After Becoming a High-Risk Master, I Flipped the Script Chapter 193

Gu Baiqing had slept briefly when he suddenly jolted awake, sensing that he was not alone in the medicinal pool. He slowly opened his eyes, his vision still somewhat blurred. Who was it…

As his sight gradually cleared, the figure leaning on the opposite side of the pool also slowly emerged. At some unguarded moment, Gu Baiqing’s heart suddenly clenched tightly, as if everything in the world had stopped at that instant.

Mo… Mo Xuanli!

Gu Baiqing’s pupils shook violently. His breathing almost stopped outright. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Leaning against the opposite side of the medicinal pool, wearing the special white garment, black hair wet, a long arm casually resting on the edge of the pool, calmly looking at him—was… his little disciple, Mo Xuanli!

The shock of that instant was like a heavy hammer smashing straight into his forehead, stunning him completely. He had already been leaning against the slippery stone wall, and with his footing giving way, he suddenly slid straight into the water.

Something this embarrassing could actually happen, truly, even an Immortal Venerable’s dignity was gone.

After choking down several mouthfuls of water, amid his frantic splashing he was suddenly grabbed around the waist and lifted up.

Water splashed and leapt between the two of them.

Gu Baiqing could clearly feel the arm cinched around his waist, the familiar bulging muscle strength, and the solid, firm chest pressed tightly against him. His face even collided with the sharply defined curve of the other’s neck. The familiar scent that could only be smelled at such close proximity, carrying the breath of male hormones, made Gu Baiqing feel wave after wave of dizziness.

When he finally came back to his senses, the water’s sheen had softened and no longer obscured his vision. Gu Baiqing stiffened his neck and looked at the person before him.

He seemed taller.

The familiar face looked slightly different somehow, the lines seemed more defined, the gaze more profound.

Wait—they made eye contact! He’s looking at me!

Discovered! I’ve been discovered!

Gu Baiqing’s mind buzzed loudly, going completely blank. They stared at each other for what felt like the time it took for his heart to pound heavily about ten times before Gu Baiqing finally managed to draw a breath.

Don’t panic. Don’t panic. I’m the Master! I’m his Master—he… he can’t do anything to me.

Push him away first, first—

“Young Master Bai, are you all right?”

Gu Baiqing: Huh?

Mo Xuanli naturally released him and said in a steady voice, “Can you stand steadily? Did I scare you?”

“No, no.” Gu Baiqing answered reflexively. Then he steadied himself and leaned back, his mind already in complete chaos.

What was going on?

Could it be that Mo Xuanli hadn’t recognized him?

Right… he was wearing a mask…

Gu Baiqing reached up to touch his face, and his hair instantly stood on end. Where was the mask?

“Are you looking for your mask?” Mo Xuanli’s voice sounded right behind him. “My apologies. I came in and saw you weren’t moving and thought you had fainted. When I checked on you, I accidentally knocked off your mask.”

As he spoke, Mo Xuanli walked to Gu Baiqing’s side, picked up the mask placed there, and handed it to him. “It’s best not to wear a mask while soaking in the medicinal pool.”

Gu Baiqing accepted the mask in a state of lingering shock. At this moment, however, he couldn’t even think about putting it on. What was the situation now? That meant Luo Nianyi’s disguise pill was truly effective, Mo Xuanli hadn’t recognized him at all?

Gu Baiqing immediately felt as though the soul that had been scared out of him was slowly returning. Thinking about it, that made sense. This disguise had taken real effort, completely different from the first time. The first time had been Three Bean’s illusion, which still somewhat resembled his original appearance, his voice hadn’t changed, and coupled with God Nine Transformations’s closeness, Mo Xuanli had recognized him. But now he was a completely unfamiliar person. With such careful arrangements, if the other party could still recognize him at a glance, that would truly be a failure.

Still, to be honest, Gu Baiqing had indeed had an inexplicable premonition that Mo Xuanli would recognize him without any reason at all. That was why he had been determined to avoid him.

But the facts proved that he had overthought things.

His appearance and voice had both changed, and there were no distinctive features on him. With almost no use of spiritual power, how could he possibly be recognized so easily?

He really had been worrying for nothing.

While Gu Baiqing was lost in wild thoughts, Mo Xuanli slowly closed his eyes, concealing the turbulent emotions in them as well as the nervous tension in his heart. In the medicinal pool, he wrapped his arms around himself, gripping his own arms tightly, forcing himself to calm down.

Just now, it had only been a brief hug, yet his heartbeat had almost betrayed him. Clearly, earlier he had watched his Master calm his emotions and given himself mental cues, letting himself adapt for a long time. But half a month without seeing him, he really did miss him, yet he couldn’t just hug him as he pleased.

He couldn’t let his Master discover that he already knew. If his Master wanted to disguise himself, then he wouldn’t expose it, lest others learn his Master’s identity and cause him harm.

If his Master didn’t want to interfere with him sorting out his feelings, then he would pretend to be obediently sorting them out, undisturbed.

Anyway… anyway, he was by his side right now. He knew it, that was enough.

Mo Xuanli compromised. He compromised to his longing and love for his Master. In any case, he didn’t dare truly do anything to his Master. No matter how angry or aggrieved he was, he could only endure it.

If his Master wanted to do as he pleased, could he really resist?

Thinking this far, Mo Xuanli was still sulking, feeling terribly wronged.

On the other side, Gu Baiqing wanted to run again.

Seeing that Mo Xuanli wasn’t looking at him, but was instead casually leaning nearby and continuing to soak, Gu Baiqing instinctively got up, wanting to leave this place. Even if he hadn’t been recognized, it was better not to get too close. However, Mo Xuanli noticed the change and called out to him.

“Young Master Bai, you haven’t soaked long enough yet. You still need to stay a while longer.” Mo Xuanli truly said this while suppressing his anger.

He was already like this, how could his Master still bully him! Couldn’t he just stay by his side?!

Gu Baiqing hesitated for a moment. Afraid of appearing too abrupt, he leaned back again. The two of them were an arm’s length apart, not facing each other.

But Gu Baiqing suddenly turned his head and looked at Mo Xuanli in confusion. “How do you know my surname is Bai?”

Mo Xuanli directly repeated what Ji Chuling and Li Xiuran had said. Gu Baiqing’s face turned green, sure enough, he had been dragged into the male and female leads’ emotional turmoil. Li Xiuran was just petty-minded, deliberately sending Mo Xuanli to keep an eye on him. Truly unlucky.

By this point, Mo Xuanli’s expression had already darkened, and he said in an indistinct tone, “I didn’t expect Yuxin would actually… she really has quite the nerve.”

Gu Baiqing felt that Mo Xuanli’s attitude suggested he’d probably been entangled before as well, misery loves company. Still, it was genuinely a bit awkward to have Mo Xuanli know about this.

Mo Xuanli took a deep breath, closed his eyes again, suppressed the killing intent in them, and said, “Young Master Bai, rest assured. Miss Ji’s friends are our friends. During your time in Immortal Medicine Valley, we will protect you.”

Gu Baiqing was genuinely surprised. Although he looked at Mo Xuanli, he couldn’t see anything from his eyes-closed, meditative posture. He only wondered since when Mo Xuanli had become so warm-hearted, helping an ordinary mortal so casually? Didn’t they have something very important to do on this island?

For a fleeting moment, Gu Baiqing wondered whether this kid was actually deceiving him, had he already recognized him and was deliberately playing along?

But on second thought, the threats Mo Xuanli had left before departing made it impossible for him to act so calm after recognizing him.

So it was impossible that he’d recognized him. There must be another reason. For now, Gu Baiqing assumed that Ji Chuling was simply too enthusiastic, and the two men had no choice but to go along with her, so they were just helping him out incidentally.

“It’s actually not that serious. After rejecting her, she probably won’t—”

“Young Master Bai would do well not to take this lightly,” Mo Xuanli said coldly. “That woman isn’t the sort who gives up after being rejected. For your reputation, it’s best you listen to us.”

Gu Baiqing could only give an awkward smile. Then he remembered he hadn’t asked for names yet, lest he accidentally let something slip later. “How should I address you?”

Mo Xuanli paused, opened his eyes, and looked at Gu Baiqing. In a low voice, he said, “Mo Bai.”

Gu Baiqing’s heart jolted, and he didn’t quite know how to react.

Mo Bai… his alias.

Was Mo Xuanli using it for convenience, or did it have another meaning? Was he really sorting out his feelings, or had he already clarified something?

“Young Master Mo…” Gu Baiqing suppressed the complex emotions in his eyes and addressed him distantly.

Mo Xuanli nodded in acknowledgment, then closed his eyes again.

Seeing Mo Xuanli’s attitude, Gu Baiqing felt it truly was how one treated a newly met acquaintance, and he gradually relaxed.

Suddenly, Mo Xuanli spoke. “How exactly did Yuxin harass you?”

“Huh?” Gu Baiqing was taken aback, looking a little awkward. Why was he asking this?

With his eyes closed, Mo Xuanli said, “Since you’re Miss Ji’s friend, I’ll be direct. Yuxin is somewhat dangerous. I hope you can provide me with some information.”

Gu Baiqing understood now. Mo Xuanli was extremely wary of that strange woman. Indeed, he also felt that Yuxin was very odd. If she were simply a woman fond of dual cultivation, why would she be so persistent without even seeing his appearance? And her ability to change sex was truly a bit…

Gu Baiqing considered his wording. Soul confusing incense wasn’t uncommon; the key was that she could change between man and woman. Gu Baiqing was currently disguised as an ordinary person, so he could only describe it by feeling, saying it felt like a real man becoming a real woman, unlike the transformation techniques he’d seen cultivators perform before.

Just as Gu Baiqing finished speaking, he suddenly heard a cracking sound from beside the medicinal pool. He turned his head in surprise and saw that the stone wall Mo Xuanli was leaning against had cracked.

“What…”

Mo Xuanli slowly shifted his body, moving away from the cracked fissure and a little closer to Gu Baiqing. “There was already a crack. I accidentally pressed on it just now.”

Gu Baiqing instinctively asked with concern, “You’re not hurt, are you?”

Mo Xuanli raised his eyes, his deep gaze sweeping over Gu Baiqing. “No. Cultivators aren’t easily injured. soul confusing incense, both man and woman directly initiating. Young Master Bai looks like a gentleman with strong self-control. I assume you didn’t let the other party gain even the slightest advantage, did you?”

Gu Baiqing was asked into a bout of awkwardness. It wasn’t that he was thinking of Yuxin, but rather of that d*mn nightmare. Under the influence of the soul confusing incense, he had even dreamed of Mo Xuanli in female form. Thinking about it now was truly… mortifying.

“Yuxin’s behavior is strange, and she knows spell techniques. If she had taken advantage of you, I’m afraid… where did she touch you? Let me check for you.” Mo Xuanli said with a faint smile, though there was a trace of coldness in it.

Gu Baiqing coughed lightly and said, “I called for help in time. I only inhaled a bit of the soul confusing incense, and Miss Ji resolved it.”

Mo Xuanli seemed to let out a noticeable breath, narrowed his eyes slightly, then sneered and said, “Rest assured, Young Master Bai. From now on, Yuxin will absolutely have no chance to make another move.”

Could it be that they knew something was wrong with Yuxin and planned to deal with her?

It was inconvenient for Gu Baiqing to ask more, so he could only suppress his curiosity.

The topic ended. Neither of them spoke, and the two continued soaking. This quiet atmosphere instead gradually put Gu Baiqing at ease. In his heart, he calculated that if he truly couldn’t be recognized, maintaining this kind of just-met relationship would still allow him to stay on.

As he was thinking, suddenly the hand hanging by his side began to itch. Immediately, the sensation spread from his fingers to his wrist and arm…

Gu Baiqing instantly sucked in a breath of cold air. It was God Nine Transformations’s red cord. He hurriedly took advantage of the moment when Mo Xuanli wasn’t paying attention and used his other hand to try to pry the little thing away.

But the little thing was sticky and clingy, like an octopus. Pull it off on one side, and it would wrap around on the other, shamelessly insisting on sticking close.

Gu Baiqing was really getting anxious. This little thing absolutely could not expose him.

But the very next second, Mo Xuanli beside him seemed to sense something. He suddenly lifted his wrist, and the God Nine Transformations on his wrist abruptly tightened, tugging Gu Baiqing, who was holding the other end of the red cord.

Whether it was because Mo Xuanli used too much force, or because God Nine Transformations was being mischievous, Gu Baiqing was suddenly yanked over.

He was pulled straight into a flip, falling face-first onto Mo Xuanli, straddling him.

Mo Xuanli seemed not to have reacted either, letting out a muffled groan as Gu Baiqing crashed into him.

Gu Baiqing was utterly mortified and wanted to get up, but his footing became chaotic as he didn’t know what he had tripped over. Then he felt Mo Xuanli wrap an arm around him, one hand at his waist, and the other… seeming to support him from behind… Gu Baiqing’s face instantly flushed red.

He heard Mo Xuanli say in a low, hoarse voice, “Don’t move. It’s my spirit artifact that’s tangled you up.”

Gu Baiqing was embarrassed. He didn’t know if it was his imagination, but beneath him there seemed to be something slightly raised, brushing but not quite touching. Clearly, the very first second he was pulled over, he had propped up his body to avoid awkward contact. He shouldn’t have touched his legs at all.

Only when the red cord flailing underfoot was pulled away did Mo Xuanli release Gu Baiqing.

Gu Baiqing quickly moved to the side. But at this moment, both his and Mo Xuanli’s hands were resting on the edge of the pool, and it was very obvious that God Nine Transformations’s red cord had wrapped around his wrist again. In that instant, Gu Baiqing’s heart leapt into his throat.

Just as he didn’t know what to say, he heard Mo Xuanli apologize, “That was rude. My spirit artifact is rather mischievous and hard to control. But it’s strange, it usually doesn’t like to touch other people. Only me and my Master can touch it. Perhaps it has some affinity with Young Master Bai.”

After saying that, Mo Xuanli heavily slapped the bracelet portion of God Nine Transformations. The red cord immediately loosened and retracted, but it still seemed somewhat unwilling, twisting its body as if wanting to crawl back to Gu Baiqing, even trying to tug that way by pulling on Mo Xuanli’s wrist.

“Don’t move!” Mo Xuanli scolded coldly and slapped it hard again. This time, God Nine Transformations finally behaved.

Seeing God Nine Transformations obedient, Gu Baiqing could only give two dry chuckles as a conciliatory smile. He was truly thankful that this thing couldn’t talk, otherwise he would have been exposed completely.

And Mo Xuanli also didn’t seem to notice anything amiss. After saying it was fate, he continued to close his eyes and rest.

Gu Baiqing experienced another fright, but it also indirectly helped him eliminate all risk of being recognized. One might say it turned misfortune into blessing.

The water rippled. Everything beneath the water was illusory. You really couldn’t see much. Still, Mo Xuanli instinctively shifted his body slightly to the side.

When the time was about right and Gu Baiqing was about to leave, Mo Xuanli had no intention of stopping him. Gu Baiqing steadied his heart. He said his goodbyes, and upon hearing Mo Xuanli give a muffled “mm” in response, with limited warmth, he finally let his guard down completely and walked out.

Only after he left did Mo Xuanli open his eyes, filled with desire. With one hand, he took out the silver-white ring hidden in his collar, brought it to his mouth, and bit down on it fiercely, while the other hand reached beneath the water.

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