Master and Disciple: Time to Step It Up!

[The unlocked sections have been revised, but the plot is unchanged. No need to reread.]

Also known as "Transmigrated as the Iceberg Master's Adorable Snow Leopard Disciple" and "Would You Say This Snow Leopard Is Pretty?" (Not really.)

I worked myself to death in my last life. In my next one, I wanted to be a slacker!

Xue Yu made that grand wish just before he died of overwork. When he opened his eyes again, he'd transmigrated into a cultivation novel as a minor big shot who was killed halfway through the story by the protagonist... or rather, as that big shot's snow leopard mount.

The big shot treated him well. Life was certainly easy, but every day he could only sprawl like a leopard-shaped pancake, eat his fill, and wait to die. What a dull leopard life.

Xue Yu: I'm changing my fate! I want to cultivate!

Xue Yu worked hard and finally mastered an external avatar, then secretly created a human identity and joined a sect.

The big shot had long since retired, so Xue Yu wasn't worried about being taken in as his disciple. He could safely maintain both identities.

But the big shot noticed the snow leopard in his arms cheering for Xue Yu's secret identity through the Peering Mirror.

Big shot: You like him? How about I take him as my disciple so he can keep you company?

Leopard: ?

And so, at the Ascension Platform, the big shot arrived through the air in a flowing white robe, carrying Xue Yu's main body, and landed before his other identity in an ethereal haze.

Cool fingers lifted Xue Yu's chin. The big shot examined him like an object, then asked in a distant, icy voice:

Would you like to be my disciple?

Xue Yu: ...Damn it.

After that, the relationship between the three of them... no, the two of them, started getting strange.

Xue Yu's two identities stood stiffly facing each other, staring in mutual bewilderment.

The big shot's brows knitted slightly. "You don't like him? Then how about..."

The snow leopard immediately bounded into the young man's arms, rolling around and acting cute, meowing sweetly.

The big shot's expression turned even colder. His gaze stabbed into Xue Yu's other identity again and again, as if piercing him full of holes. "You like him that much?"

Xue Yu: ...

You damn pervert, what exactly do you want?

-

Cen Shu died.

Before he died, he saw the little snow leopard who had been with him for a hundred years leap in front of him, trying to block the fatal blow. The leopard burst into a cloud of blood, splattering Cen Shu's face and head. There was nothing left to gather.

When he opened his eyes again, he'd come back to life, returning to a time before any of it had happened.

In this life, he wanted nothing. He only wanted to raise his snow leopard and live a quiet life.

If that was the case, he definitely couldn't ride his mount anymore.

...Huh?

Maybe it wasn't entirely out of the question?

Traditional iceberg master gong x sweet, sharp-tongued leopard disciple shou

An older master-disciple romance is the absolute best!

[For those asking whether the snow leopards from the past and present lives are the same person, I have never answered that question, and I don't want to.

The main reason is that I don't want their relationship to seem as though it's based on repaying a debt. That would make their feelings seem impure to me.

The gong developed feelings for the shou without knowing their connection. It was because of what the shou did, and had nothing to do with the favor from his previous life. The favor was icing on the cake, not a lifeline.]

[So I accept readers dropping the story because I didn't clarify this in the blurb, but I reject "fake warnings" and "thanks for the warning" from people who haven't read it.]

[Adding this tip feels like a futile struggle. I'm done.]

Theme: Work hard at cultivation and change your fate