Your Master's Old Flame

"And another thing, martial uncle, look at senior brother. He was innocent and honest to begin with, but you've scolded him until he's almost depressed. He's afraid as soon as he sees you."

Lin Yu led Four Eyes to a corner and tried to reason with him.

Although it wasn't his place, he genuinely liked Jia Le. His senior brother's talent was average, but his character was first-rate.

Unfortunately, given Four Eyes' temperament... all he knew how to do, day after day, was scold him.

"Martial uncle, senior brother Jia Le has always worked hard, hoping you'd praise him, but instead you keep discouraging and scolding him."

"That will only make senior brother think he's done badly, that he's no good. Over time, it can make a person depressed."

Lin Yu tried to reason with Four Eyes. Jia Le was truly too afraid of his master; whenever anything happened, he would rather run to the master than go to his own master.

Four Eyes frowned without moving, but from the way he kept staring at Jia Le, Lin Yu could tell he was reflecting on himself.

"Is there really something wrong with the way I teach him?"

Four Eyes muttered to himself.

"Before, there wasn't much of a problem when there was no one to compare him with. But if someone talented comes along, giving him someone to measure himself against, and you show even a little favoritism, Jia Le will come to resent you deep down. He might even develop a heart demon."

Lin Yu followed up with another strong dose of medicine.

Four Eyes stood there in silence for a long while. Looking at Lin Yu, who was small in body but big in spirit, he reached out and pinched him.

"Marfial uncle, what are you doing~?"

Lin Yu's cheeks had been pinched red.

"Am I the one teaching my disciple, or are you? As punishment, go tell Jia Le to take a break."

Four Eyes let go, patted Lin Yu on his little head, and turned to go back to his room.

Lin Yu looked up at his martial uncle's stubbornly proud retreating figure. All he could say was that Four Eyes truly lived up to his reputation as an old rascal.

"All right, martial uncle~"

Lin Yu called back loudly.

"Junior brother, what did you promise master?"

Jia Le looked at Lin Yu, who was walking toward him, and asked curiously. He had been wondering what the two of them were plotting just now.

"Martial uncle said thanks for your hard work, and that you can take a break."

Lin Yu happily gave Jia Le the good news.

"Ah! I'm done for. Did I do something wrong again?"

Unexpectedly, Jia Le's entire body instantly went rigid, and he began trembling instinctively.

"Uh..."

The words that had been on the tip of Lin Yu's tongue died in his throat.

Smack!

Lin Yu slapped his forehead. He had forgotten that Jia Le wasn't like his two bastard senior brothers.

If Four Eyes spoke to Jia Le in that tone, it definitely wasn't anything good, which was why he was so panicked now.

"It's all right, it's all right. Senior brother, martial uncle really said you could take a break. You didn't do anything wrong."

Lin Yu grabbed Jia Le, who was about to go and confess his mistake, and spoke to him seriously.

"Really?"

Jia Le still couldn't believe it. He had only cultivated for a little while, and now he was taking a break?

He was like a robot whose program had been set, only to be suddenly told not to do that task anymore. He instantly had no idea what to do next.

He went into standby.

"Really. Martial uncle also said he wanted fish this afternoon and told you to go catch some."

Lin Yu looked at Jia Le sincerely.

It definitely wasn't because he wanted to eat it himself...

"All right, junior brother, just wait. I'll make you a big fish for lunch."

Jia Le had still been at a loss as to what he should do that morning. Now that he had something to do, he quickly patted his chest and made the promise.

Lin Yu watched Jia Le skip happily away with a bucket on his back. He shook his head and sighed. "He really is his martial uncle's disciple, cast from the same mold."

With nothing to do, Lin Yu went back to his room with his hands behind his back to study cultivation techniques.

"Time to eat~ Master, junior brother~"

Time flew when one was contemplating the Dao. In the blink of an eye, it was already noon, and Jia Le had returned and finished cooking.

As Lin Yu read more and more books, his understanding of the Dao grew deeper.

He had already begun trying to modify the Maoshan Qi Refining Technique, but his knowledge was insufficient, so he didn't dare change too much for fear of suffering Qi deviation.

When Lin Yu came to the main room, Jia Le had already brought the food to the table.

Four Eyes was sitting upright at the head of the table, holding a cup of tea as he pondered something.

"Master, everyone's here. Can we eat now?"

Jia Le asked cautiously.

Four Eyes came back to his senses and glanced at the plentiful dishes on the table. Recalling Lin Yu saying he was too strict, he gave a stiff smile.

"Thanks for your hard work, Jia Le."

Jia Le hurriedly replied, "Master, it was no trouble at all."

Then it suddenly registered, and he cautiously glanced at Four Eyes.

He rubbed his eyes, and when he saw that stiff smile, he froze.

Then he silently knelt before Four Eyes, reached up with both hands, and grabbed his ears.

"Master~ Did I do something wrong again?"

Lin Yu stared blankly at Jia Le's practiced movements, not knowing what to say.

Then he looked at his martial uncle.

I told you to be nicer to senior brother, not like this.

Four Eyes' face darkened. Was he really that frightening?

Watching his master and junior brother exchange glances, Jia Le felt even less certain.

Had he really done something wrong?

"Master~ I really was wrong."

Jia Le didn't stop to think; in any case, he would apologize first.

Seeing how quickly Four Eyes' expression changed, Lin Yu hurriedly turned his face away. He really couldn't hold it in.

"Get up. You didn't do anything wrong."

Four Eyes tried to make his tone sound a little more even.

"Really, senior brother, you've misunderstood martial uncle. He was praising you for being capable. You didn't do anything wrong."

Lin Yu finally held it in and hurriedly explained on Four Eyes' behalf.

Then he looked at Four Eyes as if to say, "See? You've scared him into a conditioned reflex."

Four Eyes was already beginning to doubt himself.

"Master, have some fish. I caught this one especially. It's big and fat."

Seeing that everything was all right, Jia Le got to his feet with Lin Yu's help, not forgetting to urge Four Eyes to eat.

"Mm."

Four Eyes looked at the fish Jia Le had put in his bowl and began examining himself again. Was he really too strict?

"Hey, master, where are you going? Aren't you eating?"

Seeing his master suddenly put down his bowl and chopsticks and rush back to his room, Jia Le called out anxiously.

"I'm not eating. I'm not hungry. I want some peace and quiet."

Jia Le scratched his head. "Junior brother, who's Peace and Quiet?"

Lin Yu opened his mouth, unsure what to say. "Your master's old flame."

Then he gave that offhand answer to brush him off.

"What! Master had a lover? So he was hurt in love. No wonder he came to live deep in the mountains."

Jia Le was shocked at first, then thought it only made sense. He didn't suspect for a moment that Lin Yu was deceiving him.

"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm."

Lin Yu had no words. He simply gnawed silently on the fish, looking as though whatever Jia Le said was right.

Unfortunately, once a person's curiosity was stirred, there was no end to it.

"Junior brother, what do you think master's old flame looks like? Is she as pretty as Qingqing?"

Jia Le hadn't eaten more than a few bites before he asked another curious question.

"I don't know."

"Then master's..."

"I don't know."

"Then..."

"I don't know!"

Over the course of one meal, Jia Le asked at least a hundred questions about the old flame.

By the end, Lin Yu had lost all desire to live, answering Jia Le's questions mechanically like a machine without feelings.