Chapter 79: You’re Giving Me… Rouge?

“You’re giving me… rouge?”

Xiu Qingcheng repeated in disbelief, her mind struggling to connect herself with something like cosmetics.
Girly stuff—she really had no use for it!

But Meng Yingxing had already bought it and was beaming, saying it was a gift for her.
She truly didn’t have the heart to tell him she didn’t want it.
What if she hurt her disciple’s pure, earnest feelings?

Xiu Qingcheng watched Meng Yingxing stop by the roadside, looking at her with eager anticipation.
If he had a tail right now, it would definitely be wagging like a happy puppy’s.

“Then… I’ll reluctantly accept it.”

Xiu Qingcheng said.

Meng Yingxing assumed his master was just being tsundere again, unaware that this time she genuinely meant “reluctantly.”

After leaving Yongning City, Xiu Qingcheng once more invited Meng Yingxing to step onto the sword so she could fly them straight back to the Tianfeng Sect.
This time, Meng Yingxing wasn’t as awkward as the first time.
He no longer worried about disrespecting an immortal master and stepped onto the Ting Tian Sword with familiar ease.

On the sword flight back to the Tianfeng Sect, Xiu Qingcheng suddenly felt like chatting with Meng Yingxing about the demon race.

“Disciple, how do you think Li Mo fell in love with Wang Zhuihai back then?
Demon race aesthetics aren’t the same as humans’.”

Cases of demons falling for humans weren’t unheard of, but they were still rare.
Classic star-crossed lovers material.

Being asked something like this, Meng Yingxing offered what he thought was a reasonable guess.

“Maybe Wang Zhuihai really had some unique charm that even a girl from another race couldn’t resist?”

Xiu Qingcheng snickered.

“I think… it might have been very simple.”

She cleared her throat, as if about to deliver a formal lecture.

“The demon race inherited the bloodlines of ancient beasts.
They all carry traces of that ancient lineage.”

“Like the Li Mo and Chi Zhanyue you’ve met—they appear in human form, but they actually have beast forms.
For example, when merfolk enter water, their legs turn into tails.
I’ve heard Huang Cang is a flaming leopard.”

“What I’m trying to say is, demons are basically beasts.
They all have… mating seasons.”

Xiu Qingcheng emphasized the word with three consecutive “actually”s.

Mating season???

Meng Yingxing’s brain shrank a little at this obscure knowledge.

“You know, spring arrives, everything revives, it’s the season when animals… get busy reproducing.”

Xiu Qingcheng couldn’t help reciting the classic line.
“But demons aren’t pure beasts.
As intelligent beings with self-control, they can suppress those urges during mating season.”

“Of course, sometimes a demon fails to hold back.”

“Maybe back then, Wang Langhai just happened to run into Li Mo when she couldn’t control herself… and then, well, one thing led to another, and they eloped…”

Xiu Qingcheng was picturing the Cowherd and Weaver Girl story—specifically the part where the cowherd steals the weaver’s clothes.

“Okay, Master, you can stop now.”

Meng Yingxing was starting to feel scared.

He never imagined his master would talk about this kind of thing.
In human form, she looked like an aloof, peerless beauty, yet when she opened her mouth, all sense of propriety went out the window.

“What? What? I’m making perfect sense! Why won’t you let me finish?”

Xiu Qingcheng was a bit annoyed at being cut off, but then she noticed Meng Yingxing covering his face with his hand, ears slightly red.

Her eyes widened as if she’d discovered a new continent.

“No way, disciple—I haven’t even said anything yet, and you’re already this embarrassed?!”

Having his embarrassment exposed, Meng Yingxing’s ears turned an even brighter red.

“Master!!!”

He shouted in mortified fury, nearly flailing off the sword from sheer agitation.

Xiu Qingcheng couldn’t tell if her disciple was just too innocent or had an overactive imagination.
She hadn’t even said anything explicit, and he was already blushing like this.

She even thought to herself: back in her previous life, by Meng Yingxing’s age, she’d already unlocked all sorts of positions in her mind through various channels.
This kid really needed help.

This was important knowledge—he had to start building the right worldview young.

So Xiu Qingcheng spoke earnestly:
“Disciple, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.
This is all part of the path you’ll walk someday.”

“In the future, you might even find a cultivation partner for dual cultivation—”

Xiu Qingcheng sighed.

“Dual cultivation?! What dual cultivation?! Master, stop!”

Meng Yingxing, completely clueless about such things, couldn’t handle her words.
His vision sparked, and he toppled straight off the sword.

This kid’s brain capacity was too small!
She shouldn’t have said anything!

Xiu Qingcheng panicked and dove after him.

But high in the sky, someone caught Meng Yingxing faster than she did.

It was another man flying on a sword.

Black hair, black eyes, cold and stern features, lips thin as blades.
He wore the Tianfeng Sect uniform, but unlike Meng Yingxing’s, his had three stripes marking him as a senior disciple.

“A senior disciple of the Tianfeng Sect? Never seen this guy before…”

Xiu Qingcheng muttered, squinting.

She pretended to be an ordinary out-of-control sword and dropped down beside him.

The senior disciple glanced sideways, reached out with lightning speed, grabbed the Ting Tian Sword by the hilt, and neatly sheathed it behind Meng Yingxing.

“Junior brother, are you alright?”

He patted Meng Yingxing’s back with mild concern.

Meng Yingxing hadn’t actually fainted—he’d been fully aware the whole time.
He quickly straightened up on the senior disciple’s sword.

Looking up, he froze for a moment.

“Eldest Senior Brother?”

“Eldest Senior Brother? The one whose master was kidnapped by a demon?”

Xiu Qingcheng asked from behind Meng Yingxing.

“Thank you for your help, Eldest Senior Brother.”
Meng Yingxing ignored her for the moment and cupped his fists in thanks.

“It’s nothing. Did you lose control of your sword?”
Be more careful when flying in the future…”

Though Meng Yingxing had only thanked him once, the Eldest Senior Brother launched into a long, stiff lecture like an old-school teacher, going on for several minutes.

Even Xiu Qingcheng’s scalp went numb listening to it.

Meng Yingxing sweated profusely, nodding repeatedly.

Seeing that the junior was teachable, the Eldest Senior Brother gave a satisfied smile.

“Are you heading back to the Tianfeng Sect? I’m going that way too—let me give you a ride.”

Meng Yingxing nodded.

The Eldest Senior Brother then carried Meng Yingxing on his sword all the way back to the sect.

“So who exactly is this Eldest Senior Brother? Hurry up and tell me!”

Xiu Qingcheng, waiting impatiently for an answer, felt like the Locust Demon King was scratching at her insides.

“The chief disciple of the Tianfeng Sect, Lin Yunchuan, disciple of He Yundan of Daiheng Peak.
He’s constantly out on missions slaying demons and monsters across the land.”

“You know him well?”

Xiu Qingcheng asked.

“Not really. He’s just very famous in the sect.
Incredibly talented, obsessed with cultivation, and fiercely loyal to the Tianfeng Sect.”

“Besides training and demon-slaying missions, he basically ignores everything else.
I’ve heard Elder He Yundan intends to groom him as his successor.”

As soon as Meng Yingxing explained, Xiu Qingcheng understood.

Lin Yunchuan?
He was clearly the Tianfeng Sect’s loyal hound!