Chapter 1305  Relief

Xun Junyao walked into a long corridor with a furrowed brow. A few palaces saw and quickly saluted, but she was too lost in her thought to notice. Soon, she arrived at her destination.

“Master,” Xiao Tiandi quickly said. “Are you alright?”

Xun Junyao finally woke up and smiled gently: “What can happen to me?” She walked to the slightly elevated podium and sat down, and her apprentice followed. The announcer, Xun Tong, appeared next to the two and served tea before sitting next to the Palace Lady.

Xiao Tiandi controlled himself so he would not immediately ask a thousand questions by slowly sipping his teeth.

“Palace Lord, what happened? What took you so long?”

“For the most part, we…” Xun Junyao told him what happened but in too much detail.

“So, by some twist of fate, he did you in a way,” Xun Tong nodded, feeling relieved. She has said something similar to the Palace Lord for many years, but her words could never get through. However, she’s happy that the latter finally awakens regardless of who helped her.

“What do you think of him?” Xun Tong asked, and Xiao Tiandi perked up to listen.

“He’s a scary man with immense power, talent, and a deep mind,” Xun Junyao replied seriously. “I understand why Little Di saw him as a rival.” Xiao Tiandi rolled his eyes. He hated that nickname, but no matter what he tried, his master refused to stop calling him that.

“However, I recommend you prepare yourself,” Xun Junyao said directly to him.

“Master, you don’t think I’m good enough to compete with him?” Xiao Tiandi asked, feeling he was looked down upon. Xun Junyao sighed: “It’s not a matter of whether you can compete — I know you have the talent. The issue is you’re too late. He’s way ahead of you, and if you want to catch up…” Xun Junyao shook her.

If it were the past, she might have said something about the finish line. After all, back then, everyone was stuck in the peak Paragon Realm, so even Wang Wei reached that level, it was only a matter of time before Xiao Tiandi caught up. However, there was now a path ahead, meaning there were many uncertainties.

Xiao Tiandi was quiet. One cruel truth about geniuses is that once you’re surpassed, there is a chance you’ll never catch up. After all, everybody is supremely talented, and everybody works hard.

“I won’t give up!”

“That’s the spirit, but don’t become obsessed with competing with him or let his existence become your Heart Demon,” Xun Junyao reminded.

“I won’t.”

Xun Junyao nodded approval. She sipped her tea before asking Xun Tong: “What has happened during my absence?”

“That’s it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Come one, Palace Lord,” Xun Tong said with shining eyes. “You said it yourself; he’s handsome, talented, powerful, and has a great background. On top of everything else, you two were ordained by fate.”

“You forgot to mention his wife,” Xun Junyao said.

“Minor detail.”

“How is that minor? You know what, I won’t even entertain your thoughts,” Xun Junyao said. “He’s indeed an excellent man, but we are not compatible.” Ever since Wang Wei left, she’s been thinking about her decision, and the more she thought about it, the more relieved she felt. She sensed that she had avoided a catastrophe by avoiding that man.

“Is that so? In that case, it’s for the best,” Xun Tong nodded. She wanted the Palace Lord to find someone to spend her life with, but it also had to be the right person. She didn’t mind if the person had other wives as long as they treated the lady with great sincerity. However, if she felt they were incompatible, there was no sense in pursuing such a companionship.

Xiao Tiandi — quietly listening to this conversation and drinking his tea — felt a sense of relief after hearing these words, and his body relaxed. He did not want his master to get with Wang Wei, and it was not because the latter was his peer or due to the immoral emotions he recently developed.

He wanted nothing more for her to find happiness, and he’d gladly accept it as long as someone could give it to her. However, he had already figured out that his master was not compatible with Wang Wei. His master has a flaw in her mental state, which is something that someone like Wang Wei can easily take advantage of.

However, this was not his main concern. His primary worry was that his master had trust issues. Xun Junyao lived her life amidst wolves who wanted nothing but her body and beauty. Living in such an environment already made her weary of the people around her, but the straw that broke the camel was when she discovered her parents had sold her to the highest bidder.

After learning this truth, Xun Junyao became discouraged at the world and mistrusted anyone who came close to her. She ran away from home and never met with her parents again. When her mother died, she did not show off, participate in the funeral, or even send words of condolence. When her father came to see her, asking to help revive her mother, she coldly refused.

Luckily, Xun Junyao had Xun Tong, the maid who raised her, accompanied and protected her. No matter what she did or said to drive Xun Tong away, she remained steadfast in her loyalty and desire to protect her young lady. It’s that unwavering dedication that melted Xun Junyao’s heart, allowing her to have faith and trust people again.

Although Xun Junyao was much better than when she was young, Xiao Tiandi knew his master needed someone who could sacrifice and truly open their heart to her — even if it was just to reassure her. Someone like Wang Wei, who has many secrets and countless thoughts, schemes, and plans, cannot be a hundred percent with their partner.

“Master, I’m glad you’re okay, but I have some inspiration, so I’ll go cultivate.”

“Oh, alright.” Xiao Tiandi bowed before walking out of the room.

“What’s wrong with him?” Xun Junyao asked. A light flashed in Xun Tong’s eyes. “He’s been a little stressed lately, so he might need to relax a little.”

“Is that so? Keep a close eye on him. We don’t want him to regress to his old self.”

“I don’t think that will happen, but I will.”

Xun Junyao nodded. “Anything noteworthy to report?”

“Two things,” Xun Tong reported. “The Dao Opening Sect responded that they agree with our proposition, but the summoning ceremony is more complex than they anticipated, so it may take a while before they finish their preparation.”

“It’s good news that they’re willing to help us in the first place,” Xun Junyao smiled.”

“True,” Xun Tong agreed. “Regarding the second thing, it’s about the world’s changes since 3 million years ago.”

…

Xiao Tiandi stood in his cultivation room, looking at the sky in a daze, for hours without moving a muscle beside his face. ‘What am I doing? How could I suddenly fall in love with my master? Oh, who am I kidding? I probably always loved her.’ He smiled wryly.

‘Regardless of when it happens, it doesn’t change the fact it’s wrong.’ Due to the long and exaggerated lifespan, cultivators do not have so many rules and restrictions about their partners. So, unless they are from a religion like Buddhism, which altogether forbade relationships, Taoism, which takes master-disciple relationships seriously, and the Literature Way, which is strict on etiquette, most people will not care about a master marrying their disciple. On the contrary, this kind of union is rather common sense, as masters and disciples spend much time together and know each other intimately. This known fact is one of the contributing reasons—besides his talent—the parasites schemed against Xiao Tiandi to turn him into a waste.

Of course, there are some hidden rules for these kinds of relationships, mainly that they are more acceptable if the people involved are in the immortal realms.

Suppose one of the individuals involved is still a mortal. In that case, there is a concern about lifespan and the power dynamic balance in their relationship, so many people will condemn these types of relationships. In fact, in cases like Xiao Tiandi, the people involved usually wait until they are in the same cultivation realm before revealing the information to the public.

‘Should I just bottle up my emotions? It might be better that way. Master won’t think less of me, and I won’t tarnish her name and reputation,’ Xiao Tiandi thought, but his face contorted after feeling like this.

‘No. If I continue like this, my state of mind might be affected. It’s better to tell her the truth and face the consequences — good or bad,’ he analyzed. ‘However, it’s best I wait until she finds her true self and face. That way, she can understand that my love is sincere.’

After deciding, Xiao Tiandi felt a heavy weight lifted from his shoulders. He did not know what the future held, but he knew his heart was at peace.