After the Demon Lord was Reborn, She Switched to a Master-Disciple Romance Script - Chapter 33

Back at the Hall of Unforgettable Solitude, Zhu Jiyun carefully examined her Master from head to toe.

Xun Juexue allowed her junior disciple to scrutinize her, though she felt a little awkward.

She knew exactly why her disciple was doing this.

But precisely because she understood, a faint, uncontrollable resentment stirred within her.

If you knew your Master’s health was poor, how could you just leave on a whim and stay away for so many days?

The moment this thought surfaced, Xun Juexue startled and quickly suppressed it.

How could a Master think such a thing about her disciple?

She raised her hand and took a sip of the steeped tea. The usually sweet and refreshing Jade Green Clear Tea now tasted inexplicably bitter.

Xun Juexue frowned slightly and set down the teacup.

Zhu Jiyun looked around and noticed that her Master indeed seemed much healthier than when she had left.

Gazing at her Master, who remained as radiant and composed as ever, she asked, “Master, how is the refinement of the Malignant Qi in your body progressing?”

Xun Juexue replied calmly, “There has been some progress.”

Zhu Jiyun pursed her lips.

Of course. I’ve only been gone for less than half a month. How could such a formidable Malignant Qi be refined so easily?

Even a little progress is good.

Thinking this, Zhu Jiyun took a small wooden box from her Cosmic Pouch.

Xun Juexue looked at the object before her. “What’s this?”

The Medicinal Pill before her was pure white and flawless, without a trace of impurity. A faint, refreshing fragrance drifted from it, filling her senses. Xun Juexue, having lived for so many years and seen so much, recognized at a glance that this pill was no ordinary item, despite never having encountered one like it before.

“Primordial Return Pill,” Zhu Jiyun said, lifting her gaze to meet her Master’s. “It’s called the Primordial Return Pill. I obtained it by chance. Since the Sect’s medicines haven’t helped Master’s injuries, I thought I’d try this one.”

“Primordial Return Pill?” Xun Juexue had never heard of it. She studied the exquisitely crafted pill. Though her disciple didn’t say where she’d gotten it, she knew such a rare treasure couldn’t have been easily acquired.

She shook her head, refusing. “Master has already taken many rare Spirit Medicines, but none have worked. Keep this Primordial Return Pill for yourself.”

Zhu Jiyun opened her mouth to protest.

Xun Juexue looked at her. “Be obedient. You’ll need Spirit Medicines for the trials ahead.”

But what did that matter? The Primordial Return Pill only held meaning because it was for her Master.

Seeing that her Master was determined not to accept her kindness, Zhu Jiyun’s eyes flickered. She abruptly stood up, leaned forward, and with lightning speed, pinched her Master’s delicate chin with one hand while shoving the Primordial Return Pill into her mouth with the other.

Xun Juexue had never been wary of her disciple. If anyone else had dared to do such a thing, she would have sent them flying thirty meters with a flick of her sleeve. But this was her own disciple.

Her eyes widened slightly, too surprised to react. She only felt her chin being lifted, soft fingertips brushing her lips, and then a round pill being pushed into her mouth. She swallowed it reflexively, the pill sliding down her throat.

After shoving the pill in, Zhu Jiyun hastily withdrew her hand.

The warm tip of her Master’s tongue had seemed to accidentally brush against her fingertip.

The mere thought of that moment sent a blush surging up Zhu Jiyun’s neck.

Xun Juexue snapped back to her senses, momentarily furious. “Zhu Jiyun, you—”

She stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing their current position.

Her disciple was looking down at her, her bright eyes darting away, unable to meet her gaze directly.

That wasn’t the most important thing.

Her disciple’s hand was still gripping her chin, refusing to let go.

This was the kind of lecherous gesture a scoundrel would use to harass someone, yet her usually obedient little disciple was using it on her own Master.

Xun Juexue was furious.

Her eyes trembled slightly, and a flush of anger rose on her face as she demanded, “Is this how you show respect to your Master?”

Zhu Jiyun followed her Master’s gaze downward, realizing what her hand was still doing. As if burned by scalding water, she jerked her meddling hand away.

But a red mark remained on her Master’s pale chin.

Zhu Jiyun couldn’t resist stealing another glance.

Seeing that small red mark against her Master’s snow-white skin, an inexplicable ripple stirred in her heart.

What’s wrong with me?

Shouldn’t I feel guilty?

Why is there a hint of… joy?

Zhu Jiyun averted her gaze, pressed her lips together, and suppressed the strange emotions churning within her.

But Xun Juexue was still watching her intently. When she saw her disciple dare to look at her chin again, her delicate eyebrows furrowed. She suddenly remembered what her disciple had confessed about following Zhao Qianfan.

She had said Zhao Qianfan and his companion had been indulging in pleasure at the brothel for three days.

Wouldn’t that disciple who had been spying and gathering information have spent a considerable amount of time in the brothel as well?

Xun Juexue had never considered this before. Firstly, her disciple had always been obedient, still appearing in her eyes as a little girl who clung to her Master. Secondly, the disciple had been on official business, so there couldn’t possibly be any ulterior motives.

But the disciple’s fluid, practiced movements just now forced Xun Juexue to reconsider.

Could it be that her disciple picked up some bad habits in a place like the Human Realm?

With this thought, Xun Juexue’s gaze toward Zhu Jiyun calmed.

The beautiful, peach-blossom-like expression vanished in an instant, replaced by her usual cool, aloof demeanor, untouchable and pure.

Xun Juexue asked sternly, “Ji Yun, tell me honestly. When you were spying on Zhao Qianfan in the Human Realm, did you learn anything you shouldn’t have?”

“…Huh?”

Zhu Jiyun paused, unsure why her Master was asking this.

Hadn’t she told her Master everything she did?

To Xun Juexue, her silence seemed like fear of admitting the truth.

A flicker of irritation stirred within her.

For the past two weeks, her disciple claimed she was checking on Ji Nianyan in the Human Realm. Was that just an excuse? Had she been going somewhere else entirely?

Xun Juexue softened her tone. “Don’t be afraid. I’m just worried about you and want to understand what’s been happening. Even if you’ve learned or done something you shouldn’t have, I won’t scold you.”

Yes, she wouldn’t scold me.

Beneath the wide sleeves of her robe, Xun Juexue’s hand slowly clenched into a fist.

She found her own behavior utterly strange.

If her disciple had picked up bad habits, she should be angry.

But why did this anger feel so… restless?

Zhu Jiyun met her master’s unwavering gaze, her peripheral vision catching the fading mark on Xun Juexue’s chin. In a flash of insight, she finally understood the hidden meaning behind her master’s words.

A wave of relief washed over her. She had feared her master had discovered something more.

Zhu Jiyun spoke frankly. “Master, what do you mean by ‘something I shouldn’t have done’? When I was watching Zhao Qianfan at Lingyan Pavilion, I only gathered information. I didn’t do anything else.”

Seeing that Zhu Jiyun remembered the name of the brothel so clearly, Xun Juexue asked, “How did you gather information?”

Zhu Jiyun hesitated. Bringing such matters before her master, who embodied purity and righteousness, felt inappropriate.

But her master’s expression…

Zhu Jiyun paused. “I disguised myself as a pleasure-seeking man and went inside to gather information.”

Hearing Zhu Jiyun’s explanation, Xun Juexue’s heart tightened slightly. “You…”

How should she phrase her question appropriately?

This was her first time taking a disciple, and her first time encountering a situation where a disciple might have picked up bad habits. Xun Juexue had no experience with this.

Zhu Jiyun now fully understood what her Master wanted to ask. With this understanding came a sense of relief, but also a faint, unfamiliar feeling.

This feeling arose spontaneously, almost instinctively.

Zhu Jiyun suppressed the urge to delve deeper into it, naturally embracing this unexpected emotion.

She lifted her gaze, glancing softly at her Master. “I simply paid a girl at the Pleasure Quarter to sit beside me while I drank. I got her drunk and coaxed information out of her.”

Xun Juexue’s heart eased slightly, and she nodded.

“But…” Zhu Jiyun continued.

Xun Juexue looked at her, her usually cold and composed eyes concealing a trace of anxiety even she herself didn’t realize.

Zhu Jiyun’s lips curved faintly, as if teasingly asking for reassurance. “Master, while I was getting information, I noticed the men in the Pleasure Quarter all had girls on either side. So I used my folding fan to lift the girl’s chin, trying to look as practiced as possible to avoid suspicion. Does that count as learning things I shouldn’t have?”

“So,” Xun Juexue asked, “you used your folding fan?”

Zhu Jiyun nodded, explaining without hesitation, “Yes, I have no interest in that girl. Besides, I don’t understand why anyone would want to touch someone they don’t like. The fan was my only option.”

But her disciple had just pinched her chin with his hand.

Thinking of this, Xun Juexue blurted out, “Then why—” Why did you use such perfect force, and why were your movements so practiced?

But her reason returned in time, and she realized such a question would be inappropriate.

“Why what?” Zhu Jiyun asked, sounding confused.

Xun Juexue shook her head slightly. “Never mind.”

Hearing her disciple’s explanation, the worry in her heart eased.

Zhu Jiyun persisted, “Master, does this count as learning something I shouldn’t have?”

Xun Juexue released her hand from beneath her sleeve. “No, it doesn’t.”

She had been overthinking things.

Still…

“If you encounter a similar situation again, remember that when no one is around, you can use your Spiritual Power to gather information.”

This way, she wouldn’t have to disguise herself as a man and personally visit brothels to gather information.

Xun Juexue offered this earnest guidance for her disciple’s physical and mental well-being.

My disciple is still too young to be exposed to such things so early, she thought.

Zhu Jiyun nodded obediently. “I’ll always listen to Master.”

Xun Juexue glanced at her. “If you truly listened to me, you wouldn’t have shoved that Primordial Return Pill into my mouth just now.”

Zhu Jiyun fell silent.

Her attempt to act clever and obedient hadn’t made her master forget the earlier incident.

She simply walked around the tea table and slowly knelt beside her master’s knees, pressing close and pleading, “It’s because I wanted Master to recover quickly. The thought of Master remaining unwell for so long made me feel terrible. I just wanted to give you all the best things. Seeing you healthy and well is what makes me happy.”

Xun Juexue remained silent.

Her fingertips trembled slightly as she listened to her disciple’s heartfelt words. The last trace of anger in her heart completely vanished.

Her hand, which had been hovering in the air, slowly reached out to caress her disciple’s smooth, fair cheek. But just as her fingertips were about to touch it, her hand curved mid-air, instead gently brushing aside the stray strands of hair framing her disciple’s forehead.

She sighed softly. “You’re so thoughtful.”

As she spoke, Xun Juexue’s heart felt like a soft, tangy berry, both sweet and sour.

Hearing this, Zhu Jiyun looked up, her hand sliding upward until she was slowly wrapping her arms around her master’s slender waist.

“It’s because Master is too good to me,” she murmured, her voice muffled against her master’s abdomen.

Master is too good to me, she thought. That’s why I always want to repay her in some way.

Xun Juexue stiffened slightly when Zhu Jiyun embraced her waist, but it wasn’t the first time her disciple had done this. She quickly relaxed.

I’ll indulge her this once, she thought.

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