Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 816 - 398: Master and Apprentice Reunite_3

Chapter 816: Chapter 398: Master and Apprentice Reunite_3

Li Guanshi glanced around, yet there was nothing unusual in her surroundings.

Her gaze ultimately fell back onto the chessboard. When she took a closer look at the arrangement on it, her beautiful pupils abruptly contracted, and a trace of astonishment and realization flickered in her eyes.

In a daze, a long-sealed memory flickered through her mind like a rotating lantern.

It was a sunny afternoon... A little girl in a pink dress, delicately carved like jade, propped her chin on one hand, sitting casually across the chessboard, focused on playing against her.

"Cultivation is like playing chess; one must be focused."

Li Guanshi admonished.

The girl picked up a white chess piece but did not place it in the grid. Instead, she casually dropped it as if nobody else were present, muttering, "Cultivation is about following one’s heart. Why bother being overly focused?"

Li Guanshi was about to reprimand her when the girl playfully and quickly interjected:

"Master, chess is like life. If one strictly adheres to the rules, it’s just living according to the script. Where’s the creativity in that? You think I’m placing pieces randomly, creating chaos, but my intention is to break the pattern. Master, don’t you see?"

Li Guanshi looked at the chessboard, the reversal of the board’s situation rendering her speechless for a moment.

Seeing this, the girl became even more smug, poking the chessboard with her little finger:

"Just look at the people in this world, bound by conventions, much like the grids of a chessboard. They seem orderly but are actually their own captives. Cultivation is the same; Master, if you stick too rigidly to the rules, you’ll only entangle yourself in illusions."

After speaking, the girl crossed her arms, tilting her gaze at her stunning and exceptionally youthful master, as though waiting for a response.

Her demeanor was both mischievous and carried a certain innocent defiance unique to children.

Smack!

The girl received a tap on her head with a ruler.

Li Guanshi looked at the precocious little girl, both amused and exasperated, and scolded her, "You learn a few crooked theories and think you’ve grasped profound truths? Your punishment is to go to Clear Water Cliff and reflect on your actions!"

Little Ye Zhuchan clutched her head, puffing with anger:

"When I grow up, I’ll marry a powerful man, and then I’ll have him marry you, Master. After that, I’ll spank your bottom every day!"

Smack!

Another ruler tap fell.

The little girl’s eyes welled with tears, muttering grievances under her breath.

Fragments of memory blurred, scattered like wind...

Li Guanshi snapped back to reality, as if awakening from a long dream.

She took a deep breath, pinching a chess piece between her fingers. However, she didn’t place the piece on the board. Instead, with a casual flick of her arm, it was tossed onto the ground.

The piece landed, rolling slowly.

Each time it made contact with the ground, it produced a crisp, pleasant sound.

After rolling a considerable way, it finally stopped under a tree.

The next moment, the air in front of the tree seemed to be stirred by an invisible hand, twisting violently. Following this, a woman in a blue and white dress slowly emerged from the distorted space.

The woman’s figure was graceful, her temperament elegant—as if an immortal had descended to the mortal realm.

Ye Zhuchan bent down to pick up the chess piece on the ground, then walked gracefully toward the stone table.

She placed the piece back on the chessboard, smiling as she said:

"Master, you always like using these out-of-the-box tricks. Can’t you just play a proper match with your disciple?"

Ye Zhuchan’s gaze fell on the measuring tape in Li Guanshi’s hand, her expression slightly surprised: "Ah, so it seems Master has truly made up her mind. Measuring dimensions—next step must be to retreat for body refining, right?

The ’Three Lives Longevity Skill’ clearly states that if practicing dual cultivation with a man, one’s internal body must be reconstructed.

That means Master must achieve perfect compatibility with Brother Jiang. So, Master... is about to be reshaped to fit Brother Jiang’s form, isn’t that right?"

——

[Author’s note: Spent some time revising Jiang Yi’s follow-up outline, toning down some plot points. Otherwise, it might easily cross boundaries—better to play it safe for now.]