An Unexpectedly Close Master

However, to avoid incurring Mu Qingli’s displeasure, Lin Mo decided to seek her permission first.

After all, as his ‘superior,’ Mu Qingli certainly warranted frequent consultation, ensuring she felt her authority was respected.

This was especially crucial for someone like Mu Qingli, who had grown accustomed to solitude.

He needed to make absolutely certain she understood his unwavering loyalty and singular devotion!

With this resolve, Lin Mo straightened his attire and immediately set off for the main hall to find Mu Qingli.

Yet, his approach could not be haphazard.

Having spent the past month diligently learning feminine etiquette under Mu Qingli’s tutelage, he felt compelled to showcase every facet of his progress.

She needed to witness his significant improvement.

He aimed to completely overturn her preconceived notions, to make her realize the genuine sincerity behind his every lesson!

Sincerity!

Only by demonstrating true sincerity could he hope to lower her guard.

Indeed, Lin Mo’s once somewhat clumsy footsteps had transformed into a graceful and measured gait, each stride seemingly calibrated with meticulous precision.

His posture, no longer sprawling and unrestrained, now exuded a refined, understated elegance.

Upon reaching Mu Qingli, he found her still seated precisely in the center of the main hall, perched atop a sparse table, engrossed in a book.

Noticing Lin Mo’s arrival, she promptly lowered the book to her lap, rose, and advanced directly towards him.

A hint of eagerness seemed to color her movements, yet her expression remained frigid, and her tone was equally chilling as she uttered, “What is it?”

First, Lin Mo performed a flawless, standard feminine bow with utmost deference.

He bent his knees slightly, hands gracefully clasped at his side, head lowered just so, his eyes, however, held a glint of anticipation as they met Mu Qingli’s gaze.

The entire motion flowed like water, utterly devoid of hesitation or imperfection.

Mu Qingli observed him, a rare flicker of surprise momentarily crossing her icy eyes before they swiftly reverted to their usual chill.

“Not bad,” she remarked, “quite respectable.”

Her voice, like an icicle in the frigid night, was terse and indifferent.

A surge of delight warmed Lin Mo’s heart; though the praise was as cold as ice, coming from Mu Qingli, who harbored such animosity towards men, it signified a considerable measure of approval.

‘Perhaps now,’ he mused, ‘I can broach a small request?’

‘I should first gauge Mu Qingli’s current disposition.’

Lin Mo drew a deep breath, then raised his head, bracing himself for a potential reprimand, his gaze tinged with a delicate caution as he spoke: “Esteemed Master, since you have permitted me to cultivate here, I hoped to seize this opportunity to explore the vicinity and familiarize myself with the surroundings.”

“I specifically came to inquire: where am I permitted to go? And what is the extent of the accessible area?”

His voice was as soft as a breeze rustling through leaves, and his face bore a placating smile.

“You may go anywhere,” Mu Qingli replied.

“There is a barrier here, but the range of activity is vast; you are free to explore.

There are no forbidden areas.

However, why do you wish to familiarize yourself with the environment?”

Her gaze was laced with suspicion.

This, however, fell well within Lin Mo’s expectations.

He immediately responded, “Master, while I am grateful for the elixirs, they were, after all, brought by Grand Martial Aunt Qiubai.”

“Such precious pills, for a mere man like myself to consume them continuously, would it not be an egregious waste?”

“I was pondering that such excellent provisions ought to be conserved.

Hence, I thought of scouting the vicinity for wild beasts to hunt, thereby resolving my own food supply.”

“If they were given to you, then eat them; there is no issue,” Mu Qingli stated, unexpectedly rejecting his reasoning outright.

Just as Lin Mo prepared to offer another explanation, Mu Qingli added, “Have you grown tired of them?”

This question sent a jolt of cold dread through Lin Mo, causing his body to stiffen abruptly.

The question appeared solicitous on the surface, yet it was fraught with peril!

Lin Mo understood with chilling clarity that Mu Qingli’s inquiry about being “tired of them” was far from a simple matter concerning food.

To respond affirmatively would imply that the items gifted by Zhao Qiubai were somehow inferior.

How dare a mere man like himself disdain a gift from a woman? It would be courting death!

‘Then, Mu Qingli would surely strike him with a single palm, beating him within an inch of his life!’

‘That game—no, his life—would simply end!’

‘It would be like an author, unable to craft a proper ending, resorting to some nonsensical excuse to hastily conclude their own story.’

‘Answering “no” might also lead to another predicament: what if Mu Qingli were to slam the table, railing at him for “making trouble out of nothing!”?’

‘Another palm strike, and it would still be game over.’

‘Damn it all…’

‘I must answer with caution, with finesse, with high emotional intelligence!’

‘A pang of regret struck him for not having heeded those workplace maxims on high emotional intelligence.’

‘It truly echoed the comments from the bullet screen (TL Note: A common feature in Asian video streaming platforms where real-time comments scroll across the screen, similar to live chat), how he had once dismissed them, but now found himself studying every single word!’

‘No, I can’t put this much pressure on myself, Lin Mo! You can do this! Come on!’

Consequently, Lin Mo took a deep breath and began, “Then—”

However, before he could utter another word, Mu Qingli waved a dismissive hand, stating, “It’s fine, you may go.

There are no restricted areas; you are free to explore as you wish.”

‘Huh? She’s being so accommodating?’

‘I’ve been battling my own wits for ages, only to find I was wrestling with thin air?’

Nevertheless, having achieved his objective, Lin Mo did not dwell on it.

He swiftly prostrated himself in gratitude, exclaiming, “Many thanks for Master’s gracious permission! I—”

Just as he lifted his head, a pair of long, elegant legs suddenly appeared before his eyes.

The fishtail skirt seemed a little short, revealing the pristine beauty of her legs from the ankles upwards.

“Let’s go,” Mu Qingli commanded, and with that, she stepped out first.

‘It seems she intends to accompany me.’

This outcome, however, did not surprise Lin Mo.

After all, trust was something built over time, and Mu Qingli’s constant surveillance was entirely acceptable.

Close-quarters monitoring suited Mu Qingli perfectly, especially given her apparent lack of other engagements.

Her profound suspicion was, in his view, quite normal.

Thus, Lin Mo readily accepted the situation, and together they stepped out of the Sect Master’s residence to survey the surrounding area.

What Lin Mo had not anticipated, however, was that this surveillance would not be from a distance, but rather… intimate.

She clung so closely that if he merely leaned his head back, he would practically brush against Mu Qingli’s soft body.

‘This… what the hell is going on?’

‘At first, it felt like a guardian spirit, but as time wore on, it began to feel more like… a vengeful ghost!’

‘This, this is for surveillance! I must get used to it, get used to it.’

‘I’m highly adaptable; I don’t care!’

‘I refuse to believe you’d even—when I’m using the restroom—’

“Esteemed Master… perhaps you could… step aside?”

“Why?”

“You ask why… I… I’m using the latrine! Didn’t I just hunt? I ate, and what the body can’t absorb… well, that stuff… it gets expelled, so—”

“Oh.”

‘Oh? Oh, your head! Do you not comprehend personal privacy? Do you not understand subtlety? Must I explicitly tell you to ‘scram’ before you grasp it?!’

‘Even a pervert like Qiu Yue wouldn’t stare so unblinkingly while I’m relieving myself!’

“Esteemed Master, it will be quite… pungent… in a moment,” Lin Mo warned, though he still lacked the courage to actually tell Mu Qingli to leave, knowing he didn’t possess the power.

“It’s fine; I will hold my breath,” she responded.

‘Is that the point? Is that really the point?!’

‘My sense of shame! Where is your sense of shame?’

‘This surveillance of yours has gone too far, hasn’t it?’

“…Esteemed Master, don’t you think this is a bit… too close? Our proximity, that is.”

“Mm-hm,” she acknowledged.

‘…No… something’s wrong with you, isn’t it?’

At that moment, Lin Mo finally realized that his Master had been… off… ever since he woke up!

‘Had she been swapped out?’