Chapter 19: Weird Hobby

The moment I stepped out of the water, Su Wan’er’s gaze instinctively flickered downward, landing directly between my legs.

Her breath hitched with a sharp, audible gasp. A brilliant, volcanic crimson exploded across her face, rushing from her neck all the way to the tips of her ears. She whipped her head away in an instant, but not before her eyes stole a quick, panicked second glance at the formidable sight before her.

"Y-You shameless rogue!" she stammered, crossing her arms defensively over her chest while staring stubbornly at the bamboo grove. "Hide... hide that sword of yours this instant!"

"A sword?" I burst out laughing, immensely amused by how the mighty Sect Master was too flustered to call it what it actually was. "Senior Sister, my sword is currently resting safely on the terrace tiles over there. But if you insist on praising my natural assets with such poetic words, who am I to complain?"

"Shut your mouth and put some clothes on!" she hissed, her back still firmly turned toward me.

Laughing heartily, I circulated a quick, controlled burst of Late-Stage Golden Core qi across my skin. The residual water vaporized into a faint mist within a fraction of a second, leaving me dry and warm. I pulled on my clean white inner robes and secured the sash with practiced ease.

Beside me, Su Wan’er retrieved a set of dignified, snow-white Sect Master robes from her space ring. With a graceful spin, the luxurious azure-embroidered silk slipped over her porcelain shoulders, instantly concealing the breathtaking curves I had enjoyed all evening.

In the span of a single breath, the flustered, blushing woman vanished, replaced once more by the cold, majestic ruler of the Mystic Cloud Sect.

I tied my outer belt and shook out my wide sleeves. "Actually, Senior Sister, I came over to your peak tonight for a specific favor. I need to borrow a few sets of your clothes."

Su Wan’er paused, her fingers freezing on the jade sash around her waist. She slowly turned her head, looking at me with an expression of disgust mixed with morbid curiosity.

"Lu Chen.." she said slowly, her willow brows knitting tightly together. "Have you... awakened some sort of bizarre, perverted hobby while living alone on your mountain?"

My lips twitched violently.

"What kind of degenerate do you take me for?!" I scoffed, rolling my eyes so hard they nearly spun out of my head. "They’re for my new disciple! Qingxue only had the blood-soaked rags on her back when I brought her up the mountain. I have lived on Lonely Cloud Peak by myself for a decade, so my wardrobes are filled with nothing but men’s robes. What is a teenage girl supposed to wear after taking a medicinal bath?"

Realization dawned across Wan’er’s face, followed by an immediate wave of relief. She let out an embarrassed cough, clearly realizing she had let her imagination run wild.

"You should have said so from the start," she muttered, rolling her eyes to save face.

She flicked her wrist, and a faint spatial ripple shimmered beside her. Three neat, beautifully folded bundles of clothing materialized and floated gently into my outstretched arms.

"These are some spare robes I had tailor-made a couple of years ago before my latest growth spurts," she said casually. "I haven’t worn them, but the fabric is woven from moonlight silk and jade-spider thread. Even if they are old designs of mine, they are impervious to ordinary dust and water. A mortal girl from the borderlands could never dream of touching material like this."

"Oho, moonlight silk? Let me inspect the craftsmanship," I grinned, lifting the edge of the top robe to peek at the fine embroidery.

Before I could unfold the sleeve, Su Wan’er’s hand shot out like lightning, smacking the back of my fingers away with a crisp snap.

"Keep your hands to yourself!" she snapped, glaring at me sternly. "A grown man has no business pawing through a woman’s inner robes!"

I rubbed my stinging knuckles and snorted, flashing her an unrepentant, wicked smirk. "Senior Sister, what’s the problem with me looking at a few pieces of silk? I literally just stared at every inch of the woman who owns them for half an hour. A bit late to play the shy maiden, don’t you think?"

"You-!"

Wan’er’s face flushed crimson again, her palm rising instinctively to deliver a heavy slap to my shoulder.

Predicting her reaction entirely, I executed a swift half-step backward, clutching the neat stack of robes to my chest as I vaulted onto the wooden railing with an agile leap. Her palm strike caught only the empty evening air.

"Hahaha! Many thanks for the clothes, my lovely Senior Sister!" I laughed loudly, taking immense pleasure in seeing the proud Sect Master stomp her foot in helpless frustration.

I whistled, and my green flying sword shot into the air, hovering steadily beneath my boots.

Just as I channeled my qi into the blade, preparing to shoot off into the night sky, Su Wan’er took a step forward onto the edge of the terrace.

"Lu Chen, wait,’ she called out softly.

The sharp irritation on her face had melted away completely, replaced by a quiet, gentle look that stopped me mid-flight.

She looked up at me under the silver moonlight, her hands clasped loosely in front of her robes. "Seeing you prepare medicinal baths and scrounge for clothes... I can see that you’re truly taking this disciple seriously. I’m really happy for you, Lu Chen."

She paused, her eyes carrying an earnest, lingering vulnerability that she rarely ever showed.

"You’ve broken your bottleneck, and your peak has life in it again. Continue to work hard, alright? Don’t let yourself slack off back into stagnation. The immortal road is endless, and... I want you to accompany me through it for centuries to come."

I hovered above the moonlit garden, looking down at the woman who had stood between me and the cold cruelty of the cultivation world for three long decades.

A warm, roguish grin slowly spread across my face.

"Senior Sister," I teased, leaning forward over my flying sword with a playful wink. "Are you proposing to me right now?"

Su Wan’er’s eyes widened, and she raised her hand threateningly, her palm crackling with faint azure frost. "Lu Chen! If you utter one more word, I will blast you off that sword!"

I threw my head back and laughed heartily, completely unbothered by her empty threat.

"Alright, alright! But jokes aside, Wan’er... I am genuinely happy for your breakthrough tonight,’ I said, letting a trace of sincere warmth settle into my voice. "Rest easy. I look forward to spending the rest of our long lives together too."

With a flick of my wrist, the flying sword hummed with sharp green light, shooting off into the sea of clouds and carrying me back toward Lonely Cloud Peak.