Chapter 43: The Palace Discussion is a continuation of the previous one.
Fu Lanting's eyes trembled for a moment, and after a while, he raised his head and looked at him.
"Actually, I'm not her elder."
His tone was calm, like a joke, but his eyes were dark, and seemed to contain some sincerity.
Lin Bozhou smiled and patted Jiang Zhaoyue's head. He no longer looked at him and said gently, "Brother Fu, you know, I only have one disciple like you, the apple of my eye. I will never allow anyone to harm her. You are the headmaster of the Qiling Immortal Sect, so others wouldn't dare say anything to you."
His two sentences were somewhat inconsistent, but Fu Lanting understood them.
Lin Bozhou's tone was gentle, making it difficult to discern his thoughts. It was difficult to tell whether he had discovered something or was simply mentioning it. After all, he often mentioned his apprentice.
But his meaning was clear.
Even in the world of cultivation, which is not as complicated as the mortal world, many things still attract criticism.
People in the world dare not say anything in front of the Immortal Sect's leader, but Jiang Zhaoyue does not have that kind of strength yet. She cannot stop the people from talking, and it is inevitable that some people will criticize her behind her back.
As a master, he didn't want his disciples to suffer any injustice because of others.
Maybe Lin Bozhou didn't discover anything, maybe he just saw that Fu Lanting had some feelings, but his words were undoubtedly a veiled warning.
They all knew it.
Fu Lanting lowered his eyes, picked up the wine glass on the table and drank it in one gulp.
Lin Bozhou did not continue the topic. He made a few jokes and showed some concern for Jiang Zhaoyue's cultivation. After drinking a jar of wine, he did not get drunk this time.
Before leaving, he repeatedly reminded Jiang Zhaoyue not to believe the words of those messy people outside, and that he would come to pick her up and take her home when he was released from confinement.
Jiang Zhaoyue naturally nodded in agreement.
It was a while after the master left, probably having arrived at the Yunmiao Immortal Sect and preparing to go into seclusion, that Jiang Zhaoyue felt a warm touch on the palm of his hand.
Fu Lanting held her hand.
His eyes were deep, his tone was serious, and there was not a trace of deviation in his eyes.
"I won't let anyone criticize you."
This sentence seemed to be responding to Lin Bozhou's words.
Jiang Zhaoyue was stunned for a moment, then smiled. She blinked, and there was no trace of heaviness on her face.
"Uncle Master, I don't care about these things."
If Jiang Zhaoyue still cared about these things, he would not have provoked his master's friend in the first place.
Or rather, she even wanted to see if it would be more exciting then.
But Fu Lanting still looked at her seriously, repeating word by word: "I won't let anyone criticize you, I care."
"Oh?" His insistence actually piqued Jiang Zhaoyue's interest. She moved closer to the man in front of her, narrowed her eyes, and gently stroked the outline of his chest with her fingertips. Her tone suddenly became a little more ambiguous.
"So what do you want to do, uncle? I'm your friend's disciple, the one your disciple likes. People love to see this kind of thing. Even if they don't say it, they'll think in their hearts, what a shameless couple..."
"That won't happen."
Fu Lanting held her hand tightly, took a deep breath, and said with certainty: "You don't have to worry. If one day everyone knows about it, I will say that I forced you. No one will scold you, and they won't dare to scold me."
If he really said that, the aloof and untainted Qi Ling Sect Master would instantly become the target of countless people's curses. Even if they didn't dare to say it in front of him, countless people would despise him behind his back, and even damage the reputation of the Qi Ling Immortal Sect. This is human nature. People always like to watch other people's ugly deeds.
Jiang Zhaoyue chuckled, squeezed his fingers comfortingly, and took the initiative to lead him forward.
The woman's voice was full of energy, with a crisp and pleasant tone.
"How can I bear to see my uncle being cursed like this? Besides, he underestimates me too much."
In fact, the system felt that Fu Lanting was more worried about himself than her. He started to imagine the future before he even took office.
But no matter what, after this incident, the master seemed to have untied the shackles in his heart.
Except for not telling Lin Bozhou - the main reason was that he was afraid that he couldn't accept it. Dying together was a small matter. I'm afraid he wouldn't even bother to close his eyes and would take Jiang Zhaoyue away immediately.
Apart from Lin Bozhou, Fu Lanting no longer hides anything when he is with Jiang Zhaoyue.
At first, the third elder thought he was overthinking it, but the next day he saw his own leader walking in the sect with someone.
In the Qiling Immortal Sect's meeting hall, all the sect elders stood with their mouths wide open, watching their own leader brazenly lead someone to the high throne, and then, as if possessed by a body, gently asked the person to sit next to him.
The most breathtaking thing was that the master's disciple who had just come out of the cliff was standing in the hall, looking at the steps with cold eyes.
Among all the people present, except for the three people in the story, only the third elder had a vague idea of what was going on. The others were truly unaware. After all, no one dared to approach the Chonghua Hall where the headmaster was located unless necessary.
The whole room was silent at this moment.
Fu Lanting, on the other hand, had a calm expression. She asked Jiang Zhaoyue to sit next to her and brought her a plate of spiritual fruits and placed it beside her before lowering her eyes to look down.
"What? Are you waiting for me to start?"
The sect holds a monthly meeting. Except for those who are away for training, in seclusion, or unable to attend due to urgent matters, all the sect’s top leaders, including the headmaster, elders, deacons, and even some core disciples must attend.
This is the practice of the Qi Ling Xian Sect. Usually, if there is nothing serious, the elders will discuss and decide. If there is a big deal, Fu Lanting will participate in the decision-making.
This was obviously just an ordinary meeting and nothing major happened.
In other words, nothing major happened before this meeting began.
But that’s not necessarily the case now.
In the silent atmosphere of the whole hall, not only did the elders suspect that they were dreaming, but several core disciples did not even dare to breathe.
They all looked at Jiang Qiying in the crowd.
Probably no one in the Immortal Sect doesn't know about his emotional entanglement with Jiang Zhaoyue.
At first, it was the senior sister of the Yunmiao Immortal Sect who had a unilateral love for him, but later everyone gradually realized that Senior Brother Jiang might also have feelings for her.
Many people know that the headmaster of Yunmiao Immortal Sect has been in seclusion recently and Jiang Zhaoyue has temporarily stayed in Qiling Immortal Sect.
Everyone thought that since they were so close to each other, something good might happen, and that the two of them might be together someday.
And so it happened.
But the target is not Jiang Qiying?
Although Jiang Zhaoyue and Fu Lanting did not make any ambiguous moves in public, even a blind person could see that something was wrong with the master's attitude.
Isn't Jiang Zhaoyue a disciple of the Yunmiao Immortal Sect's headmaster? Isn't that Yunmiao Immortal Sect's headmaster a good friend? This generational relationship doesn't seem right.
The confusing relationship made many elders dizzy for a moment.
It was the Third Elder who reacted first. He cleared his throat and said in a calm voice, "This time, the Jiyue Immortal Sect..."
After the meeting began, the silent atmosphere was gradually broken by the sound of discussion.
Fu Lanting did not participate in their discussion, but just sat alone on the high platform with his eyes lowered.
Below the platform, Jiang Qiying did not speak to participate in the discussion, but just stood in the crowd, looking at the man on the platform, his fingertips under his sleeves had already sunk into the flesh.
He knows it very well.
Why did Jiang Zhaoyue appear here today, and why did that man deliberately show their intimacy.
He's doing it for him to see.
His master just wanted to tell him that from now on, the relationship between him and Jiang Zhaoyue was no longer something shameful that had to be concealed, but something that had to be announced to the world openly and that they were more than just elders and juniors.
But why?
If he had explained it from the beginning, if he had told him from the beginning that he had developed lustful thoughts about his best friend's disciple, he would have been sad and surprised, but not hateful. But why did she have to so cruelly snatch his love away when he was aware of his own feelings?
Jiang Qiying did not deny his care and concern for himself, so he could not hate his master so completely. But only in this matter, he was filled with resentment, unwillingness, and jealousy, which almost overflowed from his heart.
He knew it clearly.
He clearly knew it, why did you treat him like this?
His fingertips dug deep into his palm until someone beside him exclaimed, "Junior Brother Jiang, you're bleeding!"
Blood dripped from his palm onto the ground.
The meeting hall suddenly fell silent.
Countless eyes were cast over, all of them were obscure, scrutinizing, and even pitying.
But this is the Qi Ling Immortal Sect.
It is the land blessed by Fu Lanting.
Jiang Zhaoyue, who was sitting next to the throne eating spiritual fruit, paused, put down the spiritual fruit in his hand, and walked down the stairs.
But after taking only one step, her hand was grabbed.
Looking back, I saw Fu Lanting looking at me from behind. He didn't say anything, but his eyes said it all.
Jiang Zhaoyue paused for a moment and said softly, "Senior Brother Jiang is injured."
"It's just a minor injury."
Fu Lanting lowered his eyes and spoke in a low tone.
"I was also injured in the battle with Lian Yueqing the day before yesterday."
But she didn't ask.
Jiang Zhaoyue opened his mouth and wanted to say, "That scar on the side of your face that has even disappeared without a scab is also called a wound?"
But she is not a naive young person who doesn't understand romance.
So I just smiled helplessly.
She said, "Master, are you also jealous of this?"
Fu Lanting's expression remained unchanged, and he was very serious: "Apart from this matter, I have done nothing wrong to Jiang Qiying. I have done my best for him, and I don't owe him anything."
The master is indeed a benefactor to his disciples.
He gave him status, taught him how to practice, provided him with resources, taught him to grow up, and treated him sincerely. He never owed Jiang Qiying anything.
Even though Fu Lanting was somewhat in the wrong regarding Jiang Zhaoyue, he didn't feel that he had to give in to him.
So when he held Jiang Zhaoyue's hand, he didn't use that kind of force, but to tilt the scales of victory for himself. He really did it on purpose.
Jiang Zhaoyue looked at him helplessly for a few seconds, then turned around to look at Jiang Qiying standing in the hall.
The young man looked at her steadily, blood dripping from his sleeves, staining his plain clothes red. He stood there, silent, as if isolated from the noise of the whole world, but his eyes were already red.
Jiang Zhaoyue wanted to see what he looked like when he cried many times.
Now that I have seen it, I feel pity for it.
She hesitated for a moment, broke free from Fu Lanting's hand, and walked quickly towards Jiang Qiying in the hall.
The system heard her sincere confession: "I'm sorry, Uncle Master, you look so beautiful when you cry."
“…”
Good, it is worthy of being its host.
Jiang Zhaoyue walked up to Jiang Qiying, held up his hand and took a look. Sure enough, she saw deep pinch marks that could be seen to the bone. She sighed.
"Brother, don't hurt yourself."
Jiang Qiying stared at her as she applied medicine on herself, and the tear in her eyes finally slid down the corner of her eye like a crystal star.
He made a sound, but his throat was dry and his voice was hoarse.
"I thought Junior Sister didn't want me anymore."
The senior brother next to him who was familiar with his temperament instantly looked as if he had seen a ghost.
But the two people in front of him obviously didn't care.
There was no way to know what Jiang Qiying was thinking, but Jiang Zhaoyue really didn't care. As she had said before, 'As long as you are willing to put your heart into me, that's enough.'
Does anything else matter? Obviously not.
With a bit of heartache, she applied medicine to him and looked at the scab on the wound on his palm. She pursed her lips slightly and said seriously, "You can't do this anymore, understand?"
"good."
Jiang Qiying looked at her steadily, as if he would agree with whatever she said.
After saying this, he lowered his eyes again, revealing his long eyelashes and a snow-white neck, looking even more fragile.
Jiang Zhaoyue likes this style of his.
Even when she was applying the medicine, Jiang Qiying looked up and met the cold eyes of the man on the platform.
The hall that was just in the middle of a meeting became silent again.
Fu Lanting's face was very cold, and the corners of his lips were almost pursed into a straight line. Even the elders who were close to him felt as if half of their bodies were frozen.
The master and disciple stared at each other in the cold for a few breaths until Jiang Zhaoyue finished applying the medicine. Jiang Qiying quickly withdrew his gaze and lowered his eyelashes, looking at her with an expression that was so fragile that it seemed as if it would break at the slightest touch.
On the high platform, Fu Lanting finally couldn't help but speak.
His voice was low, and he was obviously suppressing his anger, but his tone when speaking to Jiang Zhaoyue seemed calm.
"It's just a minor injury. It will heal in a short while. There's no need for you to worry about it."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Qiying blinked and a tear slid down from the corner of his eye again.
He said nothing, just cried silently.
Jiang Zhaoyue's face showed a hint of heartache again.
Jiang Qiying's eyes, soaked with moisture, stared straight at her. He took hold of her clothes, acting very restrainedly, and whispered, "Junior sister, I... I'm not feeling well. Can you talk to me? Can we leave here?"
Jiang Zhaoyue hasn't answered him yet.
Fu Lanting strode down from the platform and snatched the piece of clothes from his hand.
"That's enough."
He was in no mood to say those useless words to Jiang Qiying anymore, so he just said, "If you feel uncomfortable, get out."
Jiang Zhaoyue glanced at him lightly and whispered, "Uncle Master, don't be so mean to Senior Brother Jiang."
Fu Lanting's face stiffened slightly. After a while, he pursed his lips, and a hint of grievance suddenly appeared in his cold eyes.
He reached out and gently pressed his hand on his chest.
He looked like he was angry and his heart ached, but Jiang Zhaoyue clearly saw him pressing on the thin chain, and his fingertips even slid down along the outline.
There was a hint of grievance and resentment in his eyes.
That look seemed to be saying: I have done so much for you, even agreed to such a shameful thing, and you treat me like this?
Jiang Zhaoyue's eyes followed his movements, and because they were close, she could easily see the details of his movements. Her mind couldn't help but think of the master leaning on the golden sandalwood throne, biting his lip slightly to endure the pain of the sensitive parts being pierced, and hanging the thin golden chain on his chest.
The blood-red gem swayed like blood oozing out from pierced skin, dotting the snow-white skin.
Her breathing paused slightly, and her attention was inevitably diverted to him.
Until someone from her side gently tugged at the corner of her clothes again.
"Junior sister."
The tears at the corners of Jiang Qiying's eyes were not yet dry, but there was already a hint of sadness in her eyes.
The sadness is heartbreaking.
For the first time, Jiang Zhaoyue felt that being too popular was also a distressing thing.
But she is Jiang Zhaoyue.
Such a thing as distress will never happen to her.
She smiled and looked at him tenderly. After applying the medicine on him, she straightened her wrinkled cuffs and finally wiped away the tear from the corner of his eye.
"Brother Jiang, you know what I like most is that you are always so gentle and never make things difficult for me."
Jiang Qiying's face turned pale, and he finally let go of her sleeve in a daze.
He swallowed his resentment and said with lowered eyes, "I understand."
After saying this, he said in a softer voice, "Then Junior Sister, come find me later, okay?"
"good."
Jiang Zhaoyue naturally agreed to this without hesitation.
Fu Lanting, who was pressing his chest next to him, had a barely visible smile on his lips. He glanced at the young man who had lowered his eyes and pursed his lips. He took Jiang Zhaoyue's hand again in a very clear and slow manner and pulled her towards the platform.
There is no doubt that Jiang Zhaoyue chose Jiang Qiying just now, but at this moment, she chose him.
Back on the platform, Fu Lanting felt much better, and the coldness on his face had faded a lot. He took another plate of spiritual fruit and gave it to Jiang Zhaoyue, and even had the energy to ask her, "How do you think about these matters?"
Jiang Zhaoyue took a bite of the new spiritual fruit and just swallowed it. She looked at him blankly: "What's going on?"
"I'm saying, have you gained anything from listening to the elders' discussions? If you're going to inherit the Yunmiao Immortal Sect in the future, you'll definitely need to understand more."
"So this is what Uncle-Master was talking about." Jiang Zhaoyue said nonchalantly, "It's still early, there's no rush."
Lin Bozhou is still in her prime. Even if she becomes the young sect leader, it will take at least a thousand years for her to succeed to the throne. Moreover, she will inherit the Yunmiao Immortal Sect. Logically speaking, she should not be allowed to hear the internal discussions of the Qiling Immortal Sect. It is against the rules.
"It doesn't matter. It's good to adapt early."
The smile in Fu Lanting's eyes deepened, and he reached out and touched her head.
He praised her affectionately like Lin Bozhou: "Our Zhaoyue has great talent."
"cough--"
Jiang Zhaoyue almost choked on the fruit.
She put down the spiritual fruit and said helplessly: "Don't be like this, Uncle Master. You are nothing like my Master. I still like your cold face."
The cold-faced aura is the god of sexual tension.
Fu Lanting naturally didn't know what she was thinking. In fact, he himself was a little uncomfortable with such intimate behavior. However, he glanced at a certain place in the hall and smiled slightly: "The past is the past. From now on, I won't be mean to you."
"oh."
Jiang Zhaoyue responded briefly, showing no interest in his assurance. She just glanced at his chest intentionally or unintentionally. She picked up a smaller fruit with a bright red skin, which looked like a touch of red plum in winter.
She put the fruit to her lips, covered her lips with her hand, pinched the bright red with her white fingertips, and licked it slowly with her tongue at an angle that only Fu Lanting could see.
The master who was sitting next to him immediately stopped breathing.
Jiang Zhaoyue clearly didn't bite through the peel, but as she put the fruit down, she smiled gently and said, "So sweet."
Fu Lanting's throat rolled over and he immediately looked away, only a faint blush appeared on the side of his face.
He adjusted his sitting posture from leaning to sitting upright, looking straight into the hall, as if he was listening carefully to what the people below were saying.
Although there was only silence below.
Among the stunned crowd, only the Third Elder, who had seen clues a few times, closed his eyes, unable to bear to watch.
He remembered the thing his master wore on his ear when he accidentally saw it last time.
Now look at the young man next to him, dressed elegantly, with a calm demeanor and a gentle, perfect smile. What does this mean? It means that he has no influence at all, and all the fancy tricks are used on his own headmaster.
Then he looked at the master's disciple who was standing not far away, with his eyebrows drooping and a hint of red at the corners of his eyes, looking fragile.
The third elder felt as if his eyes went dark.
No one said it was passed down from generation to generation, this is what is passed down!
However, the three protagonists seemed to be lost in their own thoughts. Jiang Qiying lowered his eyebrows, Fu Lanting was daydreaming, and Jiang Zhaoyue really didn't care. As a result, the hall was silent for a long time, and no one noticed anything unusual. Finally, the third elder took a deep breath, stepped forward and continued, "Then let's discuss what to do three months later..."
The silence was broken and the hall gradually became lively.
But I don’t know how many people are absent-minded.
After the meeting was over, Fu Lanting and Jiang Zhaoyue left, and the crowd became noisy like a boiling pot.
As for how they spread the news, that was not Jiang Zhaoyue's concern.
As soon as she returned to Chonghua Palace, she threw Fu Lanting onto the golden sandalwood throne.
She twisted the thin chain through the fabric and tightened it. She narrowed her eyes slightly, and the smile on her lips was tinged with a hint of ill intent, but her voice was very soft, as if it were a silk thread.
"Uncle Master, what were you doing just now? Were you trying to seduce me? In front of so many people, did you want everyone in the Qiling Immortal Sect to see how their high-ranking headmaster secretly indulges in sexual desire?"
Her speech has always been unrestrained. Fu Lanting has heard it many times, but until now, he has not completely adapted to it.
The slight blush on the side of his face appeared again. He gritted his teeth slightly, not looking at her, but just holding her shoulders.
His voice was a little soft.
"No. I just..."
He just didn't want her to choose Jiang Qiying.
Jiang Zhaoyue leaned close to him, breathing heavily on his face. "Master, you must be very excited just now. Your subordinates, your disciples, and your elders are all here. They all saw it."
"I didn't." Fu Lanting gritted his teeth and retorted, but his voice became softer: "I didn't let them see it."
After saying this, he finally met Jiang Zhaoyue's gaze, the curve of his lips smoothed a little, and he looked at her steadily: "When I came back the day before yesterday, you didn't even ask if I was injured. You were so distressed that Jiang Qiying shed a few drops of blood, and you clearly promised me."
Jiang Zhaoyue looked embarrassed when he heard this. "But Senior Brother Jiang really cries beautifully. I've never seen a man cry so beautifully."
"Can he be prettier than me?"
As soon as these words came out of his mouth, Fu Lanting realized that something was wrong and immediately covered it up: "He's just a young boy. He only knows how to use such useless things to please others. I never taught him that before."
"Yes, of course the uncle is the best looking."
Jiang Zhaoyue's sweet words always sound nice at times like this.
She stroked his chest through the fabric, staring at Fu Lanting's rosy and soft lips. Her eyes were like lingering silk threads, and her voice was filled with honey: "Uncle Master, your lips look so soft, I want to kiss them."
All other emotions in Fu Lanting's eyes were instantly covered by the slight blush on his face.
His breathing paused, his eyes uncontrollably sweeping across the lips of the woman in front of him. After a few breaths, he managed to calm down: "Don't change the subject."
-----------------------
The author has something to say: Two chapters combined into one.
Fu: How could you choose him?
Jiang: Dear.
Fu: (begins to blush)
[Blushing but generous uncle]
[Simple but fragile senior brother]
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