Chapter 53: Master Got Snatched Away
Chapter 53: Master Got Snatched Away
Often, what turns a Young Master into a “Mister” might just be an Enchantress.
“Follow me,” Ling Yi said, walking straight into the courtyard.
Qian Luoying hesitated briefly before following.
Behind the nearby courtyard gate, Mo Yunwu and Jiang Yuntong exchanged bewildered looks.
“Master… Master just got taken away like that?” Mo Yunwu asked with disbelief in her eyes.
“Don’t talk nonsense. Master clearly needs something from that Young Master Ling,” Jiang Yuntong explained weakly.
The two hadn’t heard what their master said to Ling Yi, but they saw her bow to him. Then, she followed him into the courtyard like a shy new bride.
For these two youths who hadn’t truly experienced the world, this scene was quite a shock.
It even made them almost imagine a bunch of junior brothers and sisters appearing soon.
Back in the room, Ling Yi first turned on the light, then drew the curtains.
Standing in the middle of the living room, Qian Luoying felt a bit at a loss.
“Have a seat first,” Ling Yi said casually.
“Oh…” Qian Luoying sat down uneasily on the sofa. She studied the tall and handsome Ling Yi, her heart filled with anxiety.
For some reason, it felt like her first day joining the Heaven’s Gate Sect all over again.
Unlike Mo Yunwu and Jiang Yuntong who were born into the Sect, she had lived in the ordinary world until she was thirteen.
It wasn’t until her Master discovered her and brought her to the Heaven’s Gate Sect that she formally entered a hidden Sect.
Now, over twenty years had passed in a flash. Her real age was already over thirty.
Actually, within the vast Heaven’s Gate Sect, Qian Luoying had no shortage of admirers. But from the day she entered the Sect, she had secretly sworn to herself that this life would be dedicated solely to cultivation!
To seek the Great Dao one day was her only pursuit!
As for things like romance and love, she found them particularly uninteresting.
They wasted time and created troubles, nothing more.
But now, such a handsome young man stood before her, and he seemed able to help her achieve a breakthrough. If this person took a liking to her, how should she choose?
Should she refuse?
For the first time, Qian Luoying felt a sense of confusion.
Just then, Ling Yi’s voice sounded by her ear.
“Elder Qian?”
Qian Luoying snapped out of it, her face flushing red. “Sorry, my mind wandered a bit.”
“It’s fine. What I meant was, your talent isn’t bad, but under normal circumstances, this is probably your limit,” Ling Yi said.
“Huh?”
Qian Luoying was stunned. Her face quickly turned pale.
She suddenly remembered the words her Master had said to her before passing away—
“Ying’er, do you hate your Master?”
“Why would I hate Master? I respect you so much…”
“Although I brought you into the Sect, Master also changed your entire life. You might never experience the things a normal person would.”
“Ying’er only seeks the Great Dao. I don’t care about those things!”
“Ah, silly child. What if you can’t attain the Great Dao?”
Her Master hadn’t spelled it out completely back then, but Qian Luoying remembered it well.
That was also why Ling Yi’s words could move her. It wasn’t just apprehension, but more because of the hope deep within her heart.
“I… is there no way for me to break through?” she asked Ling Yi softly.
“Under normal circumstances, definitely not. But there is a way,” Ling Yi said.
“What… do I need to give?”
Qian Luoying’s voice wavered slightly. Even as she asked, she hadn’t really thought about what she could actually offer in return.
But she understood one thing: nothing in this world came without reason, neither love nor hate.
This person held something that could change your fate, but why should he give it to you?
Ling Yi, however, spoke with a light tone. “Didn’t I mention it before? Be my bodyguard for a while. If anyone causes me trouble, you help me beat them up. If anyone tries to kill me, you help me kill them. When we return to Great Qin, there might be some tough fights where I need your help. I have some tricks up my sleeve, but my actual combat strength isn’t high. You should know that.”
Qian Luoying knew, of course. Knowing was one thing, but she hadn’t expected his conditions to be so simple.
Such a small matter was nothing to her!
“That’s it?” she asked.
Ling Yi gave her a strange look. “Isn’t that enough? Do you think it’s too little to exchange for a Cultivation Method? Should we… extend the time? You stay until I achieve Dao Enlightenment?”
“…”
Qian Luoying was speechless.
She nodded without hesitation. “Deal!”
Her bright eyes fixed on Ling Yi, her meaning clear—you’re a man of your word, you can’t go back on it!
Later, the Enchantress gave Ling Yi a Cultivation Method.
But she told Ling Yi, “Who knows if she’s reliable? Give her the first half first. Once you confirm there are no issues, then pass the second half to her.”
Ling Yi agreed with this.
You never truly knew a person’s heart. It didn’t hurt to be cautious.
After all, keeping a Daoist by your side was completely different from entrusting money to Sister Zhao.
The latter meant losing some money at worst. The former could be fatal.
When Ling Yi passed the first half of the Cultivation Method to Qian Luoying, she became so excited after just the first passage that she could hardly contain herself.
As a Daoist who commanded Divine Abilities, she could judge the quality of a Cultivation Method far more clearly than the vast majority of martial artists in this world.
It was like the Tao Te Ching. You might not understand it, but upon seeing the words “The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao,” you’d definitely feel a sense of awe.
But during the actual teaching process, Qian Luoying—who had been hailed as a genius since childhood—quickly felt, for the first time, a true top student’s scorn.
“What? You didn’t remember the third line? That’s… not difficult, is it?”
“You haven’t memorized it completely after all this time? Oh… alright, don’t rush. Take your time.”
“Done yet?”
“Still not?”
“Surely you have it now?”
Looking at the clock on the wall, its hour and minute hands both pointing at twelve, Ling Yi felt utterly speechless.
Thankfully, this was just the first half. If he had to teach her the entire Cultivation Method, they wouldn’t have slept tonight…
So slow!
That whole night, Qian Luoying, the Daoist expert, was utterly crushed.
It even made her question her life a little.
She really wanted to ask this young man at the Meridian Unlocking stage, how long did it take you to memorize it?
However, seeing the other party’s practiced look, she was sensible enough not to ask.
She was afraid that asking would only further dampen her spirits.
Ling Yi was also asking the Enchantress: “How did someone so slow-witted manage to achieve Dao Enlightenment? Is Dao Enlightenment actually very easy?”
The Enchantress: “…”
“Why was I able to memorize it after just one pass!”
The Enchantress: “Enough from you!”
“How long did it take you to learn this Cultivation Method back in the day?”
The Enchantress: “If you keep yapping, I’ll beat you to death!”
Alright, it seemed the Enchantress and Qian Luoying were on about the same level.
At one o’clock in the morning, Qian Luoying finally memorized the entire first half of the Cultivation Method.
Her confidence had been badly shaken by Ling Yi, but what she didn’t know was that even the Enchantress had needed half a day to learn this Cultivation Method back then!
If she had a physical body, even the Enchantress would have wanted to give Ling Yi a good thrashing.
So you have a slightly better memory, a bit more talent, stronger comprehension—what’s there to boast about?
By now, Qian Luoying had completely forgotten all those messy thoughts she had earlier. Sitting in the living room, she quietly tried to circulate the Cultivation Method she had memorized, and a look of pleasant surprise soon appeared on her face.
This Cultivation Method… was incredibly powerful!
She was certain that not just the Heaven’s Gate Sect, but probably the entire Cultivation World had very few Dao-Entry Grade Five Qi Cultivation Methods that could surpass this one!
The value of such a Cultivation Method… was beyond measure.
If word got out, it would undoubtedly spark a bloody storm.
And she… had obtained it just like that?
Thinking of this, Qian Luoying even felt a bit embarrassed.
He only asked her to serve as his Dao Guardian for a period of time—that was truly… too generous!
At this point, Ling Yi finally couldn’t hold back his yawns and began urging her to leave: “Elder Qian, have you finally learned it? If you have, please hurry back. If you’re eager to practice, it won’t make much difference if you wait a little longer…”
Qian Luoying subconsciously glanced at the clock on the wall and let out a gasp of surprise. She hadn’t realized how quickly time had passed.
She quickly stood up and bowed earnestly to Ling Yi: “Young Master’s great kindness, Luoying will remember it. I will surely repay you in the future!”
Ling Yi waved his hand: “Just do what you promised me earlier. Master this first half first, and I’ll teach you the second half later.”
Qian Luoying was stunned: “Such an amazing Cultivation Method… is only half?”
Ling Yi smiled: “If I gave you the whole thing, you’d probably still be memorizing it tomorrow.”
Qian Luoying blushed, but was soon utterly shocked again. If just half was this powerful, what would the complete version be like?
Taking a deep breath, Qian Luoying looked at Ling Yi: “Young Master has granted me the grace of instruction. I…”
“Alright, alright. Repayment isn’t about words. Hurry back, we’ll talk more tomorrow… haaah, I’m so sleepy.”
“Well then, Luoying takes her leave!” Qian Luoying bowed respectfully, then turned and walked out, carefully closing the door behind her. Like a happy swallow, she lightly leaped back to her own courtyard.
There, she saw two pitiful little figures sitting dazedly in the yard.
“What… are you two doing?”
Her little joy was mercilessly ruined by these two little creatures.
Moreover, for some reason, seeing the two of them gave Qian Luoying the feeling of having been caught red-handed in some mischief.
“We were waiting for you, Master. Why were you over there for so long? You weren’t…” Mo Yunwu asked cautiously.
“Did you finish today’s assignments?”
“How many major cultivation cycles did you complete?”
“How many paintings did you finish?”
“How many musical pieces did you compose?”
“Did you practice swordplay?”
“…”
Mo Yunwu was completely bewildered.
Had her master gone mad?
Had she been rejected by that handsome man she was chasing?
Then why did she stay out so late?
“I asked you a question!”
Mo Yunwu: “Uh… no… not finished…”
“Then why aren’t you rushing back to finish your assignments!” After scolding her little disciple, Qian Luoying finally felt refreshed and light-hearted, walking calmly back to her room to sleep.
Left alone, the two pitiful little ones looked at each other, almost bursting into tears of grievance.
It was over. Their master had been stolen away!