu Jiyun’s mind.

Kangtuo… What was Kangtuo like over a century ago?

What kind of domineering Malignant Qi could afflict even the foremost figure in the Cultivation World to such an extent?

And how did such potent Malignant Qi dissipate completely?

A barrage of questions flooded her mind.

Zhu Jiyun exhaled deeply, her grip tightening unconsciously on the railing as her thoughts spiraled deeper.

After a long moment, she turned and slowly walked through the moonlight to her Master’s door.

Inside, Xun Juexue, who hadn’t been asleep, heard the familiar footsteps outside and sighed softly.

“Ji Yun, come in.”

Caught by her Master, Zhu Jiyun felt no embarrassment. As she pushed open the door, she saw that Xun Juexue had already lit the room.

Xun Juexue looked at her. “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Zhu Jiyun lowered her gaze slightly. “I can’t sleep.”

When you overthink things in the middle of the night, it’s hard to fall asleep.

Xun Juexue looked at her, remembering Ning Huaizhu as a child. When her junior sister had first come to the mountain with their master, she was afraid and couldn’t sleep at night. Too timid to seek out their master, she would pitifully come to Xun Juexue instead. Unable to leave her junior sister alone and sleepless, Xun Juexue had awkwardly tried to help the little girl fall asleep.

Now her disciple couldn’t sleep either, but she was all grown up.

Xun Juexue glanced up, seeing her disciple’s slender, forlorn silhouette cast by the candlelight.

Her heart softened, and she asked, “Do you need Master to sing you to sleep?”

Zhu Jiyun had never considered such a thing.

But she looked up, her eyes shining. “Master, would you?”

“With you by my side, I’m sure I’ll fall asleep quickly.”

Xun Juexue stared at her, speechless.

Zhu Jiyun felt a little embarrassed.

But when she remembered that the person before her was her kind master, she decided there was no need for modesty.

She fidgeted with her fingers, almost like she was trying to sell herself. “I’m young and full of energy. If we sleep together, you definitely won’t be cold.”

With that, she gazed expectantly at her master.

Faced with her disciple’s pitiful, puppy-dog eyes, Xun Juexue quickly relented.

She glanced sideways and said in a low voice, “Come here.”

Zhu Jiyun’s eyes lit up with joy, and she scampered over.

Although her Master’s bed wasn’t particularly large, it was more than enough for two people.

Zhu Jiyun took off her shoes and slipped under the covers. The faint, cool fragrance that belonged to her Master filled her senses, bringing her a sense of profound peace.

Her heart softened involuntarily.

Xun Juexue lowered her gaze, watching her disciple sniff around like a puppy. Feeling a little awkward, her ears began to itch.

She tugged at the blanket and said in a deep voice, “Since you returned from the Human Realm, you’ve become rather clingy.”

Both Master and disciple knew perfectly well that the excuses about soothing her to sleep and warming the bed were just that: excuses.

The truth was that the little disciple had become overly attached to her Master, and worried about her excessively.

Zhu Jiyun pulled the blanket up to her face, revealing only her bright, glistening eyes. “It’s because I never feel like I have enough time with Master. I want to stay with you always.”

This directness struck Xun Juexue’s heart, making it soften once again.

She sighed and changed the subject. “You’ve been pacing outside my door all night. Did you hear anything?”

Zhu Jiyun’s eyes darkened. “Master’s been coughing a lot. She doesn’t seem well.”

Xun Juexue touched Zhu Jiyun’s forehead. “That’s because I’m recovering. My spiritual power is healing itself, which causes the coughing. It’ll pass in a few days.”

Zhu Jiyun blinked, then suddenly turned sideways, reaching under the covers to wrap her arm around her Master’s slender waist.

Xun Juexue stiffened.

Her first instinct was to push Zhu Jiyun away with a gentle scold.

“I’ve been wanting to say this for a while,” Zhu Jiyun said. “Master’s waist is too thin, and her body is too frail. It’s not good.”

Xun Juexue’s expression darkened. She released Zhu Jiyun’s hand and seized the opportunity to lecture her. “Don’t touch me so casually. What kind of disciple behaves like that?”

Zhu Jiyun tilted her head to look up at her. “But I was just measuring and comparing.”

Xun Juexue paused. “Don’t do it again.”

“Okay,” Zhu Jiyun replied.

Just as she withdrew her hand and retreated, she saw her Master sit up.

Xun Juexue said calmly, “I’ll meditate here and watch over you. Go back to sleep.”

Zhu Jiyun opened her mouth to say something, but Xun Juexue cut her off again. “Since you’re already here and can see with your own eyes that I’m fine, you can rest easy and go to sleep.”

Zhu Jiyun felt a pang of disappointment. She had hoped to share a bed with her Master tonight. After all, opportunities to be so close to her Master were rare.

But since her Master had spoken, as a disciple, she had no choice but to obey.

Fortunately, the bedding still carried her Master’s scent. Zhu Jiyun buried herself in it, finding some comfort in the lingering fragrance.

She tugged the blanket around her, closed her eyes, and whispered, “Good night, Master.”

“Mm,” Xun Juexue replied.

Silence settled over the room.

After a long moment, when she heard her disciple’s breathing even out into a steady rhythm, Xun Juexue opened her eyes and gazed at Zhu Jiyun’s peaceful sleeping face.

It was only when Zhu Jiyun had reached out and touched her arm that Xun Juexue suddenly realized allowing her disciple to share the bed, even out of momentary softness, had been unwise.

Thankfully, she had reacted in time.

She closed her eyes and quietly meditated.

The next morning, when Zhu Jiyun woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.

The room was empty except for her. Her Master was gone.

She threw back the covers, put on her shoes, and went to her own room to wash up. Then she took her sword to the back courtyard to practice. She had progressed from the early to mid-eighth layer of the Carefree Sword Manual. When her arms began to ache, she finally put down her sword.

Her dantian had been faintly warm ever since her fight with Zhao Qianfan. Zhu Jiyun knew this was a sign of the Golden Core Formation. Once the Golden Core fully formed in her dantian, she would need to undergo Tribulation Crossing.

Thunder Tribulation only occurred during the Golden Core Stage, but Zhu Jiyun had already experienced Golden Core Formation before. She wasn’t too worried about the minor Thunder Tribulation that came with this stage.

As she returned to the front, she happened to see Sect Leader Ning approaching.

Zhu Jiyun bowed respectfully. “Martial Aunt.”

Ning Huaizhu nodded. “Where’s your Master?”

Zhu Jiyun turned to point the way, but just then, she saw her Master’s figure.

White hair danced in the wind, and her plain robes billowed like a celestial being descending from the heavens.

Ning Huaizhu saw her too.

She nodded to Zhu Jiyun and walked toward Xun Juexue.

Knowing they had something to discuss, likely about Yue Changqiu, Zhu Jiyun wasn’t in a hurry. She knew her Master would tell her about it later anyway.

Zhu Jiyun pondered the Ice Soul Snow Lotus she had retrieved from her Master’s storeroom yesterday. Having heard of its remarkable efficacy in stabilizing spirits and healing injuries, she decided to prepare it with other medicinal herbs in the small kitchen, stewing it into a nourishing soup for her Master.

Though Zhu Jiyun had practiced alchemy for two lifetimes without success, her mastery of fire control was unparalleled. Applying this skill to stewing soup was effortless, like second nature.

As she ladled the finished soup into a bowl, the clear, fragrant aroma of the Ice Soul Snow Lotus Soup filled the air, its refreshing scent permeating her senses. A flicker of satisfaction flashed in Zhu Jiyun’s eyes.

Carefully placing the lid on the bowl, she calculated that her Martial Aunt would likely have departed by now, given her usual habits. With utmost caution, she carried the tray to find her Master.

However, as she rounded the corner of the corridor, she overheard her Martial Aunt’s suppressed voice:

“None of the spiritual medicines have had any effect? I should have realized…”

Zhu Jiyun lost interest in the rest of the conversation. Her mind was consumed by the phrase “None of the spiritual medicines have had any effect.”

No effect?

How could they have no effect?

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