Once the confession was out in the open, Mo Zhu stopped hiding anything, standing firm and unashamed.
Seeing Yu Zhiling’s face turn ashen, Mo Zhu calmly wheeled his chair behind her, while Liu Guizheng remained silent.
Liu Guizheng shot Yu Zhiling a glare.
She had hoped Yu Zhiling would grow a spine and put a stop to Mo Zhu’s advances, thinking that if Yu Zhiling rejected him outright, Mo Zhu might finally back off. But instead, after the last layer of pretense was torn away, Mo Zhu only became more brazen, while Yu Zhiling was the one retreating into her shell like a turtle.
Yu Zhiling: "……"
She had refused him! But this shameless brat seemed to have cast off all restraints, deliberately clinging to her all morning and outright ignoring her words!
Liu Guizheng gritted her teeth. "Mo Zhu, you’d better know your place. If you dare disrespect Ah Ling, I’ll make sure you regret it!"
Mo Zhu nodded. "Mm, I understand. I’ll treat my shizun well."
Liu Guizheng: "……"
She hated when people casually deflected her threats like that!
The urgent message from the Yingshan Sect was unclear in its purpose, but it must have been serious—otherwise, they wouldn’t have summoned Yu Zhiling back so hastily.
After bidding farewell to Liu Guizheng, Mo Zhu left the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion with Yu Zhiling. The little snake pendant was reluctantly handed over by Liu Guizheng, and Yu Zhiling tucked it away for safekeeping. She was waiting for something else to arrive before gifting the jade pendant.
On the Jiezi Boat, Yu Zhiling curled up by the window, pretending to be absorbed in something serious while stealing glances at the young man across from her.
He sat cross-legged on a cushion, quietly peeling chestnuts for her. Sunlight streamed through the window as the boat hovered in the void, illuminating his face—his skin translucent, his long lashes casting delicate shadows.
Damn it, why does he have to be so good-looking?!
Yu Zhiling’s mind wandered back to the little ink-stained child Immortal Lord Zhuoyu had rescued years ago. If she mentally shrank his current features down to that size…
Even cuter.
Mo Zhu had known from the start that his shizun was watching him. He kept his head down, silently peeling chestnuts one after another, feeding her like she was a little hamster nibbling away while sneaking peeks at him.
Her gaze wasn’t intrusive—just pure appreciation. Yu Zhiling had a weakness for pretty faces, and the way she looked at him was no different from how she looked at Yan Shanqing or the others.
Mo Zhu chuckled inwardly. He’d never met a high-level cultivator as guileless as a child.
Handing her the last chestnut, he said, "Shizun, no more. You’ll get indigestion."
Yu Zhiling glared. "I’ve barely eaten any!"
Mo Zhu said nothing, only glancing at the towering pile of chestnut shells on the table between them—a silent accusation.
Yu Zhiling: "……Fine, no more then."
With a sigh, Mo Zhu pulled a tangerine from his qiankun pouch, resigned to keeping her happy with post-meal snacks. Sometimes he wondered if her stomach was a bottomless pit—she could hardly go half an hour awake without eating, as if all her worldly desires had condensed into sheer gluttony.
Satisfied and full, Yu Zhiling patted her belly before reaching out to ruffle her disciple’s head.
"Good boy! Such a sweet baby!"
The "sweet baby" caught her wrist, nuzzling into her palm with a soft murmur. "Then can shizun like me just a little more? This disciple will always be obedient."
Yu Zhiling: "……"
She yanked her hand back.
Damn these involuntary reflexes!
Clearing her throat, she snatched up a storybook from the table, feigning absorption. Her dutiful disciple propped his chin on one hand, staring at her with unwavering intensity, as if trying to will a flower into blooming on her face.
Yu Zhiling squirmed. If she could stand, she’d have bolted by now.
Then her disciple spoke.
"Shizun."
"W-what? Shizun’s busy."
"Your book is upside down."
Yu Zhiling: "……"
She hurled the book at him. "Since when do you get to lecture me?! I’ve memorized this thing backward and forward—I’m just… reviewing it in my head!"
"My mistake. Shizun can do as she pleases."
Mo Zhu didn’t so much as flinch when the book hit him. Smiling, he picked it up and flipped through—then raised a brow at what he found.
Yu Zhiling scrambled to salvage her dignity. "Ahem! Mo Zhu, go cultivate. No slacking off—shizun likes diligent disciples."
But Mo Zhu was still engrossed in her book. Without looking up, he replied,
"Mn. In a bit."
Yu Zhiling: "?"
She smacked the table. "Not ‘in a bit’—now!"
Couldn’t he stop clinging to her? He was a grown man, not some toddler!
Mo Zhu: "Soon. Just finishing this part."
Yu Zhiling: "Since when do you even like storybooks?"
Mo Zhu: "Starting now. Never read one before. Got curious."
Oh no, that’s so sad—he’s never even read a storybook?!
Yu Zhiling relented, waving a hand. "…Go on, read."
But he’d never shown interest before. She had shelves of these in her room, and he’d never touched a single one.
Seizing the moment, she sneakily grabbed another tangerine. Mo Zhu rationed her to two a day—any more, and she’d get heat in her system.
Mo Zhu read quickly, soon finishing the slim volume. Closing it, he leveled a calm stare at her.
"Shizun."
"What now…? Those two tangerines were tiny, they don’t count. One more won’t hurt—"
She hid the half-peeled fruit in her hand, relaxing only when he made no move to take it, then popped a segment into her mouth.
But Mo Zhu wasn’t after the tangerine.
"You’ve memorized this book backward and forward?"
Yu Zhiling: "…You doubting your shizun?"
She peeked at the cover. Fucui had bought it for the trip—a short read for the boat ride. Her "memorized" claim was pure bluster to cover her embarrassment.
Amusement glinted in Mo Zhu’s eyes as he nodded, understanding dawning.
"So this is the kind of book shizun enjoys."
Yu Zhiling: "?"
She snatched the book back, flipping through indignantly. "What’s that tone for?! Shizun can read whatever she—shut up—"
[The spring night stretched long, the full moon hanging high. A woman in red robes drowsed lazily on the divan, unaware of the vine creeping up her leg. By the time she startled awake, a handsome youth stood in the room, his slender fingers curling around her throat.]
[Shizun, we are meant for each other—why fear the world’s gaze? The early spring chill lingers… and shizun is so sensitive to cold. Won’t you share this disciple’s bed?]
Yu Zhiling’s face went blank. A spark leapt from her fingertips, and the book vanished into ashes.
Mo Zhu smiled, thoroughly enjoying teasing her. Seeing the flush creeping up her ears, he knew she was deeply embarrassed. The romance novel had been given to her by Fucui, who had urged her to "study it well." It seemed a little traitor had emerged beside Liu Guizheng.
Fucui ought to keep an eye on him—because she knew full well that Mo Zhu was a hundred, no, a thousand times better than most young masters of the Central Continent’s noble families. He was destined to become a great power in the future. That little maid must have read her fair share of romance novels too, given how open-minded she was about master-disciple relationships.
Yu Zhiling wanted to turn her wheelchair and flee, but the wheels had a locking mechanism to keep them steady—one Mo Zhu had engaged earlier. Now, only he could release it.
Mo Zhu grinned. "Master, don’t you want to know what this book is about?"
Yu Zhiling scoffed. "Hmph! Your master isn’t interested!"
Mo Zhu: "I thought it was quite good."
Yu Zhiling: "…Unlock my wheelchair!"
Mo Zhu: "There’s a line in it I particularly liked."
Yu Zhiling: "Just unlock it already!"
Mo Zhu stepped forward and released the latch on her wheelchair.
Yu Zhiling immediately tried to push herself away, but the armrests were suddenly held down, stopping her escape.
"Master, wait a moment before you go." Mo Zhu pressed one hand on the wheelchair and lifted her wrist with the other, guiding her palm to his cheek—she had pinched his face plenty of times before.
He nuzzled into her hand, his gaze never leaving hers.
"Master, I know a master-disciple romance would invite gossip in the Central Continent, but it’s not without precedent. Young Master Linni and his master are together, and they’ve been traveling the world happily all these years. I’ll grow stronger quickly, so no one will dare say a word against us."
"Mo—Mo Zhu, let go first…"
Yu Zhiling’s heart raced. She tried to pull her hand back, but he held her wrist firmly. Kneeling before her, his words were gentle, but his grip was unyielding.
"Some things need to be said. This is my promise to you. I hope Master won’t reject me just because of what the Central Continent thinks. If you push me away, let it be because I’m not good enough—not because of outside opinions. But if one day you think I’m worthy… don’t let those things keep us apart."
Yu Zhiling: "I—I never said anything like that…"
He was talking as if they were already in love, but she didn’t feel that way about him at all!
Mo Zhu’s expression remained calm, a faint smile on his lips. "I know. Master doesn’t see me that way yet. So I’ll work harder—harder to pursue you, harder to deserve you."
His voice softened, barely above a whisper. "Harder… to be with you. I like you so, so much."
Why was he confessing again? In the original story, he was supposed to be an aloof, emotionless loner with no love interests!
Yu Zhiling was lifted and placed on the bed. She buried her face in the embroidered quilt, rolling to the far side. They would reach Yingshan Sect in an hour, and she absolutely refused to leave the covers until then.
She felt the mattress dip beside her—Mo Zhu had sat down at the edge of the bed. His breathing was steady, motionless. Probably meditating.
Yu Zhiling was starting to overheat. Carefully, she peeked out from the quilt and saw Mo Zhu’s back turned to her.
From behind, her disciple’s posture was straight and tall. Thanks to his demon bloodline, though only seventeen, his build was already that of a full-grown man, towering over other youths his age in the Central Continent.
Yu Zhiling wriggled around to face him. Since he was meditating, he wouldn’t notice her movements.
Truthfully, Mo Zhu would make an excellent partner.
Handsome, steady, intelligent, devoted, talented, hardworking, attentive, and endlessly indulgent toward the one he loved—qualities like these were rare.
But he was the protagonist. Yu Zhiling was the villain. She had read the entire novel, and the scene of Immortal Lord Zhuoyu’s death was seared into her memory—his soul shattered, his body obliterated, crushed by soul-piercing nails.
She thought he must be out of his mind, falling for a villain who had tormented him. Her mission wasn’t even to seduce him—she’d never tried to win him over! How had he ended up liking her on his own?
But her crazy little disciple was just so damn adorable.
The dimensional boat arrived smoothly at Yingshan Sect. In that short hour, Yu Zhiling had tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
[Ding! Male protagonist has mastered the "Bright Spring Heart Sutra." Host’s virtue points +50. Current virtue points: 2050. Keep up the good work!]
Mo Zhu opened his eyes, calming the spiritual energy around him, then turned to look at Yu Zhiling lying beside him—meeting her wide, glistening gaze.
His heart melted instantly. Mo Zhu smiled.
"Master, awake?"
She hadn’t slept at all, too delighted by the virtue points.
Yu Zhiling was never one to dwell on things. Now, grinning, she scooted closer and asked, "How many more sword techniques and heart sutras do you have left? Finished the previous ones yet?"
Mo Zhu: "Not yet. What else does Master want me to learn?"
Yu Zhiling clenched her fist earnestly. "Remember our motto?"
Mo Zhu raised a brow. "Which one?"
Yu Zhiling: "Grind among the grinders, rise above the rest!"
Mo Zhu chuckled, lifting her onto the wheelchair. "Mm, I remember. Master can bring me anything she wants me to practice."
What a good disciple!
Nothing made her happier than a hardworking, ambitious little disciple!
Beaming, she sat in the wheelchair and tilted her head back to smile at the young man behind her.
"Then I’ll really pick some more! The library’s full of sutras—how about we study formations too? Aim to become an all-round prodigy?"
Every bit of his grinding earned her more virtue points!
Mo Zhu pushed the wheelchair toward the exit, answering softly, "Mm, alright."
He never refused her. Whatever she asked, he would agree.
If he loved her, he would always listen to her.
Yu Zhiling was wheeled off the dimensional boat. As soon as she stored it away, she spotted two figures standing at the entrance of Listening Spring Cliff.
"Eldest Senior Brother! Second Senior Sister!" she called out sweetly, rolling toward them.
Maybe it was her imagination, but after just two days away, Yan Shanqing and Ning Hengwu looked worse for wear—dark circles under their eyes, their smiles strained when they saw her.
Yan Shanqing and Ning Hengwu patted her head.
Ning Hengwu crouched to her level, forcing a smile. "Little Five, were you happy seeing Guizheng this time?"
Yu Zhiling nodded eagerly. "Mhm!"
"We thought to let you stay longer since you hadn’t seen each other in ages, but something urgent came up. We had to call you back early."
Yu Zhiling tilted her head curiously. "What’s wrong? Is it serious?"
Ning Hengwu glanced at the dark-clothed youth standing quietly behind Yu Zhiling—Mo Zhu met her gaze with calm composure.
Yan Shanqing cleared his throat softly, breaking the silent standoff between the two.
"The Spirit Armory has suddenly begun to stir. It will open within the next two days. Didn’t you ask me to keep an eye out for it?"
Yu Zhiling jolted in realization. "You’re saying the Spirit Armory is about to open?"
Yan Shanqing nodded. "Yes."
The Yingshan Sect’s Spirit Armory had existed for a thousand years, guarded by the sword spirit of the founding elder’s lifebound weapon. This sword spirit was the only one capable of opening the Armory, but it loved to sleep—sometimes for decades at a time. While it slumbered, no one could enter.
Now that the Armory was stirring, it meant the sword spirit was awakening. Disciples who had yet to obtain their lifebound weapons could finally enter and choose their own.
Yu Zhiling turned to Mo Zhu, excitement flashing in her eyes. "The Spirit Armory is opening!"
Mo Zhu: "...Yes, this disciple heard."
He didn’t understand why she was so thrilled.
Of course, Yu Zhiling had reason to be excited. Mo Zhu still didn’t have his own lifebound sword. The Yuhan Sword he currently wielded wasn’t truly his, nor had it developed a spirit. But in the original story, he was destined to claim the Yingshan Sect’s ancestral sword—a blade with a fierce and mighty spirit. If it recognized him as its master, his cultivation would soar, progressing far faster than it did now. And that meant her merit points would skyrocket!
Yan Shanqing asked, "You want Mo Zhu to enter and choose a weapon?"
"Yes!" Yu Zhiling nodded vigorously. "He still doesn’t have a lifebound weapon—how can that be acceptable? A disciple of Immortal Lord Zhuoyu must have prestige! That sword at the top of the Armory is perfect. Mo Zhu, when you go in, head straight for it!"
Yan Shanqing: "..."
Ning Hengwu: "..."
Mo Zhu: "Master, that is the Yingshan Sect’s ancestral sword—a celestial-grade weapon left behind by the founding ancestor."
Yu Zhiling frowned. "So what? No matter how powerful, it’s still just a sword. My Zhujian was once the foremost sword of the Central Continent, and I still claimed it. Are you telling me you lack the confidence to take the sect’s ancestral blade?"
Young man, in the original story, that was his destined sword! After obtaining it, his cultivation had skyrocketed, and the blade had followed him through countless battles.
Of course, it had also been the weapon he later used to stab Zhuoyu several times.
The thought dampened Yu Zhiling’s enthusiasm, and she settled back into her seat with a sigh.
"Go on, go on. Since you’ve got nothing better to do, why not pick out a weapon you like?"
Seeing her insistence, Mo Zhu could only agree.
"Very well. I will go."
Yu Zhiling brightened. "Good boy."
Ning Hengwu sighed and gently touched Yu Zhiling’s chin. "There’s something else we need to discuss."
Yu Zhiling: "What is it?"
She could tell from Ning Hengwu’s expression that it was serious.
Ning Hengwu stood and took hold of the wheelchair’s handles, not sparing Mo Zhu a glance as she said coolly, "Let’s talk in private."
Her meaning was clear—Mo Zhu was to be excluded.
Mo Zhu wasn’t oblivious. If they wanted to keep him out of the conversation, pressing for answers would be pointless. He remained where he was, watching silently as Ning Hengwheeled Yu Zhiling away.
Yu Zhiling didn’t look back, chattering to Ning Hengwu without so much as a glance in his direction.
Mo Zhu lowered his gaze, a sour ache spreading in his chest. He’d always known she was careless by nature, yet he still wished she would turn back—just once—to look at him.
"Mo Zhu."
Yan Shanqing’s voice broke the silence.
Mo Zhu suppressed the bitterness in his heart and lifted his head, his expression once again that of the aloof young man he always appeared to be.
"Sect Leader."
Yan Shanqing stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze cold. "Can you grow stronger quickly?"
Mo Zhu’s brow furrowed slightly. "Why do you ask?"
Yan Shanqing’s voice was icy. "The Four Slaughter Stele is stirring again. Yun Zhi and Zhao Yan have already gone to suppress it. This is the second disturbance in less than two months. There must be movement in the Demon Abyss. Liu Guizheng confirmed that the demonic cultivator loose in the Central Continent is the Demon Lord—which means our earlier suspicions were correct."
Mo Zhu said, "The demons want to shatter the Four Slaughter Stele and release the fiends trapped in the Demon Abyss?"
"Yes." Yan Shanqing nodded. "To enter the Four Slaughter Realm and destroy the Stele, the first obstacle he must overcome are the three Immortal Lords capable of repairing it. Yun Zhi and Zhao Yan are from the Yun and Wu families—their cultivation is formidable, and they won’t be easy to kill in single combat. But Xiao Wu… is different now."
Mo Zhu understood.
The Frostblade Slash was immensely powerful, capable of saving the Central Continent from annihilation—but its fatal flaw was equally obvious.
Yu Zhiling had only one chance left.
And the Demon Lord would undoubtedly force her to unleash the Frostblade Slash a third time.
Mo Zhu’s throat moved slightly as he met Yan Shanqing’s gaze and nodded. "I understand. I won’t let Master use the Frostblade Slash again. I will grow stronger as quickly as possible. If we face another situation like in Nandu, I will act."
He wouldn’t allow Yu Zhiling to be cornered into wielding the Slash again.
If such a moment came, he would strike first.
That was what Yan Shanqing wanted from him.
Yan Shanqing gave a brief nod. "The patrols around Yingshan Sect have been doubled. I’ve also summoned Lao Si back. Until the Demon Lord is captured, we will remain stationed here. He won’t get the chance to strike at the sect. Beyond your cultivation, your priority now is to stay by Xiao Wu’s side at all times—no matter where she goes, you must follow."
Mo Zhu agreed. "Understood."
Yan Shanqing turned and walked toward Yu Zhiling’s residence.
Mo Zhu remained where he was. Whatever they were discussing, it wasn’t meant for his ears.
After a dozen steps, Yan Shanqing suddenly paused.
"Mo Zhu."
Mo Zhu waited in silence, knowing Yan Shanqing had more to say.
But what came next caught him off guard.
"Have you ever suspected that something was wrong with her these past ten years?"
Mo Zhu’s head snapped up, his gaze sharp.
Yan Shanqing was silent for a moment before continuing. "We noticed it the moment she returned from the Four Slaughter Realm a decade ago. Without her knowledge, we used soul-searching techniques on her twice and even employed the Mirror of Present Souls—yet we found no traces of possession."
Precisely because of this, no matter how much they doubted, they could only convince themselves that Yu Zhiling had merely seen something in the Four Slaughter Realm during that month alone—or perhaps she resented them for failing to find her, leaving her isolated for so long. That was why she had grown distant.
Because there was no evidence of possession.
Because the Yu Zhiling of the past ten years remembered everything—and a possessed person would not retain the original’s memories.
Mo Zhu declared firmly, "I don’t know what else it could be if not possession, but I am certain—the one who stood as my master these past ten years was not her. I am sure of it."
Yan Shanqing let out a low laugh, one laced with self-mockery.
"Right. You could recognize it. So why did it take us ten years to see the truth?"
He turned back to Mo Zhu, his eyes already red-rimmed, his expression etched with grief. His lips trembled slightly before he finally steadied his quivering voice.
"Why did she return to our side... only to forget everything?"
"Where has our Xiao Wu been all these years?"
