As If the Brat Knew How to Take a Hint

Tian Buyi set the chair down in front of his disciples, then sat. He shifted, chose a comfortable posture, and looked at the disciples kneeling in a neat row before him. He had meant to say something, but did not know what would be best, and felt rather conflicted. He raised a hand to scratch his temple, then remembered this was the same hand that had just grabbed his shoe. With a face full of disgust, he tilted his head to the other side and scratched with his other hand.

Su Ru walked out carrying a tray, with a teapot and cups arranged on it, and brought it before Tian Buyi.

Tian Buyi grinned foolishly at Su Ru.

Su Ru secretly rolled her eyes at him. Once Tian Buyi had taken a cup, she carried the tray back into the house.

"You!" Tian Buyi took a sip of tea—with the hand that had not grabbed his shoe, of course. Kneeling among his fellow disciples, the third disciple who had been pointed at raised his head in confusion and looked at his master.

"Kneel over there!" Tian Buyi shifted his hand and pointed at the spot between Du Bishu and Tian Linger.

All the disciples were a little puzzled, not knowing what their master intended. The nine of them were kneeling according to rank; by rights, there should not have been any problem.

After Su Ru came out, she happened to see the third disciple, Zheng Dali, being directed by Tian Buyi to move his kneeling position. She too was full of confusion, but in front of the disciples, she still had to give her husband face, so she did not ask.

Once the third disciple had knelt properly—

"Oh!" Su Ru's eyes lit up, and then she burst out with a "pfft" of laughter. Seeming afraid it would have a bad influence, she turned and left without leaving a single word behind.

The disciples had all been counting on their mistress to put in a few good words for them, so they would not have to kneel too long! Now it was just great—who knew why, but she was actually ignoring them and leaving straight away!

Tian Buyi looked perfectly content as he occasionally swept his gaze over the disciples kneeling below. Every time his eyes landed on Song Daren, Song Daren's skin instinctively tightened all over.

After Tian Buyi finished a pot of tea, he went back inside and refilled another pot. When he came out, he saw that troublesome little laughing brat kneeling at the very end, now leaning comfortably against Zhang Xiaofan, having produced an oil-paper packet from who knew where and eaten until his mouth was full.

Tian Buyi did not know if it was because he had sat under the sun too long just now, but he felt a little dizzy.

At his chest, it seemed as though something were lodged there, neither going up nor down.

"Damn it! So this is what it feels like to have your heart clogged?" Tian Buyi glared at that little bastard brat who had no sense at all and was only eating away in high spirits, then ground his back teeth and cursed under his breath.

Tian Buyi looked at the sky, then looked at Zhang Xiaofan. "You go cook."

Zhang Xiaofan obediently saluted, then stood, one hand still supporting Luo Yunji, his little scheme being to quietly take him away.

"Ahem!" Tian Buyi lowered his head, raised his eyes, and expressionlessly looked at Zhang Xiaofan holding Luo Yunji's hand.

Zhang Xiaofan let go resentfully, then turned and left.

Tian Buyi saw that little brat actually stand up on his own without him giving leave, following behind Zhang Xiaofan as he walked, while still stuffing some food from the oil-paper packet into his mouth.

"Ahem!" Tian Buyi expressed a bit of his presence. Other than drawing the kneeling disciples to raise their heads and look over, it achieved nothing else.

"A... hem...!" Tian Buyi deliberately drew out the tone, but that bastard brat of his paid him no attention at all, closely following Zhang Xiaofan toward the kitchen.

"A... hem... hem!" Unwilling to give up, Tian Buyi made an even louder sound again.

This time, Zhang Xiaofan stopped and turned, looking over with a face full of confusion. The little fatty also stopped with him, but did not look over; he merely continued eating what was in his hands, without even lifting his eyes.

Blue veins throbbed at Tian Buyi's temple. With a cold face, he stood and strode over, raised a large hand, grabbed the back collar of little fatty Luo Yunji's clothes, and furiously carried him back.

"Kneel properly! If you don't kneel properly, don't eat today's meal!" After saying this, he turned, flicked his robe hem, sat down handsomely, glared over the disciples one by one, and finally fixed his gaze on Luo Yunji, who was still eating.

Tian Buyi was practically about to explode with anger.

"You! You! You!.. Go do whatever you're supposed to do! You! You! You two keep kneeling for me, kneel until I'm satisfied!" Tian Buyi raised his hand, pointed through the disciples one by one, and then gave separate orders.

In the end, only Song Daren and the little fatty, those two brothers in misfortune, were left kneeling. Everyone else hurriedly left, lest the fish in the moat suffer when the city gate caught fire and they be dragged in again.

Song Daren looked at the little junior brother pressing close beside him, who had even already put his full weight onto him, and was utterly speechless. Seeing Luo Yunji completely without the awareness of being punished, eating in high spirits and even giving him a silly grin, Song Daren felt that there was something very wrong with his own state of mind. Why did he, at this moment, especially hope that his little junior brother would be like him, frowning and tangled up over some worldly worry?

Tian Buyi confiscated the oil-paper packet from the little fatty's hands, and then actually searched another two packets off him.

Tian Buyi opened them and looked through them one by one. They smelled quite fragrant! He pinched a little and put it into his mouth. "Mm! Not bad!"

Was the little fatty the sort who acted according to ordinary sense?

Seeing his family's big fatty snatch his things and eat them, he stopped kneeling, stood up, and pounced at him.

When Tian Buyi noticed, he did not even lift his eyes. He casually waved a hand at the figure pouncing over.

Luo Yunji instantly summoned a "Taiji Seal," easily blocking it.

This was Tian Buyi's first time exchanging blows with his own little disciple. Seeing his attack blocked, he became rather interested and also summoned a "Taiji Diagram Seal," pushing it out, wanting to knock him away.

Tian Buyi cast a contemptuous glance at his little disciple, who was already so anxious he was stamping his feet, then, under Luo Yunji's panicked gaze, pinched up another piece of food from the oil-paper packet and slowly put it into his mouth.

"Ah! Big fatty!" This time the little fatty was truly frantic. Both feet kept stamping in place, and his hands waved repeatedly. In the blink of an eye, dozens of water arrows appeared out of thin air, all aiming at Tian Buyi.

"You little mixed-up bastard! I'm telling you! If you wreck my Big Bamboo Peak again until it's as pitted and patchy as a molting Big Yellow, I'm not finished with you!" When Tian Buyi saw the water arrows and thought of their power, he hurriedly stood and warned his little disciple.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!" The little fatty upheld the excellent style of taking action whenever he could and absolutely never wasting words. Completely ignoring Tian Buyi, who was still waiting for him to reply with a word or two, he directly greeted him with water arrows.

Tian Buyi was not afraid of these water arrows. He only felt heartache for his Big Bamboo Peak. The houses from before had still not been repaired, and the damage caused when the disciples practiced the new technique had not yet been fixed either. If this went on, Big Bamboo Peak would truly not have a single good patch of ground left!

At that time, would the people from the other peaks not laugh at them?

Bang bang bang!

After a string of muffled impacts, Tian Buyi looked at the chair that had already shattered. With a crack, the furious Tian Buyi crushed the teacup in his hand.

"You little bastard! Today I'm going to peel your hide off!" Tian Buyi's rage shot straight into the clouds. All the anger that had accumulated over the years because of the little brat now burst out at once.

Su Ru heard the commotion over here and had already come looking. She saw her husband, blazing with anger, and her little disciple, eyes wide, his face anxious and furious.

"What happened?" Su Ru looked at Song Daren, who had already hidden far away, and beckoned for him to come over and answer.

Song Daren did not dare tell the truth, and only said that his little junior brother had said something that made Master unhappy.

Firelight faintly flickered over Tian Buyi's hands, and behind him, "Scarlet Flame" hovered.

"Why have you even brought out 'Scarlet Flame'?" Su Ru was greatly alarmed at the sight.

Tian Buyi wanted to subdue this little brat once and for all, so he would be easier to discipline in the future; otherwise, he really would become lawless.

Tian Buyi fully circulated the "Taiji Mystic Purity Dao," and his aura climbed continuously. Behind him, the hovering "Scarlet Flame" blazed with brilliant firelight, setting off Tian Buyi until, for that moment, his might had no equal.