The First Day After Master Left

Today was the first day since Master had left the Ruined Temple.

Li Xingtian slowly opened his eyes and climbed out of the little makeshift bed cobbled together from a few pieces of wood.

Master and Senior Sister had already taken up most of the main hall, along with a large iron pot used for both cooking and pill refining.

There was no room left for another bed, so Li Xingtian slept in the space behind the Divine Statue.

But Senior Sister was already planning to build a small wooden cabin outside the Ruined Temple.

After all, she was the only woman, and it was only natural to keep some distance between men and women.

Master had already approved it. Senior Sister had started building several days ago, and she was making fairly quick progress.

Once it was finished, he would no longer have to sleep in the inner room behind the Divine Statue either.

The reason he disliked that spot was a hole in the wall. Mosquitoes often invaded at night, and unknown bugs would crawl up and bite him too.

Li Xingtian had yet to reach Foundation Establishment and could not protect his body with spiritual energy. The mosquitoes were an endless nuisance.

So he wholeheartedly supported Senior Sister building the cabin and had even helped her quite a bit.

He figured the little cabin would be finished in another two or three days.

As for yesterday's chicken... after seeing its gruesome remains, Senior Sister had not eaten a single bite either.

She had, however, insisted that he finish it.

Li Xingtian could certainly understand that demand. After all, she had caught the chicken, and he had cooked it into that state. He ought to finish it himself.

Originally, Li Xingtian had thought a chicken that had died so gruesomely would taste utterly awful.

But once he put it in his mouth, it actually tasted passable.

He wondered whether that was because he had already endured Master's outrageously crude healing medicine.

Li Xingtian merely found the chicken a little gamey, a little bland, and a little tough.

Otherwise, it tasted pretty good. At least it fell within the category of things humans could eat.

Senior Sister's assessment was not nearly so kind. She had dubbed the pot of chicken-Dead Chicken Bathwater.

But she had already reached Foundation Establishment and could go without food, so Li Xingtian did not have to worry about her going hungry.

After all, he had promised Master to do his best to take care of her, and Li Xingtian was not the sort to break his word.

Though... a junior brother taking care of his senior sister did sound a little strange.

Several fierce pulses of spiritual energy came from outside the Ruined Temple.

Li Xingtian stepped out and looked toward Li Yingling nearby.

She was holding the Wooden Sword, repeatedly adjusting the force of her Divine Ability as she struck a large tree. The force was just right, and the tree toppled cleanly along the path of her Sword Qi.

He had to admit that Senior Sister was highly driven. Even while felling trees to build a house, she was practicing her Divine Ability.

And she seemed to be making remarkable progress...

He had to admit that her aptitude would qualify her as a genius even in the Central Province. When they first met, he could clearly tell that she had not yet mastered her Divine Ability.

Yet in such a short time, she could already wield it at will.

With talent like hers, Master's claim of coming from the Central Province was probably true too... but why was Master so poor?

Could Master have secretly run away from some sect in the Central Province, just as he had?

Li Xingtian did not dwell on it, though, because at this very moment, the Heavenly Dao Alliance finally looked a little like the sect he had imagined.

Even if the entire sect currently consisted of only three people, including Master and his disciples.

Senior Sister seemed to notice him after felling the tree. She turned around and looked at Li Xingtian.

Though Li Xingtian no longer trusted women very much in this life.

Looking at the young senior sister Master had entrusted to him, he still managed a somewhat strained smile.

The first day after Master left.

Li Yingling had risen bright and early. Her goal today was to gather all the timber needed to build the cabin.

After all, having grown up as a young lady of a distinguished family, she still found it difficult to accept living under the same roof as two men.

Even with wooden partitions between them, it was tolerable as an occasional emergency arrangement, but certainly not as an everyday living situation.

Master had agreed to that request very readily.

To be honest... when she spent time with Master, she did not always feel that the handsome, youthful-looking man before her was her master.

He felt more like a close friend. Master rarely put on the airs of an elder in front of her.

Sometimes, when she got angry, he would even admit his mistakes to her.

Honestly, coming from a scholarly family, Li Yingling found it extremely hard to imagine an elder lowering his head and admitting fault to her.

In the storybooks she had read, every master was portrayed as supremely imposing, brooking no argument and rarely smiling.

They also held absolute authority over their disciples.

They only ever gave orders, never explaining why.

By comparison, her own master sometimes seemed like a child who had yet to grow up. Whenever something concerned her, he would tell her to think it through carefully and then let her decide.

The Water Heart Sutra was the same. She had not started practicing it right away, and Master had never expressed any displeasure over that.

Besides, Li Yingling thought Master was a little lazy. His cultivation level was unknown, and he had never revealed it to her.

But even Li Yingling, at Foundation Establishment, could go a month without sleep and regain enough energy simply by cultivating at night.

Master was certainly far stronger than she was.

Yet, perhaps because she had chosen the wrong master to follow, Li Yingling had picked up his bad habit too. Every night, she had to enjoy a lovely, pointless sleep.

Though "pointless" was her own definition.

Master called sleep a way to nourish the spirit and had a whole set of twisted theories to back it up.

Although those twisted theories could not persuade Li Yingling, she had unwittingly begun following his schedule and learning to sleep again.

Perhaps watching Master bury his head and sleep soundly while she worked hard at cultivation had left her feeling that things were unfair?

Many thoughts flashed through her mind.

Li Yingling still felled the tree before her with a single strike. Lately, her control over her Divine Ability had become increasingly effortless.

She sensed someone watching her from behind.

Turning around, Li Yingling saw the junior brother she had acquired out of nowhere.

Although she did not understand why Master had accepted him as a disciple, she still deeply respected his decision.

But when this junior brother gave her a slightly dim-witted smile.

Li Yingling really wanted to ask Master whether he could conduct a simple intelligence test the next time he took a disciple.

Looking at Li Xingtian's vacant smile.

Li Yingling still asked, "Junior Brother... are you hungry?"

"N-no, I'm not," Li Xingtian answered, looking rather embarrassed.

At his reply, Li Yingling frowned slightly. Back in the mortal world, she had been known as a talented lady. She truly had never dealt with people of low intelligence.

She had no idea how to properly get along with a junior brother whose intelligence was lacking.

Especially since he had been cultivating for quite a few days and was still hovering around the fourth level of Qi Refining.

His aptitude was already mediocre, and he did not seem particularly diligent in his cultivation either.

As his senior sister... since Master was away, she ought to keep him on his toes.

"Junior Brother, how are your internal injuries? Have you recovered completely?"

"They're pretty much healed."

"Good! Since Master isn't here, I'll make sure you put in some proper cultivation today." Li Yingling patted the fallen tree beside her. "Control your spiritual power carefully and turn this tree into planks. This will greatly improve your control over your spiritual power."

Li Xingtian was rather speechless. If you want me to do hard labor, just say so. Why use control as an excuse?

Once again, Li Xingtian recalled Master's instructions-take good care of your senior sister!

"Yes, Senior Sister."

After receiving his answer, Li Yingling did not linger. She swiftly turned into a streak of rainbow light and departed.

Li Yingling had also read the cultivation method Li Xingtian practiced. It required considerable amounts of demon beast blood and flesh.

Naturally, her Qi Refining junior brother had no way to gather that much demon beast blood and flesh himself.

As his senior sister, she naturally ought to help him out. He was building her house, so she would get him some blood and flesh.

That counted as a fair trade.

But...

Master, please come back soon!

Junior Brother's cooking really is inedible!

He even drinks chicken bathwater with relish!