Chapter 16
Upon seeing this, Zhou Yan frowned slightly, then without saying anything, he picked up the young girl outside the cave and walked into the inner room.
He placed the girl on the bed and said, "Go to sleep."
The girl's dark hair contrasted with the snowy white bedspread, creating a beautiful and heart-stirring scene.
She was his talented disciple, who had just made a foolish mistake in the hall. He couldn't let this continue any longer.
Closing his eyes, Zhou Yan suppressed his urge and let out a soft sigh.
The girl was always timid because she had encountered a wicked monster in her childhood, which left her with the recurring nightmare. When she was little, she used to cling to him and ask to sleep with their master. But now that she had grown into a young girl, things couldn't be the same as before.
After gently placing Mu Xiaoxiao on the bed, Zhou Yan went to sit at the table and tried reading a new sword manual. However, no matter how many pages he flipped, he couldn't concentrate. He noticed that there was no movement coming from the bed and started feeling a bit uneasy. He couldn't help but glance at Mu Xiaoxiao.
He saw the girl lying obediently on the bed, not speaking or moving. Her nose was red, and tears were streaming down her eyes.
Zhou Yan put down the book in astonishment, hesitated for a moment, and walked to the bedside. "Xiaoxiao?"
After his behavior towards his disciples in the hall, he knew he was less than an animal. He had also encountered Lu Pihan and Qiao Wan one after another, so Zhou Yan's mind was in chaos. He didn't dare to have too much contact with Mu Xiaoxiao.
But seeing the pitiful state of the girl at this moment, his heart softened involuntarily.
Perhaps he had been too cold and scared her.
Zhou Yan's voice contained a barely discernible tenderness as he asked softly, "What happened?"
"I'm fine," the girl shook her head.
But the tears continued to flow uncontrollably.
"This is called being fine?" Zhou Yan furrowed his brows.
Through her tear-filled eyes, Mu Xiaoxiao finally couldn't hold it back and quietly sobbed, "Master... I'm scared."
She was genuinely afraid that her master and Elder Martial Brother would be taken away by Qiao Wan.
"What are you afraid of?" Zhou Yan didn't understand.
The girl raised her little face, then lowered her wet eyelashes, "I'm afraid... that Master and Elder Martial Brother... don't want me anymore."
"How could you think that way?"
Mu Xiaoxiao shook her head gently, "I... I just saw Qiao Wan... Martial Sister Qiao Wan... today..."
The young girl was shy and couldn't continue her sentence.
She hung her head, clearly showing her anxious and disappointed expression.
Seeing this, Zhou Yan immediately understood.
So, she was worried about this.
After realizing that, Zhou Yan couldn't help but find it amusing.
In the end, she was still a child at heart. Now that she saw Qiao Wan, it was inevitable for her to feel unsettled and uneasy.
It seemed that the people from the Kunshan Sect had spoiled her too much.
A rare smile appeared on Zhou Yan's usually stern face, "Are you jealous? Don't want me to accept her as a disciple?"
Xiaoxiao was too scared to speak up, but Zhou Yan understood her thoughts right away. blushing, she quietly said, "If our master wants to take on more disciples, it's his prerogative. As his disciples, we shouldn't interfere."
The young girl was exceptionally beautiful, and her little schemes didn't bother anyone. On the contrary, they found her charming and cute.
Zhou Yan smiled slightly, reassuring her, "You have nothing to worry about. I treat you and your martial siblings equally. I would never overlook you."
"But, Elder Martial Brother..." Mu Xiaoxiao began.
"Naturally, he won't favor either of you," he interrupted.
This answer didn't satisfy Mu Xiaoxiao.
She had always been the beloved younger martial sister of the Kunshan Sect, but now there was Qiao Wan, who had joined later than her. She was no longer the center of attention.
She didn't want to be an elder martial sister, Mu Xiaoxiao thought. She just wanted to forever be the cherished younger martial sister.
"And why do you think I took Qiao Wan as a disciple in the first place? Don't you understand?" Mu Xiaoxiao blinked her eyes, thinking of Qiao Wan, who bore a striking resemblance to her.
"Don't overthink it. You still have some residual poison in your body. Rest well," Zhou Yan hesitated for a moment before gently stroking the girl's head.
Having just cried, the girl's voice was slightly nasal as she asked, "In Master's eyes, who is more important to him: me or Martial Sister Qiao Wan?"
"You are the one I raised with my own hands," Zhou Yan replied.
Although he didn't say it directly, it was obvious who was more important.
Mu Xiaoxiao finally felt relieved, but then she remembered something and hurriedly tugged at Zhou Yan's sleeve. Blushing, she said, "I'm just scared, it doesn't mean I dislike Martial Sister Qiao Wan."
Zhou Yan found it even more amusing. "I know you don't mean any harm."
"Then Xiaoxiao can rest assured," Mu Xiaoxiao said softly.
The girl wiped away her tears and lay back down, with Zhou Yan pulling the covers over her.
As he was about to leave, someone held onto his sleeve.
Mu Xiaoxiao looked at him with her bright eyes and asked softly, "Master, can I go to class with Martial Sister Qiao Wan tomorrow? It's been so long since I've seen the other elder martial siblings. I miss them."
Zhou Yan didn't agree immediately. "But you still have..."
Mu Xiaoxiao interrupted, "It's fine now. With the help of Master Qiuxia and Martial Sister Qiao Wan's blood, I'm feeling much better. I just miss the other elder martial siblings and want to see them."
"I'll just go take a look. If I feel uncomfortable, I'll come back right away," the girl pleaded, pouting and clinging, "Master, please...please..."
After all, the disciples of the Kunshan Sect were quite familiar with one another.
Seeing Mu Xiaoxiao's persistent request and her pitiful eyes, Zhou Yan couldn't bear to deny her little hope.
"Alright, I'll grant your wish."
"Tomorrow, I'll have Qiao Wan accompany you, so she can take care of you at all times."
Mu Xiaoxiao hesitated a bit upon hearing this and asked, "Will it be too much trouble for Martial Sister Qiao Wan?"
Zhou Yan said in a deep voice, "No worries. Just remember, if you feel any discomfort tomorrow, don't delay and hurry back to Yuqing Peak to find me."
The girl playfully tugged at his sleeve, smiled with raised eyebrows, and said, "I know Master treats me the best."
Zhou Yan's gaze swept across Mu Xiaoxiao's face. She was more beautiful than a flower, with eyes like spring, and had an innocent and tender manner. A glimpse of her slender ankle was visible under the blanket, glowing white.
Zhou Yan took a pause in his breath and said, avoiding eye contact, "It's getting late. Rest now."
After saying that, he no longer looked at her. Once Mu Xiaoxiao fell asleep, Zhou Yan thought for a moment and left the cave to find another place to meditate in peace.
*
Meanwhile, at Qinghuan Peak, Feng Wangyan had an extremely displeased expression on his face.
"What if I refuse to leave?" The young man unleashed the fire in his palm, and it burned fiercer.
Upon hearing this, the man remained silent.
On the mountaintop, the young man's robe fluttered in the air, and his black hair danced. A fierce expression briefly flashed across his handsome face. He sneered, "Even if I burn down this mountain, what can you do to stop me?"
Since earlier, this person had been playing tricks without revealing his true identity. Whether or not he was being mysterious, he seemed fearless even if he possessed some strength.
For hundreds of years, he had never been afraid of anyone, nor did he need to fear anyone.
The cold wind rustled the withered branches, creating a crunching sound.
Just then, a sound of creaking wheels rolling over the ground came from a distance in the quiet and chilly night, and a wheelchair made of refined iron slowly emerged.
Sitting in the wheelchair was a man in his thirties.
Moonlight spilled, with half landing on the mountaintop and the other half swallowed by the dark woods.
Half of the man's face remained hidden in the darkness, while the other half was exposed to the moonlight. The exposed half didn't look peculiar in any way, but as he slowly emerged from the cold forest, he finally revealed the other half of his face.
That half of his face couldn't be called a face at all; it looked as if it had been mauled by a monster.
Not only his face, but also half of the man's left arm was missing, and his right foot seemed to have been neatly cut off.
His expression was blank, but his eyes were icy cold, emitting a chilling and murderous aura.
Illuminated by the moonlight, he appeared like a demon who had emerged from the forest. Even Feng Wangyan, after getting a clear look at the man's appearance, couldn't help but freeze in place.
Once he regained his composure, Feng Wangyan sarcastically laughed and said, "No wonder you've been playing tricks; it turns out you're too afraid to show your face."
Feng Wangyan was born among the phoenix tribe on Danxue Mountain, and everyone in the phoenix tribe who cultivated into human form was exceptionally beautiful. Feng Wangyan had always been confident in his appearance. Now, seeing this man with disabilities and an ugly appearance, he immediately seized the opportunity to attack him mercilessly with words.
In theory, people with disabilities may have some self-esteem issues about their bodies, but the man was surprisingly calm, showing no signs of embarrassment or anger on his face. When he spoke, it was in a low and hoarse voice, saying, "Go away."
Feng Wangyan's face suddenly changed.
The man chuckled coldly, "I wondered who was making so much noise on Qinghuan Peak, turns out it's just an enlightened rooster."
When has he ever suffered such humiliation?!
Upon hearing these words, Feng Wangyan's anger instantly flared up and a cold light filled his eyes along with a murderous intent.
The frustration and agitation that had been building up in his heart for the past few days were finally ignited by the man's words, turning into a blazing fire in an instant!
When Xiao Song, panting heavily, arrived at Qinghuan Peak, he was terrified by the sight of the blazing sword lights and rolling rocks at the summit, almost losing half of his life in the process.
Summoning up his courage, Xiao Song took two steps forward and, upon seeing the faces of the two people on Qinghuan Peak, his eyes rolled back and he almost fainted.
This... this is Ma Huaizhen...
Who is Ma Huaizhen?
He is a well-known figure in the sect, the head of Wenshi Hall, with a status comparable to that of the head of the academic affairs office. He is known for his temper, sharp tongue, and being difficult to provoke.
Stirring up trouble with him is like not knowing how to write the word "death"!
Before catching his breath, Xiao Song couldn't afford to rest any longer. While inwardly cursing at the man as a stupid bald chicken, he hurriedly ran down the mountain.
At the same time, Lu Pihan raised his eyebrows, looking at a jade sphere floating in mid-air.
The sphere reflected a clear figure.
The man in the image had a cold and stern expression, with his black hair tied up high, emanating an aura of nobility.
"You plan to come to Kunshan?" Lu Pihan asked, coughing.
The man's voice came through the communication jade sphere, "Yesterday, the formation indicated that my little sister's whereabouts might be related to your sect. Regardless of the outcome, I will come to investigate. I need to find out the truth."
Although Lu Pihan didn't completely agree with Xie Xingzhi's statement, he was still pleased to see him come.
A faint smile appeared in Lu Pihan's eyes, "If you plan to come to Kunshan, I will give you a warm welcome."
Xie Xingzhi nodded, "Thank you for your trouble."
Lu Pihan's expression remained calm, "Between friends, there's no need for thanks."
