On the Journey

Mu Qingsi was a woman of few words, and her inability to express herself was different from Gu Bei’s.

Gu Bei, while not entirely lacking in emotional intelligence, could manage pleasantries to some extent. However, compared to those who made a living by their silver tongues, he fell short. He could argue eloquently, but when it came to direct verbal sparring, he only knew how to attack.

Mu Qingsi, on the other hand, barely spoke at all and had low emotional intelligence. When she did speak, she either left people flustered with her bluntness or chilled them with her icy demeanor. It was much like now, as she pulled Gu Bei along, standing on a long sword, gliding through the clouds.

She had something she wanted to say, feeling that perhaps because there were others present, her unruly disciple was finally giving her some face. This slight improvement in their strained relationship brought a hint of easing tension.

In a harsh way, Mu Qingsi had the thought of taking this opportunity to further mend their relationship. But the words that came to her mind were nothing but cold, questioning remarks.

Gu Bei, standing behind Mu Qingsi, looked down at his teacher’s hand, which was gripping his own with a tight, then loose, rhythm. Her inner turmoil was evident.

After a moment of thought, Gu Bei decided to speak up to ease the awkwardness. But before he could, a voice drifted from the slender figure ahead of him, laced with a subtle coldness and a hint of nervousness.

“Buqi… if you truly care about your teacher’s… background…”

Mu Qingsi hesitated before speaking, understanding the reason for the growing tension between her and her disciple. At the time, she hadn’t fully grasped the situation and had reacted impulsively when Gu Bei had brought it up. Seeing the flash of disappointment in his eyes, she regretted her harsh response.

She had tried to make amends, but her efforts had been ineffective. Worse still, she harbored a strange fear: that addressing the issue would compromise her teacherly authority, and that Gu Bei would resent her for not returning home and bringing him along instead.

These thoughts whirled in her mind, and before she knew it, she was overwhelmed by emotion. She had seen the distant look in Gu Bei’s eyes, despite his words claiming indifference. It was as if he had grown distant over a small matter, and she felt a sense of injustice.

Gu Bei, however, understood his teacher’s nature well. Her stuttering apologies were already a significant concession. But emotions are subjective. Rather than disappointment, what he felt was a clearer understanding of Mu Qingsi’s feelings for him.

He was no naive child; upon awakening in this world, he had already been abandoned and struggled to survive on the streets, relying on the mercy of others who saw him as a child. Suddenly, a beautiful immortal sister appeared, rescuing him like a hero, and genuinely treating him as family.

At the fledgling Minor Sword Sect, it was just him and his teacher, living under the same roof day and night. Even after learning of his otherworldly soul, her attitude toward him never changed. Mu Qingsi’s appearance, figure, and demeanor perfectly embodied the kind of person Gu Bei could fall for at first sight, and they had the time to develop deeper feelings.

As he had once confided in Yun Qingyi, Mu Qingsi was the person most important to him in this world, even more so than his own life. Her wishes were his wishes. Though their relationship had become less intimate, his feelings for her only grew stronger.

Mu Qingsi’s reluctance to share her past had disappointed him, but it was more about realizing that his teacher did not reciprocate his affection. Perhaps he had always known, but her intense reaction had jolted him out of the beautiful dream he had been living for over a decade.

“It’s alright, Teacher. If you don’t wish to speak of it, then don’t.” Gu Bei replied with a faint smile.

In truth, Mu Qingsi was reluctant to reveal her past. After years of being a teacher, suddenly confessing to her disciple that she had left home in a fit of anger was a matter of personal pride. Moreover, Mu Qingsi’s proud and aloof nature only softened slightly around Gu Bei.

But she was tormented by her disciple’s deliberate distance and coldness. After calm reflection, she had searched for answers in books, concluding that perhaps Gu Bei felt she was hiding something from him, just as she had been reluctant to share her own secrets.

Understanding this, Mu Qingsi had tried to reach out to Gu Bei, but her pride prevented her from being overly desperate. Several times, her efforts were met with Gu Bei’s respectful yet distant attitude, leaving her frustrated and in tears.

Finally, they had an opportunity for a sincere conversation. But Gu Bei’s words left her feeling uncertain. She struggled to find the right words to respond.

“… Alright.” Mu Qingsi managed to reply, her lips pressed tightly together, her heart filled with uncertainty.

The two on the clouds fell silent once more, the only sound the howling wind passing by their ears. After a long pause, Mu Qingsi spoke again, her voice hoarse with emotion.

“How did you end up with them?”

“By chance, it just happened that way.” Gu Bei answered.

“But didn’t you say you would tell me?” Mu Qingsi’s voice carried a hint of unseen resentment.

“It’s a long story, and I don’t know where to begin.” Gu Bei sighed, feeling helpless at her behavior.

“Then we’ll return to the sect and you can tell me there.”

“I will, Teacher.”

Seeing that Gu Bei hadn’t refused to return and talk, despite his continued distance, Mu Qingsi’s expression softened a little.

“Actually, I wasn’t unwilling to tell you before, it’s just that…”

“If you don’t want to say, Teacher, then don’t. I’ve accepted it.” Gu Bei interrupted her.

The real issue wasn’t just about revealing her past; the growing distance between them had deeper roots. Gu Bei’s words left Mu Qingsi feeling desolate, and she nodded silently in response.

“I have something to discuss with you, Teacher.” Gu Bei recalled the meaningful words of Yu Qiuqiao.

“What is it?” Mu Qingsi asked softly.

“Fairy Yu mentioned that my repeated dispersion and re-cultivation of my powers might attract unwanted attention. What do you think?”

“She knows?” Mu Qingsi’s tone held a strange note.

“Yes.”

“How does she know?” Mu Qingsi pressed.

“As a humble disciple, I couldn’t refuse her questions.”

Mu Qingsi didn’t respond immediately, but her flying sword came to a halt.

“Teacher?”

“I think I was too lenient.” Mu Qingsi murmured.

“What?” Gu Bei didn’t hear clearly.

“I want to return and give Yu Zhuoshui a good beating. What do you think?” Mu Qingsi turned to face him, her expression serious.

“W-why?”

“She bullied you.”

“Well…”

Gu Bei was at a loss for words. He couldn’t very well say, ‘She bullied me because you beat her up.’

“Perhaps we should let it go, considering our past acquaintance?” Gu Bei suggested tentatively.

He suspected that his teacher’s background was more complex than he had imagined. The two top-tier young ladies beating up a rival must have been quite the scene. But he hadn’t had much contact with Yu Qiuqiao and Ning Wanzhuang, only ever interacting with lower-tier sects or young prodigies like Mu Qingsi. He hadn’t even heard much about the Dragon List, as his teacher hadn’t bothered to mention it.

Mu Qingsi couldn’t hide her thoughts; she simply didn’t care about the Dragon List or the young talents of the world. Otherwise, Gu Bei would have pieced together the truth from her scattered remarks.

“Yu Zhuoshui has no face in front of me. If there’s any face to be given, it’s because of her relationship with you…”

Looking at the immaculate beauty speaking such words, Gu Bei was taken aback. Although he suspected his teacher’s interpretation of ‘sleeping’ differed from Yu Qiuqiao’s.

Still, he nervously corrected her, “No, it was just a playful joke from Fairy Yu.”

“A playful joke?” Mu Qingsi’s voice rose slightly, “She’s making jokes about your purity?!”

Purity? What purity?

Gu Bei was stunned. He often struggled to discern whether his teacher was being naive or cunning. She seemed genuine, yet the notion of ‘purity’ in relation to him felt absurd!

But he couldn’t say that directly, so he forced a smile and continued, “Yes, my purity. So I hope you won’t go back and make a big deal out of it… or my reputation will be ruined, and then…”

Gu Bei trailed off, unsure of how to finish. Should he say, ‘My reputation will be ruined, and then I won’t be able to marry’?

“I see…”

Mu Qingsi nodded, her brows furrowed. But what was Gu Bei trying to say? Not fit for marriage? But hadn’t he promised to marry her when they were young? She knew the whole story, and even if that woman spread rumors, she would only seek revenge on the woman. It wouldn’t affect…

Mu Qingsi blushed, feeling a rush of heat to her face. She turned away, not wanting to reveal her thoughts. “Let’s return then.”

Her voice was low, and Gu Bei, relieved, wiped the sweat from his brow and agreed, “Yes, let’s.”