'...What does this woman want?' Mo Shen grumbled inwardly.
He was now standing five meters away from her, the closest he had been to her except for the moment when she accepted him as her disciple.
"Closer."
Fengwu Yao opened her mouth again, causing Mo Shen to frown. But he still obeyed her words and took a few more steps towards her.
"...."
Due to his actions, Fengwu Yao shifted her position, her expression contorting in annoyance as her voice turned colder.
"Closer!"
Mo Shen gritted his teeth and approached her even more, standing merely one and a half meters away from her.
"Look at me."
'...Why does she want from me?!'
Mo Shen took a deep breath and finally raised his head, just to be met with the sight of her gorgeous face, looking at him without a shred of emotion.
"Tell me, my disciple..." she spoke as soon as he finally met her gaze, tilting her head slighly as she cracked her index finger with the thumb of the same hand.
"Are you scared of me?"
Her eyes sharpened slighly, making the already nervous Mo Shen almost freeze. Sweat beads started forming on his forehead.
"Gulp..."
Mo Shen swallowed, the pressure from her gaze making his throat feel dry, yet he did not dare look away.
"This disciple… is afraid," he said carefully.
"Master stands at a height that others cannot even look at directly. To feel fear… is only natural."
The moment the words left his mouth, he felt his heart tighten, as if he had just stepped onto thin ice without knowing how deep the water beneath was.
Fengwu Yao remained still for a breath.
"Pfft... hah~"
A soft laugh slipped from her lips.
It was not loud, yet it carried a strange, amused tone, one that did not match her earlier coldness.
"Afraid…" she repeated, her red eyes resting on him with an ounce of interest.
"How rare."
Mo Shen did not speak.
He kept his posture steady, though his back felt slightly damp from the cold sweat forming there.
"Do you know," Fengwu Yao continued calmly, still looking down at him, "every disciple I have ever taken in has said the same thing when I asked them this question."
Her lips curved faintly.
"They all claimed they were not afraid."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"Even though their hearts were trembling, even though their bodies were stiff, they still chose to lie."
Mo Shen felt a chill run down his spine.
"And yet you…" she said, tilting her head slightly as she studied him, "you chose to speak the truth."
He lowered his head a little.
"This disciple does not dare lie in front of the Master."
For a moment, Fengwu Yao said nothing, but he nodded lightly.
"Good."
Her tone carried a faint trace of approval.
"Since you were honest, I will reward you."
Mo Shen's chest loosened slightly at those words, the tension in his body easing just a little, almost wanting to sigh in relief.
'A reward...? Phew...'
At the very least, that meant he had not offended her.
But before that small sense of relief could settle, Fengwu Yao spoke again.
"I will give you the honor of washing my feet."
"…?"
Mo Shen's expression almost broke. He forced it back under control in the same instant, but inside... he was almost erupting in rage.
'What kind of reward is this?'
'That crazy witch! Fuck her! Stupid, arrogant, heartless woman! Filthy, rotten, brainless demon! This unreasonable tyrant… this damned bitch, daughter of a fucking whore, witch that will never be loved!'
'If only I were stronger... I'll fucking make you lick every single one of my toes, washing them clean!'
A string of curses rose in his mind one after another, each harsher than the last, yet none of them dared to reach his lips.
Outwardly, he lowered his head.
"This disciple… understands."
Fengwu Yao did not respond.
She simply leaned back slightly, as if waiting.
Mo Shen turned without another word and moved toward the side of the chamber, where a small storage area held basic items.
He found a basin, filled it with clean water, and brought it back with steady hands, though his mind was anything but calm.
He placed the basin down carefully before her.
Then, after a brief pause, he knelt.
His movements were stiff at first, clearly unfamiliar with what he was doing, as he gently reached forward and lifted one of her feet.
Her skin was stupidly pearly-white and smooth, but to him, touching her feet was still fucking disgusting.
He didn't have that kind of fetish.
So, he tried not to think about it.
Slowly, he lowered it into the water, his hands moving awkwardly as he began to wash, unsure of the right pressure, unsure of the right way, doing his best not to make a mistake that could cost him his life.
Beside the basin, he noticed small containers, each filled with different creams or oils.
He hesitated for a moment before using them carefully, copying what he thought was the proper way, though his movements lacked any real skill.
The room remained quiet except for the faint sound of water.
Drip...
"I have another task for you."
Fengwu Yao's voice broke the silence.
Mo Shen's hands paused for a brief second before continuing.
"This disciple listens."
"We have recently brought in a new figure to the Hehuan Pavilion," she calmly stated, yet her voice carried a faint warning in it.
"A powerhouse... whose strength is almost equal to mine."
Mo Shen's eyes lowered slightly.
"And I will have you act as a guide for her since she'll become your Martial Aunt according to the Sect's Rules."
His hands slowed just a little.
'What does this witch want now…'
Fengwu Yao's gaze turned colder.
"Do not interact much with her, letting her seduce you and... of course,"
She paused slighly, using the sole of her foot to try and lift his chin, causing him to instinctively raise his chin, not letting her foot touch it.
"...do NOT disappoint me."
Her red eyes started glowing ominously, making a chill run throughout his whole body. He quickly regained his composure and replied at once.
"Yes, Master!"
"Good."
Silence returned for a short moment.
Then Fengwu Yao spoke again.
"You may leave, as that same powerhouse should be arriving at the mountain's gate in just a few minutes."
Mo Shen did not waste a single breath.
He quickly finished, dried her feet with careful hands and movements, then gathered the basin, rising to his feet without looking up again.
"This disciple takes his leave."
Without waiting for anything more, he turned and walked out of the cave, his steps faster than before, his grip tight on the basin as he made his way down the path.
Only when he was far enough did he finally let out a long breath, his expression tightening slightly.
"…Fucking hell."
Furrowing his eyebrows, he continued walking down the mountain, as, unfortunately for him, he needed to be the 'guide' of the powerhouse.
He didn't understand why, maybe to show hospitality, but other than that, it was useless, as one could explore by himself.
The sky above was dim, covered by slow-moving clouds, and the sect grounds below looked distant, almost unreal after what he had just gone through.
By the time he reached the mountain's gate, his earlier nervousness had completely disappeared.
"Phew... now I just need to wait for my new Martial Aunt," Mo Shen sighed.
But just then, he noticed that there was someone already there.
Leaning lightly against the side of the gate, as if she had been waiting for a while, stood a woman he had never seen before.
His eyes rested on her for a moment.
Her hair was a soft shade of pale green, falling loosely around her shoulders, slightly messy in a way that did not feel careless, but natural, as if she simply did not bother to tidy it.
Her expression carried a faint, lazy smile, her eyes half-lidded, giving her a calm and almost indifferent air.
She wore a long, light-colored dress that clung gently to her figure, the fabric thin enough to show the shape beneath without being improper.
Around her waist was a simple belt, loosely tied, while her sleeves were wide and soft, moving slightly with the wind.
In her hand, she held a long tobacco pipe.
A thin trail of smoke curled upward from it, drifting slowly into the air as she took a quiet breath, then let it out.
Mo Shen slowed his steps without meaning to, his eyes lingering on her for a brief moment before he quickly lowered his gaze.
There was no need to test his luck.
Anyone who could stand so calmly at the gate of the Thousand Chittering Peak, waiting as if the place belonged to her, was not someone he could afford to treat casually.
He straightened his posture and stepped forward, stopping at a respectful distance before bringing his hands together in a proper salute.
"This junior greets Senior."
His voice was calm, lacking any hint of arrogance, his head slightly lowered as he waited.
The woman did not answer right away.
She took another slow breath from her pipe, her fingers holding it with ease, before letting the smoke slip past her lips in a thin, quiet stream.
Her half-lidded eyes shifted toward him, slowly studying him as if she had all the time in the world.
For a moment, the only sound between them was the faint movement of the wind and the soft crackle of burning tobacco.
"…You are the one sent to guide me?" she asked at last, her tone calm, carrying a faint softness that did not hide the quiet authority beneath it.
Mo Shen nodded slightly, not lifting his gaze.
"Yes, Senior."
He paused for a brief moment before adding, "This junior has been ordered to assist you during your time here."
The woman hummed lightly, as if the answer matched what she had expected.
Her eyes remained on him, her expression unchanged, though there was a faint glint of interest now, subtle enough that it could be missed if one was not paying attention.
Silence stretched for a short moment before he finally spoke again.
"If Senior permits, may this junior know your name?"
The woman lifted the pipe slightly, her gaze drifting away from him for a moment as she exhaled another thin stream of smoke into the air.
Then her eyes returned to him.
"Qing Yue."
She spoke her name simply.
Mo Shen bowed his head a little deeper.
"This junior is called Mo Shen."
Qing Yue looked at him for a moment longer, her expression still relaxed and distant. Then she gave a faint nod, as if acknowledging his existence.
"Then... if Senior permits me, shall I lead Senior throughout our sect?"
"I'll allow it."
She crossed her arms before taking a few steps closer to Mo Shen.
"I shall guide Senior then."
Mo Shen nodded slighly.