The look Elder Baihe gave her seemed to say: I never expected your tastes to be this extreme.
“Little Yu, my disciple, is so adorable.” Luo Qingyuan had grown fonder of her the more she looked at her. She found everything about the girl pleasing to the eye.
“Do you know who she is?” Elder Baihe withdrew his gaze and snorted.
Luo Qingyuan watched Little Yu, my disciple, below as she moved about and casually replied, “Isn’t she Martial Uncle Lingheng’s disciple?”
Was there some other identity she was supposed to know about?
“Hmph!” Elder Baihe was clearly displeased. “A month ago, during the disciples’ Heart-Questioning Trial, one disciple made outrageous remarks and behaved recklessly. Do you know about that?”
Luo Qingyuan did.
Although she hadn’t been there, she had heard about it from the other disciples after returning to the sect.
“The Sect Master didn’t mind.” Luo Qingyuan didn’t think much of it. “Otherwise, why would Martial Uncle Lingheng have taken her as his disciple?”
Yes, Nangong Yu had indeed behaved outrageously. Considering the things she had cursed them with, killing her on the spot would not have been unjust.
But the Sect Master had let it go and even had Martial Uncle Lingheng accept her as a disciple. Whatever the hidden circumstances might be, Little Yu, my disciple, was now innocent and above reproach.
“Hmph.” Elder Baihe was evidently unhappy. “Since that’s the case, do as you please.”
As the two conversed, the scene below changed again.
“We’ll compensate you!” one of the disciples said, his face tight with humiliation.
The Image-Recording Stone was still recording.
Their humiliating appearances would be captured and sold later. Could they really afford to lose face like that?
There was no need to wait until later. If she played the recording in the sect now, it would already be enough to make him lose all dignity in front of his junior brothers and sisters.
He wasn’t the only one thinking that way. The other disciples felt the same. Just imagining their wretched appearances being spread around made them feel sick with discomfort.
One disciple even burst into tears. “Nangong Yu, you’re too vicious!”
How could anyone come up with such a vicious idea?
With so many fellow disciples present, didn’t she care at all about their bonds as fellow sect members?
“Pay up!” Nangong Yu said, putting away the Image-Recording Stone.
She wasn’t afraid they would default. If she could beat them into tears once, she could do it a second time, or even a third.
“I don’t have any spirit stones. Can I pay you later?” one of the disciples asked.
Class A contained not only inner sect disciples, but also outer sect disciples who had been promoted. Without masters to support them, the latter were so poor they had barely anything to their names.
“Go borrow some!” Nangong Yu gave them a suggestion. “The Hall of All Affairs can advance or loan you things. Spirit stones, pills, talismans—anything can be withdrawn.”
What she had lost were talismans.
But since they were fellow disciples, she was willing to accept spirit stones, pills, or other items of equivalent value as repayment.
The others were looking increasingly desperate.
“Write promissory notes now.” Nangong Yu took out a stack of ordinary paper and writing brushes. She had taken these from the Lin family. Back then, she had found a box of excellent paper in an abandoned courtyard and picked it up without a second thought.
“Write your name, the date, the reason for the debt, and how many talismans you owe Nangong Yu. Spirit stones or pills of equal value may be used instead.”
She had lost twelve Immobilization Talismans, thirty-six Fire Talismans, and twenty Water Talismans.
The Fire Talismans were a little more valuable than the Water Talismans, while the Immobilization Talismans were worth more than the Fire Talismans.
Nangong Yu couldn’t be bothered to calculate the exact amounts, so she simply made each person owe her ten Water Talismans.
There were more than twenty disciples in Class A. Altogether, they would have to compensate her with over two hundred Water Talismans.
“The repayment deadline is tomorrow. For every day you’re late, the interest will be thirty percent.”
“If you still haven’t paid after three days, you won’t need to pay anymore.”
Her voice dragged out slowly on the last sentence.
The disciples listened with regret weighing on their hearts and bitterness in their mouths. “We’ll definitely pay it back!”
She had dared to attack so many of them by herself. What wouldn’t she dare do?
Why had they provoked her in the first place?
“Good.” Nangong Yu collected the promissory notes one by one, checked them over, then called toward the person above, “Elder Luo, would you be willing to witness this for me?”
Luo Qingyuan almost didn’t hesitate before immediately descending. “Of course!”
This child was just too adorable.
She even knew to ask an elder to serve as a witness.
Now the others wouldn’t be able to get away with defaulting.
She sent out a strand of spiritual power, leaving her signature on every promissory note.
“Thank you, Elder.” Nangong Yu happily tucked all the notes into her storage pouch.
The conflict finally came to an end.
“You all go back and take good care of your injuries,” Nangong Yu said solemnly. Then her tone abruptly changed. “Come find me for a spar tomorrow after class.”
!!
“I’m not free!” someone immediately replied.
“Exactly. We still have classes,” another explained.
Not one of them met her gaze. They all looked away, pretending to busy themselves with something.
Nangong Yu smiled sweetly. “I’ll be waiting anytime.”
She was willing, but the others had no interest whatsoever.
They hadn’t been able to test her strength or gain even the slightest bit of battle experience. All they would get was a beating from her, followed by a bill for spirit stones.
They would be losing out on all fronts!
Nangong Yu withdrew her gaze with satisfaction.
There. From now on, no one without sense would come bother her for a spar.
“Little Yu, come here.” At that moment, Luo Qingyuan beckoned to her.
Nangong Yu had a favorable impression of her, so she immediately walked over and asked obediently, “Elder, what do you need?”
“Little Yu is so adorable. Who would have the heart to order you around?” Luo Qingyuan smiled warmly, her tone gentle. “I wanted to ask whether you’d like to take me as your master.”
At first, Nangong Yu remained wary while listening to the sweet talk.
But when she heard the rest, she hesitated. “I already have a master. Does the Ziyang Sect allow a disciple to have more than one master?”
More than one master?
Luo Qingyuan’s eyes lit up, and she quickly nodded. “Yes! Martial Uncle Lingheng is your first master, and I’ll be your second master.”
Her expression was gentle, and her tone affectionate. “Teaching without discrimination—everything is for the sake of passing on knowledge. It’s perfectly normal for one disciple to have several masters.”
Wait a moment. Was that what “teaching without discrimination” meant?
Hadn’t she gotten it backward?
“Well…” Nangong Yu hesitated.
Luo Qingyuan grew even gentler. “Martial Uncle Lingheng is very busy, but I’m different. I have plenty of free time, and I’m currently serving in the disciples’ peak. Wouldn’t it be more convenient for me to guide you?”
Her eyes were so tender they seemed ready to drip with affection. “Besides, you learned my Circulating Heaven Spirit-Nurturing Art and mastered it so quickly. That proves you’re suited to it. Would you like to study it in greater detail?”
Nangong Yu understood.
This elder boss was trying to poach her disciple.
“Little Fish.” Luo Qingyuan bent slightly at the waist and rested her palm on Nangong Yu’s shoulder. Her gaze turned earnest. “I’ve served as an instructional elder for many years, but you’re the only one who has brought out the true power of the Circulating Heaven Spirit-Nurturing Art. Isn’t that proof of the fate between us?”
Nangong Yu asked, “What did the other elders teach before you?”
Her gaze shifted as she pointed to the side. “And what does Class A study?”
Luo Qingyuan smiled faintly and straightened. “Elder Baihe teaches the Breath-Regulating Technique. Before him, Elder Fuyun taught the same thing.”
For generations, the elders had basically followed the conventional approach, guiding their disciples with the Breath-Regulating Technique.
There was no other reason. The simpler something was, the more suitable it was for the majority of disciples.
Someone like Luo Qingyuan, who tossed out a diagram of the human meridians and then left the students to fend for themselves, was being extremely irresponsible. She had even been harshly reprimanded for it.
But Luo Qingyuan had never changed her ways.
Now that a new disciple had finally appeared who could cultivate the Circulating Heaven Spirit-Nurturing Art to perfection, Luo Qingyuan was far too proud to change.
“Little Fish!” Luo Qingyuan’s eyes lit up. “This is your second master’s welcome gift. Take it—don’t be shy.”
With that, she held out a pink jade pendant shaped like a paper kite. “It contains three full-power strikes from me. If you ever encounter a life-threatening danger, it can block three attacks for you.”
!!
What a useful item!
Nangong Yu was practically won over on the spot. So many people had wanted to give her jade pendants, but this elder NPC was the only one who seemed truly sincere!
“I can’t accept it,” she said awkwardly. “I should ask Master and Senior Brother first.”
Luo Qingyuan gazed at her with undisguised affection and pressed the pendant into her hand. “Silly child. What’s there to refuse when an elder gives you something?”
That was true!
Even if she wasn’t her master, she was still an elder of the sect—the instructor elder of Disciple Peak.
“Thank you, Elder.” Nangong Yu accepted it excitedly.
The two of them had walked some distance away, so the other disciples hadn’t seen what happened.
By then, the disciples of Class A had returned to the main hall, which had collapsed halfway, and continued their lesson.
As for the disciples of Class B, whose side hall had completely collapsed, they were at a loss.
“Elder.” Once Luo Qingyuan returned, one of the disciples asked, “How are we supposed to have class?”
Luo Qingyuan glanced at the collapsed side hall and casually waved her hand. “Class is dismissed.”
“Elder?” The disciple stared blankly. “Then… what about tomorrow?”
Luo Qingyuan was in a good mood and smiled. “Once the side hall has been repaired, you will be notified.”
After saying that, she prepared to leave.
It didn’t matter whether she went to Class A or not. As long as Little Yu attended class with her, that was enough.
She had to make the title of second master official. Now she just needed to think of a way to get Martial Uncle Lingheng to agree.
“Elder?” someone called out anxiously, stopping her. “If we don’t have class tomorrow, how are we supposed to repay Nangong Yu’s debt?”
Luo Qingyuan looked at him in surprise. “You’re asking me?”
There was almost a hint of pity and sympathy in her expression, as though she were looking at an idiot.
The disciple froze, unable to say a word. In the next instant, Luo Qingyuan’s figure had already vanished into the horizon.
“I…” His lips moved, and resentment gradually welled up in his eyes.
The elder was biased, and she didn’t even take responsibility for her classes.
He turned his gaze toward the main hall. Through the half-collapsed wall, he could see over twenty disciples from Class A sitting on meditation cushions and cultivating.
“Come on. Let’s go take a look,” someone whispered.
Class B had the day off, while Class A’s wall had collapsed. Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity to sit in on their lesson?
Several others had the same thought. They immediately took out their meditation cushions and shamelessly squeezed into the main hall.
Elder Baihe glanced at them but treated them as though they were air, making no attempt to stop them.
Some of the Class B disciples went to the main hall to sit in on the lesson, while the rest, covered in dust and grime, headed down the mountain—to borrow spirit stones from the Hall of All Affairs.
Nangong Yu was among those making their way down.
“Little Grand Martial Aunt, over here.” Chen Zhi rode over on a spirit crane to pick her up.
He had been ordered to protect Nangong Yu. After escorting her to Disciple Peak that morning, he hadn’t left. Instead, he had waited nearby, ready to assist without disturbing her class.
Later, two elders had started fighting and reduced the side hall to rubble.
Nangong Yu had also gone to war with the disciples of Class A, fighting three consecutive battles before ending the day with more than twenty IOUs in hand.
For Chen Zhi, the day had been agonizing. But when he thought about it carefully, none of it was really surprising.
Wherever she went, there always seemed to be storms and chaos. Peace was a rare sight.
To avoid another clash with the other disciples on the way down the mountain, Chen Zhi had chosen to take her down on the spirit crane. In any case, one more victory or defeat hardly mattered to her impressive record.
“Little Grand Martial Aunt.”
“Little Grand Martial Aunt?”
Chen Zhi called out three times, but Nangong Yu didn’t respond. She simply continued climbing down obediently.
“Little Grand Martial Aunt, why are you in the mood to climb down the mountain today?” Chen Zhi couldn’t help asking. This was somewhat contrary to his understanding of her.
Whenever something unusual happened, trouble was sure to follow. She had already caused quite a commotion today, and Chen Zhi wasn’t sure he could withstand her stirring up anything else.
“Little Grand Martial Aunt, come up.” Chen Zhi guided the spirit crane closer, trying to bring her aboard.
However, the moment he touched her, his expression changed.
