The Daily Task of Preventing My Disciple from Turning to the Dark Side Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Mu Chen asked Chu Qianshuang, “What was the news you mentioned just now?”

“Ah! I heard on my way here that the cultivator who you burned down yesterday is destroyed. Isn’t that quite uplifting?” Chu Qianshuang bounced around, circling Mu Chen twice before going to tug at Jing Ting’s hair, which provoked Jing Ting to draw his sword and swing it at him. The two young men, who appeared to be around the same age, each wielding a treasured sword, began to fly through the air, striking sparks as they clashed. Mu Chen raised his hand to create a barrier. Seeing that Gu Yunjue looked up with a fascinated expression, he allowed them to frolic.

After a while of playful swordplay, both of them landed on the ground. Jing Ting snorted coldly, then stood behind Mu Chen without uttering another word. His cool expression resembled ice.

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Gu Yunjue’s lips twitched, and he looked at Mu Chen with a smile, pretending not to understand his implication. Even if he ate until he burst, he wouldn’t have the same appetite as this pig-headed disciple. It’s better not to even think about it.

After finishing a plate of meat in no time, Chu Qianshuang continued, “I haven’t finished delivering my news. I’ve mentioned the heartening part, but I haven’t touched on the shocking part yet.”

Mu Chen’s expression indicated his lack of interest in gossip, but he seemed more interested in his young disciple’s appetite…

“The shocking part is the way that elder died. After he reconstructed his physical body last night, he favored two maids, resulting in his demise on the spot due to overexertion. This news has spread throughout the Chongyun Sect inside and out. Truly a disgraceful end.”

Mu Chen quickly covered Gu Yunjue’s ears, looking at Chu Qianshuang with disdain. He had no idea how Chu Qianshuang had been taught by Liu Hanzhi. At such a young age, how could he know about such matters?

Unfortunately, Gu Yunjue, who appeared utterly ignorant yet insatiably curious, asked, “Master, what does ‘overexertion resulting in demise’ mean?”

Mu Chen: “…It means a bad way to die.” In order to prevent his disciple from learning inappropriate things, Mu Chen held Gu Yunjue’s hand, stood up, and intended to leave.

Gu Yunjue chuckled inwardly. His master’s vocabulary was still so limited, and his mouth was still so clumsy. When he lied, his eyes would stare straight at the person, making a very serious expression. He was truly adorable.

Chu Qianshuang hurriedly exclaimed, “Senior Martial Uncle, please hold on! My master instructed me to deliver a greeting gift.” Shoving the last meatball into his mouth, Chu Qianshuang wiped his mouth with his sleeve and retrieved a long sword from his spatial bracelet. The weathered black scabbard bore the engraving of a nine-petaled blue lotus. As soon as he took it out, a palpable sense of killing intent filled the air. It was clear to anyone that this was no ordinary item. “My master says that this attribute is perfectly suited for Senior Martial Uncle. He believes that Senior Martial Uncle’s appearance is suitable for a sword cultivator at first sight. Alchemy is too wasteful for him, and so on…” His mouth seemed incapable of stopping.

Mu Chen, displeased, hugged Gu Yunjue even tighter. Did that icy blockhead dare to sneak glances at his disciple and even gift his own former sword to his disciple? Did he think his disciple was cute and wanted to snatch him away? Dream on!

Gu Yunjue held Mu Chen’s neck tightly, his face grim. Did that sword cultivator who dared to venture into the demon realm for his master have affection for his junior master? Otherwise, why would he bestow such a valuable item? Attempting to ingratiate himself with the master through deceitful means? Dream on!

Mu Chen waved his sleeve, casually tossing a bottle of pills identical to the ones Gu Yunjue held to Chu Qianshuang and quickly ushered him away. He feared that if he didn’t keep an eye on him, this pure-hearted young disciple might be led astray.

After Chu Qianshuang left, Gu Yunjue inquired with a cheerful smile, “Master, who is that person…”

“He’s a disciple from the Hanyang Palace. Just call him Xiao Liu. He’s a decent person, but he loves to eat. When he’s extremely hungry, he’s even daring enough to bite his own master.”

At that time, when Mu Chen was imprisoned by the joint forces of the immortal realms, a little piglet would sneak through the barrier every day to visit him and assure him that they would find a way to rescue him. If his intuition was correct, that little piglet should have been Chu Qianshuang. Whether Liu Hanzhi knew his identity or not was unknown. For some reason, Mu Chen’s expression turned peculiar. Afterward, he shook his head, convincing himself that he might be overthinking things.

“What my disciple wants to know is about the person who gave the sword to my disciple. Are you familiar with him, Master?” Thinking of the “complicated” relationship between Mu Chen and Liu Hanzhi, Gu Yunjue felt quite uncomfortable.

Mu Chen tightened his grip on his young disciple’s hand once again and responded with a disgruntled sound. His disciple indeed practiced swordsmanship in his past life, and his aptitude for it was more suitable for becoming a sword cultivator than an alchemist. Mu Chen hesitated a bit. Was he really doing good by keeping him by his side out of selfishness? If someone like Liu Hanzhi, a sword cultivator, were his master instead, would Gu Yunjue have had more prospects, rather than being confined to alchemical endeavors behind closed doors?

Since the mention of Liu Hanzhi, Mu Chen had stopped speaking. Gu Yunjue pursed his lips, his smiling expression turning cold. Could it be that there truly was some undisclosed ambiguity between Master and Liu Hanzhi?

“Master,” Gu Yunjue gave Mu Chen a gentle shake and asked, “What kind of person is Senior Disciple Brother Liu?” He intentionally emphasized the term “Senior Disciple Brother” heavily, reminding Mu Chen not to forget their respective identities. It was against ethics for a master to be romantically involved with his nephew. Mu Chen had his young disciple, and that should be enough for him. It was better to abandon any notions of ambiguous relationships with the man as soon as possible.

Mu Chen thought about his history with Liu Hanzhi. Including their past life, they had known each other for over two hundred years. He sighed and said with emotion, “Once upon a time, he was my study companion. When we were in our teens, we arrived at the Chongyun Sect together.”

As Mu Chen carried Gu Yunjue outside, he continued speaking. Jing Ming tilted his head, watching Mu Chen’s receding figure. He gave Jing Ting a nudge with his elbow and remarked, “Who would have thought that the Palace Master and Elder Liu had such a relationship? He never mentioned it to anyone.”

Jing Ting remained silent, while Jing Ming continued to inquire, “Have you noticed that ever since Gu Yunjue arrived, the Palace Master has been speaking more?”

Jing Ting let out a cold snort. It wasn’t just about speaking more; aside from alchemy, the Palace Master had never invested so much attention in a single individual before.

“Who’s the other person?” Jing Ming was still curious. Jing Ting glared at him and cursed, “Idiot!” Naturally, it was the person who could make the Palace Master leave behind the unfinished chess game.

—

With Gu Yunjue in his arms, Mu Chen breathed in the delicate fragrance emanating from him. Gradually, his mood improved. He found some satisfaction in his “explanation” to his disciple. Since they had grown up together, their relationship could improve slightly, but it had to be kept in check. His nephew could never have a closer relationship than his disciple.

Being so close allowed Gu Yunjue to sense a spiritual energy emanating from Mu Chen. It felt familiar, much like… the Soul Refining Demon Art!

With this in mind, Gu Yunjue discreetly tightened his grip around Mu Chen’s neck, drawing himself even closer to Mu Chen’s chest. In order to divert Mu Chen’s attention, he began to speak, “Master, where are you taking your disciple?”

“Just getting acquainted with the Chongyun Sect to avoid getting lost.” Mu Chen was unwilling to let his little disciple down, so he continued to hold Gu Yunjue in his arms. He gazed into Gu Yunjue’s bright eyes, as though he had discovered a paintbrush that could add color to his otherwise pale life. His heart gradually filled, and his gaze softened as he looked at the child in his arms, completely defenseless.

Gu Yunjue couldn’t help but lower his head. In this moment, he felt as though his heart was being seared by the intensity of Mu Chen’s gaze. His grip on Mu Chen’s robe tightened gradually, and he rested his chin on Mu Chen’s shoulder, afraid of revealing his emotions.

In this lifetime, regardless of the curses he bore or the sins he had to commit, he was determined to ensure his Master’s safety and happiness, to bring him peace throughout this life.

As if responding to Gu Yunjue’s determination, the familiar spiritual energy surged forth.

Out of nowhere, a surge of demonic energy erupted from Mu Chen’s body, catching him off guard. The blast of energy harmed his internal organs. His first instinct was to push Gu Yunjue away.

“Master!” Gu Yunjue was thrown out, not even having time to stand up. Mu Chen, however, had already seated himself on the ground, suppressing the demonic energy once more.

Within a few breaths, Mu Chen sensed several unusual figures approaching. Yue Mingze and several elders noticed Mu Chen’s injury and instinctively assumed he had been attacked by demonic cultivators. Judging by the strength of the demonic energy, the attacker was likely at least at the Harmonization Stage. Everyone’s expressions grew serious. When had the immortal realm been infiltrated by a demonic cultivator of such high cultivation?

Without waiting for further inquiry, Gu Yunjue pointed towards the western direction. His face was deathly pale. “There’s an old man in black robes who injured the Master. He went that way!” 

The group didn’t hesitate and followed Gu Yunjue’s direction towards the forbidden area.

As they moved away, Gu Yunjue looked at Mu Chen’s chest and approached slowly. The surge of demonic energy had originated from his chest before being suppressed by his Master. Unable to restrain his curiosity any longer, Gu Yunjue waited for Mu Chen’s expression to ease before reaching out and grabbing the collar of Mu Chen’s robe, intending to pull it open for a closer look.

Upon opening his eyes, Mu Chen’s first sight was of his disciple tugging at his clothes, rather aggressively.

Mu Chen maintained a cold and silent expression.

“Master, are you feeling unwell somewhere? Are you injured? Where does it hurt?” His little disciple was genuinely concerned, and his worry was demonstrated by his attempt to undress Mu Chen. It was as if he was saying, “Let me see before I decide.” Mu Chen grabbed Gu Yunjue and lifted him up. He looked conflicted. How should he react to this little guy who was not only clever but also capable of lying? Should he praise his cleverness or give him a little spanking to uphold the rules of being a disciple?

“Master, are you going to spank me?” The child in his hand didn’t struggle at all, seemingly resigned. He looked at Mu Chen in disbelief. Mu Chen felt that his heart was being squeezed again. That fiery mark on his chest reminded him of why he had taken Gu Yunjue under his wing.

In this reincarnation, he discovered a black mark on his chest. While he had speculated that it had something to do with his rebirth, he never imagined it harbored such intense demonic energy. The cultivation that Gu Yunjue had transmitted into him hadn’t disappeared even after his death.

Why did Gu Yunjue do all these things for him? Why did he, a perfectly good cultivator, turn against the entire immortal realm? When he left the sect, was it willingly or under duress? Unfortunately, he knew nothing in his previous life. His disciple hadn’t told him anything, maintaining an image of a modest and refined gentleman to the outside world. It wasn’t until the incident that he realized he hadn’t cared enough for his disciple, hadn’t understood him enough. He truly was an inadequate Master.

Holding his young disciple in his arms, Mu Chen sighed. He had only put on a stern face, yet the child was already so frightened. How could he bear to actually punish him? Mu Chen looked towards the west and spoke with depth, “Don’t speak of today’s events to anyone. Do you understand?”

“Disciple understands.” Gu Yunjue’s eyes dimmed, and his face regained the lively and mischievous look of a five-year-old child. He became cheerful and playful, his voice crisp, “Master, just now, were you thinking of someone?”

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Author’s Note: Irresponsible Mini Theater:

Gu Yunjue: “Master, you’re still thinking about someone else in your heart! I’ll slaughter him!”

Mu Chen handed Gu Yunjue a knife, saying, “Just make sure you stab a non-vital part!”

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