Chapter Twenty-Seven: Master, Please Don't Lose Your Mind

The arrow struck Master, and I was so terrified I felt my soul would flee. Before becoming his disciple, I had used the Blood Pact Sword to form a flying blade and attack him, but at that time I carefully withdrew the sword energy into my heart, leaving him unharmed. This time, however, I could not recall the arrow.

He, however, remained unfazed, neither dodging nor flinching. The arrow halted the instant it touched his robe, then fell to the floor with a soft thud—he had warded it off with a spell.

Cold sweat drenched my clothes as I finally exhaled.

“Yu Fei! You fool! Where were you aiming?” Elder Brother Bai Ze roared angrily, making me tremble.

He berated me harshly, but Master swiftly arrived and stopped him. Master was as calm as ever, showing no hint of anger. Yet I felt deeply ashamed—I truly was hopeless.

Bai Ze declared that, according to the Jade Purity Realm’s rules, I should be punished by hauling manure and irrigating fields for a month. Before Master could speak, Spring Breeze, who had dropped by, happened upon the scene and reprimanded Bai Ze in front of Master, replacing the manure punishment with serving tea and water to Master for a month. Master said nothing further.

“Little Crow, do your best—don’t keep causing trouble,” Spring Breeze said, beaming with sunshine.

Master glanced at Spring Breeze, then went on teaching the other disciples.

With guilt in my heart, I served tea and water to Master. Thirteenth Brother said that Master had been busy in the alchemy chamber these days, as Lady Lu Xue’s birthday was approaching, leaving Master distracted and uninterested in food and drink. I thought to imitate Fourteenth Brother and make something tasty to restore his appetite as a form of compensation.

I diligently learned from Fourteenth Brother how to make Master’s favorite tea pastry—snow pear cake. I tweaked the recipe and flavor according to my own sense, shaping it into snowflakes. Fourteenth Brother praised my pastry as delicious.

I grinned sheepishly. Though I am incompetent in cultivation, I can at least cook. This pastry was filled with my deepest apologies.

Early in the morning, I placed the snow pear tea pastries on Master’s desk, hoping to see the expression he once wore years ago in Kunlun when eating roasted pears. But he merely said, “Leave it,” in a distant tone. Disappointed, I withdrew.

After morning tea, he headed to the alchemy chamber.

Near noon, I brought water to him in the chamber. He was casting spells beside the furnace, white spiritual light swirling from within.

What treasure was Master refining? I couldn’t tell. Glancing around, I was drawn to several gleaming pink spirit stones atop the medicine cabinet. Their color was beautiful—clean, rosy, and translucent. Curious, I leaned closer and reached out to touch one.

“Fei’er, that’s poisonous,” Master cautioned.

I quickly withdrew my hand, startled.

“That is the Bewilderment Stone, used to craft spiritual artifacts. Do not touch it directly—it confuses the mind. Its poison has an unpredictable latent period, driving immortals and gods mad without their knowing,” Master explained.

“Oh,” I thought, amazed that such a lovely stone was actually poisonous. What a hazardous business, refining treasures—one wrong move and you’re poisoned. If it made me behave like Brother Dongfang Mo, suddenly losing control, it would be terrifying.

“You haven’t learned alchemy yet; leave. There’s no need to bring water to the chamber. Tell Chu Fang not to prepare food for me,” Master dismissed me.

Master spent the day in the chamber, not eating at all…

After my cultivation, I helped Fourteenth Brother wash vegetables and cook in the kitchen. If only I didn’t always make mistakes, I could go out and run errands like Eleventh Brother, and have some fun. But no—my spirits were low.

Eleventh Brother returned from his errands at dusk, and his first act was to rush into the kitchen and ask about my “flattering” efforts. “Little Brother, serving tea and water to Master is Spring Breeze’s kind intention and a good opportunity handed to you by your senior. How are you performing?”

I sighed.

“You’ve offended Master again?” Eleventh Brother noticed my gloomy expression.

I shook my head innocently. “No.”

“Little Brother’s attempts at flattery only made things worse—he sent Master tea pastries he made himself, and Master stopped eating. My pickles went to waste too,” Fourteenth Brother said helplessly.

“Just how bad must your cooking be, Little Brother, to make Master lose his appetite?” Eleventh Brother teased.

“Surely not…” I thought. It shouldn’t taste bad. Is Master’s palate really so peculiar?

“Not bad—actually, it’s excellent! For some reason, after eating Fei’er’s pastries, Master just won’t eat anything else and stays busy in the chamber,” Fourteenth Brother explained.

“Then have Little Brother make more! If Master won’t eat meals but eats pastries, that works fine. Silly,” Eleventh Brother scolded Fourteenth.

“Little Brother, make more, so we can all enjoy them! Senior Spring Breeze loves flower pastries—bribe him, and he’ll speak up for you. Master doesn’t want to cross Spring Breeze,” Eleventh Brother suggested.

“Oh,” I replied, though I couldn’t bring myself to make more pastries. My heart was uneasy—had my pastries ruined Master’s appetite?

At dusk, after helping Fourteenth Brother finish cooking, Bai Ze took his meal to the attendant's room. At the kitchen door, I respectfully greeted him. Seeing my politeness, he didn’t look down on me anymore, just grunted and left. He never ate with us.

“Fourteenth Brother, today’s food tastes different—better. Did you not make it?” Fifteenth Brother laughed.

“Fei’er made it,” Fourteenth Brother answered, and the others praised me.

Was it good? I was distracted and couldn’t taste it.

Dongfang Mo advised me not to worry. I sighed. With his exceptional talent and diligence, Master favored him. He’s never been punished, so he wouldn’t know what it’s like to always make mistakes and be the lowest in rank.

After the evening bell, the Jade Purity Realm fell silent as everyone rested. The lamp in Master’s study was still lit. I sat in my room, sighing, wondering why he had not returned to his residence to rest. Lady Lu Xue’s birthday was approaching, and ultimately, it was all because of my blunder… I should bring him some calming tea…

The door to Master’s study was open. I peeked in and saw him slumped over his desk, holding the scroll he often used to record his thoughts. He always sat upright—never had I seen him collapsed and motionless.

“Master?” I called softly.

He did not respond.

“Too tired after working in the chamber and fell asleep,” I guessed, tiptoeing closer, careful not to disturb him.

I gently set the tea tray on the desk, but still made a faint sound. He shuddered slightly and slowly lifted his head…

I hurried to stand before the desk and saluted, “Master.”

He straightened up and fixed his gaze on me, his eyes icy and sharp as blades, as if facing an enemy. Though his handsome face was his own, he seemed like a different person.

“What did you call me?” His tone was chilling.

Usually, he was calm—just not fond of smiling. Even when I knocked down all the pears, damaged Lady’s tomb, or shot him with an arrow, I’d never seen him so cold.

“M…Master,” I stammered.

“Who sent you here?” His voice was so cold it made me shiver.

I froze. “I…” Unsure how to answer. Had I erred again by serving tea and water at this hour?

“Who sent you here!” He repeated, glaring at me with murderous intent.

I stared at him, bewildered. What had happened to him—how had he turned so ferocious? He was even more frightening than Brother Dongfang Mo transformed into a wolf monster.

Seeing his mood so dire, I decided it best to leave. “Forgive me for disturbing you, Master. I’ll take my leave…” I quickly turned to go.

“Stop!” he barked.

Was he about to torment me again? Punish me?

“You destroyed Xue’er’s burial mound and think you can just walk away?”

My mind buzzed. So, even after three years, this matter wasn’t settled! He minded it, holding it in all this time, waiting to confront me!

“I didn’t mean to…” I hurried to apologize.

“Who sent you as a spy?” he demanded, his expression darker than Bai Ze’s.

What? What was he talking about? How had I become a spy? Was his mind clouded by anger? Had he lost his senses?

“What spy? I’m not a spy! What are you saying?” I was so alarmed by his demeanor that I couldn’t make sense of his words.

“Speak! What intelligence have you gathered?” he pressed.

What could I possibly gather? I couldn’t even hold a bow properly, had just practiced the boundary spell five thousand times, was still learning to control tree branches, and only mastered how to make pastries…

Seeing me look at him in confusion, as if he were a stranger, he began to tremble, struggling to stand as he clutched the desk and his chest, gasping for breath. I rushed to support him. “Master, what’s wrong?”

He seized my arm in a tight grip, bowing his head in pain. “Xue’er! I know you’re innocent. I’ll find a way to save you! I won’t kill you! Trust me! After the war, I’ll investigate thoroughly and clear your name!”

My heart twisted. Lady Lu Xue’s birthday was near. So, on her birthday, my thunderfire had struck her tomb, and Master was truly shaken by it. I had “tricked” him into taking me as his disciple, caused so much trouble, and he’d been holding back his anger all this time, finally erupting…

I said with remorse, “I’m sorry—I deceived you and brought so much trouble, but it wasn’t my intention, it’s…”

“It’s I who wronged you, Xue’er! The war is urgent, and the morale of the Heavenly Realm’s soldiers cannot falter. I have no better way to save you!” Master pulled me close, caressing my face and gazing into my eyes.

I was flustered—he’d even mistaken me for his wife! Could he have been poisoned by the Bewilderment Stone, losing his senses?

“I’m Fei’er, your disciple—not your wife, Xue’er!” I quickly pushed his hand away and explained.

He gazed at me with tears and affection, raising his hand to summon the Black Crystal Sword. “Xue’er, endure this…” The sword transformed into a white silk ribbon in his hand, his expression anguished yet resolute.

“You…you…” His terrifying appearance left me speechless as I stumbled backward.

“Xue’er, it’s me…” He stepped toward me, holding the white silk.

Master was poisoned—he’d truly gone mad! He was just like Dongfang Mo! I rushed to escape, but he sealed the door with a spell.

Like a terrified mouse, I was pressed against the study door, anxiously watching him. In desperation, I cast a defensive boundary, but he broke through it with ease.

“Master! I’m Fei’er! Let me go!” I frantically tried to open the door with a spell, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Xue’er.”

“Master! Don’t…mm…” The white silk formed from the Black Crystal Sword tightened around my neck…