Making Things Difficult

Sun Man had been cold and distant from the start, speaking rudely, and now he was deliberately making things difficult. How could Jiang Shuo not know that he was being targeted?

"How dare you! Is this how you speak to your Martial Uncle?" Sun Man roared in anger, immediately slapping the label of disrespecting an elder onto Jiang Shuo.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Feng En, who was nearby, heard the commotion and walked over to ask.

Before Jiang Shuo could speak, Sun Man turned and bowed, cutting him off: "Elder Brother, with a disciple of such poor character, I'm afraid this Junior Brother cannot teach him."

"It hasn't been that long. Why must you make it sound so serious?" Seeing Sun Man's attitude, Feng En couldn't help but frown.

"A mighty tree grows from a tiny sprout. A nine-story tower rises from a pile of earth. As one who has been through it, this Junior Brother deeply understands the importance of a solid foundation, so I wanted to start him with horse stance. I've heard of Junior Disciple Jiang's abilities and know he has some grounding, so just now I had him hold horse stance for the time it takes to burn one incense stick. When he finished, I saw he did it with ease, and while I admired him inwardly, I wanted to have him hold it for two incense sticks to test the depth of his skill, so I could determine where to begin teaching. But the moment I said this, he claimed I was targeting him and refused to do it. Elder Brother, if your own disciple won't even listen to me, how am I supposed to teach him?" Sun Man, the villain crying victim first, shifted all the blame for the incident onto Jiang Shuo.

Jiang Shuo looked coldly at Sun Man. From start to finish, he had only said one sentence, which, though somewhat rude, was far from the unforgivable offense Sun Man described.

Feng En narrowed his eyes. He wouldn't just take Sun Man's one-sided account, so he asked Jiang Shuo: "Jiang Shuo, is everything Junior Brother Sun just said true?"

"Yes." Jiang Shuo nodded.

He could tell from Sun Man's attitude that the man was targeting him, but without evidence, speaking up would only make him seem unreasonable.

What he hadn't expected was that Sun Man, for all his burly appearance, had such a venomous heart. Truly, you can't judge a book by its cover.

Hearing this, Sun Man glanced at Jiang Shuo, a faint, barely noticeable smile curling at the corner of his mouth, as if he had already won.

"Hmm?" Feng En was full of doubt. Whether from Yu Yuhan's description or his own interactions, Jiang Shuo was definitely not that kind of person. But now, not only Sun Man said so, even Jiang Shuo himself admitted it, which meant it must have happened. This left Feng En completely baffled—like a monk from Zhang Er, scratching his head in confusion.

"You're lying! You must have done something to Jiang Shuo!" A sudden roar rang out as Li Zicheng pointed at Sun Man's nose and cursed.

"Silence!" Feng En turned his head and barked. Li Zicheng retreated back to Feng En's side but still glared at Sun Man with fury. No matter what anyone said, he believed in Jiang Shuo's character.

Seeing this, a warmth rose in Jiang Shuo's heart.

Being publicly scolded by a Junior made Sun Man feel he had lost face, but with Feng En present, he could only snort coldly: "Birds of a feather flock together. That saying couldn't be more true."

After silencing Li Zicheng, Feng En looked at Jiang Shuo: "Learning eagerly lies in respecting the teacher. Though you have your own opinions, to question recklessly and resist openly is far too rash. Very well, if you truly find it too harsh under Junior Brother Sun, how about I take over your teaching myself?"

All the blame pointed at Jiang Shuo, and even if Feng En didn't believe it, he had to scold him a few words. But in the end, his heart softened, and he wanted to call Jiang Shuo back to get the full story.

Sun Man lifted his chin slightly, looking down at Jiang Shuo. In his view, Jiang Shuo would surely agree to avoid further mistreatment.

Li Zicheng, on the other hand, looked at Jiang Shuo with eager anticipation.

Jiang Shuo lowered his head and thought for a moment, then shook his head and declined: "I just misunderstood Martial Uncle Sun's intentions. Master, you're busy every day—I won't trouble you."

Sun Man showed a look of surprise, then let out a light snort, thinking to himself that Jiang Shuo was truly asking for trouble.

Feng En narrowed his eyes but didn't press further. He instructed: "Since the misunderstanding is resolved, you'll stay under Junior Brother Sun's tutelage. Respecting the teacher and honoring the way is a great principle—don't forget it."

"Disciple will heed Master's teaching." Jiang Shuo cupped his hands.

"Jiang Shuo has injuries. Some exercises don't need to be rushed." Finally, Feng En added this to Sun Man before leaving with Li Zicheng.

Only when Feng En was far away did Jiang Shuo straighten up and calmly look at Sun Man.

Sun Man pointed at the Plum Blossom Stakes, a malicious grin on his face: "Junior Disciple Jiang, if you please."

Jiang Shuo said nothing more. He leaped up onto the Plum Blossom Stakes and settled into a horse stance.

Seeing Jiang Shuo so docile, Sun Man grew even more smug: You had a chance to leave, but you didn't take it. You brought this on yourself. He ignored Jiang Shuo and continued teaching his own disciples fist techniques.

Meanwhile, on the Plum Blossom Stakes, Jiang Shuo's mind was racing, thinking seriously.

Everyone in the Hundred Flowers Sect knew about Jiang Shuo's relationship with Feng En. Even if Sun Man hated him, he wouldn't dare to openly make things difficult. If Jiang Shuo caught him in the act, Sun Man wouldn't have it easy either. Since Sun Man didn't dare go too far, Jiang Shuo had nothing to fear. At worst, he would deal with things as they came. The main reason he chose to stay was that he wanted to find out why Sun Man was targeting him. Dodging a spear in the open is easy, but an arrow in the dark is hard to guard against. Running away wouldn't solve the problem—only facing it head-on would give him a chance to resolve this hidden danger.