The Loneliness of a Master

With less than fifteen days left before the task’s deadline, Qin Gou found himself wandering the streets of Gu Yue City, Mu Man’er’s hometown. To his surprise, the number of cultivators in this city far exceeded those in North Guo City. Every passerby seemed to be brimming with spiritual energy.

As he walked, Qin Gou suddenly noticed a tall female cultivator dressed in a moon-white gown, identical in material and design to the one Mu Man’er had worn when she descended the mountain. Most notably, the colorful gourd hanging from her waist was none other than the Diamond Spirit Gourd that Qin Gou had personally gifted to Mu Man’er. It was a one-of-a-kind magical treasure, unmistakable.

“Excuse me, fellow Daoist, please wait,” Qin Gou called out, quickly stepping in front of the female cultivator.

When he saw her face, Qin Gou was even more astonished.

Her skin was as smooth as jade, and her features were pure and charming. She bore an 80% resemblance to his sixth disciple, Mu Man’er, though she appeared more mature, exuding an aura of youthful allure.

However, while Qin Gou was merely surprised, the female cultivator’s reaction was one of sheer terror. Her face turned pale, and her body trembled as she stammered, “M-Master… Why are you here?”

“You are…?” Qin Gou looked at her, utterly confused by her strange reaction.

“I’m… Man’er,” Mu Man’er said, on the verge of tears, her hands trembling.

“You’re Mu Man’er? It’s only been a month, how did you grow up so fast?” Qin Gou was shocked. Had he traveled through time again?

Mu Man’er’s face crumpled as she stammered, “Master, you’re joking. I’ve been with you on the mountain for ten years since I was six. How could I still look like a little girl?”

“But you possess the Jade Maiden Profound Body. You weren’t supposed to grow up!”

“That’s exactly what’s been troubling me, Master. Now that I’m off the mountain, I have to be careful. So, I used a little trick to make myself look more mature.”

“I see.” Qin Gou nodded slightly, thinking to himself that his current cultivation was too weak. Even Mu Man’er’s little trick had fooled him.

“May I ask why Master has come to see me?” Mu Man’er asked, her voice filled with guilt as she respectfully cupped her hands toward Qin Gou.

“Of course, it’s because of the ‘good deeds’ you’ve been doing!” Qin Gou cleared his throat, his expression turning stern as he assumed the posture of a master. “It’s only been a month since you left the mountain, and you’ve already made a name for yourself on the Blacklist as the infamous Evil Sword Fairy? You’ve become a disgrace to the cultivation world, hunted by everyone. Man’er, you’ve really brought honor to your master, haven’t you?”

“Do you remember what you promised me when you left?”

“I know I was wrong,” Mu Man’er said, tears welling up in her innocent eyes. “But, Master, there’s something I don’t understand.”

“Speak.”

“Why has your cultivation changed so drastically?”

Qin Gou’s face twitched slightly.

This cunning little girl had already noticed the huge difference between his current cultivation and the one he had on Arc Moon Mountain. If he delayed any longer, she might expose him. If that happened, and he, a Heavenly Master, was publicly beaten by his youngest disciple, it would be the ultimate humiliation.

“Hmph, it’s because this place is too small to contain someone as powerful as me. If I were to reveal my true cultivation in this city, I’d scare so many people that they wouldn’t be able to eat or sleep,” Qin Gou said with a slight smile.

“Oh, I see.” Mu Man’er nodded, but her beautiful eyes still held a trace of doubt. Why did her master seem so strange today? Could it be that some rogue cultivator had disguised himself as her master to deceive her, waiting for the perfect moment to strike and claim her head for the Tian Kun Dynasty’s Blacklist bounty?

“Look again!”

At that moment, Qin Gou crushed the ‘Demon Master Is Here’ talisman hidden in his sleeve, and his aura surged at an alarming rate.

A Heavenly Master had arrived!

“Oh my god!”

“Which senior expert has graced us with their presence?!”

In an instant, all the surrounding cultivators turned to look, their faces filled with awe and fear as they instinctively backed away. The ordinary citizens, seeing the cultivators’ panic, didn’t know what was happening but quickly followed suit, abandoning their stalls and fleeing.

In no time, the once-bustling street was empty, leaving only Qin Gou and Mu Man’er.

“Now do you understand my good intentions?” Qin Gou sighed deeply, his eyes filled with the loneliness of a true master.

“Please forgive me, Master. I shouldn’t have doubted you,” Mu Man’er said, completely convinced as she felt the overwhelming and familiar pressure from her master’s aura.

“Let’s go. Take me to your family’s residence.”

“Oh? Does Master wish to meet my parents? But my parents are only Weapon Refining Realm cultivators. They’ve never met someone as powerful as you, Master. I’m afraid they might be too overwhelmed to show proper respect…” Mu Man’er said, a little worried.

“Meet your parents? No need to rush.”

Qin Gou sneered. “I’m looking for a quiet place where I can use my special techniques, honed through years of hard work, to properly discipline my shameless, unfilial disciple!”

As he spoke, he shot a fierce glance at Mu Man’er’s plump, round buttocks.