Chapter 37: Fairy Nangong

"Perhaps you might still survive?"

Wang Chu reached out and helped Chuxue brush the snow from her shoulders.

Chuxue paused for a moment, then turned and walked forward alone. "Impossible. Even if the divine physician Hua Tuo were here, he might not be able to cure me. I have already made peace with it. You must not waste your efforts on me; it is not worth it."

Wang Chu followed behind her, his hands clasped behind his head. "In this world, there is no such thing as an absolute."

Chuxue did not respond to Wang Chu and continued walking in silence.

By the time they returned to the shop, it was not long before Chuxue went to bed. Wang Chu slept beside her, his arm wrapped around her. Chuxue loved the feeling of being held by him. Strange as it was, ever since she began sleeping in the same bed with Wang Chu, held in his arms, she had never again felt the pain that usually plagued her body at night. In the first few days after she was poisoned, she had been tortured by the potent toxin within her to the point of wishing for death, finding no comfort at all. It seemed bizarre, but with only a few days left to live, Chuxue had no heart left to investigate the reason. She simply wanted to close her eyes, held by Wang Chu, and feel his breath and warmth. In this way, she could quickly drift off into dreams.

"Master, you are truly formidable. You’ve managed to trick another young girl at the Spirit Transformation stage into your grasp."

At midnight, after Chuxue had fallen asleep, Wang Chu carefully climbed out of bed and sat at the wooden table. Beside him sat a white-haired woman; it was she who had just spoken.

Wang Chu explained with a serious expression, "Do not misunderstand; there is nothing between her and me."

Nangong Minghui looked at the woman fast asleep on the bed, her tone somewhat resentful. "Is this the 'nothing' that involves sleeping in the same bed?"

Wang Chu felt a bit awkward and defended himself, "Although we share a bed, nothing has happened."

Nangong Minghui narrowed her eyes. "For instance, the cuddling and the intimacy?"

Wang Chu felt a twinge of guilt. "Er... as for that... she insists on holding me while she sleeps, and I have no choice. Besides..." Wang Chu frowned. "Why am I explaining myself to you? The innocent need no defense!"

Nangong Minghui raised her hand to dab at her eyes, looking as if she were on the verge of tears. "Master, have you become so brazen in your misdeeds? When you were with me, you weren't like this, treating me as if I were invisible. As expected, men are all the same, heh..."

Wang Chu could hardly bear to look at her. "Enough, enough, say no more."

Nangong Minghui pouted, her eyes soft and tender. "If you make it up to me well tonight, I won't say another word."

Wang Chu’s expression darkened. "Who exactly is the Master here?"

Nangong Minghui stood up, walked to Wang Chu’s side, and breathed out like an orchid. "Naturally, it is you. But Master, your servant has endured for over half a year. As for rules or no rules, I cannot fit such things into my mind right now."

Wang Chu dropped the pretense and stood up. "We shall let it pass for today, but do not let it happen again!"

Nangong Minghui clung to Wang Chu’s shoulders, acting as coy as a kitten. "Mmm, your servant will remember."

Wang Chu lifted Nangong Minghui's chin, looking at her devastatingly beautiful face and her deep blue eyes, which were like precious gems. "I have a few new songs to teach you."

Nangong Minghui’s eyes became hazy and alluring. "Good, your servant will certainly learn them diligently, and then sing them for you."

The fire in Wang Chu’s heart was ignited. "You've become quite wanton."

Nangong Minghui smiled. "All thanks to your excellent teaching, Master."

"Then I shall see if you have regressed."

"Your servant has practiced for so long; I only grow more proficient. As for you, Master, I wonder if you have become rusty without my company."

"You will find out soon enough."

The two figures vanished from the room.

... (Ten thousand words omitted)

Wang Chu first reviewed the old songs with Nangong Minghui, then taught her a few new ones. Finally, after listening to her mastery of the new pieces, he finished with great satisfaction.

After the lesson, Nangong Minghui was the first to return to the room. Sitting back at the wooden table, she adjusted her collar, her face flushed and appearing immensely content. Wang Chu appeared shortly after, his face glowing with a serene, Buddha-like radiance.

Nangong Minghui turned to look at him with undisguised adoration.

"When will the moon be clear and bright? With a cup of wine in my hand, I ask the blue sky."
"I do not know what season it would be in the heavens on this night."
...
"May we all be blessed with longevity, though miles apart, we are still able to share the beauty of the moon together!"

Nangong Minghui recited these lines, unable to help but exclaim, "Master, this poem is written so beautifully. I believe many will love this song. Just listening to you recite the lyrics, I almost... moistened my eyes."

Wang Chu felt ashamed and secretly called her a little demon. "If I stay with you every day, I will never reach a new stage of cultivation."

Nangong Minghui wore a sly expression. "What is that compared to staying with you every day? I can barely even walk."

Wang Chu knew he could not continue this conversation, or he would surely end up teaching Nangong Minghui more songs. He took a deep breath and turned his gaze toward Chuxue. "That young girl has great talent for the musical arts. I will observe her for two more days, and if she is suitable, I will gift her to you as a disciple."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Nangong Minghui looked slightly surprised. "Is the Master playing such wild games now?"

Wang Chu held his forehead with one hand. "Shut your mouth!"

Nangong Minghui nodded obediently. "Alright!"

"Go back now." Wang Chu issued the order to leave.

"Ah?" Nangong Minghui was reluctant, feigning sadness. "You chase me away as soon as the lesson is over; you are truly the Master."

Wang Chu felt a sudden pang of guilt. Just as he was about to explain, Nangong Minghui added, "Fortunately, I am also the type who wishes to leave once the learning is done. With these new songs, the overall strength of the Music Sect will surely reach a higher level."

With these words, Nangong Minghui suddenly left the room and disappeared, as if she had never been there at all.

Wang Chu remained in the room, stunned, his mood slightly dampened. At this moment, he was pondering one question: Who exactly was the tool here?

...

The next morning.

Nangong Minghui sat before the mirror, looking at her flawless face, no longer as carefree as she had appeared before Wang Chu. She sighed, looking lost, like a disciple returning to the sect on the first day after a holiday. "To see the Master again, I suppose I will have to wait until the New Year. Sigh... these days are truly hard to endure..."

As she murmured, a voice reached her ears. "Master, I have returned from preaching."

Nangong Minghui was uninterested. "Oh."

Fan Shuyun, who had transmitted the message to Nangong Minghui, frowned slightly. She wondered what was wrong with her master; why was she so dispirited?

"Master, I have a question for you."

"Ask." Nangong Minghui responded curtly.

Fan Shuyun said, "In this world, are there others who play the erhu and can create an artistic conception through their music, just as you do, Sect Master?"

Fan Shuyun’s question made Nangong Minghui guess something instantly. She asked with a smile, "Why do you ask?"

Fan Shuyun explained, "I met a mortal in Ling City who plays the erhu remarkably well."

...