Yi Xuan smiled brightly and fell into Yun Ming's arms.
She mischievously tugged at the robe her Master was wearing, then kissed his cheek with a smack. Not enough, she'd do it again.
The people inside must think she's suffering, right?
They must all think Yi Xuan is a fool, right? But she's not! Although Yi Xuan is indeed a bit silly... this way, Master's attention is all on Yi Xuan.
"Then you truly are a great genius."
Yun Ming bit her little paw hard, helplessly. Human cubs always had a tendency to make one want to gobble them up.
"Yi Xuan knows she was wrong, so Master, please don't be angry anymore, okay? Yi Xuan can kiss Master too~"
Her coquettishness was sickeningly sweet.
Her small face kept rubbing against his chest.
But Yun Ming, of all people, fell for it. His heart was melting. She was naughty when she wanted to be, and well-behaved when she wanted to be.
His Apprentice was a versatile loli... so adorable.
He really wanted to see them grow up quickly. Even if they weren't as clingy to him then, it wouldn't matter, as long as they grew up healthy... Yun Ming gently rested his forehead against the little one's.
"How could I bear to be angry with you? But delete those photos for me, hear me? Don't learn all those strange things from your Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters."
"Hehe, Yi Xuan knew it, Master is the best~"
Yi Xuan stared blankly at Yun Ming's mouth, red and tempting. She really wanted to bite it, but if she bit him randomly, Master would spank her bottom.
Sister said you can't kiss other people's mouths.
Not even if they're girls.
Kissing on the mouth is for the boy you like later, but Sister, Yi Xuan likes Master so much... can't she?
Yi Xuan couldn't understand, but her little head was quickly filled with other things, and she asked, earnest and innocent:
"So Master, what was that thing I just grabbed?"
"..."
Yun Ming was immersed in the warm atmosphere. Upon hearing her, his old face flushed, but he sighed and still explained in a serious manner.
"It's..."
The little girl was confused, only half-understanding.
Strange knowledge transmission in progress—
Beep, transmission successful.
Yi Xuan quickly ran back into the room, her face red, and buried herself under the covers. This was the shyness brought by instinct.
She couldn't quite explain it.
But her whole body was hot, realizing that this was a boy, and she was a girl... The other few thought the little white-haired one had been severely punished, so they all went up to comfort her, quietly turning on the night light and starting an all-nighter.
The spring night was long.
At dawn, a light drizzle fell. Several half-grown children lay sprawled on the bed, Ke Ke entangled among them.
Her chest was still ample, radiating maternal glory.
Of course, Yun Ming wouldn't let them sleep on the floor, so after their fun, he cultivated under the bed for the latter half of the night.
The mountain remained peaceful and uneventful.
Many Apprentices would wake up early to practice, and they were much more diligent than before, with a lot more meat and fish in their meals.
Occasionally, they would also organize trips to the back mountain to pick vegetables and gather herbs.
Life away from the mundane world was truly pleasant.
In a blink of an eye, several days passed.
The young man compiled the improved cultivation techniques into a book, and also specially drew several special educational handbooks, asking people from down the mountain to print and deliver them.
"Master, I think it's necessary to teach this properly."
"This, this is indecent! Yun'er..."
"It's better than them doing things haphazardly with only a half-understanding!"
"Cough cough..."
Xuan Mingzi's old face flushed. He reluctantly approved his Apprentice's proposal. In recent years, he had also been thinking that the children were growing up.
Although the internet was developed, without systematic education, it was indeed not ideal, but he was concerned about his reputation and found it difficult to speak about.
He had originally intended to invite a specialized lecturer to the mountain.
But his Apprentice had quickly and easily solved the matter. The little booklet was very well drawn, and the explanations were very detailed.
But how strange!
"You know so much about this kind of thing, how is that possible?"
"Uh... the internet, I saw it online."
Yun Ming slapped his forehead, almost forgetting his age and identity. In his previous life, being an old hand was excusable.
In Master's eyes, he should still be a good child.
"...Yun'er, it's not that I, your Master, am scolding you. I know that at your age, it's inevitable that some things are difficult to talk about..."
"Your Master understands, but it's okay to release some steam appropriately. For the sake of cultivation, just don't overdo it."
Xuan Mingzi sat by the stone statue at the entrance of the main hall, stroking his beard with a joyful smile. As if remembering something, he added:
"That child Hongdou is still young, you must pay close attention. Although you two are childhood sweethearts, you still cannot cross the line... Do you understand?"
"I know, you don't need to nag."
"Also, I don't need to release steam! Old man, don't just imagine all sorts of random things!"
"Oh, you unfilial Apprentice, your face is red just from me saying a few words."
Yun Ming's face wasn't red because of this matter; he simply had a guilty conscience, and being nervous was inevitable.
Taking this opportunity, he tentatively asked:
"Master, what do you think about fellow Apprentices dating? I've noticed some fellow Apprentices, ahem..."
"It's normal, but your Master doesn't advocate it. There are some things you probably don't understand. Our Yun Kui Mountain Apprentices have always been people with stories, either orphans, with no ties."
"Once a bond is formed, love often runs deep. If that love is unrequited, it's likely they'll never truly let go for a lifetime."
Xuan Mingzi's eyes showed a look of recollection, tinged with sadness.
"And they are all fellow Apprentices. If they separate, they will likely cut ties completely. You are grown now, so I won't shy away from these topics."
"If it's just one couple, that's fine. But what if you provoke others? Especially you, Yun'er... you..."
The old man's expression was complex. He clutched the small booklet in his hand, his words caught in his throat. The words he ultimately wanted to say remained unspoken.
He just murmured softly:
"You must treat that girl Hongdou well."
"Master, why are you bringing me up? Of course I'll treat that girl Hongdou well, you don't need to tell me."
Yun Ming felt a chill from that sharp gaze.
His expression was unnatural; he couldn't quite grasp Master's attitude. To him, Xuan Mingzi wasn't just a Master.
A Master for a day, a father for life.
He and Ye Qingxuan both thought this way, so they were very concerned about Master's opinion of them, but Master... the young man's heart was thumping.
However, Xuan Mingzi changed the subject and started talking about other things, placing a large hand on the young man's shoulder, smiling with satisfaction.
"You've already achieved a manifested form. Now, if you were to push me against a wall, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to stop you."
"Tsk, what are you saying, old geezer? Who wants to push you against a wall? The mountain still needs you to guard it..."
"Haha, I'm afraid I won't be able to for many more years..."
Yun Ming was displeased to hear this, feeling a pang in his heart. He rummaged in his embrace; the pill bottle contained the Qi Nourishing Pills refined according to Bai Xian's prescription.
The main ingredients were Source, Blood, century-old ginseng, and a pile of other precious medicinal materials. These past few days, he had either been teaching Apprentices or refining pills.
The effect, of course, was to prolong life... "Remember to take them. If you really don't guard it anymore, I won't carry this big burden of Yun Kui Mountain either. Be careful, I might just pack my bags and run off."
With that, Yun Ming stood up from the ground, patting his bottom.
"I'm going. No need to see me off."
"Unfilial Apprentice, you still want your Master to see you off!"
The small booklet flew over with a thud, hitting Yun Ming on the backside. Yun Ming grimaced, turned back, and subtly gave his Master an international gesture.
As a result, the entire stone sculpture flew up.
He took off running.
Master was still Master after all, a ruthless one~
Outside the main hall, Xuan Mingzi still sat there calmly, sunlight glinting on his grizzled temples.
"Come out, Ke Ke."
"Master..."
"He's leaving again, are you really not going down the mountain?"
"Ke Ke wants to stay with Master."