Chapter 804: Chapter 801: Walking Side by Side Chapter 804: Chapter 801: Walking Side by Side Shen Luo walked shoulder to shoulder with Nie Caizhu, covering a good distance in silence, with neither initiating conversation.
“Cousin, in the matter of cultivation, aside from diligence, it's also important to let things take their natural course. Why push yourself so hard?” At last, it was Shen Luo who broke the silence, asking the question.
However, having said that, he felt somewhat amused. Nie Caizhu's cultivation level was now much higher than his; his words carried a hint of playing the teacher.
“There's no way around it,” Nie Caizhu explained, “After the Master brought me back to the Mountain Gate, I always wanted to return, but she never allowed it. She issued a strict command that I was not to leave the Mountain Gate until my cultivation reached the Great Mahayana Stage.”
“Doesn't she treat you well?” Shen Luo felt a stir in his heart and asked.
“Not at all, don't misunderstand; Master is very good to me. Despite being the current head of Mount Putuo and busy with numerous matters, she has never been negligent or perfunctory in guiding my cultivation. Otherwise, no matter how diligent I was, I could never have achieved my current cultivation level,” Nie Caizhu quickly waved her hands and explained.
“That's good then… I originally thought it would be many more years before I could see you again. I didn't expect… to come to Mount Putuo so soon,” Shen Luo said with a deep sigh.
Nie Caizhu stopped in her tracks, turned around, and looked carefully at Shen Luo, her eyes suddenly brimming with tears.
“What's wrong?” Shen Luo, thinking he had said something amiss, immediately looked somewhat flustered.
“Only after I began cultivating did I realize just how much suffering is involved. Even with the support of the sect, there have been many times when I felt I couldn't carry on. Your journey must have been very difficult too, right?” Nie Caizhu said with furrowed brows and a soft voice.
Shen Luo felt warmed by her concern. Looking at the woman before him, now devoid of youthful naivety, he couldn't help but lift his hand and gently pat her head, as if he were back in Chunhua City that year.
“Although I do not have the support of a sect, I have met quite a few noble people over the years, so it hasn't been as difficult as you imagine,” Shen Luo said with a smile.
Despite facing life-and-death situations many times over the years and constantly being on the brink of exhausting his lifespan, it somehow all didn't seem so hard anymore.
“Eh, is that Junior Sister Nie?” Just then, a surprised shout came from not too far away.
Only then did Shen Luo realize that the two of them had unwittingly arrived at a small square. Although it was night and not many people were around, they still drew the attention of others.
After one female disciple recognized them and called out, the three or four others around turned their gazes toward them as well.
“Who is that person? He doesn't seem to be a disciple of our sect…”
“How can this be? Why would Junior Sister Nie be so intimate with this man?”
“And it's not Brother Zhou Yu…”
“That man does look decent, but he's far from Brother Zhou Yu…”
A series of low murmurs and whispers from the surroundings began to sound.
Shen Luo frowned slightly, but without much hesitation, he directly took Nie Caizhu's delicate hand and walked forward at a leisurely pace.
Nie Caizhu offered no resistance, although the tips of her ears grew somewhat warm. She followed him silently, leaving behind the Mount Putuo disciples, who uttered sighs and cries of amazement at the scene.
Hidden in the shadows of a tree's canopy, Wuming clutched the trunk beside him, his fingers digging into the bark as he could not conceal the jealousy and rage in his eyes.
But a moment later, his eyes suddenly brightened, and he let out a long breath, murmuring to himself, “It seems his intentions are not toward Sister Li Shu. Now the one who should be anxious isn't me, heh heh…”
After speaking, though he still struggled to contain his excitement, he set off towards Zhou Yu's Cave Mansion that very night.
Shen Luo and Nie Caizhu stepped out of the square's boundaries, and once again, silence enveloped them, yet neither released the other's hand.
“When did you find out I had come to Mount Putuo?” Shen Luo asked.
He knew that Nie Caizhu's sudden end to her seclusion today was by no means a coincidence.
“It was getting close to evening when Sister Lu Ying suddenly sent me a message. She said that some scoundrel from the Great Tang Dynasty Government, claiming to be my fiance, had arrived and asked if I wanted help in teaching him a lesson. At first, I couldn't believe it was you, but I hoped it was, so I ended my seclusion early and came out. I just didn't expect to bump into you here in the Purple Bamboo Forest right after coming out,” said Nie Caizhu slowly.
“It must have been Daoist Friend Li Shu who told her,” Shen Luo couldn't help but laugh.
“Cousin, how did you come to represent the Great Tang Dynasty Government at the 'Immortal Apricot Conference'?” Nie Caizhu asked, puzzled.
“That… would take quite a long time to explain…” Shen Luo wasn't sure where to start.
“It's alright, take your time. I'm listening,” said Nie Caizhu, her lips curving into a smile.
Any last hints of awkwardness that lingered from their initial meeting had now completely disappeared.
“After you left, it wasn't long before I left Chunhua County too, and then I went to…” Shen Luo began to meticulously recount his experiences over the years.
However, he omitted every detail about the jade pillow and entering dreams; such incredulous content was too fantastical to comprehend, and even Nie Caizhu might not fully believe it.
The sound of their light footsteps and Shen Luo's hushed voice echoed along the mountain path, making the night in the mountains even more tranquil.
Listening to Shen Luo's calm narration, Nie Caizhu detected many dangerous escapades, her emotions fluctuating as if soaring on the wind – sometimes high, other times low, with no peace.
Shen Luo also did not disclose the fact that his lifespan was nearing its end to Nie Caizhu, but she seemed to detect something in his words and pursed her lips, remaining silent.
Just then, a green light suddenly descended from the high altitude, manifesting three feet in the void above their heads, revealing an elegant figure.
The woman wore a cyan gossamer gown, with bare snow-white feet suspended in the air, standing aloof. Her beautiful face was natural, without makeup, and her unique greenish-blue hair hung down her back, giving her an aura of chilly detachment.
Shen Luo recognized her at a glance; she was the Immortal Master from Mount Putuo who had taken Nie Caizhu away all those years ago.
“Master,” Nie Caizhu promptly released Shen Luo's hand and stepped forward to pay her respects upon seeing her.
“Greetings, Qinglian Master,” Shen Luo also bowed his fists in salute.
“Even if you're escorting someone, it's about time to go back,” said the woman, her expression unchanged.
Hearing this, Nie Caizhu looked at Shen Luo reluctantly.
Shen Luo smiled at her and nodded, prompting Nie Caizhu to say “Yes,” somewhat unwillingly.
After taking a few steps away, she turned back and saw that her master, Qinglian Master, was still standing in the same place, seemingly with no immediate intention of leaving.
Her brow furrowed slightly, intending to come back and say something, but then she saw Shen Luo wave his hand at her.
“You go ahead,” Shen Luo said.
Nie Caizhu pursed her lips once more before finally departing completely.