Spectating the Angsty Romance of the Master and Disciple from the Sect Next Door Chapter 111

In truth, even if Li Jin’an realized that the Heavenly Tome couldn’t re-enter her mind through the chaotic timeline, she wouldn’t know what to do. She simply felt a carefree sense of relief. After all, no one wanted something seemingly sentient and deeply malicious towards her and Xie Huaixue in their head.
Anyway, hadn’t Yinyue Monarch from the previous timeline told her to trust Xie Huaixue, trust the Heavenly Dao, and just let things take their natural course?
Thinking this, Li Jin’an “awoo-ed” and ate the peeled spiritual fruit Xie Huaixue held to her mouth.
No one would trust Xie Huaixue more than her, nor would anyone be better at letting things take their natural course. After all, she would never refuse food Xie Huaixue offered to her mouth, she would only naturally eat one after another.
“Ah.” Li Jin’an lay in the rocking chair, her mouth wide open, waiting for spiritual fruits to fall from the sky and land in her mouth.
Spiritual fruits wouldn’t fall from the sky, but Xie Huaixue, with her serious little face, would diligently feed Li Jin’an. Her movements were meticulous, as if this matter was vitally important to the future of the cultivation world and allowed for no carelessness.
One was willing to give, the other willing to receive.
Li Jin’an became addicted to eating, and Xie Huaixue became addicted to feeding.
The final result was Li Jin’an being stuffed and needing help with digestion.
Yinyue Monarch, between laughter and tears, used spiritual energy to help Li Jin’an digest, telling her to stop whimpering. Beside her, Xie Huaixue sat up straight, yet radiated clear dejection.
“It’s alright. An’an didn’t mean to eat so many spiritual fruits, and Huaixue didn’t mean to feed An’an so many. Shall we know when to stop next time, alright?”
Chixin Sword Lord fanned the flames from the side, constantly speaking sarcastically. “What’s ‘alright’? Don’t think I didn’t see. It was this greedy little one who kept ordering Huaixue around, and now she’s stuffed, right? Oh, looking at your little one’s grand demeanor, I thought your belly was a bottomless pit! Turns out it’s not!”
Li Jin’an dully bumped Chixin Sword Lord’s stomach with her hard head, protesting loudly, “You’re bad!”
“Enough! You can talk now, so don’t just say ‘You’re bad’ for everything.” Chixin Sword Lord pinched Li Jin’an’s nose, not allowing her to rely on the same trick every time.
As her own master, how could she be relegated to the same treatment as Jingting Dao Lord?!
She should at least use a different word!
Li Jin’an tiptoed and gave Yinyue Monarch a loud kiss on the cheek, then gave Chixin Sword Lord a disdainful, challenging look, before casually taking Xie Huaixue’s hand and walking away.
Chixin Sword Lord stood with hands on hips, fuming. Only after Li Jin’an and Xie Huaixue’s backs were out of sight did she turn around and plaintively express her dissatisfaction. “Why did you just sit there and let her kiss you? How can both master and disciple kiss the same person, in the same spot? Wouldn’t that violate proper conduct and ethics…”
Yinyue Monarch looked up at her, astonished.
“I didn’t say anything wrong,” Chixin Sword Lord’s voice weakened, her eyes darting around. Under Yinyue Monarch’s gentle gaze, she immediately changed her tune. “Wrong, wrong, I was truly wrong. How does that saying go? To err is human, to correct is divine. Please don’t be angry with me…”
Li Jin’an had no idea her casual kiss had nearly caused an emotional crisis among the elders. She was currently ‘destroying flowers with ruthless hands,’ bundling up all the beautiful flowers she had scavenged and presenting them to Xie Huaixue as a gift.
“Flowers, pretty, like; Huaixue, like.”
Ever since becoming a toddler, Li Jin’an only occasionally remembered she was the Jijin Sword Sovereign. She had become incredibly childish, her words and actions perfectly matching her age. Especially in speech, she would use repetitive syllables when possible, and only a few words instead of full sentences. Taking advantage of her young age, she freely fawned over Xie Huaixue and acted adorable.
At this point, she no longer bothered arguing about Xie Huaixue being only half a year older than her or her stubborn refusal to call Xie Huaixue “older sister.” She truly showed the same adaptability as Chixin Sword Lord.
Xie Huaixue accepted the pile of precious withered branches and fallen leaves, nodding seriously. “I like them.”
Both Yinyue Peak before its renaming and Qingxiao Peak after its renaming had a tradition of cultivating spiritual herbs and plants. This attracted the attention of certain ‘madmen’ who just couldn’t break their habit of destructive hands. They would always find the ‘crime scene’ immediately and complete their ‘work,’ stripping all the beautifully blooming flowers and plants bare.
Li Jin’an unconsciously revealed a satisfied smile, sitting on the ground with her chin propped in her hand, looking up at Xie Huaixue, who was arranging the flowers. Warm sunlight fell upon the two figures—one seated, one standing; one red, one white; one moving, one still—as if everything slowed down, becoming quiet and peaceful.
The days of old were so beautiful they felt dreamlike.
It was as if without that damned Heavenly Tome, she and Xie Huaixue would grow up together like this. Perhaps later they would become rivals, speaking harsh words they didn’t mean, even enacting a thousand-year-long enemy drama. But they would always walk side by side on the same path. No matter how fierce their conflicts, it wouldn’t stop them from returning to Yinyue Peak together to pay respects to their elders. No matter how much underlying tension, they would still have to act obedient and innocent in front of Yinyue Monarch, holding hands and saying with fake smiles that they were the best of friends and definitely not quarreling…
Then, propelled by some opportunity, they would reconcile. Due to Li Jin’an’s mischievous inclination, they would pretend to continue being rivals in front of the world, but in reality, they would have already been passionately intimate in private. Once they tired of the ‘rivals’ act, they would suddenly reveal themselves, shocking everyone, and grandly hold a Dao Companion Ceremony that would draw the attention of the entire Lancang Continent.
No Heavenly Tome, no wicked beast, no disgusting plotlines.
Xie Huaixue’s parents wouldn’t be besieged and self-detonate at Three Realms Mountain, Yinyue Monarch wouldn’t fall prematurely, Chixin Sword Lord wouldn’t be a drunkard, her most important daily task would be to squeeze next to Yinyue Monarch and demand recognition for their relationship, and the self-cultivating Jingting Dao Lord would regularly hang around Yinyue Peak, an odd fit but still trying to join in, annoying everyone she met…
And then raise three foolish disciples right before their eyes, watching them bounce around, stumble, repeat old mistakes, and finally become just like them.
Everything was bright and splendid.
This was the life path Li Jin’an and Xie Huaixue should have had.
Rather than saying Li Jin’an was swept into a chaotic space-time turbulence, it was more like she was made to witness what kind of lives she and Xie Huaixue would have had without the Heavenly Tome.
Looking at Xie Huaixue, who sat bathed in sunlight across from her, smiling gently, Li Jin’an felt a little sleepy.
Wait, she hadn’t felt wrong, nor was she wallowing in self-pity and feigning profoundness—time really had slowed down!
Li Jin’an suddenly widened her eyes, looking down in shock.
The Jijin Sword Sovereign’ divine soul slowly detached from the toddler’s body, floating upwards into the air. The entire temporal flow stilled: the warm sunlight, the rich floral scent, Xie Huaixue, who had neatly sorted spiritual plants and flowers—everything was instantly paused.
The vivid scene abruptly faded, freezing into Li Jin’an’s last and most profound memory of this temporal flow.
Time quickly rewound, mercilessly erasing all changes the adult Sword Sovereign had brought to this temporal flow. Step by step, it turned back, finally returning to the figure of the infant soundly sleeping on Chixin Peak.
The previous two temporal transmigrations had been beyond Li Jin’an’s expectations; this was her first time witnessing the temporal flow restoring itself after her divine soul departed.
No wonder, back at the Immortal Soothing Pond, Xie Huaixue had cautioned her to leave before March of the next year, or else she might never be able to depart.
Li Jin’an stared blankly at the New Year’s print doll on the bed, dressed in festive attire with sleep marks on its face. Then, a sharp pain shot through her divine soul, and she completely lost consciousness.
…
“Hiss.”
This time, Li Jin’an awakened quickly, unlike before when she felt trapped in a nightmare, unable to wake up.
Li Jin’an first lifted a hand to her forehead, then slowly opened her eyes. The tearing pain in her divine soul made it impossible to focus, completely obscuring her surroundings. Unsteady, she rolled over and crashed to the ground. The intense pain eased slightly but still left her dizzy and disoriented.
It felt as if her divine soul was being vigorously pounded and drilled by a slender, sharp hammer. Not only was there a tearing agony, but also a sticky, nauseating sensation that she couldn’t swallow or vomit out.
Where she fell, there she sat, there she pondered.
Li Jin’an quietly lowered her head, taking a long while to regain her composure. She inhaled and exhaled, and only when the cold sweat from her forehead dropped onto her hands did she manage to calm down slightly.
Just as she was about to lean against the bed leg and survey her surroundings, a familiar voice exclaimed in surprise, “Daoist Li, you’re awake?”
Li Jin’an, her face pale and bloodless, weakly raised her eyes. Her red robes were stained with blood, and a grotesque, winding saber wound, oozing flesh and demonic energy, marred her cheek. Her sharp phoenix eyes now held a wilted beauty, and when she gazed at the newcomer, they gleamed with an unusual ferocity and violence.
Jiang Fengmian, startled, instinctively took a step back and whispered, “Daoist Li, are you alright?”
Her entire body was tense, her expression rigid. She was already prepared to run if Li Jin’an succumbed to demonic possession.
She certainly couldn’t win in a fight; she was already inferior to Li Jin’an in terms of martial prowess. If a genius like Li Jin’an succumbed to demonic possession, her combat power would likely double instantly. Jiang Fengmian wouldn’t even have time to run, let alone foolishly approach her. The proper course of action was to find the Sword Sect elder stationed here to subdue Li Jin’an.
Li Jin’an twitched her lips in annoyance and retorted, “Do I look like I’m doing well?”
Every part of her, inside and out, ached.
She highly suspected that her past self in this temporal flow had either gone to excavate a spiritual vein or stealthily dug up someone’s grave; otherwise, how could she be so weak and sore?
Jiang Fengmian breathed a sigh of relief upon confirming Li Jin’an’s sanity, then walked over and helped her back onto the bed. With a somewhat unfamiliar politeness, she said, “You’re injured, so rest well. There’s no rush to eliminate demons and monsters until your wounds heal.”
Li Jin’an was stunned, realizing this must be her youthful period. However, she was too listless to recall the exact timing, so she asked, “What day is it? Am I three hundred years old now? Why am I so gravely injured?”
Her words hung in the air, with no reply for a long time.
Li Jin’an looked up and met Jiang Fengmian’s utterly terrified gaze. She paused for a moment, then rephrased her question, “…I was asking about Xie Huaixue?”
Jiang Fengmian, still shaken, stealthily retracted the half-step she had just taken. “Junior Sister Xie took your place after bringing you here, and she’s still fighting on the front lines.”
In an instant, Li Jin’an recalled the current time. She slowly closed her eyes, letting the demonic energy churn in the saber wound on her cheek, her expression so calm it was as if half of her had died.
“Are you alright? Don’t scare me! I promised Junior Sister Xie I’d look after you properly!” Jiang Fengmian shrieked in desperation beside her ear.
Oh no.
—She had returned to her foolish youth, a time when she tried to break Xie Huaixue’s Heartless Dao.