119. Master, this thing

Not far away, the roar of a waterfall echoed through the bamboo grove. Wei Wuyang lay on a lounge chair, nibbling on fruit while idly flicking his fishing rod.

A gentle mountain breeze swept past. Although the high platform stood dozens of feet above the pool, the long fishing line remained perfectly still.

Lingyu sat nearby, numbly boiling water and brewing tea.

She had finally learned just how difficult her new master was to please. She had spent three full days just learning how to brew tea. The process allowed for no errors, and even the curvature of her movements was strictly regulated. If the water was poured from even a slightly higher angle, he would refuse to drink it. She found it truly bizarre—could he really taste the difference between a high or low pour? What on earth was his tongue made of?

She prepared another cup and placed it on the small table. "Master, please enjoy your tea."

Wei Wuyang tilted his body and took a sip.

Lingyu watched his expression closely.

Wei Wuyang drank calmly, then set the cup down after a moment. "This flavor... it’s acceptable."

Lingyu patted her chest, her expression softening. She had finally passed.

Before she could fully relax, a jade slip was tossed at her. "These are the care instructions for the spiritual herbs in my garden. Memorize them."

"Oh..." Lingyu caught it and scanned it quickly. Just as she had imagined, there were strict requirements for water, light, and even the timing was down to the exact second.

If she killed a plant, would his old man demand her life in return?

As she was pondering this, she heard Wei Wuyang say, "Starting tomorrow, you will follow me to learn how to tend to the spirit herbs. If you don't learn well and end up killing them, hmph!" His expression was clearly smiling, but his tone made Lingyu shiver.

However, it was no big deal. When soldiers come, block them; when water comes, earth covers it. It was just caring for herbs—didn't every disciple in the Hundred Herbs Garden know how? With her wit and intelligence, surely she could learn.

Lingyu boasted to herself, quickly regaining her confidence.

Wei Wuyang remained lazily reclined on the chair. He appeared to be fishing, but he was actually squinting his eyes against the breeze.

As Lingyu watched, the mountain air made her feel so comfortable she nearly drifted off. Her head dipped, and she jerked awake. She looked around. Wei Wuyang was still in the same position, and she couldn't help but ask, "Master, are there any fish in this pool?"

Wei Wuyang opened his eyes and used a book as a pillow behind his head. "Why wouldn't there be?"

"Then why have we been fishing for so long without seeing a single one?"

"You want to see a fish?" Wei Wuyang turned his head and flashed a brilliant smile at her. The next moment, he kicked her off the platform. "Go down and look for yourself. You'll see one soon enough."

"Splash!" As a Golden Core cultivator, his move was too fast for Lingyu to react. She plunged into the deep pool. Just as she managed to surface, a fathead fish swam leisurely past her eyes.

"Master!" she shrieked.

"What is it, my disciple?" Wei Wuyang poked his head over the edge of the high platform, smiling as he watched her disheveled state. He nodded as if it were a serious matter. "Oh... you want to come up? Then grab the line."

He flicked the rod. The fishing line snaked down, coiled around Lingyu’s waist, and with a sharp tug, she was hauled back onto the platform.

Soaking wet and burning with rage, Lingyu gritted her teeth. "Master, did you take me as a disciple just to play with me?"

"Oh, angry, are you?" Wei Wuyang leaned back comfortably, his brows arched with a playful, inscrutable expression.

"Disciple would not dare." Despite her words, Lingyu’s tone was sharp.

Wei Wuyang burst into laughter, leaving her feeling bewildered. Once he finished, he nodded. "Good, at least you have a temper."

What did that mean? Before Lingyu could process it, Wei Wuyang added, "You haven't grasped the sword intent yet, have you?"

"Yes..." The conversation jumped too quickly for her to keep up. She wanted to be angry, but was stopped by such a serious topic.

"I don't know much about how sword cultivators grasp sword intent. However, the path of cultivation is interconnected; I imagine the principles are much the same." Wei Wuyang spat out a fruit pit. "Show me a set of sword techniques."

"..." Lingyu highly suspected he just wanted to watch a monkey show, but she couldn't refuse such a legitimate request. She had no choice but to perform the *Water-Fire Sword Manual*.

The *Water-Fire Sword Manual* was derived from the *Five Elements Sword Manual*. Back then, Duanmu Lin had only chosen the Qi Refining stage techniques for her. After Lingyu reached Foundation Establishment and returned, she immediately apprenticed to Wei Wuyang; she didn't even know where the Foundation Establishment stage techniques were.

Usually, when one had a master, the master would bestow techniques far superior to the common wares in the Pavilion of Myriad Laws. Thinking of this, Lingyu felt a glimmer of anticipation. Even if the Guanyun Peak lineage wasn't primarily sword cultivators, Wei Wuyang was the beloved disciple of a Nascent Soul cultivator and was himself powerful. Surely, getting a good technique wouldn't be difficult?

"I heard that you can master someone else's ultimate move after seeing it just once?"

That was a bit of an exaggeration. Lingyu said truthfully, "I can learn, but it's not like I master it in one glance. Some points require careful study. If the true energy circulation is unique, I can only mimic the form."

"So, you have a good memory." Remembering how she learned the door-opening hand seal in one go, Wei Wuyang believed she wasn't lying. If the information from the Dao Inquiry Palace hadn't specifically noted this, he wouldn't have bothered to take this disciple; teaching a fool was truly exhausting.

"It's alright, I suppose." On this point, Lingyu was somewhat confident.

Wei Wuyang said nothing more, slowly sipping his tea and squinting to enjoy the breeze. As for the fishing... heaven knows if a rod without bait could ever catch a fish!

Lingyu waited a long while without receiving the guidance she expected. She couldn't help but ask, "Master, do you have any instructions for me?"

"I haven't decided yet," Wei Wuyang said lazily. "You should finish your chores first. When I've thought it through, I will call you—and by then, even if you want to leave, you won't be able to."

"...Yes."

Wei Wuyang waved his hand. "Go."

Seeing him pick up a scroll, Lingyu knew he had no interest in talking further. She stopped bothering him and went to attend to her own affairs.

Once Lingyu's figure disappeared, Wei Wuyang lifted his hand, tossed the scroll aside, and muttered to himself, "Troublesome. With such a constitution, she chose to be a sword cultivator. If she had started on the path of law cultivation, she would have been easier to mold. Now that her sword cultivation foundation is solid, she can only continue on this path..."

In the world of cultivation, it was not uncommon for a master to be a law cultivator while the disciple was a sword, talisman, or martial cultivator. Even under the tutelage of True Person Xianhua, there were sword cultivator disciples. Once they reached their level of cultivation, it was not a problem to teach a disciple regardless of their chosen path. Wei Wuyang had originally thought the same, until he saw Lingyu wield her sword, at which point he realized he had been too simplistic.

He could certainly point out the flaws of an ordinary sword cultivator, as there were established paths to follow. Lingyu was different. He didn't know how her previous mentor had guided her, but they had somehow fused her unique physical constitution with sword cultivation techniques. Because of this, she was walking a path that was truly one of a kind.

Wei Wuyang closed his eyes, silently recalling the classics he had read and the sword cultivators he had encountered...

After a long while, he opened his eyes, his gaze full of interest and eagerness. "This is fine. If I can solve this girl's problem, perhaps my own problem will cease to exist."

He stretched and picked up the book from before, focusing intently on it.

***

After hearing Wei Wuyang's words, Lingyu carefully considered what she still needed to do. Wei Wuyang meant that in a few days, he would begin teaching her. She knew that before entering the Taibai Sect, she had essentially been self-taught. Even though her techniques were now on the right track, there were still many things she lacked compared to the local cultivators of the Cangming Realm. This was a great opportunity; her only fear was that Wei Wuyang wouldn't teach her. If he was willing to teach, the stricter, the better.

First was Abi. Upon learning she had a spirit pet that had attained form, Wei Wuyang was surprised but said nothing more. Even if it had taken human form, it was still a spirit pet; there was nothing unusual about keeping one. He himself had several, though he didn't care to raise them and had left them to be cared for by the Spirit Beast Garden.

Then, she went to the Dao Inquiry Palace to find Duanmu Lin.

"Cheng... Junior Sister Cheng, you've reached Foundation Establishment?" Duanmu Lin barely managed to correct his address, looking at her in disbelief.

"Just luck," Lingyu replied, bowing to him. "Thank you for your care, Senior Brother Duanmu."

Duanmu Lin let out a breath and shook his head. "I only did what I was supposed to do. You don't need to thank me." Looking at Lingyu, he suddenly realized she was only in her early twenties. To reach Foundation Establishment at such a young age was rare; surely, a Golden Core uncle who was a direct disciple of a Nascent Soul master would have taken her in.

With this thought, he said, "Congratulations on your advancement, Junior Sister. I’ve been idling away in the Dao Inquiry Palace and didn't hear the news. How long have you been at Foundation Establishment? Do you have a master yet?"

Lingyu smiled. "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother. I just recently advanced, and a few days ago, I entered the tutelage of True Person Wei at Guanyun Peak."

"True Person Wei..." Duanmu Lin pondered for a moment, his expression shifting. "Wei Wuyang?"

"That is correct..." Seeing his reaction, Lingyu asked curiously, "Senior Brother Duanmu, is my master bad-tempered? It seems everyone is afraid of him."

"..." Duanmu Lin wanted to say that his temper wasn't just bad—the man himself was trouble. But remembering that Lingyu was now his disciple, he swallowed his words. "It’s nothing. Uncle-Master Wei is just... not easy to get along with. However, he is very principled. As long as you don't provoke him, you'll be fine."

He looked her up and down. "Uncle-Master Wei has never taken a disciple before. You are quite fortunate to have caught his eye, Junior Sister Cheng."

Lingyu smiled, not wishing to dwell on the topic, and brought up her business. "Senior Brother Duanmu, I came here to ask for your guidance."

"Guidance?" Duanmu Lin quickly waved his hand. "You are already at Foundation Establishment and are Uncle-Master Wei's disciple; I dare not offer guidance. Let us simply exchange ideas."

This was proper etiquette, so Lingyu stopped being humble and spoke directly. "Senior Brother, thanks to your guidance before, I studied the *Five Elements Sword Manual*. Now that I've reached Foundation Establishment, may I ask if there is a follow-up, and whether I should continue to study it?"

Lingyu's situation was special, and Duanmu Lin remembered it clearly. He thought for a moment and said, "The *Five Elements Sword Manual* is a foundational technique that can be practiced up to the Golden Core stage. You can continue if you wish, but it is only considered a mid-tier technique. Many people switch to others once they reach Foundation Establishment. Since you have a master, you don't need to worry about techniques. If you want to continue researching it, you can simply go to the Pavilion of Myriad Laws to borrow the subsequent parts."