Chapter 156


    <h4>Bittersweet</h4>


    "S- Save us?! What do you mean, Master?"


    Ao Wushuang smiled and patted Chan’er’s head . "Do you think I’m that blind? I know true love when I see it, Chan’er . Which is why . . . " Ao Wushuang sighed and looked at Chan’er, who stared back at her with those huge, watery eyes that were filled with apprehension and hope . Ao Wushuang shook her head . "Which is why you have to stay with me for now . "


    Chan’er’s face scrunched up . "But why?"


    Ao Wushuang snorted . "I know he failed miserably in his first attempt to pass the Zhuji phase . "


    Chan’er jumped slightly . "W- W- What? But how did . . . "


    Ao Wushuang shook her head . "I was watching you two from the shadows that night . " Ao Wushuang pinned Chan’er with a scathing look . "A motel? Seriously?"


    Chan’er pouted . "We had no other choice... It was too risky to remain at our home..."


    "Yes . " Ao Wushuang sighed . "You were ambushed . I know about that too . "


    "What?" Hurt shed across Chan’er’s face . "You knew and you didn’te to my rescue?"


    "Oh, Chan’er..." Ao Wushuang stroked Chan’er’s hair . "I would’ve rescued you in a heartbeat if I’d known about the attack when it happened . " Ao Wushuang sighed . "Unfortunately, I only found out about it muchter . "


    "Oh . " The hurt look vanished from Chan’er’s face and was reced with a look of curiosity . "But how did you find out about the ambush, Master?"


    "I’ve been keeping an eye on Mount Longhu... Well, more specifically, on Zi Yuan . " Ao Wushuang looked at Chan’er . "I know she’s been sent to hunt you down . "


    "Oh . " Chan’er still looked adorably puzzled .


    "Then one day I saw Ruan Hongling appear at Mount Longhu," Ao Wushuang continued . "The girl was crying and whining to Zi Yuan about how your beloved had stolen her red damask from her . " Ao Wushuang looked towards Chan’er again . "That’s how I found out about the attack . I heard from her own mouth that she had attacked you, and that she lost the damask while fighting your beloved . "


    A tiny smile yed at Chan’er’s lips .


    "Yundong saved me, Master..."


    Ao Wushuang returned Chan’er’s smile . "Ah . The Jindan’s Heir . Yes, I heard about that too back at Mount Longhu . Ruan Hongling was grumbling to Zi Yuan about some man being the Jindan’s Heir . " Ao Wushuang chuckled wryly . "I was really surprised at first because I thought the Jindan was still with you . But after that I put two and two together and guessed that you had probably found yourself a lover . " Ao Wushuang snorted . "It had to be someone special if you were willing to give up the Renyuan Jindan . So I knew it had to be your lover . "


    Chan’er suddenly looked sheepish . "How it actually happened might be a lot different from what you imagined, Master..."


    Ao Wushuang waved her hand . "Anyway . I followed Zi Yuan and her protégé back to the city and eventually found out where you were . I had toy low and stay in the shadows, so I only watched over you two after the sun was down . Even then, I didn’t linger around for too long . No longer than ten minutes each time . "


    "Oh . "


    "Except for that night when the Jindan’s Heir attempted to pass the Zhuji phase, of course . I was in the area during the entire disastrous session . " Ao Wushuang gave Chan’er a stern look . "How else do you think you managed to survive all the times you passed out after you tried to bring him back?"


    Chan’er gaped at Ao Wushuang .


    "Oh yes, that’s right," Ao Wushuang gave her disciple a withering look . "You nearly died, Chan’er . Multiple times . " She snorted . "I have honestly never seen a clumsier attempt at passing the Zhuji phase in my life . "


    Chan’er’s eyes widened as though she had just remembered something . "But how did you get in, Master? I ced protective spells all over the ce that night—"


    Chan’er’s mouth clicked shut the moment Ao Wushuang raised a brow at her .


    "I’m your master," Ao Wushuang said . "You think those petty tricks of yours can actually stop me?"


    Chan’er blushed and shook her head meekly .


    Ao Wushuang huffed out in annoyance . "And you two have to pick tonight of all nights to cause trouble too . " At Chan’er’s confused gaze, Ao Wushuang decided to exin further . "I decided to take a break from watching you two tonight . Left you two alone after you guys left for Shengyuan Hotel . I never really liked that ce anyway . " Ao Wushuang shook her head . "I wasn’t even in the city when I saw the Heavenly Thunder strike down from the sky . But when I did, I knew right away that one of you must be in trouble . So I flew back into the city as quickly as I can . " Ao Wushuang red at Chan’er . "Trust you to give away a talisman of the most powerful spell in existence to aplete amateur . What were you even thinking?"


    Chan’er puffed out her cheeks and pouted . "S- Sorry Master . "


    Ao Wushuang sighed . "Never mind..."


    Maybe it was meant to happen .


    "Master?"


    "Yes?"


    "Why didn’t you reveal yourself to me?" Chan’er asked . "We could’ve talked . I... I missed you..."


    Ao Wushuang smiled wryly . "I have my reasons . "


    "Oh . "


    "When I first started watching you, I wasn’t nning to show myself at all . " Ao Wushuang smirked at Chan’er . "But when I saw the Heir’s miserable attempt to pass the Zhuji phase, I knew I had to separate the two of you . " Ao Wushuang red at Chan’er . "I just didn’t expect it would take a bolt of Heavenly Thunder to prompt me into action . "


    "But... But... Still, you could’ve stepped in and helped Yundong pass the Zhuji phase . . . "


    Amused, Ao Wushuang pinched Chan’er’s cheek . "Nonsense . Okay, well, it is technically possible for me to help him pass the Zhuji phase, but then it would be pointless . "


    "Huh?" Chan’er frowned . "Why would it be pointless?"


    Ao Wushuang released Chan’er’s cheek . "His Vital Orb wouldn’t be pure if he receives external help during the process of its formation . In fact, no Vital Orb obtained by artificial means can be pure . " Ao Wushuang paused to look at Chan’er . "In Cultivation jargon, any Vital Orb that isn’t pure is known as a pseudo Vital Orb . "


    Chan’er sat up in attention . "You never told me this before, Master . "


    Ao Wushuang smiled . "That’s because there wasn’t a need to . Why would I want my disciple to end up with a pseudo Vital Orb?"


    Chan’er had a thoughtful look on her face . "Are they that terrible though?"


    Ao Wushuang sighed . "I suppose having a pseudo Vital Orb is better than having no Vital Orb at all . But there’s a fundamental w in pseudo Vital Orbs . " Ao Wushuang gave Chan’er a stern look . "Theyck structural integrity and can be destroyed with ease . A master Cultivator have ways to destroy pseudo Vital Orbs without even breaking a sweat . And I have a feeling that the Jindan’s Heir will be crossing paths with a lot of master Cultivators in the future . "


    Chan’er stared down at herp . "Oh . "


    "Which is why it is absolutely crucial for him to establish a solid foundation in the art of Cultivation," Ao Wushuang said earnestly . "His Vital Orb must be strong . Otherwise his talents—and the Jindan, of course—would be wasted on him . "


    "Um... Is that what you meant when you said you were trying to save us both, Master?"


    "You think?" Ao Wushuang rolled her eyes in exasperation . "He’ll never pass the Zhuji phase with you hanging around him every minute of the day . Not in a million years!"


    Chan’er’s head shot up . "What?"


    "Do you know the real reason he failed his first attempt?" Ao Wushuang snorted, then gave Chan’er a pointed look . "Lust, Chan’er, lust . His lust for you is what led him to failure . "


    At Chan’er’s nk stare, Ao Wushuang exined further, "Passing the Zhuji phase requires the Cultivator to sustain the state of Ishvara until their Vital Orb fully forms . But sustaining Ishvara is no easy feat, especially if done over a long period of time . Your personal god would spent the whole time tempting you with all kinds of worldly desires . " Ao Wushuang paused and pinned Chan’er with a hard stare . "Your presence will just give his personal god extra ammunition to be used against him!"


    Chan’er visibly deted . "So it’s all my fault . . . " she said sadly . "It’s my fault that he failed . . . "


    "Yes," Ao Wushuang said . A secondter, she added, "Well, partly, anyway . "


    Chan’er fiddled with an invisible piece of lint on her skirt .


    A momentter, Ao Wushuang sighed . "The man desires you, Chan’er . And that’s why I want you to stay with me for now . At least until he passes the Zhuji phase . "


    Suddenly, Chan’er’s head shot up . "Wait! B- But what about the Heavenly Thunder? Wouldn’t he receive divine punishment if he passes the Zhuji phase?"


    "Yes, but I’ll deal with that when the timees," Ao Wushuang said .


    A soft weight bumped against Ao Wushuang’s chest . Before she knew it, Chan’er’s arms were wrapped around her neck . "Yayyyyy!!! Yayyyy!!! I knew it, Master! I knew you’re the best person in the world!"


    Ao Wushuang grinned and stroked Chan’er’s spine . "One moment you wanted to die for your lover, and then the next, you’re iming that I’m the best person in the world?"


    Chan’er rubbed her face against her chest . "Master! Stop making fun of Chan’er already!"


    Affection bloomed inside Ao Wushuang’s chest . However, Chan’er ended their hug before Ao Wushuang could say another word .


    "Master! Master! There’s something I have to tell you!"


    Ao Wushuang quirked a brow . "What is it?"


    Chan’er beamed . "Yundong is a super genius!"


    Ao Wushuang nodded . "I don’t deny that he has a lot of potential . I realized that already when I found out that he managed to grab Ruan Hongling’s damask . "


    "No, no, no . " Chan’er shook her head adorably . "He visualized nine lotus thrones in a row during Guanxiang!"


    Ao Wushuang thought her brows were about to shoot off her forehead when she heard that . "What did you say? Nine lotus thrones??"


    Chan’er bobbed her head up and down . "Mmm! It’s true, Master! It’s true!"


    Ao Wushuang felt her lips moving on her own . "That’s . . . impressive . . . "


    Impressive? More like insane .


    Chan’er cheered . "I know right!"


    Nine lotus thrones in a row . . . Heavens above .


    Secondster, Ao Wushuang was brought out of her thoughts by a series of sharp, insistent tugs on her arm .


    Chan’er was staring back at her expectantly . "Master, Master! Will you teach Yundong? Please?" Chan’er’s eyes sparkled . "Yundong is very smart! He’ll pick up whatever you teach him quickly! Please, teach him, Master!"


    Ao Wushuang shook her head wryly . "While I agree that someone has to teach him, I have to decline . "


    Chan’er’s face fell . "What? Why?"


    "Because I’m not qualified to teach him . "


    "But you know so many powerful spells!"


    Ao Wushuang sighed . "I know my own abilities, Chan’er . It’s true that I have a huge arsenal of spells at my disposal, and that I can perform spells from all five elements . Even so, I’m more of a Jack of all trades, but master of none, you know? Ick specialization in my knowledge . I think . . . " Ao Wushuang hesitated for a moment . "I think his talent would be wasted if I teach him . "


    Chan’er gazed at Ao Wushuang with piteous eyes . "But who else is qualified to teach him if not you, Master?"


    Ao Wushuang smiled . "Well, you’ve met her already . "


    Chan’er frowned . "Who?"


    Ao Wushuang sighed . "The Cultivator who is most qualified to teach the Jindan’s Heir . You’ve met her already . . . "


    Ao Wushuang could hear the gears turning in Chan’er’s head . Secondster, Chan’er shouted . "Y- You mean . . . "


    "Yes, that’s her . " Ao Wushuang chuckled, then sighed . She stared out into the darkness of theke . "Actually, that person did tell me about this ten years ago . . . "


    "I don’t understand, Master . Who told you what?"


    Just like that, the familiar tug returned to Ao Wushuang’s chest . Enough! Why couldn’t she stop thinking about him? Even after all these years?


    Ao Wushuang shook her head, disgusted with herself . "Forget it, Chan’er . Let’s not dwell in the past . Anyway, you don’t have to worry about your lover . He has his own path to follow . But rest assured that as long as he managed to pass the Zhuji phase and survive the divine punishment, the amount of potential he has will be insurmountable . He will be a great Cultivator . Far greater than you and I will ever be..." Ao Wushuang sighed . "And when the timees . . . " Ao Wushuang trailed off .


    "What is it, Master?"


    Ao Wushuang smiled at Chan’er . "My mind will be at ease when I hand you over to him in the future . "


    A panicked look spread across Chan’er’s face . "Master, are you abandoning me? You don’t want Chan’er anymore?!"


    Ao Wushuang burst intoughter . "Gosh! Minutes ago you hated me for separating you two, and now you’re begging me not to abandon you? You really are something else, Chan’er . "


    Chan’er lowered her head quickly, but not before Ao Wushuang caught the shy look on her face . After a while, Chan’er peeked up at her from below hershes . "Umm . . . Master . . . ?"


    Ao Wushuang smiled . "Yes, Chan’er?"


    "C- Can I . . . Can I go say goodbye to Yundong properly . . . ?"


    Ao Wushuang regarded Chan’er for a moment, then released a long sigh . Young love...


    "Fine . Go . But don’t take too long . "


    Surprise flitted across Chan’er’s face . "Really?"


    "Yes . Besides . . . " Ao Wushuang looked out into theke again . "I don’t want him to end up hating me . Otherwise . . . in the future . . . "


    "Future? What’s going to happen in the future, Master?"


    Ao Wushuang shook her head . "It’s nothing . Just go . And make sure you keep it short . "


    "Yayy!" Chan’er vanished in a sh of green light .


    Ao Wushuang’s gaze drifted to theke once more . Darkness suffused theke . Tiny ripples swept across theke’s surface, reminding her of the halcyon days she’d spent with...


    But he’s gone . He’s no longer here .


    Green light shed beside her . Ao Wushuang turned and saw Chan’er staring back at her with pleading eyes .


    Ao Wushuang gave her a strange look . "I know I told you to be quick . . . But I didn’t mean this quick . "


    A blush crept up Chan’er’s neck, ending at the tip of her ears . "Master . . . "


    God, this girl is so transparent . . . Ao Wushuang rolled her eyes . Clearly she wants something from me...


    It was the same look Chan’er had back in the mountains when she’d begged Ao Wushuang to give her extra y time after her lessons .


    "What do you want?"


    Chan’er raised her gaze . "Hehehe . . . Master... Remember that magical weapon you promised to give mest time?"


    It took merely a few seconds for Ao Wushuang to connect the dots .


    "You . . . " Ao Wushuang gasped .


    Well . She did not see thising .


    Secondster, Ao Wushuangughed . "Boy . . . You really have it bad for him, Chan’er . . . You want to give the Fox Zen School’s treasure over to him?"


    Chan’er blushed heavily and fiddled with her sleeves . "Is that . . . Is that not okay?"


    Ao Wushuang rubbed her temples a few times, then sighed . "Fine... Give it to him then . No one back at the Fox Zen School can wield it anyway . With his strength and talents, he might actually be able to use it to its fullest potential . "


    "Yayyyy!!!!" Chan’er jumped around on the grass .


    Ao Wushuang shook her head in amusement . "Tsk! Settle down . . . " She did a hand sign, after which arge, colorful silk pouch materialized in front of Chan’er . "It’s in there . "


    Chan’er stopped jumping and took the pouch gratefully .


    Ao Wushuang gave her a stern look . "Remember to be quick . And avoid too much physical intimacy, you hear? Otherwise you’ll just affect his training . "


    Chan’er nodded . "Mmm!"


    ***


    Li Yundong had no idea how long he’d been kneeling on the ground . Hell, he wondered if he was even breathing .


    No . No he wasn’t breathing . He was drowning . Drowning in a sea of emptiness, dejection, and self-pity . Weak . He was f*cking weak .


    There was a green sh somewhere nearby .


    "Hey!!!" Someone shouted . He recognized that voice . But sadly, it was only Ruan Hongling . It wasn’t the voice he yearned to hear again, to hear forever and ever .


    Footsteps sounded behind him . A familiar scent assaulted his nostrils . Great, now I’m imagining things, he thought as he slowly turned around .


    It was a magical moment when he saw Su Chan walking up to him . It was like he could finally breathe properly again .


    "P- Princess?" Try as he might, Li Yundong couldn’t prevent his voice from trembling . "Y- You’re back . . . "


    Su Chan broke off into a sprint and then threw herself into his arms . By the time they both tumbled to the ground, Su Chan had turned into a crying mess again . "Beloved . . . " Su Chan wailed . "I missed you! I missed you so much!"


    Li Yundong shook his head in a fruitless attempt to clear the fog in his head . "B- But how did youe back?"


    Su Chan climbed off his body and kneeled beside him . "Master let mee back!" she said, beaming through her tears .


    Joy and relief coursed through Li Yundong . "She’s no longer taking you away?" Then, Li Yundong steeled his heart . "No! You need to stay away from me! It’s too dangerous to be around me! You need to—"


    Su Chan mped her hand over his mouth and shook her head . For the next fifteen minutes or so, Li Yundong listened to Su Chan as she recounted everything her master had told her: his lust for Su Chan being the cause of his failing to pass the Zhuji phase; Ao Wushuang’s n to temporarily separate them until he passed the Zhuji phase; pseudo Vital Orbs (what the heck?); Zi Yuan being his new teacher (God damn it, seriously?) .


    Su Chan even told him that Ao Wushuang would figure out a way to help him survive the Heavenly Thunder . Which didn’t sound all that reassuring, but it was still better than nothing .


    "Yundong . . . " Su Chan took his hands . "Don’t worry about anything else when I’m not around, okay? Just focus on passing the Zhuji phase and surviving the Heavenly Thunder . I’lle look for you when everything’s over!"


    Li Yundong smiled and nodded . He still didn’t know how to aplish the second part, but he figured it must involve making himself stronger . The stronger he became, the more likely it was for him to survive the Heavenly Thunder . There was no arguing with that logic; it just made sense .


    Li Yundong exhaled lengthily . "She’s right, you know?"


    Su Chan frowned . "What?"


    Li Yundong shook his head . "Your master . She’s right in everything she said about me . I’m still just a weakling . I can’t even protect myself let alone protect you . "


    "But you’ll get stronger!" Su Chan dered confidently . "You might be weak now, but one day you’ll be the greatest Cultivator to ever live! Master thinks so too! And... And I have faith in you!" Su Chan patted her chest . "I believe in you here!"


    Tears sprang to Li Yundong’s eyes, but he held them back . "Mmm . I . . . I’ll work hard!"


    "Also . . . I want you to have this, Yundong . . . "


    Su Chan performed a strange hand sign .


    Suddenly, a colorful bag appeared out of thin air . The bag wasrge and about as tall as him .


    "What’s that?" Li Yundong asked .


    Instead of answering, Su Chan reached into a pouch and pulled out a glowing object .


    Li Yundong raised his hands to cover his eyes . When the glow subsided, Li Yundong lowered his hands and saw a ck tessen—a war fan—about as tall as a human being .


    Wait a minute...


    He had seen this tessen before . It was the same fan that his personal god had wielded in one of its six hands!


    Su Chan lugged the tessen towards him .


    When Li Yundong took it from her, Su Chan patted its surface a few times . "This is for you, Yundong . You can use it to defend yourself in the future . "


    Li Yundong picked it up and swung it gently above his head before putting it back down . "It’s quite heavy," he remarked .


    "This is the magical weapon left to us by Grandmaster Pan Shi, the founder of the Fox Zen School . It’s called The Fan of Seven Treasures . " A pensive look formed on Su Chan’s face . "Grandmaster Pan Shi has defeated a lot of powerful foes with it!"


    "B- But . . . " Li Yundong shook his head . "It isn’t right for me to take this, princess . This fan belongs to your school . You can’t just give it to me, aplete outsider—"


    Li Yundong was silenced by Su Chan’s raised finger . "The truth is that nobody in the Fox Zen School has enough strength to wield it to its full potential . It would be a total waste if we keep it locked away in the vaults . . . Please have it, Yundong . "


    "But . . . "


    "Please? For me?"


    Li Yundong stared at the tessen for a moment . "Okay then . . . I’ll keep it safe for now until we can return it to your school . "


    Su Chan seemed satisfied with his answer as she beamed happily at him . "Yay! Hey, have you forgotten something, Yundong? What’s mine is yours, and what’s yours is mine! Remember?"


    Li Yundong gave her a sly look . "What’s yours is mine, huh? You sure about that?"


    A quizzical look formed on Su Chan’s face . Secondster, she gasped and started smacking his arm . "Meanie, meanie, meanie! Not the Hello Keedee!" Su Chan stomped her foot . "T- The money is m- mine! I don’t care! You’re not allowed to touch Hello Keedee!"


    Li Yundong chuckled . "Fine, fine, I’ll leave the piggy bank alone, happy?" Then, he reached over and ruffled her hair . So soft and smooth . . . It felt really nice to touch her hair . However, his smile faded when a sad thought hit him . Guess I won’t be doing that for a while, huh?


    Su Chan’s shoulders shook . "I don’t want to leave . . . Yundong . . . I don’t wanna leave . . . "


    Just like that, the sting returned to Li Yundong’s eyes again . "It’s alright, princess . Maybe it’ll only take a few days?" he said, keeping his tone light .


    Su Chan wiped her tears with the back of her hand . "Remember to think of me when I’m not around, okay?"


    Li Yundong wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her forward until she was flushed against him . Then, he lowered his head and captured her lips with his own .


    After what felt like forever, Li Yundong pulled back, and their gazes locked .


    "Of course I’ll think of you, silly," Li Yundong said . "How is it possible for me to not think of you when you’re already inside here?"


    With a teary smile, Li Yundong raise his hand and tapped the left side of his chest, where his heart was .