After the Demon Lord was Reborn, She Switched to a Master-Disciple Romance Script - Chapter 3

The next morning, Ji Nianyan, worried about Zhu Jiyun’s injuries and illness, arrived early to check on her.

If Zhu Jiyun hadn’t firmly insisted the previous night that she needed no assistance, Ji Nianyan would have settled down somewhere in Zhu Jiyun’s room to rest and care for her.

Unfortunately, Zhu Jiyun’s sharp mind quickly discerned the origin of her shocking external wounds and resolutely refused any help.

These injuries were all caused by the spiritual power of that dog Ji Chengyu. Since her rebirth granted her innate healing abilities, there was no need to trouble others with her care.

Especially Ji Nianyan, who had rescued her. The girl looked so thin, practically skin and bones. Zhu Jiyun couldn’t bear to let her waste any more energy on her behalf.

When Ji Nianyan pushed open the door, Zhu Jiyun had just finished putting on her outermost robe.

After deftly tying her sash, Zhu Jiyun looked up, her pale lips parting slightly as she greeted Ji Nianyan, who stood half a head shorter than her: “You’re here? Good morning.”

Ji Nianyan couldn’t help but freeze for a moment.

The previous day, after she and Granny Zeng had settled Zhu Jiyun in the inn room, she had been so preoccupied with Zhu Jiyun’s horrifying injuries that she hadn’t even noticed her appearance.

Seeing Zhu Jiyun, who had already washed up this morning, Ji Nianyan thought her Zhu-jie looked even more beautiful than Princess Yucheng, whom she had glimpsed once in Yu Capital.

Princess Yucheng was renowned throughout Yu Capital for her beauty, attracting countless admirers with her natural grace, delicate features, and radiant charm.

Though Zhu-jie’s complexion was pale, the few strands of jet-black hair framing her face added to her fragile appearance. Yet when Ji Nianyan gazed at her perfectly balanced eyebrows and the delicate, refined profile of her slender face, she couldn’t help but feel dazzled.

But the next moment, noticing Zhu Jiyun standing, Ji Nianyan’s voice grew flustered with concern. “Zhu-jie, why are you up? Your injuries are so severe. Just tell me what you need, and I’ll help you.”

With nimble movements, she hurried over and gently guided Zhu Jiyun back to her seat.

But as her hand reached out, Ji Nianyan remembered the horrifying wounds she had seen yesterday, and her movements faltered.

Zhu Jiyun shook her head slightly, a reassuring smile playing on her lips. “I’m almost fully recovered. See? I can even stand up and dress myself now.”

Ji Nianyan’s large, bright eyes studied her for a few seconds before she suddenly bit her lip and yanked up Zhu Jiyun’s sleeve.

Beneath the layers of overlapping sleeves, the wound remained stubbornly unchanged. Compared to yesterday, however, it had stopped bleeding.

Zhu Jiyun: “……”

Ji Nianyan hadn’t said a word, yet she seemed to have said everything.

Zhu Jiyun coughed softly. “It just looks worse than it is.”

She wasn’t lying.

The miraculous healing effect brought about by her rebirth worked from the inside out. When Zhu Jiyun woke up today, she found that her internal injuries were already much better than the day before. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to get out of bed and dress as if nothing were wrong.

Ji Nianyan remained silent.

Zhu Jiyun continued, “I remember you and Granny Zeng need to travel. Don’t worry about me.”

She didn’t want to burden this kind-hearted girl. Making her delay her journey for no good reason was the last thing Zhu Jiyun wanted.

When Ji Nianyan looked up, tears seemed to glisten in her eyes. “The road will still be there tomorrow, but people won’t.”

Some people, if you wait too long, disappear.

“Besides, your wound isn’t fully healed yet. Every movement must hurt. You may be able to endure it, but that doesn’t mean the pain isn’t real.”

Zhu Jiyun was silenced by Ji Nianyan’s sudden tears.

It had been a long time since she’d seen someone cry like this.

Having spent so long in the Demon Realm, Zhu Jiyun had only ever encountered demons and malevolent spirits. Those demons were always the ones making others cry, never the ones shedding tears themselves.

Moreover, Zhu Jiyun wasn’t the type to cry easily. For many years, she had been practically immune to tears.

Now, suddenly confronted with them, she was momentarily stunned, unable to react.

Granny Zeng’s voice snapped her out of it.

“Did you bully my Miss?!”

Seeing Ji Nianyan’s tears, Granny Zeng’s heart tightened. She protectively pulled Ji Nianyan behind her and glared fiercely at Zhu Jiyun.

Her Miss had been kind enough to rescue this woman and even call a doctor. If this woman of unknown origins had truly bullied her Miss, Granny Zeng would fight to her last breath to seek justice!

Zhu Jiyun opened her mouth to explain, but Ji Nianyan gently pushed Granny Zeng aside, her eyes rimmed with red as she said, “Granny, Sister Zhu didn’t bully me. I just wanted her to rest properly and not worry about traveling.”

Hearing this, Granny Zeng was left speechless.

Zhu Jiyun watched as the woman’s expression shifted rapidly. Granny Zeng finally sighed heavily, her gaze toward Zhu Jiyun neither kind nor hostile, merely complex. “Well, you’re lucky you met my Miss.”

Granny Zeng said firmly, “Just stay here at the inn and focus on recovering. Since Miss is determined to help you, we can afford the lodging. Don’t worry about traveling.”

When she and Miss left Yu Capital, they had brought some silver with them. However, fearing that showing their wealth would attract trouble for the elderly woman and young girl, they had deliberately lived frugally, saving a considerable sum.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jiyun turned to look at Ji Nianyan.

Meeting Zhu Jiyun’s dark eyes, Ji Nianyan murmured softly, “I have money… I just can’t eat.”

That explained her gaunt appearance.

Zhu Jiyun’s gaze shifted between the two women before she smoothly sat on the bed. Reaching behind the pillow, she retrieved a hairpin inlaid with a piece of fine jade.

She offered it to Ji Nianyan, her voice sincere. “Thank you both for taking me in. I have nothing of value except this hairpin, which might fetch some silver. Please accept it, Nianyan-meimei. I can’t bear to accept your kindness without offering something in return.”

Knowing Ji Nianyan’s kind nature, Zhu Jiyun added, “If you refuse, I’ll leave immediately.”

With that, she stood up, as if ready to leave immediately.

Granny Zeng’s sharp eyes instantly recognized that the hairpin was no ordinary trinket. Ji Nianyan, hearing Zhu Jiyun’s words, panicked at the thought of her leaving again. She hurriedly accepted the hairpin, murmuring softly, “Thank you, Sister.”

Zhu Jiyun’s eyes flickered slightly, and she smiled. “I should be thanking you.”

Granny Zeng’s expression softened slightly, but her wariness remained.

Zhu Jiyun pretended not to notice, studying the familiar contours of Ji Nianyan’s face as she gently changed the subject.

******

Zhu Jiyun stayed at the inn for three days, her scars visibly healing at an astonishing rate.

One evening, as the three sat down for dinner, Zhu Jiyun brought up the matter of their journey again.

“I’ve heard that Liulan Mountain holds its Spirit Awakening ceremony every ten years on the ninth day of the ninth month. With less than a month remaining, Xiaoyan, Granny Zeng, you should prepare to depart soon. If you miss it, you’ll have to wait another decade.”

It was now mid-August, and Liulan Mountain was half a month’s journey away on foot. At Ji Nianyan and Granny Zeng’s pace, they would have ample time to arrive, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

In this world, immortals, demons, ghosts, and spirits all coexisted, yet mortals remained confined to their own realm due to their inherent weakness. Ordinary people lived ordinary lives, completely unaware of the cultivators who existed in the greater world. Among mortals, only a select few stumbled upon knowledge of this other realm. Those who wished to pursue cultivation had to travel to the Spirit Awakening sites that opened in the Mortal Realm every ten years, where they would be tested for the presence of a Spiritual Root.

Those with a Spiritual Root would be admitted to the Cultivation World, while those without would be turned away in disappointment.

Granny Zeng raised her deeply wrinkled eyelids and glanced at Zhu Jiyun, secretly thinking, She truly has an extraordinary background. Even knows about Liulan Mountain’s Spirit Awakening ceremony, which only happens once a decade.

Ji Nianyan, less suspicious than Granny Zeng, swallowed the last bite of her meal with difficulty and looked at Zhu Jiyun’s face, which was no longer as pale as it had been three days ago. “Sister, what about you? Aren’t you coming with us?”

“Me?” Zhu Jiyun blinked in surprise. “You want to take me with you?”

Ji Nianyan nodded. “Sister, since you know about this, why not come with us? As long as we have a Spiritual Root, we can cultivate magic and gain the ability to protect ourselves. That way, we can protect ourselves and those around us from harm. If you want to take revenge, you can do that too!”

She still remembered the bloodstained wounds Zhu Jiyun had when they first met, assuming they had been inflicted by ordinary mortals.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jiyun’s first thought was: No matter which world you enter, there will always be the strong and the weak. How can you be so sure that if you enter the Cultivation World, you won’t end up at the very bottom, bullied by everyone?

But when she met Ji Nianyan’s pure, genuinely concerned eyes, she abruptly stopped speaking.

“…I don’t want to cultivate,” Zhu Jiyun said after a long pause. “Birth, aging, illness, and death are natural. I find this way of life quite good. As for revenge, I have no grudges to settle.”

Revenge? Against whom?

Ji Chengyu?

She had already settled the matters of her past life during the great battle.

Besides, he was the male lead, the Child of Destiny, destined to ascend. The story had already written her fate: certain death. Zhu Jiyun only wanted to spend these decades in this life carefree and happy, dying without regrets.

The System in Zhu Jiyun’s mind jolted awake at her words, immediately protesting, “Host, how can you refuse?! Don’t you want to achieve a glorious comeback? Don’t you want all those dog men who wronged you in your past life to fall at your feet, making you the ultimate winner in life?!”

Zhu Jiyun ignored its frantic wails, letting it howl as if the sky were collapsing.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she sneered, “Cultivation? As if you were the one who toiled for two hundred years in my past life, only to die miserably from exhaustion.”

Having lived as a workaholic in her previous life, Zhu Jiyun now simply wanted to coast through this one, embracing the long-lost bliss of being a lazy bum.

The System’s expression instantly crumbled.

It felt its core growing icy, a painful urge to shed digital tears welling up within it.

Zhu Jiyun remained unmoved, watching Ji Nianyan, who was stunned by her words. Her eyes, which seemed to see through everything, curved slightly as she smiled slowly.

“But you’re different. I don’t want to go, so I won’t. You do want to go, so you should. Since you have a desire in your heart, then pursue it with all your might. Xiaoyan, my injuries have mostly healed. You and Granny Zeng should pack your things and prepare to depart.”

A desire in your heart, pursue it with all your might.

Ji Nianyan silently repeated these words in her mind. The image of her mother resurfaced in her thoughts, and she couldn’t help but feel her eyes redden. Yet she nodded firmly.

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