Holding Young Shiyi in my arms, I relished the flowers and voices of cicadas for a while after Young Shiyi said, “… I just want you to be well.” For , that was all I could ask for in life.
Young Shiyi was right when she accused of purposely withholding information. Frankly, even Boss Shen and Hong Jiu could tell to so extent because I paid everyone but Young Shiyi a visit prior to comncing the expedition. I wasn’t afraid Young Shiyi would easily see through . I was afraid of seeing her. Had she asked to not go, I really would’ve left Pangu alone, opting to seek an alternative, even if I’d regret it later. Suffice to say, she wouldn’t have been so unreasonable despite the desire to be.
Young Shiyi didn’t care what the consequences of leaving Pangu unchecked would be. She might feel sorry for its victims, but she wouldn’t feel she was obligated to do sothing for them. If she forced to turn a blind eye, however, I would take my regrets to my grave, and she was aware of that. When she found out the final boss was a dragon, she’d bite down on her lips and watch go. I didn’t want to see that.
Although I was always cognisant of the fact that she was perceptive, I didn’t expect Young Shiyi to figure it all out from the scarce clues. Had she not noticed and dealt with Pangu’s sons, as soon as I left Pangu’s den, his sons would’ve been on while I was defenceless. She never failed to amaze .
“I heard you have exponentially improved, even reaching Divine Realm. I heard you scared the living daylights out of two of them with Overarching Heaven. The ignorant would’ve thought Guanyin descended upon the mortal realm to subdue demons.”
Young Shiyi giggled. “I see your praising skills have improved exponentially. My la skills used to fool the people at the local teahouse caught the eyes of the great Lord San Shen?”
“Caught them so spectacularly that he can’t avert his gaze.”
“You’re not sick of after seeing for over twenty years?”
“I’ll answer that after I see you for another twenty years.”
“Here we go again. I wonder when he’ll take .”
“Uh, uh, I’m not feeling physically up to it today. I’m feeling a lack of stamina…”
“Where are you taking it?! … Puhahaha, ah, I’ll spare you for six months on account of you stopping a dragon.”
“Ehehe, we’ll definitely co back to this topic - promise. By the way, when did you reach Divine Realm? I never heard anything about it.”
Young Shiyi tugged up a corner of her lips and swiped her nose with her thumb. “That’s the whole point.” She tapped Overarching Heaven, then explained, “I took a shortcut; you couldn’t even say I duped my way to it. At the end of the day, if you’ve made it, you’ve made it; you can’t fake your progress. In saying that, without the swordplay your shifu imparted and Overarching Heaven supplenting, it would be a miracle if I could tickle the dragon’s two sons.”
Young Shiyi didn’t lie based on when I checked her pulse before. I also sowhat understood how she reached Divine Realm. “You and Shifu take the sa route. According to Shiniang, he once lost all of his skills but jumped to Divine Realm in a single day afterwards. I assu the thod isn’t remotely similar to the usual thod. Only you two freaks of nature could pull it off, though.”
“Only your shifu is worthy of being called a freak of nature. I can’t imagine myself succeeding with his thod. I can’t imagine how he did it. It took two years of studying his Reversal Manual to find the inspiration that got through the rut. I suppose that was what he wanted to do. He’s a genius. To comprehend the skills he invented, you can’t treat it procedurally.”
She was damn right about that. Who else but my shifu would design such a cornhole thod? Whenever he wanted to teach you sothing, he’d torture you into a cornhole instead of teaching you the way you’d expect.
Did I just call myself a cornhole?
“You’re not able to bring out the powers of Divine Realm owing to the way you achieved your results. One day, Lass Yu will surpass you for sure when it clicks for her. If you want to beat her, it’s better for you to take it step by step so that you build a solid foundation.”
“Hmph, why else do you think I can’t beat her? I want her to be complacent. As long as she doesn’t reach Divine Realm, I will be able to keep her in check.”
Sc-scary…
That said, Lass Yu was the type to put in the miles whether she lost or won. In my opinion, in seven years from now, a second Matriarch Zi would be born. As a matter of fact, she could very well surpass her ntor.
“Plus… I. Don’t. Have. A. Brother Feizhen’ to teach . Yijin Jing, Tai Chi, you know, they’re all for outsiders, not , aren’t I right, Brother Feizhen?”
I coughed profusely, then changed the topic. “With four Divine Realm mbers on Mount Daluo’s roster, we can do whatever we please, I an, honour our ancestors.”
“Don’t change the subject! Why don’t you teach when you’re so good?”
“It’s not that I refuse to teach you, my dear Young Shiyi. The problem is that our styles are polar opposites of each other, on top of being extres in regards to martial arts to begin with. Lass Yu can learn Tai Chi’s ntal cultivation because she’s pure and focused. You’re able to see fifteen steps ahead. No matter how you try, you won’t be able to master it.”
Young Shiyi knew that without pointed it out. It’s just, you know, it wasn’t easy to settle a smart woman once she’s fixated on sothing.
“Besides, why do you need to bother learning them?” I pulled Young Shiyi in tighter. “Nobody will pick on you with around.”
“Don’t change the topic.” Young Shiyi gave a peck on the cheek. “I’m happy you’re protecting ; however,” Young Shiyi turned stern, “why are you teaching outsiders exclusively?”
“…”
Stick to my script! Why do you have to keep the line between emotion and logic so distinct?!
“Did Yiren also gain sothing from you? Her internal style looks bizarre to . You passed on Yijin Jing to Shiba and Su Xiao. Why don’t you teach it to , too?”
“They, uh… are fated to share a thread of destiny with Buddhism. Amitabha, why must you be so persistent, Miss? Why do I keep saying Amitabha so naturally? It started since I woke up, right?”
“I don’t know what screw in His Majesty’s head was loosened, but he insisted on sitting by your bed until you ca to. It took a lot of effort to convince him to only visit during the day, leaving night shift to us.”
I scrubbed my head. “Emm… So? It’s not the first ti he’s had a screw loose.”
“Yes, but the problem is you speak in your sleep… incessantly.”
Huh?! I forgot about that!
I had been talking in my sleep for as long as I could rember. As a consequence of divulging where Shifu secretly stashed his money, he was always in deep water. One ti, I survived my three shiniang’s dangerous interrogation when I ca back late with Shifu after we went to a brothel for a concert. Once I fell asleep, howbeit, I disclosed our schedule for the past month. Consequently, he ended up spent all night kneeling on… needles. Yeah, I still owe him an apology for it.
I gradually forsook the habit with the passage of ti and my strength improvents. Learning to practice qigong in my sleep empowered to control every stage of my sleep, as well as avoid assassinations, so sleep talking beca a thing in the past.
“Tang Ye told I slept for more than thirty days. Doesn’t that an I shared all of my secrets with His Majesty?! Martial World Treasury, Martial World Treasury! I need the fastest horse to escape to Western Regions!”
Even my tast secret, my rank as Jingan Fuma, would be enough for to be beheaded ten tis over!
“Calm down. If he did find out your secrets, do you think you could’ve slept for so long? You’d be dead already.”
She… has a point. The daughter-con would slice , then blow up, boil and then kill again if he found out. Young Shiyi seems to have helped out with the issue…
“But it’s not as though I can distinguish between night and day in my sleep. Surely His Majesty heard a bit during the day.”
“He did. On the first day, you were going on about dog crap, ‘I’ll stomp you, you snollygoster of a dragon’ and whatnot. His Majesty didn’t suspect you went to challenge Pangu; he thought you were insulting him.”
“… Martial World Treasury!”
“Relax. His Majesty isn’t angry. I was frightened, on the other hand. The more you say, the higher the chances of you letting sothing sleep. That’s why I had whoever was on night shift implent a trick.”
“What’d you do?”
“Practically everything you say in your sleep cos from what you rember most vividly. Accordingly, I had Shiba and the others read archaic stories to you when you were sleeping. As a result, you’d repeat what you heard overnight the next day.”
“And the story you all read to was…?”
“This.” Young Shiyi took out a mini book from her sash.
My eyes flew wide open at the text on the cover - Lord San Shen X Xin Chuideng - First Volu.
No! No! No! No! No! I’d rather reveal all my secrets than listen to that!
“Oh, my mistake. It was this one.” Young Shiyi took out another mini book - Lord San Shen X Xin Chuideng - Second Volu.
“Martial World Treasury! Martial World Treasury! I’m going to Dongying! Prepare a ship! I don’t want to live here in sha for another minute!”
“Eh? Oh, wrong book again, ehe.”
… You’re still mad I taught outsiders, aren’t you?!
Young Shiyi finally brought out the actual book they read every night - Journey to the West. No wonder why I saw myself journeying to the west for a scripture and bald monks all the ti!
Read so more of Chang’e’s flirting part.
“This is what they read you every night. In spite of there being so many characters in the story, you only heard the parts starring Tang Seng. By the second day, you keep saying ‘Amitabha, three coins for incense. Please co inside for the ceremony’, ‘Empress Your Majesty, this one’s dharma na is Ji Xianfeng. He resides at Fengliu Town’ and whatnot.”
… I an, it’s not as bad as Lord San Shen X Xin Chuideng, but why do I feel like I haven’t won? Why does it feel as though I lost sothing important?
“Good boy, good boy. Although you sounded like a weirdo, it’s a good thing you’re used to it. After all, your secrets are safe. It’s just that you’re a little annoying with your amitabha lines.”
I guess… this is a solution? Amitabha.
“How did you beco a general again?”
“I requested it. Luo, Abels, Martial Paragon, Patriarch Moyan and I were all credited with major contributions. His Majesty, therefore, said we could choose between being conferred up to Third Rank, ten thousand taels or up to an Earl title.
“Even if Luo Ming cos to, he’s in a special situation, so I assu there will be different arrangents for him. Patriarch Moyan asked for ten thousand silver taels. Abels was conferred Deer Hunter Duke. I don’t care for peerage. It can be fun, but it doesn’t sound as cool as a general, so I asked for the title of Grand General of Nieyao, which grants authority over all soldiers of Nieyao. Although it’s nominal, it is a family business.”
A family business? Why does it sound sort of odd?
“How about ?” I stroked my chin. “I believe His Majesty wanted to confer sothing before he passed out, but I didn’t catch it.”
Young Shiyi dimpled. “Why not ask him yourself? You never know if you’ll be surprised.”
Sounds like she knows but isn’t telling …
“Brother Ming!”
I cast my gaze down the slope of the mountain to see Tie Hanyi coming up, yelling, “Brother Ming, His M-, Hero Li has co to. He’s calling for you!”
Young Shiyi gave a nudge. “Go on. It’s finally your turn.”
Why is she so elated? Is His Majesty really going to confer a high rank?
Gl
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