The Daily Task of Preventing My Disciple from Turning to the Dark Side Chapter 9

Chapter 9

To Mu Chen’s surprise, Gu Yunjue was quite sensitive. After hesitating for a moment, Mu Chen responded, “An old friend.”

“Who is this old friend? It seems that Shizun has many old friends,” Gu Yunjue showed clear interest in the old friend who made Mu Chen reveal a mixture of nostalgia and sadness. His exquisite eyes narrowed slightly in a beautiful curve, concealing the sharpness beneath, as he continued to inquire, holding onto Mu Chen’s arm.

Mu Chen affectionately patted his disciple’s back, saying, “An old friend is just that, an old friend.” He had no intention of delving into the matter, but his persistent young disciple was not letting go. “What kind of person is this old friend? Does the Shizun like him?”

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“Tso xwnb xsal?”

“Yes,” he endured…

“Shizun?”

“Yes,” he continued to endure…

“Shizun…”

Mu Chen cast a silencing spell on his young disciple, his gaze full of disdain. This little rascal was too talkative, where did he find so many words?

Gu Yunjue opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Realizing what Mu Chen had done, he burst into laughter, amused that Mu Chen didn’t want to listen to him. He reached out and grabbed Mu Chen’s hair, gently twirling it around his fingers. With a smile, Gu Yunjue playfully poked Mu Chen’s face with the tip of his hair, silently saying, “Shizun, smile.”

Mu Chen tilted his head to avoid it, helplessly looking at Gu Yunjue, this mischievous little brat!

Narrowing his eyes, Gu Yunjue’s delicate peach blossom eyes curved into crescent moons with hooks at the corners. As he teased Mu Chen and anticipated the different expressions on his face, he secretly contemplated. The surge of magic he had felt earlier was unmistakably Soul Refining Demon Art. His Shizun couldn’t have had a chance to encounter that cultivation method. Moreover, the similarity between that magic and his own spiritual fluctuations raised suspicions within Gu Yunjue. Could it be that Mu Chen, like himself, had traveled back a hundred years in time? And coincidentally retained a hundred years’ worth of cultivation? How could he test this?

As this thought crossed his mind, Mu Chen simply tossed Gu Yunjue into the air. With a flick of his palm, an ethereal, transparent film made of spiritual energy formed beneath Gu Yunjue. Connected to the film was a rope-like strand of spiritual energy, held in Mu Chen’s hand. With a gentle tug, Gu Yunjue, suspended in the air, swayed in response to his movements. Mu Chen felt that his young disciple’s playfulness was boundless, and this method of taking him out was the most suitable indeed.

Silencing – Tossing into the air – Encasing with spiritual energy shield – Leading along!

Mu Chen’s lips curved slightly, forming a perfect arc. 

Gu Yunjue sat within the shield, looking down at Mu Chen below. Any hint of dissatisfaction that had arisen in his heart was shattered by the slight smile at the corner of Mu Chen’s mouth. Suddenly, his heart softened like a pool of spring water. It seemed that he could accept anything this person did. Annoyed, he brushed his forehead. He inwardly scolded himself—either he had gone mad or had fallen under a spell. This state was definitely not right!

——

After Yue Mingze and his men had searched the forbidden area and found no signs of anyone, he immediately ordered a search of Chongyun Sect, leaving no trace unexamined. Did a powerful demonic cultivator come to the immortal realm to search for relatives and friends? Who would believe that?

“Could the child have mistaken something?” A black-robed old man stroked his beard, looking puzzled. “Not detecting even a trace of aura is clearly not in line with common sense.”

“Let’s ask Elder Mu,” Yue Mingze frowned, feeling uneasy. “I’ll go there myself.”

Another middle-aged cultivator dressed in a cyan robe and holding a folding fan laughed, “I heard that the Sect Master of Wanjian wants to form a Daoist couple with Mu-shidi. The letter has already been sent to the Sect Master’s hands. I wonder if the rumors are true?”

This cultivator was named Zheng Xuansu. In terms of seniority, he was indeed Mu Chen’s shixiong. Although both were disciples of Dan Yangzi, Mu Chen was a direct disciple and learned a unique technique, while Zheng Xuansu was only a named disciple, learning ordinary methods. Their relationship was not particularly good, nor bad. After all, with Mu Chen’s personality, he wouldn’t bother with anyone who didn’t provoke him.

Yue Mingze hesitated and said, “Although there are fewer female cultivators in the cultivation world and they don’t mind forming bonds with male cultivators, the integration of yin and yang is the right way. Although Mu-shixiong appears… he is ultimately a man.” While an alliance between the elders of Chongyun Sect and the Sect Master of Wanjian Sect would strengthen the relationship between the two sects, Yue Mingze hadn’t thought about Mu Chen forming such an alliance. 

Furthermore, Yu Tianyi’s cultivation had reached the Ascendant stage, just one step away from Ascension. Would Mu Chen not be bullied if he was with Yu Tianyi? Yue Mingze furrowed his brow. Even though he currently lacked the power to uphold Chongyun Sect, he wouldn’t even sell out his own Shifu.

Zheng Xuansu lightly tapped the palm of his hand with the folding fan, a thoughtful expression in his eyes. “Mu-shidi is a Pill Cultivator. Before Shifu ascended, he worried about Mu-shidi being bullied after his departure and wanted to find him a sword cultivator companion. However, at that time, Mu-shidi’s cultivation hadn’t reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Although Shifu had identified a few outstanding cultivators, the difference in cultivation levels made it difficult to broach the topic. Now might be an opportunity.”

Yue Mingze said seriously, “That was in the past. The Mu-shixiong now doesn’t need anyone’s protection.”

Zheng Xuansu’s hand paused for a moment, a fleeting trace of embarrassment crossing his face. He was a bit dissatisfied with Yue Mingze’s stubbornness. “That’s true.” While it was true that a Pill Cultivator’s offensive power was somewhat weaker, after witnessing Mu Chen’s performance at the Trial Assembly, no one dared to treat him as an ordinary Pill Cultivator. After a brief moment, his expression returned to normal. He continued, “However, it’s not a good idea to reject this directly. It might be better to ask Mu-shidi. Perhaps he has his own thoughts on the matter.”

Yue Mingze’s expression remained calm on the surface, but he inwardly sighed. Zheng Xuansu’s perspective wasn’t entirely wrong; he indeed didn’t have the authority to make decisions for Mu-shixiong. He could only take the opportunity to bring it up later. With that in mind, Yue Mingze secretly counted on his fingers, calculating the likelihood of Mu Chen’s reaction turning sour.

——

After returning, Mu Chen had Jing Ting and Jing Ming take Gu Yunjue out for a walk while he set up a barrier in his room to begin his recovery.

Without Mu Chen present, Jing Ming immediately reverted to his childish nature. He skipped ahead, holding Gu Yunjue’s hand and introducing the surroundings while it felt as if he had a tail wagging behind him.

Jing Ting, however, maintained a cold expression, casting a gaze at Gu Yunjue with a touch of scrutiny and detachment.

With just a glance, Gu Yunjue could discern Jing Ting’s thoughts. It was only his arrival that seemed to have altered Jing Ting’s demeanor slightly. This protective little wolf-dog was probably afraid of losing its owner.

“All these medicinal fields are cared for by Uncle Li. Look, aren’t they beautiful?” Jing Ming pointed to the vast expanse of medicinal fields ahead, showing off. “These were brought back by the Palace Master during his outings. Regardless of what he brings back, as long as there’s a trace of vitality, Uncle Li can revive them.”

As they spoke, a middle-aged cultivator dressed in black robes approached with a gentle smile. His appearance wasn’t particularly attractive, even somewhat fierce. He had thick eyebrows and large eyes, a square face, and a scruffy beard. He had his hands behind his back and appeared to be holding something.

As the figure drew near, Gu Yunjue noticed that the man’s eyes had no focus; in other words, he was blind.

A blind man cultivating hundreds of miles of medicinal fields was quite intriguing. Gu Yunjue couldn’t help but wonder what remarkable skill he possessed.

“Uncle Li!” Jing Ming happily ran over, and the bearded man smiled lightly, accurately patting the clever boy’s head. Although he had a fierce appearance, his expression was oddly doting. When he looked at Jing Ting, his face was also quite gentle.

“This is the newly received disciple of the Palace Master, right? His judgment is always accurate; the young lad must have some exceptional qualities.” The bearded man lowered his head, his eyes without focus locked onto Gu Yunjue, as if he had noticed something amiss. He furrowed his brow and clicked his tongue, surprised as he said, “What an odd fate!”

Gu Yunjue also observed the man. He was certain he hadn’t met this person in his previous life. Either he died in the upcoming decade, or he left. A blind man who could deduce destiny was quite intriguing.

The bearded man shook his head, no longer taking it seriously. He handed something to Gu Yunjue – a large bundle of cold fragrance flowers. The flowers were obviously freshly picked, with dewdrops still on the petals. The white petals were translucent like jade, and in the sunlight, one could see faint golden veins inside. These flowers were unique, said to bloom only for those who were destined. Even after being picked, the branch remained full of buds.

“Help me give these to your Shifu. I won’t have to make an extra trip.” The bearded man finished speaking and waved to the three of them before turning to leave.

Gu Yunjue narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp as a frost-tinged sword, cold and fierce. Who dared to send flowers to his Shizun? Could it be another person vying for his Shizun’s affections?

A few steps later, the bearded man seemed to remember something. He halted, hesitated for a moment, then turned back and looked in Gu Yunjue’s direction, saying, “Kid, protect your Shizun well. It’s best if you stay by his side at all times.”

Gu Yunjue raised an eyebrow, the killing intent that had been in his eyes completely disappearing. Of course, he would stay by his Shizun’s side; he didn’t need this reminder. However, the man’s words still annoyed him. “What do you mean? Is my Shizun in danger?”

“It’s hard to say.” The bearded man shook his head with a hint of frustration. “Bathed in blood as he is, whether it’s a blessing or a curse, I can’t see.”

This cryptic response only agitated Gu Yunjue’s mood further. As he watched the man’s figure recede again, he suppressed the impulse to thoroughly extract the man’s soul to find out more. To avoid angering Mu Chen, he restrained himself.

Thinking Gu Yunjue was “stunned,” Jing Ming assumed he had been frightened and patted his shoulder, comforting him, “Palace Master is so powerful; he can’t possibly be in danger. Don’t worry.”

However, Jing Ting, who stood by the side, had an unpleasant expression. Uncle Li had never been wrong with his predictions. Since he said that, he must have seen something. Could this vague person be the one who can save the Palace Master?

Jing Ming pulled Gu Yunjue along and enthusiastically said, “Let me take you to see the gourds Palace Master grows. There are seven on one vine, colored orange, red, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple, each gourd a different hue and having distinct attributes. Isn’t that incredible?”

This action brought Gu Yunjue back to his senses and filled him with a sense of nostalgia. The person who used to run away upon seeing him in his previous life was now playfully engaging with him. Life was truly strange; it had only taken a slight detour, yet the disparity between his current and previous situations was so vast. Shaking his head in refusal, he asked Jing Ming, “Who exactly is this Uncle Li?”

************

Author’s note: Irresponsible Mini Theater:

Gu Yunjue: “I feel like my feelings towards Shizun are off, this possessiveness isn’t right.”

Black Cat: “By the time you figure out what’s wrong, my Chenchen will be done for. You perverted scum, shameless rogue with a stinking poker face!”

Gu Yunjue draws his sword.

The Black Cat unsheathes its beloved fifty-centimeter double-edged blood groove silver-backed machete, along with a 13,500-pound giant club, and an additional 860,000 landmines. It charges forward: Shizun is mine!!

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Translator’s note: 

• I changed from Shifu to Shizun as pointed out by a reader last time. Even though I used Shizun, or might interchange it from time to time with Shifu (I’m not an expert), Shizun and Shizun means the same: Master. 
• Shifu means master but is more commonly used and can refer to any type as long as the person is a teacher while Shizun is more like “revered master” typically used in spiritual contexts or religious ones. 

And I have translated the mass release chapters this week. This novel won the poll! I might update tomorrow or today. Thanks for your support! 

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