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Chapter 9: Do Not Tell Anyone About Me
Chapter 9: Do Not Tell Anyone About Me
"Mhm."
Li Xuan nodded, feeling it was necessary to reprimand his disciple. How could he forget about cooking? Having his mind solely focused on cultivation was not a good thing.
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Cultivation must be balanced, and you should understand that?" Li Xuan said sternly.
Hearing this, Xu Yan's face turned ashamed. "Yes, Master. I will keep your words in mind!"
He felt touched inside: "Master is worried that I might harm myself by blindly pushing on. He's right. Although perseverance is important, I should also take a gradual approach. I've just started bone refining, and if I push too hard, I might encounter problems."
"You should understand that perseverance is an art. It's about finding a balance between tension and relaxation, allowing your mind to unwind, and thus achieving more efficient cultivation and gaining deeper insights." Li Xuan earnestly advised.
"Disciple understands. I won't make this mistake again," Xu Yan said reverently.
"Indeed, blindly pushing yourself can lead to problems. You need to relax your mind appropriately; otherwise, you'll be like a tightly wound string that snaps if stretched too far or for too long," Xu Yan suddenly realized.
"Go now," Li Xuan waved his hand, dismissing Xu Yan to go and cook.
"This disciple is obedient, but it's a pity I'm not truly an expert. The cultivation methods I taught him were made up, so perseverance won't help him anyway!"
He sighed inwardly. However, since he had already started this deception, he could only continue.
...
After entering the Bone Refining stage, Xu Yan always felt a sensation of sand rubbing against his bones whenever his qi and blood further permeated his skeleton during the initial stages of tempering.
However, Xu Yan did not persist stubbornly. Whenever he felt that he could not hold on any longer, he would stop cultivating and do something else to relax his mind.
Five days later.
While cultivating, Xu Yan felt his qi and blood vibrate, causing his entire body and bones to tremble. As the qi and blood permeated his bones, he experienced a smooth sensation.
He felt stronger, and his qi and blood also improved.
"I've finally entered the initial stage of Bone Refining," Xu Yan was thrilled. After five days of bitter cultivation, he had finally completed the first phase of Bone Refining.
The next stages of Bone Refining would be much smoother, and he wouldn't experience the painful sensations of ants biting or sand rubbing anymore.
Only when he reached the initial stage of refining his bones to the hardness of copper would he experience pain again.
"I'm currently at the entry stage of refining my bones to be as hard as iron. But since I've entered this stage, the tempering process until I reach the copper stage will be easier," Xu Yan was elated. As long as he didn't feel the torturous pain during the tempering process, he could persist longer and spend more time cultivating.
"It's been almost a month since I left. Now that I've entered the Bone Refining stage, my strength is much greater, and I can even face a hundred people unarmed without fear."
"I should go back. I used up the gift I prepared for Master's apprenticeship on my cultivation. I should buy some rare medicinal ingredients and prepare another gift for him."
Xu Yan felt that although his master didn't care about the gift, he, as a disciple, couldn't neglect the etiquette of showing respect to his master.
"With Master's level of cultivation, he definitely wouldn't care about rare treasures. After all, what ordinary people consider precious medicines are just mundane items to him. What kind of gift should I prepare for him?" Xu Yan fell into deep thought.
Suddenly, he slapped his forehead. "How could I be so stupid? Master doesn't care about rare treasures. I just need to bring my sincerity. Things like gold and jade ornaments would decorate Master's house, and he should like that."
After figuring this out, Xu Yan felt much more relaxed.
"I'll catch a wild rabbit and a fish from the stream outside, and then I'll cook a sumptuous meal for Master before I leave," Xu Yan collected his things and left the village to gather the ingredients.
...
Looking at the sumptuous meal on the table, Li Xuan was very satisfied. This disciple was good! The food tasted better and better, and the variety of dishes had increased.
"Master, I've been away for almost a month now, and I want to go home," Xu Yan said after the meal.
Li Xuan's heart skipped a beat. "If this kid goes back and talks about his apprenticeship, won't I be exposed? He's not very bright, but surely his parents and family aren't all like that?"
However, if he didn't allow Xu Yan to go home, it wouldn't be reasonable, and it might even arouse Xu Yan's suspicion.
After a moment's thought, Li Xuan said, "It's good to go back. But I must remind you that before you enter the door of cultivation, you must not reveal it to anyone, including your parents. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Master. I will definitely not mention anything related to cultivation to others!" Xu Yan was taken aback and immediately assured seriously.
"I prefer peace and quiet, and I don't like to be flashy. Although I've accepted you as my disciple, you must not mention me before you enter the door. I hope you understand!" Li Xuan said solemnly.
"Yes, Master. Before I enter the door, I will not mention a word about you," Xu Yan promised reverently.
"If I haven't entered the door, it means I'm not fated to be your disciple. You broke the rules by accepting me, and if I can't enter the door, it will damage your reputation. As your disciple, I should prioritize protecting your reputation and honor!" Xu Yan felt a little ashamed. His talent was indeed lacking.
If he couldn't enter the door, wouldn't it tarnish Master's prestige and make him a laughingstock?
As a disciple, he should value his master's honor and reputation above all else!
Li Xuan's original intention was to prevent himself from being exposed prematurely, but Xu Yan had misinterpreted his words.
"I trust you, of course. You should leave early, and be careful on your way," Li Xuan's expression softened, and he reminded, "On your way there, you'll have to pass through the Thirty-Mile Evil Forest, where there are tigers and fierce beasts. Be extra careful and try not to get hurt."
The Evil Forest was too dangerous. If Xu Yan encountered tigers and fierce beasts, he might not make it out alive.
Li Xuan could only remind him, and whether he could safely get through depended on Xu Yan's luck.
"Yes, Master!"
Xu Yan knelt down with a thud and respectfully knocked his head three times. "Master, I will be back in six or seven days at the earliest and twelve days at the latest to serve you, Elder!"
"You're very thoughtful!"
Seeing Xu Yan's reverence and respect for his teacher, as well as his filial piety, Li Xuan was also touched.
"How did I end up feeling a bit emotional while lying to him? Sigh, I'm really not a qualified liar. I'm only doing this because I have to!"
Li Xuan felt helpless.
He really didn't want to deceive others, but it was all Xu Yan's fault for being so gullible and insisting on being deceived. Moreover, the gift he gave—was truly too much!
Xu Yan left.
Li Xuan stood at the village entrance on the hillside, watching Xu Yan's departing figure, his expression complex.
"I hope he can safely get through the Evil Forest. This foolish kid... Sigh!"
Li Xuan sighed and didn't return to his residence until Xu Yan's figure disappeared from his sight.
Lying on the chair under the big tree, he suddenly felt a bit... lonely!
"Damn!"
"I've gotten used to having a disciple waiting on me, and now that I'm alone again, everything feels uncomfortable!"
Li Xuan slapped his face and couldn't help but curse.
(End of Chapter)
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