Master
There was a pear tree in the backyard of the inn, and Xie Linyang liked to sit on the stone table under the tree and polish his sword.
At this moment, Meng Yao brought over a bowl of mung bean soup. She rolled up the sleeves of her blue cloth shirt to her forearms, revealing her clean wrists, and smiled with her eyes crinkling: "Miss Lin Yang, this is freshly made mung bean soup to cool you down in the summer heat."
Xie Linyang took the bowl, stirred it with a spoon, and found the mung beans cooked until soft and sticky, with rock sugar added. She had casually mentioned yesterday that she was "used to sweet soup," and now it was served.
She looked up at Meng Yao, who was squatting beside her, helping her tidy up the herbs scattered on the ground. His fingertips brushed against the leaves so gently as if he was afraid of breaking them. His profile looked exceptionally clean in the shade of the tree, with long, thick eyelashes. When he lowered his eyes, he looked like a docile bird.
"You'll help me with the work?" Xie Linyang asked, biting her spoon. "Isn't the accountant busy?"
Meng Yao paused, then smiled, her dimples appearing on her lips: "The shopkeeper went out to buy more goods, so the shop is quiet. Besides..." He looked up at her, his eyes shining like stars, "Miss Lin Yang is my benefactor, what's a little help?"
Xie Linyang liked hearing this. She put down her sword and patted the stone table: "Sit."
Meng Yao sat down awkwardly, half his bottom resting on the edge of the stone bench, his hands on his knees, like an obedient student. Xie Linyang looked at his faded cuffs.
"By the way," Xie Linyang scooped a spoonful of mung bean soup and held it to his lips, "did you remember the breathing technique you asked me about yesterday?"
Meng Yao nodded vigorously: "I've remembered it! I recited the incantation that Miss Lin Yang taught me twenty times, and I haven't forgotten a single word!" He took out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, on which the basic cultivation method was neatly copied with a brush. "It's just... here, 'Qi sinks to the dantian,' but I can never quite find where the dantian is. Am I just too stupid?"
As he spoke, his head was slightly lowered, and his voice carried a hint of grievance, like a little dog drenched in the rain. Xie Linyang's heart softened. She put down the bowl, took his hand, and placed it on his lower abdomen: "Here, when you inhale, think of gathering your spiritual energy here. Take it slow, don't rush."
Her fingertips were warm, carrying the subtle scent of herbs. Meng Yao's ears turned slightly red, but she didn't pull her hand away. She simply focused on feeling the warmth of her palm, her Adam's apple bobbing slightly. "Is...is this it? Let me try..."
He closed his eyes, furrowed his brows, and pretended to be trying to gather his strength, but in reality, he had thoroughly mastered Xie Linyang's powerful cultivation technique, which was far superior to the incomplete techniques he had secretly practiced.
“Oh, right,” Xie Linyang suddenly remembered something, “Since you want to learn cultivation, why don’t you go to a famous immortal sect to become an apprentice? With your memory, you’ll definitely be selected.”
Before she could finish speaking, Meng Yao's fingers trembled violently, and the faint wisp of spiritual energy he had just gathered instantly dissipated. The color drained from his face at a visible speed, and the corners of his mouth, which always carried a hint of a smile, twitched stiffly, but ultimately failed to rise into their usual arc.
He lowered his eyelashes, the long lashes casting a small shadow under his eyes, concealing the extremely complex emotions that surged within them in an instant.
There was a deep-seated humiliation, a chilling hatred, and a trace of unspeakable, deeply suppressed pain within him. He pursed his lips tightly, his fingers unconsciously curling up, his nails almost digging into his palms.
Xie Linyang clearly saw that his thin shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly. Although he quickly suppressed it, that momentary loss of composure was like a stone thrown into a calm lake; the ripples were small, but real.
A brief, suffocating silence fell over the courtyard.
After a long while, Meng Yao seemed to regain her voice, which was lower and softer than usual, even with a slight hoarseness: "...I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Miss Xie. My... background is really humble. The threshold for immortal sects and aristocratic families is too high for me to aspire to."
He kept his eyes downcast, avoiding Xie Linyang's gaze, as if this could conceal all the unbearable past. The image of that cold winter night flashed uncontrollably through his mind: the Jinlintai stage ablaze with lights, filled with the clinking of glasses, celebrating the birthday of the true young master of the Jin family. He himself, carrying his mother's dying wish, mustered the courage to step forward and acknowledge his relative, only to be met with contemptuous scrutiny, cold denial, and… being kicked down the high steps like a stray dog. The pebbles cut his palms, the icy chill seeping into his bones, but far worse than the physical pain was the bone-chilling humiliation and the utter despair of shattered hope.
He absolutely could not let this woman before him, as pure and gentle as the moon and the breeze, know about his sordid and disgusting past. He could not allow even the slightest trace of pity or...contempt to appear in her eyes. What he needed was her sympathy and help, not for her to see the filthy mire he came from.
Xie Linyan looked at his suddenly pale face and his tightly clenched, white-knuckled hands, and understood. Although she was naive, she wasn't oblivious. Meng Yao's violent reaction had clearly touched upon his deepest, most painful wound. It was something that couldn't be summed up simply by saying "of humble origins."
“I’m sorry,” she said softly, her tone sincere with apology, “I shouldn’t have asked that.”
Meng Yao abruptly raised his head, seemingly surprised by her apology. He quickly composed himself, his face regaining its gentle yet slightly vulnerable smile, though beneath that smile lay a barely perceptible stiffness: "No, no, it was Meng Yao who lost his composure. You were just concerned for me." He paused, his voice losing its usual gentleness, "To receive your guidance is already a blessing Meng Yao has accumulated over many lifetimes; I dare not ask for anything more."
He skillfully steered the conversation back to cultivation, as if the momentary loss of control had never happened.
Seeing his efforts to maintain his composure, Xie Linyang sighed inwardly, becoming even more certain that this young man must have endured many hardships. She stopped mentioning the matter and instead continued to instruct him on the details of his cultivation.
Her undisguised kindness and readily given trust are exactly what Meng Yao needs most at this moment, and what she is best at utilizing.
Xie Linyang, however, did not notice. She only felt that Meng Yao was pitiful and sensible. Looking at the paper he copied full of formulas, she felt more and more that he was a rough gem that needed to be polished.
Over the next few days, Meng Yao became Xie Linyang's "little shadow".
She went to town to buy talisman paper, and he followed behind her with a basket, helping her bargain: "Boss Wang, Miss Lin Yang is a regular customer, can you make the cinnabar cheaper?" He turned to Xie Lin Yang and smiled, "Don't worry, Miss, I used to help the shopkeeper with purchasing, so I'm an expert at bargaining."
She was cultivating in the backyard of the inn, and he would move a small stool and sit next to her, watching the medicine pot on the fire for her, adding a piece of firewood every now and then: "It's almost done, young lady, circulate your qi one more time."
Xie Linyang taught him basic sword moves, which he learned very quickly. In just three days, he could perform them quite well. Xie Linyang patted his shoulder in surprise: "Meng Yao, you're a genius! It took me half a month to learn this move properly!"
Meng Yao sheathed his sword, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, and smiled shyly: "It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Miss." He handed her a handkerchief, "Wipe your sweat, don't catch a cold."
Xie Linyang took the handkerchief, which was embroidered with a small orchid. The stitches were fine and dense, and he had stayed up all night to embroider it. Xie Linyang didn't think much of it, only that he was skillful, and casually stuffed it into his pocket.
As the days passed, Xie Linyang spent more and more time guiding Meng Yao in her cultivation. She discovered that Meng Yao was not only meticulous in his accounting, but also displayed extraordinary comprehension and perseverance in his cultivation. That desire to become stronger was almost ingrained in his bones; he often pondered what she had taught him during the day late into the night. Xie Linyang saw this, and the thought in her heart grew clearer and clearer.
That night, Xie Linyang woke up in the middle of the night feeling thirsty, so she got up to go to the kitchen to get some water. As she passed the backyard, she saw a faint light under the pear tree. She walked closer and, by the cool moonlight, saw Meng Yao sitting on a stone bench, intently watching something by the dim light of a small oil lamp.
That was the basic outline of the "Sheng Yang Jue" manual that she had accidentally left on the stone table after flipping through it during the day. It was not the core secrets, but rather an introductory guide.
His fingers traced the yellowed pages with extreme care, his gaze almost obsessive, his lips moving silently as if memorizing the words. His expression wasn't that of someone reading a book, but rather that of someone gazing at some unattainable hope, with an almost pious greed.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Xie Linyang asked.
Startled by the sudden sound, Meng Yao trembled, and the scroll in his hand fell to the ground with a thud. He looked up abruptly, his face drained of color, his eyes filled with panic, like a child caught red-handed doing something wrong. He hurriedly knelt down to pick up the scroll, frantically wiping away any dust he might have gotten on it with his sleeve, his voice trembling: "I...I'm sorry! Miss Lin Yang! I...I couldn't sleep, I just...I just wanted to look at this cultivation manual again, I didn't mean to peek! I...I..." His eyes reddened with anxiety, as if he were about to burst into tears.
Seeing his tense and fearful expression, as if he were afraid of being rejected, Xie Linyang's slight doubt about his unauthorized reading vanished instantly. She remembered his usual diligence, the light in his eyes when he talked about cultivation, and the injustices and hardships he might have experienced... A strong sense of pity and responsibility welled up in her heart.
She bent down, took the book from his trembling hands, and instead of blaming him, gently placed it back in his hand.
“There’s no need to sneak around like this.” Xie Linyang looked at his wide, astonished eyes, her tone calm yet firm. “Since you’re so eager to learn, and your talent and temperament are quite good…” She paused, remembering that although her master, Baoshan Sanren, forbade the transmission of the cultivation method, he had also said that if someone with a pure heart and suitable aptitude were found, they could be brought into his fold to carry on the lineage. She looked at Meng Yao and felt that although he came from a difficult background, he was diligent, polite, and knew how to be grateful; perhaps he was someone worth nurturing.
“Meng Yao,” she said clearly, “if you truly wish to learn this ‘Sheng Yang Jue’, I can teach you. However, you must formally become my disciple and join my Baoshan Sanren lineage.”
Upon hearing this, Meng Yao froze completely.
The panic on his face hadn't completely faded when it was replaced by immense, unbelievable joy. He stared blankly at Xie Linyang, his lips moving a few times, but no sound came out. The moisture that had been building up in his eyes due to fear now transformed into tears of genuine excitement.
This time, he seemed to have less scheming in his mind.
All along, he had cautiously approached and flattered this seemingly extraordinary woman, hoping to gain some guidance, resources, or even just a sliver of opportunity for advancement. He never dared to dream of truly becoming her disciple, obtaining a respectable identity and lineage! Baoshan Sanren! That was a legendary figure! Becoming her disciple would mean completely shedding his lowly, shameful past and possessing a background that would command respect from the world!
This sudden opportunity, like a bright light, pierced through the carefully maintained facade he had maintained for so long, striking directly at his deepest, truest desires.
"Master...Master?" he murmured, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible, carrying a dreamlike uncertainty. Then, he snapped back to his senses, almost staggering back a step, and without hesitation, lifted the front of his faded blue cloth shirt, solemnly and properly kneeling down to perform a standard apprenticeship ceremony before Xie Linyang.
"Disciple Meng Yao!" His voice was unusually loud with excitement, even with a slight sob. "Greetings, Master! Disciple will definitely study diligently and cultivate assiduously, abide by the sect rules, and never fail Master's kindness in accepting me into the sect!" He bowed down, his forehead gently touching the ground, his posture extremely devout.
Looking at his thin, trembling back as he lay prostrate on the ground, Xie Linyang felt a strange sense of responsibility welling up inside her. She stepped forward and gently helped him up: "Get up. Now that you have joined my sect, you should take it upon yourself to cultivate your mind and character and help those in distress. I hope you will remember this."
"Yes! This disciple will follow Master's teachings!" Meng Yao raised her head, her face beaming with genuine and unpretentious joy. Her smile was clean and radiant, as if all the gloom had been dispelled at that moment.
However, in the deepest, most hidden corner of his heart, a complex and indescribable emotion quietly swept through him. This sudden master-disciple relationship, this heavy debt of gratitude, seemed to be deviating from his original plan of exploiting him. But regardless, this was the opportunity he had longed for, and he had to seize it firmly.
Looking at Xie Linyang's gentle eyes, he thought to himself: This time, he truly wants to seize this ray of light. At least for this moment, this surprise and gratitude are genuine.
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