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Chapter 2: Last Life’s Salvation, This Life’s Obsession!

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After seeing that Mu Chen had agreed, Gu Yunjue happily wrapped one arm around Mu Chen’s neck, and used the other one to point his finger at the black clouds in the distance that were covering the mountain summit of the trial.

“I don’t need to participate in the trial? Those big brothers said that as long as someone can climb up this mountain, then that person will be able to discover immortality.”

Mu Chen had never been so intimate with someone before. He felt somewhat awkward, and he turned his face away. He made a faint sound of agreement to what Gu Yunjue had said. However, his tone was flat when he overbearingly retorted, “You are my disciple. Why would you need to climb a mountain like a monkey covered in mud?”

The little boy in his embrace was so thin that he barely weighed anything. As Mu Chen held him in his arms, he decided that it would be his top priority to raise the boy well.

Gu Yunjue narrowed his eyes at the comparison that his Master had made. While looking at Mu Chen’s handsome face that was within his reach, he extended a finger and lightly poked. His Master’s skin was way too white. In fact, it was so pale that he appeared like he was almost transparent. Has his Master absorbed the Nine Yang Dark Fire already? Was he already being tormented by the fire poison? Also, within his Master’s body, there was a power he felt familiar with that attracted him closer. That power… it was located on Mu Chen’s chest.

His small hand moved from Mu Chen’s face to his chest. He felt the beating heart of Mu Chen beneath his fingers and pressed on it a bit.

Mu Chen lowered his head. His face was expressionless as he looked at the person in his embrace. His gaze then dropped to the little claw on his chest, and he knitted his brows together. This little guy first touched his face, and then touched his chest. What kind of problem is this?

“Master?”

“……”

Mu Chen heard this call of ‘Master’, and was reminded of a lifetime ago. He temporarily did not bother with the little claw on his chest, and he gave Gu Yunjue a gentle look. For a moment, he didn’t know what he should say. He did not know that the person in his embrace also had the same complicated feeling within his heart.

“Master is warm. It feels so nice.” Gu Yunjue beamed as he held onto Mu Chen’s neck. His small face snuggled intimately against Mu Chen’s cheek. Mu Chen was not able to notice the flash of darkness that passed through Gu Yunjue’s eyes.

His Master’s heart that was beating again felt warm It wasn’t like that dead body from his past life that was gradually cooling down inside his arms. Gu Yunjue had destroyed the three realms. He felt no guilt about that. The only thing he regretted was that his selfless Master was implicated by his actions. Although he knew that time would turn back, he did not expect that it would turn back this much. If it had turned back five more years, then he would have ceased to exist.

Gu Yunjue then looked down at his small hands that had the power to make everything start over again.

Everything was within his control. It was just that Mu Chen appeared ten years early. He really needed to investigate what happened. What was undeniable was that Mu Chen was a real, live person. It was also undeniable that Mu Chen was within his reach.

His Master had been his only salvation before his rebirth.

After his rebirth, his Master was his current life’s obsession.

Mu Chen didn’t know that a lot of bitterness in the heart could lead to the fragility of a person. It could be just one incident that could jab at his twisted and brutal little apprentice’s sensitive nerve.

Mu Chen felt that the child tightly held him. Mu Chen hurriedly patted him on the back, and changed back to a more comfortable position. He then attempted to have a normal interaction with his little disciple, “Only a dead person would be cold, so your Master is naturally warm.”

“Master?”

“Hm?”

“Master.”

“Hm.”

Mu Chen thought that his little disciple feared heights. He eased the expression on his face. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he gently stroked Gu Yunjue’s head. His little disciple looked malnourished. His character was also awful (too cowardly). There were countless scenes that immediately flashed through his mind. They all showcased his little disciple being bullied by others. He always worked hard and was never fed. Mu Chen decided in anguish that as long as his disciple liked something, he would give him whatever he wanted to satisfy him.

After rubbing Gu Yunjue’s head one last time, he made a decision to exchange his little disciple’s wooden hairpin with a defensive spirit tool. This child loved treasures the most. He probably wasn’t satisfied as a child. When he had grown up in the past, he liked fighting with others, and snatching other people’s things.

If other people knew of what Mu Chen was thinking, they would certainly think that he was insane. Weapons for cultivators were usually divided into grades. From the lowest to the highest, they were magical tools, spirit tools, divine tools, offensive types, defensive types, auxiliary types and there were also those tools that could do all three of these things. It was just like pills as they were both divided into low, middle, and high grades. It’s important to note that refining tools was like making pills. There were very few cultivators that could do it. The people who refined tools were excessively proud of their abilities. They were also aloof, noble and proud people. Since this was the case, why would anyone refine a spirit tool hairpin just for a child?

Forget the fact about whether there was someone willing to refine those types of things. Even if there was someone willing to refine them, it was still too luxurious of an item for a child. How could doing this be the same as raising a disciple? There was nobody who would even pamper their son this much.

Gu Yunjue felt Mu Chen’s unique gentleness to him, and his mouth pursed into a straight line of satisfaction. His peach flower eyes smiled, turning into curved moons like a type of healing elf.

Mu Chen’s face turned even more gentle. His little disciple was really too naive. If he taught him well, then his disciple was sure not to turn crooked in the end.

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Mu Chen was a proud, cold, and noble man. He didn’t respect anyone. Besides being known for  passing his time concocting pills, he was also known as having the highest seniority in Lofty Cloudy Sect, and for his handsome looks. To see him carrying a yellow-faced poor child to the disciple registration area like he was a treasure caused a huge sensation.

While carrying Gu Yunjue, he crouched down on the table before he said: “This one’s personal succeeding disciple, Gu Yunjue.”

“Personal succeeding….” He was originally already startled silly by Mu Chen’s personal appearance. Then, it was the comment about a personal succeeding disciple. Guan Shi who was in charge of the registry now started to tremble as he took out a jade talisman. “Congratulations Fifth Elder!” He smiled so much that his old face was full with wrinkles, and appeared like a wild chrysanthemum that was ravaged by the wind.

Mu Chen frowned in annoyance, slightly leaning his body away from the old man to avoid his courtesy. His smile looked too fake. It was better not to smile at all.

Guan Shi also did not respond to the rebuff. Instead, he turned his face around to pay his respects to Gu Yunjue.  “Little Master has good fortune!” The old man said to flatter Gu Yunjue.

Gu Yunjue also leaned his body away from the old man, and slightly narrowed his eyes as he thought to himself: Little Princess? Hehe, this old man is an obstacle to his Master’s pretty eyes. Why not just kill him!^[1]

Guan Shi wanted to continue the conversation, but felt a sudden chill in his heart. He noticed that the child’s fathomless eyes were staring straight at him without any expression in them. He once again felt as if a sword was suspended over his heart, and his hair stood on end. Guan Shi immediately shut his mouth, and did not dare to say any more nonsense. He hurriedly handed the jade talisman over to Mu Chen.

Mu Chen took it from the old man, and looked at the talisman that was the size of his palm. The talisman had many lines on it that looked like veins. He grabbed Gu Yunjue’s small hand, and forced out a drop of blood that dripped onto a small hole that was on the jade plate. After the blood was absorbed, the jade talisman hummed, and emitted some glaring rays of light. When they once again looked at the vein-like lines, they were now a bloody color. If it were to be looked at from under the sun, it would look like the blood was flowing from within it. It would be a pleasant sight.

This jade talisman would be used to represent his identity as a personal succeeding disciple. It could also be used within most areas inside the sect. The most important part of it was that you had the freedom to read about all types of cultivation methods inside the Cultivation Pavilion. As someone who didn’t want to restrict his child, this was very important in Mu Chen’s perspective.

The disciple soul jade tablets of Lofty Cloudy Sect were arranged on a shelf, in the first position of the Sect Master’s row, a soul lamp was quietly raised in the spot that was always empty.

Mu Chen happily placed the jade talisman within Gu Yunjue’s bosom. From this day onwards, this little disciple would become one of his people. No one could ever bully him again.

It was only after Mu Chen had left that Guan Shi patted his chest, and breathed out a sigh of relief. He once again wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, and looked down at his pair of trembling hands. He wanted to cry but had no tears to do so. The masters of the six palaces and twelve halls needed to obtain the Sect Master’s approval in order for them to take on a personal succeeding disciple. Since Mu Chen had registered a five year old disciple without the Sect Master’s knowledge, it appeared that he was simply ignoring the existence of the Sect Master. If the Sect Master blamed Guan Shi for what happened, in what way could he absolve himself from this issue?

What was even more uncomfortable was that the arrangement of the six palaces and twelve halls were in a very special way. They were based on seniority. Mu Chen, who was fifth in seniority, would then be succeeded by his personal succeeding disciple.. Also, the Elder that was in the sixth position, even though his disciple was way older, would have to call Gu Yunjue “Fifth Senior Brother” whenever he saw him. As he thought of the other’s terrible fate, Guan Shi rubbed his neck. He was so frightened by this that goose bumps were appearing on his skin.

When the Sect Master received the news, he was quite flabbergasted. How can Mu Chen just randomly choose someone to become his personal succeeding disciple?? The first thing to be done when choosing a personal succeeding disciple is to check that their background was clean. Next, the behavior of that chosen person needed to be inspected. However, this chosen person was just a five year old child. They didn’t know how well he would be able to comprehend things. They also didn’t know when he would make his foundation. Why would Mu Chen take such a person to become his personal succeeding disciple?

Within the group of disciples, there were a few who had high aptitudes. However, Gu Yunjue wasn’t the best one out of the group. Also, he was too young, and required more attention than the others.. Mu Chen’s temperament was cold, and he wasn’t much of a talker. Was Mu Chen ever seen taking care of another person? By placing such a young child by Mu Chen’s side, Yue Mingze’s experience was telling him that there was no doubt that Martial Uncle Mu could provide random things for the child. It was questionable whether Gu Yunjue could grow up safe and sound under Mu Chen’s care.

Mu Chen hadn’t really thought about how to raise him. Perhaps just giving him the best things would be the right way.

He carried Gu Yunjue all the way back to Yanyang Palace. Along the way, they startled many disciples, who all fell off their flying magic items. Mu Chen had from time to time rubbed Gu Yunjue’s back while frowning. The boy was too thin. He must have suffered many grievances in his life. When they get back home, he should refine some pills to nurse the boy back into health. It would only take a few days.

“Do you have any family?” Based on Mu Chen’s knowledge, Gu Yunjue was still too young. It would have been impossible for a young child like Gu Yunjue to come to Lofty Cloud Sect by himself. For Mu Chen, it didn’t matter how many other family members Gu Yunjue had. It didn’t even matter to him whether he had to care of some more people, as long as Gu Yunjue could take care of his relatives as well.

Mu Chen had never known what affection felt like. He only understood that a child this small needed parents to support him. Since he was so young when he left home, it was no wonder why his character turned so twisted before.

Gu Yunjue nevertheless smiled before he shook his head, “The ones who sent  this disciple there were two elderly servants. They have already left by now.”

“Where are your parents?”

“My mother was killed by dad, daddy also has more than a dozen sons. Out of all of them, I am the most useless one.” Gu Yunjue’s mouth was slightly curled up, as if he were talking about another person’s problem. There wasn’t any anger revealed on his face. He did not want to lie to his Master so he decided that he should just tell him the truth.  It was rare to see that his Master would be so concerned enough to ask him about these trifle things. He was lucky that he looked like a child right now, and could act spoiled towards his Master.

Mu Chen’s heart sank. He hesitated for a moment, before he patted Gu Yunjue’s little head. He then reassuringly said to him, “You still have your Master with you, so don’t be afraid.”

Gu Yunjue grabbed Mu Chen’s hand, and felt the temperature of it before he smiled contentedly. No matter how many things he had experienced, the nature of his little Master never changed. His appearance was always calm and tranquil. He did not like to talk nor did he like to smile.. Every encounter he made and the killings he did were always handled in a firm manner. Inside his heart, he had never felt merciful. .

However, in actuality, his little Master was actually a gentle and soft-hearted person.

It was very regretful that his little Master was known as someone so ruthless. From now on, as long as he understood the truth, it was enough.

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Author’s Comment: Doing a small show of not bearing responsibility.

Mu Chen with a solemn face: “Give the most delicious food to this little disciple! Give the best looking one to this little disciple! Give the most useful one to this little disciple… Give everything this little disciple likes to him! I’ll make sure that in this life, this cute little disciple will never turn crooked!”

Gu Yunjue smiled profoundly: “Master, your disciple isn’t crooked at all. After meeting you, I’m espe~cially~ straight.”

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Footnotes:

[1]小宫主 (Xiao gongzhu) – Little Master, 小公主 (Xiao gongzhu) – Little Princess sound exactly the same.

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