The Runaway Disciple and the Teasing Master

Once upon a time, there stood a Magical Fairy Castle. Within its walls resided seven enchanting witches, each as beautiful as a celestial being, their charm blossoming like exquisite flowers. Alongside them lived their adorable and captivating young disciple, Tou, whose temperament seemed deceptively volatile.

Today, Tou, with his penchant for bravado and his contradictory nature, once again yearned to depart from his masters, who persistently treated him as a mere child. However, events were about to unfold in an unexpected manner…

After leaving the castle, Tou sprinted another hundred meters or so down the mountain, yet his masters still hadn’t emerged to stop him.

Soon, a flicker of panic seized him, and he began to contemplate retreating. Regret washed over him; why had he uttered those words? Wouldn’t it have been better to remain comfortably within the castle walls, accompanying his masters?

What was this talk of becoming a great hero, or rescuing other girls? None of it compared to the sweet comfort of being close to his masters.

As he continued onward, his pace gradually slowed, until he eventually came to a halt. Just as he turned his head, his Fourth Master, Yue Ye Si, with her striking azure eyes, let out a sudden ‘Ha!’ that startled Tou so profoundly he landed squarely on his backside.

Yelping ‘Ow, ow, ow!’ from the fall, Tou’s heart swelled with delight upon recognizing his Fourth Master, Yue Ye Si. Finally, a master had come to take him back.

Yet, Tou’s expression immediately shifted to one of intense displeasure. Scrambling to his feet, he chastised her with an accusing tone: “What exactly do you intend, sneaking around behind me like some perverted thief!”

“Ya ya ya! Little Tou, I’ve been following you all along. You didn’t stop because you wanted to go back, did you?” Yue Ye Si teased, a playful smirk gracing her lips.

“N-no… of course not!” A crimson flush instantly spread across Tou’s fair cheeks. He hastily retorted, “You’re so annoying! Don’t follow me!”

With that, Tou petulantly quickened his pace, dashing further down the mountain.

“Honestly! He clearly wants to go back. Little Tou’s bashful demeanor is still utterly adorable.”

Yue Ye Si pouted playfully, then followed him, chattering incessantly.

“So annoying! So annoying! So annoying! Would you please just shut up!”

Tou grumbled in exasperation, yet a strange thought surfaced in his mind: ‘Why aren’t my masters trying to persuade me to return?’ ‘Even if they knocked me out and carried me back, that would be fine!’

“There are so many fun things down the mountain, Little Tou. Let’s not go back. Your master will take you to enjoy yourself, alright!”

“Eh?”

Tou halted, a hint of surprise on his face. ‘What’s gotten into Master today? Not only is she not making me go back, but she’s even enticing me to descend the mountain with her!’ ‘There’s always a reason for unusual behavior.’ Tou instantly surmised that his master was undoubtedly teasing him. Consequently, his expression hardened, and he warned:

“I’m not going down the mountain to play. And you, stop following me around like a toad-dog! Do you have any idea how annoying you are!”

“There are many dangerous things down the mountain! Without your master to protect you, if you were to become food for monsters and demons, your master would be utterly heartbroken!” Yue Ye Si, long accustomed to his scolding, expressed her concern for Tou’s safety instead.

“I-I’m not afraid of those monsters at all! And I don’t need your protection!”

“Ya ya ya! Then why are you clutching my sleeve?! You’re clearly scared, aren’t you? But don’t worry, I’ll protect you well!”

Just as she had expected, whenever the dangers of the mountain were mentioned, Tou would become frightened and crave a hug.

“Y-you’re so verbose!” A blushing Tou, his face flushed with embarrassment, fiercely kicked Yue Ye Si’s thigh.

“Ow!” Yue Ye Si shrieked. She had pushed her teasing too far, momentarily forgetting that Tou was still a ‘little puppy’ who could bite. The sudden pain was agonizing!

“Who told you to keep trying to trick me with those stories! Don’t think I don’t know; I saw it in the books First Master hid. There are no demons or monsters in this world at all; they’re just ordinary humans, weaker than even me!” Tou declared, as if a sudden realization had struck him.

“Books? Those books with the yellow covers? The stories in them are all fake! You actually believed them!”

“Fake? Then why were they hidden?! I think you all just don’t want me to see the truth of this world; you just want to keep me trapped in the Magical Fairy Castle forever.”

“Since you don’t believe me, then your master will take you down the mountain. You’ll see for yourself whether it’s true then.” Yue Ye Si said nonchalantly, her demeanor instead conveying an air of complete confidence.

“I-if it’s not as you say, then don’t you dare follow me!”

“Alright, alright! Let’s hurry down the mountain! When we get there, Little Tou will be the one calling the shots.”

Yue Ye Si urged him on swiftly, gently nudging Tou’s back as they headed down the mountain.

“Don’t push me, I can walk by myself!”

Tou grumbled, yet began to jog alongside her. His heart, however, was in a state of extreme turmoil.

‘I was planning to go back, so how did I end up finding a whole bunch of reasons to go down the mountain instead!’ ‘Darn these masters! It’s all their fault; why can’t they understand my heart!’

“What are you trying to do now!”

After running for a while, Tou was abruptly grabbed from behind by his master, who seized his long, golden ponytail. Already vexed, Tou impatiently snapped.

“Why, to demonstrate to my adorable little disciple what exactly ‘the treachery of human hearts’ entails! Ya ya ya!”

Yue Ye Si’s grin was utterly mischievous, and Tou was instantly overcome by a sense of foreboding. Once Fourth Master had pulled him into a small grove of trees, certain ‘unharmonious’ images from those yellow-covered books he had previously seen immediately flashed through his mind.

“Little disciple, the human heart is a complicated thing. When someone stands before you, you can never truly know what thoughts lie within their mind. Those who harbor ill intentions will often treat you exceptionally well, only to gain your trust and then stab you viciously when you are in dire straits.

Little Tou, being so adorable, will surely be targeted by ill-intentioned individuals when you venture out into the world. If you end up being used as a ‘furnace cauldron’ (TL Note: A term from cultivation novels referring to a person used for sexual cultivation or to extract vital essence), it would be truly dreadful!”

“So what are you going to do?! Get so close to me again and see if I don’t hit you!” Tou, unnerved by her sudden seriousness, warned her with a trembling voice.

“Ya ya!”

Yue Ye Si approached with a sly chuckle, and Tou, feeling a surge of fear, was about to turn and flee. However, Fourth Master suddenly seized one of Tou’s arms and yanked hard, pulling him directly to her side. She then gripped his right shoulder, rendering him utterly immobile.

As Tou watched in utter horror, Yue Ye Si leaned down and pressed a deep, deliberate kiss upon him!

Her lips were soft and warm, carrying a faint fragrance. Tou’s mind instantly went blank, and his body abruptly turned to jelly. It was his first kiss, and the sensation was unexpectedly wonderful.

After a long moment, Yue Ye Si finally released Tou. He collapsed weakly onto the ground, gasping for breath.

“Normally, all seven of us keep an eye on each other, so you wouldn’t get the chance to kiss any of the other masters! This was your first kiss, you know!”

Yue Ye Si chuckled sinisterly, then licked her lips, pointed a triumphant thumb at herself, and burst into a loud, proud laugh:

“Your first kiss wasn’t with them. It was with *this* Yue Ye Si!”

Tou’s mind suddenly felt as if it had been pricked by a needle, clearing considerably. His body regained its strength, though his face remained a fiery red as he stood before Yue Ye Si.

“What? Does Little Tou still want more? You truly are a little perve—ow~, ow, ow, ow!”

However, she had grown too complacent and forgotten to dodge. Tou’s enraged kick sent her yelping in pain once more.

“Y-you… what kind of shameful thing are you doing in broad daylight! My first kiss should have been… me taking the initiative…”

“Oh! So adorable! Come, give me another kiss!”

“B-bastard! Pervert! Pervert! Pervert!”

Seeing Fourth Master pouting her lips and leaning in for another kiss, Tou quickly adopted a fierce expression and kicked her several times in succession, only then feeling some measure of satisfaction. ‘How can this person be so shameless!’

‘But it was so soft and fragrant… I really want another kiss!’

“Ya ya ya! You clearly still want it, don’t you? How about this, Little Tou, you can kiss me. I won’t resist, and you can kiss for as long as you like!”

Having said that, Yue Ye Si closed her eyes, clasped her hands behind her back, and leaned forward, offering her soft, warm lips.

Tou hastily retreated several steps, still thinking the shameless woman was going to kiss him again. ‘But Master just said she wanted me to kiss her… Tou really wants to kiss her, but he’s so ashamed!’

‘What should I do?’

“What’s wrong, Little Tou? This is your reward, you know. If you don’t kiss me soon, I’ll open my eyes.”

“R-reward your big head! Shameless creature, you’re asking for a beating! A beating! A beating!” Tou’s sense of shame ultimately triumphed over his desire. He pounded his small fists against Fourth Master’s rather perfectly developed chest, then stormed off.

“Ya ya ya! What a little tsundere. Big Sister entrusted Little Tou to me, so I must bring back several little, little Tous. We’ll have plenty of time tonight, ehehehehehe…”