Chapter 69 The Flower Fox

As he approached the study, Zhuang Jinfu concealed his presence, afraid of startling the girl inside.

In front of the study, her hand rested gently on the door. A warm breath emanated from inside, seemingly curled up in a corner on the east side, never moving for a moment.

Gently push open the door and step into the room. Looking towards the source of the warm atmosphere, a light pink hem of a dress is visible on the floor behind the desk.

She walked quickly over, and the person squatting behind the desk next to the chair looked at her in surprise.

Ling Shu was holding a white outer garment with delicate white plum blossoms embroidered on the cuffs. It was the outer garment she had taken off yesterday and hadn't washed yet. Ling Shu looked up in surprise, her tender face revealing a pair of tearful, dove-like eyes, and she looked completely embarrassed.

"Shu'er..." Zhuang Jinfu called softly. The girl who was squatting on the ground was like a frightened bird, clutching her white shirt, and rushed out without regard for anything.

Ling Shu sobbed and ran to the door. A cool breeze suddenly blew up and the door slammed shut. A clear, melodious voice came from behind her, as gentle as fluffed cotton.

"Are you afraid I'll become a fallen immortal?"

Ling Shu's palms were sweating nervously. Hadn't she gone down the mountain? How could she be back so soon? What was she thinking? When she suddenly spoke, Ling Shu only remembered that she had cruelly broken off their ambiguous relationship for her own good, and had lied to her. Now that her lie had been exposed, she didn't know how to face her.

However, she quickly came up with a solution: "No." She decided to stick to her guns and deny it.

The man's voice was slow and gentle: "I will not reveal my true feelings just because I love someone."

Ling Shu pressed further, "Then what do you mean by 'unstable Dao heart'?"

"I doubt my own worth."

Ling Shu pondered this question repeatedly, unsure how to answer her. So she simply remained silent, stepped forward to push the door, and found the barrier on it swirling with water ripples, indicating it was very sturdy and impossible to open without even trying.

"You locked me up again."

“This is my study, but,” she paused, “it’s more like closing the door to catch a fox that’s wandered in.”

A flush quickly rose to her cheeks. Ling Shu stood there awkwardly. After their fierce argument, she couldn't bear the withdrawal symptoms of wanting to break up with her after her return. She had finally managed to sneak into the study after Zhuang Jinfu left, hoping to soothe her longing by feeling Zhuang Jinfu's presence throughout the room. But who knew that Zhuang Jinfu would return so soon and catch her red-handed.

A cool, refreshing scent gradually approached. Ling Shu bit her lip, stubbornly refusing to turn around or look up. The person stopped beside her and reached out. Ling Shu was terrified and quickly took a step to the left.

She heard a snicker, and Yu Bai's hand reached out, grabbed the white shirt she was holding, and pulled it away. His voice was gentle and soothing, but with an even stronger sense of amusement. Zhuang Jinfu said, "You're a cunning fox who steals women's clothes. Tell me, should I punish you?"

Ling Shu immediately threw it away like a hot potato, her cheeks flushed as she turned her face away, but she stubbornly asked, "What do you want?"

"come over."

Ling Shu didn't understand what she was going to do. The person next to her draped a white shirt over her arm, turned around and walked towards the desk to the east. She followed her guiltily.

Zhuang Jinfu draped her white shirt over the chair back, lifted her skirt and sat down. She said, "Tell me, why do you think I will become a fallen immortal?"

This situation is no different from being caught slacking off by the Master, being scolded, and then forced to accept the Master's "gentle care" followed by a "deathly" interrogation—"Tell me, why can't you memorize this scripture?"

"Because...I...that, um..."

"Hmm?" This was a serious question.

Logically, she should have quickly slid down and begged for mercy at this point, but Ling Shu was the type who wouldn't back down no matter how tough you were, and she said firmly, "I don't think so!"

"Then why are you messing around with me? Is it fun?"

Ling Shu was annoyed by these words. She threw down a "I'm not making a fuss" and ran to the window, intending to climb out. However, the Immortal Venerable's magic was one step ahead of her, and the window near the desk slammed shut with a bang. Ling Shu turned around angrily and said, "I don't like you anymore! I hate you so much! Zhuang Jinfu, I hate you!"

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Jinfu jumped up from her chair; she panicked.

He walked over and, ignoring Ling Shu's struggles, pulled her into his arms, held her head in his hands, and said sincerely, "I was wrong, Shu'er, don't hate me."

"Zhuang Jinfu, I hate you the most! Let go of me!" Ling Shu reached out and pinched her waist. She felt the pain but didn't let go. She wanted to step on Ling Shu's foot, but she was afraid of hurting her, so she could only endure it and cry out.

"You bastard Zhuang Jinfu, I hate you the most!"

“Good girl,” Zhuang Jinfu ignored her struggles and was determined to take this opportunity to speak his mind. “If you are afraid that I will become a fallen immortal, then I am glad that you still care about me. You care about me, so you are concerned about my future fate. But you don’t understand about the Path of Ruthlessness. Let me tell you seriously, loving someone is not enough to make the Path of Ruthlessness open up. Gu Wan did not become a fallen immortal because she liked Yi Yun.”

"It is the injustice of the world, the unpredictability of human destiny, and the absolute questioning of one's own worth that can turn a ruthless Dao Immortal Venerable into a fallen immortal. We cultivate the Great Dao of Ruthlessness, so don't be afraid that your emotions will affect my ruthless Dao."

That being said, there is only one way to completely reassure her: deny that she has developed feelings for her, and if she has never existed, then there is no possibility of her threatening you.

My mischievous fox girl, who is like a savior, please forgive me for hurting you.

“Moreover…” Zhuang Jinfu felt his voice stuck in his throat, so he had to swallow again to make his words flow smoothly, and resumed his icy and hurtful words, “Moreover, I have never had any feelings for you.”

The struggle in her arms stopped, and in the quiet space, neither of them could breathe smoothly.

Ling Shu felt that all the knives she had stabbed at Zhuang Jinfu had stabbed back at her. If she had no feelings for her, what were the promises she had made to Zhuang Jinfu in the Tongxuan Secret Realm?

"We've only known each other for a little over a month. People come and go in my life, and there are too many people like you. Lingshu, I can't love you."

It hurts so much.

"You... you've never had feelings for me... so why did you make those ambiguous promises to me? Zhuang Jinfu, I hate you so much! Is it fun to tease me? Don't my feelings deserve respect?"

Ling Shu struggled again, but Zhuang Jinfu held her tightly.

Zhuang Jinfu felt that his words sounded like those of a heartless scoundrel: "I didn't mean to disrespect you. It was only because you were begging so pitifully that I said those things."

"When believers pray to immortals, they hope that the immortals will take pity on their pain and fulfill their wishes. You like me and admire me, so you are naturally my believer. Moreover, you are my disciple. You are my only disciple in this life. Shu'er, your master does not want you to suffer."

Ling Shu was enveloped in a chilling fragrance. The plum blossoms on the collar of her dress were no longer visible; tears blurred her vision. She weakly clenched her fist and pounded on her shoulder again and again, crying, "Why pity me? Why pity me..."

Zhuang Jinfu suppressed his grief and let her hit him, gently patting her shoulder. Ling Shu needed to vent, and after she finished crying this time, they shouldn't quarrel anymore.

Ling Shu cried for a while, then, exhausted, she rested her head on the softness in front of her. The two stood quietly. A servant who was sweeping passed by outside the study. Seeing that the door was closed, he knew he could not disturb them and walked away at a distance. Birds chirped outside the window; it was magpies announcing the arrival of spring.

Suddenly, two arms wrapped around Zhuang Jinfu's waist, holding her tightly. Her crying gradually stopped, and she looked up with wet eyes, her eyelashes clumped together. She smiled at her with tears streaming down her face, and said in a sweet voice, "Master, I won't have to worry about your Heartless Path breaking down anymore."

Zhuang Jinfu's heart trembled. As far as Ling Shu was concerned, she had fallen in love with someone who could never reciprocate her feelings. Even though she was heartbroken, she thought that Ling Shu's heartlessness would not be broken. This was... the only Ling Shu in the world who loved her more than herself.

The little girl chuckled mischievously twice, and after a sob, she choked back a few sobs. When she chuckled again, she revealed two sharp canine teeth and said, "Then I can 'bully' Master as I please from now on."

His calloused hands, calloused from years of sword practice, caressed the soft, slightly chubby face of the young girl. His thumb wiped away the wet tear stains. The celestial venerable, cold and ruthless to outsiders, spoke gently to her: "How do you want to 'bully' me? Hmm?"

She reached out her index finger and gently stroked Ling Shu's nose, chuckling, "You little vixen."

"Hehe." Ling Shu laughed, her eyes glancing at her master's clothes, which were soaked with her tears. Feeling embarrassed, she slowly released her and said, "Master... change your clothes."

Just as she finished speaking, someone knocked on the door. Hai Gu said, "Immortal Venerable, Miss Ling's new clothes for her new post tomorrow are ready. Do you see if there's anything that needs to be altered?"

"Bring it in."

Ling Shu became uneasy, as if she had been having an affair with her master. She looked like she had just cried and couldn't bear to be seen. She immediately turned away, then suddenly turned back, picked up the white shirt from the back of the chair and haphazardly covered Zhuang Jin's clothes, then grabbed a book at random.

Hai Gu pushed open the door and came in. Based on her years of gossip experience, she knew that these two were definitely not a good match. Ling Shu turned her back to look at a book, which seemed to be... upside down. As for the Immortal Venerable, he was wearing a robe in front of him, looking like he was trying to cover up something.

No, absolutely not.

Zhuang Jinfu: "Just put it there."

Hai Gu responded and ordered someone to place the clothes rack in the room. After the servants finished placing it, they turned around and left with Hai Gu. Ling Shu breathed a sigh of relief, but when she turned around, she saw Hai Gu turn back at the door. Ling Shu was so frightened that she turned around.

Hai Gu: "Immortal Venerable, you wore this white robe yesterday, didn't you? It's perfect, take it and wash it for me."

Zhuang Jinfu coughed and said, "No need, I still want to wear it today. It's an outer robe, it's not dirty."

Hai Gu responded and was about to leave when Zhuang Jinfu instructed, "Bring a basin of clean water and another set of my clothes."

"What are you standing there for? Go on."

Hai Gu squinted at the two of them, looking at them with a meaningful expression: "I understand, I understand, I'll be right there." Hai Gu then left.

Neither of them said it outright, but they both knew that Hai Gu had misunderstood something, and they both felt awkward.

"Hai Gu tends to overthink things, so... you shouldn't overthink it."

"Um……"

Ling Shu put down her book, wiped her face with her sleeve, and changed the subject, saying, "I have new clothes for taking office, don't I?" She went over to look and saw that the dress was made of gold and red, with flame patterns on the hem and skirt, which was very flamboyant.

"This is the Presbyterian Church uniform."

Knock knock knock—

"Immortal Lord, the water and the dress have arrived."

"Come in."

Hai Gu entered carrying a white dress, followed by two servants. One carried water, and the other carried a light pink dress. The servants put the dress down and left. Hai Gu put down the dress and casually tested the water temperature through the teapot.

The tea had gone cold, so she beckoned for another servant to come in with a cup of tea. The servant put the cup down and left. Hai Gu changed the tea for her, poured a cup, and brought it over, saying, "Immortal Venerable, I'm not trying to be mean."

Zhuang Jinfu: "?"

Hai Gu: "It is not good to indulge in debauchery during the day."

Zhuang Jinfu rubbed his forehead. Ling Shu's face flushed instantly.

Hai Gu said earnestly, "Miss Ling is so young. Even if you are her subordinate, you should still take care of her health and not let her get tired. You should take the initiative. We are both young ladies, so there's nothing wrong with each other."

Ling Shu's whole body was burning up.

Hai Gu was still talking.