Ayao slept soundly and dreamed of his mother and father.
"Giggle!!"
The rooster's crow startled him awake, his eyes still blurry.
Where is this?
He's in his master's room!
Oh no! What time is it now?
Ayao quickly got up, stepped onto the soft quilt, and paused for a moment.
The blanket that his master covered him with?
Last night, his master didn't blame him.
My master may seem cold and aloof, but he's actually a very nice person.
A familiar figure appeared at the doorway, her white veil swaying in the breeze, exuding a cool and ethereal aura.
Ayao lowered his head and admitted his mistake, "Master, I was wrong."
Lingxi asked calmly, "What's wrong with it?"
Ah Yao racked his brains to recall, "I shouldn't have barged into your room, I shouldn't have fallen asleep."
Lingxi's expression grew even colder. She raised her hand and pushed him away, saying, "What you said last night went in one ear and out the other. What use are you?"
Ayao stammered, "Master, I..."
Lingxi lowered her eyes, her whole body radiating a chilling aura.
"Go outside and run ten laps."
"Yes, Master."
Ayao ran around the Taoist temple until he was dizzy from exhaustion, but he still didn't dare to stop.
The little boy stood to the side, holding a white steamed bun. "Ah Yao, you've been punished. Poor thing."
Lingxi glanced at him. "You come along."
The child wailed, "Yes, Abbot, boohoo!"
The two ran one after the other, with the ghost chasing behind. "I'm coming, little boy, run faster!"
"Don't chase me, chase Ayao!"
The exciting and tense morning came to an end, and Xiaotong and Ayao took a short rest, each holding a book in their hands.
Lingxi said calmly, "Memorize it all."
The child gasped, "Ah? I want one too!"
Lingxi said, "The basics of Taoist magic must be memorized."
The child turns to a page, but doesn't recognize eight out of ten characters. How can he possibly memorize them?
The abbot specially taught him Taoist arts, so that he would not disappoint the abbot.
The child read the first word, "Xu Kun..."
Lingxi rubbed her temples. "Wrong, it should be Qiankun."
The child diligently memorized, "Heaven and Earth, Zhen and Wu."
"Wrong again." Lingxi read it aloud patiently, "Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, Dui, the Eight Trigrams."
The child couldn't understand at all, only responding with "Oh."
Ayao opened the book in his hand and read it quickly. "Master, why is my book different from Xiaotong's?"
Lingxi: "You don't need to learn Taoist magic."
Ayao asked, "What should we learn?"
Lingxi said calmly, "The art of controlling people."
Ayao understood: the art of controlling people is the art of imperial power—knowing people, using people, and controlling people.
His master taught him how to be an emperor, but he was just an unfavored prince. Could he really reach that position?
Ayao sighed and flipped through a book out of boredom.
Lingxi lit an incense stick and said in a clear voice, "Ten days from now, come down the mountain with me."
The child clapped his hands happily, "Great!"
Lingxi turned her head and said, "You're not allowed to come down the mountain until you finish reciting it."
The smile on the child's face vanished instantly. He picked up the Taoist scriptures and studied them diligently, asking the ghosts about any words he didn't understand.
He'll definitely memorize it; he won't lose to the new kid.
Ayao sat there, captivated by the exquisite words and phrases. He recognized the words in the book, but the principles within were extraordinary.
When the incense stick burned out, he had finished reciting.
Lingxi was a little surprised. "After you've memorized it, I'll test you."
Ayao replied confidently, "Master, please test me."
Lingxi casually flipped through the book, “Page 30, paragraph 2.”
A Yao answered without a single mistake.
Lingxi looked up and examined him closely.
He has a photographic memory and the appearance of an emperor.
"Come with me."
"Yes, Master."
Ayao was thrilled.
If he answers all the questions correctly, will his master reward him?
The next second, Lingxi took out ten books and, without changing her expression, ordered, "Memorize them as quickly as possible. I'll check them tonight."
The ten books stacked up were taller than him, and Ayao's excited heart finally died.
My master is still the same master, cold and ruthless.
Ayao couldn't lift it. "Master, I can't lift it."
Lingxi frowned. "Your body is too weak. You can't even lift something that weighs several tens of kilograms. You need to train twice as much tomorrow."
Ayao wanted to cry but had no tears.
Ten books are heavier than him, who could lift them?
My master is severely lacking in common sense and her thinking is extraordinary; talking to her is like talking to a brick wall.
However, this place is indeed better than the temple, and the master is better than the monk.
Oily-skinned monks are not worthy of being compared to their master!
Ayao perked up and memorized one book after another.
It was late at night again, and he dared not return to his original room, so he tiptoed into his master's room.
Lingxi sat on the bed, "Finished memorizing?"
Ayao looked down at the ground, "I've finished memorizing it."
Lingxi extinguished the candle, took off her outer garment without hesitation, and her expression remained normal.
"sleep."
"Yes, Master."
Ayao crept furtively towards the corner; he'd be sleeping on the floor again tonight.
The fact that his master didn't object meant that he agreed to let him sleep there.
He'd rather sleep on the floor than on a rat.
With the master around, neither ghosts nor rats dare to come in.
Ayao was about to lie down when he touched the soft blanket and the hard bed board.
His eyes widened as his master made him a bed!
Ayao had mixed feelings.
The master has a cold exterior but a warm heart; sometimes he is strict, sometimes he is naive.
Yes, it's simplicity.
She was completely clueless about social etiquette and acted like a three-year-old child when it came to emotions, leaving him completely unguarded.
My master is so naive, he could be easily tricked by bad people.
Ayao felt distressed at the thought of this possibility.
He wants to grow up quickly so he can protect his master.
...
Life at Yuanqing Temple was monotonous and dull. Every day, besides reciting texts, I would run around the courtyard and occasionally go down the mountain.
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