Ye Feng didn't move. He simply stared at Lin Dong.
Lin Dong's eyes flickered with panic. He could no longer hide the guilt behind his forced composure. His voice trembled slightly as he urged, "Master, please, we must go quickly. If we're too late… it'll be troublesome."
He wasn't faking it anymore—he was genuinely worried. If something truly happened to Ling Qingzhu, the responsibility would fall on him.
Though he didn't dare touch her, she was too beautiful to ignore. Lin Dong had no intention of taking advantage of her but wanted Ye Feng to intervene instead. If Ling Qingzhu came to harm because of this, he would never forgive himself.
Ye Feng narrowed his eyes.
His suspicions deepened.
With a wave of his hand, a streak of light enveloped Lin Dong and Lin Qingtan. In an instant, they vanished—teleporting directly to Lin Dong's alchemy room.
"Master!"
Ling Qingzhu turned in shock. Ye Feng's sudden arrival left her stunned. Her flustered look betrayed the chaos in her heart.
Phew...
Lin Dong let out a long sigh of relief. Seeing Ling Qingzhu blushing but unharmed, the tension in his chest finally loosened.
"Master... I... I can't breathe properly..." Ling Qingzhu lowered her head, her voice soft, like a child who had done something wrong.
Ye Feng gazed at her calmly. His deep, penetrating eyes cut through her outer demeanor, seeing directly into her thoughts.
She was physically fine. To be precise, the symptoms weren't serious at all.
Ling Qingzhu was cultivating the Chaos Art, also known as the Devouring Technique. Everything in the universe could serve as nourishment to enhance her cultivation. That meant even the Hehuan Powder was merely an accelerant—its aphrodisiac nature essentially becoming fuel for her Chaos Power.
Currently, about 70% of the Yuan Force in Ling Qingzhu's body had already transformed into Chaos Force. No ordinary poison could harm her now, not even something as volatile as Hehuan Powder.
And yet, her cheeks were flushed red, her breath shallow, and her heart raced.
Why?
Because she didn't try to refine the powder through the Chaos Art.
In other words... she didn't want to.
So—what was Ling Qingzhu truly hoping would happen?
Ye Feng already knew.
Back when he tested her during the disciple assessment, he had glimpsed her inner demons. Ling Qingzhu had long regretted her experience in the Nirvana Cave. She had resented not becoming his woman when she had the chance.
And now, she was trying to seize that chance again.
"Master, you take your time with Junior Sister Qingzhu," Lin Dong said, tugging on Lin Qingtan's hand. "Qingtan and I will wait outside."
With a respectful nod, he led her out of the alchemy room—shutting the door gently behind them.
Bang.
The sound of the door closing made Ling Qingzhu's blush deepen.
She understood immediately—Lin Dong had seen through her intentions.
As a disciple of the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace, she was no fool. She knew exactly what that powder was. And yet, she hadn't resisted.
"Why?" Ye Feng asked quietly.
"Huh?" Ling Qingzhu blinked, startled by the sudden question.
"Why did you do this?" Ye Feng repeated, his gaze still fixed on her.
"I... I just..." Ling Qingzhu stammered, unable to explain herself.
"You could've used the Chaos Art to neutralize it instantly. Why didn't you?"
"I... I..." Her voice trembled. Then, summoning her courage, she raised her head and said, "I want to be your woman, Master. I like you. But I don't know how you feel about me, so this was the only way I could think of..."
"You are my disciple. And you know I'm your master."
Ye Feng's calm words hit her like thunder, weighing heavily on her chest.
"Does that matter?" she asked, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Love is above all. What is cultivation worth if I can't be with the person I love? Master, you cultivate the Chaos Sutra—how can you still be bound by worldly prejudice?"
"You're here to lecture me now?" Ye Feng asked with a raised brow.
"I've made my choice," she said, her voice growing firm. "I accept any punishment. But at least... at least I followed my heart. I said what I needed to say. I did what I longed to do."
There was strength in her words. Even if Ye Feng abolished her cultivation or expelled her from the sect, she would not regret it.
Love between master and disciple was frowned upon by the world. But in the Tianxuan Continent, it was not unheard of. Many master-disciple romances existed—though cursed, not uncommon.
Ye Feng stepped forward, slowly closing the distance.
Ling Qingzhu didn't retreat.
She stood her ground, hands clenched, eyes unflinching. She was ready for punishment—or acceptance.
When Ye Feng stopped in front of her, he simply raised his hand and—
Tap!
His finger flicked her forehead gently.
"Ouch..."
Ling Qingzhu touched her forehead in surprise and confusion.
A flick?
That wasn't a punishment. That was...
That was how he usually teased Lin Qingtan.
Her heart thumped.
"Master…" she whispered.
Was this... acceptance?
Boom... Boom... Boom...
Her pulse pounded in her ears. She feared he would scold her. Yet part of her hoped he wouldn't.
"Tell me," Ye Feng said with a rare smile, "when did you fall in love with me?"
"You… don't dislike me?" she asked, stunned.
"Before you become my woman," he replied, "I want to know—when did your heart turn to me?"
"In... in the ancient tomb," she said softly.
"The ancient tomb?"
"I'd never met someone as powerful as you. When you said 'break,' the seal shattered just like that. I was shocked... and awed. Then, when I was poisoned, you could've taken advantage of me—but you didn't. That made me respect you even more. Every time we met after that, your actions, your strength... they kept touching my heart. Master... do you truly not care what the world thinks?"
Ye Feng chuckled. "Do I seem like someone bound by worldly opinions?"
He was the Creator God—a being who could shape and destroy entire planes. Would he really be restricted by something as fleeting as public opinion?
"But... Qingtan…"
"She called me 'Sister,'" Ling Qingzhu interrupted gently.
That single word carried weight. It meant she had already accepted her place. Ling Qingzhu had no illusions about herself—she wore a veil of nobility, but inside, she yearned for someone extraordinary. A man who could match her pride.
Ye Feng fulfilled that standard.
"Master..." Ling Qingzhu's voice softened into a whisper. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes misted with longing.
"Please... help me remove the Hehuan poison."
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