Chương 169: Chapter 168: Master Seems Unhappy

"Did they really part ways in life and death like that?" Gu Yunyun asked as Ye Chen narrated his friend's story, looking up at the sky with a trace of sadness. The fate of master and disciple should indeed never cross certain lines, even after enduring so much together, they still ended up parting in life and death. Ye Chen smiled slightly, "The story isn't over yet!"

"160 years later, after waiting in vain for his master and learning of her definitive demise, he decided to end his own life by leaping into a terrifying abyss," Ye Chen continued.

"Contrary to his expectations, he fell into a hidden paradise where his master was also trapped! With the treasures in this paradise, they both gained numerous benefits and even healed her fundamental injuries. They had been separated for 160 years, but upon reuniting, their joy was boundless...

"During these 160 years, the master had also come to a realization about her own feelings. Concerns about propriety, societal expectations, none of it mattered anymore. Being with the one you truly love is the only path.

"After understanding this, all the dilemmas that had troubled the master were resolved, and she advanced to the Mahayana phase. Their spiritual and physical union elevated them further...

"Eventually, they emerged from the paradise together and opened the gates of heaven. With the entire cultivation world watching in awe, they ascended through the heavenly gate." Ye Chen finished the story with a smile, curious to see his master's reaction. He didn't have any other intentions with the story; he just wanted to share it.

However, to his disappointment, Gu Yunyun remained expressionless after listening to the story, only to suddenly ask, "They entered the heavenly gate, but what about his Condor companion?" Ye Chen's smile twitched. He had told this story to emphasize following one's heart despite external judgments, and here she was, concerned about the condor. He made up the story; how would he know? Still, Ye Chen responded, "It ascended with them at the last moment."

Gu Yunyun nodded in satisfaction, then asked, "And what about that Quanzhen Sect that caused them so much trouble and nearly killed his master, leading to their separation for 160 years? Did they just leave without taking revenge?" Ye Chen thought to himself, "Master sure has a strong sense of vengeance…"

"Yes, they were destroyed!" he replied quickly, maintaining the narrative thread of his fabricated tale. Gu Yunyun continued, "And what about that woman who used the Chaotic Demon Sword to sever her disciple's arm, was she not killed?" Ye Chen quickly replied, "Killed, killed..." wary of his master dwelling on irrelevant details. Eager to steer the conversation back to the main point, Ye Chen interjected, "Master, these details aren't important.

The core of the story is about the master and disciple coming to understand their true feelings and accepting themselves. Everything else is just minor details!" Gu Yunyun slowly stood up as a breeze began to blow across Sword Peak, stirring her flowing hair and red gown, her stunning beauty accentuated by the wind. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. She shook her head, "This story seems a bit far-fetched, I don't like it! But there is one aspect I do like.

That the disciple, despite being loved by many female cultivators, could at the end forsake everything without hesitation... Affections like these are better when they are wholehearted." With those words, Gu Yunyun gracefully departed. Returning to the peak of Sword Peak, Gu Yunyun reclined in a pool, the water shimmering with reflected light. She then revealed a look of confusion. So, there were such master-disciple relationships in the world, tangled by concerns, resulting in countless trials and tribulations.

If only they had followed their hearts from the beginning, perhaps the outcome could have been different. Yet, perhaps it was these very hardships that allowed both to see their true feelings more clearly, no longer oblivious. Ye Chen's intentions were clear to Gu Yunyun. But her own feelings were not as transparent. Could she really accept being with her disciple, disregarding the scrutiny of the outside world? And if together, could she truly accept Ye Chen's deep yet indiscriminate affections?

Gu Yunyun was astute in understanding. She saw through many things. Like Sun Ruoxin, whom Ye Chen seemed to have only taken as a maid, but in reality, it was because she was threatened to become a furnace that Ye Chen intervened. Clearly, Ye Chen hadn't let go. Not to mention Yao Xi. And then there was Su Yuxuan from the Misty Sect, who undoubtedly had intricate ties with her disciple. And that sole surviving female direct disciple of the Divine Will Sect... Her survival surely wasn't just a matter of luck.

As these thoughts overwhelmed her, Gu Yunyun felt disarrayed.... Over the next six months, Ye Chen remained at the Green Cloud Sect. Each day was spent either cultivating or attending to his master. Meanwhile, the Divine Will Sect dispatched an early Golden Core elder to the Boundless Demon Sect ruins in Middle Mountain, who managed to eliminate the Earthheart Python lurking there. Consequently, the Middle Mountain secret realm was reopened.

This elder even visited the Green Cloud Sect to inquire about some matters concerning Ye Chen. The interrogation was brief and Ye Chen passed easily. Normally, an issue involving the life and death of a sect's direct disciple would be scrutinized more rigorously. However, it was said that the actions of the two direct disciples, who abandoned An Yuyi in a critical moment, displeased An Miaoli.

As An Miaoli was a senior elder of the Divine Will Sect, those within the sect who might have wanted to investigate further were reluctant to offend her and thus, decided to let the matter slide. Inexplicably, everything went smoothly. However, one matter did not go as Ye Chen had hoped. He had returned to the Green Cloud Sect and had intended to transfer his senior sister, Yao Xi, back as well.

When he approached the External Affairs Hall, they did not accommodate his request, citing the urgent need for alchemists in Middle Mountain and that Yao Xi could not be spared at the moment. Ye Chen sought his master's help, but she refused to intervene in the affairs of other elders. For the next half-month, his master even used seclusion as an excuse to avoid meeting him, forcing Ye Chen to settle for a lesser elder with only a twentyfold multiplier, gaining him a paltry reward.

Aside from some occasional moodiness from his master, everything else proceeded smoothly overall. However, there was another matter that astonished the entire Green Cloud Sect. Within just six months, all three of Ye Chen's maids had successively broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage. It was truly inconceivable for maids to achieve Foundation Establishment, especially when Ye Chen himself was only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, yet he had three maids at the initial stage.

Such treatment was perhaps only possible for the scions of the top families in the cultivation world. This development drew the attention of Elder Chen from the Internal Affairs Hall, for whom the Foundation Establishment stage was crucial to the sect. Elder Chen hoped that the three women would become elders and came to consult Ye Chen about this possibility. Ye Chen did not object, indicating that the decision should be left to the women's own will.

This response delighted Elder Chen; the choice between being an elder and remaining a maid was obvious to anyone. Since Ye Chen had agreed, it seemed certain that the Green Cloud Sect would gain three more Foundation Establishment elders. However, when Elder Chen presented his proposal to Lin Ke'er, Lu Jing, and Sun Ruoxin, all three women immediately and without hesitation refused. They each declared their loyalty to Ye Chen in front of him, expressing their wish to serve as his maids for life.

Elder Chen was dumbfounded, suspecting that the women did not understand the benefits associated with being an elder, so he hurriedly explained them in detail. Yet, after hearing the explanation, the determination in the women's refusals only solidified.