Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 182 Master, live with Zhiwei!
He pushed open the door to the quiet room.

Mao Qingzhu was dressed in a simple blue robe, without any makeup. Her long black hair was loosely tied up with a single jade hairpin, giving her a refined and elegant appearance.

She was graceful and slender, with a waist as thin as a sash, and her movements were as delicate as a willow swaying in the breeze. Coupled with the fear hidden beneath her dark eyebrows, she evoked pity in those who saw her.

Chen Ye was no exception.

Mere ghosts and monsters?
Finally, he had the opportunity to display his masculine charm in front of females who were not young girls.

But who would have thought that Mao Qingzhu was afraid of ghosts?
"Sister Qingzhu, don't panic."

Chen Ye stepped forward. He was tall and straight, with a resolute and composed face. To be honest, his appearance did indeed give people a sense of security.

"Mere ghosts and monsters are not worth mentioning."

As expected, Mao Qingzhu showed a hint of emotion, her beautiful eyes flickering slightly:
"Brother Ye, aren't you afraid? But this ghost is rather strange."

"What's strange about it?"

Chen Ye frowned slightly. Ghosts and monsters, too, are divided into many types.

The most common type is the vengeful spirit. These ghosts have no consciousness or physical body; they are merely a lingering attachment in the human world and are completely non-aggressive.

Therefore, this kind of obsession can pass through conventional protective formations, such as the mountain-protecting formation of Lin Song Valley.

Of course, there are also magical artifacts on the market specifically designed to target vengeful spirits, such as amulets. However, these vengeful spirits pose no threat whatsoever. Even a cultivator at the first level of Qi Refining can easily disperse them, so normal cultivators would not purchase such amulets.

Of course, since amulets and similar magical artifacts exist, they must have their value.

Even in the cultivation world, many people still fear these kinds of ghosts and monsters—because they are disgusting in appearance...

It seems that Mao Qingzhu is the kind of person who is afraid of ghosts.

Mao Qingzhu felt somewhat at ease, influenced by Chen Ye's calm tone.

She nodded and followed behind Chen Ye:

“Brother Ye, you don’t know this, but the crying just now was not ordinary. I couldn’t sense even the slightest trace of that ghost.”

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye sensed that something was amiss.

Mao Qingzhu composed herself and continued to explain, "Logically speaking, even the weakest, mindless vengeful spirit should emit its own unique yin energy and resentment. But here... apart from that faint crying, I can't sense anything at all... This... this is too abnormal! I am, after all, a Foundation Establishment True Person, and my spiritual sense far surpasses that of ordinary cultivators. How could I... how could I not detect even the slightest trace of aura?"

Finished!

Chen Ye was startled. So, Sister Qingzhu wasn't the kind of timid female cultivator. On the contrary, she was panicked because she couldn't find the ghost.

Even with her level of cultivation, she couldn't detect the aura of ghosts.

That ghost must be at least at the Foundation Establishment stage, or even stronger!

Could it be... a ghost from the Crossing Love Sect?
Recently, there has been constant conflict in the Three Thousand Mountains. Perhaps a ghost cultivator from the Crossing Love Sect has come to the Three Thousand Mountains and released ghosts and monsters within his formation.

Judging from this, this ghost cultivator must have unfathomable cultivation, otherwise how could he have silently placed the ghost into the mountain-protecting formation?

wrong.

Chen Ye then thought, if he were really some kind of powerful expert, why would he just be secretly scaring people?

Like a little girl...

Wait, little girl?

Chen Ye sensed something was wrong and asked in detail, "Besides that, is there anything else unusual?"

"Um……"

Mao Qingzhu frowned and pondered for a moment, then hesitated and said,

"There also seemed to be the sound of a fox calling..."

Chen Ye roughly understood, and his face darkened.

This little girl is truly filial!

Even his own mother was startled...

Chen Ye didn't need to guess what her purpose was!
It's nothing more than her seeing how close she was to Mao Qingzhu, and she got jealous and wanted to scare her mother away!
As for why Mao Qingzhu didn't notice, Chen Ye speculated that Zhiwei probably played a part in it.

Zhiwei's flawless glass body is arguably the most heaven-defying physique in the world. It is in harmony with heaven and earth and can hide its own aura within them. This also explains why Mao Qingzhu could not detect the source of the aura.

Is this still available?

Chen Ye originally planned to find three or four beautiful concubines after things settled down. If he let the little girl continue to act so recklessly, he wouldn't be able to find a wife, let alone have a female companion.

Hmph, I wonder where this girl learned her mischievous nature...

After some thought, Chen Ye's gaze suddenly fell on Mao Qingzhu beside him.

Her appearance and figure are no different from those of a young girl. After a long period of cultivation and seclusion, her mental age is probably not much different either.

Perhaps due to her background, she always maintained a dignified and gentle demeanor.

Only at this moment can one see her naivety and fragility.

Even her usually meticulously styled black hair had a few strands hanging down, sticking to her forehead which was damp with a thin layer of sweat.

Chen Ye looked at her, a mischievous thought rising in his mind.

Nodding, he said, "I see. I had heard before that there was a fox spirit in Lin Song Valley, but its lingering attachment was almost completely dissipated, so it could not be detected by anyone."

"A fox demon spirit?" Upon hearing this, Mao Qingzhu became even more anxious. "Then... what should we do?"

If that's the case, how will she live in the courtyard?
Even knowing there's no threat, there's still a bit of unease.

Besides, she wanted to spend more time with her daughter...

"Sister Qingzhu, don't panic," Chen Ye said solemnly. "This kind of spirit, though without a physical form, is most fond of absorbing the essence of women. Tonight, you probably won't be able to stay alone."

As he spoke, he pretended to hesitate for a moment before reluctantly saying, "Alright then. For the next few days, you can... rest in my courtyard."

"what?!"

Mao Qingzhu was completely stunned. Her delicate and beautiful face flushed red, and she said with shame and indignation,
"Brother Ye, please have some self-respect! I already have a family, how can I...sleep with you?"

"What are you thinking about!"

Chen Ye was speechless. Mao Qingzhu's thought process was comparable to Qing Jun's.

He explained, "Of course, I rest with my disciples, such as... Qingjun."

Actually, Chen Ye's claim of playing a prank had ulterior motives.

He had long seen through Mao Qingzhu's little secret thought of "the closer to home, the more timid one becomes."

He could tell that Mao Qingzhu really wanted to get close to her daughter.

But she seemed to be hesitant, or perhaps unsure, to face it for some reason.

Both of them were clearly in Linsong Valley, but she almost always stayed in her little courtyard, afraid to show herself...

Since that's the case, then as her sworn brother, he had no choice but to help her out.

"I..." Mao Qingzhu realized she had misunderstood and felt extremely ashamed.

But as she came to understand the meaning behind Chen Ye's words, she couldn't help but glance at Qingjun's room in the courtyard.

If that's the case... then she'll have no choice but to sleep with Qingjun...

Even though she knew it was improper for a man and a woman to live together in the same courtyard, she still nodded slightly: "After all, it's unavoidable... But, if I remember correctly, Qingjun slept with Zhiwei?"

"What's the problem? Just let Zhiwei sleep in my room for the next few days," Chen Ye replied without hesitation.

"Hmm, thank you for your trouble, Brother Ye..." Mao Qingzhu bit her red lips, already looking forward to the day she would sleep in the same bed with Qingjun...

But was Ye Di helping her on purpose?
She glanced at the man discreetly and saw that he looked very serious. It seemed that he had arranged for her to live with Qingjun in order to deal with the ghosts.

However, that's fine.

This shows that her secret thoughts went unnoticed—she was too timid, so timid that she didn't even dare to face her own daughter.

Fortunately, Qingjun is fierce and not as timid as I am.

Mao Qingzhu felt somewhat gratified, but also felt even more sorry for Ye Di.

Ye Di is a bit slow...

……

"Ouch! Ouch!"

The little girl wailed in her childish voice, hiding in the bushes outside Mao Qingzhu's courtyard. Between sobs, she nudged her senior sister with her elbow, calling out, "Senior sister, senior sister!"

She lowered her voice and asked softly, in a tone full of uncertainty,

"You know... is this really scary? I feel like Aunt Mao... doesn't seem scared at all?"

The little girl with black hair stroked her chin, deep in thought:

"Just now, Aunt Mao must have been scared; she ran away in fright. Now, Aunt Mao won't dare stay in Linsong Valley anymore, right? I didn't expect Qingjun's idea to actually work..."

"Ok!"

Hearing this, Qingjun became even more smug. She puffed out her little chest, a look of accomplishment on her face, and whispered in a tone full of pride that only she and her senior sister could hear,

"Hmph! I told you this method would work! Everyone says children resemble their parents, but conversely, parents resemble their children too! I'm terrified of ghosts, and Aunt Mao must be too! We've driven away another wicked woman!!"

There was a moment of silence in the bushes.

The two girls looked at each other, their faces covered in a mess of white powder and soot, like two little kittens.

But at this moment, no one could laugh.

Both of their adorable little faces bore varying degrees of worry.

Qingjun sighed, "But there are too many women around Master. We try to drive them away every day, but we can't. Even if Aunt Mao is gone, there are still Sister Susu, Sister Qiuyun, and Sister Qiongyu."

Zhiwei's dark eyes dimmed slightly as she murmured to herself, "Then how can we solve this once and for all..."

"Once and for all..."

The two girls repeated the same sound at the same time.

Qingjun narrowed her eyes dangerously, and Zhiwei blushed slightly in surprise.

just,

No one knows what they were thinking.

The two girls, not wanting the other to know their thoughts, fell silent again without prior agreement.

Only the little fox perched on Qingjun's head, having just woken up, was squeaking sleepily.

"never mind."

Finally, Zhiwei spoke first. She tugged at her junior sister's sleeve, which was covered in grass clippings, and whispered,
"It's getting late, let's... go back."

"Oh……"

Qingjun reluctantly crawled out of the bushes.

Two little kittens with their faces painted all over walked back home, one after the other.

Their feelings were very complicated.

The plan succeeded.

But they didn't feel any joy; instead, they felt...empty inside.

……

When I got home, it was still late afternoon.

The courtyard gate opened, and the faint sound of men's voices could be heard.

"Master is back! Master is back so early today!"

Qingjun's eyes lit up instantly! She threw all her previous displeasure to the winds, cheered, and rushed toward the bedroom.

Zhiwei was also somewhat surprised, although her master had been much freer lately and often spent time with them.

But in broad daylight, one should be either cultivating or tending to spiritual plants.

But the moment they pushed open the courtyard gate, the expressions on their faces froze.

Inside the gate, their master, whom they had been longing for day and night, was indeed there.

But he was not alone.

They saw Mao Qingzhu sitting quietly on the edge of their bed, holding a neatly folded little garment that they had never seen before, examining it intently under the lamplight.

Their master stood to the side, whispering something to her.

The scene was warm and harmonious, just like a real family.

"Master...?" Qingjun's voice trembled with disbelief.

"Aunt Mao...?"

Chen Ye and Mao Qingzhu turned around at the same time upon hearing the sound.

The two little girls were playing like wild children, their clothes all dirty, as if they had been frolicking in the grass all day.

There was only a small face, which seemed to have been specially washed; it was clean, white, and tender.

Chen Ye said in a deep voice, "Where have you two been gallivanting off to? You're covered in dust, what kind of behavior is this! Go wash up right now!"

As he spoke, he gently explained to the already petrified Mao Qingzhu:

"Please don't be offended, Sister Qingzhu. These two girls are used to being wild. I'm sorry you had to see them like this."

Mao Qingzhu smiled gently, her eyes softening: "Little girl, it's normal for you to be a little wild..."

If both girls were well-behaved and serious, Mao Qingzhu would be uneasy.

This shows that they can act recklessly and mischievously.

She then realized that Ye Di truly doted on these two children.

"Waaah..." Qingjun clenched her little fists and pouted, "Aunt Mao, why are you at Master's house? Uncle Xu will be unhappy if he finds out!"

"Cough!" Chen Ye almost couldn't catch her breath. Ever since that day when Xu Qingsong, the third young master of the Xu family, came to visit, she knew that her nominal father was the Uncle Xu she was talking about.

Moreover, Qingjun has no idea that she was born from a dragon egg... she might really think that Xu Buhui is her biological father.

The smile on Mao Qingzhu's face seemed to shatter; her eyes darted around, and she became incoherent for a moment:

"He...he doesn't know, no, no, I'm just here to visit..."

She reached out her hand, wanting to touch Qingjun's little head, but her hand fell down halfway through.

"Qingjun".

Mao Qingzhu spoke softly, her voice carrying a hint of ingratiation that she herself was unaware of.

“I have no relation to you… Uncle Xu. I came here simply… just to see you.”

"Looking at me?" Qingjun tilted her head, her dark phoenix eyes warily scanning Mao Qingzhu and Chen Ye. "Why are you looking at me? My master and I are doing just fine!"

As she spoke, she ran to Chen Ye's side like a little animal protecting its food, grabbed his leg, and used her actions to assert her "ownership".

Chen Ye felt his thigh suddenly being tightly wrapped by a soft, squishy silkworm.

Seeing the pleading look in Mao Qingzhu's eyes, Chen Ye patted the little girl's head:

"Qingjun, because Linsong Valley is haunted, you will sleep with Aunt Mao for the next few days."

"Huh??" Qingjun was stunned. Actually, she didn't dislike Aunt Mao, but she disliked Aunt Mao being with her master.

She was extremely happy to sleep with Xiangxiang's Aunt Mao.

But wouldn't that mean Aunt Mao would be living in a house that belonged exclusively to her and her apprentice?

Qingjun opened her mouth, wanting to refuse, but seeing Aunt Mao's expectant eyes, she couldn't bear to refuse directly.

So he muttered to himself:

“But, Senior Sister has nowhere to stay! We can’t let her sleep here too, can we? Master, you know Senior Sister, she doesn’t like to be close to outsiders…”

The little girl with black hair also walked to her master's side at the right time, tilting her head up with a serious expression:
“Master, Aunt Mao is the wife of the Xu family patriarch. How can she live with you? It’s not that Zhiwei dislikes Aunt Mao, nor that Zhiwei doesn’t want Aunt Mao to live here. It’s just that if this matter gets out, it could easily become an excuse for others to target you.”

She spoke with utmost seriousness, her cool, dark eyes fixed intently on her master.

It seemed that if the master continued to be stubborn, the next moment those beautiful eyes would reveal an expression of utter disappointment.

“Oh? I originally thought that Qingjun could sleep with Aunt Mao, and Zhiwei could suffer the inconvenience of sleeping with Master... but you are all so opposed to it…” Chen Ye sighed.

"!? Who...who objects!"

　Thank you to reader 20250714164421825 for the 100 coins!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)