Luring The Heartless Cultivator Senior Sister Into Falling In Love - Chapter 5

Inside a private formation room within the Array Spirit Pavilion, a woman clad in red lightly lifted a teapot. Beneath the rising mist, the liquid stretched into a transparent silver thread.

Through the tea mist, Bai Qingfan looked up and spoke respectfully to the person sitting opposite her: “Master, this is the new tea I brought back from the Tea Sect yesterday. I wonder if it suits your heart’s desire; please, Master, have a taste.”

The woman sitting across from her seemed somewhat helpless. Her fingertip rested on the rim of the cup, yet she did not pick it up. The tea reflected the woman’s features, elegant and dignified, matching the reputation the world held for this Sect Leader of the Mingyue Sect.

“Qingfan, during this period, has your Path of Heartless Cultivation seen any refinement?” Ming Baolan asked, answering with a question of her own.

Bai Qingfan shook her head: “None.”

“And what of your progress in the Path of Music?” Ming Baolan asked again.

“Compared to Master’s test last month, there should be some progress,” Bai Qingfan replied, neither humble nor haughty.

“Qingfan, though I have said these words countless times, I wish to say them to you once more today.” Ming Baolan finally picked up the teacup and took a sip, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the person sitting before her.

This was the personal disciple she was most proud of. Whether for the sect or out of personal affection, she had poured immense effort into her.

“Please speak, Master.” Within Bai Qingfan’s eyes, a purple spiritual light flashed briefly. She lowered her head slightly, assuming the posture of one listening intently to teachings.

Looking at the emotionless person before her, Ming Baolan breathed a long sigh of relief in her heart: “The Path of Heartless Cultivation is a difficult journey. If one day a person or matter appears that disturbs your Dao heart…”

She hesitated.

Everyone in the sect said that she, Ming Baolan, had placed all her hopes for the revival of the Heartless Path on Bai Qingfan. But few knew that, more than the continuation of that path, she cared more about Bai Qingfan as her disciple.

“Master,” Bai Qingfan called out, her voice clear and gentle. “Your disciple understands your meaning.” She paused, then added, “The tea is getting cold.”

By the time Mu Chujing wobbled her way up the peak of the Array Spirit Pavilion atop the Hanyue sword, it was already sunset.

The warm yellow afterglow of the setting sun dyed the horizon, making the world look a bit warmer.

At least it wasn’t as pathetic as her climb up to the Yuqing Hall. Mu Chujing jumped off the Hanyue sword and waved her hand, the sword slowly transformed into a wisp of spiritual light, flickering as it drilled into her body to form the shape of a small sword near her spiritual pearl.

“After all that practice using spiritual power, how am I still this clumsy?” Mu Chujing looked down at her arms.

Before she could think further, the melodious sound of a flute, carried by the wind, drifted into her ears.

Since coming to this world, her five senses had become increasingly sharp, she could hear a flute from hundreds of meters away.

It was a very light sound, but incredibly captivating.

Involuntarily, Mu Chujing moved toward the source of the music. The mission jade token hanging at her waist swayed, emitting a brighter white light as she drew closer to the sound.

After pushing through a dense thicket, the view suddenly opened up. She saw a woman in red standing by a stream. Accompanied by the gentle flow of water and the occasional rhythmic slapping of waves against the shore, she stood tall and elegant, her slender fingers pressed against the flute.

The music was coming from her.

“Senior Sister Bai,” Mu Chujing murmured.

The person before her was the very mission giver she had come to find, and the one through whom she was meant to “prove the path of emotion.”

Sensing an outsider, the flute music stopped abruptly. Bai Qingfan turned to look.

Having met this person several times today, Bai Qingfan had quite an impression of her: “Junior Sister Mu.”

“Senior Sister, I took the mission you posted at the Mission Pavilion and came specifically to find you,” Mu Chujing explained proactively.

She hadn’t expected that the flute music that lured her here was played by Bai Qingfan. Senior Sister Feng had mentioned that Bai Qingfan specialized in the Path of Music.

Mu Chujing’s mind raced. In her past life, she had studied the piano, but she knew very little about the flute.

Relying on what little knowledge she had, just enough to strike up a conversation. Mu Chujing said: “Senior Sister is so proficient in music, no wonder the melodies you play are so beautiful.”

“I have also studied a bit of the pentatonic scale. Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, Yu,” Mu Chujing added.

The flute, Pofan, vanished into Bai Qingfan’s palm. Water droplets from the stream splashed onto the woman’s hand. Bai Qingfan seemed to gain a bit of interest: “Since Junior Sister Mu knows of music, do you know what I was just playing?”

Mu Chujing froze. How could she know the music of this world? She had just been making polite conversation. She didn’t expect Bai Qingfan, given her personality, to actually follow up.

“I have never heard it before. I ask Senior Sister to enlighten me,” Mu Chujing immediately bowed and cupped her hands, showing a humble desire to learn.

“Never mind.” Bai Qingfan shook her head slightly and shifted her gaze to the jade token at Mu Chujing’s waist. “Follow me.”

Senior Sister Bai’s conversational jumps were too large. Confused, Mu Chujing obediently followed her, maintaining a distance of half a meter behind her.

Could my little attempt at being clever just now have displeased her?

Mu Chujing bit her lip. Perhaps she couldn’t use her past-life concepts to guess how people here thought, let alone applying such methods to a senior sister who walked the Heartless Path.

She would need to plan more carefully.

Lost in thought, Mu Chujing nearly collided with the person in front of her. She stopped just in time to avoid losing her composure.

Bai Qingfan led her into a sealed space. The surroundings were filled with chaotic, flowing spiritual energy, where the red of the fire element pulsed most prominently.

Mu Chujing felt the spiritual power within her body leap with joy upon entering this space.

This place was…

Mu Chujing wanted to ask but didn’t dare.

She saw a square table near the center with two chairs placed opposite each other. A teapot sat upon the table.

In this absolute silence, Mu Chujing remained still.

Bai Qingfan walked to a section of the chaotic wall where the fire elements were most active. Pofan condensed in her hand and touched the wall.

Rolling flames erupted, and a sudden wave of heat swept through the room.

Even Mu Chujing, who possessed a fire attribute herself, instinctively took half a step back from the heat.

But Bai Qingfan seemed to have no sensation of it. She guided a vibrant red speck of light hidden within the flames, coaxing it out bit by bit.

The red spiritual speck hovered obediently in the woman’s palm.

“What is the purity grade of Junior Sister Mu’s fire spiritual pearl?” Bai Qingfan spoke her first words since entering the room.

“In response to Senior Sister: Grade Nine,” Mu Chujing said.

“The purity is actually that high?” Bai Qingfan’s emotions showed a faint ripple. “In that case, I will increase the daily price of spiritual power to 1,500 stones. I wouldn’t want to take advantage of you.”

1,500 stones… Mu Chujing blinked.

Is this what it means to be filthy rich? While she was struggling for a mere 10,000 stones, Bai Qingfan’s reward was already 1,500 a day.

“This… we already agreed on 1,000 stones a day. If Senior Sister adds more, I’ll feel quite embarrassed,” Mu Chujing said.

In her heart: Senior Sister, please support me forever.

Bai Qingfan said warmly: “I naturally won’t suffer a loss. For the coming period, I need you to nourish this fire attribute Spirit Crystal for me daily.”

Spirit Crystals were fragile. If nourished by a cultivator with too high a cultivation level, they might crumble into dust if they weren’t careful. Furthermore, such things were delicate, it was best to have someone with a matching attribute and high purity.

Thus, Bai Qingfan’s requirements in the mission posting had been very specific.

Mu Chujing looked at the speck of light in confusion. She couldn’t see its specific shape and could only guess based on the aura it emitted: “How does Senior Sister wish for me to nourish it?”

She searched through all her memories but found no description of such a task.

“Just use your spiritual power to warm and nurture it. It could take as long as half a month or as short as a few days.” Bai Qingfan was patient. Aside from a bit of indifference on her face, she truly looked the part of a “Good Senior Sister.”

Mu Chujing understood only half of it.

Seeing that she had no more questions and seeing that it was getting late, Bai Qingfan said: “If Junior Sister has no other doubts, shall we begin tomorrow?”

Shall we? Since Senior Sister Bai said it, she was 100% in agreement.

Other than the mission details, she hadn’t managed to strike up any extra topics during this trip. It was a bit of a pity.

Mu Chujing’s eyes darted around as she thought of a strategy.

Bai Qingfan didn’t notice her expression and led her out: “This is the place where I draw my formations. Junior Sister can come directly here tomorrow.”

Mu Chujing nodded and hummed in response.

Once they left the formation room, Mu Chujing realized it was pitch black outside. Only the moon and stars kept each other company, watching over the world in the evening breeze.

Mu Chujing’s hair was tossed by the wind. As she tucked a strand behind her ear, a spiritual light flashed.

“Senior Sister Bai.” She called out to the person half a meter away.

Bai Qingfan stopped and looked at her.

“Look.” Mu Chujing extended a finger. Orange spiritual power traveled through her meridians and gathered at her fingertip.

Then, under Bai Qingfan’s gaze, it burst apart. The orange spiritual specks bloomed into brilliant flowers of light in the lonely darkness.

The orange dots split from one to two, then to four… finally transforming into countless intertwined starlights, shimmering and changing colors.

It was like a magnificent modern fireworks display, just much lower in height, intended only for Mu Chujing and Bai Qingfan to see, and specifically for Bai Qingfan to see.

When the last of the spiritual light scattered like fireflies, Mu Chujing looked at the woman beside her, whose expression was unreadable with a rare hint of shyness. She whispered: “Senior Sister, a gift of fireworks for you.”

Perhaps because it was the first time someone had done such a thing in front of her, Bai Qingfan did not speak immediately. After a moment, meeting Mu Chujing’s brownish-black eyes, Bai Qingfan said: “Thank you for your kindness, Junior Sister. It is late; you should return early.”

Having said that, Bai Qingfan gave a polite nod and turned to leave.

Just like that?

Mu Chujing stood there dumbfounded. It wasn’t until the person vanished from sight that she spoke: “Does Senior Sister not like it? Why was there no reaction at all?”

The finger that had released the spiritual power still held some residual warmth. Mu Chujing looked down, puzzled: “I didn’t think Senior Sister was that hard to get close to.”

She wasn’t like the stereotypical heartless cultivator who was entirely cold and detached.

Could it be that people in this world haven’t seen fireworks before, so she couldn’t appreciate it?

That didn’t seem right either.

Mu Chujing was completely baffled and could only conclude that Bai Qingfan simply didn’t like such flashy, useless things.