NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3
Shen Shi looked at the seven unconscious white cranes.
His precious herbal garden had been invaded by beasts, and his alluring disciples hadn’t noticed?
He took out a communication talisman, speaking into it with a slightly dissatisfied tone: “Everyone, come to the Snow Velvet Grass garden immediately!”
Shortly after the message was sent, three people hurriedly ran up from the residential area halfway up the mountain. Two of them Shen Shi had seen before: the naive Lolita Cang Yu Ling and the voluptuous mature woman Xuan Yu. The third was a tall, strikingly handsome girl in grey clothes, standing nearly 1.9 meters tall, even taller than Shen Shi. She had sharp tiger teeth visible as she gasped for breath, her physique perfect and exuding a wild, leopard-like aura.
This wild “Little Leopard,” Shen Shi recalled, was named Han Xian’er, the most talented among his four disciples with dual spiritual roots of fire and wood.
Despite her unusual physique, her name sounded delicate, a contrast that caught Shen Shi’s attention. As tall as she was, her figure and face were impeccable, resembling a statuesque supermodel.
Han Xian’er hadn’t been much focused on in the original book, more of a tool to highlight Shen Shi’s brutality.
Shen Shi, before transmigrating, hadn’t even taught her basic cultivation techniques, relegating her to menial tasks on Er Bai Peak.
But Han Xian’er never complained and diligently managed the peak’s affairs.
Gasping for breath, the three disciples were shocked upon seeing the chaos in the Snow Velvet Grass garden and immediately knelt down, trembling with fear.
“This is the end, it’s really the end,” muttered Xuan Yu, her face turning pale.
“What is this about?” Shen Shi coldly pointed at the unconscious cranes and asked.
“Ah, Master, I don’t know, these cranes are everywhere in Shang Ding Immortal Sect,” Cang Yu Ling mumbled quietly.
Xuan Yu turned pale with fright, her junior sister speaking so casually to their master.
“Master, we weren’t responsible for guarding the garden, so we really don’t know why these cranes are here,” Han Xian’er spoke up, her voice brisk yet resonant.
“Then who is responsible?” Shen Shi knew the value of the Snow Velvet Grass, equating to a substantial amount of spirit stones, now wasted by these foolish birds.
Silence fell among the three disciples.
“Who guards the garden?!” Shen Shi’s tone grew harsher, intimidating them into silence.
Shen Shi’s face darkened, appearing angry but internally panicking.
“I don’t mean to blame you. This garden is vital to Er Bai Peak. There’s no significant loss this time, so I won’t punish you,” Shen Shi tried to control his tone, avoiding overwhelming his disciples.
Cang Yu Ling tilted her head, seemingly wanting to say something. Xuan Yu hurriedly gestured for her to remain silent, but Cang Yu Ling seemed not to understand.
“It’s the eldest sister who’s responsible for guarding, right, Master?” Cang Yu Ling asked with wide eyes.
Remembering the eldest sister, Shen Shi’s mind conjured an image.
“Really? Where is she?” he asked.
Cang Yu Ling immediately responded that the eldest sister, Yue Li, was bedridden due to punishment.
“Master, little sister didn’t mean anything. Yue Li is indeed bedridden. She entrusted me to help, so it’s my fault,” Xuan Yu quickly took the blame.
“Alright, since there’s a reason, I’ll let it go. I’ll check on Yue Li,” Shen Shi said, seeing an opportunity to change his image.
The disciples’ relief quickly turned to dread as they knelt again, crying out in unison.
“Master!”
“What now, what’s with the panic?” Shen Shi asked, startled by their uniform response.
Xuan Yu pleaded for mercy for Yue Li, offering to take any punishment on her behalf. Cang Yu Ling and Han Xian’er expressed similar willingness.
Shen Shi, taken aback by their unity, realized his harsh persona in their eyes.
Thinking of his character, he coldly stated, “Are you trying to teach me how to act? I’m the master of Er Bai Peak, not your eldest sister!”
Realizing their mistake, the disciples fearfully apologized.
“Go on, get out of here and mind your own business. Don’t test my patience again,” Shen Shi dismissed them.
The three didn’t dare stand up and rolled away.
Shen Shi watched in disbelief, questioning how fearsome he had been before.
——–
“We made a mistake. We’ve only pushed the eldest sister into deeper trouble,” said Xuan Yu sorrowfully.
“We were too hasty. Given Master’s temperament, I fear for Yue Li,” sighed Han Xian’er.
Cang Yu Ling, however, felt Yue Li would be alright, to which Xuan
Yu expressed her worries, pointing out Cang Yu Ling’s naivety.
“Let’s gather some spirit stones to buy a healing pill for Yue Li,” Han Xian’er suggested, offering her own spirit stones for the cause.