“Gu Tou, it’s burnt, it’s burnt! Hurry, hurry!” Tang Bao took a look at the food in the pot, so anxious it bounced up and down on her head.
Hua Qian Gu snapped out of it at that moment, rushing to remove the pot, dropping the pot noisily onto the ground because it was too hot. She cleaned up dejectedly, cooking the meal again.
Bai Zi Hua sat at the table, tasting the dishes she made, not saying anything for a long time.
“Teacher?”
“You have something on your mind?”
“Teacher, how do you know?”
“You are always cheerful without any worries, the food you cook will reflect that. When you are worried, the taste of the food will change.”
She had been back at Jue Qing Hall for two months, but she could not concentrate on anything. Although she already recovered from her injury, her cultivation gradually worsened. Previously, her cultivation increased rapidly so she became one of the best disciples in the sect because her heart was calm, calmer than others. Her heart was no longer calm, her mind was disturbed, this problem would only worsen if not resolved.
Hua Qian Gu chewed on her chopsticks, bowed her head and said: “Teacher, my heart is troubled, I can’t feel calm no matter how hard I try.”
“The heart is like the flowing of water, difficult to understand. There are many things, the more we try to understand the more complex they become. Once the heart develops obsessions, it is like a spool of yarn, becoming more tangled if you try to untangle it.”
“But Teacher, if I have a bad premonition, feeling that something I can’t control will happen, what should I do?”
“There are things that the more you want to avoid, the faster they will occur, learn to accept fate. When they occur, steel your heart, that is the way to survive.” Bai Zi Hua replied gently, patting her head.
Hua Qian Gu thought for a long time, then finally smiled broadly: “I understand now, thank you, Teacher.”
Bai Zi Hua nodded, using his chopsticks to put a colorful piece of Meng Cai into her bowl. Hua Qian Gu smiled happily, pushing big chunks of rice into her mouth.
Hua Qian Gu swam in the sea, she slipped away from Mount Chang Liu from time to time, running to a distant island to play with Sha Qian Mo.
No one lived on the island so it became their island. Sha Qian Mo called it “Hua (Flower) Island,” there were a lot of strange plants and flowers on the island, but Sha Qian Mo said they were not enough, one day he pulled all the plants and flowers, then planted Hua Qian Gu’s favorite flowers, turning the island into a huge garden.
Hua Island was not far from Mount Chang Liu, from the highest places like Jue Qing Hall on clear days, it could be seen faintly.
Hua Qian Gu was laying on the beach at this moment to sunbathe, not moving at all like a corpse, looking at Chang Liu, which was far away like a mirage, feeling everything was a dream.
Bai Zi Hua’s alluring smile at the Qun Xian Feast appeared in her mind.
But she never saw a smile on his face again in these years. Sometimes, worry flashed in his eyes but disappeared quickly, difficult for her to see it.
That day talking to Zi Xun Qian Xia, her heart was like a storm with violent waves and high winds, but no matter how violent the waves or high the winds, everything fell apart under Teacher‘s serene gaze.
In front of him, she could not maintain silence and serenity.
She could not understand completely what Zi Xun Qian Xia meant, but that did not mean she did not understand anything. She had not read the romantic stories in the Book of the Six Realms and the seven books. Nevertheless, she was 17 years old now, old enough to slowly see things differently. She knew Ni Man Tian liked Luo Shi Yi, Qing Shui liked Xuan Yuan Lang, and the complicated romantic relationships in Heaven. However, she could not understand her own feelings.
But when she realized Zi Xun jiejie loved Teacher, her heart felt pain and helplessness like jiejie at that moment. A feeling of hopelessness threatened to suffocate her.
Why, jiejie’s love, she could understand it?
Jiejie warned her not to fall in love with Teacher, but she already loved Teacher! In this world, except for her parents, she loved Teacher the most. Teacher could command her to do anything, could even take her life, everything belonged to Teacher.
What could be wrong with that? She did not want anything, she only wanted to live like this forever, always be with him every day.
Teacher said to go with the flow, that was probably what he meant.
In that case, there was nothing else to do, she only needed to follow Teacher, cultivate quickly to become immortal.
Hua Qian Gu slowly closed a painting of Bai Zi Hua, putting it back into her internal coffer. Rolling several times in the beach, she kicked her legs, covering herself with sand, sleeping first and then worry later.
Early next morning, the birds were twittering in the trees, there was good news, there was good news……
“Teacher, you’re looking for me?”
Bai Zi Hua nodded: “The Qun Xian Feast is in a few days, you can go with me this time.”
“Wow! Really?” Hua Qian Gu jumped up in excitement, she had begged so many times, but he always refused to let her tag along, why did he agree this year?
“You have become famous after the battle at Mount Tai Bai, Wangmu Niangniang told me to bring you, even sending you an invitation.”
Bai Zi Hua gave her an platinum invitation encrusted with crystals, so shiny that Hua Qian Gu had to blink repeatedly. The invitation was addressed to “Mount Mao’s Sect Leader Hua Qian Gu.” She was flattered and asked: “Can I take Tang Bao?”
Bai Zi Hua nodded, the two of them always went everywhere together.
“Although we won on Mount Tai Bai, your experience is still lacking. After the Qun Xian Feast, I will take you to tour the world for some time, to gain more experience.”
Bai Zi Hua thought Hua Qian Gu’s heart was troubled because her experience and knowledge were limited.
Not fully understanding the divinity state but having been through challenging situations, she was weak and vulnerable compared to others with a deeper knowledge. Hua Qian Gu was in the important beginning stage of cultivation to become an immortal, if she was troubled, it was easy for her to become demonic. Maybe it would be better for her to go out into the world for a few months so she could regain her ability to rationalize, she would know a hill if she saw a hill, know a river if she saw a river.
“Hahaha,” Hua Qian Gu grabbed a hold of his sleeve and swung it back and forth, pouting: “Teacher, you’re the best……”
Bai Zi Hua patted her head: “Go pack up, then say goodbye to Qing Shui and everyone else, this trip will probably take six months.”
“Teacher won’t be here, what about the matters in the sect?”
“Do not worry, Shi Zun will handle everything. If there is an emergency, he will let me know.”
“Yay!” Hua Qian Gu ran out like the wind.
Everyone was happy knowing this news, the exception was Luo Shi Yi, who frowned sadly.
Could this be a mistake, he would not see Tang Bao for six months! How could he live! Seeing Tang Bao’s excited face, Luo Shi Yi was heart-broken. Huhuhu, Tang Bao, how could you……
Returning to Mount Kun Lun, Hua Qian Gu felt inexplicable excitement. She was no longer an orphan girl turning into a worm to sneak in anymore, she now had the distinction of being a sect leader. Also, she did not need to fly on a cloud with Bai Zi Hua, she could fly on her sword by herself.
Thinking of the delicious food at the feast and the gigantic peaches, Hua Qian Gu and Tang Bao drooled.
The first time leaving the mountain with Teacher, she was nervous and excited, her mouth chattering on endlessly.
They were flying on swords, but with Hua Qian Gu’s speed, it took them more than a day to get there, they had to rest a few times on the way.
When they arrived at Yao Chi, the banquet was in progress.
Hua Qian Gu looked at the colorful water and peach blossom forest that had not changed in thousands of years. The trickling of music, the clanking of jades, the dancing of deities, immortals were drinking wine and singing.
A shout rang out: “Chang Liu’s High Immortal has arrived!”
Then another shout rang out: “Sect Leader of Mount Mao has arrived!”
Everyone was startled, there was complete silence, everyone looked up at them.
The solitary man still wore a robe white like snow, coldly and slowly descending from the sky, behind him was the girl who had worn raggedy clothes, pretending to be a boy and sneaking into Yao Chi.
Today, she wore a green outfit made out of silk, her hair was up in two round buns, but she still looked like a child from years ago, not growing older. Dark eyebrows that were picturesque, eyes bright like stars, skin white and smooth, cheeks soft like rose petals, flushing red like apples, tempting people to take a bite.
Hua Qian Gu saw everyone staring at her, feeling nervous so she grabbed a hold of Bai Zi Hua’s robe.
The two of them, teacher and disciple, one walking in front and the other following behind, one was ethereal and divine, the other innocent and lovely, what a perfect picture amid the raining of the peach blossom petals.
The immortals held their breaths, they were surprised Mount Mao’s Sect Leader was so young, and even more surprised that Bai Zi Hua’s usual cold face could look more gentle and tender.
Suddenly, a ferocious voice yelled out loudly like thunder crashing.
“Damn your ancestors to hell, Bai Zi Hua! I’m really regretting it now!!”