Ran Ran didn't dare to say that he had guessed the love-hate relationship between him and his former master. Going to the restaurant to eat was naturally a good time for the two of them to talk alone.
She didn't want to say it out loud, for fear that her master would lose face, so she could only laugh dryly.
Su Yishui ate politely but quickly, finishing a bowl of rice in a few seconds. He put down his bowl and chopsticks and said, "We have finished our business here. We will pack up and go back this afternoon."
When everyone heard this, they all laughed. They had wanted to leave this damn place a long time ago!
If some evil demon jumps out again, they will not be able to resist it with their current strength.
But it was a blessing in disguise, and the trip was not completely fruitless.
Back then in the underground tunnel of the military platform, Gao Cang and his companions were sucked onto the Soul Stone for a long time, and the flesh on their hands was frozen off. However, when they circulated their energy and adjusted their breathing, they found that their spiritual power had improved to a higher level.
Even a chubby little girl like Qiu Xier could now jump onto the carriage with just a light jump.
They only knew to follow their master to find the monster that caused Yue'e to become a demon, and they were not quite sure what was in the big stone underground. However, they vaguely guessed that the improvement of their foundation seemed to be related to the big stone.
However, the master said that all the gifts given by the evil spirits should be returned. In the past few days, not only can I not use my spiritual power, but I must also regulate my breathing and calm my energy, and at the same time, I must copy the Calming Mantra fifty times every day.
According to Master, that thing is very evil. If one has a weak will, it is easy to be deceived by it and go astray in practice. Therefore, copying the meditation mantra for a month will help them control their mind.
However, Su Yishui did not seem to be in a hurry to return to Xishan to drink Mu Qingge's aged wine. Seeing that several apprentices were frozen, they were very disappointed after just improving their skills, so Su Yishui said that he would take them to soak in the hot springs to dispel the cold air.
As for the place they were going to, it was called Tea Mountain, located in the mild climate of the south of the Yangtze River. If they did not carry a sword with them, it would take a long time to get there.
On the road, some people would take advantage of every opportunity to copy the homework assigned by their master on horseback or in carriages.
Bai Baishan was very quick-witted. After finishing his homework, he tried to get Ranran to tell him something: "You went up Cuiwei Mountain with Master, so you should know the origin of the water magic spell. Also, you and Master came to rescue us in the cave. Did Master tell you what was in the stone?"
Ran Ran shook his head and interrupted, "Second Senior Brother, you only copied forty times. There are still ten times left to copy! Be careful if the master finds out, or he will punish you twice as much."
In fact, the master did not check the homework after he gave it to me, and I just relied on my own instinct. Bai Baishan deliberately wrote the characters in large sizes and used a lot of paper, making the stack look thick.
Unfortunately, his cleverness was seen through by his junior sister. Bai Baishan quickly pointed his finger and whispered "Tsk".
"Little girl, please don't make a fuss. Look at my wrist, it's almost swollen. If you tell Master and he punishes me again, my hand will be gone..."
Bai Baishan was afraid that Ranran would tell it out, so he tried hard to coax his junior sister.
Ran Ran saw how nervous he was and burst out laughing: "Hurry up and finish the remaining ten times, or I won't tell Master."
Bai Baishan glared at her and said, "You are so unreasonable. You are really not on our side now. No wonder Master always favors you!"
Bai Baishan's skills have improved the most since coming out of the underground cave of Tiaojuntai. The feeling of his Qi flowing and his body being as light as a swallow is really fascinating.
If one day, his power could be as profound as that of his master, what would it be like? Unfortunately, in the past few days, because his master deliberately asked them to disperse the power they had gained in the cave, Bai Baishan had not dared to practice his power.
This feeling is like having a ton of gold and silver, but having to give it back after just touching it. It's so itchy!
In this case, he couldn't help but tease his junior sister with some words to relieve his depression.
Ran Ran ignored the second brother's sour words. Just like the master said, the master leads you to the door, and the practice is up to you. If the second brother wants to be lazy, there is always a way.
As a junior sister, she has done her utmost to supervise him. The master in Xishan always takes care of his apprentices. After teaching them skills, Su Yishui herself will not supervise them all the time.
However, Ranran finished her own homework without any mistakes. Qiu Xier now learned everything from Ranran, and seeing Ranran's meticulousness, she also finished her homework honestly.
As for the eldest senior brother Gao Cang, he always took the master's words as an imperial decree and wrote them down to the utmost meticulousness.
Baibaishan seemed a bit out of place after their editing, so I reluctantly added a few pages to call it a day.
But it wasn't all regrets. I thought I was going to enjoy the mountains and rivers, but I almost died. When I went to Cha Ming Mountain, I gradually came into contact with the prosperity of Jiangnan, and I really felt the ease and comfort of study and play.
Although the winter in Jiangnan is also cold, it is much better than the chilly cold in the northwest. Ranran can finally take off her cocoon-like cotton coat and put on a light skirt.
She has grown a lot taller this year, but she is still very thin, so it is difficult for her to buy something too big, but the ones that fit her waist are a little short. So when she buys a skirt, she even needs to lower the hem of the ready-made garment a little more so that it can hang on the shoe surface.
When Xier saw Ranran changing into a floral skirt with a white undershirt, she clapped her hands and said it looked pretty, but she also said that the color of the skirt Ranran picked was a little too pale and not bright enough.
Ranran is now somewhat influenced by her master and feels that the brightly colored clothes she wore before were indeed a bit unsightly. Now that she wears softer colors, her heart becomes much calmer.
Qiu Xier doesn't think that if the little girl doesn't wear bright colors, wouldn't it be a waste of the flowering season?
Since her master paid for it, she chose a bright lilac color and had it made into a long skirt with a wide skirt. From a distance, it looked like a blooming morning glory.
While the two little girls were chattering and choosing clothes, the eldest brother went to the shoe shop to add cowhide soles to his cloth shoes, so that the shoes would be more wear-resistant and more comfortable to walk in.
As for the second brother, he originally followed them to pick clothes, but it was really boring, so he wanted to go out for a walk. But as soon as he walked out of the door, he felt water dripping on his face, and even seeping into his eyes...
He looked up at the eaves in confusion, as if the water was dripping from there. Then he went into a nearby bookshop to buy some books.
After Ranran took her third senior sister to buy clothes, she went to look for her second senior brother. When she turned the corner, she saw her second senior brother carrying a bamboo book frame, smiling and nodding at the entrance of an alley.
Because of the angle, Ranran couldn't see into the alley, nor did she know who was standing opposite Second Senior Brother.
So Ran Ran walked straight over, and just as Second Senior Brother turned around, the two of them almost bumped into each other.
"Junior sister, why are you so clumsy? You rushed over so suddenly, what if you bump into someone?" Bai Baishan came to his senses and immediately patted his chest.
Ran Ran looked over his shoulder and saw that behind him was a dead end, with no one there at all...
Ran Ran couldn't figure out what was going on, so he simply asked, "Second Brother, who were you talking to just now?"
Bai Baishan said impatiently: "It's just that someone asked for directions, the person is right here..."
As he turned around to point, he found that there was no one behind him, and he was also stunned.
At this moment, Qiu Xier ran over and shouted, "Hurry over there, there's a monkey show going on. Senior Brother has saved a bench for us, so we can sit down and watch!"
So the two of them ran over. Young people always like to play, and in that empty alley, it seemed that water was still dripping...
After watching the monkey show, they reunited with their second uncle and went up to Cha Ming Mountain. However, their master had gone up the mountain to visit an old friend before them.
Originally, they thought that the master was just taking them to take a dip in the wild valley, but they never expected that there was actually an elegantly built tea house and hot spring pool on the Cha Ming Mountain.
Perhaps because he saw how hard it was for them to go through life and death in Wangxiang Pass, the master was so considerate and brought them to this villa, which is only for rich people, to drink tea and soak in hot springs.
This mountain is famous for its tea production, and the hot springs here are a mixture of tea and various herbs, which is very good for health.
The boss who runs the hot spring here is over 40 years old and of medium build. I heard from my second uncle that he was also Mu Qingge's apprentice.
The boss's surname is Zeng, and his full name is Zeng Yi. When Mu Qingge's soul was scattered, the righteous people dismissed the disciples of Lingxi Palace, and he was driven down the mountain and came here to run the hot spring bathing pool.
When Ranran saw this gentle and bookish middle-aged man, she could vaguely see the charm of a former handsome boy between his slightly wrinkled eyebrows.
When this uncle Zeng saw Su Yishui coming to visit, he did not treat him coldly like Qin Xuanjiu did. Instead, he received Su Yishui warmly and did not arrange them to stay in the guest room. Instead, he let them stay in the backyard which was obviously his own residence.
When he saw his two female disciples, Xue Ranran and Qiu Xier, Zeng Yi looked back and forth at the two girls, and finally set his gaze on Su Yishui, as if asking something.
Su Yishui did not answer. Instead, after letting the younger generation meet their uncle, he found an excuse to send three people away, leaving only Ran Ran behind. Then he said to her, "This is your fourteenth uncle. You should thank him because the stick you use was made by him."
Zeng Yi stared at Ran Ran without saying a word until Ran Ran obediently held up the teacup and offered it to his uncle. Then he came back to his senses and quickly took the teacup, saying excitedly, "You... don't have to be so polite. What do you like to eat? I'll ask the kitchen to make it for you right away!"
Ran Ran felt that this fourteenth uncle was a truly friendly elder, but she didn't want to act like a familiar person and just order food casually, so she just smiled shyly.
But when he looked up again, he saw tears welling up in the eyes of this gentle uncle.
Seeing Ran Ran's stunned expression, he quickly wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, and said with all his strength, "It's a bit windy today, and it blinds me... Please sit down quickly, I'll go get you some fruits to eat."
Ran Ran raised his head to see the warm weather outside the window. He didn't know when the wind started to blow in the hall, blinding Fourteenth Master's eyes.
But when he raised his hand to wipe his tears, Ran Ran was shocked again. Because his hand was exposed from the sleeve of his wide coat... only the palm, but not a single finger!
After the uncle left, Ranran served tea to the master at the fragrant wood tea table in the hall.
While boiling water and heating a cup, she asked curiously, "Master, what happened to Uncle Zeng's hand?"
Su Yishui glanced at her and slowly recounted the story of Uncle Zeng.
It is said that this great uncle was once a master at making weapons. The weapons he made were extremely valuable. However, because his father offended the rich and powerful and brought disaster to the whole family, his family sent him to the West Mountain to practice Taoism and take refuge.
At that time, Mu Qingge thought Zeng Yi was a man of pure and gentle character, and therefore he was very attractive, so he generously took him in and even found an ancient magic weapon manual for him to study.
Although he did not practice the foundation-building and fasting, the weapons he made were ingenious. However, after Mu Qingge died, he was captured by some powerful bad guys and forced to make weapons.
But he would rather die than give up, so his fingers were cut off one by one. Fortunately, Su Yishui arrived in time and saved him.
An innocent man is guilty of possessing a jade. After he lost his fingers, he could no longer make weapons, but instead he cut off the worldly desires and just managed the hot spring here to make a living, leading a relatively peaceful life.
Ran Ran felt sympathetic and whispered, "So that spring-loaded stick was made by Master Zeng before he was persecuted? He was so clever and skillful, but now he can't make it anymore. Isn't that a pity?"
After hearing Ran Ran's whisper, Su Yishui chuckled and said, "Look at the inscription on the stick."
Ran Ran looked down and found that there were two "Ran" characters in the shape of flowers on the inscription!
If it was a finished product of Uncle Zeng a long time ago, how did he know that the person who would use this stick in the future would be called Ranran?
Ran Ran soon found out the answer. When she accompanied her master to the backyard house to look for her uncle, she saw Uncle Zeng making something in a workshop.
However, he did not use his hands. Instead, he took off his shoes and socks, put his legs on the table, and deftly used his ten thin toes to piece together the various polished parts...
The workshop is also filled with exquisite chime bells, makeup boxes and other items, which should all be made by my uncle.
When Uncle Zeng saw Ranran and Su Yishui coming, he quickly put down his work, put on his shoes, and stood up to greet them.
Seeing Ranran looking at a makeup box curiously, he smiled and opened it with his fingerless hand. Unexpectedly, pleasant string music came from inside. Lifelike little jade and porcelain figures were holding earrings, and the rings stood up from the box one after another and flew out, as if dancing to the music.
"This is something I just made. If you like it, take it and play with it." He pushed the makeup box in front of Ranran.
Although Ran Ran didn't know the value of the goods, she guessed that such a fine workmanship must be worth a lot of money. How could she accept it? She waved her hand and said no.
But Su Yishui said calmly: "Your uncle gave it to you sincerely, so you don't have to refuse it. Just accept it."
After the master spoke, Ranran accepted it and opened the lid repeatedly out of curiosity, his two big eyes sparkling as he studied the mechanism inside the box.
Su Yishui did talk about his adventures at Wangxiang Pass, and casually thanked him on behalf of his disciple for the useful weapons he had given him.
Zeng Yi asked seriously, "Is it easy to use? When I was communicating with Yi Shui before, I asked about your height roughly, and then I made the stick according to the height measurement in the letter. But now I see that you seem to have grown a lot taller, it seems that the stick needs to be slightly adjusted so that it will be more suitable for use."
Ran Ran has been in Xishan for almost a year, and she has indeed grown a lot taller. She thought that her stick was specially made for her by her fourteenth uncle, and her heart couldn't help but warm up.
It turns out that he used his feet instead of hands to make so many exquisite things. I was extremely impressed by him.
A genius can turn things around even when facing adversity, but of course this requires rock-hard perseverance.
But she has so many fellow disciples, why is she the only one who has been favored by her uncle and has such an exquisite weapon?
When Ran Ran asked, Uncle Zeng was stunned for a moment, then said: "I also did it for them, but I didn't have time to send it to your master..."
After hearing this, Ran Ran nodded in relief. However, she seemed to remember something and said to her Fourteenth Uncle in a serious tone, "Please rest assured, Uncle, I will never tell anyone where this stick came from. But Uncle, you should not make this in the future. In my opinion, it would be better for you to just make some makeup boxes and self-ringing clocks."
After all, the uncle-master has already lost ten fingers. If he recovers his magical skills and attracts the covetousness of people with bad intentions, wouldn’t the nightmare be repeated?
Zeng Yi, hearing what Ran Ran said, sat up straight and said respectfully, "In all these years, I have never made a weapon... I just couldn't get free, so I made some small things to kill time. But you are right, I will learn to hide my shortcomings in the future and won't show off anymore..."
When Ran Ran heard that his uncle was using honorifics, he immediately sat up straight and said, "Uncle, are you angry? Are you mocking your nephew for being talkative and ignorant?"
Zeng Yi had a look of regret on his face. After being glanced at by Su Yishui without leaving any trace, he forced a smile and said, "You are right. I just remembered that my master had scolded me several times before she died for being too showy and not knowing how to hold back. She often said that if she were here, she would naturally protect us disciples, but if she was not here, wouldn't it be that all the eggs in the nest would be destroyed. Unfortunately, I was young and arrogant at the time and didn't listen to this. I was only determined to create a magical weapon that would attract the attention of the world and bring honor to my ancestors. I didn't expect that in the end, her words would come true one by one. I finally learned my lesson, but I didn't expect the price to be so high... She must be very disappointed in me!"
This is Mu Qingge's second disciple that Ranran has seen besides his master.
People say that Mu Qingge is greedy, lustful, and judges people by their appearance, but she feels that all the disciples Mu Qingge accepts are excellent.
Based on what Uncle Zeng said, Mu Qingge could educate her apprentice so earnestly. It can be seen that although she did not teach any decent immortals, at least the apprentices she accepted were kind and upright, enough to be gentlemen.
Qin Xuanjiu gave up his future and stayed in the northwest for twenty years just because of his master's request. Zeng Yining would rather die than help the tyrant.
As for Master Su Yishui, there is no need to say much about his character. He has been practicing medicine in Xishan for many years. Although the medicine is a bit expensive and he is a bit lazy, he only treats a few patients a year, but his reputation for curing diseases, saving lives and saving the world is absolutely well-deserved!
From this point of view, although Mu Qingge had a bad reputation and lost his integrity in his later years, and died in an ignominious way, these upright disciples were much better than those famous and upright sects that seemed to be dignified but were actually corrupt.
Thinking of this, she comforted him, "If Master Mu knew about you, she would definitely be proud of you!"
After hearing what Ran Ran said, Uncle Zeng put away his sadness and asked in surprise, "Really?"
Ran Ran nodded vigorously, and finally coaxed Uncle Zeng to laugh through his tears.
But at night, when she was soaking in the hot spring pool with Qiu Xier, she saw Qiu Xier's new weapon - it was just an ordinary sword. Although there were delicate patterns on the handle and the blade was also exquisite, it was not as stunning as the mechanical stick used by Ran Ran.
Uncle Zeng may have often made makeup boxes, so he knew how to cater to women's minds. The two delicate magnolia flower bells hanging on the handle alone made Sister Thirty very satisfied. She leaned against the pool and soaked in the hot spring while fiddling with the knife, saying that the pattern and color of the handle matched her skirt very well...
As for the eldest and second brothers, they got twin swords and a saber. Apart from the exquisite handles, there was nothing special about them.
It seemed that when the uncle master was making things for the other three disciples, his inspiration ran out and he didn't pay much attention to it.
However, the three fellow disciples were unaware of Uncle Zeng's past deeds, and they did not know that Ran Ran's weapon was also a gift from Uncle Zeng, so they were all very happy after thanking Uncle Zeng for his generosity.
Ran Ran felt that Master Zeng was very respectful to Mu Qingge. He was not as cold and stern to Su Yishui as Jiu Laoxian and Qin Xuanjiu were, which was also puzzling.
However, it is normal for the relationship between the same disciples to be good or bad. Perhaps Uncle Zeng and Master got along very well, so they formed such a long-lasting friendship.
However, she and Second Senior Brother have not been getting along so well recently. Second Senior Brother seems to be worried lately, and during the time he was recuperating in the hot spring pool, he was often missing.
When they came back, they were humming little tunes, with a smug look on their faces.
Because this place is adjacent to a prosperous town, Ranran secretly guessed with Qiu Xier that the second senior brother must have gone down the mountain to play alone.
I don’t know what interesting thing caused him to come down the mountain again and again without even telling them a word.
Ran Ran nodded indignantly. The master had always been a scapegoat for his disciples, not paying much attention to their studies. After coming here, he often stayed in the backyard workshop with Master Zeng for a long time, so he was even more lazy about his disciples.
The two uncles were ordered to go out on business. The second brother was now like a dog that had been untied, always running outside.
After breakfast that day, Bai Baishan again used the excuse of having a stomachache, left his three fellow disciples who were meditating and practicing qigong, and went back to rest alone.
As soon as he left, Qiu Xier got up and said to Ran Ran and Gao Cang, "Let's go and secretly follow the second brother to see if he has gone down the mountain to play."
Gao Cang said straightforwardly: "This is not good, what if the master comes to check our homework?"