Teacher Was Only Giving a Girl a Lesson

Ye Han struggled desperately, shouting in terror, "Let me go! Damn you!"

But he was only a scrawny boy, barely half-grown, and they pinned him down tight.

"Don't worry. I guarantee I'll break your foot in one blow." The lame beggar chuckled coldly and walked toward Ye Han, brick in hand.

"Help! Somebody help!" Ye Han cried out in terror.

The people of Green Ox Village were simple and honest. He had never encountered anyone so vicious...

If they broke his legs and crippled him for life, reducing him to a tool for these beggars to make money, that would be too terrifying...

"Heh heh! Go ahead and scream. Nobody's coming to save you!" the burly beggar sneered.

Although he dressed like a beggar, he actually knew martial arts and was a minor leader in the Beggar Gang. He ordinarily did no begging himself; instead, he broke children's limbs and made them beg to earn money for the gang...

Watching the lame beggar approach, Ye Han's heart filled with terror.

A few people heard the commotion, but none dared meddle. They took one look and hurried away...

Suddenly.

Thud, thud, thud...

Three muffled sounds rang out.

The heads of the burly beggar and the two beggars holding Ye Han down suddenly parted company with their bodies and flew away...

Blood instantly spurted like columns of water, showering down.

The lame beggar was scared witless. He dropped the brick and ran, but after only a few steps, his body stiffened. His head flew off, blood sprayed out, and he collapsed to the ground, motionless.

Ye Han had not even seen how the four men had been killed. He only saw four heads hit the ground. His face turned ashen, and he sprang up in terror...

They were all dead?

Only then did he notice a middle-aged scholar in blue robes and a square headcloth standing in the alley...

"Teacher Lan Qing!" Ye Han ran toward him as though he had caught sight of family.

Indeed, the newcomer was Teacher Lan Qing.

His expression was cold, without a trace of his former warmth and refinement. He swept his sleeve.

Whoosh...

Ye Han felt a fierce wind sweep him off his feet. The next moment, his vision blurred, and he and Teacher Lan Qing appeared in an unfamiliar alley.

Ye Han stared at Teacher Lan Qing with wide, astonished eyes and could not help asking, "Teacher Lan Qing, are you an immortal too?"

"Hmm?" Teacher Lan Qing frowned and said sternly, "Hmph. Did you bring that woman to me? What did you tell her?"

At those words, Ye Han's face twitched. He suddenly understood why Teacher Lan Qing had abruptly left Green Ox Village and come to the city.

It was because of the female immortal who had defeated the monster...

Realizing this, he immediately said, "Teacher Lan Qing, I... I didn't say anything!"

Teacher Lan Qing narrowed his eyes and stared at Ye Han, emanating a terrifying aura that made his heart quake...

His stare made Ye Han's skin crawl. He explained, "Teacher Lan Qing, I encountered a terrifying ox-eating monster in the mountains. That female immortal drove it away. I never spoke to her. I just ran..."

Before Ye Han could finish, Teacher Lan Qing suddenly reached out and grabbed. The bundle Ye Han carried flew into his hand.

Ye Han's expression changed. Inside the bundle were the silver, the book, the token, and the little cauldron...

Without asking Ye Han anything, Teacher Lan Qing opened the bundle. His eyes flickered when he saw the token, and he asked gravely, "An Azure Mystic Token? Where did you get this?"

"I found it in that monster's cave," Ye Han answered, calming himself.

The way Teacher Lan Qing looked now frightened him.

Teacher Lan Qing picked up the cloth used to wrap the bundle, and a flash of delighted surprise suddenly appeared in his eyes. Then he looked at the book and flipped through it, revealing a hint of disdain. Next, he picked up the little stone cauldron and casually tossed it down. He looked Ye Han up and down, his gaze growing strange...

Seeing that something was off about Teacher Lan Qing's expression, Ye Han explained, "Teacher Lan Qing, I originally took these things to show you, but you weren't there, so I brought them into the city."

He paused, then added, "Just after I arrived, I saw you go into that place, so I waited here for you..."

Suddenly, he asked curiously, "Teacher Lan Qing, what is the Happy Red Courtyard for? They said it's a place where grown-ups have fun. What's so fun in there?"

Teacher Lan Qing's expression changed abruptly, and cold sweat seeped from his forehead. Deeply embarrassed, he said, "You're just a child. What do you know?"

As he spoke, he patted Ye Han on the head and said, "Your teacher was only giving a lesson to an eager young lady inside."

"Really? Then...!" Ye Han instinctively felt that Teacher Lan Qing was lying, but he did not press him.

"You've actually seen it yourself," Teacher Lan Qing interrupted. "There are people in this world who transcend ordinary mortals. That female immortal you saw is what we call an immortal cultivator."

Hearing this, Ye Han exclaimed in delight, "Immortal cultivators! So they really are immortals? Teacher Lan Qing, are you an immortal cultivator too?"

"You could say that." Teacher Lan Qing smiled faintly.

Ye Han pleaded, "Teacher, can you teach me to cultivate, then? Look, I have money for tuition now." As he spoke, he pointed at the piece of silver.

Teacher Lan Qing shook his head. "No."

At this answer, disappointment filled Ye Han's face.

Seeing his disappointment, Teacher Lan Qing sighed. "Cultivating immortality takes cultivation resources, cultivation methods, and fortuitous opportunities. It isn't that I won't teach you. I can't afford to."

"Can't afford to?" Ye Han looked at Teacher Lan Qing in puzzlement. He did not seem to be lying.

"Do you truly want to cultivate?" Teacher Lan Qing changed tack. "If you want to pursue it, I can point you toward a promising path."

Ye Han exclaimed in delight, "Really? Teacher Lan Qing, please tell me. I'll definitely repay you."

Giving him a long, searching look, Teacher Lan Qing said gravely, "You must understand that cultivating immortality is a road of no return. Once you set foot on it, there is no turning back. An immortal cultivator must also possess spiritual roots. Although you have them, I sense that your aptitude is very ordinary. Even if you go, you may never achieve much."

After hearing this, Ye Han fell silent for a moment, then said resolutely, "Teacher Lan Qing, what do you think I could do if I went back to Green Ox Village? And could I live with any dignity in this city?"

Those four beggars had subdued him without the slightest effort, teaching him how cruel reality was. He had dreamed of making something of himself in the city, but confidence and determination alone were useless. Any couple of beggars could pin him down, let alone people of the martial world who wielded blades and knew how to fight.

Only by becoming an immortal cultivator like that female immortal, soaring through the heavens and burrowing through the earth, could he truly rise above the crowd. Even a monster that enormous had been no match for her. If he could learn abilities like hers, then he would truly make something of himself.

Hearing this, Teacher Lan Qing paused in surprise. Understanding what he meant, he finally said, "You're the cleverest child in Green Ox Village. Very well. I'll tell you."

As he spoke, he picked up the bronze token inscribed with the words "Azure Mystic" and said, "If you have spiritual roots, this thing is crucial. But even if you can't cultivate, it can still bring you wealth and status. It all depends on how you seize the opportunity."