Time passed in the mountains, and several months went by. When Xu Xian awoke, it was early spring, and the mountain flowers were beginning to bloom.
Xu Xian had broken through to the qi refining stage in April, when the peach blossoms were at their most vibrant.
In the blink of an eye, those blossoms had fallen, and the branches were now laden with large, sweet fruit.
Yet, Xu Xian felt he was merely treading water, having made not an inch of progress.
He had recited the sword mantra ten thousand times until he could chant it backward from memory. Throughout those days and nights of neglecting sleep and food, the youth remained in deep seclusion, sitting withered in his small hut.
He emerged only once every few days to eat a single meal. His diligence was terrifying.
He was dead set on mastering the Green Lotus Sword Song.
At one point, Wen Qingxue had even thought he had succumbed to cultivation deviation.
Initially, she hadn't paid much attention, thinking he wouldn't persist for long. However, as the months flashed by, she found herself forced to view Xu Xian in a new light.
The rumors she had heard about him began to crumble in her heart without even being challenged.
He truly cherished his time.
When Xu Xian first arrived at Zhijian Peak, she had accidentally overheard several elders discussing him in private. They said the boy was a handful and bound to cause trouble sooner or later. She had even heard some details about what happened during his Three Inquiries of Nature.
Filling the well, a total sweep...
The most shocking part was that Xu Xian had supposedly made the River Spirit explode with rage in the third inquiry.
Originally, she had been skeptical, but now she simply didn't believe it.
How could such a hardworking and motivated Little Grand-Uncle do such absurd things?
She wanted to say that rumors stop at the wise!
During Xu Xian’s seclusion, Lin Qianqian came to visit him once.
Seeing Xu Xian’s haggard face at the time gave her quite a shock. After learning the reason, she simply urged him not to be too impatient.
Xu Xian brushed her off with a few vague words.
Lin Qianqian took her leave, mentioning that she had to go out with her senior brothers to perform a sect mission and wouldn't be back for several months.
She had come specifically to give Xu Xian some merit points, fearing he would have nothing to eat.
Xu Xian refused.
He told her he hadn't finished the points she gave last time. He also explained that since breaking through to the qi refining stage and spending all day comprehending the sword mantra, his energy consumption was low. Furthermore, his qi refining body was resistant to hunger; one meal every three days was enough.
Lin Qianqian had no intention of negotiating. She forced the transaction, transferring 2,000 merit points to him.
Xu Xian had to admit—he liked this overbearing girl.
Suddenly, he felt a strange sense of being a 'kept man.'
In less than half a year, he had borrowed 5,000 merit points from her. For a disciple in the mountains, that was a considerable sum.
He silently made a note of it.
Then, he went back to staring blankly with downcast eyes.
"Phew... if I can't figure this out, I'll really have to get a job to pay off my debts."
'Master, you must believe in yourself. When you read a book a hundred times, the meaning reveals itself. It is the same with cultivation. As long as you persevere, you will eventually see the moon through the clouds.'
Xu Xian’s face sagged as he rolled his eyes at the little book spirit.
"It’s been almost three months. Is that not persistent enough?"
Shuer encouraged him, 'Cultivation isn't something achieved overnight. Some people can't enter the qi refining stage for years, and others can't even sense spiritual energy for years. You are already moving faster than many others.'
Xu Xian said flatly, "How can I be the same as them? I'm a genius."
Shuer: "...." Truly narcissistic.
The days continued.
Time flew by.
At the summit of Sword Inquiry Peak, in the Sect Master's residence, Li Qingshan arrived uninvited. Ye Xianyu was on a swing, asking casually, "What are you doing here?"
"I came to check on you, old lady."
Ye Xianyu lectured, "If you’re so bored, find me a grand-disciple. Hanging around idle all day—look at you. It's embarrassing."
Li Qingshan rolled his eyes and complained, "I want to teach, too! But I haven't seen anyone I like. The only one I took an interest in was snatched by your master."
Ye Xianyu scolded him gently.
"What do you mean 'your master'? That is your Martial Grand-Uncle. Mind your manners."
Li Qingshan didn't care. "What’s there to fear? The old man can't hear us anyway."
Since the topic had been raised, Ye Xianyu followed the lead and asked casually, "Right, speaking of which, how is your Little Martial Uncle doing lately?"
Li Qingshan said lazily, "Why ask me? Didn't you send that girl Qingxue to keep an eye on him for you?"
Hearing the sarcasm in his voice, Ye Xianyu was speechless. She said disdainfully, "Is it my fault? I asked you to take him under your wing back then, but you were the one who refused no matter what."
Li Qingshan gave up and said, "My fault, my fault. Happy now?"
"I'm just stating facts."
Li Qingshan remained silent. How was he supposed to guide him? Following that kid around and calling him 'Little Martial Uncle' would be a total loss of face. He was the one who kidnapped the boy and brought him back, only for the boy to end up as his senior. Where was the justice in that?
Especially when he thought about how, whenever they occasionally met at Zhijian Peak, the kid would shout from a distance, 'Little Shan, come here to your Martial Uncle!' It made him not know whether to laugh or cry.
If he didn't fly away fast enough...
Forget it, it was all too much to explain.
Ye Xianyu hopped off the swing, walked over to Li Qingshan, and kicked him. She said indignantly, "I asked you a question!"
Li Qingshan pursed his lips like a boy who had done something wrong and answered honestly, "Not great. He shuts himself in his courtyard all day, obsessing over his sword technique like he's possessed."
Ye Xianyu's interest was piqued. She sat down gracefully, resting her chin in her hands, and pressed, "Oh... what sword technique?"
Li Qingshan glanced at her. "You don't know?"
Ye Xianyu said frankly, "How would I know? I only told that girl to make sure he didn't cause trouble. Besides, I'm busy every day. Do you think I'm like you?"
Li Qingshan looked at her suspiciously before uttering four words: "Green Lotus Sword Song."
Upon hearing this, Ye Xianyu's eyes widened.
Li Qingshan smiled. "That was my expression when I heard it too."
Ye Xianyu swallowed hard, her gaze flickering as she muttered, "Is he that ruthless? Learning such a fierce sword technique right off the bat... even Senior Brother and the others don't know the Green Lotus Sword Song..."
Li Qingshan, however, was calm. "Don't you know who he is? This is Xu Xian—the man who dared to smash Martial Grand-Uncle's chessboard. This is nothing."
Ye Xianyu pondered for a moment, recalling Xu Xian's previous antics, and agreed, "True. He doesn't follow the beaten path."
She paused, then couldn't help but remark, "Still... your Little Martial Uncle really is different. He makes people see him in a new light. I didn't expect him to be so hardworking and persistent in his cultivation. I was originally worried he might cause trouble, but it’s been almost half a year and nothing has happened. He's actually quite earnest."
Li Qingshan sat up a bit straighter, the corners of his mouth curling into a proud smirk. "I told you before, in the illusion, the kid was just acting. He isn't bad at heart."
Ye Xianyu used her fingers like a sword and poked his forehead hard. She scolded, "What do you mean 'the kid'? That's my Little Junior Brother and your Little Martial Uncle. Mind your manners."
Li Qingshan went quiet, feeling sulky.
Making him call Xu Xian 'Martial Uncle' was more painful than killing him.
The two chatted about this and that, discussing Xu Xian’s recent situation, and even made a bet on whether Xu Xian could comprehend the Green Lotus Sword Song.
Ye Xianyu chose first.
She bet he couldn't.
As usual, the stake was one million merit points. Li Qingshan was used to this; after all, it wasn't the first time his master had fleeced him.
But what could he do? She was his only master.
"How did you know I just saved up a million merit points?"
Ye Xianyu said confidently, "Because I am your master."
"I give up."
"Three months."
"What three months?"
Ye Xianyu said with a smile, "If he doesn't learn the first strike within three months, I win."
Li Qingshan’s expression froze....
"...I heard people say your Little Martial Uncle likes drinking porridge?"
"Hehe..."
"What are you laughing at?"
Li Qingshan gritted his teeth and sneered, "I also liked drinking porridge when I first joined the sect."
Ye Xianyu said with a beaming smile, "What a coincidence. So did I..."
Because they had been soaked by the rain, they made sure no one else could hold an umbrella.
Rate on N.U.
