Chapter 35 Master (Second Update) I've been eaten alive by that mother and son for the rest of my life...

(35)

"Senior cultivator, please have a seat."

Chu Li watched in surprise as the little boy pulled Xie Liyi into the hall, led her to the table, and even tiptoed to pour tea for her.

The little one actually likes him that much?

Xie Liyi looked at the little boy with relief, took the teacup he handed her, and thought that this family finally had someone who could understand right from wrong.

He took a sip of tea, his brows relaxing. "Thank you, the tea is very good."

Chu Li followed them into the hall, secretly glancing at the side hall out of the corner of her eye. "Of course it's delicious. This is Qingshan Yunwu tea, brewed by me personally. You have to shake the pot three times."

Hearing her words, Xie Liyi frowned. "Never heard of it."

Upon hearing this, Chu Li paused slightly, "You haven't heard of it?"

"I don't like tea, I prefer plain water." Xie Liyi wasn't particular about these things, and she didn't understand what was so special about these expensive teas. "When I was a child, begging on the street, it was already a great blessing to be able to drink a bowl of clean hot water."

When he first mentioned his past as a beggar, the little boy was stunned and asked incredulously, "How did you come to be a beggar?"

In his opinion, Xie Liyi was very capable and didn't seem like someone who would lack money. His clothes were also clean, which was very different from the beggars he had in mind.

Chu Li instinctively covered the little one's mouth and whispered, "Yinyin, don't talk nonsense."

Xie Liyi didn't mind at all, and said calmly, "When I was a child, most of the people in the area fled because of the chaos caused by demonic cultivators. My parents were killed by demonic cultivators, so I could only take my younger sister with me to escape. I was too young to be hired, so I had to become a beggar and live by begging."

The hall fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The little boy held his breath in shock. He had never seen such a pitiful person in his life. He looked at him with heartache and said softly, "It must be so hard."

Chu Li lowered her eyes and slowly curled her fingers.

She never told her son about her past. That past was too painful for her to recall. She had done many bad things, such as stealing, robbing, and killing. If her son knew that she was this kind of mother, he would definitely hate her.

Xie Liyi glanced at Chu Li. He hadn't expected that Chu Li had once been a beggar. He guessed that she had enjoyed many good days after marrying into the Shang family and had taken good care of her health. However, she was still very thin. In a high-class family like the Shang family with its strict rules, she probably couldn't eat and drink to her heart's content.

No wonder the way he wolfed down the roast chicken looked so familiar; that's how people who've been hungry eat.

Since Xie Liyi became a disciple of the Sword Immortal and came to the Cangshan Sect, he has been eating like crazy at almost every meal. In half a month, he gained ten pounds. Fortunately, his cultivation intensity was higher, so he could digest all the food he ate and did not gain weight.

"It wasn't hard at all. I only suffered for two years in total." Xie Liyi patted the little boy's head. He liked this sensible child. He was nothing like his mother. In terms of raising children, Chu Li really impressed him. "Yinyin, where's your father?"

The little boy was taken aback by his question and replied, puzzled, "My dad?"

His father is at the bottom of the cliff, why are you suddenly asking this?

Chu Li coughed twice and said to Xie Liyi, "You just want to find Shang Xinglan, so I'll bring him out."

Xie Liyi looked at her in confusion and said, "Don't try anything funny this time."

What tricks are you playing? Is she that kind of person?

Chu Li silently cursed him for being petty, then walked into the side hall and saw Shang Xinglan sitting at the desk reading a book, the very book the little cub loved to read, Elder Tanuki.

Chu Li walked to his side, carefully choosing her words, and said, "Husband, he said he came to find you."

Shang Xinglan remained focused on the storybook in her hand and said calmly, "I don't want to see it."

“Oh…then I’ll go talk to him,” Chu Li said, turning to leave. “However, Yin Yin will definitely come to call you later. At that time, in Yin Yin’s mind, you will probably really become a guilty-hearted devil who dares not face anyone.”

Shang Xinglan paused for a moment, then raised his hand and pulled the person back in front of him. "Go and tell Yinyin that I am his biological father, and make things clear to him."

It's rare for him to show such a willful side.

Chu Li chuckled, cupped his face in her hands, and said softly, "Yinyin sees you as a demon right now, so it's normal that he can't accept it for a while. You have to work hard to make him like you first."

“He’s about to find himself a new dad,” Shang Xinglan said, exasperated. “How can I make him like me?”

Chu Li smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll help you."

Upon hearing this, Shang Xinglan looked up at her and muttered in a low voice, "Let's forget about it."

The stupid son's stupid mother is lucky if she doesn't make things worse.

After a while, Chu Li led him out of the side hall. The two sat down one after the other. As soon as Xie Liyi saw him, he exuded a cold aura, as if Shang Xinglan owed him money.

His cultivation had indeed vanished. This was the first time he had ever seen such a thing. In the past, all the demonic cultivators who entered the Soul Cleansing Spring died tragically, and no one had ever come out alive.

Recalling the scene where Shang Xinglan had trapped him in Xiaofushan and humiliated him, Xie Liyi's anger flared even more.

He looks like a demon, not someone who has ascended to immortality.

Chu Li sat opposite the little boy and winked at him, "Pour the tea."

Weren't you just being very diligent?

The little boy reluctantly stood up and poured Shang Xinglan a cup of hot tea, saying, "Please have some."

Shang Xinglan took the teacup he offered, and the frustration in her heart dissipated slightly.

His child is too sensible. Ordinary children cry and make a fuss when they are unhappy, but Yinyin will treat even people she dislikes with courtesy. It takes so much effort to get a five-year-old child to do this. You can imagine how hard Chu Li has worked over the years.

Drinking my favorite tea made me feel better.

Ah Chu is right. He needs to find a way to gain the little one's trust and affection before telling the little one the truth.

Xie Liyi took out several thick ancient books from his bosom and placed them on the table. “From today onwards, you will have to come with me to the Chanxin Hall every day to recite the Taoist scriptures. I will check on you before evening. If you do not read seriously, or if you have evil thoughts, I will still treat you as a demon.”

Hearing his words, Shang Xinglan narrowed his eyes and picked up the ancient books from the table. “The Book of Life and Death, The Method of Seeking Merit and Virtue for the Nation, The Heavenly Sound of Purification… I could recite these more than ten years ago.”

Chu Li couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Xie Liyi actually made Shang Xinglan, who spends all his time at home either cultivating or reading, recite Taoist scriptures.

"You can recite it from memory?" Xie Liyi didn't believe it at all, and sneered as she pulled out a book from among them. "What's Chapter Ninety-Six of 'Purifying the World's Sound' about?"

Shang Xinglan lazily rested his chin on his hand, recalled for a moment, and said lightly, "The Three Truths are perfectly integrated; good and evil are inherently one. Only by guiding and transforming can one achieve ultimate good."

He was taught these things by specialists from a young age, and the books he had to memorize were much thicker than this.

Xie Liyi's face turned ashen instantly. Undeterred, she asked a few more questions, and Shang Xinglan answered them all.

The little cub curiously leaned forward and whispered, "Senior cultivator, did he answer correctly?"

The childish voice made Xie Liyi even more embarrassed. He slowly put down the books and said in a low voice, "That's right, but just being able to recite it isn't enough. You also need to understand its meaning."

Chu Li seized the opportunity to say, "He understands the meaning. He harmed people before because he lost his memory. Now that his memory has been fully restored, he will never harm mortals again."

Chu Li felt that Shang Xinglan had killed far more people than she had, and besides, he never did it himself; it was usually Gu Ye who did the killings. The blame should fall on Gu Ye.

She's just so biased.

Hearing her defend herself, Shang Xinglan nodded in agreement, "Yes, and besides, I gave you a chance to get rid of me before, but you lost. You can't blame me for that."

Provocation, blatant provocation!

Xie Liyi opened her eyes wide and gritted her teeth, saying, "The reason why those who have fallen into demonic ways are stronger than ordinary cultivators is because you have taken crooked paths and used the lives of mortals to become stronger. It's shameful!"

Shang Xinglan casually picked up his tea and took a sip. "Who knows? Anyway, I wasn't. I was already at the Tribulation Transcending stage before I fell into demonic possession."

"..."

"Your master, the Sword Immortal, seems to be in the Tribulation Transcending stage as well. Why don't you become my disciple as well? Perhaps you can improve faster under my guidance?"

"…………"

Chu Li also took a sip of tea, carefully observing Xie Liyi's expression while holding the teacup. Judging from this, Shang Xinglan could easily anger him if she said a few more words.

Xie Liyi fell into an angry silence, but the little brat suddenly spoke up righteously, "No matter how powerful you are, it's wrong to harm people."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shang Xinglan was slightly taken aback. He saw the little cub get up and walk around to Xie Liyi's side. "Senior cultivator is the truly powerful person. He eliminates demons and protects the righteous path, punishes evil and promotes good. I want to become your disciple."

Xie Liyi was surprised that the little boy would say such a thing, and a feeling of indescribable emotion welled up in her heart.

How could two wicked parents give birth to such a righteous and selfless child?

"Senior cultivator, please accept my bow..."

Seeing that the little boy was about to bow to Xie Liyi as his master, Chu Li quickly hugged him and whispered, "Yinyin, you need to think carefully. Taking someone as your master is not a joke."

The little boy said earnestly, "Mother, I've thought it through. I admire righteous people like the senior cultivator, and I want to be a demon-slaying cultivator like him in the future!"

"Good, well said." Xie Liyi readily agreed, extremely satisfied with him, and said with great admiration, "I've decided to take you as my disciple."

"Who gave you permission to accept him?" Chu Li gritted her teeth. "Did you ask his parents' opinions...?"

Shang Xinglan sighed helplessly, rubbed his forehead, drank the tea in one gulp as if it were wine, and said in a low voice, "Let him bow."

What else can you do if a child likes something? Besides, he's not doing anything bad. The only problem is that he was blinded by resentment and fell into demonic possession at the time.

Seeing that he agreed, Chu Li had no choice but to put the cub back on the ground and watch helplessly as he and Xie Liyi formally became disciples.

"First, offer your master three cups of tea. Tomorrow I will go and speak to your Sword Immortal Grandmaster to accept you as a disciple of the Cangshan Sect."

"Yes, Master, please have some tea."

Chu Li wanted to laugh even more as she listened; the way the little boy respectfully served tea actually looked quite convincing.

Wanting to become a cultivator is a good thing; she's heard that cultivators earn a lot of money by exorcising demons. She's just worried that Shang Xinglan will hold a grudge because of Xie Liyi.

After finishing the apprenticeship tea, Xie Liyi turned to look at the couple sitting opposite him and said calmly, "To get back to the point, even if you can recite the Daoist scriptures by heart, you still have to come with me to chant the scriptures. This is to help you clear the demonic energy from your heart and also to set an example for Yinyin."

Shang Xinglan's forehead twitched, and he said coldly, "This is none of your business." He really doesn't treat me like an outsider. If only I had killed this idiot when he fell into demonic possession.

"Senior brother, senior brother!"

Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from outside the main hall. The person rushed into the hall and went straight to Xie Liyi, sweating profusely. "You really are here! Go quickly and save Senior Sister Yunge! The Shang people came up the mountain to arrest people, claiming that Senior Sister Yunge poisoned and killed a Shang person!"

"What?"

Xie Liyi stared at him in astonishment, then said without hesitation, "Ge'er couldn't possibly have poisoned someone. Who's framing her?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Chu Li coughed awkwardly and lowered her head. "It's really unexpected that something like this happened to Ge'er. We have to go and help her."

After saying that, she glanced at Shang Xinglan pleadingly.

Help me, my husband, I've gotten into trouble again.

Shang Xinglan was still upset about the little brat's hurtful words, and said listlessly, "Just take my jade pendant. If it doesn't solve the problem, then have someone come to me. I need to go to the Chanxin Hall to chant sutras and repent for my sins."

The last few words were spoken through gritted teeth, clearly indicating that he was heartbroken.

Xie Liyi didn't expect anything from him. She patted the little boy's head, stood up, and said, "Yinyin, go and supervise his chanting. I'll be at the Chanxin Hall to find you soon."

Shang Xinglan seems to dote on Yinyin quite a bit. With Yinyin keeping an eye on him, he probably wouldn't dare to slack off.

“Okay, Master.” The little boy immediately took on the role of a disciple, grabbed Shang Xinglan’s hand, and said in a soft voice, “Come with me. You can’t be lazy, understand?”

Shang Xinglan squeezed his small hand and sighed, "I know."

I've been completely dominated by that mother and son for the rest of my life.