Chapter 16

She quickly hid her figure and followed Tan Ye.

The Dan Xun Valley was a famous cultivation family with a thousand-year legacy, not inferior to the Chao Yun Sect at all. The Valley Master Mei Luo had a friendship with the Sect Master, so when Mei Luo came this time, the Sect Master personally welcomed him at the mountain gate and brought Tan Ye along.

Tan Ye was adopted by Mei Luo for a period of time when he was young. After reaching a certain age, Mei Luo personally sent him to the Chao Yun Sect. He recommended him, saying that he was an unprecedented talent. As he said, Tan Ye indeed had extremely high aptitude and even gained the favor of Xuan Jing Daoist. If it weren’t for Xuan Jing Daoist… In the path of cultivation, they told disciples that diligence could make up for clumsiness, but in fact, innate talent was far more important than diligence.

Many people could be diligent, but innate talent was something one was born with, unable to be fought for or taken away.

“I remember you were adopted by Brother Mei for a period of time when you were young?” The Sect Master recalled the past events and couldn’t help but sigh, looking at Tan Ye and asking.

After so many years, he still couldn’t understand why Mei Luo sent Tan Ye to the Chao Yun Sect back then instead of taking him as his own disciple. Cultivation sects valued innate talent the most when accepting disciples. If the talent wasn’t there, no matter how diligent one was, they wouldn’t accept them as disciples.

There were too many things in this world that couldn’t be achieved simply through diligence. Disciples with outstanding innate talent were highly sought after within the cultivation sects. Many people could be diligent, but those with innate talent were few and far between. Yet, Mei Luo was able to send Tan Ye to the Chao Yun Sect. After these years, no matter how the Sect Master thought about it, he couldn’t understand.

“Yes, when this disciple was young, I was fortunate to be sheltered by Valley Master Mei,” Tan Ye said with lowered eyes.

The Sect Master wanted to ask why he wasn’t accepted as a disciple back then. However, he didn’t say those words out loud after all. Being able to have such a disciple was already considered taking advantage, so asking this would be somewhat taking advantage and being smug.

In the distant clouds, a side of a boat emerged.

“Sect Master, Valley Master Mei has arrived,” a disciple beside him said.

Above the clouds, the sound of flute and bamboo echoed. At the bow of the ship stood a middle-aged cultivator with a scholarly appearance, wearing a light robe and a loose belt. He held a purple flute and played it slowly.

The sound of the flute and bamboo swept from the clouds to the mountain gate, carrying dense spiritual power.

After a while, the magic tool descended from the clouds to the ground.

“Brother Mei, long time no see. Your cultivation has become even more refined,” the Sect Master stepped forward and said with a smile.

Mei Luo exchanged a few modest words with the Sect Master, then looked at the mountain gate. “It’s been a few years since I last came. I find that the gate of your sect has become even more magnificent.”

The Sect Master exchanged some pleasantries for a while. Seeing the young girl following behind Mei Luo, the girl had bright and kind eyes and was peeking out from behind Mei Luo, looking outside. It was Mei Luo’s daughter, Mei Shuang Shuang.

Mei Shuang Shuang saw the Sect Master and called him uncle. She also saw Tan Ye and frowned. “Father, I seem to have seen this person somewhere before, but I can’t remember who he is.”

Mei Luo glanced at the tall and dignified Tan Ye in front of him, his expression somewhat sentimental. “Don’t you remember? He once stayed at our home for a period of time and was your playmate for a while. You called him Big Brother Ye, and every year you asked someone to bring you delicious food and fun things. This year, you even asked someone to bring you silver thread candy. You don’t remember?”

Mei Shuang Shuang stuck out her tongue and looked at Tan Ye. “Sorry.”

Tan Ye smiled. “It’s okay.”

After the Sect Master and Mei Luo exchanged a few words at the mountain gate, the Sect Master invited Mei Luo inside.

Mei Shuang Shuang followed behind Mei Luo, looking left and right. It was her first time coming with Mei Luo, and she was interested in everything.

Mei Shuang Shuang was Mei Luo’s only daughter. Mei Luo doted on this daughter the most, so when they arrived at the Chao Yun Sect and saw that the host didn’t restrict her, Mei Shuang Shuang gradually started wandering around.

Seeing Mei Shuang Shuang stretching her neck to look at the immortal crane flying by, Mei Luo said, “Shuang Shuang, don’t be rude.”

“It’s alright. If the child likes to look, let her go and see,” the Sect Master said with a smile. “Why don’t you let the child go and play while the two of us old friends play a few rounds of chess.”

Mei Luo nodded. He brought his daughter here because he was afraid that she would be bored staying in the Dan Xun Valley, so he brought her out to relax. Children at this age couldn’t stay still, and he didn’t want his daughter to disturb others’ peace.

“Thank you for the trouble.”

The Sect Master waved his hand. “Looking around, how is that any trouble?”

Saying that, he looked at Tan Ye. “Take good care of her.”

Tan Ye agreed.

As soon as Mei Shuang Shuang left, she was like a bird out of a cage, eager to look everywhere. Tan Ye followed behind, carefully guarding her.

Su Heng watched from the side as Mei Shuang Shuang ran around. Tan Ye had prepared a few scenic and safe places for her. However, after going to two or three places, Mei Shuang Shuang felt that these places weren’t fun enough and started to find places she liked at will.

Seeing her heading towards a forbidden area, Tan Ye stopped her. “This place is a forbidden area of the sect. Unless one has the Sect Master’s order, no one is allowed to enter.”

“Why?” Mei Shuang Shuang opened her deer-like eyes, both puzzled and dissatisfied.

Saying that, she took the initiative to hold Tan Ye’s hand. “Big Brother Ye, I was wrong before, but I just remembered you. I know you let people bring me delicious food and fun things every year, treating me the best. Just take me there, please.”

Su Heng was right behind Tan Ye. From the beginning, she didn’t pay much attention to the girl who came with Mei Luo and didn’t take her seriously.

But now, she had a little bit of interest. Su Heng observed Mei Shuang Shuang a little more seriously. A teenage girl, in her eyes, was like plain water, not to mention looking at her beauty, even drinking it wouldn’t have much taste. But Mei Shuang Shuang had a pair of clean and bright eyes.

Young people didn’t have much appreciation for women’s beauty yet, only a vague sense. But a pair of eyes as clear as autumn water was definitely the most attractive to them.

Putting it that way, this little girl wasn’t as uninteresting as she initially thought.

Su Heng immediately became interested. She saw Mei Shuang Shuang had already grabbed Tan Ye’s hand and was swinging it back and forth, with an obvious coquettish meaning. Her voice was soft and tender, and paired with her deer-like bright eyes, it really had a bit of a bone-softening effect.

“This is the sect’s rule. No matter who, even a high-ranking elder, cannot break this rule.”

“Brother, Big Brother Ye. Please, please.” Mei Shuang Shuang originally only held his sleeve, but seeing the situation, she directly held his wrist and shook it left and right.

Mei Shuang Shuang had been kept in the Dan Xun Valley by Mei Luo since she was young and rarely went out. She didn’t have much understanding of the difference between men and women. Anyway, she used to act coquettishly with her father Mei Luo like this, so she applied it all to Tan Ye.

“I remember now, I remember everything. When I was little, you treated me so well. You will definitely agree, right?”

Su Heng watched from the side. She saw that Tan Ye actually hesitated. She immediately became alert. Indeed, her visit this time was the right choice.

She saw Tan Ye looking at the girl who was holding his hand. He suddenly withdrew his hand.

“Don’t do this kind of thing in the future.”

Su Heng saw that his expression was a bit off. She propped her chin and looked, but couldn’t figure out what he meant. Was this considered a young man’s shyness?

She had witnessed his aversion to human contact, not pure disgust, but a near-physiological disgust from the depths of his heart. When she rescued Tan Ye, even if it meant risking his life, Tan Ye desperately tried to avoid her. If he were conscious, he might have vomited on the spot.

But he didn’t vomit now, huh?

Su Heng watched from the side, hands on her hips, waiting energetically for Tan Ye to vomit in front of Mei Shuang Shuang. However, after waiting for a while, she only saw that Tan Ye didn’t vomit and didn’t get angry. He softened his brows and eyes. “Do you want to go somewhere else? I’ll take you.”

Tan Ye’s facial features were handsome and sharp, exuding an indifferent aura. However, his style was kind to others, so he softened that blade-like sharpness, showing only a layer of harmless gentleness on his face.

That gentleness was different from dealing with outsiders like her. It seemed to be sincere, not perfunctory.

Su Heng watched Tan Ye patiently explaining to Mei Shuang Shuang, a few hints of playfulness appearing on her face.

“Oh, is this the first awakening of love? No, is it the old awakening of love?”

She mocked mercilessly.

“Really can’t go?” Mei Shuang Shuang went to grab his hand. Whenever there was something her father didn’t agree to, she would do this.

Tan Ye shook his head. He raised his hand, just in time to avoid Mei Shuang Shuang’s hand reaching out again. “That place is said to be a ten-thousand-year-old cold pool. Even cultivators with deep cultivation would be injured by the cold if they approached rashly.”

Seeing Mei Shuang Shuang’s disappointed face, Tan Ye said, “How about this, I’ll grow an ice flower for you to see, okay?”

Su Heng watched as Tan Ye’s palm opened, flashing with icy blue light. In the blink of an eye, a crystal-clear ice flower grew out of his palm.

Ice flowers weren’t considered rare, but the ice flower in Tan Ye’s palm had exquisite and lifelike patterns on its petals.

Seeing the ice flower, Mei Shuang Shuang’s eyes lit up. She held it in both hands, looking left and right with great enthusiasm, unable to let go. Then she smiled at Tan Ye, “I still like Big Brother Ye the most.”

Su Heng saw Tan Ye’s face slightly twitch inward.

This girl looked young, but when it came to flirting, she was quite skilled.

“The things sent to your esteemed valley before, did you like them?”

A trace of confusion flashed in Mei Shuang Shuang’s eyes. She obviously didn’t know what he had sent through others before. The confusion in her eyes only appeared for a moment, and she excitedly said, “Of course I like them!”

She thoughtfully said, “No matter what Big Brother Ye sends, I like it all.”

The smile on Tan Ye’s face was a bit shy. “Then that’s the best.”

He looked at the ice flower held in Mei Shuang Shuang’s hands. “As long as you like it, that’s good.”

Su Heng watched from the side with great interest, propping her chin with one hand. She didn’t think this little girl called Mei Shuang Shuang had any charm as a woman, but it couldn’t be helped that a teenage boy like Tan Ye lacked experience.

She hadn’t seen Tan Ye be so genuine with anyone.

She looked at Mei Shuang Shuang, who was now staring at the ice flower in her hands with amazement. The ice flower in her palm was crystal clear, with intricate veins on the petals.

“That’s good too.” Su Heng nodded.

She had been here for a while and noticed that Tan Ye didn’t seem to care much about anything around him. Even the humiliation from his master and senior brother, as well as the cold stares from those around him, didn’t evoke much emotion in him.

She couldn’t help but praise him a few times. Indeed, he was worthy of being a god. Even reincarnated, he still had such a state of being unmoved by honor or disgrace. However, if he continued to be so indifferent, he would fail in this life as well.

“You like her, don’t you?” Su Heng asked next to Tan Ye’s ear.

Tan Ye seemed to sense something. His eyes moved, scanning the surroundings, but he didn’t see anything.

“Let’s go. I know a very fun place. I’ll take you there.”

Mei Shuang Shuang had a childlike nature. Having received a beautiful toy and hearing Tan Ye say there were other fun things, she instantly became overjoyed, temporarily casting aside the place she wanted to go to.

Tan Ye took her to the Cloud Viewing Terrace, and then they went to see the four guardian spirit beasts that protected the entire mountain formation of the Chao Yun Sect.

When Mei Shuang Shuang got tired, Tan Ye brought her back to the Sect Master at just the right time.

By this time, Mei Luo and the Sect Master had already played several rounds of chess. Seeing his daughter’s flushed little face, glowing with a rosy luster, Mei Luo knew at a glance that she had been well taken care of by Tan Ye.

“Father!” Mei Shuang Shuang ran to Mei Luo.

Mei Luo looked Mei Shuang Shuang up and down, then looked at Tan Ye. “You’ve worked hard.”

“This is what a junior should do,” Tan Ye lowered his head.

Mei Luo nodded. He looked at the Sect Master.

The Sect Master held a chess piece. “My old friend hasn’t been here for a while. Why don’t you let him accompany you for a walk? After losing three games in a row, sitting down is tiring. Getting up and walking around is good too.”

Every time Mei Luo came, he would more or less ask about Tan Ye’s situation. The Sect Master, having lost three games to Mei Luo, rubbed his brows in frustration. “I also want to think about how to counter your moves next.”

Mei Luo laughed and let go of the jade chess piece in his hand. “Since that’s the case, then I shall obey.”

The Sect Master called two female disciples over to take Mei Shuang Shuang to rest.

Su Heng saw Tan Ye accompanying the old and the young, busy like a spinning top that couldn’t stop. Compared to Mei Shuang Shuang, Mei Luo wasn’t as tiring, eager to run around everywhere.

Tan Ye quietly followed behind Mei Luo. After walking for a short while, Mei Luo said, “I heard that in recent years, things haven’t been smooth for you here.”

The usual indifference on Tan Ye’s face finally showed some emotion, a mix of grief, indignation, and grievance. Although extremely faint, Su Heng captured it very keenly.

That emotion flowed out slowly from his brows and eyes, like a shallow stream.

Seeing it, Su Heng felt that his eyes seemed to shimmer with a faint starlight, very beautiful.

If those eyes were to cry, she wondered how beautiful it would be.

If he cried, that would be good.

With his good looks, not using them to cry for her to see would be a waste of heaven’s gifts. She could eat three baskets of sweet tangerines while watching his crying face. Mm~