Forcing the Aloof Master to Madness - Chapter 31

Unfortunately, Shen Lezhi had no such thoughts.

She felt that things like “astonishing the world” or “gaining fame everywhere” gave her less of a sense of accomplishment than seeing the spiritual plants in the field successfully bloom and bear fruit.

She also didn’t care about the title of Immortal Jiyue’s successor. She wasn’t the original protagonist, and Wang Xi seemed even less concerned.

Although Xin Lan thought this, she wouldn’t actually say it. Seeing that Shen Lezhi was genuinely interested in spiritual plants, she led her into the house.

She introduced Shen Lezhi to the methods the Spiritual Herb Hall used to cultivate spiritual plants. Little Six followed behind them, remaining silent. If not for her black clothes being so obvious in the sunlight, Shen Lezhi would have overlooked her presence several times.

Shen Lezhi stayed in the Spiritual Herb Hall until evening. Senior Sister Xin Lan introduced things to her while tending to the spiritual plants. Shen Lezhi stroked the Crying Soul Strand on her head and asked a question that had always bothered her.

“Senior Sister Xin Lan, what kind of spiritual power can restore a spiritual plant that has already withered or even had its roots severed?” Shen Lezhi asked after careful consideration.

Senior Sister Xin Lan was not from the Jade Profound Sect, didn’t know her well, and had no way of investigating the reason behind her question. However, Shen Lezhi was only trying to ask and didn’t hold out hope for an answer.

Sure enough, Xin Lan looked at her in disbelief. “How can there be such a spiritual power in this world?”

“Life is fair. When something dies, it is dead. If such spiritual power truly existed, it would have to be something comparable to the Source of Life. But the Source of Life is merely a concept, ethereal and vague.”

Shen Lezhi smiled in agreement upon hearing this and let the topic drop.

It was getting late. Shen Lezhi said goodbye to Senior Sister Xin Lan and Little Six. She left the Spiritual Herb Hall, looked up at the setting sun, and gazed at the orange-red sky in the distance.

The horizon was a scene of a fairytale sunset. The clouds were stained with red and purple colors, and circles of orange light shone closer to the sun.

Shen Lezhi had only seen such a sunset in the countryside when she was a child. It was dazzling and spectacular, with rosy clouds like bright candles.

At that time, she often helped the adults work in the fields. Looking up at the sky in the evening, the sky was like a giant canvas, every cloud a carefully blended color. The figure of her grandmother calling her home in the distance was a beautiful stroke in this painting.

However, even in the modern countryside, such a scene couldn’t be seen all the time.

And the sight before her now included several immortal cranes soaring within it, riding the clouds above the Wandering Scholar Academy’s roof, dancing gracefully—it was breathtakingly beautiful.

Shen Lezhi rarely felt such appreciation for beauty. She stepped on the breeze and arrived at Wang Xi’s residence.

The Wandering Scholar Academy was unlike the Jade Profound Sect, where many powerful cultivators would open their own cave dwellings. The Academy’s architecture leaned more toward the style of mortal palaces.

Even powerful individuals generally lived in the built wooden houses.

Wang Xi’s residence was very close to Shen Lezhi’s. Shen Lezhi found her and saw Wang Xi sitting upright in the front courtyard, meditating with her eyes closed.

The moment Shen Lezhi’s aura appeared, Wang Xi noticed it but did not open her eyes. She merely focused her mind and waited.

“Master.” Shen Lezhi opened the courtyard gate and walked in. Since she wasn’t stopped, she knew Wang Xi was already aware of her movements.

Wang Xi then slowly opened her eyes, her cold gaze turning toward Shen Lezhi.

Shen Lezhi’s heart skipped a beat. She realized she hadn’t seen Wang Xi for quite a while. Since the day she woke up and saw Wang Xi, they hadn’t encountered each other again.

Shen Lezhi consciously made her heartbeat steady, then took a deep breath before saying softly: “Your disciple wishes to ask Master for a personal sword.”

She had come to Wang Xi for this matter. Being weaponless, the fight with Senior Sister Xin Lan today was the first time Shen Lezhi had fought someone other than Wang Xi in this world.

She knew Wang Xi wouldn’t kill her. No matter what, she wouldn’t try to take her life. Even the previous punishment was just that—a punishment—which made her uncomfortable but didn’t cause serious injury.

But facing Xin Lan today, Shen Lezhi didn’t know if the other party would hurt her. The long whip was wielded with a strong sense of hostility and killing intent, which Shen Lezhi clearly felt.

She wanted to protect herself.

She needed a weapon.

Wang Xi was her Master, and she had promised to find her a natal weapon before. It wasn’t too much for her to ask for it, right?

Shen Lezhi felt perfectly justified in asking.

Wang Xi’s expression remained unchanged upon hearing Shen Lezhi’s words, still cold as ever.

She recalled that she had indeed promised Shen Lezhi a precious sword. Wang Xi had long since forged the White Jade Flood Dragon Sword for Shen Lezhi and had gifted it to the girl in the previous life. But…

Wang Xi closed her eyes. Shen Lezhi saw her expression suddenly become colder, and her initially confident stance immediately deflated quite a bit.

She pouted, thinking, If you don’t want to give it, then don’t. Why be so unhappy?

She started brainstorming how she could forge a sword herself. She really didn’t know much about it and wondered if she should ask Senior Sister Yun Sha and Hua Man.

However, those two fought using talismans, and their natal weapons weren’t swords, so she wasn’t sure if they would know how to select a good sword.

Just as Shen Lezhi was pondering these things, Wang Xi suddenly stood up. Right in front of Shen Lezhi, she took a jade-white long sword from her storage ring and handed it to Shen Lezhi.

Shen Lezhi hesitated and took it, her gaze involuntarily falling upon the blade. The hilt was coiled like a Flood Dragon, the jewel at the tip was dangerous and brilliant, and the scabbard was dark black. When Shen Lezhi touched it with her fingertip, it felt smooth and warm, like precious jade.

She slightly drew the sword. The blade was jade-white, with delicate and beautiful scale patterns on it. The cutting edge, under the sunlight, seemed to have a faint ripple effect.

Shen Lezhi took a deep breath. She had already guessed the origin of this sword the moment she saw the hilt.

This was the White Jade Flood Dragon Sword that Wang Xi had specially forged for the original protagonist. Its design was modeled after Wang Xi’s own Azure Dragon Sword, a twin sword that Wang Xi had poured her heart into and that matched her own.

But Shen Lezhi suddenly pressed her lips together and lowered her head slightly.

This was the effort Wang Xi had poured into the original protagonist. She didn’t want it.

Wang Xi was meticulous in her observations. She immediately noticed Shen Lezhi’s low spirits and asked, frowning: “You don’t like it?”

Shen Lezhi bit her tongue gently, slowly exhaled, and shook her head, replying in a muffled voice: “Your disciple likes it.”

Wang Xi suddenly froze. She vaguely remembered the joyful and excited look Shen Lezhi had in the previous life upon receiving this sword. At that time, she naturally didn’t delve into whether Shen Lezhi’s joy was real or fake. Now, it seemed everything was false.

Shen Lezhi didn’t like it.

She tried hard to hide it, even forcing a slight smile, but Wang Xi’s spiritual consciousness was constantly attached to her, clearly aware of her every shift in emotion.

[She is lying!]

[She rejects this sword.]

“Give it a name.” Wang Xi’s heart turned cold again, and the voice of the Heart Demon took the opportunity to enter her ears and chatter incessantly.

[She doesn’t want a natal weapon so similar to yours. She hates everything about you.]

[She is so hypocritical. What does it matter if she has changed? In the end, she will stab you in the chest with this sword again!]

[Wang Xi, choke her. Torture her. Chop off her hands so she can’t hurt you!]

The voice kept screaming, drilling into her mind. Wang Xi wanted to dig it out of her head, wanting to make it shut up.

[Choke her to death! Hurry and choke her! She is deceiving you!]

Wang Xi took a deep breath, trying desperately to control her emotions, but her fingers unconsciously reached out and touched Shen Lezhi’s neck.

Her cold fingertips touched Shen Lezhi’s warm skin. She seemed to genuinely want to choke this soft, fragile, slender neck.

She slowly tightened her fingers. But Shen Lezhi suddenly raised her head at that moment, looking straight into her eyes.

“Xiao Bai (Little White), I want to call it Xiao Bai.”

Wang Xi heard this name. Her tense knuckles instantly slumped, and her fingers finally rested on the back of Shen Lezhi’s neck. The girl seemed a little uncomfortable with the contact, slightly shifting her body, but she didn’t retreat, allowing Wang Xi’s fingertips to rest on her nape.

“Xiao Bai?” Wang Xi murmured. In the previous life, Shen Lezhi called this sword the “White Jade Flood Dragon Sword,” saying she wanted it to have a name similar to Wang Xi’s “Azure Dragon Sword.”

But Wang Xi recalled later that beneath that fake smile, there wasn’t a trace of genuine affection.

Shen Lezhi nodded, her gaze sincerely fixed on Wang Xi, speaking again with an almost pleading yet firm attitude: “Master, I want to call it Xiao Bai.”

After saying this, she hugged the Flood Dragon Sword tightly, her clear gaze shooting directly into Wang Xi’s eyes.

She liked this name.

Wang Xi was suddenly struck by Shen Lezhi’s naked and intense emotion.

Wang Xi was even more confused. The girl didn’t like the sword, yet she liked the name she gave it so much.

Wang Xi was so lost in thought that the voice that had been causing chaos in her mind disappeared.

“Alright,” Wang Xi finally agreed.

Shen Lezhi instantly broke into a smile upon hearing this—a natural and genuine smile. Her eyes seemed to light up with stars, blooming before Wang Xi.

Holding the Flood Dragon Sword, she suddenly took a step closer, pulled closer by the force of Wang Xi’s fingers resting on her nape, closing the distance between them.

Her face was full of joy, but her ears were crimson. She slightly lowered her head, then suddenly raised it again, her lightly bitten lips suggesting something unspeakable lingered between them.

After a long pause, she finally spoke softly: “Your disciple thanks Master.”

Wang Xi’s breathing slowed because she caught the scent unique to Shen Lezhi: the familiar bitter medicinal aroma, now mixed with a clear, subtle fragrance like morning dew.

It gently drifted into her nostrils. This was the first time Wang Xi had noticed how rich this fragrance was, nearly overwhelming all her senses.

Her fingers resting on the back of Shen Lezhi’s neck seemed to have been warmed by Shen Lezhi’s body temperature. Otherwise, why did they feel so hot?

So hot.

It was like the heat of a burning fire, scorching from Wang Xi’s fingertips all the way to her palm.

She instinctively held her breath, trying to block out the continuous, subtle fragrance.

She half-closed her eyes, trying to avoid the clean, clear, and admiring gaze of the person before her.

Wang Xi suddenly remembered that Shen Lezhi had shown her the same look before. At that time, she believed Shen Lezhi did it intentionally, using that method to deceive and hurt her even deeper.

What could be more alluring and deceptive than love and admiration?

She believed Shen Lezhi used such clumsy tactics to make her less guarded.

But if Shen Lezhi wasn’t walking the path of the previous life, if Shen Lezhi was so sincere, would she still need such deception and pretense?

Then, what was the affectionate gaze the girl was casting her way right now?

Could Shen Lezhi truly…

Wang Xi abruptly withdrew her fingers from Shen Lezhi’s skin. The intense heat forced her to struggle desperately to control her body’s instinctive tremor.

She gazed at Shen Lezhi. The girl was looking at her with a puzzled expression due to her sudden movement.

Wang Xi didn’t dare to ask.

What would the answer change?

She calmed her breath, settled her emotions, and returned to being the elegant, solitary Immortal Jiyue.

“Your Master promised you,” Wang Xi said, suppressing her tone to sound indifferent. It was merely a promise that had to be fulfilled.

Shen Lezhi didn’t care about her attitude. She tightly hugged the Xiao Bai sword, feeling both happy and guilty.

She certainly knew the sword’s original name. A colleague had complained to her about it, as it was a name that matched Wang Xi’s Azure Dragon Sword. Her colleague had repeatedly called it “shameless.”

Shen Lezhi had felt at the time that her colleague might be overly obsessed with Wang Xi as a fan.

But she insisted on naming this sword “Xiao Bai” simply because she wanted a part of this sword to belong to her—to Shen Lezhi—and not to the original protagonist.

She didn’t understand why she was suddenly so stubborn, but the moment Wang Xi asked her to name it, this greedy thought arose in her heart.

It was greed.

Shen Lezhi was keenly aware of it.

This was the sword Wang Xi had given to the original protagonist; it had nothing to do with her.

She had usurped the sword’s original name, avariciously trying to imprint her mark on this item.

In the past, Shen Lezhi had always avoided the original novel’s plot, unwilling to touch anything belonging to the original protagonist. She consistently kept herself isolated from this strange world.

Yet now, hugging the Xiao Bai sword tightly, she understood that the moment she gave it a name, she established a connection with it.

But this belongs to the original protagonist. She was stealing it.

Shen Lezhi looked up at Wang Xi again, but at this moment, she simply wanted it.

“Your disciple sincerely thanks Master,” Shen Lezhi thanked Wang Xi again.

Wang Xi merely nodded in acknowledgment.

Then, she raised a finger toward the sky and said coldly: “Your Master will teach you the Sword Flight technique.”

Shen Lezhi was slow to react to this. She paused for a moment before foolishly asking: “Really?”

Wang Xi looked back at her, ignoring her foolish yet irrepressibly surprised look. She gently waved her right hand and took out a piece of leather paper from her storage ring, on which were two lines of small black calligraphy.

“This is the incantation for the Sword Flight technique. Recite it in your mind. Focus your spiritual energy on the sword. It is not much different from how you control water,” Wang Xi said. She began immediately, without a moment’s hesitation, telling Shen Lezhi to start.

Shen Lezhi finally came to her senses. Her excitement still hadn’t subsided. She eagerly recited the incantation on the leather paper, applying her spiritual power to the Xiao Bai sword.

But the scene she imagined didn’t happen. The Xiao Bai sword didn’t fly up; it remained motionless, with no reaction.

Shen Lezhi slightly tilted her head, tried a few more times, but still couldn’t find the trick. Her previous excitement had now dwindled.

She gritted her teeth and tried again, stubbornly believing she couldn’t possibly fail.

Her focus was even more concentrated than before. Shen Lezhi had always been described as emotionally slow, and she couldn’t refute it. After all, she had always been in the research institute, interacting with only a few people. Slowly, she became less adept at socializing and smooth communication.

But in learning and research, Shen Lezhi was always meticulous. She craved the sense of accomplishment when she broke through a difficult problem. When a challenge was before her, there was no reason for her to back down.

Shen Lezhi didn’t expect Wang Xi to teach her in detail. After all, the Master’s teaching style before was to say as little as possible and ignore as much as possible.

The main point was to wait for Shen Lezhi to figure it out herself.

Shen Lezhi simply sat down on the ground, supporting her cheek with her hand and pondering.

Although cultivation was no longer a scientific matter, after being transmigrated here for so long, Shen Lezhi had discovered that everything has a pattern. Even in this fantastical world of cultivation, seeking immortality, it still adheres to the Five Elements’ mutual generation and restraint, and the laws of the world.

The reason the Sword Flight technique can ascend is certainly not just by reciting an incantation. The support for all spells is spiritual power. Wang Xi told her to control it like the Water Spirit.

Shen Lezhi suddenly thought of a method.

The world’s water should naturally flow into seas and rivers, but Water-attribute cultivators can make water hover in the air.

It’s not because the cultivator creates water, but because water already exists in the air.

Innumerable Water Spirits are natural water. Since cultivators can control the Water Spirits in the air, wouldn’t it be easy to lift the sword beneath her feet with the Water Spirits?

Shen Lezhi acted on her thought. She stood up and took out the Xiao Bai sword again. She was very familiar with controlling the Water Spirit, thanks to Wang Xi—a powerful individual—constantly sparring with her and trying to snatch control of the Water Spirit during her earlier studies.

She made all the surrounding Water Spirits permeate and be used by her. Spiritual energy is invisible to the naked eye. It enveloped the Xiao Bai sword.

Shen Lezhi also recalled Wang Xi’s tight, enveloping control method when controlling other attributes. Shen Lezhi had thought at the time that even if Wang Xi’s spiritual power was dominant, she wouldn’t use a useless method that only increased consumption.

Now, it seemed that this enveloping control method was not intended to control the spiritual energy itself, but for controlling objects.

The Xiao Bai sword slowly floated up under Shen Lezhi’s control. It wobbled because the sword’s own power was too astonishing, and the Water Spirits immediately started resisting her control as soon as they approached.

Shen Lezhi had to put in more effort, but the turbulent Water Spirits still made her feel powerless.

This was similar to when Wang Xi had shaken off her Water Spirits before. When encountering unstable resistance, how could the spiritual energy she controlled maintain its hold?

Shen Lezhi had pondered this question since the time Wang Xi thwarted her. In the end, she concluded that she could only practice diligently and become stronger.

In the past, Shen Lezhi often wondered why Wang Xi wouldn’t teach her the Sword Flight technique. Now, it seemed that if she couldn’t master spiritual control, how could she learn the Sword Flight technique?

Having figured this out, she was no longer anxious, and the initial excitement slowly faded.

She repeated the spiritual control process over and over. Shen Lezhi was always tireless when focusing on one thing.

After many days, she finally made the Xiao Bai sword hover steadily in the air.

Shen Lezhi stepped onto the Xiao Bai sword, not daring to relax for a moment. She flew slowly in mid-air, getting familiar with it for a whole day.

The Sword Flight technique is actually not difficult for cultivators. Basic spiritual control is also not a big problem.

Ordinary cultivators have been perceiving and controlling spiritual energy since the Qi Condensation stage. With consistent practice, everything comes naturally when it’s time to learn spells; it’s a smooth process.

It was only because Shen Lezhi hadn’t known anything before and her learning time was too short that the beginning of every new thing she tried was so difficult.

But no matter how difficult, Shen Lezhi would eventually learn.

She steered the Xiao Bai sword to soar in the air, finally landing quickly and stopping in front of Wang Xi.

“Master, your disciple has learned it,” she said, her bright eyes and clear gaze directed at Wang Xi.

Wang Xi saw that emotion in her eyes again.

Unreserved admiration, passionate like a flame.

Wang Xi’s mind was thrown into chaos by this scorching gaze. Ripples formed in her deep eyes.

She didn’t want Shen Lezhi to see it, so she slightly turned her head, avoiding Shen Lezhi’s gaze.

The suppressed, mad voice in her ears reappeared. “She” knew Wang Xi’s thoughts and laughed instantly, more rampant than ever.

[She likes you? How could she possibly like you? Hahahahaha, what are you dreaming of?]

[She is just deceiving you in a more vicious way.]

[Kiss her now. Look at her. She will only feel disgusted by you. She has always been disgusted by you!]

Too loud.

Wang Xi’s head ached intensely. Her eyes pressed down, and her aura suddenly intensified, startling Shen Lezhi, who swayed and nearly fell off the flying sword.

Fortunately, Wang Xi instinctively jumped onto the Xiao Bai sword and grabbed her.

Shen Lezhi’s pale wrist was caught in Wang Xi’s hand. Wang Xi followed her arm to look into the girl’s eyes, but Shen Lezhi had lowered her head at this point, making it impossible to glimpse her true emotions.

A coldness settled in Wang Xi’s eyes. When Shen Lezhi stabilized and tried to pull free of her fingers, Wang Xi tightened her grip slightly, refusing to let Shen Lezhi go.

[Kiss her and see. Look at her expression.]

[Do you dare to look at her face?!]

Wang Xi pressed her lips together and suddenly pulled Shen Lezhi closer. The hand gripping Shen Lezhi’s pale wrist exerted greater force.

She put her arm around Shen Lezhi’s waist and lowered her head slightly.

She looked at Shen Lezhi’s eyes. She looked at Shen Lezhi’s expression.

Her gaze was seductive, and she lowered her head as if she was genuinely going to kiss Shen Lezhi.

She watched Shen Lezhi’s face instantly flush, looking as if she was shy.

She felt the surrounding spiritual energy fluctuate violently. Even the sword beneath their feet began to wobble precariously.

It was Shen Lezhi’s rapidly fluctuating emotions affecting her control of the Xiao Bai sword.

Wang Xi narrowed her eyes and lowered her head even more.

[She will only feel disgusted by you.]

The voice encouraged her, maddeningly repeating these words.

Wang Xi’s heart churned amidst these sounds. She stared intently at Shen Lezhi, her gaze cold and tinged with a certain obsession.

Wang Xi moved closer by another fraction.

Her eyes were fixed on Shen Lezhi’s face the entire time.

She was so close to Shen Lezhi that her body seemed to be infused with Shen Lezhi’s unique fragrance.

Her fingertips and heart were tainted by that aroma. The subtle fragrance burned in her heart.

“Master, I don’t want this.” But Shen Lezhi suddenly pushed against her, her face taut. Shen Lezhi said this coldly.

Wang Xi stared at her, her eyes devoid of any warmth.

“I don’t want this,” Shen Lezhi repeated, her tone more resolute this time.

She began to struggle fiercely. Even though Wang Xi tightened her arms, she wouldn’t stop struggling.

“Shut up,” Wang Xi suddenly spoke.

Shen Lezhi’s eyes widened in shock as she looked at her. Then, an expression of hurt appeared on her face, and she struggled even more violently.

Wang Xi closed her eyes and frowned deeply.

She wasn’t telling Shen Lezhi to shut up. She was trying to make the voice in her mind stop.

She could no longer control that voice. Her head felt like it was about to explode.

[She is disgusted by you, just as you expected.]

[Stop fantasizing.]

Shen Lezhi will never love you.