There was more than one volume of the book ‘The Secret Method of Spiritual Cultivation’, and they contained more than just information on furnaces.

In addition to ‘Teaching You How to Dual Cultivate with a Furnace’, there are also ‘The Mysteries of Dual Cultivation’ and ‘How to Find A Suitable Person for Dual Cultivation’.

It was a series of books written in several volumes. Mo Qi probably saw a keyword and shoved the whole set of books at Qi Shu.

The book Gu Hanjiang picked up was called ‘One Hundred and Eight Double Cultivation Positions’.

Qi Shu: "Shi-shi-shi...Shizun!"

Qi Shu tried to grab it, but he was no match for Lingxiao Xianzun's abilities. When the latter's hand was withdrawn, Qi Shu did not even touch his Master's sleeve and nearly fell at his feet.

Gu Hanjiang gently turned a page.

Time stood still.

Qi Shu huddled on the floor, not even daring to look up at him, his voice faint, "Master, listen to my explanation…."

Lingxiao Xianzun's face was as deep as water. "En."

"This book…"

In fact, Qi Shu had not read much of this book. When he looked at it, he lost all interest and became sleepy.

The style of the book was not very different from other ancient books, but it clearly depicted the styles of dual cultivation, down to the details of each movement and technique, and was written as if it were a martial arts manual, with detailed expressions and obscure words.

I should have hidden the book earlier.

Who knew that Shizun would come looking for him!

Qi Shu was pondering how to make up—ahem—how to explain, when the door to the heated pavilion was suddenly pushed open. "Xianzun, I put that book in there!"

Mo Qi stood outside the door, with a face turned bright red.

Gu Hanjiang: "..."

Qi Shu: "?"

Mo Qi walked in quickly and knelt down in front of Gu Hanjiang. "This disciples knows I am wrong, today Shixiong came to study in the Library and I helped to find some secret books, this book was…stuffed in by accident."

"Shixiong definitely did not want to study the body of a furnace physique, much less keep a furnace, I hope Xianzun will clearly investigate!"

Qi Shu: “...”

What is this person talking about?

How could he mention those two words in front of his master, and not be afraid of touching his inverse scale?

Qi Shu was apprehensive, but surprisingly after hearing Mo Qi's words , Gu Hanjiang still behaved normally. He calmly said, "I see."

Mo Qi was also scared to death, but only after hearing Gu Hanjiang's words did he relax and take a half step forward. "Then this book…"

Gu Hanjiang lowered his eyes and looked at the book cover, seemingly pondering for a moment before closing the book. "This book is confiscated and is not to be read again. Go to the Disciplinary Pavilion to receive your punishment and meditate behind closed doors for three days."

After saying this, he looked down and said to Qi Shu, "...return to Baizhang Peak with me."

* * *

Qi Shu originally thought that on the way back, Lingxiao Xianzun would definitely say something to him.

After all, he had just witnessed, not long ago, how his master had nearly suffered a qi deviation because of his physique. So now that he’d gone to immediately consult the relevant texts, his Master would definitely notice something.

But he had waited all the way back, and Lingxiao Xianzun had not said a word.

Qi Shu followed his Master back to the Water Pavilion with a heavy heart and said, "This disciple bids farewell," wanting to return to his room.

But Gu Hanjiang called out to him, "Come with me first."

Qi Shu paused.

Are you finally going to mention it?

He had thought about it a lot along the way, and if his Master really brought it up, he would simply say what he had decided to do.

If the ancient texts I read today are correct, it is indeed difficult to cultivate on one's own with the Furnace Physique. The higher the cultivation level of this type of physique, the higher the danger. It is a miracle that Shizun can cultivate to such a realm, and he has only now fallen into a bottleneck. Any further up the ladder, each previous step could be destroyed and the cultivation base would be completely lostCultivating starts with formation of the golden core (also known as a pill or elixir). Then progresses in stages (these depend on the author). What he's saying here is that not only could all the stages Gu Hanjiang has advanced be destroyed, but his cultivation foundation (his golden core) could also be lost. E.g. Jiang Cheng in GMDC where Wei Wuxian gave him his own golden core because JC's had been destroyed..

On the other hand, if someone could assist from the side and help him break through the bottleneck with the method of dual cultivation, the improvement would be immeasurable.

This is why the books Mo Qi found contained many secret manuals on dual cultivation.

Because this is the only solution.

Qi Shu could easily guess that a person of such high status as the Lingxiao Xianzun could not allow himself to be subdued under othersHe's imagining Gu Hanjiang as a bottom/shou. XD. That was why he had concealed it from everyone, until now, when he had no way out.

Qi Shu followed Gu Hanjiang into the bedroom, and the latter walked straight to the table.

Lingxiao Xianzun liked to wear white, and with a narrow waistline beneath his long, waterfall-like hair, he appeared even leaner than in the past.

He could not imagine how his Master had hidden his physique all these years, and how he had persevered in his cultivation under such unfavourable circumstances, to achieve what he had today.

How could he be willing to let all his years of hard work go up in flames.

The more Qi Shu looked at him, the more his heart ached, and he took a deep breath, "Master, this disciple is willing to help you—"

Gu Hanjiang picked up a medicine cup and turned around, his expression seemed a little suspicious, "What do you want to help with?"

Qi Shu: "?"

Wasn't he called to come to talk about the matter of his Master’s furnace physique?

"Master called this disciple to come…just for this?" Qi Shu pointed at the medicine cup in Gu Hanjiang's hand and blinked.

The medicine cup was filled with a medicinal herb decoction, and it was still steaming hot.

So, Master had purposely brewed his medicine today, but seeing that he hadn't returned for a long time, he had gone to the Library to look for him?

Gu Hanjiang nodded his head.

Qi Shu: "..."

Gu Hanjiang walked up to him, "What did you say you wanted to help me with?"

"I..." The courage that he had managed to muster up was torn apart by this interruption, and Qi Shu stammered, "It's that Master has been having trouble with his cultivation lately, and I-I want to help Master…"

Gu Hanjiang understood. "You went to the Library these few days to look for cultivation methods?"

Qi Shu: "Yes."

Gu Hanjiang lowered his eyes to look at him.

This time, Qi Shu did not avoid his gaze.

He looked firmly back into those beautiful eyes, as if to express his willingness to sacrifice his body.

—Of course, Qi Shu didn’t dare to think about how much selfishness there was in this devotion.

In the end, it was Gu Hanjiang who sighed softly and averted his gaze.

"A-ShuEr (儿) and A (阿)– are diminutive suffixes. Sometimes appended to the given names of children or close friends. Considered cute/endearing., you can't." He sighed.

Qi Shu: "???"

He had practiced hard every day and his cultivation level was now not low, so why can’t he do it?

Of course, Qi Shu did not dare to question his Master in this way, but only said more seriously, "This disciple is in no way acting on a whim, and I also…"

Gu Hanjiang didn’t let him continue, he handed over that medicine cup and calmly said, "Take care of yourself first. Drink the medicine, go back and sleep well, and don't think nonsense."

* * *

When he finished drinking the medicine and left Gu Hanjiang's room, Qi Shu was in a trance.

He had thought his master would not be quick to agree with him, but he had not expected the man to refuse so quickly, leaving no room for consideration at all.

Where is he not good enough?

Qi Shu walked quickly back to his room, slammed the door shut and fell on the bed to sulk.

On the other side, Gu Hanjiang stood in front of the window, looking at the door that had been slammed shut by the other party, and sighed longingly.

How absurd, that the dignified Lingxiao Xianzun would develop romantic feelings for the young disciple he had raised.

Gu Hanjiang himself did not accept it.

Therefore, when he found that his mind was not pure, he could only choose to retreat.

Don’t listen, don’t watch, don’t go to see him. And as time goes by, those thoughts that should not be there would one day dissipate.

But his little disciple was really clingy.

Every day, he would go to his cave to look for him, making so much noise and rambling on that he could not stop listening whether he wanted to or not.

Qi Shu had always thought that during those days when Gu Hanjiang was in seclusion, he had never come out to see him.

But this was not the case.

Gu Hanjiang made an exception, once.

It was the day before Qi Shu was sent down the mountain by the Acting Sect Leader.

It was also Qi Shu's eighteenth birthday.

He had bought a bottle of wine from a town down the mountain and sat in front of the Spiritual Void Cave and started rambling again.

"Master, I practiced the Ling Yun Sword Technique you taught me twenty more times today, and I no longer make mistakes."

"But two days ago, I was still at the bottom of the exams in the Discourses of Scripture class, but because you are in seclusion, the Discourses of Scripture Elder couldn't find anyone to complain to, so today he even went to the Acting Sect Master. But he's such a wimp, how dare he control me."

"But I'd rather he complained to you and you came out and gave me a lecture."

Eighteen-year-old Qi Shu sat in front of the Spiritual Void Cave and tilted his head to take a sip of wine, both cheeks tinged with thin red. "Master, you promised to spend my birthday with me every year, and you missed your appointment last year, so you still won't see me this year?"

"...When are you coming out of seclusion?"

Qi Shu's voice weakened and faded out.

But his spiritual energy was still there.

Gu Hanjiang could not resist using a mirror light technique to see the scene outside the Spiritual Void Cave.

Outside the cave, the wind and snow were getting stronger, and Qi Shu was leaning against the green stone, holding his arms, motionless, with snow falling all over his body.

The jug of wine had fallen to one side and the unfinished wine in it had turned to ice.

Gu Hanjiang was so angry that he almost forgot what he had cultivated for hundreds of years.

Knowing that you are not a good drinker, you still drink so much and fall asleep in such a cold place!

Gu Hanjiang could not wait to wake a certain someone up right now and give them a lecture.

But when he came out of the cave and saw his young disciple curled up in a small ball in the snow, his cheeks flushed from drunkenness or coldness, he could no longer be angry.

Therefore, Lingxiao Xianzun only gently picked the person up and, with a thought, the next second the two of them both returned to the spring-like-all-year-round Baizhang Peak.

He put his young disciple back on the bed and got up to leave, but he was grabbed by the sleeve.

The young man, causing others to be concerned for him even when drunk, rolled over and pinned Gu Hanjiang's broad sleeves under him, tugging at them and refusing to let go, muttering something under his breath.

Gu Hanjiang leaned down and tried to break his young disciple’s grip, but instead the other party grabbed his wrist.

If it were any other day, Qi Shu would not have dared to offend in this way. But now he was so drunk that his bright eyes could hardly focus, and he squinted for a while before he recognised whose wrist he was holding.

Upon seeing who it was, he smiled again.

"Master, you're finally willing to see me. I knew you wouldn't leave me alone."

Gu Hanjiang: "...Let go."

But the drunkard was not obedient. Not only did he not listen, he had the audacity to boldly tug at Gu Hanjiang. Lingxiao Xianzun's mind was shaken, it was rare for someone to take advantage of him, but suddenly there was a warm touch on his cheek.

Qi Shu fell back onto the bed and licked his lips, as if he had succeeded in a conspiracy, smiling like a little fox.

It was only then that Gu Hanjiang could hear what Qi Shu had been muttering just now.

What he said was, "Master, my heart yearns for you."

He was so drunk that he couldn't speak clearly, still his soft voice kept saying over and over again.

"Master, I love you."

Chapters

2 Comments

  1. LicoLico

    ‘Getting drunk’ scenario always work! Uhuhu they are cute, but still walking in circles! Get yourselves together!
    Thank You for the new chapter ^^

  2. dokyuun

    I love that you use GMDC as examples lol it does make the explanation easier since everyone has read that series 😀

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