Chapter 551: A Special Master-Disciple Relationship (13)

"So, you are the culprit behind everything."

"Oh my, don't put it so harshly~ I didn't know he would end up like this back then either~ Besides, my grand-disciple doesn't blame me, why do you keep harping on me! I am your master! Do you even understand what respecting your master and the Dao means?"

"Haha, shut up."

"Tsk! Show some respect! I am your master."

"Haha, shut up."

"Ahhhhh!!!"

Zhang Mang: "..."

The youth listened to the two arguing in front of him, dazed; his mouth opened and closed, but he couldn't say a word.

Before him was his master, and this Sect Ancestor who had just appeared.

He was actually a bit confused as to why the woman he saw on the city wall back then was his Sect Ancestor.

He couldn't understand the connection, but since his master said so, he surely wouldn't lie to him.

Moreover, Zhang Mang had a very subtle feeling; he felt the relationship between the Sect Ancestor and his master seemed a bit special.

It didn't seem to be the kind of master-disciple relationship he had in mind.

A bit...

A bit like they were flirting?

Not sure.

Let's keep watching.

And even if he did figure something out, even if things were truly as he thought, he wouldn't say anything.

After Ren Yidao unexpectedly appeared before him, Zhang Mang's feelings for Ren Yidao had already changed from attachment to worship.

It could be said that he now had blind trust in his master.

Whatever his master did was right; his master must have his own ideas for doing this! He must have his reasons! He must have his logic!

If others thought it was wrong, then it must be their problem.

Yaoyue bickered with Ren Yidao for a while, and after discovering she couldn't beat him, she shifted her target and looked at the grand-disciple who was daydreaming on the side.

"Zhang Mangmang, do you not blame me anymore?"

Zhang... Mangmang?

Who?

Is she calling me?

"..." Yes, this disciple would not dare." Although Zhang Mang was a bit bewildered, he quickly reacted and lowered his head slightly toward Yaoyue.

"The Sect Ancestor is willing to come and save this disciple; this disciple is already very grateful, how would I dare to blame the Sect Ancestor."

"What a good child! So obedient! So filial! Much better than you, his master!" Yaoyue was overjoyed, and after gaining the approval of her grand-disciple, she looked triumphantly at Ren Yidao, showing off as if to provoke him.

Ren Yidao curled his lip, ignoring this master who had gotten a bargain and was still acting coy, and turned to say to his disciple: "It's fine, you don't need to fear her. With me here, if you have any dissatisfaction, you can tell me at any time. We aren't afraid of this old thing."

"No, this disciple is truly grateful."

Zhang Mang shook his head and said earnestly: "Although the Sect Ancestor didn't do it on purpose back then, this disciple did indeed suffer some hardship, so that counts as a grievance."

"And today, the Sect Ancestor is willing to come and save this disciple; this is a favor."

"The favor and the grievance cancel each other out, so naturally, we are even."

Regarding the events of that year, although Zhang Mang couldn't say he felt resentment, he certainly couldn't say he felt gratitude either.

After hearing this explanation from Zhang Mang, Yaoyue raised her eyebrows, but she wasn't angry; instead, she looked at Ren Yidao and shook her head: "... Truly worthy of being the disciple you took a fancy to; this temperament is just as stubborn as yours."

Zhang Mang's personality was actually somewhat similar to Ren Yidao's.

A favor is a favor, a grievance is a grievance; one thing is one thing.

Therefore, Zhang Mang behaved very respectfully toward Yaoyue, but he was not close to her.

Just like how Ren Yidao currently jokes around with Yaoyue in daily life, but never treats her as a master.

It is I who have done you a favor, not you who have done me a favor.

The bond of master and disciple, one cannot say it is completely non-existent, but it could be said to be better than nothing.

At most, the relationship between the two could only be considered a friendship, and an unequal one at that, where Yaoyue owed him a very large favor.

Yaoyue felt helpless about this; several times she wanted to have a good talk with this little disciple of hers about respecting one's master, but the end result was always being led by the nose by the other party, and she could only retreat in a sorry state after paying some price.

She even had a faint feeling that if she continued to entangle herself with him, she might end up paying even more.

For example, herself?

Although Yaoyue didn't understand these romantic feelings very well and had always buried herself in seeking the Dao, as a Fox Demon who had lived for a thousand years, her senses were still very sharp.

She still remembered the amazement and faint desire in his eyes when he first saw her.

... Hmm, no, that shouldn't be, right?

I am his master!

Even though this guy doesn't act like a human much in daily life, he couldn't do something so excessive, right?

Sh-should be, right?

These thoughts only flashed through Yaoyue's mind and were not revealed; she didn't dare to reveal them either.

Better safe than sorry.

... Some things, no one can be sure, right?

Moreover, in Yaoyue's heart, she still had a faint, uncertain thought.

If things really reached that point, what would she do?

Would she refuse?

How would she refuse?

Would he really refuse?

"..."

He is a Fox Demon, and she is also a Fox Demon; his bloodline is even purer, which is filled with a huge attraction for her.

From an instinctual perspective, such a bloodline combination could give birth to stronger descendants.

And the only thing that could serve as an obstacle, the master-disciple relationship standing between the two, is not a problem at all for Ren Yidao.

So... is there actually no reason to refuse?

"Why did you suddenly stop talking?"

"Huh!? Hmm?"

Ren Yidao's puzzled voice gave Yaoyue a sudden start, and she snapped back to reality in a daze: "Ahem! Sorry, what did you just say? I was thinking about some important matters just now."

Yaoyue adjusted her expression in an instant, looking natural and showing not a single flaw.

Often, women are natural performers, and the more beautiful a woman is, the better she is at deceiving others.

Not to mention, for a Fox Demon who has lived for a thousand years, this bit of disguise is simply second nature to her.

Even Ren Yidao could not see any flaws in Yaoyue, assuming she was truly lost in thought, so he nodded and continued: "Since you didn't hear, I will say it again."

"Although this place is the Dragon Transformation Pool, we haven't seen any pool of water since we entered."

"According to Zhang Mang and Huang Shahu, there was originally a mysterious woman here, but she has already left and closed the passage."

Ren Yidao raised his hand to touch the wall in front of him; he had already searched it just now, but found no mechanisms on the wall, only faint fluctuations of Dharma Power, yet it resisted any intrusion of external force, appearing to require a special method to activate.

"According to previous deductions, that woman should not be a person of this current age; she is likely the pool spirit of the Dragon Transformation Pool, or an artifact spirit existing in a special state—what she specifically is does not matter."

"And since she has not appeared on her own now, it is very likely that she has rejected us."

"Not qualified? Or not suitable?"

Ren Yidao smiled indifferently at this point and shrugged his shoulders.

"So, do you think we should continue to stay here and look for a way to open the Dragon Transformation Pool? Or should we leave now and look elsewhere for a way to leave Zhongzhou?"

"In your opinion, how should we choose?"

Yaoyue did not make a decision; instead, after pondering for a moment, she looked at him and asked in return: "Is the Dragon Transformation Pool important to you?"

"You also heard what Zhang Mang said earlier about the Dao of Dragon Transformation he heard from that woman; do you want to become one of them?"

Do you also want to become a dragon?

"True Dragon bloodline, it still sounds quite tempting..."

Ren Yidao sighed and shook his head: "The Dao of Dragon Transformation is good, but it is not suitable for me."

The Dragon Transformation Pool is indeed very important, but it has no meaning at all to Ren Yidao.

His Dao is already clear and does not lie here, and being hung up on bloodlines is not his style.

What's more, the Heavenly Fox Bloodline is no worse than the blood of a True Dragon.

To mix a True Dragon bloodline into a Heavenly Fox true blood that has already completely atavized—he would have to be out of his mind to do that.

Perhaps the Ren Yidao of his past life, during his 'chuunibyou' phase, would have thought that stacking all sorts of messy bloodlines like immortals, gods, demons, monsters, ghosts, dragons, and phoenixes together would create a super-duper cool Qimila.

But with his current knowledge, he sees that it is actually not like that at all.

Many things are not as simple as addition; more is not necessarily better.

That would absolutely not be an enhancement.

It would be contamination.

Often, the Demon Race's pursuit of bloodline purity is not just out of ignorance, but truly has meaning.

Yaoyue understands this point exactly, which is why she asked Ren Yidao in return.

She curled her lips and hummed: "Look, you clearly had a decision long ago, so why did you have to ask for my opinion?"

"Isn't this to make you, an elder, seem important? If you wanted it and I said that, wouldn't I be rejecting your face?"

Ren Yidao nodded happily, then suddenly looked at Yaoyue and said meaningfully: "Since you also understand the importance of bloodline purity, then I am relieved."

Yaoyue:???

"Hmm? Hmm???"

What are you relieved about?

Wait, what exactly do you mean by looking at me and saying that?

Yaoyue does not want to overthink it, but she has no way to stop herself from overthinking.

Question:

How should the Demon Race maintain the purity of their bloodline?

Answer:

Find a member of the same race to reproduce offspring...

???

Yaoyue cannot be sure if she is overthinking it now, or if this guy really has such intentions...

And what makes Yaoyue the most stifled is that she has no way to open her mouth to ask.

If this shameless guy doesn't admit it, then it would look like she, this old one, is coveting him, as if she is the one who is sexually frustrated!

And based on her understanding of Ren Yidao, this guy would nine times out of ten do such a shameless thing.

Tsk!

So infuriating!

Yaoyue had no choice but to glare fiercely at Ren Yidao in the end.

Kid, I'm warning you!

Don't say things that are detrimental to the master-disciple relationship!

"Hmph!"

She then stopped wasting breath on this guy, fearing she would be completely Broken Defense by his infuriating behavior, and took the strangely expressive Zhang Mang as she dove straight into the Divine Path Bell.

Although the Divine Path Bell appeared to be controlled by Ren Yidao, in reality, the person controlling it was Yaoyue, and only she had sufficient strength to allow the Divine Path Bell to unleash its full might.

"We were talking just fine, why did she suddenly leave without saying a word?"

Ren Yidao smiled with a look of feigned innocence, rubbed his chin, and turned his head to look at the Yellow Sand Tiger shivering in the corner: "Tell me, isn't she very rude?"

The Yellow Sand Tiger remained silent.

No joke, it was nearly scared to death.

Although the mysterious woman from before was also terrifying, she did not possess that kind of pressure from a superior being.

Yet from that seemingly innocent white-haired girl just now, it had felt a terrifying suppression.

The pressure of a Heavenly Demon!

Back at the Sword Casting Hut, Yaoyue's disguise had still been perfect, and no one had discovered it.

But as the fusion reached its later stages, Yaoyue's disguise became increasingly flawed; after being discovered by Hu Yiyi, she simply stopped hiding, abandoned the disguise, and began to fuse with all her might, reaching a level that even a Great Demon like the Yellow Sand Tiger could perceive.

"It seems I've scared the little one." Ren Yidao shook his head; he couldn't say whether Yaoyue's choice at this moment was right or wrong, but since she had done so, there had to be more consideration given to her taking action before she finished fusing completely.

If it could not be guaranteed that the enemy would be completely eliminated after she took action, then it was better to have her act as little as possible, otherwise, letting this news leak out could lead to no small amount of trouble.

"In that case, let's go... no, wait, there's no rush."

Ren Yidao looked at the wall and suddenly had a grand idea.

Although he didn't think much of this Dragon Transformation Pool, others might not necessarily feel the same, right?

"Is doing this too immoral?"

"No, I am helping them! If they cannot even overcome this small difficulty, then their hearts are not sincere."

Ren Yidao would not do things that harmed others to benefit himself; that was not his character.

But if there were things that harmed others but did not benefit himself, he would certainly give them careful consideration, and in the end, he would do them nine times out of ten.

Harming others to benefit oneself is evil.

Harming others without benefiting oneself, that is joy.

The nature of the two is different.

"Heh heh!"

Having made up his mind, Ren Yidao let out a strange, chuckling laugh under the astonished gaze of the Yellow Sand Tiger:

"Let me properly leave a surprise for the lucky ones who come after!"