He had just been reborn when he was imprisoned by his nemesis, the Empress?

My disciple is still so young and doesn't understand anything. Will he think it's strange of his master if he hears me saying these things?

Will he think his master is useless, only ever bothering him...?

Shen Yunshu felt increasingly embarrassed the more she thought about it.

At this moment, Xu Yi, who was fast asleep beside him, suddenly stirred, his little brows furrowing slightly.

"Eat something, eat something..."

As Xu Yi talked in his sleep, he reached out and grasped Shen Yunshu's slightly cool, delicate hand.

Then he tilted his head slightly, took one of her slender fingers into his mouth, and gently pursed his lips.

Shen Yunshu stiffened, looked down at Xu Yi's adorable face, and most of the embarrassment in her heart dissipated.

She couldn't help but slightly curve the corners of her lips into a smile:

Yi'er is so big now, how come she's still so cute...?

Her fingertips twitched slightly, but she couldn't bear to actually pull them back; she just quietly looked at him.

After an incense stick has burned.

Shen Yunshu felt the person in his arms breathing gradually become shallower, and knew that he was about to wake up, so he carefully withdrew his fingers.

Xu Yi groggily opened his eyes, rubbed them, and subconsciously smacked his lips before finally looking at Shen Yunshu.

"Master, you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Yunshu panicked and quickly interrupted him.

"No, don't talk to Master yet... Master drank some wine last night and isn't feeling well. He's going to take a bath."

"Get dressed while you're awake; Master will be back soon..."

After saying that, she practically fled, getting up and heading towards the hot spring pool in the backyard.

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: ①⓪①ⓚⓚⓢ.ⓒⓞⓜ]

Just as Shen Yunshu hurriedly stepped out of the room, a soft, deliberately affected, and aggrieved female voice drifted from the west door.

"Master...I want to stay with Yi'er forever~"

"Yi'er, don't abandon your master..."

The voice was soft and sweet, exactly what she had murmured in her drunken state last night.

Shen Yunshu abruptly stopped, frozen in place.

The blush that hadn't completely faded from her cheeks immediately burned all the way to her ears.

She slowly turned around, her usually clear and cold eyes, like a still pond, now filled with a thin layer of anger mixed with shame and annoyance.

"Shen, Qing, Yao".

She continued speaking, each word laced with murderous intent.

"I've told you many times, you're not allowed to peep at my and Yi'er's daily life!"

When I get back today, the first thing I'll do is set up seven or eight layers of soundproofing, spirit-concealing, and tracking arrays around the house.

Seeing that she was truly angry, Shen Qingyao quickly raised her hands in surrender.

"I didn't eavesdrop, absolutely not. After I helped you back to your room last night, I hadn't gone far when you started talking nonsense to the little brat."

Shen Yunshu was too lazy to waste any more words with her. He walked straight past Shen Qingyao and then stomped hard on her foot.

Shen Qingyao gasped in shock and complained angrily.

"Ouch~ Sister! I'm your own sister!"

"These past few days you've been either beating or verbally abusing me. You've hit me more times than you've patiently lectured Xu Yi!"

Shen Yunshu ignored him and walked straight towards the hot spring pool in the backyard, which was filled with spiritual energy.

Seeing her "I can't be bothered with you" look, I was both annoyed and amused, and quickly followed after her.

"Hey, hey, don't walk so fast! I'm going too! I'm going too!"

"It's been so long since my sister and I went to a hot spring together, we can catch up..."

Shen Yunshu paused slightly, then coldly uttered a single word.

"roll."

Shen Qingyao didn't care at all and followed behind her with a smile.

"No, no, if my sister can take a bath, why can't I?"

......

Half an incense stick later, at the hot spring pool in the backyard.

Shen Yunshu was submerged in the spring water, with only her shoulders and above exposed. Her dark hair was wet and clung to her neck and back, making her skin appear as white as jade.

Shen Qingyao stood not far away, occasionally stealing a glance at her, suppressing a laugh, but not daring to provoke her any further.

After a moment of silence, Shen Yunshu slowly opened his eyes, a faint ripple in the depths of his gaze, his voice flat, as if he were speaking casually.

"You've traveled all over the country for so many years, meeting countless talented people, haven't you met anyone you found attractive and genuinely liked?"

Shen Qingyao paused for a moment, then lazily leaned against the edge of the pool, swung her legs, and spoke with a tone full of disdain.

"no."

"Those people either covet my identity as the younger sister of the Sword Sect Master, or they are only eyeing my appearance; not one of them is sincere."

She paused, a sly glint in her eyes, and chuckled softly.

"I'll find a Daoist partner someday."

"Perhaps she would disguise herself as an ugly woman with plain looks, or even a bit coarse, to test out a good and suitable husband."

Shen Yunshu was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Okay. If that day ever comes, tell me as soon as possible."

Shen Qingyao's eyes lit up

"Sister, do you agree?"

"Um."

Shen Yunshu nodded slightly, his tone utterly sincere.

"I will definitely agree to your marriage. I will immediately prepare a grand ceremony for you and marry you off as quickly as possible."

Shen Qingyao's smile froze: ......

She took a deep breath and gritted her teeth.

"Sister! You really dislike me that much, and you're so eager to kick me out, aren't you?!"

Shen Yunshu lowered her eyes, her fingertips lightly stirring the lukewarm water, neither too salty nor too bland.

Out of sight, out of mind.

"Great, excellent!"

Shen Qingyao was so angry she almost couldn't breathe. Suddenly, a competitive spirit arose within her, and she slapped the water's surface as she spoke.

"Then you wait, I will bring him to you in eleven years!"

Shen Yunshu raised her eyes, her narrow, willow-leaf eyes slightly raised, a hint of doubt in her expression, and asked calmly.

"Why wait eleven years? Couldn't it have been sooner?"

Shen Qingyao rolled her eyes and said slowly.

"Because of him, he didn't become an adult until eleven years later."

Shen Yunshu didn't think much of it at first, and simply responded with an "Oh".

But after a while, a small figure suddenly flashed through her mind, her pupils contracted sharply, and her voice suddenly rose in pitch.

"Huh?! Eleven years later... You, you bastard, are you talking about Yi'er?!"

Shen Qingyao shrugged and smiled innocently.

"Of course."

"I kill you!"

Shen Yunshu shouted angrily, grabbing Shen Qingyao's ear with his fingers with considerable force.

"Sister, sister! I was just kidding! It was really a joke! Ahhh! You're going to pull my ears off!"

After some playful fighting, the hot spring pool finally returned to calm.

Shen Qingyao buried herself in the spiritual spring with a wronged expression, only her bright, darting eyes showing.

She gazed at Shen Yunshu, who was resting by the pool with her eyes closed, and her tone suddenly became more serious as she softly asked...

"Sister, if—and I mean if—Xu Yi grows up and falls in love with some girl, and develops genuine feelings for her, what will you do?"

Shen Yunshu lowered her eyes, gazing at her blurry reflection in the spring water, and remained silent for a long time.

Shen Qingyao waited until she thought she wouldn't answer before slowly speaking, her voice as soft as mist, yet filled with tenderness and restraint.

"If he truly has someone he loves and is genuinely happy for, I won't stop him, much less hinder him..."

"As long as he can live a happy, peaceful, and smooth life, that's enough."

Shen Qingyao sighed silently in her heart:

Sigh, you can only talk so carefree. I don't even want to think about what you'll be like when that day comes.

Suddenly intrigued, she leaned forward slightly, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and continued to press for answers.

"What if... that girl not only stole him away?"

"They show you no respect, even look down on you as their master, and find you an eyesore. What would you do then?"