269: Chapter 267 You're just jealous that I can hug my master.

As Gu Qiuyue circulated her Spiritual Qi, a warm current flowed upward through the Meridians of Su Lin's left leg.

At the same time, Mu Qingxue was not to be outdone.

Extreme cold power followed Su Lin's right leg, turning into threads of cool spiritual energy that headed straight for his Dantian.

On one side was the nourishment of wealth, as warm as spring flowers and as hot as fire.

On the other side was the cleansing of frost, as cold as ten-thousand-year-old profound ice and piercing to the bone.

Sitting on the soft couch, Su Lin had originally wanted to reprimand these two Rebellious Disciples for treating his legs like a battlefield, but the words turned into a long sigh as they reached his lips.

"Hiss..."

Comfortable.

It was far too comfortable.

If an ordinary clash of ice and fire would cause one's Meridians to go haywire and lead to Qi Deviation, then this convergence of Spiritual Qi, precisely controlled by two Mahayana Stage peerless Geniuses, was simply the ultimate enjoyment in this world.

Gu Qiuyue's Spiritual Qi was like a pair of gentle hands, slowly kneading and dissolving the blockages and fatigue in Su Lin's body caused by days of travel.

Mu Qingxue's extreme cold Spiritual Qi was like a sharp and precise scalpel, instantly freezing the kneaded fatigue and turbid Qi before expelling them through his pores.

Su Lin closed his eyes and leaned against the back of the soft couch, his previously tense nerves completely relaxing.

"Seventh Junior Sister, isn't your cold Qi a bit weak? Haven't you eaten?"

Gu Qiuyue gently massaged the calf of Su Lin's left leg while looking up, provocatively raising her chin at Mu Qingxue.

"Revered Master's Meridians are so vast; these little ice chips of yours aren't even enough to fill the gaps between his teeth."

"Senior Sister should mind her own business."

Mu Qingxue didn't even look up. Her long, cool fingers pressed precisely onto the Yongquan Acupoint on Su Lin's right foot with a slight force.

"Your Spiritual Qi is full of the stench of copper and is overly cloying. Without the suppression of my Ice Heart Art, Revered Master would eventually be overwhelmed by your vulgarity, causing his internal fire to burn excessively."

"Vulgarity? This is called the flavor of the mortal world! Revered Master, don't you agree?"

Gu Qiuyue spoke coquettishly, her fingers intentionally scratching the inside of Su Lin's knee.

He finally understood; although these two girls were arguing incessantly and belittling each other, their hand movements were surprisingly coordinated.

As soon as Gu Qiuyue's Spiritual Qi reached an Acupoint, Mu Qingxue's cold Qi would immediately follow in cooperation.

After all, they had been fellow disciples for a hundred years. Even if they fought tooth and nail for favor normally, they maintained an unparalleled united front when it came to serving Revered Master and conditioning his body.

The two continued bickering back and forth, yet their hand movements became increasingly gentle and meticulous.

Gradually, the smell of gunpowder in the hall faded,

transforming into a long-lost, warm, and everyday atmosphere.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn passed.

"That's enough."

Su Lin slowly opened his eyes and withdrew his legs from their hands.

He circulated the Star Power within his body and felt refreshed all over, his fatigue from the past few days swept away.

Gu Qiuyue naturally took a snow-white spirit fox towel to dry the moisture on Su Lin's feet, then personally put a pair of soft-soled shoes woven from cloud brocade on him.

Mu Qingxue waved her sleeve, causing the basin of ice-blue divine water to vanish into nothingness. She then silently stood up and retreated half a step to Su Lin's side, returning to her cold, unapproachable demeanor.

"Revered Master, was it comfortable?" Gu Qiuyue stood up and asked with a smile.

"Passable."

"Since Revered Master is satisfied, then next..."

Gu Qiuyue clapped her hands.

*Clap clap.*

With two crisp claps, the door to the outer room of the Emperors Pavilion was pushed open.

A line of Puppet maids entered silently, one after another.

They carried food boxes made of top-grade warm jade, orderly placing dishes of delicacies that emitted incredible Spiritual Qi and fragrance onto the large round table in the center of the room.

"Revered Master, I specially had the most famous 'Drunken Moon Manchu-Han Imperial Feast' in Tianzhou City prepared. How about we eat while we admire the moon?"

Gu Qiuyue stepped forward, taking Su Lin's arm to lead him to the dining table.

Su Lin glanced at the table.

This spread of food was luxurious to the extreme.

"Seventh Junior Sister, don't just stand there like a wooden post. Sit down."

Gu Qiuyue pulled out the chair to Su Lin's right and rolled her eyes at Mu Qingxue, who was still standing.

Mu Qingxue glanced at her coldly: "Your money cannot buy Revered Master. I am sitting here because I want to ensure you don't put any of those messy knockout drugs in the food."

"Hmph, whenever I, Gu Qiuyue, want something, I've always bought it at a clear price. Drugging people is something only someone as dark-hearted as Third Senior Sister would do."

Gu Qiuyue retorted bluntly before sitting down on Su Lin's left.

Looking at the two disciples sitting on either side of him, Su Lin actually felt a long-lost sense of peace.

To him, this level of bickering was like a gentle breeze against his face.

"Eat."

Su Lin picked up his jade chopsticks and proactively placed a piece of translucent spiritual fish meat for Gu Qiuyue, and a piece of snow lotus cake emitting cold Qi for Mu Qingxue.

"Both of you behave. Whoever argues again tonight, I'll throw them out of the Emperors Pavilion window."

"Thank you, Revered Master~" Gu Qiuyue happily ate the fish, her eyes curving into crescents.

"Thank you, Revered Master." Although Mu Qingxue's tone was still cold, the tips of her ears turned slightly red.

The late-night snack was unexpectedly harmonious.

Gu Qiuyue even brought out a jar of top-tier immortal brew called 'Star River Drunk'.

This wine was not pungent like mortal wine; it was as sweet as honey upon entry but turned into starlight flowing through the body once swallowed. Even a Mahayana Stage Cultivator would feel a bit tipsy after drinking too much.

After several rounds of drinks.

Two obvious red flushes had appeared on Gu Qiuyue's cheeks. Her golden eyes, which usually sparkled with calculation, were now veiled by a layer of mist.

She rested her cheek on one hand, her elbow on the table, her body leaning softly toward Su Lin.

"Revered Master..."

Gu Qiuyue let out a hiccup smelling of fruit, her voice becoming somewhat slurred.

She extended her slender fingers, adorned with several spatial rings, gesturing randomly in the air.

"I have to settle accounts... I have to negotiate business with those old foxes... I have to buy mineral veins... I have to support millions of people in the Jiuzhou Chamber of Commerce..."

"Everyone calls me the Goddess of Wealth... everyone thinks I've fallen into a pit of money..."

She suddenly turned her head, staring intently at Su Lin, her eyes filled with aggrieved tears.

"But... if I didn't work so hard to make money... if I didn't make my influence so large..."

"First Senior Sister has national providence, Second Senior Sister has brute force, Fifth Senior Sister has the Myriad Demon Palace... I only have an abacus."

"I'm afraid... I'm afraid that if I don't have money, Revered Master will think Qiuyue is useless... and won't want Qiuyue anymore..."

As she spoke, this female tycoon who called the shots in the cultivation world actually plunged into Su Lin's arms like a little girl who had lost her favorite toy, hugging his waist and sobbing.

Su Lin's body stiffened slightly.

"I have said before, in my heart, you have never been a useless disciple."

"You have done very well."

"Waaaah... Revered Master..."

Hearing these words, Gu Qiuyue cried even harder, even rubbing her tears and snot onto Su Lin's expensive moon-white robe.

Just then.

A handkerchief as white as snow, emitting a faint cold Qi, was quietly handed to Gu Qiuyue.

Gu Qiuyue's crying paused, and she looked up with teary eyes.

Mu Qingxue was still sitting upright in her chair, expressionless, but the hand holding the handkerchief remained steady in front of her.

"Wipe it."

Mu Qingxue coldly spat out two words.

"Your snot is dirtying Revered Master's clothes. It's disgusting."

Gu Qiuyue was originally a bit touched, but hearing this, she was instantly stifled with anger.

She snatched the handkerchief from Mu Qingxue's hand, wiped her face haphazardly a few times, and then glared at her with red eyes.

"Mu Old Seven! You're just jealous that I can hug Revered Master!"

"I am not jealous of a drunkard throwing a tantrum."

Mu Qingxue calmly withdrew her hand and took a sip from her teacup. "Lacking in decorum."

"You!"

Gu Qiuyue was about to argue back when she suddenly felt a wave of dizziness; the alcohol had completely kicked in.

Her body tilted, and her head landed directly on Su Lin's right shoulder. Smacking her lips, she actually fell into a deep sleep just like that, her hands still tightly clutching Su Lin's lapels.

Looking at the dead-asleep Gu Qiuyue, Su Lin shook his head helplessly.

He was just about to cast a Spell to move Gu Qiuyue to the bed when his left shoulder suddenly felt heavy.

Su Lin turned his head.

Mu Qingxue, who had been maintaining her aloof posture, had also closed her eyes at some point.

Her stunning face also bore a red flush. Clearly, this ice mountain Fairy was also drunk.

She didn't cry or make a fuss like Gu Qiuyue; instead, she quietly rested her head on Su Lin's left shoulder.

A cold sensation came through the fabric, forming a sharp contrast with the warmth of Gu Qiuyue on his right shoulder.

"Revered Master..."

Mu Qingxue let out a very, very soft murmur in her sleep.

Her hands, like vines seeking security, gently wrapped around Su Lin's left arm, and she buried her cheek deep into the crook of his arm.

"Don't go..."

"Qingxue... is actually... also very afraid..."

Hidden beneath that cold exterior was a heart similarly riddled with holes from a hundred years of separation.

Su Lin sat in the chair, leaning against an ice mountain on the left and a furnace on the right.

He looked left, then right, and finally had to helplessly give up the idea of getting up.

"Forget it."

Su Lin slightly adjusted his sitting posture to make his two disciples more comfortable.

He raised his hand, his fingertips moving slightly.

The lights in the entire Emperors Pavilion dimmed instantly, leaving only the top-grade Star Marrow on the ceiling emitting a soft glow, as if they were in the middle of a vast galaxy.

The night grew deep.

...

The next day.

When the first ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone on Tianzhou City.

Su Lin woke up to an extremely slight tugging sensation, as if someone were being stealthy.

He didn't open his eyes but instead slightly extended his Divine Sense.

On both sides of him, Gu Qiuyue and Mu Qingxue had already woken up.

They seemed to have realized the boundary-crossing behavior they committed while drunk last night and were now tiptoeing in an attempt to get off Su Lin.

But the awkward part was that their hair, because they had been so close and had restless sleeping postures, had several strands tightly tangled together.

"Hiss... Mu Old Seven! Don't pull!"

Gu Qiuyue lowered her voice, glaring at Mu Qingxue through gritted teeth. "You're breaking my hair!"

"You're the one pressing on my hair."

Mu Qingxue also lowered her voice, a rare look of embarrassment appearing on her cold face. "Take your hand off my waist!"

"If I take it off, you'll fall! You think I want to hug you? You're as cold as a block of ice!"

"You smell of copper; it's giving me a headache."

The two bickered quietly like thieves while frantically trying to untangle their hair, fearing they would wake the "sleeping" Su Lin in the middle.

Watching this scene, Su Lin laughed inwardly but pretended to have just woken up, slowly opening his eyes.

"Hmm? Is it morning?"

Su Lin made a confused humming sound and then pretended to stretch.

"Ah!"

"Oh no!"

Su Lin's movement directly broke the fragile balance between the two.

Gu Qiuyue and Mu Qingxue let out short cries of surprise and, to avoid crushing Su Lin, both fell backward simultaneously.

"Thud!"

Both fell onto the thick velvet carpet; although it didn't hurt, their postures were extremely undignified.

"Mas... Revered Master, you're awake."

Gu Qiuyue quickly scrambled up from the floor, her face as red as a cooked shrimp. She smoothed her messy lapels, her eyes darting everywhere, not daring to look at Su Lin.

"That... well, last night's wine was too strong. I couldn't handle my liquor and made a fool of myself..."

Mu Qingxue also stood up. Although she tried her best to maintain her ice mountain persona, her bright red earlobes betrayed her.

She patted her skirt and said coldly: "Revered Master, I was only helping you cool down last night, nothing more."

"Is that so?"

Su Lin watched them play make-believe and didn't expose them.

He stood up and stretched his body, which was a bit stiff from being a pillow all night.

"Alright, stop pretending."

Su Lin couldn't help but shake his head and laugh at his two disciples who were stubbornly trying to maintain their personas.

He walked up to them and sighed.

"Turn around and sit back-to-back."

"Revered Master?" Gu Qiuyue was startled, not quite understanding.

"Just sit when I tell you to."

The two obediently sat back-to-back on the carpet.

Because several strands of hair were still tightly tangled, they had to sit very close, their backs almost touching.

Surprisingly, neither of them rejected the other's body heat.

Su Lin walked to their side. Like an ordinary elder in the mortal world, he reached out his hands to slowly untangle the hair that had been tied into knots.

"You two..."

Su Lin said softly as he untangled the hair, his voice sounding exceptionally gentle in the morning light.

"Usually, each of you is so formidable in front of outsiders. Why is it that when you're with me, you're like two little girls who haven't grown up, even getting your hair tangled while sleeping?"