Xiang Wan's lips twitched. They already showered very frequently, twice a month, and lice and fleas were nowhere to be found.
The little apprentice, or rather, the half-grown boy—sixteen-year-old Tu Hongye—was already taller than his master. Every time he took a bath, he would ask his master to scrub his back, even though she wasn't a bathhouse attendant.
I remember one time, I told Tu Hongye to take a bath by himself. The kid ran naked out of the river shouting that there was a monster in it. Xiang Wan was so scared that she grabbed her peach wood sword and rushed over. It turned out to be just a huge fish.
The master and apprentice went to great lengths to catch this fish, and by the end, they were so full from grilling and eating it that they almost threw up. Then, Tu Hongye would always find an excuse to have Xiang Wan accompany him, saying that they could catch fish without showering, and who knew when a giant monster might appear?
Xiang Wan knew exactly what he was thinking. He was just afraid that his master would run away and abandon him.
Tu Hongye lacked a sense of security, and he didn't know when it started. By the time Xiang Wan realized it, it was too late to change.
I remember when he was eight or nine years old, one windy and rainy night, Xiang Wan wanted to go out to make the tent more secure. When she came back, she saw Tu Hongye huddled in a corner, shivering all over. When he saw her, he rushed into her arms and tightly gripped her clothes, as if he was afraid that she would disappear in the blink of an eye.
After all, he was her apprentice whom she had raised herself, how could she bear to let him suffer? From then on, Xiang Wan never left his side again. However, when it came to things like taking a bath, she was still a woman at heart and couldn't bear to look directly at him, so she was dragged over to accompany him under various pretexts.
Later, Xiang Wan came to terms with it. Her body was that of a man, so pretending to be one wasn't a big deal. She had everything that Tu Hongye had, so what was there to be pretentious about?
However, as the apprentice grew into a young man, sleeping together inevitably became somewhat inconvenient, especially when he saw Tu Hongye's erection early in the morning. The embarrassment was unbearable! But Tu Hongye, citing that they were both men, refused to let Xiang Wan move.
If they won't move it, then they won't move it; they can just ignore it.
So Xiang Wan spent most of her time meditating and cultivating silently, occasionally lying down to sleep for a while. Whenever she woke up during these times, she would be stunned for a long time, because she always slept so close to Tu Hongye that she almost pushed him out.
The system, Xiao Qi, put in a lot of effort and managed to find the second volume of the Three Pure Ones Scripture, at the cost of a long period of slumber, perhaps until the end of her mission.
Xiang Wan had no objection to this. She was already used to the idea that there's no such thing as a free lunch.
The jade pendant given by the female ghost was both a magical artifact and a spiritual object; it could only be used by those whose spiritual awareness had been cultivated to a certain level. Therefore, Xiang Wan diligently practiced and finally reached the point where she could condense her spiritual awareness and retrieve objects from afar.
What's infuriating is that this diligent master, who cultivated for so many nights, is still not as advanced as her disciple Tu Hongye, who sleeps every night. Tu Hongye has already condensed his spiritual consciousness into a physical form, while Xiang Wan is still struggling to figure out how to manifest her spiritual consciousness. This makes her wonder if the original owner's wish was to mold Tu Hongye into a capable person so that he could accomplish the great task of promoting Taoism.
Xiang Wan didn't prepare many talismans and cinnabar. This is because truly skilled Taoist priests can draw talismans in mid-air, while lower-level talismans require a vessel.
There was also the peach wood sword and compass that had been extorted from the old Taoist priest. After being imbued with spiritual power, they even faintly shimmered with golden light. They were all treasures.
Xiang Wan really didn't know what to say about this. It was better to pretend nothing had happened. Let those who were meant to be cuckolded continue to be cuckolded, and those who were meant to be black continue to be black. She understood the principle that possessing a treasure is a crime.
Because she had a few more things to worry about, Xiang Wan didn't notice where the handkerchief the female ghost had given her had gone. When she asked Tu Hongye, he said he hadn't seen it, and the matter was left unresolved.
Traveling far and wide, one cannot be without martial arts skills. After much thought, Xiang Wan taught Tu Hongye all the fighting and assassination techniques she had learned before.
As a teacher, one naturally wants to see their apprentice grasp things quickly and learn them in no time. However, learning too fast can also be troublesome; the teacher has to rack their brains to keep the apprentice occupied, as idleness becomes an eyesore.
They usually spend most of their time in the mountains and forests, so skills like hunting wild game and grilling meat skewers are a must!
"Stop catching fish, your master is about to throw up from eating them."
Having reached the age of thirty, Xiang Wan's appearance remained unchanged due to her cultivation level. She still looked no different from someone around twenty years old, with a calm expression, giving her the air of a reclusive sage.
After all these years of this, her face has become an extension of her body. Every gesture she makes exudes the air of a master, making her seem unworthy of desecration.
Tu Hongye has grown tall and imposing, a far cry from his childhood appearance. He's anything but cute, and there's always a hint of gloom between his brows. I really don't understand what's so gloomy about being around such a carefree master every day.
"Master, I have discovered a new technique for cooking fish. Please help me from the shore."
This is a new way to eat it; I might as well give it a try.
Xiang Wan nodded slightly and followed Tu Hongye to a waterfall.
The towering mountains and cascading waterfalls create a truly awe-inspiring scene.
Tu Hongye stripped naked and jumped into the pool with a splash. Like a carp, he darted and swam in the water, and it took a long time before he could be seen.
Looking up at the rainbow under the sunlight, Xiang Wan sighed, "It's time to emerge into the world and establish a sect."
Over the years, she has saved many people and taken in many disciples, all of whom she sent to the Sanqing Temple. I wonder how well the old Taoist is teaching them.
The establishment of a sect requires not only the trust of its members, but also the making of its reputation.
Over the years of traveling around the country, Xiang Wan has gradually come to understand the world's格局 (geju, a concept encompassing overall structure, overall situation, and overall pattern).
There were countless sects and religions in the Great Zhou Dynasty, but only three truly flourished throughout the country: Pingyang Sect, Qingshui Sect, and Rushan Sect.
The Pingyang Sect is entirely composed of men, whose mission is to exterminate ghosts and demons. Whenever they encounter a ghost causing trouble, regardless of the reason, they are slain. Because of their ruthless approach, those who hire them are usually powerful and wealthy individuals, often vengeful spirits seeking revenge.
The Qingshui Sect is a female faction. Its leader, Liu Qingshui, advocates eliminating karmic obstacles. The ghosts they capture are first placed in specially made containers, and their resentment is resolved using special techniques before being sent back to the underworld.
The situation is more complicated with sects like the Mountain Sect. It is said that they capture vengeful spirits who have committed evil deeds, suppress them with magical arrays to diminish their malevolent energy, and then bring them into the sect for its use. As for what they are used for, that is a sect secret, unknown to those outside the sect.
Every five years, the imperial court would hold a competition between different sects, and anyone who participated only needed to register with the government.
Counting the days, it's time for the competition. If I don't show my talent soon, most of my time in this world will be gone.
It is said that one should start building a career early, and now is the perfect time.
Furthermore, it's time to investigate and take revenge on the person who caused the deaths of the original owner and his little disciple.
She and her current apprentice are worlds apart from the original owner of this body. This time, she's determined to make a name for herself!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
