I am just a mortal, why do you all worship me as a saint?

Chapter 1125: The Disciple Has Grown Up

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

Gu Heng looked at the woman who had turned around, and that familiar face was indeed Qin Yiyao.

He didn't admit his mistake.

But she has changed a lot compared to how I remember her.

It wasn't her appearance; that exquisite face was still stunningly beautiful, with exquisite features. It was her aura that truly captivated her.

Back in the mortal realm, though she was an empress, she always appeared youthful and dependent in his presence. But now, besides her blank stare, her eyes held a sharp edge that had matured over time, a calm yet shrewd demeanor honed through trials.

If we really want to talk about any changes...

That is, her figure is taller and more slender, her hair is longer, and her appearance is more refined and mature than I remember.

Gu Heng's sense of familiarity came more from those eyes and brows.

She doesn't seem like a naive young girl, nor like a mature and charming woman; she's somewhere in between, making it difficult for Gu Heng to describe her.

"Teacher...Master?"

Qin Yiyao slowly stood up, her moon-white dress swaying gently with her movements.

The emotions in those eyes were churning violently—surprise, bewilderment, and an almost fearful anticipation.

Was she afraid that what she was seeing was an illusion?

"it's me."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Qin Yiyao rushed over like a streak of light and hugged him tightly. Gu Heng felt as if a soft, fragrant bundle had crashed into his arms.

Gu Heng laughed first: "I think you've grown up, but you're still not very mature."

"I've been waiting for a long time."

Qin Yiyao buried her head tightly, her voice hoarse.

"Yes, I know. It must have been tough for you to make your way in the world all by yourself."

For Gu Heng, time had never passed too long, barely a year at most, but he knew that his apprentice was not like that.

He spent a few months at most in the Epoch Cemetery, which was about the same as the time he spent living like a rat in the deep mountains and forests, but that was how he spent it.

For Qin Yiyao.

That familiar figure from my memory has been gone for nearly twenty years!

Gu Heng knew he had amnesia and was somewhat dim-witted. Twenty years had passed like a fleeting cloud to him, but what about her?

Hard to say.

"I'm not tired."

"It's just that there's no one to confide in."

Qin Yiyao shook her head, but did not let go immediately; instead, she hugged him even tighter.

She actually had a lot of questions in her mind, and she couldn't just forget them.

For example, the master's true identity, his purpose, his plans, and what a heavy road one must walk in this process...

Too much.

Qin Yiyao couldn't guarantee she wouldn't ask.

She finally had a little rest and leisure, but all she could do was gaze at the lake and sigh, which was truly helpless.

But after she actually met her master, all the doubts that had been troubling her disappeared from her mind, like water that had flowed away and would never return.

What's there to ask?

It's enough that he's back.

"Then if you're ever unhappy in the future, talk to your teacher about it."

"Don't keep things to yourself."

Gu Heng sighed.

The little girl never spoke of the hardships and grievances she had endured over the past decade of training and adventure. Gu Heng knew this perfectly well and did not intend to ask. He simply patted her back to comfort her, just as he had done before.

Perhaps for her, no amount of suffering could compare to his absence.

Since that's the case, why not let her feel my presence now?

After a long while, she slowly raised her head, her eyes slightly red, but her face had regained its usual cool expression. However, deep in her eyes, there was still a complex emotion that was hard to describe.

"Alright, let your teacher take a good look."

Gu Heng smiled, raised his hand and ruffled her hair. The familiar gesture made Qin Yiyao stiffen slightly, but she relaxed again, though her eyes remained complicated.

"I've grown taller, and... grown up."

He realized that his mouth was really not going to say anything nice, but looking at her expression, he felt that he had to let her know that he cared about her.

They have indeed grown up.

Gu Heng had only seen this kind of jade dumpling before, which was not exaggerated but quite substantial, at Su Jinxi's place. It didn't look particularly swollen, but he knew it was definitely genuine without even reaching out to touch it.

"After so much time, I can't still be the same as before, can I?"

Qin Yiyao took a small step back, her gaze lingering on Gu Heng's face as if trying to confirm every detail.

In other words, the Master has hardly changed at all.

He still has that seemingly meticulous but actually dull and wooden demeanor.

"Ahem, you're right."

Gu Heng coughed twice, lowering his head to avert his lewd gaze that had been fixed on his disciple's development.

The atmosphere became subtly tense for a moment. Qin Yiyao naturally noticed her master's fleeting gaze, and a faint blush rose to her face, but she quickly suppressed it. However, the water in her eyes became even more moist as she turned her face away.

So many years of waiting can easily make certain feelings become obsessive and unbearable.

She understands all too well the feeling of being tormented and tortured.

"Master, no matter what happened in the past, you will always be the most important person to me."

Qin Yiyao suddenly said.

Gu Heng was taken aback.

She didn't press for details about Gu Heng's identity, but her words themselves revealed that she knew a great deal.

Gu Heng understood from her eyes. There was no fear or alienation in them, only a knowing "as expected" and a deeper firmness.

"Did Gu Ce tell you?"

"Ah."

Qin Yiyao flicked her hair. "Master may not know, but I have been searching for your origins for a long time."

"You're not scared, are you?"

Gu Heng felt a little embarrassed. He knew that he would have to tell the little girl his true identity sooner or later, but how to bring it up was a problem.

To put it bluntly, it's one thing for Qin Yiyao to take it as a joke, but what if she thinks that the infamous enemy of the era is no good dog? Wouldn't she be shooting herself in the foot?

Not to mention that we haven't seen each other for more than ten years, I'm not even sure what she looks like now.

"Kind of."

Qin Yiyao nodded honestly, "But I'm not worried."

"Trust me so much?"

"Of course, if I don't trust my master, who else can I trust?"

Qin Yiyao smiled sweetly.

Gu Heng saw confusion in her eyes, but even more so, an almost blind trust, as if she would follow him unswervingly no matter what he wanted to do.

Old Gu was very happy that his apprentice trusted him so much.

But this kind of trust felt very heavy to Lao Gu.

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P.S. Happy New Year everyone!!