Chapter 3 — Heart Cave Thien Kiep

5 The next day, I walked into Tu Bach's retreat on time, thinking that, like always, he would sit in front of the main hall, slowly boil a pot of tea, and leisurely wait for me. But... the main hall was quiet. I searched all over the electricity bill, but couldn't see a trace of anyone. When it was almost time to call for peace, I panicked and rushed straight into the back hall. The mist drifted out from the jade bathtub, vaguely drawing the profound outline of a towering body. Behind the screen, that back is like a well-carved painting of a woman, every bone, every muscle is perfect to the point of harshness. He turned his back to me, each movement was gentle but steady, cold, noble, and forbidden. I suddenly remembered... When I was sixteen years old, I first realized that I had unusual feelings for someone - it was also in a scene similar to this. At that time, because I secretly drank alcohol, I was punished to go to the Archives to copy calligraphy to enlighten myself. But not only could I not copy a single word, but I also had the audacity to imitate folk novels and write a book "Phong Luu Su"... about my own master. I don't know if my brain was struck by lightning at that time, but I still wanted to show off this "work" to people. That day, just like now, I rushed straight into the back hall - Fog covered my eyes, each drop of dew gathered in my eyelids, heavy enough to fall. “Rao…” The sound of moving water and small waves spread. "Thump thump... thump..." My heart collided with my chest, beating erratically along with the sound of water, unable to distinguish between the sound of my heart and the sound of the bathing pool. A shadow in the mist suddenly turned its head - its eyes were calm and deep, like a cold blade placed on my neck, pinning me rigidly in place. “A Ly?” His voice was hoarse than usual, as if caught in a layer of steam, trembling slightly and low. I swallowed hard, bowed and bowed, my voice as soft as a mosquito calling out: "Teacher... master... is a disciple." At that moment, it was as if someone's voice had poured into my ears an intoxicating medicine, my limbs felt weak, my cheeks and ears burned like fire. I instinctively backed away, but my heel hit the door step, my body lost its center of gravity - In the moment I fell, I quickly grabbed the edge of the screen in front of me! “Bang!” I thought I would definitely fall on the cold white jade floor... However, in the split second before "kissing the ground", a gentle force lifted me up. The whole person fell straight into Tu Bach's arms, the warm steam from the bathtub covering the whole body. Right at that moment, my lips unconsciously touched the red mole on his collarbone - A ray of numbness like an electric wave spread throughout my bones, making my scalp tingle.

“A Ly, are you hurt?” The person's low voice seemed to hold back the breath, hoarsely bursting out close to the ear, making the whole person tremble, and the fingertips could not control themselves but trembled. I could only shake my head, my lips opened without saying a word - but that movement unintentionally caused my lips to gently touch that mole again. His breathing slowed slightly, the hand holding my arm suddenly tightened, as if wanting to engrave me into his body. I let out a soft sound of pain, causing the person to startle and relax, gently placing me on the ground.

Just as I was about to raise my head to look at someone, a warm, wet hand immediately covered my vision. “A Ly.” His voice is hoarse and heavy A little helpless, but there was a ray of affection as light as a spring breeze: "Don't look." I swallowed hard, my fingertips unconsciously tangling in a few strands of soft black hair hanging down the side of his neck. In that embrace, the phone book hidden in my chest fell to the ground, opening exactly one page - "The saint is like this, his skin is as white as white jade, his body is like a spear..." The words on the page, the scene before me - - completely coincided. I was startled awake from the stream of memories, my heart pounding, my breathing disordered. Instinctively, I quickly turned around and wanted to retreat, but just took a step - "A Chu." A cold voice rang out from behind, tugging at my nerves. "This deity left her clothes in the back hall. Please bring them in for her." A Chu —— is the little attendant who followed me, and the one who came to look for me just now. But at this moment, he is not here at all! Be?! If I don't do as you say, I will definitely be discovered by someone sneaking into the back hall. I'm afraid they will hate me to the core! But if you do as told, wouldn't it be quicker to expose yourself?! …Right! Camouflage Technique! A ray of light welled up in my heart - I just need to perform the "False Dung Technique" and transform into A Chu's appearance, then maybe... I can still fool people! I pressed the hand with my left hand, magic power circulated in the palm of my hand, with just one breath, my shape changed into A Chu. On the one hand, he turned around to take his master's clothes, and on the other hand, he prayed softly in his heart: "God bless you... God bless you... Master's eyes are bad today, master's eyes are bad today... Don't let people see through this low-level magic of mine..."

“Knock knock knock!” I lightly tapped on the edge of the screen. “Come in.” Tu Bach's voice rang out, vaguely in the steam, as if passing through a layer of mist, low and cold. I took a deep breath, walked step by step, bowed my head, my entire face buried in my collar, trying to reduce my presence to the minimum. White mist covered the back of the hall. The closer you got, the thicker the hot air became, to the point where your shirt was wet. Next to the jade basin, steam floats like smoke, obscuring all the spring scenes we dare not dream of.

I bent down, prepared to put down my clothes and then immediately retreat. But just as he bent down - his ankle was suddenly grabbed by a hand! A line of numbness like an electric shock ran down my spine, my heart trembled. I could barely take a step back, so I had to pretend to be A Chu's voice and carefully opened my mouth: "Master... master, servant... put on your clothes." My voice has changed using magic power, ten percent like A Chu, without any gaps. “Put it down.” The person's voice was calm, but the hand holding my ankle still did not loosen even half. I slowly sat down, gently placing my clothes on the edge of the lake. Just as he was about to retreat, he suddenly heard a low sentence, as if mumbling from within the mist: "Why... so slender?" I stiffened and unconsciously asked again: "What... what?" "…Nothing." The man's hand finally let go, but when I raised my head, Tu Bach's eyes just happened to touch me - those eyes were extremely complicated, as deep as the night sea, three parts helpless, seven parts searching.

“Holy Venerable… why do you look at your slaves like that?” I didn't dare to raise my head, my hand secretly rubbed my hot cheeks, trying to force myself to retract my gaze, not daring to let my eyes wander. Inside the mist, the sound of water shaking, people slowly knocking Gently touched the edge of the jade basin, his voice was calm: "Come here." “Rub my teacher's shoulders.”

My eyes widened, my breathing stopped, my heart seemed to jump out of my chest —— "Teacher"... You just called me "Master"... You recognized me?! There was an explosion in my head, my whole body stiffened, not daring to move. The hot mist covered me, my heart was pounding, and cold sweat gradually dripped down the back of my shirt. Until, the person's cold voice came again, slightly urging: "A Chu - what are you doing standing there?" The breath that had been held for so long finally escaped my throat, I forced myself to calm down, comforting myself that - everything that had just happened was just an illusion due to stress. I rolled up my sleeves and slowly knelt down next to him, my fingertips as white as jade gently placed them on his spacious back. The skin was wet and warm under my hand, like a rare piece of top-grade jade in the world, delicate and perfect, causing strange waves to ripple in my heart. In that moment, my gaze darkened, a familiar ray of desire from deep within my heart exploded violently - Tu Bach... my... Is a treasure in the world...

“Use a little more force.” His voice rang in my ears, low and gentle, like a spring breeze passing through a layer of mist, and gently patted the back of my hand, signaling to urge me. “Ah… ah… yes!”