Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 149 The two little girls noticed something was wrong!
In the herb garden, the afternoon sun shines through the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows.

Zhiwei saw her master's figure from afar.

Before her master could get close, the older girl asked softly:

"Sister Qiuyun, why are you looking for Master? Is it...something dangerous?"

A hint of embarrassment appeared on Li Qiuyun's face. This was a dangerous mission, and if the two children knew about it, they would inevitably worry.

She hesitated for a moment before lowering her voice and explaining, half-truthfully, "Your master... he's just a worrier. Besides the herb garden, he has to go to other places to take care of some personal matters, and he'll be back in a day or two."

As he spoke, to avoid Zhiwei pressing him for more information...

Li Qiuyun immediately pulled the black cloth over her eyes tighter, then spread her arms wide, feigning a fierce look: "Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore! Let's continue playing! This time I'm definitely going to catch you!"

"Come on, come on!"

Qingjun laughed crisply, like a nimble little sparrow, darting through the gaps in the herb garden, occasionally sneaking a pat on Qiuyun's bottom to vent her personal grievances.

Hmph... Sister Qiuyun is a big fat woman!

It must be because she's too fat, so... so she takes up a lot of attention, which is why Master always accidentally looks at her chubby parts!

"Ah! Xu Qingjun, what are you doing?!"

Li Qiuyun's face flushed red from the slap. This little girl, how... how could she be like this?
Chen Shuguang was clearly a kind and upright man, yet he had raised a "little hooligan" as his apprentice!
She lunged forward fiercely, catching Qingjun, who was running away, in a tight embrace: "Hahaha, caught you again! Little Qingjun, your skills are terrible..."

"Sister Qiuyun is cheating!"

Qingjun angrily broke free, put her hands on her hips, and pouted in dissatisfaction.
"You must have used your divine sense! Otherwise, how could you have caught me!"

Li Qiuyun said confidently, "I didn't. You're the one who was laughing too loudly."

The little girl asked doubtfully, "Really?... Then let's do it again!"

Li Qiuyun had no choice but to comply.

only……

If she didn't use her divine sense, how could she possibly catch two girls running around in such a large herb garden?
Moreover, this little girl always bullies her when she's blindfolded!

"This is……"

Suddenly, Li Qiuyun's heart skipped a beat. Without hesitation, she lunged toward the faint footsteps beside her, shouting triumphantly, "I've finally caught them..."

However, instead of the warm body she expected, she stumbled and almost fell.

Li Qiuyun paused, then removed the black cloth in confusion, only to find Chen Ye already standing where she had just lunged, a helpless smile on his face.

It turned out that when Chen Ye saw her rushing towards him, he knew they were just playing around, so he used the Cloud Chasing Step to quietly avoid her, not wanting to take advantage of her vulnerability and make a fool of himself.

“Uncle Chen… Uncle Chen! Qiuyun thought… you were Qingjun.” Li Qiuyun’s pretty face flushed, and her ears even felt a little hot.

"Sister Qiuyun, why are you hugging Master? Shame on you!" Qingjun, always eager to stir up trouble, covered her mouth with her little hand and laughed with her eyes crinkling.

It seems that Sister Qiuyun really didn't use her divine sense.

Otherwise, why would he be hugging his master?

My master is smelly and strong, and only his disciple will pity him and let him hug him.

Apart from that, no girl in the world would want to get close to Master!
For example, Bai Susu looked down on her master. Although she allowed him to touch her body, he touched the stinkiest pig's trotter!

The little girl looked at Chen Ye with disdain. She really couldn't do anything with her master. Her master was so pitiful, so she would let him hug her from now on!

Seeing Li Qiuyun's embarrassed appearance, Chen Ye glared at Qingjun, both amused and annoyed, before trying to smooth things over:

"Nonsense, Sister Qiuyun was blindfolded and couldn't see clearly!"

"Ah? Yes...yes!"

Li Qiuyun felt like she had been granted a pardon and quickly took the opportunity to back down. She tidied her stray hairs and forced herself to remain calm, saying, "You silly Qingjun, how was I supposed to know Uncle Chen was back! How awful! Your master came back without even telling your sister Qiuyun. Your sister Qiuyun is not playing with you anymore!"

The little girl pried open her eyelids, stuck out her little tongue, and said smugly, "Hehe, if Sister Qiuyun won't play with Qingjun, then Qingjun can play with Sister Qiuyun, right?"

The little girl's absurd reasoning left Li Qiuyun speechless.

"Master, Sister Qiuyun needs to speak with you." Zhiwei, who had been quiet all along, suddenly spoke up, reminding him at the opportune moment.

Chen Ye understood that Li Qiuyun had come to him because of the matter of Shenwu Valley.

More than half a month has passed since the day we discussed it with Tingfeng Pavilion, and finally the opportunity to go to Shenwu Valley has arrived!

Chen Ye nodded and said to his two disciples, "Alright, stop fooling around. Be good and help Grandpa Sun and the others with some work at the Herbal Pavilion. I still have to go out with Qiu Yun."

Even though the two disciples had doubts and didn't know what their master was doing outside.

But they had no reason to try to keep their master, lest it interfere with his important business.

After Chen Ye left,

Qingjun muttered to herself, "Why are Qiuyun's ears so sharp? She knows exactly where Qingjun is hiding..."

The little girl felt frustrated.

Zhiwei suddenly glanced at Qingjun; she had already figured out the key to it.

but……

Should we tell Qingjun?

She watched her master and Li Qiuyun's departing figures.

The two were very close together, and the spirited young woman's arm would often unintentionally brush against the man's arm.

"Yes, Sister Qiuyun is amazing."

The older girl said expressionlessly,

"When she was holding Qingjun, before Qingjun could even speak, she knew that she was holding Qingjun, not her senior sister..."

The little girl nodded repeatedly:
Yes. Yes... huh? Huh?

……

As the two walked side by side on the streets of Yuexi Lake Market, Li Qiuyun finally put away her playful expression and became serious.

"Uncle Chen, let's go to Tingfeng Pavilion now to prepare for infiltrating Shenwu Valley."

She lowered her voice and said

"News has come from Tingfeng Pavilion that the Mao family will send people out of the valley today to purchase some supplies. This is the perfect opportunity for us to exchange identities."

Chen Ye nodded and asked, "Is this disguise technique reliable? There must be many experts within the Mao family. What if it's seen through..."

"Don't worry, Uncle Chen."

Li Qiuyun explained,

"The disguise technique of Tingfeng Pavilion is unparalleled. They don't use ordinary illusions, but rather human skin masks made of specially crafted spiritual materials. Once worn, they can not only change one's appearance, but also mimic one's bone structure and aura to a great extent. Moreover, this is just an ordinary maid, and she will not have any contact with Foundation Establishment cultivators. Uncle Chen only needs to go directly to find Mao Qingzhu after entering the valley."

As they were talking, the two of them arrived at the antique shop called Yajixuan again.

Inside the shop, the same thin, middle-aged man was there. When he saw Chen Ye behind Li Qiuyun, he simply nodded slightly, then got up and led the two of them through the shop to a dimly lit secret room.

Inside the secret chamber, a black-robed man wearing a ghost mask was already waiting. He said nothing, but simply took out a mask as thin as a cicada's wing from a wooden box and handed it to Chen Ye.

"This is a shape-changing skin. Once you wear it, not only your appearance but also your body shape will change. But remember, the Mao family is particularly skilled in spiritual sense, so try not to come into contact with high-level cultivators."

The middle-aged man gave instructions. Chen Ye took the mask; it was cool and slippery to the touch, and when he put it on his face, it melted instantly, adhering tightly to his skin.

He felt that his facial contours and bones were undergoing subtle changes.

A moment later, he looked at the bronze mirror beside him. The mirror reflected a young maid with an ordinary, even somewhat timid, face. There was no trace of his original appearance.

Chen Ye clicked his tongue in amazement: "There is such a miraculous magical artifact in the world."

"The Yixingpi technique was passed down from the Wuxiang Zhenren, and it is naturally extraordinary. The reason why the Wuxiang Zhenren is called Wuxiang is because his art of disguise has reached its pinnacle."

Li Qiuyun suppressed a laugh and looked at the unfamiliar maid in front of her, explaining.

Uncle Chen was a magnificent and extraordinary man... but one day, he was transformed into a woman.

If it weren't for the rules of Tingfeng Pavilion, Li Qiuyun would definitely have used the recording stone to record this scene.

After Chen Ye changed into a simple maid's outfit, the middle-aged man spoke again, calmly instructing, "The Mao family's purchasing caravan is resting at the Yingchun Teahouse at the east entrance of the market. Go to the back door of the teahouse. As for the rest, there's no need to ask any questions. Someone will take care of everything for you."

I must say, the arrangements at Tingfeng Pavilion are incredibly simple; you don't need to worry about anything at all.

Chen Ye felt relieved. After asking Li Qiuyun to take good care of his apprentice, he went to Yingchun Teahouse alone.

Behind the teahouse, a simple horse-drawn carriage, identical in style to the Mao family's motorcade, was quietly parked at the alley entrance.

The driver was a kind-looking man. When he saw Chen Ye, he didn't ask anything, but silently lifted the curtain and gestured for him to get in.

Without hesitation, Chen Ye quickly climbed into the carriage.

The carriage then slowly started moving, silently merging into the traffic on the street, and steadily heading towards Shenwu Valley.

The whole process was smooth and natural, without attracting anyone's attention.

"This Listening Wind Pavilion is truly unfathomable..."

Chen Ye stroked his face, reflecting on his current appearance.

Inside the carriage, another maid was still fast asleep, rubbing her eyes and stretching.

"Oh dear, how did I sleep until now? Sister Tao, are we back in Shenwu Valley?"

The maid looked young, with a sweet and charming oval face.

This person was not from Tingfeng Pavilion, but a maid named Xiaoli who was traveling with this person.

The maid who replaced Chen Ye was named Xiao Tao, and she was mute, so Chen Ye did not need to speak to avoid being exposed.

He nodded silently to Xiaoli.

The carriage traveled eastward, gradually leaving behind the bustling market town of Yuexi Lake.

The scenery along the roadside has changed from rows of shops to rolling fields and lush forests.

Inside the carriage, the maid named Xiaoli was clearly someone who couldn't stand being alone. Seeing that Chen Ye remained silent, she started talking on her own:

"Sister Tao, why did Madam only buy some fabric when she sent us out to shop this time? Since she returned home, Madam rarely goes out. She stays in her courtyard all day, doesn't see anyone, and is so bored that she makes clothes every day!"

Chen Ye listened quietly, pondering to himself.

It seems that Mao Qingzhu has not been having a good time lately.

Speaking of Mao Qingzhu, Chen Ye couldn't help but recall some intelligence provided by Tingfeng Pavilion.

It is said that Mao Qingzhu's marriage to Xu Buhui was actually a last resort.

The former patriarch of the Xu family once saved the life of Mao Qingzhu's father, Mao Gaoyuan. In return for this kindness, he arranged for his daughter to marry Xu Buhui.

Out of gratitude, Mao Gaoyuan had no choice but to agree, though he was unwilling in his heart.

Unexpectedly, Mao Qingzhu gave birth to Xu Qingjun in just one year after she went to the Xu family.

Originally, it seemed that the relationship between the two families was gradually becoming closer, with Xu Qingjun as the link...

But unexpectedly, Xu Qingjun turned out to be an illegitimate child!
Afterwards, Mao Gaoyuan used this as a pretext to confine Mao Qingzhu in Shenwu Valley.

Of course, the so-called confinement might also be a way to protect Mao Qingzhu.

"Sigh, it's still better outside."

Xiaoli rested her chin on her hand, gazing at the scenery rushing past the window, and sighed softly.

"Everything in Shenwu Valley is great, except it's too deserted and has too many rules. It's not as lively as the market town, where you can eat whatever you want and do whatever you want."

Xiao Li looks young, but she's a real chatterbox. Even though there's a mute person next to her, she keeps talking to herself the whole way.

Another hour passed.
The road ahead was gradually shrouded in a thick, grayish-white fog.

As the carriage entered, the surrounding scenery instantly became blurry, and even the light dimmed, as if we had entered another world.

"Sister Peach, we've arrived at Divine Mist Valley." Little Pear was already used to it, and her tone was calm.

As the wheels rolled over him, Chen Ye felt the surrounding scenery sway slightly, as if he had passed through an invisible curtain of water.

The next moment, the thick fog suddenly dissipated, and a valley that looked like a fairyland appeared before us.

The valley is warm as springtime, with exotic flowers and rare herbs everywhere, and the air is filled with a refreshing medicinal fragrance.

Several elegant pavilions are built against the mountain, arranged in a staggered manner, with flying eaves and brackets. Surrounded by the clouds and mist in the mountains, they appear even more serene and otherworldly.

This is the Mao family of Shenwu Valley!

The carriage stopped in front of a mansion, and several guards in uniform stepped forward, conducted a brief inspection, and then let it pass.

These guards were all female cultivators.

This was because the Mao family was dominated by women and had a single lineage.

Currently, Mao Gaoyuan is the only male heir!
Although Mao Gaoyuan was saved by the old patriarch Xu, his vital energy was damaged, rendering him unable to function.

Feeling disheartened at having severed the Mao family's legacy, he forcibly entered seclusion, hoping to one day break through to the Golden Core stage and regain his former glory.

This means that all the cultivators active in Shenwu Valley are female!
Xiao Li led Chen Ye, carrying the purchased items, through several corridors, towards a particularly secluded courtyard deep in the valley.

"Sigh, we have to go to Madam's Tranquil Garden again. It's so deserted there, you can't even see a bird," Xiao Li couldn't help but complain again.

Chen Ye followed behind her, a slight thought stirring in his heart, and his pace quickened involuntarily.

The two soon arrived at a secluded maid's courtyard. The courtyard was simply furnished, with only a few side rooms and a well.

Xiao Li put down the items she had bought, stretched out a big yawn, her delicate and sweet oval face full of weariness, and leaned innocently on Chen Ye's shoulder, letting out a delicate yawn.

Chen Ye stiffened and instinctively tried to avoid her, but Xiao Li took the opportunity to grab his arm.

"Sister Peach, your shoulders... seem stiff?" Little Pear curiously pinched them, her face full of anticipation.

"I've heard that men are quite virile! But there isn't a single man in Shenwu Valley... cough cough, except for the patriarch. There are quite a few men outside... but if you have any private contact with them, you'll be beaten to death by the family rules!"

Chen Ye's heart skipped a beat, but he could only pretend to be blank and shake his head repeatedly.

Xiao Li touched him more and more enthusiastically, and seeing that Chen Ye was uncomfortable, she became even more smug. She leaned close to Chen Ye's ear and whispered:

"Hehe, just kidding! Every one of the sisters at Jingxinzhai has been teased by Xiaoli!"

　Thank you to "Is It Wrong for Not Being a Lady?" for the 500 coins!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)