Chapter 5 Part 1
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This chapter is edited by omileye ibrahim. Thank you for your contribution!
Chapter 5: Entering An Lan (1)
The light was very dim.
The giant body of the Blood Tree Patriarch had blocked out most of the sunlight.
Bai Lian’s “thin and long” body stood at the entrance of the cave, and the cave, void of any candlelight, felt as though it had been swallowed by the dark night.
It was very dark.
Falling.
Keep falling.
Just as it seemed she was about to sink to the bottom, a rope suddenly dropped from above.
Clap.
The crisp sound of the rope snapping back brought An Lan back to her senses.
That…
An Lan slowly raised her head as she curled up at the edge of the bed.
She saw the familiar yet strange face, and then, before her, appeared an unprecedentedly brilliant starry sky.
Starting from the ★ under the right eye, countless stars in the night sky began to rotate in a clockwise direction.
An Lan reached out and tried to grab the rope.
She stretched, as if she had extended into a damp place.
It was a well!
Well water!
Clatter—
The sound of water rippling echoed.
The water rippled, and in that moment, the reflection on the water’s surface shattered into countless stars.
Finally, the entire Milky Way vanished.
“…”
An Lan paused.
She remembered that Bai Lian possessed a [Field] similar to the Star River Fantasy Realm.
But how could Bai Lian, still only at the Transcendency Stage, have a [Field] powerful enough to affect her?
An Lan frowned slightly.
Perhaps she had truly tired herself out—both physically and mentally—feeling drained and exhausted.
Despite Bai Lian’s loud movements, An Lan hadn’t been able to detect the anomaly beforehand.
She had only known Bai Lian had arrived because she had meddled with the magic array outside the cave earlier.
Once Bai Lian stepped into the bamboo forest, An Lan was immediately alerted.
At that time, An Lan hadn’t intended to sit up straight and show her “Master’s Majesty.”
She had been giving Bai Lian the cold shoulder, blaming her for everything. Why should she care about what Bai Lian thought at that moment?
An Lan could sit however she liked.
It had nothing to do with Bai Lian!
After all, she was Bai Lian’s master.
If Bai Lian dared to show dissatisfaction or express an opinion, she would be going against her master. And such disobedience would be met with strict punishment!
Perhaps a few hard slaps on the butt…
Or using her feet to pin Bai Lian down and rub her into the ground…
Or…
“Master.”
Bai Lian’s voice snapped An Lan back from her imagination of “unimaginably terrifying punishment.”
She immediately scowled.
Anyway, she hadn’t planned to give Bai Lian a pleasant look.
“Why don’t you celebrate with your Martial Sisters at Yunluo Peak? What do you want to do in this lonely little cave?”
Emmm…
This sentence made Bai Lian dizzy.
When did the master begin using so many adjectives and qualifiers?
In the past, she was always sparse with her words, as though each word she spoke drained her life force.
Wait.
Bai Lian’s expression turned stern. This wasn’t the time to respond impulsively to her master.
She needed to take this seriously.
She must first understand her master’s intentions.
If she acted rashly and made the wrong choice, she could anger her master, and it wouldn’t be easy to undo the damage.
She needed to remove the unnecessary details and focus on the master’s core intent…
As Bai Lian thought deeply, the system suddenly chimed in.
Was it not trusting her supreme wisdom?
Even while muttering to herself, Bai Lian still took the time to review the task.
[Task 1]: What the master really wants to say is, “Why don’t you celebrate at the top of Yunluo Peak? Why do you come to me?” (Reward: +1 Hard Skill)
[Task 2]: What the master really wants to say is, “Why don’t you accompany your Martial Sisters? Why do you come to me?” (Reward: Light Skill +1)
“…”
Bai Lian wasn’t a fool.
When there was nothing to compare to, she had noticed her master’s tone was off. Now that there was something to compare to, if she still chose wrongly, she might as well give up on the idea of getting closer to her master.
She chose Task 2.
Just after making the selection, a new task appeared.
It was starting to feel more and more like a gal game!
Bai Lian’s divine sense wandered through the three tasks.
[Task 1]: “Master, I’m just going for a walk. Since you’re not doing anything, I’ll head back to Yunluo Peak.” (Reward: a low-grade Spirit Tool: Ruyi Golden Cane)
[Task 2]: “Master, how could we celebrate without you?” (Reward: Wind Spiritual Herb)
[Task 3]: “Master, you don’t seem to be in a very good mood.” (Reward: +1 Focus)
Of course, Task 1 was not an option.
But Task 2 and Task 3 really made Bai Lian hesitate for a moment.
The Wind Spiritual Herb was more valuable than 1 point of Focus, but in the long run, it wasn’t as beneficial.
Let’s call it fifty-fifty.
Task 2 or Task 3?
Lead the master back to the celebration, or stay and accompany her in this cold, quiet place?
An Lan spoke impatiently, “What do you want to do, exactly? If you have something to do, hurry up. If not, get out of my sight. I need to rest.”
Her sharp temper felt like a cattle horn poking into Bai Lian.
Hmm.
Yes, yes.
She chose Task 3.
She couldn’t let the master’s frustration fall on anyone else.
As her master’s eldest disciple, Bai Lian felt it was her responsibility to absorb her master’s temper alone.
She could handle it.
Everyone said that Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian was open-minded—she could endure her master’s bad temper!
“Master, do you seem to be in a bad mood?”
“Ah.”
An Lan immediately sneered.
You can see it.
But isn’t it all your fault?
Yes, it’s all your fault!
“Who said I’m in a bad mood? I’m in a good mood!” An Lan glared angrily at Bai Lian, clutching her chest with both hands. “Rebel, you actually figured out your master’s thoughts. Do you think your cultivation base is so impressive after being promoted? I tell you, your master will always be your master!”
Ah, this…
Bai Lian opened her mouth.
In the system’s view, Task 3 was the lowest risk, so why did her master mock her?
She wasn’t angry, but she felt An Lan was mistaken.
“Your master will always be your master?”
Stop making noise.
I’ll turn you into my wife soon enough!
Of course, Bai Lian had no intention of starting a “fierce clash” with An Lan in this moment.
Instead, she abruptly changed the subject.
Rather than harsh, it was more accurate to say it was strong-willed.
“Master, the New Year is coming again!”
“The Lantern Festival is only a month away.”
“Last year at this time, you and I weren’t in the Duxian Sect, but this year is different.”
Bai Lian’s smile was like a little sunshine.
It didn’t burn, but it wrapped around the person, giving them a sense of warmth.
In an instant, the cold, miserable little cave transformed into a hot and humid steamer.
An Lan, who had been like a little tiger baring her teeth and claws, gradually relaxed.
She stared at Bai Lian blankly.
So, it had been a year.
Bai Lian was still the same.
She was completely different.
Last year around this time, An Lan had first changed her mind, wanting to erase the word “death” from Bai Lian’s body.
An Lan thought back to last year’s New Year’s Eve.
At the last moment of New Year’s Eve, staring at the empty bowl on the table in a daze, Bai Lian had suddenly barged in from outside.
As she had done today——
“Master!”
