Chapter 239 The Master-Servant Reversal: "The Strong Bullying the Weak"
Li Xian's gaze was playful; fortunes change. In his lifetime, he witnessed Wen Caishang's clothes barely covering her body, leaving her in a very embarrassing situation.
In the warm spring of March, flowers are in full bloom.
Wildflowers bloom everywhere beside the fragrant shrubs, clusters of white here, clusters of red there. Though they are all nameless wildflowers, their profusion of blossoms creates a beautiful scene.
After pondering for a long time, Wen Caishang, the white-clad beauty, said with utter helplessness, "Li Xian, take off your clothes and give them to me to wear. You...you can go and steal more clothes, okay?"
Li Xian simply said, "No way."
Wen Caishang was half annoyed and half angry, thinking to herself, "This kid is getting more and more difficult to manage. You're a fine young man, are you afraid of being seen by others?"
She said naturally, "Good Li Xian, good Li Lang, good Ah Xian... How have I treated you before? I taught you martial arts, spent money to cultivate you, and treated you so gently. You shouldn't hold it against me now. Give me your clothes, and I... I will thank you properly." She couldn't hide her shyness.
As the words left his mouth, he was surprised to himself: "How could I say such a thing, plead like this? It's so embarrassing for me."
Li Xian felt very pleased and laughed, "No, it still won't work. I feel so pathetic like this." Wen Caishang said angrily, "You're good to me, how is that pathetic? You ungrateful wretch, fine, fine, then I'll just let everyone see me naked."
Li Xian looked on with a smile. A gentle breeze blew, and her warm, colorful dress felt cool against her skin. Feeling embarrassed, she quickly said softly, "My dear Li Lang, please."
Li Xian said, "It's rare for you to ask me for a favor, Madam. I'm willing to risk my life to help you. But this matter is extremely dangerous; one wrong move and I'll lose my life. Before that, I'd like to discuss a condition with you."
"You're such a smooth talker, always talking nonsense. You weren't so distressed when you were surrounded and attacked. Now you're just asking me to take off some clothes, and you're saying it's a matter of life and death." Wen Caishang scolded, "What are your conditions? Tell me quickly."
Li Xian smiled and said, "It has always been others who serve you, Madam. If I can help you solve this big problem, I would also like to be served by you. It won't take long, just a month."
"Ah!" Wen Caishang exclaimed in surprise, "How dare you ask me to serve you?!"
Li Xian's philandering nature was on full display. Leaning against the tree trunk, he said with a carefree air, "If Madam does not agree, then I have no choice. Who told me, Li Xian, to have such a worthless life? As for me... I am but a mayfly in this world, born in the morning and dying at night. I dare not ask for anything more, I dare not ask for anything more."
Wen Caishang held an extremely high position and absolutely refused to serve others. However, hearing Li Xian's self-deprecating tone, although she knew it was a deliberate provocation, she genuinely felt a pang of reluctance. Serving someone to repay a life-saving debt was perfectly normal. But Wen Caishang found it difficult to change her mind in the short term.
Wen Caishang spat, "You ingrate! I...I give up. Give me the clothes now. I'll...I'll agree without hesitation."
Li Xian smiled and said, "Alright, please take a look, Madam." He took out a white dress from his backpack. Wen Caishang angrily said, "Fine! You lied to me? It doesn't count anymore, it doesn't count anymore."
Li Xian said, "I didn't lie to you, Madam. All of your clothes are made of silk, and they feel warm and smooth to the touch. But this dress of mine isn't very well made, and the materials are just average. I bought it myself."
Wen Caishang asked curiously, "Why are you buying women's clothes all of a sudden?" Li Xian replied, "It's quite a coincidence. When we left the manor, I noticed that Madam only had two sets of clothes to change into. I thought to myself, 'When traveling, we're bound to encounter hot and humid weather, and the journey is long. We might get rained on or sweaty. How can two sets of clothes be enough? I'll get an extra one. If I can use it, perhaps I can earn a few compliments from Madam.' So I got one as well."
Li Xian said with a wicked smile, "I just said that Madam's clothes are all gone. That's the truth, but I have another set that fits. So the agreement must stand."
Wen Caishang said helplessly, "If you were even half as obedient as you were back then, I would be extremely grateful." In reality, when dealing with Wen Caishang, one needs to strike a balance between being good and bad. Blindly obeying her and losing one's own identity will gradually turn one into a subservient person.
Li Xian's striking features were precisely what caught Wen Caishang's eye. Neither of them noticed. Wen Caishang's attire revealed her elegant and noble bearing. Her wet, black hair added to her allure.
Wen Caishang rolled her eyes at Li Xian: "Once I can move, I'll serve you. I wonder if you can handle it." She wondered to herself, "This kid has been extremely disrespectful to me, so why am I not very angry?"
She considered herself very experienced and assumed that human emotions, joys, and sorrows were nothing more than this. But in the end, she was just a frog in a well, self-righteous and making wild guesses. Human emotions vary in intensity and depth; how can one generalize? When it actually happened to her, she herself was confused and couldn't figure it out.
Li Xian lit a fire and asked with a smile, "Madam, was the sea of flowers beautiful during the day?"
Wen Caishang laughed and said, "At this moment, I'm afraid those old fogies are so angry they're jumping up and down in frustration. After today, it won't be easy for them to find us again."
She immediately rolled her eyes, her charm evident, and said reproachfully, "As for you asking me if the flower sea is beautiful... Humph, you have the nerve to say that. Such a vast flower sea, it must have taken decades, even centuries to form. You've ruined it all. I didn't get to enjoy it to the fullest either."
"Didn't you enjoy it enough?" Li Xian asked.
Wen Caishang said, "Of course I didn't get to see it all."
Li Xian smiled and said, "Then take a look here." He took something out of his backpack. A cluster of colorful flowers appeared on its own. Wen Caishang was surprised.
Li Xian said, "I felt guilty because I thought the flower sea was hard to preserve. I picked a few flowers on a whim, but Madam said she hadn't seen enough. So I specially brought them to Madam so she could see them to her heart's content."
Wen Caishang blushed slightly and said, "You're so thoughtful." She was inexplicably happy, thinking that although Li Xian showed her no respect, he always cared about her. This feeling was hard to describe. Li Xian said, "Scenery of nature is extremely rare. I destroyed a sea of flowers, so I should plant another one."
"I plan to plant this flower near here. In the future, when I pass by this place again, if the flowers are in full bloom and the sea of flowers appears again, I will definitely have a different feeling."
Wen Caishang murmured, "Destroy a sea of flowers, plant a sea of flowers." A thought lingered in her mind, and suddenly she had an epiphany. Martial arts are taken from heaven and earth, so why not return them to heaven and earth? Even mortals, born of clay and fed on the five grains of heaven and earth, ultimately return to heaven and earth.
Her beautiful eyes lit up with surprise, her heart pounded with excitement, and her understanding deepened—this was a crucial step for her. Indeed, danger breeds opportunity.
Li Xian planted flowers. He massaged Wen Caishang to improve her blood circulation, and Wen Caishang gradually regained the ability to move two fingers, which made her very happy.
The night grew deeper.
Li Xianqiang endures fatigue and practices the "Seven Star Step".
[You consult the star chart, follow the stars and chase the moon, proficiency +3]
...
[Seven Star Step]
[Proficiency: 356/1200 Mastery]
His steps became more practiced and fluid. His internal energy was solidified. Li Xian's leaps and dodges were far superior to before. His progress was remarkable, and he felt immensely pleased.
[Eating Essence]
[Proficiency: 100/100]
[Description: You drink the essence of heaven and eat the finest food of earth. Your body's rhythm aligns with the universe, undergoing nine transformations and metamorphosises to transcend the mortal realm. To see a thousand miles further, ascend to a higher level.]
Having survived a perilous battle, Li Xian quickly absorbed the "essence of heaven and earth." He had already consumed most of the golden scale and tail, leaving over three hundred strands remaining.
[You have come to appreciate the golden carp in the pond and are practicing the art of magic... Proficiency +1]
[Art of Technique - Unknown]
[Proficiency: 18/100]
[Description: The arts of heaven and earth are ever-changing. Having acquired this precious technique, one can roam freely in the mortal realm. You consume a piece or half of a golden carp's scale and tail, appreciating the essence of the technique; the precious technique begins to take shape.]
[Taking]
[Proficiency: 1956/2000 Minor Mastery]
...
...
Heaven rewards diligence. Li Xian accumulated knowledge bit by bit, and through gradual accumulation, a qualitative change gradually occurred. Looking back, he had gained a great deal. He had reached the limit of the Essence Absorption realm and was continuing his transformation from the outside in.
He was about to reach the second realm of martial arts, the Bone Shaping Embryo, and the Tai Su realm. Li Xian already knew the characteristics of this realm: "ethereal immortal music", "three flowers on the head", "a turbid robe", ...
Numerous characteristics have been revealed, signifying the second realm of martial arts. Li Xian has perfected his essence absorption, possessing a solid foundation. He will continue to consume the essence treasures, awaiting the manifestation of the four characteristics. Once he has achieved this, he can be considered a formidable force across the entire Qiongtian Prefecture.
Vast Leg Technique, Sunset Bloodstained Sword Technique… all were unleashed in succession. Reviewing the old to learn the new, practicing simple yet profound martial arts. One must remain calm and patient, enduring loneliness, to go further.
He practiced until the dark clouds obscured the moon and all the stars disappeared. Li Xian felt extremely tired, so he took a break and sat down to rest.
Thinking about the road ahead.
"I started as a menial laborer and have experienced many dangers, from Yihe Village and Qingning County to the prefectural city... I have faced numerous challenges. Fortunately, I have been blessed by fate and have overcome them all safely. Now I am gradually touching the second realm of martial arts. I can say that I have made some progress. Although it is not something to be complacent about, it is still a step forward."
“I saved the lady, but if I become arrogant because of this favor, there will inevitably be a backlash. Wen Caishang is quite cute now, but... it is still unknown whether she will hate me or be angry with me after she regains her strength.”
“I made a pact with her to serve me. It may be pleasurable for a while, but whether it will be a sin or a debt in the future, it will be hard to repay. If I successfully send her back to Yihe Manor, the debt of gratitude will be repaid, and I can simply leave and hide from any sins or other consequences.”
“A man’s ambition is to travel far and wide, to venture out and make his mark. But if I’m going to leave, I should leave with a vengeance. Along the way, I need to ‘bully the weak’ and take good care of my wife. She’s afflicted with a Gu worm, her finger strength remains, and her old wounds are hard to heal. It’s going to be difficult for her to turn things around on this journey.”
Seeing Wen Caishang sleeping peacefully, her brows relaxed, and her noble air naturally revealed, Li Xian couldn't help but be filled with wicked thoughts.
“I need to call her Lady Broken Sword, and also taste what it's like to be controlled by others.”
Li Xian, with a blade of grass in his mouth, lay sprawled on a tree branch, gazing at the bright moon, before closing his eyes and falling asleep.
The next day.
Wen Caishang woke up leisurely and looked around for Li Xian. Seeing him sleeping on a tree branch, she felt a little relieved. After gazing at him for a long time, she suddenly paused and looked away.
"Taking advantage of this opportunity to bully me, you're incredibly audacious. You'll be punished soon enough," Wen Caishang said. She was both angry and pleased.
Li Xian woke up and quickly washed up. He extinguished the fire, dug a pit, and covered the area. He concealed all traces, including footprints. Wen Caishang asked curiously, "Were you a fugitive before?"
Li Xian said, "I used to be a military officer. I know how to catch criminals, and naturally I also know how to escape them. Senior Li taught me."
Wen Caishang frowned and said, "Hmph, who is that Li Bohou? From now on, you are not allowed to call him Senior Li anymore. Call him by his name directly. Do you think he would dare to blame you?"
I thought to myself, you're being so disrespectful to me now, so why do you keep calling me 'senior' when you mention 'Li Bohou'?
Li Xian gave a perfunctory reply. He picked up Wen Caishang and headed elsewhere. Wen Caishang said, "Little Immortal... although we've shaken off Su Qiuwu, they aren't seriously injured and still have strength to spare. Moreover, many powerful figures from Shiluo Village and Wuji Blade Sect haven't shown up yet, so we still need to be careful."
Li Xian raised an eyebrow: "You still call me Little Fairy? I'm not little anymore."
Wen Caishang was taken aback, then scolded, "You brat, what do you want me to call you?"
Li Xian weighed it in his hand, then said half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Call me King Li."
(End of this chapter)
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