Chapter 19: Chinese Good Girl Friend
“Kuh kuh kuh…” Zi Mo lightly coughed a few times, everyone’s attention once again gathered onto him, and he gave his verdict with a serious expression. “Xiao Yi, you heavily injured one of your brothers of the same sect, I will now punish you by crippling your cultivation, and you will be expelled from the Inner Sect. You shall have to begin your training from scratch, and I hope, this time, you will cultivate properly and diligently.” After saying that, with a wave of his hand, a ray of light landed heavily onto Xiao Yi’s body. He, who was forcing himself to sit up earlier, instantly collapsed onto the ground. Most probably, his cultivation had been crippled.
“Yuanxiu, the way you educated your son was improper. You will now have to take good care of Ling Long, the girl who was pushed into the cold pool by little fatty Zhao. That will be your punishment. If anything were to happen to her again, you will be held responsible.”
“This disciple obeys.”
“As for little fatty Zhao, he has caused harm to others as well. I shall issue my verdict once he recover from his injuries.” Zi Mo stroked his beard, With a wave of his hand, he called two disciples to enter the hall. “This matter shall conclude here. Everyone, return to your own duties. Bring Xiao Yi to the Outer Sect.”
The two disciples obeyed his instructions. Carrying Xiao Yi who was on the ground, they walked towards the entrance of the hall. When they passed Zhu Yao by, Xiao Yi suddenly raised his head, and glanced at her coldly.
Zhu Yao’s heart suddenly froze. This little wimp could not be hating on her right? The hell, you best be clear about this. Earlier, I was the one who gave face to this old man Zi Mo, and saved you.
With a heavy heart, she returned to Jade Forest Mountain, and Zhu Yao felt deeply saddened. She had only admitted into the sect for about a month, yet, she had already offended the two great Mountain Lords of Medicine Mountain and Weapon-Refining Mountain. Her life was simply too “wonderful”, and was afraid of being beaten up by people when she headed out in the future. Hence, she decided to seriously become a NEET after this, and prevent herself from heading out too often.
Speaking of which, she and that little kid called Xiao Yi were rather fated, as she encountered him every single time she headed out. And the strange feeling she had towards him, was becoming deeper with every single encounter. She did not know how to describe the feeling. It was neither hate nor love, it was simply a strange feeling that she was incapable of describing.
And adding the warped three views he had, she could not come to like him at all. Especially, the expression he gave her right before he left caused her hair to stand on end. She could not help but get goosebumps, as she could hardly believe eyes like that would appear on a boy whose age was only ten.
“You’re back?” A cold voice successfully pulled Zhu Yao back from her thoughts.
Yu Yan was standing next to the stone table in front of the courtyard. A plate of vegetables, emitting out a delicious aroma, was in his hands, as he looked at the person who just returned. The thoughts of being a wedded husband, instantly rushed into Zhu Yao’s mind.
“Darling… Wait, no. Master.” Zhu Yao, who loved to eat, instantly swept away her low spirits, and hurriedly ran over. So master was really waiting for her to eat lunch.
Yu Yan did not reply. He simply looked at his idiot disciple who had already begun eating, silently sighed, and sat across her.
Like a fierce wind blowing leaves off a tree, Zhu Yao quickly swept through the plates, and she even burped after finishing them. Looking at her master who had already begun to clear the plates and chopsticks, she felt being taken in by a master who was capable of simply everything was definitely her biggest blessing ever since she started cultivating. PS : If not for his usual crazy antics.
But, her cultivation was simply…
“Master…” A sense of guilt suddenly rose within her heart.
Yu Yan stopped his movements, and lightly looked at her.
“Umm…” For a moment, Zhu Yao did not know what to say. Feeling a little uncomfortable, she tugged onto the corner of her own clothes. “Even till now, I have yet to sense any spiritual energy, so…” Have you ever regretted taking me as your disciple?
Yu Yan’s brows curled. Casting an art with his hands, the plates and chopsticks on the table automatically flew into the kitchen. He once again sat down across her, and signaled her to continue.
Zhu Yao, in that instant, felt even more embarrassed. “Ahem… I’m saying, it might be possible… it might be that I’m really unsuitable for cultivating into a deity.” When she went down the mountain this time, she found out that even the kid with the least talent had learnt to take in spiritual energy, while she was still unable to sense any spiritual energy. It would be a lie to say that she was not affected by it.
In the beginning, she was seriously forced into admitting him as her master, however, humans have feelings, after all. After living with him for so many days, how could she feel unmoved when Yu Yan was sincerely taking care of her? She could not treat him as her elder, but, he was still qualifiable as a friend, as a brother, ahem… as a girl friend.
She understood how eager he was to have a disciple. She had heard from the disciples’ private discussions, that her master could have ascended very long ago. However, because he had yet to take in a satisfiable disciple, he had been suppressing his cultivation level, and was unwilling to ascend. But she…
“Why don’t you, find another disciple?” She felt guilty for holding him up.
Yu Yan was slightly startled, with his eyebrows tightly knitted together, he was stunned for a moment. Suddenly, he reached out his hand to touch her forehead, and his expression turned even more odd. She’s not having a fever.
“… Master, I’m serious.” Zhu Yao pushed away his hand. She was being different for once, could you not give her some face, and be serious about it?
Yu Yan heaved a long sigh, and immediately gave her a ‘why is my disciple so stupid’ expression. Then, with a serious look, he began to instruct her. “In the future, do not head down the mountain as often, to prevent yourself from learning bad things.” She had only left the mountain for a few hours, and she became even more stupid. Yu Yan believed it made a lot of sense, and had hardened his determination to teach her in a closed environment, so that she would not be influenced by others.
Zhu Yao: “……”
“From now on, until you build your Foundation, you’re not allowed to head down the mountain!” Yu Yan sternly ordered.
“Master!” She was being confined just like that.
Yu Yan’s expression turned even colder, it seemed there was no room open for discussion. “You admitted into the sect later than most, unlike a child, your mind is unable to focus on a single objective and put everything, and think deeply, into that one objective. Hence, it’s normal for you to have a late start compared to others, you do not have to pay it too much mind. In this period of time, you only have to stay away from distractions, and concentrate on cultivating, you will be able to comprehend in due time. Cultivation is something that goes against the laws of nature in the first place, it’s not a matter you can be overly anxious about.”
“But what if I will never be able to comprehend it?”
“Then you will continue to cultivate.” Yu Yan firmly said. “You do not have to worry. Even if you’re incapable of everything, master will still protect you.”
“……” So he had never thought of giving up on her. Damn it, what’s with this feeling of wanting to cry? Master, you always divert away from common sense, why do you have to say such emotional statements now? Bastard! Zhu Yao rubbed her eyes fiercely, and she only stopped after her eyes turned red.
“Umm… Master, earlier, when I headed down the mountain, I seemed to have cause some trouble.” Zhu Yao decided to be entirely honest. Her master was really powerful, however, if people were to really beat her up someday, at the very least, he would know who to look for. “I seemed to have offended someone.”
Yu Yan looked at her skeptically.
Hence, as a preventive measure, she clearly explained the entire incident that happened earlier. Hmph. The old man Zi Mo dared to make use of her? Then, obviously, she would dare to inform on him behind his back.
“Although I was simply following the Sect Master’s intentions, to forgive the child. But, Reverend Zi Yuan will definitely have a grudge towards me due to this incident, so…”
Yu Yan frowned, and went into deep thoughts for a moment. Just when she thought her powerful master would slap his chest and say he would have her back, Yu Yan then raised his head, looked at her firmly, and spoke.
“Who is this Zi Yuan?”
Unable to control herself for a moment, Zhu Yao fell off her chair.
¹ ‘Medicine Mountain’, it seemed the author changed the term used here. ‘Pellet Mountain’ will now be known as ‘Medicine Mountain’.