"Waiter, bring two rooms..."

"Here's some money. Please bring the food to your room later."

"Alright, sir, please wait a moment."

Then, Xiang Wan and Tu Hongye sat in the room staring at each other, neither of them intending to speak first, until the inn's waiter brought the food up and placed it on the table.

Ever since Xiang Wan decided to come to the capital of Great Zhou for the sect competition, Tu Hongye has been acting strangely. Not only has he slowed down their journey, but he's also become less enthusiastic about cooking. Xiang Wan has had enough of his half-cooked game along the way, so she's thinking of finding an inn to rest and tidy herself up a bit more, just to make a show of it.

Xiang Wan said she wanted to book two rooms so she could get a good night's sleep and also think of a way to activate the system in advance to prevent any unforeseen events.

Tu Hongye, on the other hand, simply used his unpleasant, hoarse voice to turn two rooms into one. Logically speaking, they weren't short of money; Xiang Wan just wanted to give each other a little personal space, so why was that so difficult?

Well, for a Taoist priestess who has transformed into a reclusive master, with all her belongings and money managed by her disciple, and even her food dependent on Tu Hongye, it doesn't seem quite appropriate to directly reject her disciple's opinion.

Xiang Wan was still a little angry. It was fine when there was no one else around, but her apprentice refused to let her book a room. Anyone who didn't know the situation would think that Tu Hongye was the master and she was the apprentice!

No, we have to control his stubborn temper. What if he causes trouble during the sect competition? Wouldn't that be a waste of an opportunity?

"Master, this is your favorite Kung Pao Chicken, as well as Peking Duck and Honey-Glazed Chicken. Would you like to try some?"

Xiang Wan remained unmoved, lowering her eyes and keeping silent.

Normally, if she gets angry, she'll give Tu Hongye a piece of her mind or torment him, and then it's usually over. But this time is different.

Seeing that Xiang Wan was ignoring him, Tu Hongye lowered his head and sat silently to the side, sulking.

After sitting for a while, Xiang Wan decided to speak first. She couldn't argue with a child and cause them both to miss out on a hot meal.

"Disciple, do you know your mistake?"

"Master, I don't know where I went wrong."

Seeing Tu Hongye's obedient appearance, Xiang Wan became angry.

When he was little, he was mischievous and naughty, setting traps to catch pheasants. He was also talkative and a handful, so Xiang Wan just wanted him to be well-behaved. Now that she's given him a chance to talk, he's suddenly become obedient and feigns innocence. Is there anything more upsetting than this?

"Hongye!" Xiang Wan raised her voice, suppressing her anger.

“Master…” Tu Hongye looked up, his eyes beginning to fill with tears, which gave Xiang Wan a headache.

Taking a deep breath, Xiang Wan slowly began, “Hongye, over the years, your master has indulged and spoiled you, but that doesn’t mean I’ll let you run wild. Normally, your master doesn’t interfere with how we get along, but this isn’t the wilderness; it’s a neighborhood, a society, a place where people live. Here, there’s social order, moral norms, and various legal constraints, which is why people can live and work in peace and order. Since you’re going to enter the world, you must abide by the rules here. Respecting your teacher is paramount, do you understand?”

"Master, are you blaming me? Blaming me for interrupting you?" Tu Hongye stared intently at Xiang Wan, his eyes filled with disbelief, grievance, and accusation against her as his master.

Xiang Wan felt a tightness in her throat as she tried to breathe.

“Master, you’ve changed. You never used to call me Hongye. Does coming to the capital mean I have to become distant in order to gain a foothold here? If we really have to be this hypocritical, what’s the point of coming here? Are we going to turn our backs on our family for that bullshit vanity?”

Tu Hongye clenched his fists tightly, his hands trembling slightly. Xiang Wan's head began to throb; could she really have taught such an extreme disciple?

“Disciple, I don’t blame you.” Xiang Wan softened her tone, but seeing that Tu Hongye’s expression remained unchanged, she added, “I don’t blame you, but you need to correct your habit of acting on your own.”

“Master, we’ve lived together for so many years, and now you’re abandoning me here. You found me, and you’re my only family in this world. If even you don’t want me, I don’t know what the point of living is.”

Oh ho, so you're starting to play the emotional card?

But Xiang Wan's heart softened. After all, she had personally raised this disciple! Just for a room, she'd made him almost cry, even though he'd never shed a tear despite all the hardship and toil. Thinking about it carefully, she realized her words had been rather harsh.

It seems that Tu Hongye didn't do anything extraordinary. He just booked a room. Why did he have to do this?

Xiang Wan sighed and said earnestly, "Disciple, when your grandmaster led me into the sect, I was about the same age as you were when you were a child. Spreading Taoism is the only wish of your grandmaster and me in this life, and you are the only disciple I have taken in. Your master has high hopes for you, but I have not forced you to achieve anything great. However, I must attend this sect competition, and I hope you will not go astray so as not to miss this opportunity. There are only a few opportunities in this life to quickly establish a sect, and the sooner the better, do you understand?"

"Why must we participate in the sect competition? As long as we have the strength, we can recruit more disciples, can't we?" Tu Hongye still disagreed.

"It's different! In life, one might be able to carve out a niche for oneself through sheer strength, but in the end, one will make many enemies, and without a proper name, one's words will lack authority. If one can establish oneself in this way, countless people will follow suit, and the world will be filled with endless bloodshed. This is not the original intention of my Dao, nor is it the foundation of a Daoist's existence. What I want to establish is a Daoist doctrine that inspires longing in the world and commands reverence in the world, a doctrine that can be passed down through generations, a Daoist sect that seeks the well-being of the people, not a Daoist sect that will be attacked by the masses when its strength is gone."

"Can such a sect of the Three Pure Ones really be established?"

Watching Xiang Wan passionately express her future aspirations, Tu Hongye was captivated. His eyes were filled with the image of his master—her every gesture, her every movement, and her yearning for the future. But could the magnificent vision his master spoke of truly come true?

"Yes, as long as we keep doing this, if I can't do it, you can. If you can't do it, then let your disciples and grand-disciples take over. Sooner or later, the Sanqing Church will be a place that everyone in this world will respect."

Xiang Wan's eyes lit up; she was full of confidence in Tu Hongye.

Xiang Wan felt no remorse whatsoever for promising her disciple such a lucrative opportunity. Tu Hongye's cultivation ability was progressing by leaps and bounds; with a little encouragement, he could complete tasks much faster. To not make good use of his talent would be a complete waste.

"So, my disciple, you must persevere!"

So all that talk was just to encourage his apprentice to work harder. Tu Hongye's adoring gaze was practically overflowing.

"Master, let's eat first, the food is getting cold."

The apprentice didn't respond, and immediately returned to normal.

Xiang Wan's lips twitched. Having a disobedient apprentice was exhausting. If she spoke too harshly, she would feel wronged; if she spoke too lightly, he would not take it seriously.