196 - Destroyer of Ice and Fire

Ran Fan Yin was originally chasing after her master, but the sound of the bell informed her that Ning Song Wu was in grave danger. Following the sound, she quickly made her way to her. After breaking through the barrier of the formation spirit, Ran Fan Yin saw the severely injured Ning Song Wu and shouted. Ning Song Wu turned her head, gave her a relieved smile, and then passed out. Ran Fan Yin immediately scooped up the unconscious Ning Song Wu, her heart filled with both anger and confusion. When Ning Song Wu turned her head, those blood-red eyes of hers strikingly resembled those of the Demon Emperor Dan Zhu. It wasn't until the afternoon that Ran Fan Yin and Jiang Yue returned to the Rongku Pavilion. Just by looking at the maid standing at the entrance of the sleeping chamber, she knew that nothing good was happening inside. As expected, upon stepping into the sleeping chamber, she heard the chaotic and noisy voices of Luo Sheng and Cen Ran. Before she could even take a step forward, a short figure shot out like an arrow, crashing into Ran Fan Yin. Ran Fan Yin instinctively caught him by the back. "Lil' brat, running around like a monkey..." Luo Sheng, with an angry expression, rushed out but froze upon seeing Ran Fan Yin. Cen Ran's voice came from behind, "Hurry and catch him—" Her words ended abruptly as she bumped into the suddenly halted Luo Sheng. Both quickly greeted, "Master." Qi Er, who had been struggling, stopped when he recognized the familiar scent of plum blossoms on Ran Fan Yin and obediently buried his head against her. "Zi Sheng, Cen Ran, come with me." Ran Fan Yin held Qi Er’s hand and walked inside. Luo Sheng and Cen Ran exchanged puzzled glances but followed her in. Ran Fan Yin surveyed the mess inside, chose an intact chair, and sat down, her every move exuding calm elegance. She pulled Qi Er to stand beside her, paused for a moment, and then solemnly said, "I have decided to accept him as my disciple. Kneel." Qi Er looked at Ran Fan Yin in confusion. Cen Ran stepped forward and helped Qi Er kneel. Ran Fan Yin's voice turned serious, "From today onwards, you are my disciple. I, Ran Fan Yin, am your personal master. As long as I live, I will protect you. As long as I live, I will teach you. I will impart all my knowledge to you without reservation. I do not seek glory for our sect; I only ask that you respect your master, be diligent, not deviate from the right path, and not defy authority. This is what it means to be human." Qi Er, with clear eyes, looked at Ran Fan Yin, as if he understood something, yet didn't. Luo Sheng watched and slightly raised an eyebrow, "I knew Master would take him in. But Master, have you thought about how to take care of this little brat? Today, neither my junior sister nor I had a moment to even drink water..." Cen Ran interrupted Luo Sheng's rambling, "Master, in that case, this child still doesn't have a name. I'm wondering if..." Ran Fan Yin nodded, realizing she'd overlooked this detail. Her thoughts drifted to the conversation she'd had with Jiang Yue earlier that day. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "She suffered greatly in her childhood. Now that she has joined the Bei Fa Palace, I hope she can see beyond the fleeting illusions of the world and achieve on both the path of the sword and the way. Let’s call her Ning Song Wu." Qi Er, standing aside, couldn’t understand what Ran Fan Yin was saying, but his face lit up when she looked at him gently. He happily clung to her sleeve, smiling adorably. Chapter 75: Leaning on Each Other In the main hall of Bei Fa Mountain. Hong Sheng Cen, with his snow-white hair and an air of ethereal detachment, sat on the sect leader’s throne with his eyes half-closed. His serene aura, reminiscent of morning dew nourishing all living beings, was potent enough to command the entire Bei Fa Palace just by his presence in the hall. On either side of the hall sat Cheng Yun Huan and Jiang Yue, both cross-legged in meditation. Powerful halos of energy radiated from around them as they practiced. After a while, the three of them concluded their practice and exhaled lightly. Jiang Yue frowned and glanced at the empty seat next to him—Ran Fan Yin was supposed to be there. The four of them gathered here regularly to exchange skills and harmonize their different energies to reach higher realms. In the past century, no one had ever been absent. Why was Ran Fan Yin not here today? "I thought our junior sister was just running late. It seems she’s not coming this time," Cheng Yun Huan said softly. Hong Sheng Cen opened his eyes—eyes that had witnessed the vicissitudes of life. The long years had left a deep sense of understanding and magnanimity in his gaze. Compared to his three disciples, he had truly experienced the world’s harshness and carried an unwavering poise and serenity. "I heard that Ran Fan Yin has taken on a new disciple," Hong Sheng Cen remarked, looking at Jiang Yue. Jiang Yue nodded, "Yes, Master. Junior sister must be preoccupied with various matters." Ning Song Wu’s mind went blank. Instinctively, she wanted to escape, but after leaving Ran Fan Yin behind and taking only a few steps, she halted. “Because you are my disciple.” Ran Fan Yin’s words before she fainted echoed in Ning Song Wu’s mind. Her clenched fists released slightly, tightened again, and after a few struggles, Ning Song Wu impatiently clicked her tongue and turned back to carry her. Ning Song Wu didn’t know any medical skills. Carrying the severely injured Ran Fan Yin, she threatened, "Don’t think I’ll be grateful to you! I can’t find the way back; if you don’t wake up, we’ll both die." Her voice echoed in the dark cave, but she got no response. To ease her mental tension, Ning Song Wu started babbling, "I say, aren’t you supposed to be the strongest human? At least show me some strength worthy of a master; if you keep failing like this, I won't acknowledge you." "So many geniuses, and you chose me, this useless one. Great, now this happens!" "Are you trying to use self-harm to motivate me? Let me tell you, it won’t work; I have a tough heart." "Wake up... I don’t want to owe you." Ning Song Wu’s voice gradually softened, transitioning from initial complaints to a slight plea. Faint light appeared ahead. Ning Song Wu’s eyes brightened; even if it wasn’t the exit, light was better than stumbling around in the dark cave. Cautiously, she approached the blue-glowing exit, sticking to the crevice of the cave wall. Peeking through, she saw a spring inside, its water a vibrant blue, with a pile of clothes placed by the side.