79. I Love You, What Does it Have to Do with You?
"Let's get going, there are still two days' journey ahead." Jingwei waved her sleeves and led the four of them onward toward Mount Taixu.
Jiang Wanxi and Jiang Wanru, the twin sisters, were always attracted by the things on the street, while Cheng Lingshuang kept muttering to herself.
Upon closer listening, he realized they were reciting the Sword Heart Mantra...
Well, it's rare to see such a talented and hardworking young talent.
"You're not allowed to leave tonight." Jingwei stared at Yun Ling.
No matter what tricks he uses, she must make sure he gets a good rest today.
"Master, I'm going to get the wrong idea if you say that." Yun Ling used the same trick again.
"...Don't leave," Jingwei repeated.
"It's…" Yun Ling wanted to say something.
"Don't speak." To prevent him from causing any more trouble, Jingwei shut him up.
Yun Ling remained silent.
This piqued Jingwei's curiosity. Giving up so suddenly? That's unlike him...
We can't let our guard down; they might be up to something.
However, even when it was time to sleep, Yun Ling did not continue to cause trouble.
"You three shouldn't stay up late; staying up late will stunt your growth." Yun Ling, playing the role of the eldest brother, shooed the three little ones back to their room.
"Tch, do you think we're three-year-olds?" Jiang Wanxi made a face.
"Even a three-year-old wouldn't believe that." Jiang Wanru made a face in return.
However, they obediently returned to their rooms.
Upon arriving at the room door, Yun Ling went inside, with Jingwei following closely behind.
"Master, are you going to share a bed with me?" Yun Ling turned to look at Jingwei.
"Don't use that excuse anymore, I won't fall for it." Jingwei remained calm.
"No, Master, you misunderstand. I've been wanting to say this for a while now. Actually, this inn has quite a few rooms available."
"Your room is next to mine," Yun Ling pointed to her right.
Jingwei's face changed from white to red and then back to white.
"Why didn't you say so sooner?" Jingwei asked instinctively.
"Master, you told me not to speak." Yun Ling was also helpless.
Jingwei felt like a fool, being relentlessly mocked by her eldest disciple.
She stretched her limbs with a cold expression.
"Master, what are you going to do?" Yun Ling suddenly felt that something was wrong.
"Help you fall asleep! Inch Force - Heaven Opening!"
Jingwei punched Yun Ling in the head, and Yun Ling staggered two steps before fainting spectacularly, unfortunately collapsing onto Jingwei.
My head rested on Jingwei's chest. Hmm... it was a little uncomfortable.
Jingwei helped him to bed, carefully covered him with a blanket, and then left.
He slept from night until morning.
He hasn't had such high-quality sleep in a long time. Apart from a slight headache when he woke up, there were no other side effects.
The next day, Jingwei acted as if nothing had happened and continued on her journey with the four of them.
"Senior Brother, what's that big bump on your head?" Jiang Wanxi asked curiously.
"I had a nightmare last night. I dreamt that I accidentally bumped into a steel plate and fell," Yun Ling explained.
"That's really bad luck," Jiang Wanru said with a smile in her eyes.
It's hard to keep your composure when you see such a comical appearance.
Jingwei, who was walking ahead, shivered as she felt a malice coming toward her, but she didn't know where it came from.
We're almost at Mount Taixu, shouldn't we make things clear with Yun Ling?
She didn't know whether their master-disciple relationship could last after she said those words.
But she didn't want to avoid the issue any longer.
"Tonight..." Jingwei began, wanting to say something to Yun Ling.
"Don't worry, Master, there are enough rooms. I have some wine to help me sleep, so you don't need to trouble yourself. You can get some rest tonight."
Yun Ling looked terrified, as if he was afraid to be beaten.
"I won't hit you!" Chi Yuan glared at him fiercely, then resumed her usual indifference.
"I have something to tell you," Chi Yuan explained.
"...Yes, I understand." Yun Ling calmly sipped her tea, seemingly having anticipated all of this.
Looking at Yun Ling directly opposite her, Jingwei suddenly felt a tightness in her chest.
That's an emotion called fear.
She hadn't felt this way in a long time.
What is she afraid of?
Are you afraid that Yun Ling will disappear from her world?
Are you afraid that this mentor-student relationship will end here?
It seems that both are true.
Time passed slowly, and Jingwei became somewhat restless. She silently recited the Sword Heart Mantra in her heart, trying to calm her mind.
"Master, your teacup is empty," Yun Ling kindly reminded her.
Jingwei then realized that her teacup had been empty without her noticing.
"Phew..." Jingwei got up and went into the room.
She carefully considered how to explain this to Yun Ling.
Before we knew it, night had fallen.
A knock on the door interrupted Jingwei's thoughts.
"Come in," Jingwei said calmly.
"I wonder what Master wants to say to me?" Yun Ling sat opposite Jingwei, quietly waiting for what was to come.
"You...you should be able to guess, right?" Jingwei threw the question to Yun Ling.
"Master, do you think I'm some kind of fortune teller who can predict the future? Even you, Master, don't have such abilities." Yun Ling didn't take it, but returned it to Jingwei.
"Alright, then I'll get straight to the point." Seeing Yun Ling pretending to be clueless, Jingwei stopped beating around the bush.
"Yun Ling, it's impossible between us."
Silence. The room was deathly silent, while the chirping of insects outside in the summer night seemed like a death knell, constantly assaulting the surrounding environment.
Under the table, Jingwei clenched her fists, but her face remained calm as she awaited Yun Ling's reply.
"Heh…" Yun Ling chuckled softly.
"I was wondering, about what matter is Master going to say? Oh, so this is the matter Master is going to say." Yun Ling took a deep breath and then exhaled.
"I'm not joking. From now on, I will be your master, and you will be my eldest disciple. Our statuses are different and cannot be overstepped," Jingwei added.
"I don't want to," Yun Ling shook his head and refused.
Jingwei frowned. She knew that Yun Ling was a stubborn person, even to the point of being obsessive.
"If you don't listen, then I'll have no choice but to..."
"Expelled from the sect, right? That way, I can openly ask Master for her love." Yun Ling was not afraid of the threat in her mouth at all.
"...You know perfectly well that it's impossible between us." Jingwei closed her eyes; she didn't doubt that Yun Ling would be able to do this.
Yun Ling stood up and looked out the window.
"I love romance, but I don't necessarily have to reciprocate it."
"I love the red of the flowers, but I know that the flowers don't bloom red just for me."
"I love flowing water, and the flowing water doesn't need to stop for me."
"I love you...what does that have to do with you?"
"I know it's impossible between us, but that doesn't stop my love for you, master, and you can't erase my right to love you."
Even if this love... ends without any outcome!
...