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

This morning, Pei Fang'an and Wei Jin came to Yujing Pavilion for a visit and discussed some matters.

Before leaving, Pei Fang'an glanced around the somewhat empty hall. "By the way, where's Xianlan? Has he recovered? I haven't seen him."

Yi Chen paused. Ever since Chu Xianlan's hasty departure that day, his disciple had vanished into thin air for two consecutive days, not even returning to Yujing Pavilion, hiding in the secluded forging room and not showing his face.

She was completely different from how she used to stay by his side every step of the way.

Unexpectedly, after all the unexpected events, the one who chose to actively avoid the situation was Chu Xianlan.

Yeah.

After being hit hard... take this opportunity to calm down, and perhaps you will realize your mistakes.

"I was wondering why I felt something was missing. Yi Chen, where did your precious disciple go?" Wei Jin put down his crossed legs and yawned. "Could it be that he finally figured things out and went to fawn over his little healer?"

Wei Jin was referring to the scene he had witnessed during the arena competition, where Chu Xianlan and Qu Ling stood under a pear tree, pouring out their hearts to each other, creating a beautiful scene.

Yi Chen was speechless for once, unsure how to respond.

...We can't possibly say that the person Chu Xianlan "loves" whom they've been speculating about for so long is actually his master.

The moment this thought popped into Yi Chen's head, he felt a sense of unease, as if he were about to be forced to confront this absurd truth.

At this moment, Pei Fang'an said again, "Speaking of which, isn't it a bit too quiet with only you two, master and disciple, in Yujing Pavilion? How about I transfer a few reliable cleaning disciples from the outer sect to help take care of the courtyard and add some liveliness?"

Yi Chen: "No need."

His special status meant he was already used to being alone.

After seeing the two off, Yi Chen stood alone in the courtyard, his eyes gradually darkening.

This mountain is located in the most remote part of the Taiyi Sect. It was like a huge cage. In the past, when he was alone, he could not feel the tranquility. But now, Chu Xianlan has only been gone for two days, and Yujing Pavilion seems so empty and desolate.

So, during the five years he was in seclusion, did his disciples also guard this place day after day?

Yi Chen pursed his lips, suddenly realizing that he had been too cold to Chu Xianlan.

If I keep hiding in the Thousand Refinements Hall... won't I get stuck in a rut?

Of course, he couldn't give her a chance just because he was soft-hearted. But as her master, he needed to guide her and be responsible for her mindset. He couldn't let Chu Xianlan get stuck in this chaos and escapism, sinking deeper and deeper.

Sometimes, pushing too hard can backfire.

With this in mind, Yi Chen arrived at the Thousand Refinement Hall, only to find such a scene upon opening the door.

Upon hearing the noise, Chu Xianlan immediately turned her head, still holding half a piece of her dress in her mouth, and her eyes widened in surprise.

The moment the door opened, two pairs of eyes met unexpectedly.

All the surrounding sounds seemed to disappear, leaving only two shallow breaths.

Something's not right.

When Yi Chen saw the scene inside the room, his pupils contracted.

His disciple stood disheveled in the moonlight, a few strands of his wet, dark hair clinging to his shoulders and neck. His upper body was half-naked, the faint candlelight casting shadows on his lean, pale side. One hand's fingertips pressed urgently against the hem of his trousers, as if he were about to pull them down...

From any perspective, it is an extremely unseemly gesture.

Chu Xianlan's mind went blank for a moment, her head was flushed, her face turned red, and her ears turned a thin pink color at a visible speed.

She hurriedly loosened the corner of her clothes from her mouth, frantically trying to pull at her open robes, attempting to quickly make herself look presentable. However, the more she rushed, the more chaotic things became. Her fingertips wouldn't obey her commands, and instead of fixing her clothes properly, she accidentally knocked over the candlestick beside her.

"hiss--"

The candlelight touched the hem of her dress, causing a small spark to fly.

To make matters worse, Chu Xianlan frantically raised her hand to slap the flame, but a cool, icy breath swept over her, extinguishing the small flame instantly.

Yi Chen had approached without anyone noticing, a wisp of white vapor condensing on his fingertips. His Adam's apple bobbed a few times, and his tone was ambiguous.

"What happened?"

Chu Xianlan opened her mouth, but it seemed wrong to start explaining. Since she was already in such an awkward situation, she might as well give up and face reality.

The boy blushed and took off his shirt again, which he had just pulled up.

"..."

Crack! A slight fissure appeared on Yi Chen's face.

What is this child going to do?

Chu Xianlan steeled herself and took two steps forward, pointing to her abdomen. "Master, look..."

Damn, we're all men, what's the big deal about going shirtless!

"Just now, some strange marks appeared on my body... here. They appeared in the hot water of the Spirit-Cleansing Pool and disappeared once I was out of the water and the water cooled down. They reappeared when I was near the candlelight. I don't know what these are, or if they are related to the Gu poison, so I was checking them just now."

As soon as the words were spoken, the cool fingertips touched the skin.

Chu Xianlan felt a jolt, as if an electric current had struck her.

Yi Chen didn't reply. His expression turned serious, and his fingertips, calloused from years of wielding a sword, slowly traced the edge of the red mark.

Perhaps because Yi Chen's body temperature was low, the red marks disappeared as if they had been wiped away by the cool touch.

"Well……"

Chu Xianlan gritted her teeth and endured for a long time, but was still provoked to let out an extremely faint moan.

The sound startled even himself.

It feels so strange.

For some reason, being touched by my master like that felt like a feather tickling my nerve endings, causing a tingling itch that made my heart race. It was completely different from the random groping I had done earlier.

Yi Chen seemed to be awakened by his low murmur, and his movements suddenly stopped.

He raised his eyes, his gaze moving from Chu Xianlan's waist and abdomen up to his disciple's face, and only then, by the dim candlelight, could he see the other's discomposure.

Yi Chen couldn't describe that expression, because he had never seen it on his disciple's face before.

The boy had bitten his lower lip tightly without anyone noticing, his teeth marks deeply embedded in his soft lips. His eyes were misty with tears, and his thin eyelids were red. He seemed to be holding back something, his expression a mix of helplessness and shyness, exuding an unprecedented sense of dishevelment and vulnerability.

This is completely different from the sharp and elegant demeanor he has always presented to the public.

It seems that Chu Xianlan only reveals different facets of herself when she is alone.