Apprenticeship? Another Apprenticeship!

With a miserable groan, Li Feng woke from his coma once more. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Gu Lingzi standing beside him with an embarrassed look, staring at him as if he were innocent. Little Cat lay sprawled over a nearby rock with its head drooping, a thread of drool hanging from its mouth; it was clearly fast asleep. Zhao Yue'er, her face fierce, bared her teeth and claws as she berated Gu Lingzi. "You're his uncle-master, his uncle-master! How could you beat a fellow disciple who just entered the sect into this state? Senior Brother Gu, among our generation in Yiyuan Sect, your magical power is second only to Senior Disciple Brother and Second Disciple Brother. But in terms of Dao cultivation, you're only a little stronger than me, Zhao Yue'er. Aren't you far too impulsive in what you do?"

Li Feng blinked and muttered inwardly, Damn it, this little wench is vicious. She even dares to scold her senior brother. As the youngest disciple in all of Yiyuan Sect, won't I die horribly whenever I run into her in the future?

Cold sweat had already seeped across Gu Lingzi's forehead as he stammered an explanation. "Junior Sister, Yue'er, you must listen to your senior brother's explanation. This Candle Dragon Grass, if refined properly, can directly shatter the Golden Core and form a Dao Embryo Nascent Soul, saving over a hundred years of bitter cultivation. You know my Golden Core has already formed. As long as I add the Nine Revolutions Profound Art and forge it steadfastly with true fire, I may be able to nurture a Nascent Soul. This Candle Dragon Grass..."

Zhao Yue'er snorted. "No wonder Mother told me that while your progress is among the fastest of all the disciples, your foundation is also the most unstable. You seek advancement single-mindedly, yet neglect the tempering of your fundamental skills. Be careful when the Heavenly Tribulation descends in the future. Even with Uncle-Master and the others helping you, it will still be difficult for you to cross it. Instead of cultivating properly yourself, you devote your heart to seeking the aid of plants and herbs. What kind of cultivation is that?"

It seemed Zhao Yue'er had rarely found an opportunity to lecture someone. Taking advantage of Li Feng's having been knocked unconscious, her pretty face brimmed with indignation. Her eyes were wide as she gestured at Gu Lingzi. "With the effort you spend drawing underground spiritual veins to cultivate Candle Dragon Grass, you might as well improve your own Dao cultivation. But look at yourself, Senior Brother. You spend every day burrowing into talisman charms and Daoist magic. Over the last ten years, even Little Cat's cultivation has grown faster than yours."

Gu Lingzi hurriedly forced a smile and chuckled. "That's why, that's why your senior brother prepares all kinds of spirit herbs to improve his Dao cultivation. Well, your senior brother is also..."

Seeing such a solemn old Daoist as Gu Lingzi being lectured until he could not argue back by a little girl like Zhao Yue'er, Li Feng could not help letting out a snort of laughter.

Gu Lingzi had already been made to stammer by the eccentric Zhao Yue'er. Now that he saw Li Feng awake, he hastily burst into laughter. "Ha, ha, ha! Junior Sister, look, the boy is awake, he's awake! Hahaha! You said I beat him to death, but isn't he perfectly fine now? Senior brother, senior brother has something to do and must leave first. If the remaining Candle Dragon Grass is used properly, it can still be refined into two pills. Senior brother will give you one when the time comes."

Before his words had even faded, Gu Lingzi smiled at Li Feng, transformed into a long gust of wind that swept up bamboo leaves from the ground, and flew away. Li Feng heard his hurried voice by his ear. "Little Martial Nephew, this was a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding... You must not say too much before your junior sister aunt. Your uncle-master will make it worth your while."

Li Feng blinked, then gave a sinister chuckle. Zhao Yue'er was loudly cursing the breeze Gu Lingzi had transformed into. "What do I want your pills for? Can't I cultivate on my own?" Just then, Li Feng happened to laugh, and his eerie, sinister chuckle made Zhao Yue'er shudder all over. She nearly jumped into the air.

Zhao Yue'er abruptly turned around. Her large eyes stared unblinkingly at Li Feng as she reached out and gave his bald head a hard smack. Then she suddenly grinned. "Interesting, interesting. Senior Brother Xiao Longzi actually brought a little monk back to the mountain. This is an immortal's abode, not a monk's temple."

Li Feng hurriedly reached up to feel his head, only to discover in astonishment that not just his hair, but even his eyebrows had been blasted clean away. His mouth twisted as he cursed viciously in his heart. Gu Lingzi, you old bastard. Though I might not be a jade tree standing in the wind, among all the street rats in Suzhou Prefecture, I'm still one of the best-looking. Now you've turned me into a monk. I... Just wait. Didn't you promise me benefits? I won't let you off.

Greed flashed through Li Feng's eyes. Countless pills, gold, silver, jewels, and treasures drifted before him, until he failed to notice Zhao Yue'er's question at all.

Sitting on a stone in front of him, Zhao Yue'er propped up her chin and asked, "Little Martial Nephew, you've only just come up the mountain. This is exactly the time to build your foundation and nurture your qi. Why are you running all over the mountain day and night? The various spirit medicines on Qingyun Flat may not be anything extraordinary, but swallowing them recklessly like this is truly too wasteful... The efficacy of a hundred century-old Purple Ganoderma is not as potent as a single Peiyuan Pill. You... Hey, hey, hey! Your aunt is talking to you. Why are you daydreaming?"

The corners of Zhao Yue'er's lips curved up, revealing a beautiful, captivating smile that could make Li Feng drool. Then she brought her palm down heavily on the top of his head. Li Feng let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered and sprang up at once. Then he saw Zhao Yue'er's enchanting smile, froze for a moment, and his whole body went limp. His foot happened to miss its footing and landed on Little Cat's head, sending him plopping back down onto the ground.

Little Cat jerked awake and leapt up, opening its huge mouth to show its might. As the saying went, a tiger's butt could not be touched. Yet someone had dared to step on a tiger's head. If it did not show some prestige and teach that audacious boy a lesson, what kind of accomplished tiger spirit would Little Cat be? But just as Little Cat opened its mouth, Zhao Yue'er simply kicked it squarely in the jaw. Little Cat looked up with wide eyes, saw that it was Zhao Yue'er, shivered through all its fur, and obediently lay back down.

Li Feng gave a few nervous chuckles. "So it's Junior Sister Aunt. Hehe, haha, hoho... What does Aunt have to say?" Outwardly, he wore an utterly respectful expression, but inside he was howling wildly. Heavens, heavens, I'm dying, I'm dying! Such a beautiful little lady—I'm dying! All the girls in the four great courtyards of Suzhou Prefecture put together aren't as pretty as a single one of her fingers!

Thinking of Zhao Yue'er's fingers, Li Feng instinctively looked toward her hand. Slender jade fingers, pale and tender as jade itself, with a smooth, precious radiance flowing beneath the skin. Li Feng could not describe their beauty at all. For a moment, he thought instead of the most delicious Drunken Wind Claws he had ever eaten at Zuixian Tower in Suzhou Prefecture.

Pah, pah. Li Feng hurriedly spat twice and cursed himself viciously. Damn it, what am I thinking? Junior Sister Aunt's fingers are far prettier than those Drunken Wind Claws. Sinful, sinful. This beauty's hands are truly gorgeous... This beauty's face is truly gorgeous too, and her figure is indeed far better than those women of Suzhou Prefecture who think so highly of themselves.

Zhao Yue'er stared blankly at Li Feng too, frowning as she wondered what was wrong with this little martial nephew. Why was he staring at her in a daze? Could that Yimu Divine Thunder from Gu Lingzi have turned him into an idiot? Should she go to the Alchemy Room and fetch a few Zengling Pills for him? Then again, having a silly idiot around might be quite fun. He would certainly be more entertaining than Little Cat.

Zhao Yue'er gave a soft cough and asked, "Little Martial Nephew, what are you looking at?"

Li Feng hurriedly scrambled to his feet, then stood respectfully five feet in front of Zhao Yue'er and said, "Aunt, I mean, you're truly beautiful. I, Li Feng, am not boasting. I've seen nearly all the wealthy young ladies and top courtesans in Suzhou Prefecture. Put together, they aren't as pretty as one of your fingers." The moment the words left his mouth, Li Feng's heart gave a thump, and he cried inwardly, Finished, finished! Why did I tell the truth? This little girl is the sect leader's daughter. If she doesn't like what I said, with just a twitch of her finger, I'll...

Who would have thought Zhao Yue'er would be deeply interested? She was only sixteen or seventeen. Although she cultivated the Dao, her cultivation was still shallow, and she naturally could not suppress a young girl's love of beauty. She often looked at her reflection in the water, then sighed for no reason. Yet in Yiyuan Sect, apart from seventeen foolish people wholly devoted to cultivation, there was only Little Cat, a beast that could not speak. Who could understand her thoughts and have a proper chat with her?

Now, hearing Li Feng praise her appearance, Zhao Yue'er did not even pay attention to what a top courtesan was. Her smile bloomed like a flower as she laughed softly. "Hehehe... We cultivators do not concern ourselves with whether one's appearance is good or bad."

Seeing that Zhao Yue'er was delighted, Li Feng too felt inexplicably overjoyed. He pondered inwardly, So immortals like flattery too? Then I'll have to put this skill to good use in the future... Right, immortals were once ordinary people too. Back when Tiger Boss and the others chased me until there was nowhere to run, a few flattering words would make them hit much less hard. Looks like flattery works on everyone. I must remember that.

Thus, Li Feng hurriedly stepped closer and said with a solemn expression, "Ah, cultivation, cultivation—I'm not yet a cultivator, so of course appearances matter... A beauty like Aunt, if you were placed in Suzhou Prefecture, who knows how many people's eyeballs would fall out. Just like last time, a Persian Merchant brought more than a dozen beauties from Yangzhou. One of them had a rich merchant offering ten bushels of Bright Pearls in exchange for her. But that Persian girl wasn't even one-tenth as pretty as Aunt... No, not even one percent, one-thousandth as pretty."

Zhao Yue'er had never left Qingyun Flat. How could she have known that some people lived by bragging and flattering others? Li Feng's sweet talk sent her heart soaring. Although she did not understand why anyone would trade Bright Pearls for a Persian Merchant's girl, she at least knew that Li Feng was doing his utmost to praise her beauty. She had already been made dizzy by the soup of enchantment, tossing ten-odd years of cultivation to the nine heavens.

Only Little Cat beside them had become a spirit with age and understood more of worldly affairs than Zhao Yue'er. Seeing Li Feng spray saliva everywhere as he fawned over her, racking his brains to praise Zhao Yue'er's beauty, Little Cat spread all four paws on the ground and assumed the pose of a dead tiger. It cast Li Feng a disdainful sidelong glance, with only one thought in its heart. Shameless beyond measure... Sigh, tigers are better... We don't care whether our fur looks pretty. We care only about strength... Though the fur on me, Little Cat, is certainly the sleekest hide among all tigers beneath heaven. Hmph, hmph...

After laughing happily for quite a while, Zhao Yue'er looked at the child before her, who was not even twelve, and found herself liking him more and more. She nodded. "All right, Fengzi, stop talking. How could I possibly be as beautiful as you claim? I haven't even seen those four great beauties. Still, if I have the chance in the future, I'll go to Suzhou Prefecture and see... Let me ask you: why aren't you cultivating properly now? The force within your body is abundant, and all your channels are open, but it is like wind in a mountain valley, moving entirely by instinct. You have never tried to gather and circulate it yourself."

Li Feng had been speaking with great relish. Back in Suzhou Prefecture, where had he ever had a chance to show off his silver tongue? At most, he could flaunt how worldly he was before A Zhu. Now, it was rare to find a little girl who knew nothing and would listen to his nonsense, and she was a beautiful little girl at that. He was enjoying himself immensely, so how could he bear to stop? Still, though pleased with himself, he had not forgotten himself entirely. Zhao Yue'er was his junior sister aunt; that was something he absolutely could not get wrong. Could he refuse to answer his aunt's question?

Li Feng sighed and shook his head as he spoke. "Aunt, I, Li Feng, am also someone who strives to improve. Now that I've come to a place of immortals, how could I not cultivate diligently? But my master never gave me a cultivation method. I truly don't know how to cultivate... Also, Aunt, don't you think calling me Fengzi sounds like calling me a madman? Could you use another form of address?"

The corners of Zhao Yue'er's mouth curled up again, and her shoulders shook slightly as she nodded repeatedly. "All right, all right, all right, I won't call you a madman anymore... Hahaha, madman... Mm, I'll call you Little Feng instead. Little Feng, how could you not know cultivation methods? Though Senior Brother Xiao Longzi has entered seclusion, he surely gave you the general outline of our sect's Dao cultivation. And didn't he take you to Shouyi Pavilion? All the Daoist books of Yiyuan Sect are there. So long as you comprehend them quietly, you can gain accomplishments even without anyone's instruction."

Li Feng's face instantly turned bright red. After mumbling for a long while, he finally stared at Zhao Yue'er with his little eyes wide and an innocent expression. "Aunt, my parents died when I was young. Even saying my family was poor cannot describe how miserable and destitute I was. I had no family circumstances to speak of at all. What in this world doesn't require money? Even learning to read costs money... I cannot read at all. How could I possibly understand such profound and unfathomable introductory teachings?"

Though his words were pitiful, Li Feng muttered inwardly, Still, saying I had no money is a lie. After being a thief for six years, I've saved dozens of taels of gold and silver. But why should I give my money to those old pedants? Reading is useless these days... What use is learning characters? A plump roasted duck is far more practical.

Naturally, he could never say such thoughts to Zhao Yue'er. Li Feng held his facial muscles, which were nearly cramping, tightly in check and put on an expression as though his parents had died, his face clouded with gloom and misery. Raising his hand—hm, he was actually wearing a loose green Daoist robe. Gu Lingzi must have stripped it off himself. No matter. Li Feng lifted it and wiped away his tears fiercely, smearing some snot onto it while he was at it. It was not his clothing anyway, so he did not care.

Zhao Yue'er's thoughts were different. A girl of sixteen or seventeen was at just the age when compassion overflowed; if she saw a thief stealing her purse, she might even offer him silver herself. Seeing Li Feng speak so miserably, his face full of sorrow, tears and snot all over him, her heart had long since softened. Looking at his thin, shriveled body and his height, barely reaching her waist, Zhao Yue'er instinctively remembered a skinny monkey she had once found in the mountains, starving until it was half-dead.

Ah, who knows how many years this poor little fellow went without a full meal to end up like this?

Li Feng's shifty eyes rolled around a few times, and he let his spine sag slightly, making himself look utterly pitiful. He did not know that his hunched, head-lowered pose made him look exactly like an old mountain monkey. Seeing Li Feng's monkey-like appearance, Zhao Yue'er remembered the old monkey she had found in the back mountains of Qingyun Flat. That had been five or six years ago. The old monkey had been so starved that only one finger still hung in the world of the living. Although Zhao Yue'er fed it countless spirit pills, it had ultimately returned its soul to the underworld, leaving the Zhao Yue'er of that time heartbroken for half a year.

Now, seeing another typical monkey before her, Zhao Yue'er's old grief and sympathy were stirred up. She could not help reaching out to stroke Li Feng's cheek. "All right, don't cry. Why are you becoming sadder the more you speak? Hmph, that Xiao Longzi only knows bitter cultivation, bitter cultivation. He takes a disciple and then does not care for him at all... But honestly, in all the thousands of years of Yiyuan Sect, among every disciple who has entered the sect, you are the only one who cannot read."

Li Feng felt two soft palms carrying an indescribable fragrance touch his face. This exquisitely wonderful sensation sent endless fancies through the mind of someone whose thoughts were three times more complicated than those of ordinary adults. Before his eyes was Zhao Yue'er's exceptionally beautiful face; upon his face was that incomparably delightful touch; in his nose lingered that marvelous fragrance. Li Feng only felt his nose sting, as though liquid were about to spurt out.

He swiftly rolled up Gu Lingzi's Daoist robe and pressed it hard against his nose, then burst into loud sobs. "Wuwuwuwu, Aunt, you're so good to me... My master is truly irresponsible. And that Xie Yuezi, he threw me a book I couldn't understand at all and ran off. He never even asked whether I could read it... Aunt, if only I were your disciple."

The training Li Feng had received since childhood had given him a remarkably magical skill: he could shed tears whenever and wherever he wished. At that moment, tears covered his face and snot ran freely, while inwardly he wailed to heaven and earth. Damn it, damn it, how embarrassing. Why am I having a nosebleed? The first time Niu Boss and the others peeked at girls receiving customers in the brothel, they all came back with two streams of blood under their noses. Why am I getting a nosebleed too?

Zhao Yue'er withdrew her hand, puffed out her cheeks, and said angrily, "Xiao Longzi and Xie Yuezi, was it? I understand now. Xie Yuezi must be studying the Golden Core, so he dragged Xiao Longzi along to guard him. And Xiao Longzi's Golden Core is about to form, so he is asking Xie Yuezi for experience. Hmph, hmph, so they tossed you aside and ignored you... Don't worry. On Qingyun Flat, aside from Mother, your aunt is the greatest. When the time comes, I'll help you deal with those two."

A cold gleam appeared in Zhao Yue'er's eyes, the kind that made Little Cat tremble all over. "Hmph, hmph. Xie Yuezi treasures that grove of Cold Moon Orchids most. When the time comes, I'll pull them all up and see where he can find Nine Heavens Orchid Fruit to refine. As for Xiao Longzi, he planted three Small Flat Peaches atop the highest peak on the Shady Side of Mount Hua. Tomorrow, we'll release a troop of monkeys into them and see how he eats peaches after that."

The more Zhao Yue'er thought about it, the more a mischievous smile appeared on her face. Li Feng was busy wiping away his nosebleed with the Daoist robe, but his peripheral vision sharply caught her expression. His heart rejoiced. Hehe, so when this little girl goes wild, she's just like us brothers... Wasn't it because we stole Old Woman Huang's chickens, and she beat an iron basin while cursing through the streets, that we threw three weasels into her courtyard? Hehe, excellent, excellent...

Zhao Yue'er squinted as she planned for a long while before solemnly nodding. "All right, Little Martial Nephew, rest easy. I'll stand up for you. But what you said about becoming my disciple may be a little difficult... I have not formally been entered into the sect lineage myself. Since my father is the sect leader, whether I enter the sect lineage makes little difference. Hmm, what should we do?"

Li Feng had already thrown himself to the ground. "That's even easier. Aunt, just establish your own sect. There's Yiyuan Sect, right? You can establish an Eryuan Sect or Sanyuan Sect. Three is bigger than one, isn't it?... You'll be the founding patriarch, and I'll be your first disciple. Wouldn't that settle it?"

"Shameless, shameless," Little Cat groaned beside them, shaking its head and tail.

Zhao Yue'er giggled with delight and hurriedly shook her head. "The one in Yiyuan Sect doesn't mean that, haha. But even if I explained it, you would not understand right now. If I established an Eryuan Sect or Sanyuan Sect, people would laugh their teeth out when word got around... Still, establishing my own sect does sound somewhat interesting. Hmm, Yiyuan, Erxiang... My sect shall be called Erxiang Sect. Hahahaha! But you must not let my father know, or else! I'll drive you out."

As she spoke, Zhao Yue'er laughed so hard that she could no longer speak, covering her mouth as she panted sharply.

Li Feng was overjoyed. He knocked his head on the ground several times and chuckled. "Master above, this disciple Li Feng pays his respects... Yes, yes, naturally we cannot tell Sect Leader Uncle-Master about such a matter." How could he not be happy? It was clear that Zhao Yue'er was the little empress dowager of Yiyuan Sect. Who would dare provoke her? If he found her as a backer, who would dare provoke him? Especially when Zhao Yue'er was so beautiful. Hehe, perhaps in the future... Li Feng rolled his eyes, his head full of sprites fighting.

Zhao Yue'er stood up from the stone and said, "Mm, that's right. From now on, you are my disciple. I will not treat you poorly... I'll go get you a Nine Revolutions Profound Pill now to help you establish your foundation. After that, every morning you will refine qi and forge your body, while in the afternoons you will follow me in studying and nourishing Daoist books. Do you understand?"

Li Feng blinked and carefully asked, "Master, don't you have lessons of your own?"

Zhao Yue'er smiled. "My lessons are simple. Every morning I refine qi, every afternoon I review Daoist books, and at night I either perform Qi Induction or observe celestial phenomena. On Qingyun Flat, in terms of Dao cultivation, you are the closest to my level, so we can do our daily lessons together... These past few days, I have been refining a jade pendant Father gave me, which is why I did not go out. Actually, I usually enjoy roaming around too. Now that I have you with me, I won't have to worry about lacking company."

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Yue'er took a jade talisman from her sleeve. It was only two inches long, two fingers wide, and three-tenths of an inch thick, yet it was covered in fine green patterns that formed complex arrays and talisman charms. Gentle green light rose from it in streams, then merged back into the jade talisman, as if the green light was not light at all, but flowing water.

Zhao Yue'er smilingly handed the jade talisman to Li Feng. "This is Heavenly Escape, which Father gave me. With a talisman in hand, so long as your magical power is sufficient, no matter how powerful an array or trap may be, it cannot imprison you. If your magical power is insufficient, you can activate the Invisibility Art on the jade talisman and conceal your body completely. Unless one is a True Person at the Void Glimpse stage, no one in the entire Cultivation World can discover a person protected by Heavenly Escape... Since you have taken me as master, I naturally have to give you something good." As she spoke, Zhao Yue'er found it amusing herself and began to laugh.

Li Feng snatched the jade talisman almost as if he were grabbing it, then asked anxiously, "But if you give it to me, won't Master have nothing left?"

Zhao Yue'er smiled. "Father gave it to me when I was little. I loved wandering through the mountains, and he feared that I might encounter Mountain Imps or Water Monsters, so he gave it to me for protection. Now, not to boast, ordinary demons and monsters cannot escape my Flowing Waves Sword. Besides, I cannot fully activate Heavenly Escape, so keeping this talisman is already useless to me. It is just right for my disciple to use. Hehe!"

Li Feng turned the crystalline jade talisman over and over in his hands, clicking his tongue. "Heavens, once this thing turns invisible, no one can really see you?"

Zhao Yue'er nodded proudly. "Yiyuan Sect is an orthodox inheritance of the Cultivation World. Our Daoist magic is subtle and profound. What is difficult about that? Once you advance in the future and encounter the profound Daoist books of our sect, you will naturally understand why... For now, keep Heavenly Escape with you. When your magical power is sufficient to activate the Invisibility Art, I will teach you all the hand seals and incantations." She was becoming more and more fluent at calling him "disciple."

Li Feng was beside himself with joy and hurriedly thanked her. An exceptionally vicious and pointless idea surfaced in his heart. Damn it, if I'd had this treasure in Suzhou Prefecture, would I have needed to take such risks to peep at the girls bathing in the brothels?

A chilly gust of wind swept past, as though even Heaven had broken out in goosebumps and shivered.