Dreaming with My Aloof Master - Chapter 3

I have failed my disciple. I am willing to accept three lashes as punishment.

Lu Qinghuai froze. He subconsciously took a step back, not even noticing the sharp gravel digging into his skin.

This is completely different from the original story…

[Xiao Xuanqing’s eyes were rimmed with red as he curled up in the corner, utterly lost. Countless venomous snakes coiled around him, their slimy bodies forming a black tide that threatened to swallow him whole.

Yet Xiao Xuanqing didn’t harm a single one. He held onto a sliver of hope.

Master, when will you come for me?]

He looked at the young man before him. The blood splattered on Xiao Xuanqing’s face added a touch of wicked charm to his already exquisite, jade-like features, making him even more alluring.

This otherworldly beauty was now looking at him with absolute trust, as if Lu Qinghuai were the only piece of driftwood in a vast, treacherous sea. Xiao Xuanqing knelt, reaching out a hand. Blood seeped through his slender, elegant fingers and dripped onto the yellow earth.

As if possessed, the Immortal Venerable in his pristine white robes ignored the filth and took Xiao Xuanqing’s hand.

Because I replaced the original character, the plot has changed, Lu Qinghuai realized. The Xiao Xuanqing in front of me seems to be showing his true nature now.

The punishment he had imposed was harsher than the original story. This must have triggered the loss of control over the demonic energy. He had squandered a chance to save the protagonist.

Yet, there was still time to make amends…

Lu Qinghuai’s cool features softened with heartache. “Forgive me, Xuanqing. I arrived too late. Are you hurt anywhere?”

Before he could react, Xiao Xuanqing pulled him into a sudden, tight embrace. Lu Qinghuai couldn’t see his disciple’s face, but he heard his voice trembling with fragile desperation. “Master, I cannot control the demonic energy. It hurts so much. I never meant to harm them.”

“I know,” Lu Qinghuai replied, suppressing his discomfort at the intimate contact. He reached out and gently stroked Xiao Xuanqing’s hair, trying to soothe his disciple’s panic.

But Xiao Xuanqing’s fear didn’t reach his eyes. His tongue flicked out like a snake’s, tasting the faint scent of magnolia in the air. He searched for the source until his gaze locked onto Lu Qinghuai.

A chill ran down Lu Qinghuai’s spine. His heightened instincts made him instinctively pull away from the embrace. “Let’s go to the Cloud-Gazing Platform first.”

The Cloud-Gazing Platform again.

A place of judgment and justice.

A place used only to punish the guilty.

*****

Lu Qinghuai gathered everyone and stood at the highest point of the Cloud-Gazing Platform.

“I have come here to clear my disciple’s name,” he declared. “Shangguan Yi, you have falsely accused your fellow disciple. Zhao Hao, you have stolen the Taiyu Grass. Both of you will be confined to the Spirit Prison and expelled from the sect in three days.”

Lu Qinghuai produced an Image-Recording Pearl. “Shangguan Yi, since you are so skilled with such objects, I will use this to prove your guilt today.”

The pearl projected everything that had happened inside the Yuqing Residence, showing it to the assembled disciples exactly as it had occurred.

Shangguan Yi’s face turned a sickly gray. Zhao Hao, on the other hand, wailed and cried as he was dragged off to the Spirit Prison.

Below the platform, a disciple whispered, “The punishment isn’t that severe. I understand Zhao Hao’s fate, but why is Shangguan Yi reacting like that?”

“You don’t understand,” a slightly older disciple explained. “This is a death sentence for his cultivation. What sect would ever take in a disciple abandoned by their own Sect Leader? Especially when that Sect Leader is none other than Sect Master Qinghuai.”

Even with the evidence laid bare, some disciples still murmured in doubt. “Shangguan Yi could have forged the recording,” one whispered. “Sect Master Qinghuai is far more powerful than him. Who’s to say he didn’t coerce or bribe him into doing it?”

Suddenly, his voice dropped. Lu Qinghuai said coldly, “This is all my fault. I have failed my disciple. I will accept three lashes as punishment.”

If the previous clarification had been understandable, this statement was completely unexpected.

Xiao Xuanqing snapped his head up and stared at Lu Qinghuai, his eyes filled with confusion.

He had already braced himself for another punishment. Even though he had been framed, how could a new disciple like him possibly match the venomous snakes of the Myriad Snake Cave, which the sect had raised for a century?

He couldn’t understand his Master’s actions in this life.

Before he could speak, the soft-hearted Elder Xie intervened first. He gestured for Elder Li to join him in dissuading the Sect Leader. “Senior Brother Sect Leader, you must not do this.”

But Elder Li had already drawn the Cold Cloud Whip. The whip radiated a bone-chilling cold, and its high grade was not to be underestimated. He declared impartially, “Elder Xie, Senior Brother Sect Leader has made a mistake. He should share the punishment.”

“But still, he shouldn’t…”

Crack!

The first lash tore through Lu Qinghuai’s skin. Under the whip’s magical power, the blood froze instantly, and a piercing cold spread from the wound throughout his body. Frost formed on his long eyelashes, creating a fragile and crystalline beauty.

The second lash fell.

The bone-chilling cold seeped into his marrow. Even with his immense cultivation, Lu Qinghuai could barely endure it, his body swaying slightly. Yet he remained as aloof and untouchable as ever. Beneath his white robes, his fingertips curled in agony, but no one could see a trace of his weakness.

Unable to bear the sight, Elder Xie pleaded, “Elder Li, that’s enough. A third lash might damage Senior Brother Sect Leader’s cultivation foundation.”

Hearing this, even Elder Li hesitated, his whip poised but not yet falling.

The punishment was indeed too severe.

But Lu Qinghuai stood tall and elegant, showing no sign of wavering. His raven-black lashes remained lowered as he commanded, “Again.”

The third lash fell.

His eyes flew open in shock, and Lu Qinghuai finally collapsed.

Feeling someone catch him just in time, a faint, almost imperceptible smile touched the corners of his lips before he peacefully lost consciousness.

Xiao Xuanqing, who had caught him, immediately shielded Lu Qinghuai’s body from view, as if he were his own private possession. “Martial Uncle Li, I will take Master to be healed.”

Elder Li frowned, sensing something strange about Xiao Xuanqing’s attitude. But he was a man of rigid principles, concerned only with rewards and punishments. He simply replied, “Go on then. Take good care of Senior Brother Sect Leader.”

“I will certainly ‘take good care’ of Master,” Xiao Xuanqing declared.

With that, he lifted Lu Qinghuai into his arms and carried him away under everyone’s watchful gaze. He ignored the other disciples who exchanged confused glances and shot strange looks at him and his Master as he walked.

Only after returning to the Yuqing Residence did he finally set Lu Qinghuai down on the ice bed.

Xiao Xuanqing sat by the bedside, his starry eyes lowered. Lu Qinghuai’s thin white robes were stained with blood. With a flick of his wrist, the demonic fire incinerated the clothing, leaving the smooth, pale back exposed. The flesh was torn and flayed, creating a strange, sadistic beauty in the contrast of red and white.

Xiao Xuanqing felt sick just thinking about the hypocrite from his past life.

Yet this version of his Master, from his scent to his temperament, seemed entirely different. If he hadn’t already confirmed that the divine soul and body were a perfect match, he would have sworn it was a different person entirely.

But then again, he thought, this Master seems even better at manipulating hearts than the last.

A primal urge surged within him. He wanted to tear away his Master’s facade of righteousness and make him cry beneath him, begging for mercy.

This way, he could personally destroy Master’s Path of Ruthlessness, dragging him step by step into the depths of desire and defiling him completely.

This obsessive, maddening thought thrilled him. His eyes turned crimson, as if all his long-suppressed resentment finally had an outlet.

Just then, Lu Qinghuai’s eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.

The young man was muttering under his breath, unable to restrain his emotions. “Master, this disciple needs no explanation. No one else but Master…” could make his killing intent spiral out of control.

…No one else but Master could treat me this way.

Lu Qinghuai silently completed the sentence in his mind.

It seems I’ve earned the protagonist’s trust for now, he thought, feeling a slight sense of relief.

Xiao Xuanqing noticed Lu Qinghuai waking up. “Master, you’re finally awake.”

He immediately bowed his head deeply, his voice filled with self-reproach. “If it weren’t for this disciple, Master wouldn’t have suffered like this.”

His clothes were thin, and from carrying Lu Qinghuai all the way back, the wounds on his body had reopened. Blood seeped through the fabric, staining it a vivid, jarring red.

The sight made Lu Qinghuai feel strangely agitated.

It seemed that even with his demonic root, the protagonist had still been badly injured in the Myriad Snake Cave. All of this was because of the frame Lu Qinghuai had set up. Yet now, the man was actually worrying about his injuries.

Lu Qinghuai averted his gaze, endured the pain to get out of bed, and went to the cabinet to get medicine for Xiao Xuanqing. Beside the cabinet stood a bronze mirror with an engraved black bird. He caught a glimpse of it by chance.

In the dim reflection, Xiao Xuanqing stood behind him with bloodshot eyes. The depth of his gaze was unreadable, and for a moment, a bone-chilling coldness washed over Lu Qinghuai.

Wrong, everything is wrong!

The protagonist didn’t trust him. He was nursing a murderous intent!

The killing intent was so palpable that Lu Qinghuai’s breath quickened.

He had been too impatient, too eager to be kind to the protagonist, and in doing so, he had forgotten a crucial fact.

How could I ever judge a madman by the standards of a normal person?

To Xiao Xuanqing, human nature was inherently evil. How could he possibly believe in his own kindness without a reason?

Lu Qinghuai withdrew his hand from the medicine. He turned around, his brow furrowed in disgust. “The clarification wasn’t for your sake. Although this matter was my fault, your silence at the Cloud-Gazing Platform was an utter disgrace to me.”

Xiao Xuanqing knelt on the cold jade floor and bowed his head in a kowtow. “This disciple has failed to meet Master’s expectations.”

Before Lu Qinghuai could even offer his forgiveness, Xiao Xuanqing stood up. His gaze fixed on a specific spot as he asked with concern, “Master, where did you get this scar? Did someone cut open your chest?”

So… it’s finally happening.

His skin was flawless, like white jade, but a three-inch scar ran across it, like a crack in a piece of jade. The scar looked old and had faded considerably, yet it was still impossible to ignore.

Lu Qinghuai didn’t answer Xiao Xuanqing’s question, but a flash of disgust crossed his eyes.

Why did this scar follow me here?

I already transmigrated into this book.

Once, he had a healthy body of his own.

But on his fourteenth birthday, his parents, who only ever had eyes for his eldest brother, did something unusual. They bought a peach cake and told him they wanted to give him a proper birthday celebration.

He was allergic to peaches. Peach cake was his brother’s favorite, not his. But when they gave him a perfunctory smile, he felt so happy it didn’t seem real.

Craving that fleeting affection, he ate the cake.

When he woke up, the only thing he saw was the bright glare of surgical lights.

Someone sighed, “He’s just a kid, and he already needs a heart transplant. I heard his own older brother is the one who’s failing. But that student’s condition wasn’t even serious enough to justify this.”

“Don’t say another word,” another voice replied. “We’re paid to do a job. He’s nothing more than a vessel for a heart.”

Then came the cold blade slicing through his chest. Though the anesthesia numbed the physical pain, Lu Qinghuai still felt it as a searing agony.

So that’s how it is.

Pulling himself from the memory, Lu Qinghuai masked his emotions and calmly spun a lie. “I once trusted a demonic beast for a long time. But one day, it revealed its true nature and pierced my heart with a single claw.”

“Master, a beast is just a beast,” Xiao Xuanqing said, kneeling before him. His posture was humble, but his words brooked no argument. “Why keep something that harms people?”

Suddenly, Lu Qinghuai realized that although Xiao Xuanqing was mad, he shared the same nature. He lowered his eyelashes and sneered, “So, Xuanqing, taking its life wouldn’t be considered harm. It would be only natural.”

Xiao Xuanqing remained silent. If he were truly a mortal who had just entered the Immortal Sect, he might have been fooled by Lu Qinghuai’s words. But in his past life, he had slaughtered countless demons and humans alike. The wound on the other man’s chest was too clean. It wasn’t the work of a demonic beast, but rather a sharp blade.

Yet, the source of the wound mattered less to him than his Master’s words.

Xiao Xuanqing sensed that this life’s Master was his own kind. The thought made his blood boil with anticipation.

Suppressing his emotions, Xiao Xuanqing took a small, white porcelain box from his robes. “Master, Martial Uncle Li gave me this spiritual medicine. Let me apply it for you.”

[Random Reward Quest!

Host, please cooperate with the protagonist to extend your life by two days.]

“Very well, you may.”

Lu Qinghuai swallowed his refusal and lay half-prone on the bed.

“Hiss—”

The sharp pain of fingers pressing into the wound was all too real. Lu Qinghuai gasped sharply.

Behind him, Xiao Xuanqing’s voice sounded flustered and remorseful. “Forgive me, Master. I didn’t know my own strength and hurt you.”

“It’s fine. Continue.”

But the disciple’s touch was far from gentle. Instead of applying medicine, it felt more like torture.

Suddenly, a strange sensation washed over his back. It was warm, wet, and soft, as if someone were licking him.

The feeling vanished instantly. There was no one else in the room but him and Xiao Xuanqing.

Lu Qinghuai scoffed at himself. I must be so hurt that I’m hallucinating.

Out of Lu Qinghuai’s sight, Xiao Xuanqing sucked the blood from his tongue. At the same time, his fangs seeped a transparent venom into Lu Qinghuai’s wound.

A faint smile touched his lips. “Master, your injury is on your back and difficult to treat. I will come every day to ensure no scar remains.”

As he spoke, he placed the ointment within Lu Qinghuai’s reach.

Hearing these considerate words, Lu Qinghuai’s pale fingers instantly flushed red. He pulled his hand from the rumpled silk quilt and retrieved a moon-white robe with silver magnolia patterns from his Qiankun Ring.

His movements were more frantic than usual, but he was still unfamiliar with the long-sleeved robe. He accidentally knocked over the ointment, and the sticky cream smeared across his palm. This sensation forced him to recall a scene from a fanfiction novel where his character was whipped:

A thin, soft whip lay beside Lu Qinghuai’s bare feet.

Xiao Xuanqing approached, his fingertips lingering suggestively near the wound. He applied the translucent, jade-colored ointment, murmuring, “Master, your skin is so beautiful. Even these whip marks look like a painting. I almost wish they would never heal.”

With most of his clothes torn away, Lu Qinghuai’s expression grew even colder. “Just apply the medicine. Stop speaking such lewd words.”

“Oh?” Xiao Xuanqing raised an eyebrow with interest. He scooped up a large dollop of ointment and slowly lowered his hand, sliding it down the hem of the robe toward a certain place. “I see Master was injured here last night as well. Let your disciple apply the medicine carefully for you.”

“Hah… you wicked disciple!”

How utterly absurd!

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