My Gentle Master Is a Yandere Villainess - Chapter 4:

Chapter 4: Master and Disciple… Just Master and Disciple?

Qin Chuan closed his eyes, sensing the lingering aura left behind by Shen Qingyuan. In his heart, he silently calculated how to tease her. Only after a long while did he open his eyes.

“Time to get serious. Now that I have the plot in hand, if I can kill the protagonist and female lead, I will. If I can’t, then I’ll take Master and flee far away, live freely and blissfully as a pair of immortal companions,” Qin Chuan thought to himself.

“But for now, I should go pay respects to Master. Since she cares about me so much, I, as her disciple, naturally have to ‘repay’ her kindness properly.”

Qin Chuan immediately took on the appearance of an innocent little disciple. In front of his Master, he had to maintain that persona.

What he didn’t know was that Shen Qingyuan had already seen through him. There were even a few times when he killed people, and it was Shen Qingyuan who silently cleaned up the aftermath he hadn’t handled properly.

There were only the two of them, master and disciple, on Supreme Profound Peak, so their cultivation caves weren’t far apart. Within moments, Qin Chuan arrived outside Shen Qingyuan’s cave.

“Master, I’ve reached the Core Formation Realm!” An innocent disciple breaking through, of course, had to share the good news with his Master. Qin Chuan had become extremely skilled at playing this role.

“I already know. You mustn’t become arrogant.”

Shen Qingyuan appeared in front of him. She wore simple robes, her white hair loose over her shoulders. With jade-like skin and unmatched beauty, her tender eyes fell upon Qin Chuan, filled with endless gentleness. Qin Chuan felt that even the air around him had become softer because of her presence.

Then she took out a storage pouch and handed it to him. Clearly, it had been prepared long in advance.

“Chuan’er, inside are inner armor I prepared for you, and some pills to stabilize your cultivation.”

Qin Chuan took the pouch and once again felt his heart fill with warmth. Master always gave so much without ever asking for anything in return.

“Thank you, Master.”

“I am your Master. This is what I should do. Come with me.” Shen Qingyuan turned and walked into her cave.

“As you wish.” Qin Chuan followed closely behind her.

On the stone table was a pot of tea that had been brewed long ago. 

Just the fragrance alone made his soul feel more robust. He understood this was something Master had specially prepared for him as well.

“From Core Formation to Nascent Soul, the key is to condense the infant soul. The strength of your soul becomes extremely important. This pot of Soul-Calming Tea will help strengthen your soul. Go ahead and drink it, but don’t overdo it.”

Shen Qingyuan pushed the teapot toward him, her hand raised gently. Her tone was soft, like coaxing a child, reminding him not to overindulge.

“Alright.” Qin Chuan only dared to glance at her once, quickly lowering his gaze to focus on the tea.

He poured himself a small cup and, under her gentle gaze, took a delicate sip.

Instantly, his soul expanded noticeably.

Delighted by the effect, his eyes lit up and he immediately gulped down the rest of the tea.

“Chuan’er, don’t…” Shen Qingyuan tried to stop him the moment she saw him lift the cup, but it was already too late.

After finishing the entire cup, Qin Chuan’s soul began to swell violently—far beyond what his current body could handle.

“Ah!!!” He cried out in agony, his body convulsing as the pain wracked his entire being. The pain in the soul far surpassed any physical torment.

But then, a cold breath slipped into his soul, and Shen Qingyuan’s voice followed.

“I told you not to overdrink. Now you know. Calm your breath, focus your mind, guard your heart… leave the rest to me.”

Shen Qingyuan placed her fingertip between Qin Chuan’s brows. A wisp of her soul entered his soul sea to help suppress the explosive power rampaging within.

Qin Chuan froze. His heart surged with emotion…

“Don’t lose focus. Guard your heart. This method is the fastest and safest way to help you.” Her voice was still that same soft, cool tone, as if she was doing this purely to help him.

But if Qin Chuan could see her now, he would see her reddened ears and the blush spreading across her cheeks.

With her cultivation level, there were at least a dozen other ways she could have helped suppress the surge in his soul. Yet she chose this one.

“Thank you, Master.” Qin Chuan didn’t know all that. 

Since Shen Qingyuan had stepped in to help, he focused on suppressing the raging force in his soul, having no time to think of anything else.

A quarter of an hour later, Qin Chuan was able to suppress the swelling himself, and the wisp of Shen Qingyuan’s soul quietly withdrew.

Outside, Shen Qingyuan sat with her eyes closed, her cheeks still blushing. The once cold and ethereal Immortal Liuli now wore an aura tinged with the mundane.

It took a long time before she suppressed the turmoil and desire within. Perhaps there was still some instinctual impulse left, as her fingers subconsciously touched Qin Chuan’s cheek—though she quickly pulled them back.

Once her reason fully returned, the aloof and otherworldly Immortal Liuli returned as well. Shen Qingyuan sat beside him, silently guarding in case anything went wrong while he stabilized his soul.

But Qin Chuan had it under control now. He no longer needed her assistance.

Half an hour later, he fully suppressed the soul surge and awakened. The first thing he did was look at Shen Qingyuan with bright eyes and say, “Thank you for helping me, Master. You’ve worked hard.”

The atmosphere turned slightly cold. Shen Qingyuan didn’t want to dwell on what had just happened, so she changed the subject. “You are my disciple. This is what I should do. Now that your seclusion is over, participate in the Tranquil Void Sect’s disciple competition next month.”

“You don’t need to aim for a ranking. Just spar with other Core Formation Realm cultivators in the Sect. It will benefit your future cultivation. Take it as a learning experience.”

“I’ll listen to Master.” Qin Chuan wore the expression of an obedient disciple, but inside, he wondered if Master might have some feelings for him too.

“Take the jade flask with you. It will preserve the effects of the Soul-Calming Tea. Only drink a small cup at a time. Do not overdrink.”

“If I’m not by your side, no one can save you if you overdo it.” When she said the word “save,” her voice lowered and she turned her head slightly, avoiding his gaze—perhaps remembering what she had done to help him earlier.

“I’ll do as Master says.” Qin Chuan felt completely content. He snuck a glance at her profile, restraining the urge to pull her into his arms.

“You can leave now.” Shen Qingyuan stood and walked toward her inner chamber. This time, she didn’t plan to see him off.

“Master, I’ll take my leave then. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.” Qin Chuan lowered his head, hiding the love in his eyes, and strode out.

“Chuan’er, you’ve already done well. Cultivation cannot be rushed. Take it slow. No matter how strong or weak your cultivation is, as long as I’m here, no one can harm you.” As he reached the entrance of her cave, Shen Qingyuan still couldn’t help but express her care.

“Alright. I’ll listen to everything Master says.” Qin Chuan curved his lips into a grin so wide it could barely be suppressed. Master would be his—sooner or later.

After Qin Chuan left, Shen Qingyuan remained standing with her back turned. For the first time, the cold and detached look on her face gave way to pain and inner turmoil.

The once aloof, untouchable, and cultivation-obsessed Immortal Liuli had, for the first time, been shaken by worldly emotions.

She walked over to the stone bench where Qin Chuan had sat, picked up the teacup he had used, and brought it to her lips.

Just as her lips touched the rim, she suddenly lost focus and let go. 

With a sharp crash, the teacup shattered. She closed her eyes tightly, clearly suppressing something deep within.

After a long silence, she murmured softly, “I’m just Chuan’er’s Master. For the rest of my life, I can only be his Master. How could I entertain such shameful thoughts?”

When Shen Qingyuan opened her eyes again, she had returned to being the untainted Immortal Liuli. But her retreating figure as she walked back into her inner chamber looked unusually defeated.