Master Strategy Guide!

Time always seems to pass faster for humans.

Gong Ning had learned something in her past life: when you’re young and constantly learning new things every day, time feels like it’s passing slowly.
As an adult, life becomes more repetitive, and in the blink of an eye, years have already gone by.

It was the same with cultivation in this world.
Day after day of practice, a hundred years flowed by like a river; it didn’t seem fast, but it was gone in a moment’s inattention.

But this month, she had experienced quite a lot.
The events of this single day felt longer than a whole year.

By the time she returned from the council hall, the sky had already dimmed.
After creating a cultivation plan for her new disciple, she felt exhausted both physically and mentally.

But there was still one more matter that was even more important to her.

Bathing.

Bathing oneself was a very normal thing, so normal it wasn’t even worth mentioning.

Moreover, with a soul that was born with knowledge and the refinement of a hundred years of cultivation, she had long grown accustomed to discarding external things like appearance and flesh.

But Gong Ning still felt awkward and embarrassed.

She sat in the bathtub, washing herself with her eyes closed.
Even her own fingers, when they brushed against her skin, brought an indescribable ticklish sensation.
After washing, she still had to dry herself with her eyes closed and then put on her clothes.

She wondered, after living for a hundred years, that she could still feel shame.
Was this a sign of insufficient cultivation?

Gong Ning picked up a comb and sat before the mirror, gazing at the beautiful yet unfamiliar face reflected in it, so beautiful it was entrancing.

She felt it would be better to be an ordinary man rather than this eye-catching figure.

In a moment of daze, the wooden comb was taken from her hand.
Gong Ning came back to her senses; her disciple had returned at some point.

Tao Lingling, of course, had long premeditated this.
At this moment, her Master would certainly not accept her disciple bathing her, so she would comb and dress her hair when she emerged from the water like a lotus flower.

To dress her Master up beautifully.

“Master, you were a man before, right? Would you like your disciple to teach you how to dress up?”

Seeing that her disciple was not only not repulsed but also willing to teach her, Gong Ning was slightly moved.
But she was originally a man.
If she were to be touched so easily… would it be too demeaning?

“This… is truly unnecessary. I am not one who loves beauty. A decent appearance is enough.”

Who knew her disciple would see right through her thoughts.

“Don’t be shy, Master.”

Her disciple began to tend to her without permission.
Her gentle fingers roamed through her hair, picking out strands and combing them slowly.

Her movements were gentle, like a light tickle brushing past, which was slightly comfortable.
Gong Ning couldn’t help but nod, so as not to let her disciple see.

Then, she took out a few more things.
When Gong Ning saw them, she could no longer remain calm.

Because her disciple had taken out rouge and a flowing cloud dress.

This was absolutely unacceptable.

How to be a proper woman was not something Gong Ning should be considering, but since it had come to this, she could only learn some grooming skills.
Dressing up was absolutely out of the question, as was wearing fancy dresses.

If it weren’t for the fact that the elder’s uniform for women in the Profound Heaven Sword Sect was only the wide-sleeved flowing immortal dress, she wouldn’t even wear this.

She had originally thought this was something Tao Lingling had bought for herself, but seeing her disciple about to reach out and adorn her, Gong Ning immediately turned her head to dodge.

It seemed such a reaction was too much of a fuss, revealing some of her timidity.
Gong Ning straightened her face.

“That won’t be necessary… it’s already late. How can I sleep after putting all this on?”

In her haste, she found a legitimate reason.

“Oh, Master is right.”

“It’s getting late. You should rest first. I still have to teach you cultivation tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, Master.”

Tao Lingling gave Gong Ning a sweet smile and then, right in front of her, began to unbutton and undress.

Gong Ning was startled.

“What are you doing!”

“Hmm? Bathing. I’ve been walking around all day, I’m exhausted.”

As she spoke, her movements didn’t stop, as smooth and simple as eating or drinking.
This made Gong Ning wonder if she was making a big deal out of nothing.

‘No, this is definitely not a small deal!’

“Ahem, you must remember that your Master was previously a man. You should have the most basic sense of propriety between men and women…”

“I can’t be bothered to think about that kind of thing. Master is Master. Is there any difference?”

“…Your Master will go rest first.”

Gong Ning wanted to lecture her on some great principles to correct her, but seeing that her disciple was about to undress to her chest, she had no choice but to leave the bathroom.

Back in her room, Gong Ning blew out the candle and lay on the bed, taking two deep breaths.

Whenever it was completely silent, a person was particularly prone to noticing the strangeness of their own body, just as someone with rhinitis would be aware of their stuffy nose.

Whenever Gong Ning lay down to sleep, she could clearly feel the weight from her chest, could feel that with a slight movement of her body, that symbolic pair would shake violently like startled rabbits.

She knew this was due to being too unfamiliar with her body.
Those who were born women became familiar with it day by day during puberty, so they didn’t pay it any mind at all.

But Gong Ning had suddenly become like this.
She also needed a certain amount of time to get used to her body, to let her body turn these strange feelings into instinct.

But Gong Ning felt it was better not to get used to it.

She could only divert her attention, listening to the sound of the wind outside the house, the rustling of leaves, the chirping of insects… why was there also the sound of a door opening?

Gong Ning’s eyes snapped open.
Having lost her cultivation, she could no longer see in the dark and could only vaguely make out a figure.

She had to admit, the tremor of fear in her heart at that moment surprised even herself, because women in such situations always had one more thing to worry about than men.

If her property was robbed, she could earn it back.
If someone was trying to kill her, she could fight to the death.
But some things would leave a shadow for a lifetime.

“Master, are you asleep?”

Only when the person spoke did Gong Ning let out a sigh of relief, and a trace of anger couldn’t help but rise.

“Why didn’t you knock?”

“Aiya… I was afraid of waking Master up.”

Tao Lingling smiled sheepishly.
She had whispered to see if her Master was asleep.
If she was, wouldn’t it be the perfect opportunity for her to do some bad things?

Gong Ning was genuinely a little angry, but she also felt that her disciple didn’t mean it, so she could only soften her heart.

“What are you doing here in the middle of the night?”

“Master, I forgot to buy my daily necessities today, and, I don’t know where to sleep… I wanted to ask if I could sleep here for one night.”

“No.”

Gong Ning refused directly.

There was a distinction between men and women.
How could they share a bed?
Even sleeping in the same room was not acceptable.

Even though her soul came from another world and her thinking was much more open-minded than the people of this world, a bottom line was always a bottom line.

“There are extra bedding and pillows in the Sword Immortal’s house. Your Master will set them up for you.”

Gong Ning got up and lit the candle, only to see what looked like tear stains on her disciple’s face.

She couldn’t help but be stunned.

“You, what’s this?”

Tao Lingling suddenly hugged her waist and buried her head in her bosom, leaving Gong Ning at a loss.

“Disciple, disciple misses her family…”