Chapter 54: Call Me Uncle
Chapter 54: Call Me Uncle
The next morning, Ling Yi was still in bed, fast asleep, when a series of rapid knocking sounds came from outside.
Thinking something might be wrong, Ling Yi rushed out in his pajamas and instantly opened the door, seeing Qian Luoying with an excited expression on her face.
Qian Luoying: “…”
Ling Yi: “…”
After the two stared at each other for a moment, Qian Luoying glanced up at the sun overhead and said a bit awkwardly, “Sorry for disturbing your rest, sir.”
Ling Yi followed her gaze toward the high-rising sun and nodded with an unchanged expression. “Wait for me a moment. I’ll go freshen up.”
Only after Ling Yi turned and went back inside did a blush appear on Qian Luoying’s fair face. She softly muttered, “So young, yet so lazy…”
Just thinking about it felt unfair!
She hadn’t slept all night, constantly practicing that cultivation method, while he had slept in yet already mastered it with ease.
People really can’t be compared. It seemed her aptitude was indeed a bit dull.
If other martial practitioners knew what she was thinking, they would be ashamed enough to want to die.
About ten minutes later, Ling Yi came out properly dressed and saw Qian Luoying still standing under the tree in the yard. He asked, “Made some progress?”
At this, Qian Luoying immediately became excited again. “Yes, yes! Sir, this cultivation method is truly marvelous. After I went back and practiced until dawn, the bottleneck in my realm actually loosened a little! Continuing like this, I believe within a year, I can advance one whole realm!”
At her age of over thirty, this speed of cultivation progress could absolutely be considered a genius in the cultivation world.
Ling Yi nodded. “That’s pretty good. Oh, and from now on, no need to be so formal with ‘sir’ and ‘disciple.’ I’m younger than you. I’ll call you sister. You can call me Ling Yi, or you can call me Ling Jiu.”
“Is that… okay?” Qian Luoying hesitated.
The education she received since childhood taught that those with greater achievements were masters.
Not to mention Ling Yi’s unfathomable methods, just him imparting a top-tier cultivation method to her was worthy of her calling him teacher.
“We’re all children of the jianghu. Let’s just be casual,” Ling Yi said, subtly trying to get closer.
It was true that imparting a method placed her in his debt, but there was really no need to place himself on a high pedestal.
After all, during this time, he still needed her as a fighter.
One had to be decent.
At that moment, half of Mo Yunwu’s little face appeared at the courtyard gate, secretly observing.
Seeing this, Ling Yi chuckled and waved his hand. “Big niece, come over here. Uncle will teach you a move or two.”
Mo Yunwu: !!!
The little girl even forgot her master was right there. She angrily entered and rushed up to Ling Yi. “Who’s your big niece?”
“Yunwu, don’t be rude. He… really is your uncle,” Qian Luoying said with a calm expression.
Elder Qian was simple, but she wasn’t stupid. Ling Yi was taking the initiative to be friendly; she had no reason to refuse.
If her two disciples could actually become relatives with someone of such unfathomable means and vast cultivation knowledge, it would be a huge blessing for them.
Mo Yunwu was instantly dumbfounded, staring blankly at her master. “You… you actually… got together?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Qian Luoying was so angry she felt like kicking this silly girl twice. “Master Ling acknowledges me as his sister, and I acknowledge him as my brother. From now on, he is your and Yun Tong’s uncle!”
Ling Yi flashed a grin at Mo Yunwu. “Aren’t you going to come greet your uncle?”
Mo Yunwu ground her teeth in anger. The little girl simply couldn’t understand why all this was happening.
Her master went to his room last night and stayed for half the night, then came looking for him again first thing this morning, and now she had inexplicably become his niece…
“I refuse to acknowledge you as my uncle!”
Mo Yunwu glared at Ling Yi, then turned and ran off angrily. She was going to find Jiang Yuntong to complain, to get him to talk some sense into their master.
If things went on like this, would she have to call that good-looking bad guy ‘dad’ in a few days?
“She’s a child, grew up entirely in the Heaven’s Gate Sect, with no real experience or worldly knowledge. Please… dear brother, don’t mind her,” Qian Luoying said.
“No worries, no worries. She’s just a kid. I’ll definitely fulfill my duties as an uncle later and discipline her properly,” Ling Yi said.
Even Qian Luoying couldn’t help but have black lines forming on her forehead at this. Thinking, you’re only a few years older than that girl; it’s strange if she’ll listen to you.
Not long after, Jiang Yuntong was dragged over by Mo Yunwu, albeit reluctantly, because he had been training. In terms of talent, he wasn’t as good as his junior sister, but in terms of diligence, he surpassed her several times over.
Seeing Jiang Yuntong, Qian Luoying repeated the words she had just said to Mo Yunwu.
Mo Yunwu looked at Jiang Yuntong as if to say: See? I didn’t lie, did I?
Jiang Yuntong was also a bit confused, but in the first moment, he went before Ling Yi and bowed respectfully. “Disciple Yun Tong greets Uncle!”
Mo Yunwu: “…”
Her only ally had shamelessly switched sides just like that!
The little girl nearly broke down.
Ling Yi laughed heartily. “That ‘uncle’ you called me won’t be in vain. Come, what martial skills are you good at? Show your uncle.”
Jiang Yuntong was an honest kid, but he couldn’t help rolling his eyes inwardly. This unexpected uncle… was really getting into the role.
Actually, in terms of age, the two were probably about the same.
But like Mo Yunwu, Jiang Yuntong grew up entirely in the Heaven’s Gate Sect and was also really interacting with the outside world for the first time. He was very simple-minded and looked much younger than Ling Yi.
“This disciple is most skilled in the White Crane Palm Technique and the Thirteen Swords of Pine Waves,” Jiang Yuntong answered seriously.
“Mm, practice the palm technique first,” Ling Yi said casually.
Jiang Yuntong instinctively glanced at his master. Seeing she had no particular reaction, he nodded, stood in the small courtyard, and began practicing this set of White Crane Palm Technique.
After just one look at Jiang Yuntong’s opening stance, Ling Yi couldn’t help but nod inwardly. As expected of a sect disciple valued by a Dao Enlightenment expert like Qian Luoying. His foundation was indeed extremely solid.
Better than the vast majority of talented students of the same age at the Zongwu Academy.
The reason Qian Luoying didn’t stop this was partly because she wanted to test things.
Of course, it wasn’t to test her own disciple. She knew what level Jiang Yuntong was at.
What she wanted to test was how truly capable Ling Yi was!
Being able to defeat a Golden Body practitioner with only Meridian Unlocking primary level was enough to prove Ling Yi’s strength, but it wasn’t enough to show his full range!
If Ling Yi could even give pointers to someone with a foundation as solid as Jiang Yuntong’s, then it meant this person was a top-tier genius in every aspect!
With someone like this, if you could be friends, you should absolutely never become enemies.
Mo Yunwu stood to the side, pursing her lips, looking rather unconvinced.
This bad guy, so good-looking yet so black-hearted, somehow tricked her master, became a senior, and immediately came to bully people.
Only Jiang Yuntong was honest enough to listen. She’d definitely scold him properly when they went back. Really, why should he let himself be ordered around?
Each person had their own thoughts, but Jiang Yuntong in the courtyard was clear-minded, and his movements became increasingly faster.
Later on, his whole body seemed like a gracefully dancing white crane—nimble, elegant, yet hiding lethal intent within.
Qian Luoying watched from the side, nodding repeatedly.
It seemed during this period, this child had secretly put in a lot of effort. This set of White Crane Palm Technique had become much more polished.
Then, Jiang Yuntong performed his final closing stance, ending with a particularly graceful movement, like a white crane finishing a dance and folding its two wings together.
Elegant and composed.
“Great!”
Clap clap clap clap clap!
Mo Yunwu couldn’t help but excitedly clap her hands vigorously, cheering for her senior brother.
A smile also appeared on Qian Luoying’s face. She looked at Jiang Yuntong with a hint of relief in her eyes, then glanced at Ling Yi.
Ling Yi’s expression remained unchanged as he looked at Jiang Yuntong and said, “That so-called Thirteen Swords of Pine Waves? Is that the name? Show me a demonstration…”
Mo Yunwu said angrily, “Hey, you big jerk, how can you be like this? What do you take my senior brother for? A monkey performing tricks?”
Qian Luoying frowned at Mo Yunwu. “If you continue being so disrespectful, once we return this time, you will never be allowed out again.”
Mo Yunwu looked aggrieved, but Ling Yi shook his head with a smile. “It’s fine. Children don’t know any better. As her uncle, why would I stoop to her level?”
Mo Yunwu was not grateful at all. She glared at Ling Yi, feeling utterly wronged, but she did not stomp her foot and run away. Because she suddenly realized that her master seemed to place great importance on this so-called uncle.
Though her simplicity bordered on worldly foolishness, she was not truly stupid. She could still judge emotions and attitudes.
Seeing that his master did not object, Jiang Yuntong nodded, returned to the room to fetch his sword, and began to perform this set of “Thirteen Swords of Pine Waves.”
This sword technique was relatively simple, with only thirteen moves in total, but each move had many variations.
Once executed, it was like the endless waves of pine forests and sea tides.
Each move could also have countless variations—it could surge like towering waves or appear calm yet conceal hidden needles within the softness…
Jiang Yuntong’s foundation in this sword technique was also very solid. With a long sword in hand, he performed so tightly that it felt suffocating.
Combined with the powerful strength of the Acupoint Opening Realm, the explosive force was even more startling.
Although Mo Yunwu felt wronged and angry inside, she was still happy for her senior brother’s cultivation. She couldn’t help but glance at Ling Yi with a hint of pride.
But she saw Ling Yi turn his gaze elsewhere—
How outrageous!
Wasn’t this a bit too disrespectful?
Then Mo Yunwu saw Ling Yi casually pluck a branch from a nearby tree. It was about one and a half feet long, crooked, with a few leaves still attached.
What was he trying to do?
Qian Luoying also noticed Ling Yi’s actions and thought to herself, surely you aren’t planning to use that to spar with Yuntong?
This was truly overconfident!
“Once Yuntong begins performing this Thirteen Swords of Pine Waves, it becomes continuous. If one isn’t careful enough, they might even get injured…”
Ling Yi smiled and casually walked toward Jiang Yuntong. “Come on, nephew, fire away at me!”
Jiang Yuntong was slightly taken aback, but the sword moves in his hand did not stop. Almost instinctively, he thrust his sword toward Ling Yi.
Ling Yi did not use any power above the Second Order. He swung the branch in his hand and gave it a fierce flick…
Swish!
A clear, crisp sound rang out. The sword in Jiang Yuntong’s hand instantly flew away!
Thud! It embedded itself into a large tree in the courtyard. The sharp sword pierced straight through the tree trunk.
The tip of the sword protruded from the other side, and the hilt trembled lightly.
Everyone in the small yard, except for Ling Yi, stood dumbfounded.
“Is this all?” Ling Yi looked at Jiang Yuntong, who was standing there stunned, then at Mo Yunwu, who was dumbfounded, and finally at Qian Luoying, who was frowning in thought. “A Sect disciple?”
Mo Yunwu’s lips quivered slightly as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she dejectedly lowered her head, her eyes reddening.
The feeling of being looked down upon was so painful.
Jiang Yuntong’s expression also darkened. No one would feel good after practicing a sword technique for many years, taking great pride in it, only to have it broken so casually and almost insultingly with just a branch.
“Your fist technique is even worse.” Ling Yi ruthlessly mocked. “Oh, I misspoke—your palm technique, the White Crane Palm Technique. Hmm, even worse! Not as good as this sword technique. To be precise, it’s not that the palm technique is bad—it’s that you learned it poorly.”
“Brother, you…” Qian Luoying also found it hard to bear. With you saying the palm technique is bad on one hand and his learning is poor on the other, this isn’t scolding a junior—this is insulting me.
“Sister, to be honest, your teaching really isn’t that great. How about this: let my nephew follow me. It won’t take a month, not even eighteen days—just three days. If there’s no improvement, you can come find me!”
Ling Yi blinked, his expression sincere.
This Jiang Yuntong was truly a promising talent!
Natural talent—how should I put it—is something innate. It’s not something one can simply acquire.
But hard work in life is equally important!
As the Enchantress would say, if one’s talent is poor, there are plenty of ways to adjust. But if a person isn’t diligent enough, there will never be an opportunity.
Jiang Yuntong was a classic example of someone whose talent wasn’t particularly outstanding, but whose diligence was off the charts.
His foundational skills were learned with incredible solidity, but it was precisely this solidity that left him almost no room for flexibility.
This was actually all due to his master, Qian Luoying, but there was no helping it.
After all, not everyone was like Ling Yi, who had the ability of a famous master at such a young age.
Qian Luoying looked at Ling Yi with some disbelief, but considering they would be staying here for a while anyway, she might as well let him try.
If Jiang Yuntong became even better in the future, wouldn’t that be nothing but good for her?
And so, the matter was happily settled.
Mo Yunwu watched from the side and couldn’t help but ask, “What about me?”
Ling Yi glanced at her. “Call me Uncle, and Uncle will teach you.”