Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Qi Wuyu was probably taking on a disciple for the first time, and for once, he spoke from the heart, saying some heartfelt, meaningful things to Liu Nanzhou, which deeply moved the boy. However, after a night's sleep, he'd completely forgotten he'd taken on a disciple the day before.

He slept until the sun was high in the sky, yawned as he stepped out, and was taken aback for a moment upon seeing Liu Nanzhou sitting in the courtyard before remembering he had accepted a disciple. The yawn died halfway on his lips.

He put on an act, clasping his hands behind his back. "Up quite early, huh? Did you sleep well last night?"

Liu Nanzhou nodded.

"That's good. Have you eaten?"

No sooner had he asked than he spotted the pan-fried buns and osmanthus porridge on the table.

Liu Nanzhou said, "No."

After the two finished eating, Liu Nanzhou cleared away the dishes, then sat quietly on a chair. Since Qi Wuyu didn't say anything, he didn't know what to do, so he just sat there, the two of them staring at each other blankly. The atmosphere grew awkward.

Qi Wuyu was silent...

He supposed he ought to teach him something, but what could he teach?

In the courtyard of Fengsheng Wutong stood a massive pear blossom tree, said to be nearly a hundred years old, currently in full, vibrant bloom. Under the tree was a writing desk, fully equipped with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

Qi Wuyu asked, "Do you know any characters?"

Liu Nanzhou pursed his lips slightly. "Very few."

Qi Wuyu smiled, snapped his fingers, and said, "Come, I'll teach you some characters."

He led Liu Nanzhou to the writing desk under the tree. "Can you write your own name?"

Liu Nanzhou: "Yes."

Qi Wuyu picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and said, "Do you know my name?"

Liu Nanzhou nodded.

Qi Wuyu wrote on the paper as he spoke. "You can't write it, can you? I'll teach you."

When Qi Wuyu wasn't bothering others, he would often write in the courtyard to quiet his mind. His calligraphy, with its strong, elegant strokes, was quite impressive.

"This character is 'Qi,' meaning to pray for blessings."

Liu Nanzhou looked at the character on the paper and softly repeated it.

"Qi."

"Right."

Liu Nanzhou tried to copy it stroke for stroke. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts to steady his wrist, what he produced was still a scrawled mess, completely incomparable to Qi Wuyu's writing when placed side by side.

Qi Wuyu didn't laugh at him. Instead, he held Liu Nanzhou's hand and guided him through writing it once. "Mastering calligraphy isn't achieved in a day. Don't rush it; take your time."

For the next few days, Qi Wuyu taught him some common characters and then left him to practice on his own for fun, while he himself wandered off, nowhere to be seen. Liu Nanzhou knew he was unreliable and didn't cling to him, just practicing his characters by himself.

One day, Qi Wuyu ambled out to find Xie Yongdao.

When he arrived, Xie Yongdao was opening a letter. Just from the sound of footsteps, Xie Yongdao knew it was him. "What are you here for?"

Qi Wuyu unceremoniously sat down, peeled a longan from the table, and tossed it into his mouth. "Just visiting."

Xie Yongdao finished reading the letter and let go of it casually. The letter hovered in mid-air without falling. With a wave of his hand, the letter spontaneously combusted, turning into a wisp of smoke in the air that scattered with a gust of wind, as if it had never existed.

Qi Wuyu noticed he looked troubled and asked, "What's wrong?"

Xie Yongdao said, "Shadow Demons had appeared in Quantai Town. Although they've been eliminated, I'm afraid the demons might still be up to something. I inquired with the other sects about any recent demon sightings."

"And?"

"The Five Cities of Tianmen had some, but they were all minor demons causing trouble." Xie Yongdao said, "We discussed it and plan to go reinforce the barrier around Thunder Abyss tomorrow."

Ever since Dan Cangke was suppressed, the Four Major Sects had established a barrier near Thunder Abyss. The Demon Lair City borders Thunder Abyss closely, and it's unclear where these Shadow Demons managed to slip in from.

Qi Wuyu nodded. "That's good."

Xie Yongdao sighed. "It's been nearly a hundred years since Dan Cangke was suppressed. It seems the demon clan is growing increasingly restless."

Qi Wuyu: "The Demon-Subduing Formation ties into the Four Major Sects. If anything really happens, we'll know. Besides, the Mountain Ghost is guarding it. He won't escape that easily."

Xie Yongdao gave him a meaningful look but didn't say more, only adding, "I'll set off this afternoon. You stay put in the sect and stop pestering others."

Qi Wuyu immediately felt wronged. "When do I ever? I'm very well-behaved, okay?"

Xie Yongdao almost rolled his eyes at him. "Every day, it's either Changxian complaining you drowned her flowers or Zhiyun saying you stole sweet potatoes from his field. Please, rein in your 'divine powers'!"

Qi Wuyu tried to explain... "That really wasn't my fault. I had good intentions! Who knew Shen You's flowers didn't like water? I only watered them three ladlefuls. Xiao Zhou has already helped her replant them." He pitifully held up three fingers, then added with less conviction, "And Ying Nianling is too stingy. I only took a couple of his sweet potatoes. Was that really worth tattling about?"

Xie Yongdao felt a headache coming on. What kind of master causes trouble and leaves the disciple to clean up?

He waved a hand dismissively. "Forget it. How is Xiao Zhou?"

Qi Wuyu said, "Him? I taught him some characters. He's in the courtyard now, practicing writing for fun."

Seeing Qi Wuyu's carefree demeanor, Xie Yongdao knew he was definitely taking a hands-off approach with Liu Nanzhou and advised in advance, "Before, out there, no one cared whether he lived or died. Now he finally has a place to stay, and you've taken him as your disciple. You should show him more care and concern in daily life."

Qi Wuyu was baffled. "What's there to be concerned about? There's no danger on Rifu Mountain."

Xie Yongdao sighed and said, "That child has a somewhat aloof temperament and usually doesn't talk much. I doubt he's gotten close to anyone in all these days. There aren't any children his age in the sect to play with either. If you don't look after him, he'll probably always be alone. Use your head a bit."

Qi Wuyu fell silent. Xie Yongdao knew he had taken the words to heart.

On the way back, Qi Wuyu was still thinking about Xie Yongdao's words, muttering to himself, "Is raising a disciple this troublesome?"

Although he complained about the hassle, on his way back, he still went to the Ten Thousand Scrolls Tower—Fengsheng Wutong didn't have any beginner's primers for learning characters. He had been teaching from random books these past few days, which was very disorganized.

Qi Wuyu found a few books from the Ten Thousand Scrolls Tower and brought them back. Liu Nanzhou learned quickly; in just a few days, he could already read some simple books on his own.

He borrowed several books from the Ten Thousand Scrolls Tower, covering various topics, and sat in the courtyard of Fengsheng Wutong reading them, often sitting for hours. Occasionally, if he encountered an unfamiliar character or something he didn't understand, he would ask Qi Wuyu.

Then he discovered that if he asked Qi Wuyu about unfamiliar characters or incomprehensible sentences, Qi Wuyu could mostly explain them clearly. But if he asked about cultivation-related questions, Qi Wuyu was at a loss. Sometimes his explanations were completely off-topic, worlds apart from what the books said, leaving Liu Nanzhou utterly confused.

Qi Wuyu closed the book "The Thing About Spiritual Power," smiled awkwardly, and said, "It's been too long. I'm a bit unclear on these theoretical things myself."

Liu Nanzhou: "..." This master really is unreliable!

Qi Wuyu said he was just making up the numbers in the sect. Turns out, he really wasn't being modest.

No wonder back then, when he looked at the others, they all seemed to exude an aura of "immortality," feeling distant from his world. Only Qi Wuyu was tangible, real, and present, radiating a sense of "humanity."

Since Qi Wuyu didn't know a thing and had as little spiritual power as a regular person, he was only good for looking at. From this perspective, he really was just a mascot.

Liu Nanzhou suddenly felt deceived, but upon careful thought, he had chosen this master himself, so he just had to put up with it. After all, he wasn't interested in cultivation to begin with; for him, having a stable place to stay was enough.

Although Liu Nanzhou said nothing, Qi Wuyu still understood the disdain in his eyes.

Qi Wuyu: "..."

He was forced to pick up the books again, burning the midnight oil to relearn knowledge he'd long since tossed aside, understanding it before explaining it to Liu Nanzhou.

Only when it came to cultivation world gossip could Qi Wuyu recite it chapter and verse. To preserve the dignity of his cheap master, Qi Wuyu often gave Liu Nanzhou a rundown of common knowledge.

"Nowadays, the continent is divided into four regions, with many large and small sects, but they all look to the Four Major Sects as leaders. Each sect presides over one region: Chaowu Tian, Golden Que Valley, Tianmen Five Cities, and our Tianyao Sect. The sect leader of Chaowu Tian is a heroic woman..."

Liu Nanzhou was clearly surprised that Tianyao Sect held such a high status, blinking a little in astonishment.

Qi Wuyu laughed, "Hey, what's that look? We don't look the part?"

Liu Nanzhou didn't speak, but his expression clearly said, "No."

Qi Wuyu tried to salvage a bit of the sect's dignity: "Nowadays, the world is relatively peaceful. It's normal for everyone to grow some veggies and enjoy life a little."

"Oh."

"..." Qi Wuyu pursed his lips. This kid is not cute at all!

"However, just because things are calm doesn't mean there's no danger," Qi Wuyu continued. "Although the Demon Lord has been suppressed, the demon race remains a latent threat. Who knows when they might make a comeback? And the monster tribes are no easy opponents either. Just a couple of days ago, Ying Nianling caught a Black Bear Yao that was harming people."

Liu Nanzhou lowered his eyes. Qi Wuyu thought he was scared and comforted him, "But there definitely won't be any problems in the short term, so no need to worry." He intended to continue from where he left off but couldn't remember after thinking for a while. "Where was I just now..."

Liu Nanzhou rarely asked a question: "How was the Demon Lord suppressed? What was the outcome of that great battle a hundred years ago?"

Qi Wuyu paused his head-scratching and shrugged. "What else? Dan Cangke was suppressed under the Thunder Abyss by the Demon-Subduing Formation, the demon race retreated to the Demon Lair City, and the human world has enjoyed a century of peace."

"What about Qi Zhuo? The book says the Demon-Subduing Formation initially couldn't suppress Dan Cangke. It was Qi Zhuo who sacrificed all his cultivation and used the Mountain Ghost to suppress him. Did he die?"

Qi Wuyu blinked. "Maybe he didn't die... Why are you asking about him?"

Liu Nanzhou shook his head. "Just asking casually."

Qi Wuyu rapped his knuckles on Liu Nanzhou's head. "Stop interrupting! I've forgotten where I was."

Liu Nanzhou gave him a baffled look; it was Qi Wuyu who had long gone off-topic.

Qi Wuyu coughed dryly. "It's getting late today, so let's stop here."

Liu Nanzhou: "..."

Qi Wuyu's explanations were rambling and lacked focus. He could go from the founding history of Tianyao Sect to gossip about the sect leaders and elders of various sects. Liu Nanzhou followed along in a daze, left his head spinning, and when he returned to his room and sorted through his thoughts, he found it all useless.

He wasn't interested in things like the early romantic affairs of the third city lord of Tianmen Five Cities and his wife, but he would still seek out Qi Wuyu.

Author's Note:

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Qi Wuyu, a fully automatic troublemaking machine [thumbs up]

PS: Usually updated at night. If there's a notification during the day, it's for editing typos and such. There won't be major plot changes, so no need to reread. [flowers]

Although Qi Wuyu couldn't teach him much about cultivation, he would often teach Liu Nanzhou some exercises to strengthen his body. The exercises were slow, barely faster than a turtle crawling. Often, Liu Nanzhou's lifted leg would ache before switching to the next movement.

Qi Wuyu said these exercises were incredibly effective in actual combat, but Liu Nanzhou couldn't see it at all. Wasn't it said that in martial arts, speed is paramount? How could such slow movements fight anyone? Hypnotize them?

Although Liu Nanzhou didn't understand, he obediently practiced. He had poor balance, and his legs lacked strength, so Qi Wuyu made him practice horse stance every day.

Thus, when Qi Wuyu saw Liu Nanzhou, he was either reading or practicing calligraphy under a tree, practicing horse stance or shadowboxing, or playing with Auspicious Snow when tired. In short, it looked very boring.

Upon careful thought, Qi Wuyu realized Liu Nanzhou had been there for almost half a month and had hardly left Fengsheng Wutong, let alone gone to play with senior brothers and sisters. This kid was too good at staying put—wasn't he afraid of growing mushrooms? But Liu Nanzhou seemed quite happy.

Xie Yongdao really called it.

Qi Wuyu lay in a recliner watching Liu Nanzhou practice calligraphy. After a long time, Qi Wuyu felt bored, but Liu Nanzhou was still writing.

Qi Wuyu tossed a candied fruit into his mouth and stood up, taking Liu Nanzhou's brush away. "Stop writing. What's so good about it? I'll take you out to play."

Liu Nanzhou: "I'm not going."

Qi Wuyu said, "Then consider it accompanying me, okay?" Without waiting for Liu Nanzhou to object, he dragged him away.

Liu Nanzhou sighed and followed.

"Where to?"

Qi Wuyu said, "To Ling Lake to catch fish. I'll cook fish for you tonight, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Nanzhou looked at him warily—not for any other reason, but because the first time Qi Wuyu took him fishing, the boat capsized, and that was when he learned to swim.

Qi Wuyu said, "Aw, c'mon, this time we won't take a boat. We'll just stay by the shore, okay?"

Qi Wuyu often took Liu Nanzhou out to play: fishing in the lake, boating to pick lotus, pounding flowers to make wine, or searching for spirit beasts in the mountains. Occasionally, with Liu Nanzhou's consent, he would take him to visit other elders.

And Liu Nanzhou witnessed Qi Wuyu's innate genius for causing trouble.

Flipping a boat in the lake was hardly a rare occurrence. He picked Shen You's experimentally grown flowers to make wine and broke out in red splotches all over the next day, requiring three bowls of medicine from Shen You to recover.

Searching for spirit beasts was even more troublesome. Once, he accidentally lost a spirit beast's egg and was chased all over the mountain by the mother beast. Although he eventually found it, he got swatted and had to lie in bed for seven days.

Liu Nanzhou sometimes felt fed up, unable to tell who was the master and who was the disciple.

But Qi Wuyu didn't feel that way at all; instead, he enjoyed it thoroughly. In his view, children should enjoy their childhood. Wouldn't sitting at a desk all day turn them into bookworms?

After all, he didn't expect Liu Nanzhou to achieve great things or become a hero in the future. Wasn't happiness the most important thing in life?

Qi Wuyu also took Liu Nanzhou farming. He had lived alone in Fengsheng Wutong for years, so the fields there weren't very large—more like a small vegetable garden. Usually, Qi Wuyu would grow some fruits and vegetables when bored, but being lazy, he often mooched off others. Now that Liu Nanzhou was here, he could help, to keep it from going to seed.

He didn't let Liu Nanzhou work blindly in the field alone but rolled up his sleeves and worked alongside him. "The mountain is rich in spiritual energy, so the things grown here taste better and ripen faster than those from ordinary fields."

Liu Nanzhou dug the soil with a serious expression. Qi Wuyu looked at him and thought he should prepare a smaller hoe for him tomorrow.

"Actually, farming is a lot like practicing martial arts. Maybe you'll gain some insights."

Liu Nanzhou gave him a puzzled look, unable to see how the two were similar.

Qi Wuyu smiled and didn't elaborate, asking instead, "What do you like to eat? We can grow it, and then you can eat what you planted."

Liu Nanzhou thought carefully after hearing his words. There wasn't anything he particularly liked to eat; in the past, he wasn't in a position to be picky and ate anything that could fill his stomach.

After coming to Tianyao Sect, he ate many foods he had never tasted before. They were undoubtedly delicious, but as for favorites, Liu Nanzhou racked his brains and could only think of the half sweet potato Qi Wuyu handed him on his first night.

"Sweet potatoes."

"Ah," Qi Wuyu mused. "Sweet potatoes probably aren't the right thing to plant this time of year."

Liu Nanzhou's eyes fell. Qi Wuyu took one look at him and added, "But we could always try."

Liu Nanzhou's eyes lit up again.

So, the kinds of books Liu Nanzhou borrowed from the Ten Thousand Scrolls Pavilion increased. He sat on the steps in front of the door, happily reading "Rebirth of the Plant Maniac."

Qi Wuyu initially thought he was reading some weird pulp novel. Only after taking it to look did he realize it was just a book introducing vegetable cultivation—what a genius came up with that awful title.

Later, Qi Wuyu went out of his way to make him a kid-sized hoe. Qi Wuyu himself sat leisurely in a nearby rocking chair, fanning himself while he sipped tea, occasionally feeding Auspicious Snow some spirit fruit from the mountain.

Just watching from the sidelines wasn't enough for him; he'd pipe up with pointers every so often.

"Loosen up the dirt over there a little."

"You're raking it crooked here."

Liu Nanzhou realized the only thing this guy had going for him was his looks, and his mouth worked harder than anything else. So, he had no choice but to pick up the hoe and redo that section.

Qi Wuyu took out a jade flute and started playing a tune for him.

Liu Nanzhou was dying for his sweet potatoes to sprout, checking on his little sprouts every single day to see if they had grown a bit taller.

When the seeds showed no sign of life, he grew a little anxious and wanted to ask Shen You for some fertilizer. On the way, he happened to meet Zhao Yi returning from selling vegetables. Zhao Yi, carrying a freshly roasted duck from the town, whisked Liu Nanzhou off.

In the evening, when Qi Wuyu returned and entered the room, he saw Liu Nanzhou still wasn't back, so he went out to look for him.

Passing by the disciples' quarters, he heard a racket coming from inside. He pushed the door open and saw several disciples hurriedly putting away their cards, standing up and giving him awkward, guilty smiles.

As soon as Qi Wuyu entered the room, he smelled the distinct smell of wine. He wagged a finger at them. "Well, well. Drinking and gambling on the job, are we?"

The disciples quickly begged for mercy. "No, Elder Qing'an! We'd never dare! Just this once, we promise!"

Qi Wuyu hadn't intended to discipline them seriously anyway; he was just messing with them. He glanced at the bed and saw someone lying there who looked familiar. In the entire Tianyao Sect, there was only one person that tiny.

Qi Wuyu walked over and saw that it was indeed Liu Nanzhou. The child lay on the bed, his face slightly flushed, looking uncharacteristically peaceful.

The disciples looked everywhere except at Qi Wuyu.

"Did you give him wine?"

Zhao Yi quickly waved his hands. "No, no! Today I brought a roasted duck from the foot of the mountain. We just wanted to let our junior brother have a taste and invited him to play. He picked up the wrong cup, thinking it was water, took a sip—just one sip—and... well, this happened."

Chu Minghe nodded in agreement. "Yes, yes, yes, we really didn't make him drink." He pleaded pitifully, "Elder, please, please don't tell our master."

Qi Wuyu sighed softly. "I'll let you off this time. If I catch you again, you'll be waiting to copy books in the Ten Thousand Scrolls Pavilion."

The disciples nodded so hard it was like they were pounding garlic. They knew Qi Wuyu wouldn't punish them. Among the elders, Qi Wuyu was the most easygoing. Over all these years, they had never seen Qi Wuyu get angry; it was like he didn't have the word 'anger' in his vocabulary.

Qi Wuyu waved his hand. "Alright, why are you all still standing there? Those who should go back to sleep, go back."

The disciples went out and returned to their own rooms. Qi Wuyu gently patted Liu Nanzhou. "Xiao Zhou, get up, time to go back."

Liu Nanzhou didn't stir at all.

"He only had one sip?"

Zhao Yi said with certainty, "Just one sip, really. We wouldn't dare give him wine!"

Unable to wake him, Qi Wuyu lifted him with one arm. Liu Nanzhou drowsed against his shoulder.

"It's getting late. You should all rest early too."

"Goodnight, Elder Qing'an."

"Don't worry, don't worry. I'll throw away the cards in a moment."

Chu Minghe helped Qi Wuyu open the door and showed him out.

Carrying Liu Nanzhou, Qi Wuyu pinched his nose. "Seriously? One sip and you're out cold? Some disciple you are."

Liu Nanzhou frowned and whimpered.

Qi Wuyu gently patted his back twice. "Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore. Sleep."

Qi Wuyu carried Liu Nanzhou into the room, placed him on the bed, and covered him with the quilt. He watched him by the bedside for a while and noticed that Liu Nanzhou's brows remained tightly furrowed.

"Dad, Mom, don't leave me."

It seemed Liu Nanzhou hadn't dreamed of his parents in a long time. He had almost forgotten that he once had parents too.

"I'm not hungry, and I don't want the pancake anymore. Please don't go..."

In the dream, the figures of his parents also grew farther and farther away. He had dreamed of this scene countless times before, always left alone, helplessly standing by the roadside crying and shouting until he cried himself awake.

But today was different. He dreamed that someone walked over. That person had a tall, straight figure, with a wine gourd hanging at his waist. He walked up to him, crouched down, gently wiped away his tears, and said, "Come with me. I'll take you home."

"Master..."

Listening to Liu Nanzhou's murmured dream talk, Qi Wuyu felt a pang of heartache. He rhythmically patted Liu Nanzhou's shoulder, comforting him. "I'm right here."

Author's Note:

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Liu · One Cup Drunk · Nan · Prone to Blackouts · Zhou [Heart]

This chapter is a bit short (kneels). Not sure if there are any kids taking the college entrance exam, but best of luck to you all!

P.S.: Thanks to the unknown little angel for the nutrient solution, so happy~ [Throws flowers]