The Immortal Lord of the Path of Ruthlessness Bends for Me - Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Will You Always Stand by My Side Without Betrayal?

At the age of ten, how could she truly understand the nature of love? Her actions were merely following the raw instincts of her body.

Zhuang Jinfu shifted her leg away to escape the playful touch of Ling Shu’s toes, yet she still could not free herself from the embrace. Ling Shu clung tightly to her waist.

“Master, let me hold you for a little while, please?”

“No.”

Ling Shu refused to let go.

“Your demonic power is becoming restless, Ling Shu. Release me first.”

Zhuang Jinfu used her spiritual energy to pry the girl’s hands away. It took a fair amount of effort before Ling Shu finally let go. When Zhuang Jinfu turned around, she was met with a pitiful sight. Ling Shu glanced at her once, then lowered her head and began wiping away tears. The soft, hitching sobs were heart-wrenching to hear.

Zhuang Jinfu reached for her wrist to check her pulse, her tone softening: “We were fine just a moment ago. Why the tears?”

“Master,” Ling Shu whispered, her voice barely audible, “do you hate me? I only wanted to be closer to you. When Mother was here, she always let Ling Bao hold her. Now that she’s gone, you’re the only one I have left. My body feels hot and uncomfortable… but when I hold Master, I feel better.”

Zhuang Jinfu touched the girl’s damp hair and cast a spell to dry it. The strands were smooth, black, and soft. Those fox ears popped out again, and Zhuang Jinfu couldn’t resist giving them a gentle stroke.

“Master does not hate you.”

Ling Shu wasn’t satisfied. “Then why did you push Ling Bao away?”

“Master simply wanted to see how your demonic power was doing.”

As she felt the pulse, Zhuang Jinfu discovered that the demonic energy within Ling Shu was chaotic. She had been using her own immortal qi to suppress its aggressive nature. A Foundation Establishment practitioner could not easily internalize the thousand-year-old power left behind by Wen Ji; one would need to be at the Great Transcendence stage to fully master it. The current instability was likely due to the heavy use of power a few days ago.

“A few days ago, did you fight those three cultivators?”

Ling Shu looked like a child afraid of being scolded. “Mhm… they bullied me and my friend. I… I just taught them a lesson.”

Zhuang Jinfu rubbed the base of the fox ears. “You did well.”

Ling Shu’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Zhuang Jinfu smiled. “When you are bullied, you must learn to strike back. You learned that without being taught. You are very clever.”

Ling Shu lunged forward to embrace her again, but Zhuang Jinfu placed a hand on the girl’s head to stop her. “Then can Ling Bao have a reward?”

“What do you want?”

“I want Master to hug me.”

Zhuang Jinfu let out a breath and relented. “Very well.”

With a loud splash, Ling Shu dove into her arms, resting her head against her chest. Zhuang Jinfu’s hand, which had been frozen in mid-air, finally circled around Ling Shu’s back. She sent a cool stream of immortal qi into the girl’s body. Ling Shu shivered, her ears twitching adorably. Zhuang Jinfu couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

Ling Shu looked up. “Master, you’re making fun of me.”

Her peach-blossom eyes shimmered. Her ears and neck were porcelain white, while her cheeks were flushed—perhaps from the heat of the spring.

“I’m not. It is only because my immortal qi is too cold,” Zhuang Jinfu said tenderly.

“Mhm. It’s all Master’s fault,” Ling Shu nodded.

Zhuang Jinfu chuckled. If only she could stay this obedient forever.

“So, Master, I have to punish you,” Ling Shu said, a hint of mischief in her eyes.

“Oh? A disciple punishing her Master? How bold.”

Zhuang Jinfu wondered what she would do. Would she splash water in her face? Or kick her out to enjoy the spring alone? She thought of many things, but she did not expect what happened next.

Ling Shu’s intentions were never pure. Even with her memories gone, the desires buried deep in her heart remained unchanged.

The bath towel loosely covering Zhuang Jinfu’s body was suddenly pulled down. Ling Shu’s hot lips pressed against the soft skin of her chest. The girl mischievously darted her tongue out, licking the damp skin. Those innocent eyes transformed—they were now filled with an aggressive, possessive hunger.

Shame and anger flared in Zhuang Jinfu. She pushed Ling Shu away with significant force and clutched her towel back around herself.

Because they were in the deep end of the spring, the force of the push sent Ling Shu reeling back until she disappeared beneath the surface. A few bubbles rose to the top, then… silence.

“Come out. I won’t fall for it again,” Zhuang Jinfu said coldly.

There was no response. Seconds ticked by. Ling Shu did not resurface.

Panic seized Zhuang Jinfu. She dove into the water and saw Ling Shu floating with her eyes closed. She hauled the girl up, but Ling Shu was motionless. Thinking she had drowned, Zhuang Jinfu began emergency measures, breathing air into her lungs. After a moment, Ling Shu’s breath returned.

Zhuang Jinfu sat beside her, overcome with guilt. “I’m sorry… I didn’t control my strength.”

Ling Shu sat up. Zhuang Jinfu immediately pulled her into a tight embrace. “I almost lost you.”

“Are you very afraid of me dying?”

Zhuang Jinfu’s heart was in turmoil. Ling Shu had shown a bit of misplaced desire, but she wasn’t evil. How could a Great Immortal strike a Foundation-stage fox girl so carelessly? How could she expect a small fox to withstand her palm? The more she thought, the more she blamed herself.

“I am,” she whispered.

“Sun Wang said demons are born lowly. So many people want me dead. Why are you the only one who wants me to live?”

“You… remember?” Zhuang Jinfu noticed her words sounded more mature than a ten-year-old’s.

“I remember some things,” Ling Shu replied. “When I was underwater just now, it was pitch black. Many things flashed before me. I don’t remember the details, but I remember coming to Upper Clarity Mountain and that person refusing to see me. I saw flashes of swords and felt the despair of death.”

“Master, have I been struck by lightning? It hurt so much. The person controlling the lightning… she looked so gloomy and vicious. I don’t like her. Who is she?” Ling Shu leaned her head on Zhuang Jinfu’s shoulder, clinging to her warmth.

“An unimportant person,” Zhuang Jinfu replied coldly.

“That’s good,” Ling Shu said. “If she were someone important in my life, I would break down.”

Zhuang Jinfu stroked her back gently. “If you can’t remember her, then don’t try.”

Zhuang Jinfu was not one to feel pity for others, but since Ling Shu appeared, grass had begun to grow in the barren garden of her heart. For a normal cultivator, awakening emotions might be a step toward true compassion, but she was different. She practiced the Path of Emotionlessness. From the moment she helped Ling Shu, everything had changed. She felt afraid.

And yet, she couldn’t stop herself from leaning toward Ling Shu. She felt for her; she pitied her. Ling Shu couldn’t remember Wang Lifu, but the shadow of that person remained. In her heart, she still longed for a mother’s love.

“What about you? Why are you afraid of me dying?” Ling Shu pressed. Hidden from Zhuang Jinfu’s view, her expression was no longer that of a child. Her eyes were sharp, calculating—the look of a predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike the heart of the target.

“I don’t know,” Zhuang Jinfu paused. “I simply don’t want you to die.”

“There must be a reason,” Ling Shu wouldn’t let her off. “Utilitization, a request, or perhaps playing with me for amusement. A person isn’t good to another for no reason. There must be a reason.”

Ling Shu spoke of the ugliest parts of humanity. The fact that she only saw the darkness meant that deep down, she had a profound distrust of others. Her life had been too hard; believing in the innate goodness of people was much harder for her than believing in their malice.

Zhuang Jinfu realized this and said softly, “What if I told you there is none of that? I am good to you simply because I want to be.”

“Then it’s pity.”

Zhuang Jinfu found herself unable to argue.

“I don’t want your pity,” Ling Shu said stubbornly, yet her arms tightened around the Immortal.

No, you want it, and you need it, Zhuang Jinfu thought. But she didn’t say it. To expose someone’s secret longing is to cause them shame. Instead, she said, “Think what you will, but I intend to be good to you. I want you to live. I won’t push you away because you’re a demon.

You are a living being in this world, and no one has the right to take your life or bend you into what they want you to be. I will teach you to be kind, and then let you live in this world in whatever way you choose.”

Ling Shu’s eyes grew misty. She was conflicted; she couldn’t believe someone could be good to her for no reason. It was why she called Li Chang stupid and why she constantly questioned Zhuang Jinfu. In her eyes, someone like Wang Lifu was “normal”—humans are supposed to be base and cruel. She didn’t believe in kindness or mercy.

“Zhuang Jinfu.”

“Not ‘Master’ anymore?”

“Master,” Ling Shu leaned into the crook of her neck. “Will you always be good to me? Will you always stand by my side, never betraying me?”

“I will.”

“Don’t give me light only to snuff it out with your own hands, Zhuang Jinfu,” Ling Shu said, reaching out to play with her wet hair, squeezing the water out. “Snuffing out the light yourself is more cruel than if you had been hateful from the start. Ling Bao wouldn’t be able to take it.”

“I won’t.”

Ling Shu let go of her hair and shivered. She let out a sneeze. Zhuang Jinfu felt guilty again. “I’m sorry. You’ve caught a cold.” She cast a spell, instantly drying their clothes.

“Master—”

Zhuang Jinfu smiled. “Back to ‘Master’ already?”

“Are you still going to punish me by making me kneel in the snow?” Ling Shu asked in a soft, wheedling voice.

“If I do, will you realize what you did wrong and not do it again?” Zhuang Jinfu tried to get her to let go, but she wouldn’t. She had to use a spell to bring a robe over to cover Ling Shu.

“I know I was wrong, Master—” Ling Shu continued to act spoiled.

Zhuang Jinfu wrapped the robe around her and asked in a gentle voice, “Kneeling in the snow… was it cold?”

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