He gently rested his fingertips on Jiang Lu's wrist, concentrating as his energy probed into her meridians. Slowly, his brow furrowed, a trace of shock and uncertainty flickering in his eyes.
Something felt off. He gave Jiang Lu a strange look. Normally, cultivators with mixed spiritual roots had narrow, clogged meridians, causing their spiritual energy to circulate sluggishly. Their cultivation was an uphill battle from the start, progressing at a snail's pace.
Yet the meridians inside her body were wide and unobstructed, branching out in every direction. They were both flexible and resilient. Spiritual energy flowed through them smoothly and without hindrance, with a capacity that far exceeded that of other cultivators at her level.
The wider the meridians, the faster one could absorb energy, granting an exceptionally blessed foundation for cultivation.
He looked up, his gaze resting on Jiang Lu with a bizarre expression as he asked, “What is the purity of your spiritual root?”
Jiang Lu lowered her head slightly, her long eyelashes fluttering. Her eyes held a perfectly measured touch of shyness and embarrassment as she replied, “To be honest, this disciple does not know.”
Elder Ye choked on his words, a complex mix of emotions welling up in his chest.
To be completely ignorant of her own spiritual root purity, yet cultivate at such a ridiculously fast speed... Making such reckless progress, was she not afraid of her spiritual energy clashing, destabilizing her foundation, and accidentally succumbing to qi deviation?
“Then do you want to test it?” he suddenly asked.
A test?
Jiang Lu immediately shook her head. She did not know if a test would reveal the unique nature of her spiritual root. Things were fine as they were, so she preferred to pass on the offer.
Seeing her refuse without a moment's hesitation, the interest in Elder Ye's eyes grew even stronger.
This little girl did not fight or vie for anything, cautiously avoiding trouble and keeping her talents hidden to protect herself.
Only someone harboring a massive secret or bearing a unique destiny would be so careful at every step, avoiding exposure at all costs.
He was not one to pry or nose into other people's secrets, and he had no intention of digging into her past.
But on second thought, he had been alone for many years and happened to lack a personal disciple who suited his tastes.
If he took this girl under his wing and taught her day in and day out, spending so much time together, all her secrets would eventually come to light sooner or later.
The more he thought about it, the more appropriate it seemed. Elder Ye's gaze fell upon Jiang Lu, sizing her up carefully. The more he looked, the more satisfied he became.
Her age was perfect, and her character had not yet fully formed. Even if she developed some bad habits in the future, he could personally guide and correct her.
In terms of talent, she seemingly had a mixed spiritual root, but her terrifying cultivation speed and rare, wide meridians had long since shattered conventional wisdom. The so-called trash spiritual root did not apply to her at all; her true talent was far from being discovered.
In terms of strength, at a mere fourth layer of Qi Condensation, she could already independently refine Tier Two elixirs. Her swordplay was fluid and skilled, and her use of spells was exquisite, far surpassing cultivators of the same level. With a steady mind and solid combat prowess, she lacked nothing.
What pleased him most was her steady and down-to-earth personality, which resonated deeply with him.
Anyone who knew him: ???
Can a person really be this shameless?
Who didn't know the name of Ye Qing? He was notoriously famous for stirring up trouble. Low-key? What did those words have to do with him?
Seeing the silly grin on his face, Jiang Lu took two steps back. Why did she feel like she was being targeted?
Elder Ye cleared his throat twice, composing himself. A hint of pride and self-satisfaction flashed in his eyes, as if taking her as his disciple was a monumental stroke of luck for her. He slowly spoke, “Little girl, how about I become your master?”
A master?
Jiang Lu took another two steps back, reminding herself of a golden rule: the free things are always the most expensive! Things handed to you on a silver platter are always traps!
Did he have some ulterior motive?
Seeing that her face held not a single trace of joy or excitement, but was instead filled with wariness, suspicion, and caution, Elder Ye's pleasant mood instantly soured. He felt utterly helpless and aggrieved.
Was he really that untrustworthy?
“Hey—what's with that expression, little girl? You should know that countless people are begging to be my disciple. It's your good fortune that I've taken a liking to you, alright?”
Hearing this, the alarm bells in Jiang Lu's heart rang even louder.
Here it comes!
Here it comes!
The classic con artist script!
The next step would definitely be: “I don't care for anyone else, but I share a special affinity with you.”
Sure enough, Elder Ye's leisurely voice followed immediately, carrying a hint of wistfulness and certainty:
“There are countless cultivators in this world, and so many have begged me to take them as disciples, yet I ignored them all. I only find you pleasing to the eye, and we share a fated connection. Why are you so ungrateful?”
Jiang Lu: He's definitely a scammer!
But to pull a scam inside the Medicine King Pavilion, has he lost his mind?
The branch pavilion master must have been fooled by him!
Although the branch pavilion master was powerful, this kind of scam was specifically targeted at people like them!
It was a pig-butchering scam!
She was all too familiar with this!
It was only natural to be deceived, so she had to hurry and warn him!
Jiang Lu was so immersed in her past-life logic that she forgot this was the cultivation world, where scammers wouldn't be foolish enough to use such a method to achieve their goals.
It was simply because she had been scammed too many times in her previous life, triggering a reflex reaction.
With a vigilant look on her face, she gradually backed away before turning around and bolting.
Elder Ye was left utterly baffled. Was this the standard procedure for taking a disciple nowadays?
He immediately followed, only to see her running toward Old Man Shui, completely out of breath.
“Pavilion Master Chi, something has happened! You've been scammed!”
Chi Miao was just about to swallow the water in his mouth, but upon hearing her words, he spat it all out.
He turned his head in shock, looking toward the source of the voice.
He saw a little girl standing in the hall, panting heavily with sweat dripping from her forehead, her face filled with anxiety.
Behind her, the attendants all lowered their heads and held their breath, pretending to be busy. At the very back was Elder Ye, strolling in slowly with an indescribable expression.
What kind of combination was this?
He froze. When he finally snapped out of it, his voice carried a hint of confusion.
“Me? Scammed?”
Chi Miao held his teacup in his left hand and pointed his right index finger at himself, a look of sheer disbelief on his face.
Jiang Lu nodded.
Then, she looked at Elder Ye, who was following behind her, and pointed her finger right at him.
“He is a scammer!”
Elder Ye, who had been following behind to watch the show, hadn't even wiped the smile off his face before he saw Jiang Lu pointing at him. His lips twitched, and his expression instantly soured.
Him?
When did he become a scammer?
The surrounding attendants lowered their heads and hunched their shoulders, holding their breath and focusing on their own noses and hearts, pretending to be completely invisible.
They dared not look, nor did they dare to listen. In today's shocking farce, whoever watched would surely suffer...
Then, Chi Miao wore an amused look, but his eyes met Elder Ye's slightly darkened expression.
He cleared his throat, let out a soft cough, and quietly asked Jiang Lu why she said that.
Jiang Lu recounted everything that had just transpired.
The more she spoke, the more teasing Chi Miao's gaze became as he looked at Elder Ye.
Oh my, look at this mess. He wanted her to be his disciple, but she mistook him for a con artist.
Hahaha!
If those old geezers found out about this, they would laugh their teeth off.
He then looked at Jiang Lu with an even warmer expression. After all, she was the disciple Elder Ye had set his eyes on. Although he didn't know why Elder Ye would take an interest in a disciple with a mixed spiritual root, she must have her merits.
“Do you know who he is?”
Jiang Lu shook her head. He hadn't said anything, so how could she know who he was?
“Elder Ye, you too. Who tries to take a disciple without even introducing themselves?” No wonder she thought you were a scammer.
He didn't say the last sentence out loud, but Elder Ye could easily read his meaning from his teasing expression.
Elder Ye glared at him, looking completely defiant.
He had never taken a disciple before, so how was he supposed to know what to do?
Chi Miao curled his lips, looking utterly helpless, before turning back to Jiang Lu.
“You little child, he is no scammer. What he said is true. There are indeed many cultivators who want to be his disciple. He has incredibly high standards; he wouldn't spare a glance for just anyone.”
He paused, then leaned closer to Jiang Lu and whispered,
“Besides, his strength is extraordinary, and normal people wouldn't dare provoke him. He also carries quite a bit of weight in the Medicine King Pavilion.”
Having said that, he winked at her.
Ever since they entered, even though Jiang Lu had misunderstood him, Elder Ye hadn't shown any sign of wanting to give up on her. Thus, Chi Miao knew that Elder Ye was highly satisfied with Jiang Lu.
He didn't mind saying a few more good words so that Elder Ye would remember his favor.
Hearing this, Jiang Lu fell silent.
So he wasn't a scammer...
Didn't that mean she had just made a complete fool of herself?
Sensing Jiang Lu's embarrassment, Elder Ye stepped forward, his tone carrying a hint of enticement.
“Little girl, do you want to be my disciple? My only disciple. All my good stuff will be yours in the future.”
He winked at Jiang Lu after speaking.
Jiang Lu looked at him, then at Chi Miao. It seemed that having a master wouldn't be so bad after all.
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