Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Useless Apprentice

Gu Qingcheng couldn’t help but twitch the corners of her mouth, barely able to maintain the forced smile on her face. Yet, she still suppressed her anger and said, “I agree to let you send your son to become my disciple! What does the Lord of the Purple Lotus think about that?”

The Lord of the Purple Lotus replied unhurriedly, “I don’t think much of it. To be honest, the Peony Immortal really doesn’t compare to me.”

“You?”

At that, the Peony Immortal looked utterly astonished. He raised his fan, pointing at the Lord of the Purple Lotus, and exclaimed, “Wait, wait, wait. This boy is your disciple?”

“Yes.”

Master nodded slightly, stood up, and walked over to the two of us. When he reached my side, he reached out and snatched my hand away from Gu Qingcheng’s grasp. “Though my disciple may be a bit slow-witted, his temperament aligns quite well with mine. He’s only been with me for a few days—not long enough to do anything particularly pleasing, but at least he hasn’t done anything to embarrass me. So, for the time being, I won’t be giving him to you. If one day he grows unruly, I’ll personally bring him to your residence and let him switch to your tutelage.”

Gu Qingcheng seemed genuinely taken aback by these words. She stood there, dumbfounded for a moment, then shook her head and said, “I don’t want your disciple after all.”

With a look of distaste, she waved her hand dismissively. “I detest fools the most. You’d better keep your disciple and teach him yourself! If I ever feel the urge to take on an apprentice, I’ll find one in the mortal realm. Should I happen to set my eyes on some handsome young master from a good family, I’ll do whatever it takes to drag—no, to bring him back and make him willingly become my disciple.”

“Drag?”

I whispered, echoing the word.

Looking at the Peony Immortal, who stood before me with a wicked, fox-like smile, I thought: any poor lad unfortunate enough to be born with excessive beauty might not only be snatched as an apprentice by Gu Qingcheng, but given her perverse and peculiar nature, she might even use spells to coerce him into some tragic, forbidden romance worthy of an epic ballad.

“Uncle Qingcheng, dinner’s ready.”

Little Maodou toddled through the threshold, his round, chubby body wobbling like an unsteady egg, as if he might topple over at any moment.

Whether by accident or design, as soon as Li Ruoshui entered, Gu Qingcheng suddenly darted forward, spinning around briskly to reach Maodou. With one hand, she scooped him up from the floor.

A childish wail followed, so pitiful it tugged at the heartstrings.

Gu Qingcheng, that notorious lover of beautiful youths, wore a twisted smile as she chanted, “Ah, little Maodou, why must you be so irresistibly cute? Every time I see you, I just can’t help but want to toss you up in the air a few times.”

With that, she flung Maodou’s plump little body up toward the ceiling.

Oh dear! I edged closer to the Lord of the Purple Lotus—this Gu Qingcheng was truly a first-class pervert, not even sparing children.

Li Ruoshui, who entered just after Maodou, saw her son being tossed around like a ball. Her eyes bulged so wide they looked like they might pop right out of their sockets.

“Gu Qingcheng, put my son down this instant!”

Li Ruofei grabbed the hem of her skirt with both hands, all sense of decorum forgotten, and rushed forward to snatch her child back, only for Gu Qingcheng to deftly dodge her reach.

“Ruoruo.”

Standing to the side, the Demon King, who had been smiling in silence, now looked a little displeased at his wife’s behavior. He strode over, took hold of her hands that were clutching her skirt, then bent down to gently smooth the slightly wrinkled fabric. With a look of resignation, he murmured, “I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve told you: mind your manners when you walk, and don’t just grab your skirt like that. It’s really not very ladylike. With so many people present, you’re making it hard for me to keep my dignity.”