Master is Also Running Away from Marriage Today (Transmigration) - Chapter 8

Sword cultivators possess astonishing vitality, and Bai Fengqing had once again cheated death.

Mu Ling wanted nothing to do with Bai Fengqing, so she left him on a mountain outside the Bai Xu Sect and returned to the Qingyi Sect.

Fortunately, though the child had been frightened, her injuries had not worsened. After returning to the Qingyi Sect, the child’s meridians quickly healed under the nourishing effects of the spiritual spring water, and even her pale little face had filled out slightly.

However, the child remained extremely withdrawn. Perhaps taking Mu Ling’s words to heart, she no longer went out of her way to please her. Instead, she seemed to have developed a fondness for observing the animals in the mountain forests, spending most of her time among them. If Mu Ling hadn’t deliberately sought her out, she might never have noticed the child’s presence.

Mu Ling had always intended to formally take the child as her disciple, but lately, she had been too busy exploring new secret realms to collect magical treasures, leaving her no time to spare.

Even now, the thought of the lost bundle in the secret realm pained her deeply. She regretted not choosing a sturdier pouch to carry the Qiankun Bag, but if given the choice again, she would still have saved the child.

Life is the most precious thing, that was the principle Mu Ling had been raised with.

Luckily, the child’s snack-filled Qiankun Bag still contained a few high-quality treasures. After raiding several more secret realms and gathering additional artifacts, Mu Ling had finally amassed enough rewards for her future disciples.

Yet what weighed on her mind the most during this time was that, despite scouring the entire sect, she still hadn’t found Lin Qingge.

A growing unease settled in Mu Ling’s heart.

The original plot had already been altered by the butterfly effect of her transmigration: Bai Fengqing hadn’t died, Bai Junhao hadn’t obtained the medicinal herb and was now trapped in a collapsed secret realm with Chisu, their fates unknown. With so many changes, what if Lin Qingge never appeared at all?

And if Lin Qingge didn’t appear, who would restrain the great demon king destined to wreak havoc across the three realms?

…

The child noticed Mu Ling’s preoccupation with this batch of disciples.

She seemed to be searching for someone among them, to the point of neglecting sleep and meals.

I’m not the most special one to her.

After realizing this, the child couldn’t quite define the emotions swirling inside her, but she instinctively felt furious about them. Afraid that Mu Ling might notice her turmoil, she hid in the mountains every day to avoid her.

The animals brought her all sorts of news:

For instance, the four disciples who had ingested the pollen of the Forget-Me-Not Flower in the tunnels had experienced a rapid surge in cultivation progress after losing their memories.

Or that the back mountain was a forbidden area of the Qingyi Sect, where an incredibly powerful sword was hidden.

Or that Mu Ling had secretly left the sect two days ago without telling anyone.

And that the Qingyi Sect’s leader, seeing Mu Ling’s prolonged reluctance to choose a disciple, intended to use his authority to force her to select a personal disciple from this batch. Even if Qing Bo Peak was in decline, Mu Ling was still its master. Becoming her disciple would not only grant high status within the sect but also the potential to become a peak master in the future. The new disciples were practically fighting tooth and nail for the position.

So, this woman is actually in high demand!

She was the one who offered to take me as her disciple. I never begged her for it.

The child told herself not to care, yet when Mu Ling was away, she had Xiao Qi take her down the mountain to test her spiritual roots with a spirit orb.

The spirit orb dimmed, then swirled with a soft, multicolored glow. The child froze in place.

“Ah! You have a mixed spiritual root. What a predicament! Kid, you already seem so dull, and a mixed spiritual root is the lowest in innate talent.”

Xiao Qi’s loud voice boomed beside them. The child’s face instantly drained of color, lips bitten tight, fists clenched.

A crow cawed as it passed by the child’s door, whispering to them that Xiao Qi had rushed back to inform Mu Ling about their mixed spiritual root using a special spirit stone.

This woman hadn’t even mentioned taking them as a disciple lately. Now that she knew about their mixed spiritual root, she’d probably regret saving them at the cost of the Qiankun Pouch, wouldn’t she?

……

The child was long accustomed to life’s fickleness and knew no one would forever care for an unlikable little monster like them. Yet, for some reason, hearing this news left their chest heavy, as if something were lodged there, suffocating.

That night, the moonlight was unusually bright. Xiao Qi, perhaps sensing something, tried to curry favor by bringing over a pile of trinkets. The child watched Xiao Qi’s foolishly grinning face with cold eyes. Though they knew they shouldn’t act out, they couldn’t help but sneak away, climbing the tall tree behind the house.

Watching Xiao Qi spin in circles below, frantic and wailing, the child had thought the strange weight in their chest would ease. But instead, the agitation only grew heavier, pressing down harder with each passing moment.

Then, a shadow fell silently behind them.

A delicate fragrance drifted past their nose, followed by something soft brushing against their cheek.

Startled, the child instinctively looked up.

Mu Ling’s radiant smile greeted them. In one hand, she held a white, fluffy mass; in the other, a Qiankun Pouch. She leaned in closer, eyes sparkling.

She must have seen them tormenting Xiao Qi. Now she had even more reason to despise them.

In an instant, the child’s body turned cold.

“Xiao Qi speaks without thinking. It didn’t mean any harm. I’ll apologize on its behalf. Will you forgive it?” Mu Ling pressed the cottony white lump into the child’s hand and sat beside them, excitement dancing in her eyes. “Try it. Is it good?”

This… this was edible?

Hesitantly, the child eyed the white mass, gnawed their lower lip, then cautiously extended their tongue for a tiny lick.

A refreshing sweetness spread across their tongue, flooding their mouth with flavor…

“Well?” Mu Ling scratched her head sheepishly. “I spent days in Cangyun Kingdom learning from the local artisans. Couldn’t afford that priceless flower nectar, so I had to substitute with other ingredients. Just think of it as cloud candy.”

“You, you’ve been in Cangyun Kingdom all this time, learning to make candy.” For some reason, the child’s throat suddenly felt dry.

“Of course, not just that!” Mu Ling’s eyes crinkled with laughter as she casually tossed the Qiankun Pouch into the child’s lap. “Open it and see?”

The child pursed her lips, already guessing what might be inside the Qiankun bag. And just as she had anticipated, she pulled out three sets of bright and beautiful women’s clothing: these three outfits were exquisitely crafted, their fabric as soft as flowing clouds, clearly of considerable value.

“You know I don’t have much money,” Mu Ling pursed her lips. Perhaps because the child’s expression was too calm, Mu Ling inexplicably felt a bit nervous: “For a long time to come, I won’t be able to afford to buy you candies or clothes from the shops…”

“You could have afforded them before.” the child heard herself whisper.

“Money can always be earned again, but a good disciple, once lost, can’t be found.” Mu Ling unconsciously softened her voice, gazing earnestly at the child: “Would you like to become my disciple?”

“I have mixed spiritual roots.”

Logically, she knew she should just go along with Mu Ling’s offer, yet some words uncontrollably spilled from her lips!

The next moment, the child felt herself enveloped in a familiar, warm embrace.

“I knew you were upset! I originally thought to study a bit longer, to perfect my cloud candy skills before coming back.” Mu Ling sighed softly: “After all, this is my first time being someone’s master, so I wanted to be careful.”

“You’ll have other outstanding disciples with pure spiritual roots, I… I’m not upset.”

“Alright, you’re not upset, I am,” Mu Ling smoothly replied, patting the child’s head: “I’m upset that the little disciple I’ve taken a liking to doesn’t believe in me. I’m upset that my little disciple belittles herself over her spiritual roots. I’m upset that my little disciple hides away in a sulk because of some idle gossip.”

“I’m not sulking!” the child raised her voice.

“Then you admit you’re my little disciple?” Mu Ling grinned triumphantly, gently pinching the child’s flushed cheeks, her gaze tender: “I can’t promise I’ll be the best master, but I said I’d treat you well, and I certainly won’t abandon you just because your spiritual roots aren’t ideal.”

“I’m not good at naming. Since you’ve forgotten your past, once Peak Master Xu of Qianji Peak emerges from seclusion, I’ll ask her to give you a name.”

“And you shouldn’t belittle yourself. Mixed spiritual roots make cultivation difficult, but not impossible. You might not know this, but there’s a green-faced, fanged, ugly demon king in the demon realm. She also has mixed spiritual roots, yet her cultivation is so profound that the entire world trembles at her name.”

The child listened silently as Mu Ling outlined their future plans: Mu Ling’s eyes were as gentle and bright as ever, as if holding a ladle of moonlight from the sky.

That strange feeling in her heart surged again!

The child lowered her head slightly and took a small bite of the cloud candy in her hand.

So, this was the best-tasting candy in the world! The sweetness spread through her mouth and slowly seeped into her heart.

The next day, Mu Ling took the child to meet Zhao Yunshi.

Zhao Yunshi knew Mu Ling had rescued a child and raised her on Qingbo Peak, even helping her search for her parents. But she never expected Mu Ling would take the child as her disciple.

Zhao Yunshi carefully examined the child before her: though somewhat thin, the child’s delicate features and poised demeanor made them seem like a fine candidate. However, their cultivation talent was simply too lacking. The direct disciple of a peak master was usually a figure of great renown, not a position just anyone could fill.

Yet, within the Qingyi Sect, there was one peak responsible for managing mundane affairs, which didn’t require high cultivation. Perhaps this child could serve there in the future.

“Very well,” Zhao Yunshi said, not wanting to dampen Mu Ling’s rare enthusiasm for taking a disciple. She nodded slightly. “However, there is another disciple in the sect with a pure water spiritual root and exceptional talent. Since you’ve begun accepting disciples, why not take her under your wing as well?”

The pure water spiritual root disciple could inherit Mu Ling’s legacy in cultivation, while this mixed spiritual root disciple could handle the Qingbo Peak’s mundane affairs. This way, the peak would have both internal and external matters well managed.

Mu Ling was unaware of Zhao Yunshi’s well-intentioned plan.

She glanced at the child’s reaction, noting their unchanged expression before agreeing to Zhao Yunshi’s suggestion.

Mu Ling’s newly accepted disciple was named Ding Xin. To her surprise, Ding Xin was only slightly younger than herself, making her the senior disciple by age.

Ding Xin was a princess from a major mortal kingdom, exuding maturity and thoughtfulness in all matters. Her reverence for Mu Ling was profound, to the point where Mu Ling often found herself unconsciously maintaining proper decorum in Ding Xin’s presence. At times, Mu Ling even felt as though Ding Xin were the master.

Only around the child could Mu Ling truly relax and act without restraint. Privately, she much preferred spending time with the child.

Initially, Mu Ling had no expectations for the child’s cultivation, simply wishing for them to grow up happy and carefree. Yet, the child’s progress far exceeded her expectations, even rivaling that of the single spiritual root disciple, Ding Xin.

Mu Ling grew increasingly pleased with her fortuitous find and doted on the child even more.

Two months later, Peak Master Xu of Qianji Peak finally emerged from seclusion only to reveal that her tribulation had ended in failure. By the time Mu Ling saw her, Xu was already on the brink of death.

“I sought to pry into the heavens’ secrets and thus deserved this heavenly retribution. There’s no need for sorrow, Peak Master Mu. It’s only a pity that my strength alone was never enough to turn the tide.” Xu’s gaze was filled with profound sorrow. Though this was Mu Ling’s first meeting with the peak master, she felt as though they had known each other for a lifetime.

“Cough, cough… This little one is quite lovely. Likely to grow into another beauty who brings chaos. Let me give you a fine name.” Xu called the child forward with a smile, but her expression froze the moment she saw the child’s face. She suddenly seized the child’s hand, her clouded eyes gleaming with intensity.

“Fate, indeed.” Xu sighed deeply, her smile widening even as tears streamed down her face.

The child stiffened, lowering their head. Xu’s gaze was too penetrating, as if it could peer into the depths of one’s soul.

“Clear waters birth the lotus; great deeds echo through eternity.”

Xu murmured softly, her silver-haired head tilting to the side as though drifting into sleep. “You shall be called Lin Qingge.”

Lin Qingge?!

Like a bolt of lightning striking her mind, Mu Ling stared in horror at the child, whose hand was still clutched tightly by the deceased Peak Master Xu.