Chapter 74: It doesn’t seem like an act
“The next part might hurt a bit, Master. You’ll need to endure it for a short while,” Jiang Huai said as he took out a silver needle.
Chu Xianning bit her lip, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
Compared to pain, the thought of her rebellious disciple massaging and pinching her delicate foot made her more uneasy. She wasn’t particularly afraid of pain. Jiang Huai held the silver needle carefully and with utmost seriousness, he inserted the spiritual needle into the sole of Chu Xianning’s foot. She didn’t make a sound, as if she had rely been bitten by a mosquito.
After just a dozen breaths, Jiang Huai removed the silver needle and looked at Chu Xianning, “Master, try circulating your spiritual energy?”
Chu Xianning imdiately circulated her spiritual energy through her body, and indeed, the previously blocked acupoints in her sole were now fully open, allowing her spiritual energy to flow much more smoothly than before. Jiang Huai’s secret technique was truly miraculous.
“You shouldn’t casually open acupoints for others in the future,” Chu Xianning reminded him softly.
If this secret technique were to be carelessly spread, it could bring great trouble to Jiang Huai if too many people knew about it.
Jiang Huai patted his chest, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. I’ll only do it for those who are closest to .”
“Does Luo Yueguan count?”
“That was just incidental because of her cold poison; how could that count?”
“Then… apart from her, have you only opened acupoints for ?” Chu Xianning asked him softly.
Jiang Huai was taken aback. He was about to say yes subconsciously, but then he suddenly rembered that wasn’t the case.
“There’s also Wen Wanwan. To practice the Silver Radiance technique ‘Slashing the Mist’ taught by Master, two acupoints also needed to be opened.”
“So she’s very close to you.”
Chu Xianning’s voice was very calm, and Jiang Huai, looking into her eyes, didn’t know what to say for a mont. Perhaps he could lie, but one lie would require countless others to cover it up, and lying would be unfair to Wen Wanwan.
He couldn’t just kiss Wen Wanwan and then deny any responsibility.
“Yeah, you could say that,” Jiang Huai replied softly.
“Oh,” Chu Xianning responded indifferently, standing up.
“I’m going to bathe.”
Jiang Huai watched her figure move towards the bathhouse, not knowing what else to say. He could only agree with a “yes” and watched her return to her room. Chu Xianning closed the door, and he was left alone, sitting in the courtyard, gazing at the moon.
……
The next morning, Chu Xianning skipped breakfast, and Jiang Huai lost all motivation to fuss over the morning al. He casually cooked a bowl of noodles, slurped them down, and then returned to his room to continue writing his “The lody of Warm Jade.” The deadline was approaching, and he was almost done with the ending. The version he had previously told Chu Xianning was the bad ending he had in mind.
But since Chu Xianning didn’t like it, he would change it. He didn’t mind. He never had any literary pretensions; he just thought tragedies were more morable. But if Chu Xianning didn’t like it, he could change it.
So he had to start over. At lunchti, Chu Xianning still hadn’t left her room. Jiang Huai knocked on her door and asked softly, but she just said, “You eat.” So Jiang Huai made a simple dish, ate it, and went back to his room to continue writing “The lody of Warm Jade.” Late into the night, when Jiang Huai stepped out of his room, he saw Chu Xianning practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard.
She had changed back into a plain white Taoist robe, her black hair simply tied with a ribbon, her face serene and beautiful under the moonlight. Jiang Huai stood quietly under the eaves, watching the fairy-like figure dance with her sword in the moonlight.
Perhaps Chu Xianning wasn’t really angry with him; she was just upset with herself.
Jiang Huai sat quietly in the courtyard, and it was only then that he suddenly understood what Wen Wanwan ant when she said, “Pretend nothing happened.” If he pretended nothing happened, he could honestly tell Chu Xianning that Wen Wanwan was just an ordinary junior sister. Perhaps Wen Wanwan ant for him to say that to Luo Qingyu so he wouldn’t have to worry about feeling guilty. But by so twist of fate, it could also apply to Chu Xianning.
But Jiang Huai guessed why Wen Wanwan would say that.
Because she was alone, with no background in the sect, and her talent for cultivation was nothing extraordinary. That’s why she was always so cautious around him, and even in front of Luo Qingyu, she couldn’t lift her head with confidence. It was also for this reason that every ti they t, Wen Wanwan seed to have a bit of a seductive quality, perhaps because of her slight inferiority complex, making her feel that the only thing about her worth Jiang Huai’s affection was her body.
And for that reason, Jiang Huai felt he couldn’t really pretend nothing happened.
Chu Xianning finished her sword practice.
“When will you go down the mountain?”
“Probably the day after tomorrow,” Jiang Huai replied softly.
“Then shouldn’t you hurry to spend ti with your Wanwan junior sister?”
Jiang Huai chuckled.
His laughter brought a slight annoyance to Chu Xianning’s eyes.
“I’ve always heard that many mothers are especially jealous of their sons’ wives. I didn’t believe it before, but it seems there’s so truth to it.”
“Who’s your mother?” Chu Xianning took a deep breath.
“But when I was little and called out for ‘mother,’ Master would always answer.”
“I told you not to call that anymore. If you still do… it ans you’re asking for a beating.”
“Yes, asking for a beating. Master, go ahead and beat .”
“You think I won’t dare?”
“I don’t believe it. Master isn’t that unreasonable.”
No sooner had Jiang Huai finished speaking than Chu Xianning raised her hand, and a thread of spiritual energy instantly struck him. Before Jiang Huai could speak again, he was bound by the spiritual energy thread and tied to an ancient tree in the courtyard.
Chu Xianning approached him step by step, holding the Snake Bone Whip in her hand. The pale Snake Bone Whip glowed with a ghostly cold light under the moonlight.
“I’m telling you now, I’m about to beat you until you’re bruised and battered. Do you believe ?” Chu Xianning’s hand holding the whip seed to tremble slightly.
“Although I’ve been beaten quite a few tis since I was young, every ti Master beat , there was always a reason, and I couldn’t refute any of them. But if Master is going to beat because I’m close to another junior sister, then there’s certainly no reason for it. Of course, Master is Master, and disciplining a disciple doesn’t need a reason,” Jiang Huai said, looking innocently at Chu Xianning in front of him.
He didn’t mind actually getting beaten by Chu Xianning; he knew she must be feeling awkward inside, perhaps with so small grievances. It might be good for her to vent the grievances in her heart.
“Being close to a junior sister has nothing to do with you, but I’ve said you can’t call ‘mother’ anymore, and I’m not your mother. You could call that when you were young because you didn’t understand, but now you do, so you can’t call that anymore. Is that reason enough to whip you?”
“Enough,” Jiang Huai nodded.
“You are my disciple, and I have arranged your marriage with Luo Qingyu, yet before the marriage, you’re ambiguously close to another woman. Is that reason enough for to whip you again?”
Jiang Huai suddenly smiled.
“What are you laughing at?” Chu Xianning took a deep breath.
“Nothing, I was just wondering if Master had any other reasons?”
“Do you an to say that my second reason is just making excuses?”
“Really, no, I think what Master said is quite right, I was wrong,” Jiang Huai said softly, without any intention of arguing with Chu Xianning.
“I indeed have a close relationship with Wanwan, but I am not yet married, so I can’t be considered Luo Qingyu’s husband. Being close to any woman doesn’t seem to be excessive, and even if I should be disciplined, it should be Qingyu who does it.
Master didn’t ask for my opinion before, and just decided to set my marriage date again. I didn’t even get a chance to say half a word.”
“Do you have any objections?”
“Not really, it’s just that I feel Master should at least discuss it with , right? It’s like when Luo Yueguan didn’t even ask Luo Qingyu’s opinion and was eager to co to to call off the engagent. When Master first arranged my marriage, it was directly with the threat of expelling from the sect if I didn’t agree, and the second ti when my marriage date was set, not a word was asked of . In all the years I’ve known Master, it’s only these two tis that Master has been unreasonable, just like Luo Yueguan.”
Jiang Huai looked gently into the eyes of Chu Xianning in front of him, “I don’t bla Master at all, I just feel a bit wronged, thinking that such an important matter… Master should have discussed it with properly.”
“Would you refuse to marry Luo Qingyu?”
Chu Xianning’s eyes were fixed on him intently.
“Of course not, but isn’t the end of the year a bit too rushed? My cultivation might not even be restored by then, is Master so eager to send away? Master has always liked peace and quiet, and once Luo Qingyu and I are married, we can’t continue living with Master every day. We’ll have to move out. It won’t be like now, seeing each other every day… I’ve been having trouble sleeping these nights, I’m not ready for that yet, I don’t want to get married so soon, I still want to stay by Master’s side, to show filial piety for a while longer.”
Chu Xianning fell silent.
Jiang Huai had grown up before her eyes, and she could tell when he was pretending to be aggrieved and when he truly felt aggrieved.
The Jiang Huai in front of her was full of genuine grievance, not acting.
She couldn’t refute Jiang Huai, nor could she explain why she had subconsciously agreed to Luo Yueguan’s proposal at that ti. Perhaps it was because Luo Yueguan always teased her about her relationship with Jiang Huai, which made her heart feel annoyed and unsettled, so she confird the marriage without asking Jiang Huai.
She had thought Jiang Huai wouldn’t mind, after all… he was so close to Luo Qingyu, and Luo Qingyu liked him so much. Getting married earlier might not be a bad thing for them.
Chu Xianning remained silent for a long ti, the serene moonlight falling on her cheeks. After a while, she finally looked up, her eyes cool as she gazed at Jiang Huai.
“When did I say that you have to move out after you get married?”
Jiang Huai was taken aback and then blinked at her.
“That’s just perfect, Luo Yueguan thinks the sa. She hopes that Luo Qingyu can co to live on Guangxue Mountain in the future, to learn swordsmanship from Master. Then the three of us will live together in one courtyard, how lively that will be.”
Chu Xianning was startled.
Jiang Huai’s face had indeed been full of grievance before, not acting.
But now, the smile at the corner of his mouth, that too did not seem like an act.
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