534 - The Eldest Martial Sister Gave Up Treatment

An Lan comfortably enjoyed the crayfish peeled by Bai Lian. Midnight had passed. The plate was completely emptied. An Lan instinctively stuck out her tongue to lick the corner of her mouth. But just as her tongue touched the spot, she froze. "!" Oh no. Bai Lian was sitting right across from her. And she just pulled such a silly stunt that could undermine her master's dignity! She had to think of a way to salvage this. An Lan's heart raced. Before she could do anything, Bai Lian reached out with a towel. An Lan was about to push the hand away, but Bai Lian gently held her hand with her other hand. "Don't move." "......" Wiping away. An Lan noticed that Bai Lian, leaning forward, was closer to her. By simply lowering her head, she could see a fair expanse of skin and a blue pendant nestled between the valleys, emanating a mysterious chill. What is going on! An Lan didn't quite comprehend how things had developed this way. Bai Lian continued wiping until there was not the slightest dirt at the corner of An Lan's mouth before returning to her seat. Then, she used the clean part of the towel to wipe her own face. The bright cave unexpectedly fell into silence. Bai Lian and An Lan gazed at each other, neither knowing what the other was thinking. Bai Lian hesitated over how to speak up. She couldn't delay any longer. She always thought she understood her master well, but she didn't realize her master understood her just as much. Bai Lian... [With a mere wiggle, she knew exactly what her master was thinking!] "Speak." An Lan placed both hands calmly on the stone table. She regained her composure. Her slightly purplish eyes, rather than appearing otherworldly, were filled with wisdom unlike before. Then I'll say it. Bai Lian nodded. "Master, I need to go out for a bit..." She recounted the events that had just transpired, ending with a promise, "I'll come back soon." An Lan remained silent throughout. When Bai Lian looked at her anxiously, she finally spoke in an emotionless tone, "Can I trust you?" "?" "Can you return on time?" "......" Bai Lian couldn't make a guarantee. She had made this kind of "mistake" several times before. She didn't truly have the gift of foresight; when the storyline deviated from the game's path and the system gave no warnings, she was as clueless as a young rabbit compared to those cunning old foxes. The cave fell silent once more. Drip, drop went the sound of water. At a certain moment. As Bai Lian wished, a system task appeared. [Task One: Brush it off (Completion Reward: Hard Skill +2)] [Task Two: Stay Silent (Completion Reward: Soft Skill +1)] Was the risk of brushing it off really that low? Bai Lian felt a little dazed. She thought back to before. At least, if she dared to choose Task One last year, she would have inevitably faced severe punishment. These three years. In retrospect, they felt like a marathon of thirty years. Bai Lian still chose Task Two. She didn't want to lie to her master anymore. She thus maintained silent eye contact with An Lan. After a long while, An Lan tucked her hands into her sleeves. When she drew her hands out again, a purple droplet glimmering with light rested in her palm. "The Tear of the Lunar Sea." "When you're in trouble, release it. It might just bring you good fortune." An Lan grasped Bai Lian's hand. Flipping Bai Lian's palm upward, she placed the Tear of the Lunar Sea on her hand. Then, like a wife seeing her husband off on a journey, she seriously pressed Bai Lian's fingers one by one until Bai Lian clutched the teardrop. "Master." Bai Lian's voice trembled slightly. An Lan gave no response. She withdrew her hand back into her sleeve, retrieving a brass lamp base this time. "Release your spirit sense." An Lan's expression turned stern. Bai Lian complied. As soon as her spirit sense probed into the lamp base, she felt a prickly sensation. "That's enough." Bai Lian watched as the brass lamp flickered on. A soul lamp? An Lan said, "It's a bit rushed to come back by tomorrow morning. Return before dawn the day after tomorrow instead. One more day should give you enough time for your journey, right?" Bai Lian hesitated briefly but ultimately nodded. "That'll be enough." "Make the most of your time then." "Mm." Bai Lian stood up. There was less than two days until the day after tomorrow at dawn. With the Patrol Charm, she saved a lot of travel time. Next, she needed to head straight to the frozen Bronze Valley. If things proved impossible, she would obediently return. She walked all the way to the cave entrance before stopping. Under the lamplight, her silhouette seemed somewhat dim. She shouldn't just leave like this. Turning around, she said, "Master, I'm sorry." An Lan's body swayed lightly, with her fingers entwined. She pursed her lips. "You have nothing to apologize for." After saying this, facing Bai Lian's expectant gaze, she suddenly added: "I'm just... worried about you." "!" Even though the words were brief, Bai Lian was stunned. If this were a game or an animated series, a soundtrack to amplify the emotions would definitely start playing at this moment! Even so. Bai Lian still felt a spring breeze blowing from within the cave. The breeze was silent, yet its warmth was like a winter heater on her skin. Her skirt, which just covered her knees, began to flutter upward. Bai Lian's initial unease was instantly replaced by calm. She truly hadn't expected her master to say something like this! Consequently, everything she had strived for before became worthwhile. Perhaps this was the surge of power. Bai Lian lowered her head slightly, tucking the hair at her right temple behind her ear. As the azure earlobe glimmered like a star-studded sky, the bracelet on her hand traced out a river. "It's because of this..." Bai Lian smiled brilliantly, "that I have to apologize to Master because I keep making her worry." "......" Bai Lian turned to leave the cave one step at a time. When her figure disappeared within, only then did An Lan's voice float out. "As long as you know." As long as... as long as... Actually, it's not really alright. An Lan sat hugging her knees at the edge of the stone bed. In front of her gleamed Bai Lian's soul lamp, bright and familiar in scent. Was it that fourth disciple? So Bai Lian had secretly formed a pact with the fourth disciple! She was just about to poke the lamp when suddenly footsteps echoed from outside the cave.