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The Most Intimate One
Dissatisfied with the coldness of Mu Chen towards him, Gu Yunjue then cupped his Master’s face in between his hands and gave a quick kiss on the lips.
At the moment, Mu Chen froze for the warm and soft sense of touch on the lips, and yet he just sighed lightly and didn’t have the heart to reproach Gu Yunjue when seeing the admiration in his eyes. Then, Mu Chen touched his disciple’s head and said gently: “Such a behavior is only appropriate between the most intimate. Don’t do that again.”
“You are the most intimate person for me, Master.” The little one didn’t understand what he said at all. Instead, Gu Yunjue looked up with the clear eyes staring at his Master. As a result, Mu Chen’s temper completely vanished when looking at Gu Yunjue’s sweet smile.
After helping Gu Yunjue adjust his hairpin to the right position, Mu Chen exhorted him: “Go then. I’ll wait here for you.”
When out of Yanyang Palace, Gu Yunjue licked the corners of his mouth where there likely remained the warmth of the quick kiss which was so sweet that he couldn’t stop. Suddenly, an idea occurred to Gu Yunjue, who stretched out his hand to a direction, saying to Jing Ming: “Let’s go there.
”
“Huh?” Jing Ming wondered, “That is the direction to Hanyang Palace!”
“I know. Let’s go there and have a look at what Xiao Liu (Lit. Little Six) has been doing recently.” What Gu Yunjue suggested stirred up Jing Ming’s desire to play. Jing Ming hadn’t ever played together with Xiao Liu since he closed up for training a month ago. Besides, the friendship between Jing Ming and Xiao Liu became much deeper again after Jing Ming knew that Xiao Liu was not the human, just like him.
As a result, Jing Ming who always had no definite view of his own was conquered by his desire to play after Gu Yunjue’s simple coax, carried Gu Yunjue on his back and headed straight to Hanyang Palace, leaving the thought of choosing books at Book Collection Pavilion behind.
Since Mu Chen knew who he really was, Chu Qianshuang (Xiao Liu) had been well-behaved for a few days indeed. Mu Chen, his grand master, found out this secret, then gave him elixirs to help him suppress the demonic air wandering in his body, however, if it were someone else, they would no doubt make a contract with him and force him to be their spiritual pet. As a spiritual pet, he would be injured following his master’s getting injured, and die soon after his master’s death. And most cultivators treated their spiritual pets with no genuineness and used them just as animals. Chu Qianshuang didn’t really want to get himself in that cage and loose freedom.
Moreover, Liu Hanzhi ever said to Chu Qianshuang that if he incurred troubles for Hanyang Palace, he would be chopped and roasted so that nutrition provided by Liu Hanzhi for Chu Qianshuang in the past years wouldn’t be wasted.
Liu Hanzhi, his Master, looked so savage and cruel once he put on his furious mask! In contrast, Mu Chen, who also wore a cold face all the time, was such a kind angel when he presented Chu Qianshuang all kinds of pills!
Now with Jing Ming and Gu Yunjue joining him to play, Chu Qianshuang started to be restless again after being secluded for a few days. Therefore, the two decided to take Gu Yunjue to Book Collection Pavilion after they had enough fun and on their way, they could show Gu Yunjue around Lofty Cloud Sect to help him get more familiar with the environment. After all, Mu Chen wouldn’t know it. Such a good plan they’d made! Perfect!
With a wide smile on the face, Gu Yunjue followed them and thought in his heart, ‘What will Master’s expression be when he  learns that I’ve disobeyed his order? That beautiful face, which always looks indifferent, might have a faint pink, where attractive almond eyes are inlayed and some anger could be seen in his clear eyes.’ Thinking of that look, Gu Yunjue felt greatly delighted.
Their destination was Qiyang Palace, located at the northernmost position in Lofty Cloud Sect, miles away from Yanyang Palace. Fortunately, it was not a big deal for Jing Ming and Chu Qianshuang to fly with their spiritual power because both of them had come into the early stage of forming a nascent soul. And then three of them turned into a flash of blue light and arrived above Qiyang Palace in a minute. Together with the two wild kids, Gu Yunjue not only plucked DuanmuFeng’s fruits, emptied his treasured fruit wines, but also caught several hundred-year-old Dragon-scaled Fish at his spiritual beast garden.
In the past, Dan Yangzi often toured around here and took away several fish whenever he was free. It was quite a struggle for these fish. And then Dan Yangzi successfully achieved his immortal ascension, so after escaping from Dan Yangzi’s hands, the fish had lived an easy and quiet life for over fifty years. Over time, they became plump and sturdy with length of an adult’s arm, and given another hundred years or so, they would likely transform into a dragon. However, they became the food for the three kids. It was hard to say whether it was their fate or tribulation.
Three of them lit the fire at the back mountain and roasted fish, placing the fragrant fantasy fruits on the ground and holding fruit wines of strong spiritual air in their arms. What a befuddled dream life!
When they were high in their feast, a young man in a cardinal luxury robe appeared above them. With a faint smile in his bright and clear eyes and his eyebrows curved like moon, the man said in a soft voice: “Got you guys. Little foodies.”
The man was exactly the Master of Qiyang Palace -- Duanmu Feng.
Sensing the danger coming, Chu Qianshuang took to his heels but at the same time, Duanmu Feng immobilized him with a spell. His amber eyes ran down three of them and he muttered to himself: “Which one goes first?”
Looking at Duanmu Feng, Gu Yunjue rose up, patted his own sleeves and politely folded his hand to greet: “Senior Brother.”
Hearing that, Duanmu Feng mildly looked Gu Yunjue up and down, smiling: “Fifth Junior Brother, I didn’t prepare a welcome gift for you. Then take the fish as a gift. And take some peach wines back for your Master later.”
Coming into Gu Yunjue’s mind was a picture that child cultivators cleaned the fallen peach blossoms on the ground with brooms in their hands at that fruits garden, leaves, flowers and weeds all mixed together and thrown into baskets, and he doubted.
Was it safe enough to drink it?
Noticing the obvious doubts in his eyes, Duanmu Feng explained: “The wines for your Master are completely new, different from those for sell.” Then, he went straight to pick up Chu Qianshuang, “You? It happens that I haven’t seen your Master for a long time and miss him so much. Wouldn’t it be nice that you accompany me to see your Master?”
Gu Yunjue smilingly nodded to show his thanks. Watching Duanmu Feng disappearing together with Chu Qianshuang, Gu Yunjue then sit where he was just now and handed the half-eaten fish over to Jing Ming: “It’s too wasteful if we don’t finish it. We can leave after we finish.” Fresh and tender in its texture, one bite of the Dragon-scaled Fish could drive the spiritual power within the body to automatically move around and warm the body up. Such a delicacy indeed!
When Jing Ming was not noticing, Gu Yunjue put another fish into his Interspatial Ring. Gu Yunjue could even think of the lovable look of Mu Chen when he saw the fish.
At noon, Mu Chen checked the time and knitted his eyebrows, ‘Little disciple promised to have lunch with me. Why isn’t he back till now?’
At the very moment, Guan Shan led several child cultivators in with three bottles of wines in their arms into the room and smiled: “Palace Master, it’s three peach wines from Qiyang Palace.”
“Peach Wine?” Mu Chen tilted his head with confusion about the reason why Qiyang Palace would send wines to him. “Where is Jing Ting?”
Jing Ting looked into the room through the window, replying one word simply: “Here.”
“Go to the Alchemy Chamber and fetch three Breakthrough Elixirs as a return gift for Qiyang Palace.” Jing Ting said yes and was just leaving when Mu Chen added, “Have a look at Yun’er and others. They haven’t come back till now.”
Jing Ting said yes again, quickening his steps. Thinking of it was Jing Ming who took Gu Yunjue out, somehow Jing Ting had a bad feeling.
Staring at Jing Ting’s back, Mu Chen thought of his idea before with a little consideration on his face, and looked a bit hesitant.
After a while, Jing Ting, with a cold and livid face, carried the innocent-looked Gu Yunjue on his shoulder and carried Jing Ming, beaten black and blue, in his hands.
Before Jing Ting opened his mouth to explain the situation, Gu Yunjue had run to Mu Chen and a big roasted fish appeared on his palm. His beautiful and clear eyes curved into crescent moon with some light shining in them, Gu Yunjue offered the fish to his Master as if he was presenting a treasure and his sincerity was the same as that of showing his world to his Master. Melodious voice mixed with waxy childish feature came out, full of attachment, “Master, I got the fish for you!”
Looking at the hundred-year-old Dragon-scaled Fish, Mu Chen didn’t know how to react. Gu Yunjue promised to read books at Book Collection Pavilion but he disobeyed his order to net fish. He shall be spanked so that he could learn a lesson. However, looking at the lovable look of Gu Yunjue......Mu Chen then took a deep breath and thought, ‘I shouldn’t relax in educating little disciple. No matter how lovable he is, he shall be disciplined if he makes a mistake!’
“Explain. Why did you steal your senior brother’s fish?” Mu Chen tried to make his voice sound serious.
Gu Yunjue turned his face away from Mu Chen’s eyes and stared at Jing Ming with an innocent look on the face.
Following Gu Yunjue’s eyes, Mu Chen threw his cold sight onto Jing Ming. Sensing that, Jing Ming instantly stood up straight, with his shocked eyes wide open at Gu Yunjue.
Who said that fish looked delicious and wanted to have a taste? You! Who dragged out the wines of Master of Qiyang Palace? You! Who said the fruit was the most delicious? You! Who took the fish back and was found out by Palace Master? You! You did all this! Why did you stare at me now?!