Chapter 38

After the confinement ended, Ruan Mingzhu still remembered her promise. She made a point of slipping Qing Zhouxue a note.

On the note were Yun Shuchen's birth date and time.

Given the vastness of a cultivator's years, they had long since cast aside such conventions as celebrating birthdays. Hence, few who lived to the end could remember exactly how old they were, and no one would bother to investigate such matters.

Later, the two met up. According to Ruan Mingzhu, she had deduced the date only after much wheedling and questioning of the five peak elders, and after reading through the founder's essays. In any case, it should be roughly correct!

Qing Zhouxue frowned. "Why do you usually take such an interest in these matters?"

The girl glared at her. "You! I'm doing this for your own good, aren't I? You can use this to please her."

"Please her...?"

Having been confined for a few days and forced to retake the exam, receiving such news was actually not too bad. But Qing Zhouxue still felt something was off. "If I please my master, what benefit is that to you?"

Ruan Mingzhu thought she had never been so long-winded. "Who doesn't know you like her a lot? I dragged you into trouble several times before; consider this my apology to you, alright?"

"Don't worry about what I do. Anyway, Senior Sister, is this compensation satisfactory?"

Qing Zhouxue silently recited the date in her heart, carefully clutched the note in her hand, and the corners of her brows curved slightly. "Mm."

Ruan Mingzhu was stunned. On this face that was usually as inscrutable as the great Dao, which seemed beyond the cycle of life and death, a smile had actually appeared because of this.

She felt a tinge of sourness in her heart. Senior Sister must really like Yun-shishu.

After Qing Zhouxue left, she couldn't help but pull out a recent storybook she had been reading, utterly engrossed. The title blazoned across the cover was the ambiguous phrase "Overstepping Beneath."

Ruan Mingzhu had once enjoyed looking at beauties. After reading these sorts of things, her tastes had grown stranger. She discovered that when beauties were put together with other beauties, it was far more pleasing to the eye than a lone one.

After she noticed the strangeness between Qing Zhouxue and Yun-shishu, she secretly delighted in it and went to get some master-disciple storybooks to read. This particular volume was remarkable—it described the lowly disciple's admiration for her aloof master with twists and turns, utterly captivating.

Even with her carefree nature, she found herself weeping over it. And when she looked at Qing Zhouxue's eyes toward Yun-shishu—that was nothing less than a storybook brought to life!

Just as she was getting lost in it again, a startled female voice came from behind. "You..."

Ruan Mingzhu snapped the book shut, turned around, and shot an unfriendly look. After seeing Lin Xunzhen's face, she froze for a moment, then her expression grew darker. "What?"

Lin Xunzhen had inadvertently glimpsed a passage about a "rebellious disciple striking her master," and with just a line or two, it was quite suggestive. She staggered back as if she had seen a ghost. "S-such immoral things... Where did you get this?"

She was always composed and mature, so this flustered state was quite novel. Ruan Mingzhu found it amusing and waved the book, its pages fluttering noisily. "Want to read it? It's good."

Lin Xunzhen's expression turned cold. "One day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father. Since she is your elder, you should respect her. Reading something like this will only disturb your heart. How is this different from the storybooks Qing-shimei destroyed at the outer sect back then?"

"Ha," Ruan Mingzhu raised an eyebrow. "Father or not, here the master is a woman, and the disciple is a woman too."

Lin Xunzhen froze again, then grew even more incredulous. "This..." Isn't it bizarre?

"What 'this'?" Ruan Mingzhu glared at her. "I'm reading my own stuff; you don't need to manage that."

"I have no intention of managing you," Lin Xunzhen said, recovering and speaking coldly. "I came to find you because the Sect Leader has some matters to discuss. Go quickly; I've delivered the message."

Her gaze fell on the book, and she frowned. She found such disregard for the proper order of master and disciple, yin and yang, rather unacceptable. But Ruan Mingzhu caught her conflicted expression and, with a soft click of her tongue, decided to stir trouble. "Lin Xunzhen, are you sure you don't want to read it? I'm not charging you—"

Lin Xunzhen shoved the book back at her, genuinely irritated. "Just read your own!"

*

After practicing the sword today, Qing Zhouxue did not return to Heyi Peak but instead went down the mountain.

She had killed her mother at birth; her death anniversary and birthday coincided, so she had never known the joy of a birthday. Over the years, she had only heard of such customs from others.

So the eleventh day of the twelfth lunar month was her master's birthday? It was very close, only a day apart from her own.

Qing Zhouxue deliberately overlooked that fact. She found this coincidence rather pleasing. Over all these years, the clothes she wore were bought by her master, the hairpin in her hair was bought by her master, even the sword in her hand had been sought out by her master. Thinking about it now, it seemed she had never given anything to her master.

In reality, it was currently spring, so the twelfth lunar month was still far off. Qing Zhouxue kept this in mind, feeling it would be prudent to start planning early.

Taichu Town was as bustling as ever, with people coming and going. Qing Zhouxue, dressed in white and ethereal as an immortal, walked through the streets, drawing the gazes of many passersby.

She was oblivious, walking on her own, her eyes sweeping over the shops along the street. Clothing—Yun Shuchen bought it in sets; jewelry—she didn't buy it piecemeal; antiques and curios—Yun Shuchen even arranged them by dynasty; as for magical instruments for cultivators, they were already neatly categorized in the storerooms of Heyi Peak. Qing Zhouxue could easily guess that Yun Shuchen lacked nothing.

For the first time, she was troubled by her master's fondness for collecting things. Even though Heyi Peak had been destroyed once, these items had long since been arranged into a new system by Yun Shuchen.

This habit left her disciple in a predicament when it came to choosing gifts.

After wandering for an afternoon, Qing Zhouxue, lost in thought, reached the end of the street. There were few people around here. An amiable old woman was mending a pair of cloth shoes on the steps at her doorstep. Seeing this pretty young lady with furrowed brows standing alone, she kindly advised, "It's getting late, miss. You should head home soon."

"Auntie," Qing Zhouxue thought for a moment and then stopped to ask, "May I ask... does your family celebrate birthdays? How do you go about it?"

The old woman, having nothing else to do, put down her needle and thread, happy to chat with a young person. "At my age, everything is simple—just a bowl of longevity noodles. But my little grandson, we invite relatives over every year and have a lively celebration."

Qing Zhouxue pondered privately. "And what gifts do people give?"

"That depends on the person," the old woman said with a chuckle. "For distant relatives and friends, you give something decent, so as not to embarrass them. But for family, it's different."

This was the first time Qing Zhouxue had heard of such worldly matters. She took it to heart and asked, "What's the difference?"

"These are actually about sincerity. Once you've shown your sincerity, the birth celebration is about right," the old woman said slowly. "Whether it's a good meal or some jade, as long as it's from the heart, you don't need to worry about how many taels of silver it costs or whether it's useful. Young miss, who is this for?"

Sincerity.

She muttered the word softly, seeming to grasp something. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Back at Heyi Peak.

Yun Shuchen set down her book and looked at her. "Even though it's the alchemy branch and I deducted half your score as I saw fit, when all your other subjects are added up, you still rank at the top of the inner sect."

"Qing'er has done very well."

Her master curved her lips into a slight smile and suddenly raised a hand, beckoning her to come sit beside her.

The woman's hand brushed aside the hair at her temple, tucking it behind her ear. Qing Zhouxue felt a faint itch at the spots her ear had been touched, and heard a gentle voice close by. "What reward would you like?"

With her master's approach, her heart inexplicably began to race.

Qing Zhouxue suppressed a strange flutter in her chest. "Nothing in particular. Whatever reward you wish to give is fine."

Yun Shuchen smiled. "You really are easygoing. You've thrown the problem back at me, and with this sickly body of mine, I can't bear such deliberation."

Qing Zhouxue frowned slightly. "Then... let me think."

She raised her eyes to look at Yun Shuchen, and Yun Shuchen looked back at her. Then, as if remembering something, Qing Zhouxue lifted a hand and tapped her own brow. "A kiss."

Yun Shuchen froze, masking the slight awkwardness in her eyes, and asked calmly, "Is that all? Nothing else?"

"This would make me very happy."

She had already closed her eyes, stretching out a hand to loosely grasp the hem of Yun Shuchen's robe.

With her eyes closed in the lamplight, all she saw was a field of orange.

As Yun Shuchen leaned in, she blocked the light, leaving only tranquil darkness.

Her chin was lifted by the woman's fingers.

Qing Zhouxue caught the scent of Nine Harmonies fragrance, subtle and pleasant.

But at such close proximity, the fragrance seemed to have been warmed by body heat, growing richer.

A cool, silky object brushed against her neck, which she guessed was the long hair that had tumbled from her master's temple.

Then a soft warmth pressed against her forehead, applying slight pressure, lingering for just a moment.

It was brief, only a heartbeat. When she drew back slightly, her breath also brushed lightly across her face.

The dim candlelight cast their overlapping shadows on the window, as if they were cheek to cheek.

Qing Zhouxue opened her eyes. Yun Shuchen was still very close, and for some reason, she hadn't risen. One of her hands rested on Qing Zhouxue's shoulder, yet to be withdrawn.

Yun Shuchen felt her own hand being held down by her disciple's. She was pulled down a little.

The young woman tilted her head up and planted a kiss on her master's brow. "If I do this, would you be happy too, Master?"

Somewhere in the depths of her heart, it felt as if something soft had pressed against it.

Yun Shuchen paused, not answering. She only said, "Qing'er, don't go kissing people casually from now on."

As she rose, she coughed softly, suddenly feeling the room was stiflingly hot. She cracked open the window, hoping the cold wind would blow away the restlessness in her heart.

Seeing this, Qing Zhouxue also stood up and wrapped her arms around her master's waist from behind. Yun Shuchen's body stiffened abruptly. "...Mm?"

"If you need to feel the wind, then stay close to me. That way, you won't get too cold."

Two soft mounds pressed against her back, firm and solid, and her waist was encircled, bringing with it a faint, tingling sensation.

Yun Shuchen didn't feel cold at all. She only felt the wind blowing hotter and hotter, until she could bear it no longer and slammed the window shut. "You can let go now."