Chapter 138

In truth, she had brought more than just her sword; Qing Zhouxue had also packed a full set of sword manuals and cultivation techniques. The only thing missing was a single strip of cloth she could wear.

Yun Shuchen glanced at her again, then conceded defeat. Resigned, she rummaged through her storage ring and pulled out one of her own robes, along with a complete set of undergarments. "Make do with this for now."

Qing Zhouxue stood quickly, met her gaze, and began to undress, her clothes falling away like snowflakes. Yun Shuchen instinctively wanted to close her eyes, but after a moment's hesitation, she looked up again. She suddenly felt something was off—she had already seen everything there was to see, so why couldn't she look at her disciple with a clear conscience?

She casually erected a concealing barrier around them, then gradually lifted the weight pressing on her eyelids and looked at her disciple.

White, delicate skin was exposed to the light of day. Where the light fell, shadows formed, making the slender parts more slender and the full parts fuller.

Yun Shuchen suddenly realized she had reached the state of seeing mountains not as mountains and water not as water. When she noticed she had been staring at a certain place for too long, she snapped back to her senses, her cheeks flushing slightly. By then, Qing Zhouxue had already dressed and stood before her.

This outfit was a light pink, with a somewhat ornate style. When Qing Zhouxue wore it, it softened the sharpness of her features, making her look more charming.

"...Mm, it looks nice." Yun Shuchen withdrew her gaze.

Qing Zhouxue, however, looked down at herself in confusion, then raised her eyes again. "Is there some significance to admiring this area... Perhaps there is. Too large and it's cumbersome, too small and it doesn't show off one's figure."

"Actually, Master's is prettier."

Yun Shuchen was momentarily stunned, unsure what she meant. "Shut up." Once she realized the implication, she turned and walked away in a mix of embarrassment and annoyance, stepping onto the boat with surprising agility despite its rocking.

"Master was staring at that area just now; I thought..."

"The water is deep; walk slowly."

With the matter of the Immortal Ascension Assembly temporarily settled, and with three years ahead and no way to return to the Taichu Sect, the two of them had nothing to do. They decided to travel and sightsee, drifting like rogue cultivators. Usually they floated along with the current on the boat, and whenever they spotted signs of human activity on the shore, they would dock and explore.

Qing Zhouxue had not acquired any new clothes, saying she enjoyed the scent on her master's robes. So she let herself be "embraced" by her master's garments at all times.

"Spring water is bluer than the sky; in a painted boat, I listen to the rain and sleep."

Qing Zhouxue held a volume of poetry, which she had bought from a bookstore in the mortal world. She recited it once, then read it again, finding it beautiful no matter how she read it. She sat on the boat as a light drizzle pattered outside, perfectly fitting the mood.

This was Suzhou in the mortal realm.

The rain stopped as the boat touched the shore. Deep water stains dripped on the bluish-gray stone slabs.

"Braised spring bamboo shoots. Fermented rice balls. Smoked fish. Hmm... What kind of bun is this?" Yun Shuchen counted off the dishes to herself, raising an eyebrow. "I'll see how long you can keep eating."

Throughout the journey, Qing Zhouxue's mouth had not stopped, but clearly not for talking. She ate her way into one alley and out of another. Since people of the time did not find it elegant to eat while walking, they mostly stopped and started, stopped and started, and then stopped again.

"A few days ago, the Sect Leader sent a message saying that I shouldn't indulge you in pleasure all the time. When it's time to cultivate, one must cultivate. And sword practice. Well, I won't go on and on."

The Sect Leader had a very accurate intuition—if Qing Zhouxue were alone, she would cultivate properly, but if her master were also present, the child would probably not be fully focused. This seemed to be the opposite of other peaks.

Qing Zhouxue was busy eating and only nodded lightly. She guessed there were many more lengthy admonitions in the letter, but her master had condensed them.

As they walked, they unconsciously entered a narrow alley. No one else was around; only the sound of their footsteps side by side echoed clearly.

"When will you finish eating?" Yun Shuchen pointed at her own lips meaningfully, looking at Qing Zhouxue.

Qing Zhouxue was startled at first, then averted her gaze and began chewing faster.

Yun Shuchen started counting backward from ten, each number she uttered making Qing Zhouxue speed up until her brows furrowed and she nearly choked.

When she said "one," Qing Zhouxue swallowed with difficulty. Just as she turned her head, a soft kiss landed on her brow, fleeting and gone. Her eyes widened slightly as she realized what had happened. Yun Shuchen's hem swept past her like a cloud, brushing her wrist gently, leaving almost no trace to catch.

The woman looked back with a smile, feigning surprise. "I didn't say where I would kiss. Let's go." Satisfied with the expression she had captured on her disciple's face, Yun Shuchen turned away, thinking to herself: She's so cute.

"The food of the mortal world; it seems every region has its own charm." Qing Zhouxue couldn't resist raising a hand to touch her brow, then lowered it.

"The winds and scenery of the east, west, south, and north all differ, so naturally the food does too."

"What does that have to do with the scenery?"

"For example, around the foot of the Taichu Sect, though the land is flat, it's low-lying and humid, so people like to put chili in their cooking."

That was indeed a splash of bright red. Qing Zhouxue wasn't particularly good with spicy food. In earlier years, when her master was unwell and had to avoid spicy flavors, Qing had little opportunity to experience such dishes.

She recalled that around Beiyuan Mountain, the outer disciples of the Lingxu Sect cooked over open fires, mainly making stews with unknown ingredients floating in them. Perhaps it was for warmth in the cold—after drinking such soup, one's whole body would feel warm.

Even at the night market in Penglai, fresh seafood from the sea could be seen everywhere. That was the mortal way of eating. For something more refined, one had to go to the upper pavilions, where each dish was crafted with great care, arrayed like a peacock spreading its tail, with delicate white fish fillets carved into intricate patterns.

Thinking about it, they had been to quite a few places. Scenery passed like mist, but a few flavors of sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy lingered in the memory.

"I do remember many tastes."

Yun Shuchen suddenly became curious. "What's your favorite dish? Since we're out here, we can pick some up on the way."

"Favorite?" What kind of profound feeling was that? It wasn't just about taste; it had to carry memories. Qing Zhouxue sifted through her past, finding many favorites, but when it came to "most," she couldn't say.

After Yun Shuchen asked the question, her disciple fell silent. They walked past the next corner before she finally spoke, her tone soft. "The pastries you fed me."

"...Huh?"

"That day I was cold and hungry, the Thunder Tribulation was striking, and I thought I was going to die." Qing Zhouxue recalled carefully. "Unexpectedly, I stumbled into a cave by chance and managed to survive."

When Yun Shuchen had fed her, she had been hungry for a full day and night, travel-worn. At such a time, anything edible would have been a rare delicacy. That satisfaction had stayed with her for years, surpassing the monotony of taste and outshining all other foods.

That was no accident, Yun Shuchen thought to herself. She had carefully divined an auspicious moment and waited for a long time at that spot to catch a rabbit that had knocked itself out. She couldn't help but grip Qing Zhouxue's hand tighter.

Qing Zhouxue looked out. This watery region was peaceful and serene; boats came and went with two or three people standing on them, and the various taverns and restaurants all had a steady, unhurried flow of business.

All... was good.

Her mind inevitably flashed with images of famine she had witnessed, scattered bones on the roadside, and the gaunt, nameless faces that fleetingly passed. Back then, Qing Zhouxue had been unable to empathize; her heart remained calm. But for some reason, years later, catching a glimpse of this peaceful corner, a small wish inexplicably rose in her heart.

If only it could stay like this forever.

Yun Shuchen was holding her hand and happened to feel a brief surge in Qing Zhouxue's spiritual power, which then settled again, leaving no trace. In the past, such a phenomenon had been a sign of a breakthrough. But now that her disciple had no cultivation level to speak of, how could she talk about a breakthrough? Yun Shuchen was slightly alarmed and examined her from head to toe, but detected nothing unusual.

Suddenly, Qing Zhouxue felt a strange sensation within her, as if the entire world in her spiritual sea had shed another thin veil, becoming much clearer.

"What's wrong?"

Qing Zhouxue paused for a moment, then slowly let the feeling dissipate, unable to catch hold of the anomaly. "It should be nothing."

"Perhaps it's because of the travels these past few years—going far and seeing more. There's been a breakthrough in my state of mind."

Even without rain, on overcast days here, the scene was misty and hazy, veiling the river—a beautiful sight, like clouds rising. She stepped through a small patch of cloud on the embankment and said softly, "Take eating, for instance—such a simple matter—yet it differs from place to place. I've also noticed that eating alone seems different from eating with many people."

"What difference?"

"When there are many people... I see they eat half for the atmosphere, toasting and laughing, which is delightful, isn't it? I now know what delight feels like."

Hearing this, Yun Shuchen was thoughtful. "It seems bringing you out here has indeed been greatly beneficial; the trip was worthwhile."

Cultivators of the immortal clans mostly came from the mortal world, carrying mortal dust that had to be polished away through years of quiet cultivation. But Qing Zhouxue's path seemed the opposite; she was naturally lacking in emotions and desires, yet the heights of the immortal path had to be sought in the mortal realm. Without experiencing worldly human feelings, one could not be said to have "seen through" them; they would merely be numb. To see through vanity, through sensual pleasures, through emotion, and finally through oneself.

In the misty haze of tenderness, the way she turned her head held an ancient grace. Her black hair was darker, her skin paler, as if she had stepped out of an ink-wash painting.

"Just like you being with me—compared to being alone, it's ultimately different." She said this without any expression on her face, her tone still cool, yet it made Yun Shuchen's heart soften. She wanted to hand her a white umbrella, thinking she might be even more ethereal than the beautiful white snake immortal in those novels.

"Mm," Yun Shuchen said with a smile. "What's different about it?"

"My heart is happy." After a moment, she answered like that.