Fairy, Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Blind

Chapter 144: I Don’t Miss My Master, I Miss My Junior Brother

The sky was high and the air crisp. He Shutong leaned against the edge of the pool, her exquisite figure faintly visible beneath the water.

She raised her hand to scoop up a palmful of pool water, only for it to slip through her fingers.

Her cultivation was like this water—impossible to hold on to. Although the Lotus Birth Pool temporarily slowed the decline of her realm, this wasn’t a permanent solution. The water would evaporate, and her profound energy stored within the water would eventually dissipate as well, just at a much slower rate.

But now, this pool of water could firmly lock in her cultivation.

The cause of this change could only be attributed to one thing—the essence that You Su had unintentionally washed into the pool that night…

She didn’t know what kind of constitution this young man possessed, for even that substance to have such miraculous effects was baffling. Yet, she couldn’t possibly obtain more of it from him for further study.

Such an act—once was already unprecedented. How could it happen again?

If she relied on You Su’s… essence to stabilize her cultivation, how could she still be his master’s wife?

She sighed softly. It had been over ten days since she last saw You Su. Though she was accustomed to solitude atop the mountain, the absence of her two disciples now left her feeling strangely lonely.

She silently marveled at how emotions could bring about such profound changes in a person. Suddenly, she furrowed her delicate brows, sensing someone walking through the forest, approaching the Lotus Birth Pool.

Was it Wangshu?

Hadn’t she issued a command forbidding anyone from disturbing her seclusion unless absolutely necessary?

Wangshu always obeyed her. If she dared to intrude, there must be something she couldn’t resolve on her own. What could possibly trouble Wangshu so much?

He Shutong dispelled the concealment array. Soon after, Heavenly Maiden Wangshu, clad in pure white, appeared outside the pond.

“Master.”

“Mm, Wangshu, you’ve come to see me… Have you made another breakthrough in your cultivation?”

He Shutong could think of no other reason. Her eldest disciple’s progress was astonishing. She often felt that Wangshu wasn’t drawing power from the heavens and earth but rather awakening a latent force within her body. Otherwise, how could she have reached the initial stage of Feather Transformation before the age of fifty?

Heavenly Maiden Wangshu still wore her jade rabbit mask, her eyes lowered as she replied:

“I’ve disappointed you, Master. I haven’t broken through; I’m still at the initial stage of Feather Transformation.”

“I’ve never been disappointed in you, Wangshu. You don’t need to live solely for my expectations.”

“I understand, Master.”

This child’s maturity pained He Shutong. Wangshu always strived to excel, seemingly trying to earn her approval. But in the past, He Shutong’s icy heart rarely offered praise, even when she admired her disciple’s achievements. This made Wangshu believe her master was unsatisfied with her performance, driving her to work even harder.

“So… why have you come? Do you… miss me?”

Even as He Shutong spoke, she felt awkward. But she forced herself to say it, realizing she owed this disciple much tenderness and vowing to make up for it in the future. She added:

“To miss someone means their image frequently appears in your mind, making you want to see them.”

Wangshu glanced at her master, hidden behind the mist. She remembered what it meant to miss someone, but she hesitated. Usually outspoken, she now sensed that voicing her true thoughts might not be wise…

“What is it, Wangshu? Even if you don’t miss me, your master won’t blame you.” He Shutong’s tone was gentle.

“I… I don’t miss you, Master. I miss my junior brother.”

He Shutong’s expression stiffened momentarily, but the awkwardness quickly passed. She realized something was amiss. You Su was also cultivating on Lotus Peak, and Wangshu saw him daily. Why would she miss him?

And Wangshu had specifically sought her out…

“You Su—he’s not on the mountain?!”

…

“Congratulations, Venerable Shenxi. Your catch today was quite bountiful.”

Yu Zhen bowed, flattery dripping from his words.

The man being flattered sat rigidly by the small pool, his demeanor calm and unyielding like a lifeless statue as he fished.

“Catching a Tigerhead Pike is indeed a considerable haul.”

Venerable Shenxi removed the large fish from the hook, showing no fear of its menacing fangs and gaping mouth.

This was his secluded abode, far from Jade Ring Lake, nestled high in the mountains. The water in this pool was drawn from Jade Ring Lake, but the fish within were ferocious predators he had secretly brought back from the outside world. Each one was infamous for its hunting prowess.

He disliked fishing for docile grass carp, preferring these fierce beasts instead. Since raising such fish in Jade Ring Lake was forbidden, he had built this private pool for his leisure. Though this act was prohibited, as the grand master and a respected elder, no one dared to question him.

Venerable Shenxi held the Tigerhead Pike in his hand, rendering the robust predator utterly immobile. He toyed with its life, deliberately letting it slowly stiffen instead of ending it swiftly.

“Yu Zhen, if it were you who caught this Tigerhead Pike, would you stop there?”

Yu Zhen watched uneasily. “I wouldn’t know. Yu Zhen doesn’t even have the right to hold a fishing rod.”

Venerable Shenxi chuckled lightly. By now, the Tigerhead Pike had completely lost its life. Yet, to everyone’s surprise, he reattached it to the hook.

“I wouldn’t stop. I’d use this Tigerhead Pike to catch an even bigger fish.”

With that, he tossed the corpse of the Tigerhead Pike into the pool as bait, immediately stirring up a frenzy among the predatory fish.

…

Today marked the ninth day since You Su arrived at Jade Ring Lake.

Since the incident of “flying” with the Holy Maiden, she hadn’t summoned him again, only occasionally sending gifts and greetings through others. He had considered visiting her himself but couldn’t think of a pretext, so he abandoned the idea.

The little white fish hadn’t appeared since then either. You Su had tried using other rare treasures to coax it out, but to no avail. He had no intention of revealing its existence to others. He found the peculiar little fish adorable and thought it would make a perfect gift for his senior sister.

You Su sat meditating in the courtyard of Qing Lan Palace when light footsteps gradually faded away outside. He knew it was Miss Ji leaving, likely heading off to meet Young Master Yu Mingzhen again.

He should have gone to visit the Holy Maiden, yet why had she stopped inviting him with the same enthusiasm as she had in the first six days? Had he done something wrong?

You Su decided he needed to visit the Holy Maiden personally.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door of Qing Lan Palace. It had been a long time since anyone had visited, and now there was a guest.

Yu Long moved to open the door, but You Su beat her to it.

You Su opened the door, only to find it wasn’t the Holy Maiden or her attendants—it was Yu Zhen, whom he hadn’t seen in a while.

“Young Master You, it’s been several days.”

“Immortal Yu? Please, come in.”

“I won’t stay. I’ve come to inform you that there’s been an issue with the Lotus Root Heart you requested…”