Chapter 47: Tian’er

“Clearly, as a cultivator you should be fasting, yet you always prefer to sit in your little courtyard, grilling meat to eat.”
“Clearly, you can barely even stand, yet you stubbornly force yourself to complete training, claiming you cannot let Jingyu Peak be looked down upon…”
“These scenes… I don’t know where they come from, but they feel like… things that actually happened.”

It was rare for Dugu Ningshuang to speak so much in one breath. For someone of her temperament, it was highly unusual.

Luo Jiutian deliberately asked, “Could it be… that this is the true reason Senior wants to take me as a disciple?”

Dugu Ningshuang gently nodded.

Luo Jiutian looked troubled, rubbing his brow.
“I am not saying I don’t believe what Senior says, it’s just… I need time to process it.”

Dugu Ningshuang nodded again, showing understanding. But her gaze never left Luo Jiutian’s face.

Luo Jiutian began to feel awkward from being stared at and cleared his throat, trying to change the subject.
“Ahahaha… by the way, I’m extremely grateful for what happened earlier.”

Dugu Ningshuang continued to stare, silent, seemingly lost in her memories.

Unsure if she was even listening, Luo Jiutian smiled and continued, “Those people—each one acting so high and mighty, shouting about the family, righteousness, when in truth, all they thought of was how to benefit themselves at my expense. If not for Senior’s timely rescue, I’d probably have ended up losing even my pants.”

Still, Dugu Ningshuang remained silent, her expression unreadable, making it impossible to guess her thoughts.

Once again, silence filled the air.

Luo Jiutian rubbed his nose and asked, “Senior… what’s wrong?”

At this, Dugu Ningshuang finally reacted.
Her fingertips tightened, hesitation flickering in her eyes.

After a long pause, she whispered, “Could you… address me as Master first?”

This time, she no longer referred to herself as this one (‘本座’), but as I (‘我’), losing the lofty, domineering tone, replaced by a hint of unease and longing.

Luo Jiutian was slightly stunned.

Her typically cold, azure eyes were now veiled by a faint mist.

For a moment, the figure in front of him no longer resembled the peak master of Jingyu Peak who looked down on all beings, but rather an ordinary woman, afraid of rejection.

The barrier surrounding them was so quiet that even the faint sound of fingertips rubbing against cloth was clearly audible.

Luo Jiutian lowered his head, his Adam’s apple moving, but no sound came out.

That word—the address—rolled over his lips again and again, but never came out.

Silence thickened, almost suffocating.

After a long while, Luo Jiutian slowly raised his head, his gaze returning to her, as though making a certain compromise, and softly spoke:
“…Master.”

The word had barely left his lips before a flash of movement appeared, and Dugu Ningshuang stood before him.

They were nearly the same height, eyes level, standing so close that even their breaths mingled in silence.

Dugu Ningshuang said nothing. She simply reached out and pulled Luo Jiutian toward her.

Before he could react, her hand clasped the back of his head, gently pressing him forward.

Luo Jiutian felt his vision whiten, his nose touched something soft first, and in the next instant, his entire face sank into an abyss of softness.

A faint fragrance wafted over. Not like the aroma of flowers or herbs, but cold, elegant, silently entwining around his nose, lingering long.

Confused by the sudden gesture, Luo Jiutian instinctively tried to pull away, only to be held firmly in place by Dugu Ningshuang.

“Tian’er… Tian’er…”

Dugu Ningshuang whispered repeatedly, over and over.

“…Mm… Mm!”

Luo Jiutian’s breathing became somewhat labored, unable to speak, only managing muffled sounds.

“Tian’er… I can’t forget.
The you in those memories—clearly afraid of pain, yet never once cried out when severely injured… only fearing my disappointment.
You’d tease me, claiming you wanted to see if one who mastered the Supreme Dao Technique would really become emotionless…
You had obviously… been trying so hard to get closer to me.
And I…”

She paused there.

“Tian’er, why don’t you say anything?”

“…Mm!”

Lowering her head, she suddenly realized their current position was… rather inappropriate.

Honestly, if not for their cultivator bodies, Luo Jiutian probably would have suffocated already.

After hesitating for a moment, Dugu Ningshuang slowly released her hold.

Luo Jiutian immediately stepped back, creating some distance.

He coughed lightly.
“Senior, I understand you have many emotions… but after all, there is a difference between men and women. This… isn’t quite proper.”

Dugu Ningshuang reined in her emotions, returning to that icy, indifferent facade, lowering her eyes.
“My apologies.”

The atmosphere became a bit awkward.

“Ahem… Actually, that wasn’t too excessive just now. Cultivators are meant to follow their hearts,” Luo Jiutian casually remarked.
“It’s just that I’m a bit thin-skinned. Please forgive me.”

Dugu Ningshuang didn’t respond, just offered a simple “Mm.”

Silence fell once more inside the barrier.

Suddenly, Luo Jiutian tapped his forehead.
“Ah, I just remembered, before leaving today, I forgot to water my family’s spirit stones. It’s urgent and can’t be delayed.”

As he spoke, he took a half-step forward, putting on an expression of extreme urgency.

But before he could take a second step, a calm voice came from behind him:
“The red-dressed girl who was holding your hand just now—what is your relationship with her?”

At these words, Luo Jiutian felt as though an invisible force pinned him in place.

He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply.

The moment had come.

His mental CPU began to work overtime, furiously calculating the optimal response.

To lie? Definitely not.
Su Wan’er’s identity could be easily uncovered with a simple investigation. A poorly constructed lie would only lead straight to a bad ending CG.

To brush it off? The risk was just as great.
Dugu Ningshuang wasn’t the type to be easily deceived. If she became suspicious, things would only get more complicated, possibly triggering a bad ending CG as well.

But telling the truth… Was that really much better?

After simulating exactly 14,006,005 possible outcomes in his mind, Luo Jiutian arrived at one conclusion—

There was no choice but to tell the truth.

He turned and looked straight at Dugu Ningshuang, his eyes filled with three parts sincerity, three parts nervousness, and four parts readiness to accept being sent to solitary confinement.

And calmly said:
“Senior, she is now my fiancée.”

When he spoke, he didn’t even flinch, nor avert his gaze.

Because he had already decided—if the worst happened and the bad ending CG triggered, he would simply revert to his old trick—
Die and restart.
At worst, change his identity and begin a new map.

What a pity for Luo Chen’s still-unharvested fat sheep.

Luo Jiutian stood motionless, his face serene on the surface, while secretly observing Dugu Ningshuang’s reaction, waiting for the perfect moment to act.

But Dugu Ningshuang neither responded immediately, nor nodded or made a sound.

Her gaze was far too complex, even surpassing Luo Jiutian’s statistical mind.

He didn’t understand it, but he was deeply shaken.