Third Disciple

The first thing Wu Qianyu felt when she awoke was warmth. She didn't expect the afterlife to be so comfortable and soft like she was covered by a cozy blanket. She tried to move her body and felt discomfort between her legs. It was as if she had been stabbed with a dull weapon down there.

Wait…

Her eyes fluttered as a wave of memories assaulted her. She had been in a drugged state but she still recalled most of it. There was a cave and a ferocious jueyuan leader. She was about to… but then he came. There had been a flash of sword energy followed by a surge of searing heat. His power had been so overwhelming, there was no other possibility.

"Immortal…" She muttered, not quite believing the truth.

Then all of the remaining memories came crashing down. The siege, the final battle, the kiss, their bodies connecting. It was all so shocking. She found it hard to breathe. She had been prepared to die but she was still alive. Her body, mind, and spirit were about to be ruined by that demon but he had saved her. He had used his body to save her.

The surge of self-contempt overwhelmed her. She couldn't even save her sect. She couldn't save her parents or her fellow disciples. What right did she have to receive this boon? What made her so special? It wasn't right.

"You are awake? I am outside." A gentle male voice drifted in.

She instantly knew who it was. She was reminded of the things they had done and she blushed a little. But being an ever-practical person, she pushed aside those thoughts and got up. Her clothes were new and were a bit ill-fitting but it was fine. Her belongings were placed in a corner including her sword. She gathered it all and after making sure she was presentable, she opened the door of the carriage and stepped outside.

Chen Wentian was sitting on the ground a short distance away, near a babbling stream. A blazing blue spiritual cloak surrounded his figure as he silently cultivated. His back faced the carriage and Wu Qianyu hesitated for a long time before walking to him.

She fell to her knees before him and kowtowed, "Wu Qianyu of the Green Leaf Sect greets lord immortal. Great thanks to lord immortal for his life-saving grace."

Her voice was firm but slightly tinged with fear. He was an immortal, an unfathomable and untouchable existence that she had only heard about in folk tales. She didn't know what kind of person he was. She had defiled his noble body and she didn't know what he could ask in compensation. If he wanted her life, she would welcome it since she had nothing left to live for anyway.

Chen Wentian didn't answer quickly but pretended not to notice to act cool for a bit. After several breaths, he opened his eyes and studied her, "I'm glad you're alright. I am Immortal Blue Dragon Chen Wentian."

This was followed by an awkward pause. She didn't know how to respond and he didn't know what else to say. He had no experience talking to a woman he had just slept with. What was he supposed to do, ask how the sex was?

"Do you have any family left?" He finally asked.

Wu Qianyu shook her head, "I… I have no one. The sect master was my father. The sect was my family. And… there's nothing left."

She sucked in a shuddering breath as her mind suddenly became a mess of emotion. Heart-rending images flashed before her eyes as she recalled the battle and those tragic scenes.

Her eyes reddened and tears began streaming down her face. The disciples of the sect she treated like her own were slain one by one. People she called her sisters were taken down and violated before her eyes. Their screams still left a deep mark on her spirit.

Her body felt weak and her mind was exhausted. She hated those demons and she had wanted to kill them all. She struggled and fought to her last breath. But in the end, she was still too weak. She couldn't save a single one of them.

"Well, don't worry about the demon monkeys anymore, I killed all of them including the leader." Chen Wentian said casually, unaware of the depth of her emotional trauma.

Wu Qianyu bowed down again, "Lord immortal, thank you, thank you with all my heart. I'll never be able to repay your grace."

"Get up, get up. Don't worry about it, I'm glad I was able to save you." He said, trying to cheer her up.

She looked up at him with wet soulful eyes but remained kneeling. Her tears continued to fall down even though she tried to wipe them away. He looked at her with concern as she just wouldn't stop crying. He didn't know if he had said something wrong. He didn't know how to comfort a woman so he just stared at her dumbly, waiting for some kind of response.

Unbeknownst to him, Wu Qianyu's thoughts were spiraling uncontrollably into darkness and despair. She really did appreciate this immortal for destroying the demons to avenge her sect and also for saving her life. But she felt even more ashamed that she was so useless, that she even need him to sacrifice his body to save her. She had sullied herself and she had also sullied her savior.

When her father fell, she swore she would follow him to the grave. But what had she done? She wasn't even able to kill herself when she was captured. She almost became a breeding whore for her mortal enemy. What did she have left in this world, not even her dignity or virtue were left. How could she live on like this?

Wu Qianyu gritted her teeth and steeled herself. She closed her eyes, resolute in her final decision. She drew her sword and sliced toward her neck in one sweeping motion.

This was her only path left, the only way!

"Hey, stop!" Chen Wentian yelled as he also burst into action.

He knocked away her sword with a blast of spiritual energy before flying to her. He grabbed her hands so she wouldn't do anything else rash.

Wu Qianyu finally broke down.

"Ahhhhh!" She wailed to the sky in abject sorrow.

She tried to squirm away in desperate frustration but his hands were so firm.

"Why are you so mean to me!" She screamed, "Why won't you let me die? Let me go! Let me die!"

He threw her sword away and embraced her. "Shhh. It's okay... it's okay."

"Nooo! I'm worthless, I just want to die!"

She continued to sob and wail. He could only continue to hold her and gently stroke her back.

Perhaps in a stroke of genius, he kept his mouth shut and didn't utter more insensitive comments.

Wu Qianyu eventually cried herself out and recovered her senses. She remained quiet but did not try to escape his arms. Chen Wentian didn't say anything and simply comforted her with his warmth.

At some point or another, she began to speak in a weak voice, telling him about what had happened to her sect…

The Green Leaf Sect was a grassroots cultivation sect built up over many generations by herb farmers. It took them over two hundred years to get to their position as a well-respected and established sect. The sect master was her father and her mother was a disciple of the sect. They recruited from the surrounding mountains and they were a tight-knit community, almost like family.

The jueyuan appeared about three years ago. At first, it was just occasional reports of strange sightings by locals. Then came the disappearances and small attacks that preyed on isolated villages. None of it attracted the sect's attention until it was too late. When the sect finally sent out disciples to take care of the problem, they were met with ambushes and wiped out. Her mother had died during one of these ill-fated missions.

The sect couldn't control the situation anymore and asked for assistance. But the neighboring cultivation sects were all smaller than them and also dealing with the jueyuan. There was nobody to turn to and nowhere to hide. And when the demons launched the final attack, they came with overwhelming numbers and besieged the sect from all sides.

At this point in the story, Wu Qianyu choked up.

Chen Wentian sensed she was about to cry again and stroked her hair, "It's okay, you don't have to say anymore."

The two fell back into silence. He held her in his arms while she was lost in thought. The sun eventually rose high in the sky and he felt it was the right time to broach the most important subject, at least to him.

"Wu Qianyu, will you listen to my words?" He asked, "I saved your life for a reason and I want you to continue living, for me."

"Lord immortal, please speak." She said.

"Qianyu," He said, referring to her more intimately, "You fought against the demons with all your strength. You never gave up even at the end. What happened to you, you had no control over it so it's not your fault. There will always be enemies stronger than you. There is always a higher mountain than the one before you. As the immortal lord of this province, I can sincerely tell you that you have nothing to be ashamed of. You cannot let one defeat define you. You must continue fighting, continue living so that you can get stronger. Step by step, your path ahead is still filled with endless possibilities."

He grabbed her shoulders and held her at arm's length. His eyes met hers and he gave her a soft smile, "Do you know why I saved you? It was because I was so incredibly impressed by you. Saving you was my joy. It should be who should be thanking you for giving me your virtue."

She blushed and hid her gaze.

He raised a finger to her chin and turned her back toward him, "Qianyu, I saved you because I want you. I want you to be my disciple. Your path in this world and in the realm of cultivation should not end in these mountains. You have a long life ahead of you. Trust me, I will guide you."

Wu Qianyu felt his warmth and his conviction and was entranced. She was like a little girl again. His immortal aura washed over her, washing away her sadness and doubts. With him, she was safe and she had a new direction. The decision was easy.

She bowed her head and said softly, "Disciple Wu Qianyu, accepts master's grace and will follow you always."

Chen Wentian's heart soared. He was truly happy. He let out a bright laugh in triumph.

Seeing her smile in response, he couldn't resist. He cupped her face and sealed their newfound relationship with a searing kiss.