All The Female Disciples Want To Kill Me-Chapter 597 345_2

If only I were truly a man...
...
The pile of firewood inside the Daoist Temple cast a dim, flickering glow.
With light strokes, Su Bei cleaned the two swords within the Sword Box, feeling an entirely new energy coursing through his body, and murmured to himself, "Swords need nurturing."
The Qingping Sword had become second nature to him, but he still lacked control over the Missing Departure.
Throughout the ages, the myriad laws and changes of the world remained fundamentally the same. What countless cultivators sought was the great immortality that defied death. Only cultivators who achieved minor immortality truly deserved the title of "Immortal," having begun their journey of "Achieving Dao." For Sword Cultivators, the sword nurtured the person, and the person nurtured the sword. While it wasn't as exaggerated as becoming one with their sword, those who desired to reach the end of the cultivator's path had to, at the very least, cultivate their own Sword Spirit.
Slowly closing his eyes, Su Bei fully opened his Dantian Knowledge Sea. His soul diffused outward, merging with the surrounding world, and he saw himself sitting cross-legged.
His soul wound around the Missing Departure for a moment before returning to his body.
Touching the sword again, he could feel it was noticeably more intimate than just moments before.
Seeing this, Su Bei nodded in satisfaction, then picked up the Longsword, skewered a piece of pork on it, and began to roast it over the fire. "The sword has been well nurtured."
Missing Departure: "..."
Flower Bright Moon, shrouded in light mist.
Footsteps approached gently from behind Su Bei. In the flickering firelight, a familiar white veil could barely be seen.
There was no moon in the sky; everything around was somewhat dim.
A smile curved Su Bei's lips. Without looking, he swept the woman into his arms by the waist, laughing as he said, "Ji Baoer, why have you come back alone? Speak! Where did you leave Zi Jun?"
"..."
As he spoke, his hands began to roam upwards. Pressing against her, his lips neared her ear as his hands moved with the curves of her body.
Li Zijun's eyes widened, her mind blank as Su Bei pulled her effortlessly towards him. Feeling his large, skilled hands exploring her body, she couldn't think straight for a moment. She had just bathed, and her body still carried a light fragrance, filling the Daoist Temple with a sensual atmosphere. Her face gradually turned rosy, though it was unclear if it was from the embarrassing intimacy or because of his firm grip on her wrist.
Su Bei frowned slightly, gradually realizing something was amiss. Ji Baoer's body should be more... developed in this area, not so delicate. And he could feel the woman beneath him trembling.
"Ma... Master."
Li Zijun finally snapped out of her shock, her small hands shakily pushing against Su Bei as she said nervously, "I'm not Sister Nan Ji... I'm Zi Jun..."
"..."
There was a hint of grievance in her voice. She turned her body to the side, averted her gaze, and bit her lip.
Su Bei froze, then leaned down, staring blankly at the young woman before him.
What kind of beastly thing had he just done?
The atmosphere turned awkward. Su Bei wanted to comfort her by stroking her head, but he hesitated, afraid the gesture might be misunderstood. His hand hovered, frozen in mid-air, and he swallowed hard.
"Disciple, I... I didn't know it was you," he stammered. "You were wearing your master's wife's clothes, and the firelight was dim..."
Li Zijun lowered her head and mumbled an acknowledgment, her expression hidden.
"Master... c-could you move first?"
"..."
Su Bei gave an awkward smile and gently rose, rubbing his nose. He thought for a moment, then said, "I truly didn't know..."
As he spoke, he reached for her snow-white wrist, intending to help her up.
The firelight flickered, casting shifting shadows on their faces, each lost in their own thoughts.
For some reason, as Su Bei gazed at Li Zijun's luminous, jade-like face, an unexpected impulse surged within him, and his heart began to beat faster.
Compared to Nan Ji, his actions just now had been quite forward. The physical sensation Li Zijun offered was vastly different. Yet her gentleness, mixed with a subtle, almost imperceptible aloofness, stirred a strange feeling within Su Bei.
As if forgetting the earlier awkwardness, Su Bei raised his hand again. He extended two fingers, cautiously reaching for Li Zijun's face. After a brief hesitation, his fingers finally brushed against her jade-smooth cheek.
Li Zijun's delicate body trembled lightly. Her star-like eyes flickered, and she instinctively tried to pull away, creating a small gap between them. This time, however, she didn't react strongly. Instead, she closed her eyes, allowing Su Bei to gently stroke her beautiful face with his two fingers.
Warm and smooth like jade.
Suddenly, Su Bei saw pearl-like tears escape from the corners of Li Zijun's eyes, sliding down her snow-white cheeks. The flickering firelight illuminated two glistening tear tracks.
Su Bei's hand stilled. Then, his fingers gently slid to Li Zijun's soft chin, tilting her face towards him. He gazed intently at her exquisite features.
With two fingers, he gently wiped away her tears and said softly, "I'm sorry."
"I..."
Li Zijun looked up at Su Bei, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears.
She didn't even know why she was crying. Was it because of his offense? Or because they were destined to have no future together? Seeing that momentary daze in his eyes, Li Zijun didn't know what expression to make. Was it helplessness?
"Flowers in the mirror, the moon in the water," she murmured.
Li Zijun gently lifted her head. A faint smile touched her lips as she blinked back the last tear. "Your disciple doesn't blame you, Master," she said. "Sister Nan Ji gave me the dress. That's why Master mistook me."
"..."
Su Bei managed an awkward smile, suppressing the troubling thoughts that had just surged within him.
Why were all the disciples he took in so strange? Each one felt as if they had known him for ages, and there always seemed to be some kind of inexplicable emotion between them.
Just then, the door opened.
Ji Nanjue, having changed into a different outfit, walked in. She surveyed the scene with a peculiar expression. Barefoot, she sat down beside Su Bei and began wiping lingering water droplets from her skin.
A flicker of doubt crossed her eyes. Usually, he would have pounced on her by now. Why was he so calm today? What had happened between those two while she was gone? The atmosphere felt so strange.
"Husband, what's wrong? You seem distracted."
Su Bei smiled at her and pulled Ji Nanjue into an embrace.
Nestled in his arms, Ji Nanjue seemed to sense the turmoil of his emotions. She tilted her head up and gently kissed the corner of his lips.
She had been thinking a great deal just moments before. She knew the road ahead would be long and arduous. The harshness of the world would inevitably make their journey together exceptionally difficult. Yet, this brief moment of peace filled her with a deep sense of satisfaction. Her mindset was slowly beginning to change. Not seeking to possess for all eternity, but cherishing what they once had.
"It's nothing." Su Bei stroked her hair. "It's late. We should get some sleep..."
Ji Nanjue stood up and took the still-distracted Li Zijun's small hand. She carefully examined her own dress, now on Li Zijun, and nodded. "Zi Jun, this dress actually suits you quite well..."
Li Zijun's face turned bright red.
Ji Nanjue glanced at Su Bei and said, feigning a cold tone, "As punishment, you'll sleep outside tonight. I'll sleep with Zi Jun." She winked at Li Zijun. "How about that, Zi Jun?"
Li Zijun hesitated, startled. She glanced up at Su Bei, then at Ji Nanjue beside her, and said, finding it hard to agree, "That... that doesn't seem right. It looks like it's going to rain outside."
Su Bei knew, of course, that Nan Ji was giving him an out. She must have sensed the earlier awkwardness.
A warmth spread through his heart. He looked at Ji Nanjue. "I'll go outside then..."
At that very moment, the faint sound of footsteps approached from not too far away.
The abrupt noise made all three of them frown. Su Bei voiced his confusion, "Travelers, at this hour of the night?"
"..."