My Disciple Wants To Tease Me Every Day Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Pavilion Near the Water 

Did Ning Guang believe in the Heavenly Way? No, she did not. In this world, other than Shifu and herself, she wouldn't listen to anyone, wouldn't believe in anyone.

But in this moment, she felt, though Shifu said this was the Heavenly Way, humans could triumph over the heavens. No one could force her to do the things she didn't want to do. "Shifu, do you believe in the Heavenly Way?"

"I do," Di Jiufeng said slowly.

"Then you won't need to believe in the Heavenly Way in the future, believe in me." These deeply irreverent words fell from Ning Guang's mouth, and in this second, her pupils shone like dazzling twin rivers of silver, all the stars in the sky poured into her eyes. "Shifu, since the Heavenly Way can't make you feel safe, then why don't you stop believing in it, you can believe in me. I swear, I will never let you feel afraid."

In the novel Di Jiufeng had transmigrated into, the cultivation mainland was split into two pieces: the demon realm and the human realm. Though no clear barrier divided them, the righteous path and the demonic path had no dealings with each other, as clearly separated as the rivers Jing and Wei. As the heart of the human realm, Zhong Zhou could be said to be the most prosperous region, so the demonstration compet.i.tion had to be held here.

——The demonstration compet.i.tion which occurred once every ten years was the place for young cultivators whose age did not exceed one hundred years to interact and exchange tips. After layers upon layers of screening and compet.i.tion, the final ten victors could not only receive precious spiritual treasures and medicinal pills, but could also earn the chance for their sects to train in top-grade spiritual veins for ten years.

The spiritual veins in the cultivation world were precious few, and top-grade spiritual veins could even more so be counted on one's fingers.

Those rare few had all been s.n.a.t.c.hed up by top-grade sects or n.o.ble families into their own territories. The Ji family was the number one n.o.ble family of the cultivation world because they controlled a top-grade spiritual vein. Training in it for one day would achieve the same results as ten days' labor for others. As long as you weren't a rubbish third-rate talent, anyone could be pushed up to Early-Stage Nascent Soul by the abundant spiritual energy within ten years.

The temptation of top-grade spiritual veins was extremely high, so when it came to this time, each sect and n.o.ble family tossed out disciples to come like a nest of bees.

The cultivators which rushed in from all directions filled Zhong Zhou to overflowing. If Zhang Jian Sect had not arrived early, it might even be impossible to get a room in an inn.

Because they had rushed to arrive early, there were still around seven or eight days before the beginning of the demonstration compet.i.tion. It was boring to stay inside all day, so Di Jiufeng decided to take her disciple out for a stroll.

The two both organized their things and exited their room, walking through the long corridor and down the stairs.

The inn's main hall was full of voices like a seething cauldron, not an empty mat to be found. There were people of every shape and color, but none were as eye-catching as the young girl in the very center.

Ji Liuran sat at the very center of the main hall, four Beginning-Stage Deity Transformation cultivators standing behind her. Their gazes were cold, releasing all of their oppressive power, clearing a whole square meter of empty s.p.a.ce in this packed little room.

In Zhong Zhou city, the home base of the Ji family, there was nothing, large or small, the Ji family could not discover as long as they stuck their hands in.

When she went home that day, Ji Liuran used her family's Pavilion of Heavenly Mysteries, first finding Ning Guang's location, then thoroughly investigating her and Di Jiufeng's ident.i.ties.

——Master and disciple, both orphans, Zhang Jian Sect's elder and outstanding disciple.

Xuan Zhou city was not small, and its number one sect was naturally nothing to look down upon. But, to a giant like the Ji family, it was nothing but an insect that could be destroyed with the twitch of a finger.

Ji Liuran thought nothing of it. So, the next day, she arrived at the inn with her guards early in the morning.

She wanted to rush right in, but she was afraid she would leave a bad impression on her benefactor, so she had suppressed her eagerness and waited until now.

"Pei pei pei, what sort of nasty tea is this, it doesn't even have a bit of spiritual energy, go soak me a pot of Cloud and Mist Spring Shoots, remember, use water from the heavenly spiritual spring here, not the nine planets spiritual spring, you can't even break through the defensive shield on tea leaves." Slamming the cup in her hand on the table, Ji Liuran called over a servant in distaste, tossing him a qiankun bag.

Seeing him leave, head bowed and waist bent, she directed the servants behind her. "Go ask around for me, see if my benefactor has any plans of going out…" Just as she was speaking, she saw that smudge of plain white robes on the stairs out of the corner of her eye.

Her eyes immediately brightening, she blew over like a little whirlwind.

"Benefactor, are you going out to tour Zhong Zhou city?" Striding up the stairs in a few steps, she spoke sweetly with a charming smile.

But Ning Guang slipped by to walk down the stairs like she hadn't even seen her. In Ning Guang's eyes, there was only her Shifu. In those crystalline phoenix eyes, everything was hazy, only her Shifu alone was clear like the sun and moon.

Ji Liuran had thrown herself at empty air, staggering forward, almost crashing into the steps.

She hurriedly pulled up her skirts, propped her hand on the railing, and finally stopped her downward momentum.

Ji Liuran was completely ignored by her benefactor, but was not deterred at all. She wanted to chase after her, but remembering the two times before when she had nearly been shaved into a human stick, her steps immediately faltered.

"Benefactor, you're ignoring me again." She pouted, quietly calling out, voice timid and spoiled, tone a bit like she was throwing a tantrum.

Hearing her voice again, Di Jiufeng couldn't well pretend she hadn't heard. Her steps pausing, she took a look behind. "Ning Guang, Ji Liuran is looking for you…" Pulling her disciple's hand, her heart suddenly felt a bit stifled.

Maybe the main hall was too rowdy, but she didn't wish to stay there a moment more.

"You can chat first, I will go stand at the doorway a while." Walking out of the building at an increased speed, she had not walked two steps when a pair of small hands looped around her arm.

For some reason, Ji Liuran had pa.s.sed by Ning Guang to throw herself at her side.

"Shifu, Shifu, you're the kind master who instructs my benefactor, I'll call you this way like her, alright?" Swinging her arm at a slight angle, she lifted her completely sincere looking pretty face.

Ji Liuran was acting spoiled, and Di Jiufeng couldn't very well decline. And, there was nothing wrong with her words, so she couldn't find a good reason to refuse.

But she had not expected this, wisps and strands wrapping around her heart layer by layer like spring silk coc.o.o.ns, making her chest unbearably stifled. "Calling me like this isn't wrong, but…"

"But you are neither relative nor friend to us. I already said I don't want you to repay me, stop trying to cotton up to us." Drawing the sword in her hand a little bit, the half-section of chilly blade shot out cold rays of light under the bright sky.

Ji Liuran was scared by her quite a few times and knew Ning Guang was not all talk. She immediately let go, dejectedly retreating to the side.

"Shifu, I only wanted to repay my benefactor's kindness…"

As the descendant of the cultivation world's number one n.o.ble family, Ji Liuran had always been sheltered, but she did not lack a bit of the scheming and subtlety she should have learned. She had long spotted that Di Jiufeng's heart was much softer than Ning Guang's. And, seeing them look at each other from time to time, their gazes held much longing, it was easy to see that this Di Jiufeng was not completely apathetic towards Ning Guang.

But love between women was perverse to the extreme, and they also carried the status of master and disciple.

Even if Di Jiufeng had guts matching the heavens, she didn't have strong backing, so she definitely would not dare do this sort of thing defying the natural order. Or else, the whole of the cultivation world would not bear her existence.

Ji Liuran had thought it through, and didn't place Di Jiufeng as a love rival in her heart.

But seeing them about to leave, she thought she ought to show her face in front of her benefactor more often. After all, she didn't like her yet, but after some time, she would definitely know that Ji Liuran was the one most suited to her.

Thinking of this, Ji Liuran timidly moved a step back, hiding her whole body behind Di Jiufeng. "Shifu, even if my benefactor is unwilling, I cannot be an ungrateful person, I definitely have to repay this kindness. I see you're about to go out, I am very familiar with this Zhong Zhou City, why don't I act as your guide, it will also prevent you from being bullied."

Not waiting for Di Jiufeng's reply, she grabbed her hand and ran out.

Ning Guang wanted to carve off one of her arms, but seeing her two hands tangled around Di Jiufeng's one, she was afraid her strike would injure Shifu. She could only resheathe her sword for now, forcibly suppressing the malice in her heart.

Zhong Zhou City was incomparably prosperous, people dense as smoke, an incessant stream of horses and carriages, incredibly boisterous.

Ever since exiting the inn, they pushed and squeezed on the small thin road, toe to heel. Ji Liuran pulled her for a while, darting through the streets and alleys.

Pushed by the tide of people, Di Jiufeng couldn't even determine where they were going, impossible to remember the way back.

After walking for a while, she wanted to turn to see if her disciple was following, but suddenly found that the small hand on her arm had silently disappeared at who knows what time.

Ji Liuran was very familiar with the roads of Zhong Zhou City, so she had tricked her to some populous and strange part of the city to abandon her. She wanted to be alone with Ning Guang. Though she was so young, her thoughts were already so treacherous, Di Jiufeng felt quite gloomy.

Turning, she wanted to go back, but for some reason, all the people in this place were pushing in the same direction.

Pushed around by the crowd, Di Jiufeng couldn't even extract an arm, not to speak of fighting the tide to go back.

Notes:

近水楼台 (jin4 shui3 lou2 tai2), 'pavilion near the water', an idiom meaning to use one's proximity to power to obtain favor. The part discussing the age of the cultivators allowed to partic.i.p.ate in the demonstration compet.i.tion used 骨龄 which is "bone/skeletal age" instead of the more common 年纪, I'm not entirely sure why. It just be a formal speech thing, or may be a way to specify age in years when many cultivators stop aging and have physical bodies much younger in appearance than their actual ages.