I Won't Tell Master

"Qingyi, take your medicine."

"Master, I can do it myself."

"Look at the state you're in. How could you drink it yourself? Open wide."

"Thank you, Master."

In the courtyard at the summit of Linggan Peak, Jiang Qingyi lay in bed with her little mouth open as Xiao Mo fed her the herbal medicine, one spoonful at a time.

Although Jiang Qingyi had won first place in the New Blood Martial Arts Competition, she had suffered some serious injuries.

If she hadn't comprehended the Nine Leaves Sword move from the Grass Character Sword Art at the final, critical moment, she might well have lost her life.

"You really mustn't push yourself like that again." Xiao Mo sighed.

Jiang Qingyi didn't answer. She only stuck out her tongue playfully.

After feeding her the medicine, Xiao Mo set the bowl on a wooden tray and handed Jiang Qingyi a Storage Bag.

"Master, what's this?" Jiang Qingyi asked curiously.

"These are the spirit stones you earned for winning first place in the New Blood Martial Arts Competition. They include the ones I won from my wager, as well as the reward from Dragon Spring Sword Sect. It's all in there."

"Master, I don't need these. You can keep them." Jiang Qingyi handed the Storage Bag back to Xiao Mo.

"How can you say you don't need them?" Xiao Mo said with a smile. "You still have to reach Foundation Establishment, and after that, there are realms like Cave Mansion Realm and Dragon Gate Realm. You'll need spirit stones for all of them."

"But you need them too, Master."

"Me?" Xiao Mo reached out and gently patted Jiang Qingyi on the head. "I think I've reached the end of the road."

"How could that be? You're only twenty, Master. You still have so much time ahead of you. I've heard many elders say that you're the youngest Nascent Soul Realm cultivator to date. You can surely attain the Immortal Realm one day." Jiang Qingyi spoke excitedly.

Xiao Mo only smiled without answering.

In truth, Xiao Mo knew what he was capable of.

If he hadn't used the Heaven Continuation Art to reshape Jiang Qingyi's Root Bone and clear her Spiritual Meridian,

he believed that, with the help of his Sword Bone, this body of his could have at least attained the Immortal Realm.

But a year had passed. Though the Sword Bone inside Xiao Mo was fine, his foundation had been damaged.

And he didn't have many years left to live.

Xiao Mo said, "Just keep it. If I need anything, I'll come ask you for it."

"All right. Then I'll look after Master's little purse. If you need anything, you must come to me. Everything I have belongs to you, Master."

"Fine."

Xiao Mo smiled.

Two months passed, and Jiang Qingyi had almost recovered from her injuries. Xiao Mo continued helping her reshape her Root Bone.

Because Jiang Qingyi was missing a Sword Bone, Xiao Mo had essentially forced a fake bone into place for her.

The bone was made from Xiao Mo's Spiritual Energy, so he had to maintain it regularly.

Once Jiang Qingyi reached the Golden Core Realm, the false bone would stabilize.

Another six months passed.

Jiang Qingyi had reached the peak of Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer and was ready to attempt Foundation Establishment.

Xiao Mo personally stood guard for her.

After she swallowed a Foundation Establishment pill, Jiang Qingyi broke through.

In an instant, thunder rumbled across the sky, and bolts of lightning crashed down on Jiang Qingyi.

When ordinary people underwent the Foundation Establishment Tribulation, they faced only three bolts of lightning.

But Jiang Qingyi faced nine.

If Xiao Mo hadn't made thorough preparations and used every kind of treasure and pill for surviving the tribulation, Jiang Qingyi would have been in grave danger.

After reaching Foundation Establishment, Jiang Qingyi cultivated even faster than before.

That was a good thing.

The faster Jiang Qingyi cultivated, the higher her realm would be fifty years later.

But Xiao Mo used the Heaven Continuation Art on her more and more often.

If things went on like this, Xiao Mo thought, he might have only forty years left to live.

One day, Dragon Spring Sword Sect assigned Jiang Qingyi a mission.

Foundation Establishment disciples of Dragon Spring Sword Sect all had to go out on missions.

Jiang Qingyi was no exception.

Xiao Mo secretly followed her as her guardian.

But unless her life was in danger, Xiao Mo couldn't step in. That wasn't just a rule of Dragon Spring Sword Sect.

A cultivator could only improve faster by experiencing life and death.

Jiang Qingyi never gave Xiao Mo a chance to intervene.

She completed every mission exceptionally well.

She was very strong and even displayed a gift for leadership.

Before long, Jiang Qingyi had become the figurehead of Dragon Spring Sword Sect's newest generation of disciples.

Her fame gradually spread throughout the world as well.

The year she turned seventeen, Jiang Qingyi entered the Cave Mansion Realm.

She was reaching a new realm every year and a half, leaving the cultivators of her generation further and further behind.

On the day the girl turned eighteen, Xiao Mo came up with an excuse to send Jiang Qingyi to Dragon Spring Town to buy wine.

While Jiang Qingyi was away, Xiao Mo hurriedly decorated the courtyard.

Once everything was ready, Xiao Mo waited for her on the path she had to take up the mountain.

Over half an hour later, Jiang Qingyi came up the mountain carrying the wine her master had asked for. She saw him standing beneath the moonlight, smiling in her direction.

Delight flashed in Jiang Qingyi's eyes. She ran over happily and held out the jar. "Master, here's the wine you asked for. Aunt Wang had one last jar of twenty-year-old Osmanthus Wine."

"Mm, thanks." Xiao Mo took the jar, then held out a piece of black cloth with his other hand.

"Master, what's this?" Jiang Qingyi asked curiously.

"Cover your eyes."

Jiang Qingyi blinked, then took the cloth and covered her eyes with it.

She had no idea what her master was planning, but if he told her to do something, she would do it.

"No peeking."

Xiao Mo took Jiang Qingyi's little hand and led her forward.

"All right, you can take the blindfold off now."

Once they entered the courtyard, Xiao Mo spoke.

The girl untied the cloth covering her eyes.

What appeared before her was a very, very large Osmanthus Cake.

A slender candle stood in the cake, and the words "Happy Birthday, Qingyi" were written on it.

"Master, this is..." Jiang Qingyi's eyes wavered.

"This is a custom from my hometown. On your birthday, you're supposed to eat cake. In the past few years, either I was away on a mission or you were away on one when your birthday came around.

"This year, we're both here, and it's your eighteenth birthday.

"I meant to get a cake, but the cooks in Dragon Spring Town don't know how to make one, so I used Osmanthus Cake instead."

Xiao Mo explained it to Jiang Qingyi.

"Make a wish, then blow out the candle. Your wish will come true."

"Mhm."

Jiang Qingyi closed her eyes, clasped her hands, and made a wish.

Three breaths later, the girl opened her eyes and blew out the candle.

"Master, do you want to know what I wished for?" Jiang Qingyi turned around, her eyes curved into crescents.

"Let me guess. You're hoping to reach the Golden Core Realm as soon as possible?"

"No."

"You want to eat grilled fish from Drunken Immortal Tower every day?"

"That's not it either."

"Then what is it?"

"It's..." Just as Jiang Qingyi was about to tell him, she turned around playfully. "I won't tell you, Master~"

Xiao Mo: "..."

Beneath the moonlight, Jiang Qingyi looked at her birthday cake, her eyes full of warmth. "Master."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

Xiao Mo reached out and gently patted his disciple on the head:

"What can I say? I'm your master."