Chapter 27

After A Yiduo and her companions had gone far away, the gatekeeper spirit servant returned to report to Su Lingyu.

Su Lingyu nodded and dismissed the spirit servant . She looked at the elders solemnly and said, “I hope all the elders take this as a warning. If there is ever a second A Yiduo, they must be immediately expelled from the sect. We must not be soft-hearted and harm other disciples.”

The elders all agreed in unison.

Su Lingyu continued, “Furthermore, regarding the exchange of disciples between me and the Sect Master of Cangnan Sect, Elder Changxing has probably informed you all, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce someone to you.”

She placed her hand on Qu Panyan’s back and gently pushed her forward, drawing everyone’s attention to Qu Panyan. Su Lingyu said with seriousness, “This is Lou Wuhua’s favorite disciple and will be my true disciple for the next three months, Miss Qu Panyan of the Qu Family.”

“From today onwards, she will reside on the Tailing Peak and be personally taught by me. Do any of the elders have objections?”

The elders had complete faith in Su Lingyu and also believed that Lou Wuhua would personally teach Kang Linjun. They all replied in unison, “We have no objections.”

“But I am ultimately an ice element cultivator,” Su Lingyu looked at Elder Tianhong on her right, “If she is interested in delving into high-level fire element techniques, I request that Elder Tianhong provides her with more guidance.”

Qu Panyan looked at Elder Tianhong. He appeared gentle like a weak scholar, but it was him who had rebuked earlier what Qu Panyan didn’t dare to say.

Elder Tianhong looked back at Su Lingyu with a gentle smile. “As entrusted by the Sect Master, I will do my utmost.”

Qu Panyan then respectfully bowed to him, adding a few polite words, and Elder Tianhong smiled kindly.

With the affairs required Su Lingyu’s attention were all notified, and with no other pressing issues, the elders dispersed on their own, leaving only the two of them in the spacious hall.

Su Lingyu sat in her seat, silent.

She didn’t make A Yiduo pay for Zhong Ming’s death because she attributed his death to his own actions. No matter if he was threatened by A Yiduo or whatever else, he could have sought help from the elders within the sect, instead of colluding with A Yiduo to tarnish the innocence of their fellow disciples and then speaking with a forked tongue.

In Su Lingyu’s mind, once a disciple of the Xianmeng Sect harbored malicious intentions towards their fellow disciples, they were essentially renouncing their identity as a disciple of the Xianmeng Sect. She, Su Lingyu, would never seek justice for unrelated people; their life or death would be entirely their own responsibility.

Su Lingyu silently massaged her temples, her gaze as cold as ice. She felt somewhat gloomy for not discovering A Yiduo’s true nature within this past month.

During that month, Su Lingyu only knew that A Yiduo was talkative and extremely clingy, so she almost never met her due to disliking such a personality. However, she never expected her to be so unruly, disregarding human life.

Today, A Yiduo dared to mercilessly kill Zhong Ming, and tomorrow she might kill ten others. If Su Lingyu had discovered it a bit later, she had no idea how many disciples of the Xianmeng Sect might have died—she felt that she, as the Sect Master, was somewhat inadequate.

Su Lingyu let out a barely audible sigh.

Qu Panyan heard Su Lingyu’s faint sigh and her heart clenched. After hesitating for a moment and suppressing her headache, she cautiously spoke, “Sister Lingyu, are you blaming yourself?”

Just like the last time when her wrist was injured, even though it had nothing to do with her, she blamed herself for not taking care of her as she promised Qu Muqiu—blaming herself for not protecting the disciples of her sect.

Su Lingyu was taken aback for a moment and then made a helpless sound.

Qu Panyan held her hand then softly said, “Once any such behavior is discovered, immediate expulsion from the sect with no tolerance for harming to other disciples. In terms of protecting the disciples, Sister Lingyu, as the Sect Master, has already done an excellent job.”

“In this world, there are many ruthless and indifferent Sect Masters and Elders who don’t care about the life and death of their disciples. Compared to them, Sister Lingyu is an exceptionally qualified Sect Master and a true blessing for the disciples of the Xianmeng Sect!”

Su Lingyu turned to face Qu Panyan’s bright eyes, and she couldn’t help but tighten her grip on Qu Panyan’s hand. Qu Panyan’s expression was sincere, “I mean it!”

Su Lingyu couldn’t help but smile, feeling a warm affection surging within her.

She thought that Qu Panyan was indeed very likable. She had her own temperament when dealing with others and wouldn’t actively cause trouble. But towards her, she was gentle, considerate, and attentive to her emotions, understanding her thoughts and staying by her side, sincerely comforting and accompanying her.

Just like Qu Muqiu, who accompanied her as a friend and comforted her.

However, she also felt that Qu Panyan was different from Qu Muqiu, but she couldn’t quite explain or clarify the difference.

Seeing the smile on Su Lingyu’s lips, Qu Panyan held both of her hands firmly and said, “It’s good to see you smile. Sister Lingyu, you must not blame yourself anymore.”

As the smile spread in Su Lingyu’s eyes, seeing Qu Panyan’s earnest and worried expression, she couldn’t help but soften her tone and gently respond, “Okay, I’ll listen to you, Panyan.”

Every time she heard Su Lingyu’s gentle tone, Qu Panyan felt so sweet as if tasting honey.

She still remembered when she first met Su Lingyu, she wasn’t a friend or a lover, and all she received was a nonchalant “Hmm” from Su Lingyu. She chose to silently love her, afraid of being rejected and unable to openly express her love. During that time, she often comforted herself, saying, “Who hasn’t had a secret crush on a few people during their youth?”

Everything has changed now. Su Lingyu not only treats her warmly but also shows great care, making her pleasantly surprised. Originally, she just wanted to quietly have a secret crush— but unexpectedly, the person she admired returned her affection and even promised to protect her.

What made her even more delighted was that Su Lingyu’s destined partner was none other than herself!

​Qu Panyan became emotionally excited and suddenly let out a loud sneeze on the spot, causing the two of them to pause and the atmosphere became awkward.

Su Lingyu immediately held her hand and stood up slowly, saying, “You won’t catch a cold that easily?”

Qu Panyan’s nose turned slightly red, her headache intensifying, but she still replied earnestly, “Accident.”

After she finished speaking, a sudden chill washed over her body, making her shiver. Despite dressing warmly, she distinctly felt a cold, icy sensation creeping over her skin, seeping into her limbs and bones—this coldness was not coming from Su Lingyu.

What was even stranger was that her spiritual power didn’t automatically convert into warmth for her!

It was the first time she encountered something like this, and she couldn’t help but feel a little panicked.

Her built-in heating system had malfunctioned—why would her built-in heating system malfunction?!

She sneezed several times in a row, tears shimmering in her eyes, looking quite pitiful.

Su Lingyu calmly said, “You’ve caught a cold.”

“Catching a cold,” a term that had been absent from Qu Panyan’s life for a long time. She sneezed again, her head pounding as if it was about to split open, and she looked up dazedly, “…Huh?”

Su Lingyu immediately became extremely concerned and took her to the medical pavilion without delay.

…

The Xianmeng Sect was abundant with a variety of flowers and plants, creating a lush and vibrant green landscape. The medical pavilion, constructed with bamboo, was surrounded by these greenery, resembling a secluded paradise within a tranquil forest, exuding a serene and beautiful atmosphere.

With the presence of the Sect Master, the physicians dared not slack off. After careful examination, they finally reached a conclusion. The head physician respectfully said, “Reporting to the Sect Master, this young lady caught a cold and has a fever. After taking some medicine and getting proper rest, she will be fine.”

Qu Panyan was surrounded by the physicians, who checked her body from all angles, and her mind felt groggy and sluggish. She felt weak and light-headed, as if all her strength had suddenly been drained away.

Not long ago, she was confidently confronting a scumbag, and now she was sitting weakly in the medical pavilion, feeling as if an entire mountain had collapsed on her.

It had been a long time since she was sick, so Qu Panyan expressed great discomfort and even felt like sleeping.

In her drowsiness, she still managed to muster some clarity of thought and wondered: How could my built-in heating have malfunctioned?

Even Su Lingyu’s powerful cold aura hadn’t caused her to catch a cold, so how could she fall ill after just one night on the Tailing Peak?

…Could it be that the night breeze on Tailing Peak was poisonous?

No, that shouldn’t be the case… How could there be anything harmful in the place where Su Lingyu resided…

Half-conscious, someone touched her face and called her name gently, “Panyan.”

It was Su Lingyu’s voice.

She forced herself to muster a little energy and replied in a muffled voice.

Su Lingyu cradled her face and asked again, “Is there anywhere else that’s uncomfortable, Panyan?”

Qu Panyan still responded with a vague “Hmm,” unable to fully comprehend what Su Lingyu was saying. Her response was purely instinctual—if Su Lingyu called her, she must answer.

Various murmurs filled her ears, but she no longer had the energy to distinguish them. Her head felt heavy, her limbs weak, and all she wanted was to lie down on the bed and have a good, comfortable sleep.

She supported her forehead, but the dizziness and throbbing headache made it difficult for her delicate eyebrows to relax. She tried to maintain the position for a moment, but it felt uncomfortable. She tried a few other positions in succession, but they all felt uncomfortable. In her weakened state, even her emotions were extremely fragile, and she suddenly felt overwhelmingly sad.

—Distressed, uncomfortable, nothing feels right. Being sick is truly annoying, and she just wanted to cry!

Just then, a long and jade-like hand cradled the back of her head gently, pulling her forward into an embrace. That familiar and alluring fragrance gently wrapped around her, the warm embrace bringing a sense of tranquility. She nestled herself in it, finally feeling a bit comfortable.

Su Lingyu was deeply worried. Seeing her in such a state, her brows furrowed with concern. She didn’t even have the mind to contemplate the source of this feeling. All she wanted was for the girl in her arms to smile again, to shine brightly, and to call her “Sister Lingyu” in high spirit.

Not like this, looking so disheartened and listless.

Su Lingyu let out a soft sigh and gently lifted her horizontally, instructing the Master of Medicinal Pavilion, “Quickly prepare the medicine and send it to Tailing Peak.”

The Master of Medicinal Pavilion promptly turned to prepare the medicine, sensing the cold gaze of the stern Sect Master on him, causing him to work twice as fast as usual.

One of the physicians hesitated for a moment when she saw Su Lingyu holding Qu Panyan. He looked at Qu Panyan with a peculiar expression and cautiously spoke up, “Sect Master is a person of high status, wouldn’t it be better to have someone else carry this young lady?”

Su Lingyu’s gaze fell on that physician, her eyes as icy as frost, making the physician shiver uncontrollably—though their Sect Master was not a tyrant who killed at will, her gaze was truly terrifying!

Su Lingyu didn’t know why herself, but when that physician suggested having someone else carry Qu Panyan, she felt somewhat unwilling… and even a little upset.

The person in her embrace let out a displeased hum and nuzzled closer to her chest.

As if acting on instinct, Su Lingyu held her tighter, her robe fluttering as she hastily said, “She is also a person of high status,” before hurrying away.

Several physicians stood there, looking at each other in confusion, remaining dazed for a while. Finally, one of them spoke up, “Who is that girl?”

With the task of preparing the medicine left to the Master of Medicinal Pavilion, they started chatting aimlessly and began speculating about the identity of the peerless beauty in the Sect Master’s embrace and how she could make their aloof Sect Master so anxious.

Physician A suggested, “Could she be a disciple of our sect?”

Physician B replied, “She is so stunningly beautiful; it’s unlikely there’s another like her in this world. If she were a disciple, don’t you think we would know?”

Physician A mused, “Could she be a disciple exchanged with Cangnan Sect? I heard Kang Linjun followed the Cangnan Sect’s leader yesterday.”

Physician C looked in the direction Su Lingyu had left, pondered for a moment, and said, “Don’t you think she looks more like… the Sect Master’s wife?”

The Sect Master was so protective of her, not even willing to let others carry her… Her gaze could literally kill!

Physician B covered his mouth in shock and exclaimed, “Are you insane?! How could the Sect Master like a woman? Do you think An Cheng died in vain?!”

Physician C rolled his eyes and thought to himself, Well, didn’t An Cheng die anyway, and by the Sect Master’s own hand? He dared to have feelings for Miss Qu and betrayed their Sect Master. He deserved it!

Wait a minute…

He pulled Physician B’s hand off his mouth and asked in surprise, “What did the Sect Master call that girl just now?”

Physician B thought for a moment and replied, “Panyan, I think. Wait! The Sect Master said she is also a person of high status, could she be—Qu Panyan?!”

Physician A exclaimed in disbelief, “Isn’t she the Sect Master’s love rival?!”

The words hit the ground, and the Medicinal Pavilion fell into a deathly silence. Everyone looked at each other, remembering Su Lingyu’s tenderness just now. Each person was at a loss, wearing a dumbfounded expression.

After a while, Physician A asked in a daze, “…Am I misunderstanding the term ‘love rival’?”

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: iToon

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