You are the most beautiful

“Disciple, does it look good?”
After saying these words, Gong Ning’s face suddenly burned, because she realized what a strange thing she had just said.
How could she ask her disciple if she looked good?
She was clearly male, even if she was objectively female, but her subjective will was still…
“Beautiful, like a fairy descended to earth, like the goddess Chang’e in the mortal world…”
‘This silly child, speaking so extravagantly.’
However, the corners of Gong Ning’s mouth still couldn’t be suppressed, and the joy in her heart was still piling up layer by layer.
Just then, Jiang Yuyao also appeared, but she actually entered from outside the door.
When she saw Gong Ning, her gaze was like a torch, scrutinizing her thoroughly from top to bottom.
“You… finally figured it out?”
“What do you mean, figured it out? This is a gift from Lingling.”
“Fine, look how captivated you are by her. I just came back from Mystic Sky Peak. The Sect Master has already stamped the contract. From now on, you are a member of the Heart-Sword Hall, no longer bound by the Sky-Sword Pavilion.”
Tao Lingling thought, ‘It’s finally perfectly resolved.’ But then she heard Jiang Yuyao add, “However, do you want to take this opportunity to change your surname? Having the same surname as that bunch of insects feels rather unlucky.”
‘What’s this? Why change surnames now? This didn’t happen in my past life, did it?’
“Jiang Yuyao, let me see the contract.”
Jiang Yuyao was furious.
‘This child doesn’t call me Hall Master, that’s fine. She doesn’t call me Sword Immortal either, and now she dares to call me by my full name?’
She immediately wanted to punish her properly, but seeing the joyful expression still on Gong Ning’s face, she decided to let it go.
“See for yourself.”
Tao Lingling took the contract and, upon careful inspection, noticed something was amiss.
One of the clauses in the contract stated that if Gong Ning’s disciple won, Gong Ning could transfer her registration to the Jiang clan of the Heart-Sword Hall…
She remembered that this clause wasn’t there in her previous life.
The contract in her previous life stated that if her master won, a new position of Associate Elder would be specially created, allowing her to be unrestricted by sect affiliation.
Admittedly, the root cause of this incident was her master teaching a disciple across sects, which became an angle of attack for the Sky-Sword Pavilion.
The contract in her previous life seemed to solve this problem by creating a new position, but in reality, her master still belonged to the Sky-Sword Pavilion and was still constrained.
But the current contract treated both the symptoms and the root cause.
‘Such a deviously clever contract must have been thought up by Tang Qiaohuan! As the Sect Master’s daughter, it’s all too easy for her to whisper in her ear and speak some bewitching words.’
‘Can that master of bad ideas also have good ideas?’ Tao Lingling didn’t believe it.
She had learned many truths from her past life, and one of them was to never trust Tang Qiaohuan’s schemes.
Yesterday, Tang Qiaohuan had wanted her to use the Gluttonous Calamity and Life Recording on Lu Yunling in the arena.
Although she thought it was a good method, she only intended to use it as a last resort.
Even though that was the enemy who had killed her, she was still her former senior sister, her master’s favorite disciple.
Moreover, it was only natural for her to wield her blade against herself in the name of righteousness.
If she hadn’t suddenly stood on the opposite side, Tao Lingling would never have wanted to lay a killing hand on her.
But she was indeed going to harm her master, so Tao Lingling could only resort to dirty tricks.
Furthermore, as the fight went on, she had unknowingly forgotten about this matter, as if she had been cursed by something, only remembering after she stepped off the stage.
But by then, she had already won.
So, why did she change the contract’s content?
She couldn’t figure it out.
She could only see the benefits of this matter, not the harm.
But if there were only benefits, then it wouldn’t be Tang Qiaohuan.
‘Wait, in that case, wouldn’t Jiang Yuyao and Master become family?’
“No! Master is Master. Her name was given to her by her parents, not by the Sky-Sword Pavilion. Why would she need to change it?”
Gong Ning was taken aback.
Her disciple’s words brought her great joy.
“Lingling is right. Changing my surname is indeed unnecessary. Gong Ning doesn’t need the Sky-Sword Pavilion to add luster to this name.”
Jiang Yuyao nodded and took back the contract.
“There’s one more thing. The Sect Master will be going out for a while and plans to temporarily entrust her daughter to our Heart-Sword Hall.”
Gong Ning remembered this.
The Sect Master had been an honest person her whole life.
Twenty years ago, when she went out, she suddenly had an epiphany and married a woman.
Now, she had a daughter.
Gong Ning had seen the girl before, but it seemed that every time she saw her, she hadn’t grown much taller.
What was most impressive about her were her eyes, which always seemed clever when they darted around.
Tao Lingling, however, was on high alert, “What is she coming to the Heart-Sword Hall for?”
“What else could it be for? Our Heart-Sword Hall raises people, so naturally, she was sent here.”
‘Raising people or raising idlers?’
Tao Lingling wondered whether she should reveal that Tang Qiaohuan was a Drama Spirit, which would surely break Tang Qiaohuan’s composure.
But then she couldn’t explain how she knew.
“There’s one more thing. That group of elders seems to be over the moon and wants to invite you to a victory banquet.”
It seemed that after Lingling won, things just kept coming one after another.
But fortunately, they were all good things.
“A victory banquet? Lingling’s victory banquet? That’s really…”
Since ancient times, it was always the victor who hosted their own victory banquet; who ever had one hosted for them?
It seemed Lingling’s victory this time had caused everyone in the Heart-Sword Hall to boil with excitement.
“When is it?”
“Today, at Elder Xue’s residence.”
‘Eh? It’s her?’
“Then I…”
Gong Ning looked at her clothes, wondering if it would be better to change back into her elder’s daoist robe.
“What are you worried about? Are you afraid that others will be captivated by you, or are you afraid that this outfit is too devastatingly beautiful?”
“Why are you like this too?”
Gong Ning shot Jiang Yuyao a嗔怒 glance, which made the latter’s heartstrings tighten.
“You need to learn some expression management… In any case, there’s nothing wrong with attending in formal attire. There’s no problem with showing yourself off generously.”
Jiang Yuyao didn’t think this was a bad thing.
How could the once confident and reserved Gong Ning become dejected and melancholic just because she had turned into a woman?
Even if her eyes were indeed alluring and her posture indeed enchanting, it was still much better than her cowering with her chest hunched and head lowered.
“That’s right, Master, you are the most beautiful. You look beautiful in anything. Why not wear something nice? No one can compare to you anyway.”
‘Master going out in clothes I made myself, this sense of accomplishment is even better than defeating Lu Yunling!’
“Well… alright, since you both said so.”
Gong Ning caressed the looped button on her collar and looked down at the draping skirt.
With every step, she could see the rippling pattern, as if lotuses were truly falling into water.
Noon seemed to take an eternity to arrive.
At times like these, time was like a turtle, stubbornly refusing to move.
Gong Ning set off on her way, her disciple holding her arm.
The feeling was different from when Bai Peilan held her arm.
Bai Peilan truly saw her as a woman, clean and without ripples.
But her disciple’s gesture, for some reason, could make Gong Ning’s heart skip a beat.
She was always particularly aware of the skin where their arms touched, particularly aware of the touch from her side-chest.
With every step, she would touch this embarrassing place.
Fortunately, she had put on a veil, so no one would discover how hot her face was.