When I woke up, the entire cultivation world was talking about my master.

When Yi Chen sensed the sudden fluctuation of spiritual energy within his divine sense range, the mark on his wrist also faded, which was a sign that the curse seal had been actively removed by the other party.

He was immediately stunned and subconsciously looked outside.

Chu Xianlan stood motionless in the courtyard.

In the instant their eyes met, a whirlwind of thoughts swept through his mind like a blizzard. Yi Chen's body stiffened for a fleeting second, and after a long while, he whispered:

"Holding an orchid in one's hand..."

Chu Xianlan felt her eyes were dry and sore, her blood was burning, her temples were throbbing, and her throat felt dry and itchy as if it had been burned.

Over the course of the days, he thought everything was slowly getting better. He chatted and laughed with his friends every day, his mind preoccupied with his own affairs, and he was completely unaware of his master's abnormality.

Not at all.

Even on the day she first woke up, she acted lustfully in the spirit medicine pool... At that time, her master must have also suffered the backlash. How did her master feel?

He remembered that his master had asked him several times if he felt any pain.

Chu Xianlan was puzzled at the time as to how she could recover so quickly. She still vividly remembered the pain in her dantian on the day she fell into a coma, so how could it have miraculously disappeared after just one night's sleep?

...What happened to him was not Master's fault...Master should not have to pay such a high price.

All sorts of doubts that he had never thought of or questioned before surged into his mind like a tidal wave. He found it hard to breathe, his face turned pale and then bluish, and finally, he lost all color.

"You just said... so, you originally... never intended to tell me about this, right?"

His halting, stuttering tone made it seem as if he considered himself an unforgivable sinner.

Yi Chen stepped forward and pulled her into his arms, a hint of pain flashing across his brow. He said somewhat flusteredly, "Xianlan, don't overthink it. Protecting you is my duty. I'm willing, I'm happy to do it."

Willingly...

Chu Xianlan swallowed hard, her voice tight and trembling, "...Master, how can I stop thinking so much? How can I find peace of mind?"

Yi Chen was taken aback.

One drop, two drops. The disciple's scalding tears fell onto his clothes.

Her soul seemed to be split in two, one side blaming herself and the other furious. Chu Xianlan was not blaming Yi Chen for concealing the truth.

Whom can I blame but myself?

Chu Xianlan felt a deep sadness once again for her own powerlessness and weakness.

The truth shocked him so deeply that it pierced his mind, tearing away the fig leaf that concealed the gap and exposing his deep-seated inferiority complex.

In fact, ever since Yi Chen expressed his feelings, Chu Xianlan has been filled with trepidation.

It's like someone who's used to being poor suddenly being stuffed with a handful of treasures, unsure if they can keep them, yet unwilling to throw them away.

Chu Xianlan tentatively explored and groped her way across the line, greedily absorbing the intimacy and warmth, but she never gave Yi Chen a clear answer.

He knew his master was waiting for him.

Once he has thought it through, put aside all his concerns, and takes that step...

Chu Xianlan wasn't a hard rock; how could she not be moved? How could she not want to be in tune with the person she liked?

But when you like someone, when you love someone, you can't always stay by their side as the one being protected, hiding under Yi Chen's wings and taking all their protection for granted, watching helplessly as they bear everything that should have been yours.

He doesn't want that.

Only by becoming stronger and quickly catching up with the other side can one be qualified to stand openly and proudly beside one's master.

Therefore, even when she suffered the backlash, learned about her origins, and was repeatedly crushed by those cruel truths, Chu Xianlan did not shed a single tear.

At this moment, tears streamed down her face as if they could not be stopped. Chu Xianlan could not control herself. She bit her lower lip and broke free from Yi Chen's embrace. She kept wiping away the tears that welled up with the back of her hand, rubbing her eyelashes until they were stuck together. She choked up like a child who had done something wrong.

"I'm sorry... Master... It was me, I lost my composure..."

Yi Chen deeply regretted letting his disciple learn the truth in this way.

His heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly, a painful, unpleasant grip, and he realized he had made the wrong choice.

There were countless opportunities to have an honest discussion, to sit down and have a proper chat...

I thought he had learned to control his desire to control his disciples, but in the end, he still couldn't help but do those things that he thought were "for their own good."

There should have been no secrets between them.

...If his actions, intended to protect Chu Xianlan, end up harming her...what's the point?

"Your teacher..."

Yi Chen's throat was dry, his heart pounded, and after several hesitations, he dared not raise his hand to wipe away Chu Xianlan's tears, nor did he dare to hug him again. He wanted to say something, but the next second, the sound of footsteps coming from outside suddenly woke the two of them in the courtyard.

"Things have changed, we need to leave earlier," Wei Jin hurriedly called out. "Get ready and meet at Xiao Huandu's courtyard."

No one answered for a long time.

Outside the courtyard, Wei Jin's face revealed a subtle expression, his tone slightly raised, "Hmm? Did I interrupt your good time? Why aren't you saying anything?"

"Junior Uncle, we'll be there soon."

In the end, Chu Xianlan was the first to respond.

The tone is a bit hoarse.

When Yi Chen glanced at her again, Chu Xianlan had already walked to the corner of the pool, scooped up a handful of cold water, and splashed it on her face, rubbing it vigorously.

"...Master, let's go."

Aside from his eyes still being a little sore and red, the boy had regained his calm expression and nodded in response to Yi Chen's gaze, as if the emotional ups and downs he had just experienced were just an illusion.

-

Silence followed. The atmosphere was awkward.

The master and apprentice stepped into the house one after the other, and Xiao Huandu excitedly exclaimed, "Guess who I ran into?"

Chu Xianlan asked, "Who?"

"Wanderer!"

Having planned to set off the next day, Xiao Huandu went to inspect the area outside Peach Blossom Spring in advance. Unexpectedly, he encountered an unexpected team on the outskirts of Mount Buzhou.

Wanderer Tribe.

These demon merchants, who travel and do business all over the world, are all knowledgeable and have traveled between the human and demon realms year-round. They are rich, have plenty of free time, are wealthy and powerful, and are well-informed. Most importantly, they are loyal, trustworthy, and friends of the Taiyi Sect.

"Qionglan said she's willing to lead us into the Northern Sea. The wanderers' camp is already waiting outside, let's set off."

If everyone was worried about how to successfully infiltrate the demon race's territory before, now there is a safe and reliable way.

"Us?" Wei Jin glanced at Xiao Huandu. "Are you coming too?"

Xiao Huandu readily agreed, nodding repeatedly, "Yes, Master."

Wei Jin's expression instantly became complicated. He frowned and said, "Why is this half-demon going out to join in the fun? Instead of guarding Peach Blossom Spring properly—"

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Huandu clung to him, squatting down at Wei Jin's feet like a piece of chewing gum, staring at him.

"Master, I want to stay by your side. Don't worry about me, don't abandon me."

Who's worried? Wei Jin's lips twitched, and he rolled his eyes, looking away.

At this moment, Xiao Shengsheng rushed in with a group of spirits of heaven and earth who were playing wildly, making a ruckus throughout the room.

Mentioning the Wanderers, Chu Xianlan recalled scenes from the past: Ji Cheng'an becoming an apprentice, the Wanderers' Market, the precognitive dream, the theft of the Thousand-Glazed Cold Iron... It seems like only a short time has passed, yet after a series of changes, it feels as distant as a past life.

Speaking of which...

It seems like he hasn't had a precognitive dream in a long time?

Chu Xianlan was slightly stunned, then suddenly felt his shoulders being shaken wildly. It turned out that Xiao Shengsheng had thrown herself into his arms and was whimpering, "Brother Chu, are you really leaving? Shengsheng will miss you."

"Hmm," Chu Xianlan patted Xiao Xiaomei's head, took out a small trinket she had prepared in advance from her storage pouch, handed it to her, and said softly, "We will meet again."

"Wow, what a beautiful hairpin!" Xiao Shengsheng happily took it with both hands, then looked at Chu Xianlan's face.

The little girl was sensitive, and she whispered worriedly in Chu Xianlan's ear, "Brother Chu, what's wrong? Are you unhappy?"

"No," Chu Xianlan smiled at her.