When the Immortal Venerable Picked-Up the Demon Cub - Chapter 11

Zhu Ning kept her thoughts to herself, careful not to betray her true feelings. She strained to maintain her composure, forcing a pleased expression. “Mm… not bad. This is precisely the talent this venerable one spoke of. What do you think, Elder?”

Still basking in joy, Yue Qing nodded vigorously. For someone of his age, every challenge seemed like an insurmountable bottleneck. A mere hint of progress could keep him elated for days. Lin Xiayan’s seemingly casual suggestion had been the spark that ignited his understanding.

Proud of himself, Yue Qing naturally extended his fondness to Lin Xiayan, regarding her as his little lucky star. He had nothing but praise for her talent.

Despite his delight, Yue Qing remained clear-headed. He set down the two scrolls, stroking his long beard with a stern expression. “Though her talent is promising, it’s not enough to convince everyone. We won’t lower the standards for the Grand Discipleship Ceremony trials. Zhu Ning, make time to mentor her thoroughly. We can’t have her failing the first test on the day of the ceremony.”

Though true, his words made the listeners uncomfortable. Lin Xiayan narrowed her eyes, a dangerous aura suddenly radiating from her. Yue Qing remained oblivious, but Zhu Ning noticed. Her heart tightened as she quickly stepped in front of Lin Xiayan, blocking her view, barely managing to suppress that dangerous aura.

How can we deal with this villain who flies into a rage at any moment? Zhu Ning wanted to cry, but no tears came, and she had no way to control the situation. All she could do was follow behind, cleaning up the messes Lin Xiayan left in her wake.

“Elder, you’re mistaken. I believe in her,” Zhu Ning said. To avoid saying anything else that might be wrong, she pulled Lin Xiayan out of her chair and rushed toward the Academy gates. As they ran, Zhu Ning’s white Daoist robe fluttered slightly, and its unique medicinal fragrance drifted toward Lin Xiayan’s face, carried by the movement.

A soothing sensation spread through Lin Xiayan’s body, and her dangerous crimson eyes softened, returning to the innocent gaze of the girl she had first appeared as.

The speaker meant nothing by it, but the listener took it to heart.

Zhu Ning’s simple declaration, “I believe in her,” unexpectedly softened Lin Xiayan’s attitude. Since birth, she had lived a harsh existence, either teetering on the edge of death or enduring the brutal laws of the Demon Realm. After countless hardships, she had finally cultivated a path to ascension, needing only an Immortal Bone or a successful tribulation to become a Fox Immortal.

Yet… the Immortal Bone was nestled within a living human body—one protected by Zhu Ning.

Zhu Ning ran out to the small path outside the Academy, finally stopping to catch her breath. She propped up her oil-paper umbrella, her chest heaving slightly, her white Daoist robe accentuating her curves in a provocative way.

Lin Xiayan averted her gaze, clearing her throat awkwardly. Her stride was bold and swaggering, completely un-ladylike. Zhu Ning frowned, still thinking about what had just happened inside the Academy.

“Didn’t I tell you? You can’t use magic on Yun Cang Mountain…”

“I didn’t use magic!” Lin Xiayan cut her off coldly before Zhu Ning could finish, her gaze scornful, as if mocking her.

Zhu Ning stopped dead in her tracks, her grip tightening on the umbrella handle. As if she’d caught her in the act, she pointed at Lin Xiayan’s forehead and demanded, “Then explain your eyes turning blood-red! And what was that fleeting red petal mark on your forehead?! Don’t tell me it was for looks!”

Anger flared within Zhu Ning, driving away all fear. She just wanted to win this argument. Lin Xiayan lowered her head, her laughter chilling. When she looked up again, a vivid red petal had materialized on her forehead.

She snatched Zhu Ning’s oil-paper umbrella, transforming it into a long crimson umbrella in her palm, just large enough to shelter both of them.

“Lord Immortal Venerable, you guessed correctly—I’m doing it for looks.” In an instant, Lin Xiayan transformed into the stunning beauty she had been the previous night. She leaned close to Zhu Ning’s pale face, her soft breaths making Zhu Ning turn her head away, her peach blossom eyes brimming with wariness.

In the snow-covered path of the withered forest, a fiery red-robed woman towered over the white-robed Immortal Venerable. Zhu Ning was forced against a tree, unable to retreat. Her perpetually impassive face now showed panic, her peach blossom eyes glistening as she stared at the audacious woman before her. Even the hands clasped behind her back gripped her sleeves nervously, knuckles white from tension.

Strands of hair escaped Zhu Ning’s strict coiffure, adding a touch of disheveled beauty to her refined features. Her delicate brows furrowed in discomfort, creating an almost suffocating loveliness. Lin Xiayan maintained the pose for a moment before averting her gaze, unable to bear looking at that porcelain-white face any longer—the tender, flawless skin, the delicately sculpted jawline.

Lin Xiayan thought to herself that confining Zhu Ning to the title of “First Beauty of the Cultivation World” was a vast understatement. Such a peerlessly noble and icy beauty, she mused, must be a phenomenon unseen for tens of thousands of years across all Three Realms.

Zhu Ning noticed Lin Xiayan shifting her gaze and quickly pushed her away, her face etched with anxiety. “What are you doing?!” she hissed. “Disciples could appear on this path at any moment. How will you explain yourself if they see you?”

Lin Xiayan found this rather amusing. Was Zhu Ning more concerned about being discovered than about her earlier transgression?

She conjured a hairpin from thin air and tossed it far away. Zhu Ning watched the pin fly, but it seemed to hit an invisible barrier a few steps away and bounced back, landing steadily at Lin Xiayan’s feet.

Zhu Ning smacked her forehead, remembering they were in a cultivation setting. For a major villain to casually set up an array or barrier was child’s play.

When she met Lin Xiayan’s eyes, she felt a pang of guilt. Even without her cultivation, she should have recognized the barrier.

“Has the Lord Immortal Venerable suffered a head injury from that fall?” Lin Xiayan asked, knowing that maintaining the barrier too long would risk detection. She waved her hand, dispersing the barrier, and transformed back into her child form, her head now only reaching Zhu Ning’s waist.

Zhu Ning knew she had given herself away, but she couldn’t help but want to laugh. Such sarcastic words should have made anyone angry, but coming from such a young girl, even the most infuriating words couldn’t provoke any real anger.

Zhu Ning held back her laughter all the way to her courtyard. Looking up, she noticed that while all the other courtyards had name plaques, the small courtyard where the original owner lived remained empty, as barren as the isolated courtyard itself.

Lin Xiayan took a few steps forward, then turned back when she realized Zhu Ning wasn’t following. The snow had subsided considerably by now. Following Zhu Ning’s gaze, she seemed to sense something amiss as well.

“Why hasn’t it been named?” Lin Xiayan asked. Zhu Ning was also puzzled by the original owner’s behavior. The book hadn’t mentioned it, and everything about the original owner remained a mystery in her mind.

Chin resting in her hand, she pondered for a long time, her thin lips parting slightly as she finally spoke three words:

“Mùdōng Courtyard.”

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