Ye Zhenji was deeply frustrated, filled with an indescribable sense of gloom.
He felt deceived. Yet, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't pinpoint exactly where the deception lay. He just felt utterly aggrieved, lacking the energy for anything.
"Hey, what are you doing? Why are you spacing out during Dharma Combat?"
The young man opposite him, about the same age and cultivation level, complained loudly.
Ye Zhenji's brows were tightly knitted, a wave of impatience washing over him. He simply abandoned his Magical Tool and plopped down on a nearby rock, hanging his head in anger.
Hua Ling walked over, puzzled. "What's wrong with you? Are you in a bad mood?"
Ye Zhenji scowled, muttering sullenly, "Just annoyed."
Annoyed? Hua Ling thought for a moment. "Because of your aunt? The Grandmaster said she'll be fine, so what are you still worried about?"
"It's not that." Although his aunt hadn't woken up yet, his master had said she was fine, so he wasn't overly concerned. It was just that seeing his master emerge from seclusion and busily doing this and that made him feel stifled.
Why did he feel so uncomfortable? Both his master and his aunt were people he respected and loved. Wasn't it better for his master to treat his aunt well? Even though reason told him this, he was still filled with unhappiness.
Perhaps it was because he had arrogantly assumed he was their closest person, only to be completely kept in the dark? Thinking back carefully, whether it was when he followed his aunt and she mentioned his master, or later when his master mentioned his aunt, their expressions had always been a bit odd. He just hadn't considered the possibility of any relationship between them at the time.
"What exactly is bothering you? Is there something you can't tell me?"
Ye Zhenji glanced at Hua Ling, thought for a moment, and said, "Then I'll tell you, but you mustn't spread it."
Hua Ling raised an eyebrow. "Of course, what's our relationship?"
Ye Zhenji pondered internally, then slowly said, "I suspect there's something between my aunt and my master."
"Oh... your aunt and your master... Ah!" Hua Ling nodded, then halfway through realized something was off and exclaimed. After thinking, he leaned in and whispered, "Impossible, right? They hardly ever see each other, do they?"
"That's what I thought too," Ye Zhenji said, sitting with a miserable expression. "But when my aunt had that accident in the Myriad Laws of Nature Formation, the first person to sense it was actually my master..."
Hua Ling was somewhat stunned. "No way?"
"Otherwise, why would I be so frustrated?" Ye Zhenji said listlessly. "And after my aunt's accident, my master was so anxious, and the Grandmaster said all those strange things..."
Hua Ling thought for a while. "Even if it's true, why are you so frustrated? Your master and your aunt are both people close to you. Wouldn't it be good if they were together?"
"That's what logic says..." Actually, Ye Zhenji didn't really understand what he was so frustrated about either. He just felt irritable, irritable, irritable. Especially seeing his master go every day to use his cultivation techniques to nourish his aunt's body and search everywhere for spiritual herbs to refine pills... Seeing it just made him feel agitated and dislike his master.
After explaining this to Hua Ling, Hua Ling found it amusing. "Do you feel neglected?"
Ye Zhenji was taken aback.
Hua Ling continued, "Ever since your aunt brought you back, whether you were following your aunt or your master, you were their only disciple. They treated you extremely well, so you always felt happy because you thought you were the most important person to them. But now you've discovered that these people you thought valued you most kept such an important matter from you. That makes you feel like you're not that important after all."
Ye Zhenji's brows remained tightly furrowed, but he couldn't say Hua Ling was wrong. "I don't know. Anyway, right now, whenever I see my master, I feel annoyed. I don't even want to go back."
Seeing his expression, Hua Ling was somewhat amused. "Actually, you're just jealous, aren't you?"
"..." Ye Zhenji didn't speak, just kept his head down in silence.
Hua Ling sat down beside him. "Feel like your master stole your aunt away?"
Ye Zhenji was silent for a moment, then answered honestly, "A little."
Hua Ling laughed. "Because you've always respected your master so much, when you found out he was... behind your back... and never asked you about it from start to finish, that's why you suddenly find him so annoying, right?"
"..."
Ye Zhenji didn't need to answer; Hua Ling already had the answer in his mind. He patted Ye Zhenji's shoulder. "Try to look on the bright side. We can't meddle too much in our elders' affairs. Besides, your master has been so good to you. Honestly speaking, has he ever wronged you?"
After thinking for a moment, Ye Zhenji answered truthfully, "No." He immediately added, "But I still feel uncomfortable."
Hua Ling shook his head. "Then let me ask you this: if you hadn't discovered this matter, would you hope for your master and your aunt to be together?"
This time, Ye Zhenji thought longer. After a while, he said, "I originally thought... I wanted to follow my aunt, and I also wanted to follow my master. If they lived together, that would be perfect. But... but that's a different matter!"
Hua Ling found it funny. "You want them to live together, but you don't want them to have a special relationship, because you think you're the one they care about most. Even they can't take your place from each other, right?"
"..."
"And... are you worried that in that case, your position in their hearts would be pushed back? Do you feel like you'd become superfluous?"
"..."
Seeing Ye Zhenji with his head bowed, Hua Ling smiled. "Brother, we're already over forty. Even though we're cultivators with much longer lifespans, we're not children anymore. Why are you still so conflicted?"
Ye Zhenji glared at him, unconvinced. "You talk like you understand everything. Where did you learn all this?"
Hua Ling said, "Before I was ten, when I was with my parents, I often thought like this. My parents had a good relationship, so back then I often felt like I was superfluous when they were together." Speaking of his childhood, he smiled and glanced at Ye Zhenji. "But when I grew up, I realized how childish that was. Shouldn't I be happy that my parents got along well? Their feelings for each other and their feelings for me are different. No matter how close they are, I'm still their most important person."
"..." Ye Zhenji was still unwilling, even though he felt Hua Ling was right. So he muttered, "But my master didn't even tell me..."
"Why would they tell you about something like that?" Hua Ling looked at him, puzzled. "You're their junior, not their elder. Since when do elders need to explain such things to juniors?"
Ye Zhenji was left speechless, unable to argue. Rationally, he felt Hua Ling was right. But emotionally, he still felt very, very unhappy...
"Sigh!" Hua Ling patted his back. "I'm telling you, kid, you're over forty now, not a teenager, alright? Did all that cultivation training make you stupid?"
Ye Zhenji pushed his hand away. "Anyway, I still don't feel good about it."
"If you don't feel good, go tell your master!" Having said all this, Hua Ling was out of ideas. After thinking, he leaned in again with a mischievous grin. "Actually, I think... you should go find yourself a little wife. That way, you'd have someone to be close to, and you definitely wouldn't have time to feel bad anymore."
"Get lost!" Ye Zhenji shoved him away. "What nonsense are you spouting!"
Hua Ling laughed while saying, "This is a sincere suggestion! Although our Daoist sect doesn't promote it, Dual Cultivation is ultimately a good thing. Look at your master, even at his age..."
"My master isn't old! He's only a hundred and seventy-five, alright? That's very young for a Core Formation Cultivator, especially since he's about to form his Nascent Soul!"
Hua Ling found this even funnier. "Just now you said you couldn't stand the sight of your master, and now you're defending him?"
"I..." Ye Zhenji was speechless.
"Sigh, young people!" Hua Ling pretended to be mature. "Why be so conflicted?"
Ye Zhenji hung his head, not refuting. After hearing Hua Ling's words, he did feel a bit conflicted. He wouldn't allow others to speak ill of his master, yet he himself couldn't stand the sight of him.
"I guess nothing I say will work right now. Actually, it's not that you don't understand; you're just unhappy, right?"
Ye Zhenji sighed. "Yes, everything you say is right."
"Actually, I have a sincere suggestion," Hua Ling said very seriously.
"Hmm?"
"You... should still go find a little wife!"
Ye Zhenji slapped at him. "Stop talking nonsense!"
Hua Ling couldn't help laughing while saying, "Actually, I think... the main reason you're angry is with your master. You're not really that angry with your aunt, right?"
"Obviously! My aunt is still asleep, and it's not really her fault..."
"But didn't you just say your aunt doesn't seem completely blameless either?"
"..."
Observing his expression, Hua Ling smiled. "Don't you think? Your feelings for your aunt are rather special."
Ye Zhenji caught his implication and glared at him, speaking seriously. "Don't talk nonsense. My aunt is my aunt. I've always respected her as an elder, like a master."
"Hey, that's not what I meant," Hua Ling quickly explained. "I mean, since you were little, your aunt has been the closest female elder to you. She treated you so well, so you'd naturally think that women should be like your aunt. That's probably why you find your master so annoying, right?"
Ye Zhenji was stunned for a moment. He had never considered this aspect. But thinking carefully, it seemed true... If there were any women, of course someone like his aunt would be best.
"Actually, your aunt is just an image in your mind. Before you have a definite lover, you'll probably project your aunt onto that image. So, deep down, you actually see your master as a rival..."
"Nonsense!" Rival was going too far...
Seeing his conflicted expression, Hua Ling smiled. "Anyway, that's the gist. You understand. So I think if you went and found yourself a little wife, you probably wouldn't be so..."
"Stop talking!" Ye Zhenji said with his head bowed. "Before I form my Core, I won't think about these irrelevant things."
Hua Ling shrugged, expressing helplessness. "I'm not saying you have to; it's just a suggestion. Actually, it's nothing. Usually, when people grow up, they don't feel this way anymore. You... you just haven't grown up yet."
"Get lost!" Ye Zhenji said irritably. "You're the one who hasn't grown up!"