Spectating the Angsty Romance of the Master and Disciple from the Sect Next Door Chapter 45

Li Jin’an gritted her teeth and inhaled sharply, utterly unable to comprehend. Had the illustrious Qingxiao Immortal Venerable become so fragile? A small fight could trigger her cold poison!
Is this person a delicate doll made of porcelain?
Just an evenly matched battle between avatars could cause Xie Huaixue’s cold poison to flare up, leading her to enter seclusion.
Was this still the same Xie Huaixue who would always oblige whenever she called for a fight?
Li Jin’an felt that Xie Huaixue’s cold poison flare-up couldn’t be blamed on her. But then she thought again, the last time her main body fought, Xie Huaixue’s cold poison didn’t reoccur. So why did it flare up this time?
Then she connected it to everything that had happened in Ziye Town.
The avatar fight might have just been a trigger. What happened in the illusion was perhaps the root cause of Xie Huaixue’s cold poison flare-up.
She just didn’t know if Xie Huaixue’s emotional turmoil that triggered the cold poison was from embarrassment or anger.
Thinking of this, Li Jin’an’s expression kept changing. She paced back and forth in the spacious bedroom, gritting her teeth, and gritting her teeth again. “This sovereign will go to the Dao Sect to scout out the enemy’s situation.”
I’ll be back quickly; it won’t take long.
She was just going to see if the three wretches had caused trouble again. What if these human-faced beasts, these rebellious disciples, had angered Xie Huaixue into seclusion? That was a very likely possibility!
Coincidentally, Li Jin’an could no longer bear it and intended to deal with the three wretches. So it was a good time to scout the way to Qingxiao Peak.
This was entirely to prevent suffering heavenly lightning strikes in the future. Although she wasn’t afraid, being struck by heavenly lightning wasn’t a good thing, so naturally, the less the better.
Yes, that’s it!
Li Jin’an’s steps faltered as she walked out of the bedroom. She turned back, re-hooked a decorative jade pendant to her waist, and then enthusiastically left the sect.
It wasn’t until she had flown far away, and Chixin Sword Lord still hadn’t received a reply, that she realized her troublesome disciple, who had already graduated from apprenticeship, had gone to the Dao Sect again, even more frequently than she returned to Jijin Peak.
Chixin Sword Lord: “……”
How could this troublesome person have the nerve to scold Qi Lingzi and the others?
Then Chixin Sword Lord remembered how she too loved to frequent the Dao Sect when she was young. Did this kind of thing have to be passed down through the lineage too…?
Truly, they don’t learn what’s good, but these crooked ways they learn and instantly master!
…
Having left in too much of a hurry before, Li Jin’an finally remembered to submit a formal calling card this time when she came to the Dao Sect.
However, the calling card made little difference. Whether Li Jin’an submitted one or not, the Dao Sect’s guarding disciples wouldn’t dare to stop her anyway.
Because Jijin Sword Sovereign was being formal for once, and also fearing that she might take advantage of the situation to do something unfavorable to the secluded Qingxiao Immortal Venerable, the Dao Sect sent Jiang Fengmian out to receive Li Jin’an.
Li Jin’an and Jiang Fengmian looked at each other in silence.
Looking at the frowning, glaring, and extremely impatient Li Jin’an, Jiang Fengmian felt immensely relieved. Thankfully, she hadn’t gone out with Jijin and Qingxiao. Otherwise, she might have lost half her life.
After the Ziye Town trip ended, Xie Huaixue went into seclusion, Lan Ci took on a mission to gain experience, Zhong Fei and Ning Zhufeng underwent ascetic cultivation, while Li Jin’an hurriedly returned to the Sword Sect, and her three disciples immediately rushed off to do hard labor for Spring Rejuvenation Valley…
Evidently, this was a mutual defeat for both Jijin Peak and Qingxiao Peak!
On one hand, Jiang Fengmian was genuinely curious about what had happened on their trip, causing everyone to act so strangely—the master closed off, the disciples diligently applying themselves. On the other hand, she was genuinely relieved that she had no direct disciples. If she had gotten involved, she would certainly have been the unluckiest one!
“…Why are you following me?”
Li Jin’an narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Jiang Fengmian. She felt this fellow Jiang Fengmian was becoming more and more annoying, with no perception whatsoever. She knew Li Jin’an was going to Qingxiao Peak, yet she stuck close. Was she trying to bask in Li Jin’an’s glory to see Xie Huaixue?
Could this straightforward Jiang Fengmian also be scheming now?
It shouldn’t be possible for her to suddenly turn from a muddlehead into a clever one. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have died so tragically in the Heavenly Tome.
“Jingshi Hall told me to receive you,” Jiang Fengmian answered honestly.
Li Jin’an was speechless. “You’re a peak master, at least. Besides receiving me, do you have nothing else to do?”
And why is Jingshi Hall everywhere? Before, it was Jingshi Hall that recommended Ning Zhufeng to Xie Huaixue and actively prepared for the disciple acceptance ceremony.
To carefully select the only demonic race wretch who wasn’t human from so many junior disciples, it shows how subpar their judgment is.
They don’t do anything proper, but they’re first-rate at making things worse.
“I have nothing else to do. Besides breaking through, I’m free from burdens,” Jiang Fengmian said honestly. “Jingshi Hall told me to keep an eye on you. Qingxiao is in seclusion. If heavenly lightning were to strike now, Qingxiao would also be affected.”
In short, Jingshi Hall didn’t doubt Jijin Sword Sovereign’s intentions, but they greatly trusted her ability to cause trouble.
There was always a first time for things. No one could guarantee that Li Jin’an wouldn’t attract heavenly lightning again on Qingxiao Peak’s territory.
Harm others without benefiting oneself.
But Li Jin’an was capable of it, and others believed she was capable of it.
Li Jin’an rolled her eyes, feeling that these people from the Dao Sect were prejudiced against sword cultivators.
“I have something to discuss with Qingxiao. Go amuse yourself.” Facing Jiang Fengmian’s disapproving gaze, Li Jin’an threatened, “If you follow me, I just might do something to Xie Huaixue!”
With that, her figure swiftly flew towards Qingxiao Peak.
Leaving Jiang Fengmian to frown in thought. She always felt that the latter half of Jijin’s sentence was strange, very familiar, just like how Jijin used to use her as an excuse before doing something bad.
However, those were all instances where Jijin would challenge Qingxiao to a fight using her reputation. Since Qingxiao was already in seclusion, they likely wouldn’t be able to fight.
Jiang Fengmian, who had never read a storybook, felt relieved. They were no longer the young cultivators they once were; Jijin surely wouldn’t be so impulsive.
Meanwhile, Li Jin’an didn’t go to the cave dwelling on the mountain peak, but instead headed directly to the back mountain, passing through the back mountain’s spiritual formation without any hindrance.
Excellent, Xie Huaixue hadn’t revoked her access permission.
Li Jin’an’s steps quickened slightly. Unlike last time, she wasn’t in the mood to observe the underground grottoes. She didn’t even have time to use her spiritual energy to dry the chill from her body, bearing a layer of frost as she rushed towards the icy pool.
Soon, she stopped, staring blankly at Xie Huaixue, who was floating in the center of the pool, meditating with closed eyes.
She hadn’t guessed wrong; Xie Huaixue’s cold poison had indeed acted up.
Li Jin’an, however, didn’t feel elated or happy about guessing Xie Huaixue’s predicament. If it were in the past, she would have definitely praised her own brilliance first. Now, she only felt her heart grow cold and desolate, aching in spasms.
She had only walked through the underground grottoes once and was already covered in frost, yet Xie Huaixue, in the center of the icy pool, was spotlessly clean and pure white. This was because Xie Huaixue had absorbed all the cold energy into her body to combat the poison with poison, suppressing the cold poison.
And next time, the cold poison’s retaliation would only be more ferocious.
It treated the symptoms, not the root cause, with minimal effect, no different from drinking poison to quench thirst.
Li Jin’an knew this was already the best method Xie Huaixue could find, or rather, a desperate last resort. Otherwise, the cold poison would have been eradicated long ago, and Xie Huaixue wouldn’t have allowed herself to be trapped in such a low point.
She suddenly couldn’t understand why. Xie Huaixue was bad to her, had a cold personality, and rigidly adhered to rules… yet she wasn’t some heinous villain. On the contrary, as Qingxiao Immortal Venerable, Xie Huaixue fulfilled her responsibilities as a venerated figure of the human race exceptionally well. She was worthy of the world’s lavish praise and admiration and hadn’t wronged anyone. But then what?
Outside the story, she suffered from the cold poison, and inside the story, it was even worse; she was surrounded and ambushed by a group of scoundrels, unable to find peace.
Was this the fate Qingxiao Immortal Venerable deserved?
Anyone unaware would think Xie Huaixue was some monstrous criminal!
What’s wrong with the Heavenly Dao? It fiercely protects those who shouldn’t be protected, yet relentlessly crushes those who should be elevated!
Forget it, the Heavenly Dao having problems isn’t a new development.
Li Jin’an unconsciously ignored the fact that both inside and outside the story, she herself was a troublesome troublemaker who disturbed Xie Huaixue daily. She was clearly a kind person who added color to Xie Huaixue’s dull and boring life.
Her emotions were in turmoil, and her aura surged around her. To avoid disturbing Xie Huaixue, who was meditating in the pool, she forcibly suppressed it.
However, that feeling was stuck in her chest, neither rising nor falling, like a gangrene clinging to her bones, making her extremely uncomfortable.
Li Jin’an lifted her robe hem, sat on the ground, propped her chin on her hand, and gazed at Xie Huaixue in the center of the icy pool, lost in thought.
It seemed she thought of everything, yet also nothing at all. She simply watched Xie Huaixue, entranced, and time flew by.
It wasn’t until a faint sound of fabric rubbing from above reached her ears that Li Jin’an was startled awake.
She looked up and saw Xie Huaixue falling downwards. Before she could consciously react, she instinctively leapt forward and caught the person in her arms.
“Phew—”
Li Jin’an landed on the shore, finally exhaling in relief. Looking at Xie Huaixue, who was calm and serene in her embrace, leaning on her shoulder, she almost laughed out of exasperation.
She finally understood why Xie Huaixue had been submerged in the icy pool last time she visited. So she had been meditating in mid-air and fell after fainting. And here she thought Xie Huaixue wasn’t afraid of the cold.
Relying on her profound cultivation, she didn’t treat her body seriously. Serves her right for freezing!
If this were back in Huaian City, she’d definitely occupy Xie Huaixue’s bed for a week as punishment…
No, I shouldn’t think about it!
This brain truly was prone to acting up!
Li Jin’an’s face instantly darkened. With a hint of gritted teeth, she picked up Xie Huaixue and walked out of the back mountain, returning to the cave dwelling.
She had barely put the person on the bed when Xie Huaixue’s hands automatically wrapped around Li Jin’an’s neck, clinging to Li Jin’an’s embrace and refusing to let go.
“…”
Li Jin’an froze. She tried again to place the person on the bed, but Xie Huaixue’s face was pressed against her neck, making her shiver from the cold.
Compared to last time, Xie Huaixue was even less reserved.
“…I told you, Xie Huaixue is just a clingy person,” Li Jin’an said, coming back to her senses and chuckling softly.
What a pity Qingxiao Immortal Venerable’s rare embarrassing moment couldn’t be shared with others.
Although that was the case, Li Jin’an knew Xie Huaixue was clinging to her because her fire spiritual energy was dry and warm. The cold poison acting up was too painful; even Xie Huaixue couldn’t bear it and yearned for warmth.
But no one said Qingxiao Immortal Venerable couldn’t show vulnerability when in pain.
Li Jin’an thought that if she had endured such pain when she was a child, she would have long ago cried loudly for comfort. As for her now, she would privately burrow into someone’s embrace and cry loudly, not wanting others to see.
However, Xie Huaixue would neither cry openly nor privately. She could only cling dependently to Li Jin’an’s gentle and warm embrace while unconscious.
Having no other choice, Li Jin’an kicked off her boots, swung her long legs, and sat cross-legged on the bed, with Xie Huaixue leaning against her.
Li Jin’an’s gaze shifted as she looked around, then she lowered her gaze and looked at Xie Huaixue’s tranquil sleeping face.
She slowly exhaled and lightly patted her rapidly beating heart.
Because the feeling of her heart being overwhelmed was too familiar, Li Jin’an’s eyes paused.
No, what was she feeling guilty for!