The Daily Task of Preventing My Disciple from Turning to the Dark Side Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Gu Yunjue opened his eyes to an endless expanse of Cold Fragrance (Lengxiang) Trees. Under the umbrella-like canopy, pink flower buds danced in the breeze on slender branches. With their arrival, myriad buds unfurled, and the delicate, fresh fragrance of flowers grew stronger. Before long, countless insects, birds, and butterflies took flight, hovering before gracefully dancing through the woods. The scene resembled a fantastical realm.

A slight curve formed at the corner of Mu Chen’s lips. He gently stroked Gu Yunjue’s head and asked, “Yun’er, they like you. Are you happy?”

Gu Yunjue looked at the scene in astonishment. The plants and flowers seemed to welcome his presence. Yet, he knew that they bloomed for one person alone—the person who had planted them: his shizun.

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Yw Ubld pbssj bkp blye pzktbvzu yde alrzkle, “Lsv alyzzu. Mblpl Usze Waytaydnl Mallp yal rknju ycswv obs vblu czssx qsa.”

Gu Yunjue frowned slightly, his eyes flickering with curiosity. “Then why did they bloom for us?”

Mu Chen turned to him with a soft smile. “Because you’re here.”

As the words fell, the scenery before them seemed to come alive. The pink flowers on the Cold Fragrance Trees bloomed even more brilliantly, releasing an even more intoxicating fragrance. The insects’ melodious chirping harmonized with the gentle rustling of leaves, creating a harmonious symphony that filled the air.

Gu Yunjue gazed at the blooming flowers, his heart filled with warmth. He realized that this magical scene was a reflection of his master’s affection, and that made it all the more beautiful.

Mu Chen nodded. These flowers were the favorite of his master, Master Dan Yangzi. They made him feel like he was at home, and they had a calming effect on his mood. So, ever since Master Dan Yangzi ascended, Mu Chen had been coming here every day to insert a twig. Some thrived, some withered; he didn’t force it and left it to fate. Whenever he felt restless, he would come here. Yue Mingze’s recent actions had undoubtedly upset him.

Gu Yunjue smiled as he helped Mu Chen roll up his sleeves. He spoke earnestly, “Your disciple will plant Cold Fragrance Trees wherever Shizun likes, so they will only bloom for you.”

Hearing his disciple’s assertive words, Mu Chen’s heart warmed. The current Gu Yunjue was like a fluffy little obedient boy, and Mu Chen nodded in contentment. He replied in a deep voice, even though he knew that achieving such a feat was virtually impossible for ordinary people because these flowers were particularly finicky and some could go a thousand years without blooming. But since his disciple had said it, he didn’t want to discourage his confidence.

Gu Yunjue looked at Mu Chen with a satisfied expression. No matter what he said, his master believed him completely. This wholehearted trust satisfied his inner pride.

Mu Chen watched his disciple’s satisfied expression and sighed inwardly. Perhaps being subjected to criticism in his youth had twisted him somewhat, and he would grow even more complex as he got older. This child needed more praise.

After planting the tree, Mu Chen led Gu Yunjue deeper into the forest. He waved his hand to remove the barrier, revealing a simple wooden cabin ahead. The cabin was small, only a few square meters in size. It was clear that the person who had built it wasn’t skilled, as the pieces of wood were haphazardly put together, and it seemed like it wouldn’t keep out the rain, not to mention it didn’t even have windows.

“Master, what is this?”

“Your master’s Shifu built it with his own hands before his ascension. He said that whenever I missed him, I could come here to meditate.” Mu Chen’s eyes flashed with nostalgia, but he sounded rather disdainful, “It’s so ugly!”

Pushing open the creaky wooden door, they found the interior to be clean but extremely rudimentary. There was only a straw mat on the floor, apparently meant for Mu Chen to meditate on. There wasn’t even a chair.

Mu Chen picked up the straw mat with a gentle expression, tapped off a bit of dust, and placed it back in its original spot. He then took out a dust-repelling bead and placed it on top.

He remembered the year he had arrived at Chongyun Sect. Due to unforeseen circumstances during their journey, he missed the trial date at the sect. When he reached the sect, the gates were already closed, and he couldn’t even get close. At that time, he was desperate. Fortunately, he had encountered his lost wayfaring master at the foot of the mountain. 

The master had said that his face was very much in line with the standards of Yan Yang Palace, so he had brought him back and even accepted him as a personal disciple. His master had taught him alchemy and medicine-making, treated him like a biological child, and even worried about him being bullied due to his low cultivation level, so he had refined countless pills for emergency use. He didn’t know how his master was doing in the Divine Realm now. It was his own inadequacy that had prevented him from ascending after a hundred years, and instead, he had tragically died. He couldn’t even pay his respects to his master.

“Shifu.” Gu Yunjue’s call interrupted Mu Chen’s reminiscence. Mu Chen lowered his head and saw Gu Yunjue tugging on his sleeve in annoyance. He lifted his hand, and perhaps because he was tired of standing, he allowed himself to be held.

Mu Chen bent down and lifted Gu Yunjue into his arms, casting a helpless glance at his disciple’s short legs. Ignoring the look in his master’s eyes, Gu Yunjue pointed to the wooden plank above them and asked curiously, “Master, did you put that bottle there?”

Mu Chen looked up and indeed found a green jade bottle sandwiched between the two wooden planks. After taking it down, he looked at Gu Yunjue in his arms with a complex expression. His master enjoyed playing games like “I hide, you find” with him. That’s why he would investigate anything his master had used. He had searched this room before and found nothing at the time.

How had Gu Yunjue, a child who had just cultivated Qi, found what he couldn’t even detect?

Gu Yunjue smiled mischievously at Mu Chen. He was testing the boundaries of how good his master was to him and how his master would react if he discovered his abnormality.

Mu Chen’s gaze lingered on Gu Yunjue with a complex expression, and the atmosphere grew chilly. This coldness slowly seeped into Gu Yunjue’s heart.

“Sometimes your master’s intelligence… really is like that of a five-year-old child.” Finally, after a prolonged staring contest, Mu Chen’s lips twitched, and he shattered all of Gu Yunjue’s concerns with a single sentence.

Was his master saying that the grandmaster was as intellectually impaired as a five-year-old, so that was why he could find things he had hidden? Was this a mocking remark about his master’s intelligence, or about his own intelligence? Although Mu Chen’s response satisfied him, Gu Yunjue couldn’t help but laugh at this reasoning. Because they were equally foolish, they could equally find things. What kind of reasoning was that?

After disdainfully despising both his own master and disciple, Mu Chen stored the porcelain bottle in his ring. He placed two chairs in the small wooden cabin and sat for a while before leaving the cave behind the waterfall with Gu Yunjue.

A plump, black-feathered duck perched on a tree. Upon seeing Mu Chen leading a child out, it flapped its wings a few times, honked twice, and plopped to the ground with a thud. It rolled over and swiftly stood up, shaking off the bits of grass on itself. With a hoarse voice, it scolded while moving its short legs, “I like eating kids under ten the most!”

Seeing the fat behind of the duck wobble from side to side, Gu Yunjue arched an eyebrow and, with an innocent expression on his face, said, “Shizun, I want to eat roast duck.”

Rarely did his disciple express a desire to eat something, and Mu Chen felt pleased. “I’ll have someone make it for you when we get back.”

Upon hearing this, the scruffy duck halted its running and tilted its head, looking at Gu Yunjue.

Gu Yunjue continued with a smile, “I’ve seen the cooks make roast duck before. The process is quite complicated. First, you cut the duck’s throat to bleed it out. Then, you use a pump to fill the duck with air through the neck slit to make its body swell evenly, making the whole duck look like a round, fat ball. After that, you hang the duck up by a hook and scald it with boiling water to inflate it. You pour sugar water over the duck’s body twice and let it air dry. Then, you plug the rear end with a cork, pour water into the duck from the neck slit, and finally, you put the duck into a blazing oven to roast until it’s golden all over and fully cooked. The flavor is particularly delicious.”

Listening to this, Mu Chen’s heart ached, not for the duck that was going to be dead, but for his young disciple. Gu Yunjue was so young. How much suffering had he endured at home to be assigned to the kitchen to do chores along with the servants? Otherwise, how could he be so familiar with cooking? 

In Mu Chen’s mind, he could already picture a tiny Gu Yunjue wearing coarse clothes, holding a knife and killing chickens and fish in the dead of winter. His small hands would be frostbitten, turning purple, and if he didn’t do well, they might not even give him food. The saying goes, “A gentleman stays far away from the kitchen,” but his parents were just too much! Mu Chen thought angrily. If he ever met Gu Yunjue’s parents, he’d definitely give them a beating to make them regret their actions!

Tenderly, Mu Chen lifted Gu Yunjue into his arms, and Mu Chen patted the child’s back as he cooed, “We’ll do as you wish. We’ll have a table full of ducks, and you can eat them any way you like.”

Gu Yunjue chuckled and nuzzled Mu Chen’s neck, pointing to the plump ducks approaching. His eyes held a hint of mischief as he said, “These look really plump.”

The scruffy ducks instantly sensed an impending danger that sent shivers down their spines. An aura of impending doom surrounded them, especially the unmentionable part of their behinds. A chilling sensation crept up their spines, all the way to the top of their heads. Even the three golden feathers on their heads stood on end. It was as if the wind had blown over their sensitive regions, making them feel incredibly uncomfortable.

Sensing Gu Yunjue’s unease, the scruffy ducks turned and fled. This child was a demon! Definitely a demon! Mu Chen was dumbfounded. Where had he found such a mischievous little brat?

Seeing the other ducks run far away, Gu Yunjue squinted his eyes slightly. The Three-Legged Golden Crow liked to feed on souls and had eyes that could see into the depths of human souls. If they got too close, they might discover his true nature as an adult. However, the other party should have already noticed something was amiss, so he would have to come back another time.

Back at the Yan Yang Palace, Jing Ming, who had been beaten up by his big brother and was sporting bruises all over his face, was squatting in a corner, scraping the floor. The small picture books he had bought from the mortal world had been taken away by Jing Ting and turned into a pile of debris. Jing Ming looked utterly dejected, and Mu Chen felt as if he were looking at a small, white, unhappy dog that couldn’t even wag its tail.

“Jing Ming, come here,” Mu Chen called.

Jing Ming walked over with a downcast look, his steps slower than usual.

Mu Chen expressionlessly ruffled his hair and praised him in a cold tone, “You are smarter than Jing Ting.”

Jing Ming raised his head and blinked. “Awooo, Master! I knew you had good taste!” In an instant, he perked up, even wiggling his butt a little.

Gu Yunjue stifled a laugh, finding his little master lying quite adorable.

After comforting the downcast puppy, Mu Chen called Gu Yunjue over and instructed them both to go out and play. He also told them that they would be having a duck feast that evening, a whole table full of ducks.

Jing Ming happily led Gu Yunjue away, leaving Mu Chen alone in the room. Mu Chen set up a barrier and decided to see what Dan Yangzi had left for him. The bottle was an ordinary porcelain one, and the moment Mu Chen held it in his hand, he knew it wasn’t a medicinal pill. When he poured its contents out, he was surprised to find an unclaimed spatial ring.

What could possibly be inside the ring left for him in that place?

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Author’s Note: Irresponsible Mini Theater:

Gu Yunjue: “I will plant fragrant flowers everywhere you are, so they’ll bloom only for you. I will keep you in a luxurious palace and treat you like a princess.”

Mu Chen asked the people around him, “How do you address him?”

Maid: “Young Palace Master.”

Daoist Disciple: “Young Palace Master.”

Jing Ming: “Our Young Palace Master.”

Mu Chen →_→ “Little Princess.”

Gu Yunjue facepalms…

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Translator’s note: These three chapters first for the mass release. I’m very slow this month, feeling tired and drained. 

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