Ling He Zhenren left Xia Xiaochan behind and quickly flew away on his sword.
Master Lin Ci truly lived up to his name, carefree and unrestrained like a wandering cloud or a wild crane.
The Great Void Sect rarely saw this elder, and whenever asked, the answer was always that he was out on a journey under the pretense of seeking wine.
It could be said that Lin Ci’s current achievements were entirely due to his own talent and hard work. Ling He Zhenren’s teachings were not irrelevant, but whether he was there or not made little difference.
Of course, Ling He Zhenren’s way of doing things was exactly what Lin Ci wished for now. If he were constantly at the peak, it would be impossible to keep things under wraps.
But as a result, the responsibility of guiding Xia Xiaochan’s cultivation fell entirely on Lin Ci.
Looking at the adorable junior sister standing before him—shorter than himself and fiddling with the hem of her clothes while keeping her head down—Lin Ci scratched his head and then asked in a voice true to his persona, devoid of emotion or color: “You’re called Xia Xiaochan?”
“Yes, Senior Brother!”
Xia Xiaochan nodded vigorously, then lifted her bright, sparkling eyes to look at Lin Ci.
“Do you have any understanding of basic cultivation knowledge?”
Lin Ci asked again.
“Senior Brother, Xia’er grew up in a mountain village and, aside from Master and Senior Brother, has never come into contact with any other cultivators.”
Xia Xiaochan answered somewhat timidly.
She had heard from Master Ling He that her spiritual root was not outstanding—in fact, compared to ordinary disciples of the Great Void Sect, she was quite mediocre.
She didn’t understand why Ling He had chosen her as a disciple.
It couldn’t be just a bet, randomly picking someone from the roadside, right?
So now, Xia Xiaochan was worried—worried that this Chief Disciple Senior Brother might look down on her and refuse to teach her.
On the way back, Ling He Zhenren had told her:
‘Your Senior Brother is a peerless genius among men, a once-in-a-million-years prodigy throughout history! Even if your talent is ordinary, as long as you receive his guidance and work hard, you will definitely achieve something in the future!’
‘Ahem… I’m putting all my chips on the line here—those spirit stones and treasures, it’s up to you to win them back!’
That was what he said…
But if Senior Brother Lin doesn’t like me and refuses to teach me, what then?
Would I never be able to cultivate?
I heard that because I was accepted as a disciple of the Great Void Sect, my mother accepted gifts from the neighbors…
Xia Xiaochan glanced up again at Lin Ci, only to see his handsome face as cold and unreadable as ever, giving her no confidence.
As for Lin Ci,
he heard Xia Xiaochan say she had never even seen a cultivator before, and his feelings were mixed.
Good heavens, you’re a cultivation newbie too?
Having a novice guide another novice into the Dao, and then turning her into the Chief Disciple?
Isn’t that ridiculous…
Even with my few hundred fantasy novels read, I wouldn’t dare attempt that!
But novices are good in a way.
If she doesn’t understand, she won’t see my flaws.
I just need to disguise myself a little and I can easily deceive her.
As for guiding her cultivation…
If she herself doesn’t want to put in the effort, there’s nothing I can do about that, right?
He quickly made up his mind.
“Are you hungry?”
Lin Ci asked.
“Huh?”
Xia Xiaochan was taken aback.
“You haven’t started avoiding grain yet, so there’s no rush to cultivate. Eat first.”
“Okay… okay!”
Xia Xiaochan touched her stomach and realized that after a whole day and night of sword riding with Ling He Zhenren, she really was a bit hungry.
But to think Senior Brother was the one who noticed…
Could it be that although he looked cold on the surface, he was actually a kind-hearted person?
“Let’s go then.”
Lin Ci casually extended his hand, and Xia Xiaochan quickly reached out hers. Two shadows of different heights, hand in hand, walked toward the peak’s residence under the noon sunlight.
‘Senior Brother’s hand is so warm…’
‘I must work hard at cultivation—I can’t let Senior Brother think I’m useless!’
Xia Xiaochan thought firmly.
Three days later.
At dawn.
Xia Xiaochan got up early, watered the spiritual herbs in the herb garden, and cleaned both her own and Senior Brother’s rooms thoroughly. She even wiped the Pill Refining furnace in the Dan Room clean with a damp cloth.
If she hadn’t been refused, she might have even washed Senior Brother’s clothes.
After finishing all this, she glanced back.
Lin Ci was still in his room, probably meditating…
Xia Xiaochan pursed her lips slightly.
She bore no resentment toward Senior Brother. After these days, she had come to understand.
Though Senior Brother seemed cold and distant like an iceberg beauty, he was indeed a good person, especially considerate in daily life.
Not only did he give her the largest bedroom at the peak, but he also laid out an especially soft mattress—so comfortable it made one want to sleep as soon as they lay down.
Senior Brother’s cooking was also quite a skill.
Over the past few days, he had prepared steamed lamb, steamed bear paw, steamed deer tail, roasted flower duck, roast chicken, roast goose… changing up the menu constantly.
If this continued, Xia Xiaochan worried she might become “Xia Little Fatty.”
As for chores, Senior Brother never asked her to do them—it was all her own choice.
The only thing she found puzzling was…
Why hadn’t Senior Brother started teaching her cultivation yet?
Xia Xiaochan even suspected that maybe Senior Brother wanted to raise her into a lazy, useless person.
No, that couldn’t be…
Xia Xiaochan shook her head and suddenly realized:
This might actually be Senior Brother’s test!
He knew she had grown up in a mountain valley with a tough life, so he was testing her in this way.
If she were complacent and unambitious, it would prove that her Dao Heart was not resolute!
A test of one’s heart amid the mundane world…
No wonder it was Senior Brother!
The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became. Xia Xiaochan pressed her lips together and went directly to Lin Ci’s bedroom door.
She knelt down.
She knew that even through the door, Senior Brother was definitely observing her with his divine sense.
So she planned to kneel until Senior Brother accepted her and came out to find her.
She wanted to prove to Senior Brother—
Xia Xiaochan was not a coward!
“Haah~”
Lin Ci had just woken up. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he sat up and stretched.
He didn’t know how to replace sleep with breathing exercises yet, so last night he simply slept.
He straightened his clothes and went outside to greet the morning sun.
Hm, full of vigor again… What the hell just scared me?
“Xia?”
Lin Ci looked at his junior sister kneeling before him, shivering all over.
It was late autumn turning into early winter, and the morning mountain air instantly turned their breath into white mist.
Lin Ci’s cultivation made him immune to cold and heat, but Xia Xiaochan had been kneeling outside for over an hour, her lips already turning purple from the cold.
Lin Ci took off his outer robe and draped it over her.
“Se… Senior Brother…”
Xia Xiaochan wrapped the long robe tightly around herself, her voice trembling as she spoke.
“You… came out. Has Xia’er passed the test?”
Test?
Lin Ci’s eyes shifted and he quickly understood why Xia Xiaochan was kneeling there.
Then, a wave of speechlessness washed over him…
Was this little girl misunderstanding something?
Besides, I’m not the Patriarch Bodhi. Why am I cosplaying a mischievous monkey…
“Hm, I understand your Dao Heart.”
Lin Ci nodded, folding his hands behind his back as his gaze looked out at the drifting clouds.
“Tomorrow morning, I will teach you the cultivation method!”
I love this novel