The Second Check-In Location!

Great Bamboo Peak.

Inside Shou Jing Hall.

Beside a red-lacquered wooden pillar.

"Dad! Mom!"

"Are you two just going to let this happen?"

"Junior disciple brother, he... he cheated!"

"That Black Bamboo was as hard as iron!"

"I only managed to leave a white mark on it, so... so how could he split it open with one stroke?"

"He must have secretly used some underhanded trick!"

Tian Ling'er was crying so hard her face was streaked with tears.

The little girl sniffled, pointing toward the door with a thoroughly aggrieved expression.

Tian Buyi sat in a Grand Tutor Chair, slowly blowing the foam off his tea.

At her words, his chubby hand suddenly jerked.

A few drops of scalding tea splashed onto the back of his hand, but he didn't even bother to wipe them off.

"What did you say?"

"You mean Seventh split the Black Bamboo with a single stroke?"

"And the cut was smooth?"

Tian Buyi leaned forward.

His already small eyes were now wide open as he stared intently at his own daughter.

"That's right!"

"If he didn't cheat, how else could it be possible?"

"I've been practicing for so long and still can't cut through it. He's only been here a few days!"

Tian Ling'er slapped her woodcutting knife down on the table.

Su Ru, seated on the other side, put down her needlework.

She turned to look at her husband, and their eyes met.

They both understood perfectly well.

Cheating?

On the back mountain of Great Bamboo Peak, right under their noses, who could possibly cheat?

There was only one explanation—

The boy had made a breakthrough.

"This..."

Tian Buyi set his teacup down on the table with a sharp clink.

He tried to put on a stern expression and maintain his dignity as a master.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from curling up toward his ears.

Half a month.

It had only been half a month!

Back in the day,

even Ancestor Qingye, that peerless genius of the Qingyun Sect, hadn't been this monstrous, had he?

The second level of Tai Chi Xuan Qing Dao!

This kid had actually mastered it, without making a sound!

He'd thought he'd found a treasure!

Who would've guessed—

he'd picked up a little ancestor!

"Ahem."

"Ling'er, you said Seventh cheated!"

"Then tell me, what trick did he use?"

Tian Buyi raised a fist to his mouth and pretended to cough twice.

Hiding his delight, he looked at his daughter with feigned sternness.

"I..."

Tian Ling'er was at a loss for words.

If she'd known, she would've exposed him on the spot. Why would she have run back to complain?

"If you don't know, then you have no proof."

"We cultivators value strength."

"You were outmatched, but instead of going back and practicing harder, you came running back to cry. What kind of behavior is that?"

Tian Buyi snorted.

He leaned back, and the Grand Tutor Chair let out a creak.

Tian Ling'er was stunned.

Completely stunned.

Her bright eyes blinked twice, tears still clinging to her lashes, on the verge of falling.

This wasn't how the scene was supposed to go!

Whenever she cried before,

her dad would always jump up and immediately go settle the score with whoever had upset her.

What was wrong with him today?

Had he taken the wrong medicine?

Just then,

a little head peeked in through the doorway.

Ye Xuan clung to the doorframe, blinking as he peered inside.

He'd overheard a little outside. It seemed like... he wasn't getting scolded?

"Get in here!"

Tian Buyi barked impatiently.

Ye Xuan shrank his neck and shuffled into the room.

Sure, he had a system backing him up, and he was an Innate Dao Body.

But when this chubby master lost his temper, he was terrifying.

"Master, Mistress."

Ye Xuan bowed obediently, looking completely harmless.

Tian Buyi sized up his young disciple.

The more he looked, the more he liked him.

This wasn't just a disciple!

He was the future pride of Great Bamboo Peak!

He was Tian Buyi's secret weapon for rubbing the other old fogies' faces in the dirt at the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament!

"Seventh."

"I hear you made a bet with Ling'er?"

Tian Buyi tried to soften his tone.

But he sounded so awkwardly gentle that it was a little creepy.

"Uh... yes."

Ye Xuan glanced out of the corner of his eye at Tian Ling'er, who was puffing up with anger beside him.

If he backed down now, he'd never be able to shake off the title of "junior disciple brother."

Did a transmigrator not deserve to save face?

"Senior Sister insisted on competing with me at chopping bamboo!"

"She also said that if I won, she'd call me Senior Brother from now on!"

"I figured a disciple shouldn't disobey his master, and he shouldn't ignore his senior sister either!"

"So I just... used a tiny bit of extra strength!"

Ye Xuan straightened his back, completely righteous.

A tiny bit?

Just a little?

Tian Buyi nearly burst out laughing.

What a "tiny bit"!

What a "just a little"!

That boastful tone was just like his own when he was younger!

"Mm."

"Ling'er, did you hear that?"

"A bet's a bet."

"We people of Great Bamboo Peak need to know how to accept defeat."

Tian Buyi nodded, barely suppressing his laughter.

He turned toward his daughter and spoke in an even tone.

Meanwhile,

Tian Ling'er could hardly believe her ears.

She stared wide-eyed at her father, then at Ye Xuan, who was grinning beside him.

Those two... were they in this together?

"Dad! You're biased!"

"He's the one who bullied me!"

"I'm his senior sister!"

"What kind of senior sister has to call her junior disciple brother Senior Brother?"

"That'd turn everything upside down!"

Tian Linger's lower lip quivered, and she looked ready to cry again.

"In the Cultivation World, the stronger one comes first!"

"Besides!"

"You were the one who slapped your chest and promised, 'This young lady always keeps her word!'"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

Ye Xuan added a leisurely jab from the side.

That little "tsk, tsk, tsk" wasn't much of an attack, but it was downright humiliating.

Tian Linger's face flushed red like a ripe apple.

She gritted her teeth and glared at Ye Xuan.

If looks could kill, Ye Xuan would've been hacked to pieces by now.

"You... just you wait!"

After fuming for a long while, the little girl finally managed to force out that threat.

Su Ru watched the scene and shook her head helplessly.

She beckoned her red-faced daughter over, took out a handkerchief, and gently wiped the tear tracks from her face.

"All right, all right. It's not that big a deal."

"Ling'er, you did lose this time!"

"Your junior disciple brother is exceptionally gifted and works hard at his cultivation. You should learn from him!"

Su Ru's voice was gentle, like a spring breeze brushing over them.

"Mom!"

"Even you're taking his side!"

Tian Ling'er felt as though the whole world had abandoned her.

"I'm not taking his side. I'm taking the side of reason!"

"But staying cooped up on the mountain all the time isn't good for you!"

"In a couple of days, I'm going to Small Bamboo Peak to visit your Martial Aunt Shuiyue!"

"Would you like to come along and get out for a change?"

Seeing her daughter throwing a tantrum,

Su Ru gently patted the back of her hand and asked with a smile.

Small Bamboo Peak?

Tian Ling'er's eyes lit up.

Small Bamboo Peak was full of pretty senior sisters, and there were lots of delicious pastries, too.

Most importantly, Ye Xuan wouldn't be there!

"I'm going! I'll go!"

"Hmph, this young lady's going to Small Bamboo Peak to have fun!"

"You can stay on the mountain chopping bamboo until you're exhausted!"

Tian Ling'er immediately stopped crying and shot Ye Xuan a provocative look.

"Mistress!"

"I want to go too!"

"I want to go clear my head, too!"

Ye Xuan abruptly stepped forward.

His eyes lit up even brighter than those of a starving dog spotting a bone.

There was no helping it!

After checking in at Great Bamboo Peak,

the second check-in location the system had given him was Small Bamboo Peak.

Originally,

Ye Xuan had still been wondering how he could take a stroll around Small Bamboo Peak.

He hadn't expected—

Mistress was going to Small Bamboo Peak.

There was no way he'd let such a great opportunity pass him by.