Cannot Mention Your Master to Anyone

Cannot Mention Your Master to Anyone

"Mm."

Li Xuan nodded. He felt it was necessary to give his disciple a warning—how could he forget to cook?

Having his head filled with nothing but cultivation would not do.

"You must balance work and rest. Cultivation must not be excessive. Do you understand?"

Li Xuan said with a stern expression.

Hearing this, Xu Yan looked deeply ashamed. "Yes, Master. Your disciple will certainly remember this!"

He was moved beyond measure. Master is afraid I'll blindly force myself to endure and end up injuring myself. That's right—although perseverance is important, one must proceed step by step. I've only just begun Bone Refining. If I stubbornly push myself too hard, something could easily go wrong!

"You must understand that persistence also has its ways. Tension and relaxation must alternate; work and rest must be balanced. Only by properly relaxing your mind can you cultivate more efficiently and gain greater insights!"

Li Xuan instructed him earnestly.

"This disciple understands. I will never make this mistake again!"

Xu Yan said respectfully.

Sure enough, blindly forcing myself to endure can easily lead to problems. I must properly relax my mind. Otherwise, like a string pulled too taut for too long, I could easily snap!

Xu Yan instantly gained an understanding.

"Go on!"

Li Xuan waved him off and sent Xu Yan to cook.

This disciple is quite obedient. What a pity I'm not truly some great master, and the cultivation methods are all made up. Persistence won't help either!

He sighed inwardly again. But since he had already deceived him, he could only keep bluffing his way through.

After Xu Yan entered Bone Refining, whenever his qi and blood seeped deeper into his bones and began tempering them, he would feel as though sand were grinding against his bones.

However, Xu Yan no longer stubbornly forced himself to endure. Whenever he was close to reaching his limit, he would stop cultivating and do something else to relax his mind.

Five days later.

As Xu Yan cultivated, he suddenly felt his qi and blood tremble. The bones throughout his body shook, and as his qi and blood seeped into them, he felt a smoothness he had never felt before.

His entire body felt stronger, and his qi and blood improved along with it.

"I've finally entered the Bone Refining stage."

Xu Yan was thrilled. After five days of arduous cultivation, he had finally completed the first stage of Bone Refining.

The Bone Refining that followed would be much smoother, and he would no longer suffer those painful sensations of ants gnawing and sand grinding against his bones.

Only when he began Bone Refining Like Copper would the painful sensations return.

"I am now at the beginning stage of Bone Refining Like Iron. But now that I've entered it, the subsequent tempering will be easier all the way until Bone Refining Like Copper."

Xu Yan was filled with excitement. As long as he no longer had to endure such agonizing pain during tempering, he could persist longer and spend more time cultivating.

"I've been away from home for nearly a month now. Having entered Bone Refining, my strength has grown to the point where I need not fear being besieged by a hundred men even barehanded."

"It's time to return home for a visit. The money I had prepared as Master's apprenticeship gift was all spent on my cultivation. I should buy some rare medicinal herbs and prepare another apprenticeship gift for Master."

Xu Yan felt that although his master did not care about his apprenticeship gift, how could he, as a disciple, neglect the rites of honoring his master?

"With Master's realm, he certainly would not care for rare Precious Medicine. After all, the Precious Medicine in ordinary people's eyes is merely mundane stuff. What should I prepare as an apprenticeship gift?"

Xu Yan fell into deep thought.

Then he suddenly slapped his forehead. "How could I be so foolish? Master does not care about rare treasures at all. I only need to convey my sincerity. Trinkets like gold and jade could decorate Master's house. Master should like them."

Once he figured it out, Xu Yan felt entirely at ease.

"I'll catch a wild rabbit outside, catch a fish from the stream, and make Master a lavish meal before I leave."

Xu Yan ended his cultivation and left the village to prepare the ingredients.

Looking at the bountiful table, Li Xuan wore a satisfied expression. This disciple was not bad!

His cooking was becoming more and more delicious, and there were more dishes as well.

"Master, I have been away from home for nearly a month. I would like to return home for a visit."

After the meal, Xu Yan spoke up.

Li Xuan's heart skipped a beat. Once this boy goes back and talks about becoming my disciple, won't I be exposed? His head may not work quite right, but surely his parents and family can't all be slow-witted, can they?

But if he did not allow Xu Yan to go home, that would be hard to justify, and it might instead arouse Xu Yan's suspicions.

After pondering briefly, Li Xuan said, "It would be good for you to return home. But your master must remind you of this: before you have entered the path, you must not reveal anything about cultivation to anyone, including your parents. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master. Your disciple will absolutely not mention anything related to cultivation to anyone else!"

Xu Yan froze for a moment, then immediately gave his solemn assurance.

"Your master prefers peace and quiet, likes to keep a low profile, and dislikes ostentation. Though I have accepted you as my disciple, before you have entered the path, you must not mention your master. I hope you understand!"

Li Xuan said with a grave expression.

"Yes, Master. Before I have entered the path, this disciple will not mention you in the slightest!"

Xu Yan promised respectfully.

If I fail to enter the path, it means I have no fate with Master. Master made an exception and accepted me as his disciple, yet if I cannot enter the path, it would tarnish Master's reputation. As a disciple, I must place protecting Master's reputation above all else!

Xu Yan felt somewhat ashamed. His talent was still a little lacking.

If he could not enter the path and diminished Master's prestige, would that not make Master a laughingstock?

As a disciple, he should regard his master's honor, disgrace, and good name as paramount!

Li Xuan had merely wanted to avoid being exposed and seen through too early, so he warned Xu Yan not to mention him, much less speak of cultivation.

He had no idea Xu Yan had filled in the blanks on his own.

"Your master naturally trusts you. Go back early, and take care on the road."

Li Xuan's expression softened. Then he reminded him, "You must pass through the thirty-li Evil Fiend Forest on this journey. There are fierce tigers and Fierce Beasts within, so be careful. Do not get hurt."

Evil Fiend Forest was far too dangerous. If Xu Yan encountered a fierce tiger or Fierce Beast alone, he would likely find it difficult to survive.

Li Xuan could only offer a reminder. Whether Xu Yan could pass through safely would depend entirely on his luck.

"Yes, Master!"

Xu Yan dropped to his knees with a thud and respectfully kowtowed three times. "Master, I will return to serve you in as little as six or seven days, or at most eleven or twelve days!"

"You are thoughtful."

Seeing Xu Yan so respectful, so devoted to honoring his master, so full of filial devotion, Li Xuan was somewhat moved as well.

How did deceiving him end up creating some feelings? Sigh, I truly am not a qualified swindler. I was forced into all this!

Li Xuan felt helpless inwardly.

He truly did not want to deceive anyone. It was all because Xu Yan's head did not work right—he insisted on throwing himself headlong into being deceived, and the apprenticeship gift he gave was simply far too much!

Xu Yan left.

Li Xuan stood on the hillside at the village entrance, watching Xu Yan's receding figure with a complicated expression.

"I only hope he can pass safely through Evil Fiend Forest, that foolish boy... sigh!"

He let out a sigh. Only after Xu Yan's figure vanished from sight did Li Xuan return to his residence.

Lying in the chair beneath the great tree, he suddenly felt somewhat... lonely!

"Fuck!"

"I've gotten used to having a disciple wait on me. Now that I'm suddenly all alone again, why does it feel so damn awful?"

Li Xuan slapped his face and could not help swearing.