Banquet

Elder Xue’s residence wasn’t as grand as the Sword Immortal’s, but it had a courtyard and a pond, giving it a rather fresh and comfortable feel.
Upon entering, they saw a table set up in the courtyard, where several junior disciples were sitting quietly, giving off the awkward feeling of being dragged to a feast by their elders.
Xue Yingdong warmly greeted them, affectionately taking Gong Ning’s hand.
“Jingzhi, ah, your cultivation is not what it used to be. Do you get tired from walking all this way?”
Jiang Yuyao raised an eyebrow, thinking, ‘Eh? You have two faces?’
Gong Ning shook her head, somewhat amused.
She was truly tickled by Elder Xue.
“Not at all. Cultivators have never feared hardship and darkness, let alone a short distance like this. A stroll along the way can also relieve some boredom.”
Hearing this, Xue Yingdong felt even closer to her, especially when she heard the words “not feared hardship and darkness.” Her eyes lit up.
She then turned her gaze to Tao Lingling.
“This must be your promising disciple. The last time I visited you, she was just getting out of bed. I thought she was the type to love ease and hate work. It was my mistake to judge others by my own standards and be so prejudiced.”
“She has been cultivating diligently these past few days, even forgoing food and sleep, so it’s inevitable that she would be tired for a while.”
“Truly… a rare talent. Capable people can be found everywhere in the Mystic Sky Sword Sect, but those with such character are few and far between, especially here in the Heart-Sword Hall…”
Hearing her starting to ramble again, Gong Ning quickly changed the subject, “Actually, she didn’t sleep at all last night either. She insisted on making this dress for me… I heard you’ve prepared a victory banquet, and as the guest of honor, she couldn’t not come.”
Xue Yingdong immediately understood her meaning; she was showing off.
But what was wrong with a little praise?
The Heart-Sword Hall was already overjoyed to have such a person.
“I was just about to say, seeing you so beautifully dressed today, I wanted to praise you, but I was concerned that you used to be a man and might not accept it. Seeing you so open-minded, I won’t be stingy with my compliments. I’m just afraid you’ll be praised until you’re embarrassed.”
Jiang Yuyao was getting a headache listening to this.
What on earth were they talking about?
The overly literary and pretentious tone was too much.
“What’s the point of all this effort? Let’s go inside. Don’t you feel the sun?”
“You’re a Nascent Soul and you’re afraid of the sun? Are you a Yaksha or a Rakshasa?”
Xue Yingdong rolled her eyes at her, then said to Gong Ning, “Is your good disciple alright? If she’s really sleepy, she can go rest in my room.”
Gong Ning looked at Tao Lingling and, seeing her shake her head, replied, “This child of mine isn’t so delicate. Knowing you’ve specially held a victory banquet for her, she’s too happy to feel sleepy.”
Xue Yingdong had said she would praise her, but she herself was praised until she was happy, grabbing Gong Ning’s hand and leading her into the house.
Tao Lingling, however, did not follow them in, saying she would go to the children’s table.
Inside the room, the elders were already seated: three inner sect elders and five outer sect elders.
“Ya, Master, this is your…”
Zhou Yu’an was not at all reserved.
Upon seeing Gong Ning, she was full of “Master,” and came up to touch the fabric of Gong Ning’s skirt.
“Isn’t this the cloud-brocade from yesterday? How did it become a dress today, and so beautifully made?”
Gong Ning loved to hear people praise this dress, “Lingling made it. She insisted on giving it to me, so it wasn’t right to refuse.”
Zhou Yu’an’s heart skipped a beat.
She thought she was already satisfied with her master picking out a gift for her disciple, but she didn’t expect this twist.
She had gotten her fill of shipping, and she had seen her stunning beauty.
It was truly blissful.
In contrast, Bai Peilan was reserved.
In front of the inner sect elders and the Hall Master, she never dared to be too presumptuous.
She had actually seriously considered whether it would be better for her to sit at the children’s table.
The children’s table, in fact, consisted of the direct disciples of the various elders.
But everyone’s cultivation level was somewhat lacking, with the highest being only at the second level of Foundation Establishment.
Seeing Tao Lingling take her seat, some were curious, some wanted to speak, and some were looking down, thinking about who knows what.
The first to speak was a girl.
“Junior Sister Tao, I am Wang Xiaodie, Bai Peilan’s disciple. My master often interacts with your master.”
‘Oh, it’s that poor ghost’s disciple. In my last life, that poor ghost was the one who disliked Master the most, always gossiping about Master behind her back.’
‘But this life, it seems their relationship is quite good, so I might as well get to know her. Managing Master’s interpersonal relationships is also what a disciple should do.’
“I’ve long heard of you, Senior Sister Wang.”
The second disciple also spoke, but without introducing himself, instead asking a strange question, “Junior Sister, may I ask, what is your relationship with Elder Gong Ning?”
‘What other relationship could there be? Just a normal master-disciple relationship.’
But Tao Lingling didn’t know why, after he asked this question, the others all looked at her intently.
‘Admittedly, I do have improper thoughts about Master, but can such a thing be said out loud? This is highly rebellious, not to mention between two women… even if Master used to be a man, it’s still against etiquette.’
“Just… a master-disciple relationship.”
For some reason, they all looked disappointed.
Someone else asked, “Then, how does your master usually treat you?”
“Very well. I have three meals a day, and I don’t lack cultivation resources. She even spars with me and guides my swordsmanship. Although cultivation is hard, she always takes care of me more.”
At this, they were simultaneously envious and satisfied again.
“With such a good master, do you have any other thoughts about her?”
Tao Lingling’s alarm bells went off immediately.
‘Oh no, have I been found out?’
“I… of course I have thoughts. In fact, I always think of Master as a mother…”
They were disappointed again, their expressions a rollercoaster of emotions.
“Then you…”
This meal was not a happy one.
Even though Xue Yingdong used the best ingredients and hired the most skilled chef from the cafeteria, Tao Lingling still ate unhappily.
She didn’t know where these people got their curiosity from, always asking such tricky questions, as if they wanted to unveil the darkest veil of her heart.
She had thought that while Master was networking with the elders, she would handle these young ones, but it turned out to be so torturous.
Gong Ning, on the other hand, was content.
With a new goal, new friends made, and both host and guest happy, what more could she be dissatisfied with?
She had even had a little wine, her face slightly flushed and rosy, her eyes half-closed, covered in a hazy drunkenness.
Her lips, stained by the wine, were exceptionally red, curved into a delicate arc.
At first, she felt fine, but she didn’t know if it was because this body was too delicate or what, but her head became heavier and heavier, until she plunged headfirst into the Sword Immortal’s chest, and only then did everyone realize something was wrong.
“She… has not been good with alcohol for a long time. Later, she found some methods and forced herself to drink, and slowly got better. I didn’t expect that after becoming a woman, she would revert to her old self.”
At first, Jiang Yuyao didn’t think anything was wrong, but the face resting on her chest was too enchanting, always exhaling like silk, making her heart jump.
“It’s about time. I’ll take her back first. We can meet again when we have the chance. Hey, girl, let’s go!”
Hearing this, Tao Lingling was finally able to escape from this interrogation hell.
She quickly got up and saw her master leaning against the Sword Immortal’s arms like a delicate wife.
“What did you do to my master?”
“She’s drunk. You come and support her.”
“…Oh.”
Seeing her so open-minded, Tao Lingling thought, ‘Could it be that I misunderstood?’
The remaining few disciples looked at each other.
“Wasn’t there a Sword Immortal in ‘The Forsaken Immortal’? She had quite a few scenes.”
“Shh, the Sword Immortal hasn’t gone far yet, be careful not to be overheard.”
“No, no, Master can only belong to her good disciple.”
“Can’t you tell who’s more important? The Sword Immortal was clearly here first. Besides, what will you do if Master has other disciples in the future?”
“Why make things so complicated? Can’t you just have them all?”
“That’s true.”