Chapter 16 - Master

"Master, the disciple didn't understand." She was stunned.

What did he mean by asking her where she would like to celebrate her birthday? She never celebrated her birthday.

Xiu Wanxia was the one who celebrated her birthday.

I was tagged along in my previous life.

Her thoughts were drifted away as she remembered that, each of the years when their birthday arrived, she stood silently when everyone's attention was on her twin sister.

Xiu Wanxia was the one who chose the place where she wished to celebrate her birthday.

"Where would you wish to celebrate your birthday?" Zhang Qingsheng's ethereal voice sounded as he repeated the same question.

His voice was comforting, giving people a sense of being captivating and soothing, like a melody.

"Master, anywhere is good." She has no opinion because she knows that her opinion doesn't matter.

"How about going to Infinite Snow Mountain? You love to go there." Zhang Qingsheng asked with patience.

Xiu Wanxue's body staggered back. She felt unbelievable. Infinite Snow Mountain?

Isn't that place... Was one of the coldest mountains located in the Valley of Miracle?

That was her favourite place. Whenever she felt lonely, she often went there to sit on top of the mountain, enjoying the feeling of the falling snow.

Of course, based on her cultivation level at that time, she couldn't go to that dangerous mountain alone.

She went to the Sacred Blade Pavilion, an organisation where all the strong masters in the Twin Moons continent gathered and were ready to take any quests that the clients wished to ask them to complete, as long as the clients could pay a satisfactory price.

She spent her spirit stones and some treasures that she got from her adventure and asked a Core Formation master to accompany her to go there and protect her safety.

She disappeared for several days, and no one looked or asked where she had gone.

She was sure that she never mentioned this matter to anyone. Why would he know that this place was her favourite place to go?

"Master, the disciple planned to go out and pick up some rare herbs outside the sect to refine medicine. The disciple might be late to join the sister's birthday this year." Xiu Wanxue changed the topic.

Even if she asked him how he knew, she was sure that he wouldn't respond to her because the master was the type of person who never explained anything to others.

"You mean to let us celebrate her fourteenth birthday without you?" After a long time of silence, his voice again rang.

His voice was plain, so she couldn't perceive his emotions right now.

"Yes, master."

"Your strength…" Zhang Qingsheng seemed not to be surprised that her strength suddenly soared.

She was helpless. She didn't know any way to hide her strength. People who were stronger than her will undoubtedly notice this.

No wonder her eldest senior brother, Zhu Zemin, wanted to kill her. Perhaps he thought that someone was pretending to be her.

"Take this exercise to learn. It helps you to hide your breath and cultivation." After a moment, a scroll appeared in front of her.

"The disciple was grateful for the master's kindness." She hesitated to accept the scroll. In the end, she stretched her hand to take it. She didn't want to owe him anymore. Nevertheless, she couldn't deny that; she really needs this scroll right now.

Without the method to hide her strength, people will be suspicious of her sudden strength, which has advanced several levels in a short period of time.

"Three days later, come back. I have something for you."

"Yes, master."

"You may leave." His voice suddenly changed, which confused her.

Was the master in a bad mood?

"Farewell, master." She saluted him with bitterness in her heart. She still couldn't avoid attending Xiu Wanxia's birthday.

She didn't want to go there and become an eyesore to spoil their warm atmosphere.

Unfortunately, she was in no position to refuse the master's words because she must respect him and listen to him for now.

After her figure disappeared from the place, Zhang Qingsheng was silent.

The man stood under the red plum blossom tree as his slender fingers touched the soft and floral petals of the plum blossom tree. He put one of the plum blossom petal close to his heart before he looked in the direction where Xiu Wanxue left, as if he had seen through the wall of barriers inside the mountain cave.

If anyone was here, they would find out that the colour of the plum blossom tree was exactly the same as Xiu Wanxue's ruby eyes.

Then he slowly closed his eyes to hide his gloom.

Someone hurt her. He saw the purple bruise on her neck, even if she tried to hide. Who hurt her?

"Master, Xia'er has returned." A soft voice rang outside of his mountain cave, stopping him from immersing himself in his own thoughts.

The soft voice that he has been listening to for more than ten years now calls his name lovingly, yet he didn't react to that voice.

"Master, could Xia'er go in?" Xiu Wanxia's tone was softer than when she spoke with her senior brothers and the other people.

She seemed to be afraid that she would disturb her master.

Zhang Qingsheng didn't respond or look at the direction of her voice. In his eyes, there was only the ruby petal, which was lying obediently on his palm.

Xiu Wanxia stood for a long time without hearing her master's response. She scratched her head in confusion.

Where did the master go? Why didn't he respond to her? Did the master close the practice?

She could only leave the forest, her expression filled with reluctance. She somehow missed the master so much.

...….

Xiu Wanxue returned to her cave. There, she unexpectedly saw a bottle of the ointment on the rock in front of her cave.

She picked up the bottle of

ointment and knew that this was the best-grade ointment for healing the bruised skin.

She opened the bottle of ointment and sniffed. She could smell the precious herbs that were refined inside this ointment.

This ointment costs five high-grade spirit stones, which is equal to five hundred medium-grade spirit stones.

Once it is applied to the skin, the bruise will immediately heal in a short period of time and could relieve the soreness and pain.

Who put this bottle of ointment in front of her cave? Is that Zhu Zemin?

It can't be. How could he be kind to her after he just wanted to kill her because of a little misunderstanding?

It can't be her twin sister because she has never done this. If Xiu Wanxia wanted to give her something, she would only give those things to her when other people were present.