Chapter 10: The Disciple's Broken Engagement
Chapter 10: The Disciple's Broken Engagement (Please Collect and Follow)
The first day after Xu Yan left, Li Xuan woke up early and went out. He didn't see the diligent figure of his disciple, and now he had to take care of cooking, feeding the chickens, and planting vegetables all by himself.
He felt uneasy all over.
On the second day of Xu Yan's departure, Li Xuan began to worry again.
"I hope my silly disciple hasn't met with any harm in the Evil Forest."
"He's been there twice already and returned safely. He should be fine this time too, right?"
...
On the fifth day of Xu Yan's departure, Li Xuan went to the slope outside the village and looked in the direction where Xu Yan had left. He didn't see anyone coming.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Even if my deception is exposed and they want to come to capture me, it wouldn't be this fast."
"I wonder if they'll see through my charade."
"Sigh, Xu Yan is really simple-minded. He comes from a notable background, so surely there must be someone more astute in his family?"
"What if they see through me? Then I'll be in big trouble."
Li Xuan's thoughts were in disarray, and he felt anxious.
...
On the tenth day of Xu Yan's departure, Li Xuan stood on the slope, keeping watch. If he noticed anything amiss, he planned to hide and flee.
"This disciple of mine... I hope he hasn't met his end in the Evil Forest or failed to return home."
"Or perhaps he's been confined by his family?"
The more he thought about it, the more disheartened he became. Li Xuan cursed inwardly, "Damn! It's not like I forced him to believe me. He's the one who's not very bright. How can it be my fault?"
"I'm such a failure. This is so embarrassing!"
Li Xuan sighed. As a transmigrator, he felt ashamed of his current situation.
...
Finally, on the eleventh day, Xu Yan returned.
"Master, disciple is back!"
Seeing Xu Yan's respectful greeting, and the fact that he was alone without a crowd coming to tie him up and expose him as a fraud, Li Xuan immediately felt relieved.
"Good, it's good that you're back."
Li Xuan's expression was calm and indifferent, as if he had always known that Xu Yan would return safely.
"Master, here is a small token of my appreciation."
Xu Yan placed two long boxes on the table.
"How considerate of you!"
Li Xuan's expression remained calm and unperturbed as he opened one of the boxes.
Inside was a sword. The sheath was entirely golden, adorned with carvings of auspicious clouds and mythical beasts. Embedded within were three colored gems—red, white, and blue—totaling nine in number.
What a treasure! Just by looking at it, Li Xuan could tell it was priceless, and his heart raced with excitement. This foolish disciple of his had an even richer background than he had imagined.
However, his face remained impassive, as if he were unaffected by the gift.
He picked up the box containing the sword; it was quite heavy.
The sheath was inlaid with nine gems on each side, totaling eighteen gems, which were incredibly valuable in themselves.
The hilt of the sword had two larger red gems embedded in it.
Li Xuan partially drew the sword from its sheath, and a golden light shone before his eyes. The sword was entirely forged from gold!
He sheathed the sword and placed it back into the box.
Although Li Xuan's face appeared calm and unmoved, his heart was trembling with excitement.
"I've struck gold! This sword can be passed down as a family heirloom, and I won't have to worry about escaping to Wu Country in the future."
A slight hint of approval appeared on his face as he said, "Your thoughtfulness brings me joy. Although this sword is ordinary, it can still be a fine plaything."
Hearing his master's words, Xu Yan couldn't contain his excitement and exclaimed, "It's good that you like it, Master! You're truly a reclusive master. Such an invaluable sword, and yet you remain unmoved, merely considering it something to pass the time with."
Xu Yan's admiration for his master grew even stronger.
Li Xuan opened the second box, and inside was a flawless jade scepter. His eyes lit up slightly as he could tell at a glance that it was a precious artifact.
"Not bad!"
Li Xuan nodded in satisfaction.
"Master, I've also brought some rare medicinal ingredients."
"These tonics, take them as usual, and use them sparingly."
Li Xuan glanced at the contents and noticed there wasn't any Nine-Leaf Primal Ganoderma, nor a thousand-year-old mountain ginseng. Instead, there were two Five-Leaf Primal Ganoderma and three hundred-year-old mountain ginseng roots, which were still valuable medicinal ingredients.
"Yes, Master!"
Xu Yan put away the medicinal ingredients and started tidying up the house, preparing to cook.
Li Xuan was pleased. This disciple of his was sensible and knew to get things done as soon as he returned.
"Hmm? What's wrong? He looks so dejected. Did something happen?"
Suddenly, Li Xuan noticed that although Xu Yan was busy with the chores, his expression was rather dejected, which made Li Xuan's heart skip a beat. He wondered if someone had reminded Xu Yan during his visit home, causing him to become suspicious.
Or perhaps, after a long period of not sensing qi and blood, and not progressing in his Refining Skin stage, he had faced some setbacks at home and was feeling dejected?
"I can't let him stay in this slump. We've come this far; if I don't continue the deception, he might stumble."
"I must boost his confidence!"
With these thoughts in mind, Li Xuan asked, "Disciple, why are you so dejected? Is it because of your cultivation?"
Xu Yan paused in his task of wiping the table and replied dejectedly, "Master, it's not about cultivation. It's... it's because I... I was broken off my engagement when I went home this time!"
Hmm?
Broken engagement?
Li Xuan was taken aback, his mind racing, "Broken engagement? Your name is Xu Yan, not Xiao Yan, so it's fine. There's no chance of a reversal. What a sad story!"
"What happened? Why was the engagement broken?"
Li Xuan asked, feigning a master's concern for his disciple.
Xu Yan looked dejected, his head hanging low as he replied, "She said I'm not very smart, and being with me would be too embarrassing for her."
She's not wrong; your brain isn't the sharpest!
Li Xuan's mind chimed in.
He stood up and patted Xu Yan's shoulder. Regardless, he needed to comfort his disciple.
"You are my disciple. The breakup is her loss for not recognizing your worth."
"Master is right. I think so too."
"Then did you retort with something like, 'Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west. Don't look down on a young man just because he's poor'?"
Li Xuan asked, coughing lightly.
Xu Yan gave his master a confused look and said, "Master, I'm not poor!"
Damn!
Li Xuan's eyebrows furrowed, and he felt a stab at his heart. He immediately put on a serious expression and said, "Disciple, how are you not poor? When I say you're poor, I'm not talking about money. I'm talking about your cultivation, your strength, and your knowledge of the martial path!"
Xu Yan's face turned shameful, and he said, "Master is right. I am poor; I am very poor!"
Then he added, "But Master, rest assured, I haven't lost my motivation. Although I didn't say 'Don't look down on a young man just because he's poor,' I did tell her that one day, she will deeply regret mocking, humiliating, and abandoning me. She will find me too high to climb!"
As he finished, Xu Yan lifted his head slightly, his eyes determined.
Li Xuan's mouth twitched, his mind whispering, "This kid, why do I get the feeling he's some kind of chosen one? It must be an illusion!"
"Yes, disciple, it's excellent to have such ambition."
Noticing that Xu Yan still looked a bit dejected, Li Xuan continued, "The broken engagement might be a blessing in disguise for you. Remember, setbacks are the stepping stones to courage.
"The ancient proud sons of heaven all rose from setbacks."
"The path of cultivation emphasizes enlightenment. A clear mind brings forth natural understanding!"
Li Xuan patted Xu Yan's shoulder and said solemnly, "Disciple, there's a saying, 'Without women in the heart, cultivation improves as if aided by gods.' Now that you've been broken off your engagement, without a woman in your heart or any distractions, you will surely make great progress!"
(End of Chapter)
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