Bab 29: 2-12 Become the Strongest Master With a Genius Student
Chapter 2
'I'm quite sure that I didn't invite her to become a student, but why does she want to be my disciple? Doesn't she see that I'm just an ordinary woman?'
Hearing the child's words made Vheena confused about how to respond, especially since the little girl seemed serious. Vheena could only ask her the reason.
"Little girl, why do you want to be my disciple? Don't you see that I am just an ordinary human?"
"My reason is that I want to become the strongest so no one will look down on me anymore, Master!"
"That's not the answer I wanted to hear, little girl. Can't you see? I'm not a cultivator; I'm truly an ordinary human. Look, even my clothes are tattered. I'm not rich either. So why do you want to be my disciple?" Vheena replied, pointing at her worn robe.
"I'm sure you are an immortal, Master! Seeing your face and demeanor makes me want to make you my master! Please, take me as your disciple!"
The child's strong response made Vheena uncomfortable. She was sure there was another misunderstanding, just like two years ago when she first arrived in the village.
'Although it seems she wants to follow me, it's a bit strange because of her reason for wanting to be my disciple. Besides, what can I teach her? I'm not even a cultivator. Well, seeing that she won't stop unless she becomes my disciple, I'll reluctantly take her as my disciple. Fortunately, I've studied martial arts before, even if just briefly, so I understand the basics. I should be able to teach her martial arts,' she thought.
"Alright, little girl, I'll take you as my disciple."
Hearing Vheena's words, the little girl was overjoyed. She quickly bowed before her master as a sign that she was now her disciple. Seeing the little girl bow, Vheena hurriedly lifted her up and told her not to bow.
"There's no need for such formal bowing. I've already accepted you as my disciple."
'If I'm not mistaken, in ancient Chinese society, bowing to a master is a form of politeness to show a disciple's devotion. I remember reading that in a Chinese novel,' Vheena thought.
Nodding at her master's words, the little girl quickly stood up with her master's help. After talking with her disciple for a while, Vheena realized that it was starting to get late. She invited her disciple to return home with her.
________
The Forest of Death is a forest located on the outskirts of the border city. It is called so because it harbors many dangerous monsters that can easily kill a cultivator. Nevertheless, many cultivators still come to the forest to search for treasures.
It's easy to find the bodies of both animals and cultivators left behind with their treasures looted in this forest. The Forest of Death is also where Vheena chose to live when she was first transported to this world. Strangely, in the two years she had lived there, she hadn't encountered any dangerous situations in the forest.
'We've been walking on this forest path for over an hour. It seems my disciple is not very talkative. It would be better if I started a conversation with her.'
Feeling awkward about the prolonged silence in the forest, Vheena mustered the courage to start a conversation with her disciple to ease the tension.
"What is your name, my disciple?"
"My name is Ruan Xiaoyue, Master!"
"O-oh, you're very enthusiastic, my disciple. Don't you feel tired after walking quite a distance?" Vheena replied, puzzled by how enthusiastic her disciple was.
"Not at all, Master! Ruan is very happy because my dream of becoming an immortal will come true!"
'No!… Seeing her enthusiasm makes it hard to tell her that what I'll teach her is just martial arts for self-defense. Y-yes, for cultivation, I'll teach her a bit from the knowledge I've gathered from Xianxia novels. If successful, she'll become a cultivator. If not, I can only say she doesn't have the talent to be a cultivator.'
Thinking about her disciple's words, Vheena devised a plan for the future if she disappointed her disciple.
Vheena shifted the conversation to her disciple's daily activities. Through this conversation, she felt closer to her disciple.
As they neared her house, Vheena stopped the conversation. She also wanted to let her disciple know about her living conditions so that her disciple wouldn't have too high expectations.
"Ruan, up ahead is the master's house. As I said before, I'm not rich. The master's house is small too, so if you're disappointed later, just let me know."
Seeing her disciple nod in response made her feel relieved. However, the relief was short-lived when she heard her disciple mutter in a low voice.
"From what I've heard in taverns from the ramblings of drunks, they often say that immortals who descend to the mortal world usually like to pretend to be ordinary people. In that case, it seems I should pretend that Master is just an ordinary person, right?"
'Ugh, why does she come to her own conclusions? I've already said that I'm just a poor ordinary person. Ah, well, let it be.'
If Vheena didn't maintain her composure, she would have shouted like a madwoman over this misunderstanding. Upon reaching her home, her disciple seemed reassured and nodded at her own conclusion upon seeing her modest little house.
'Oh well… I'll just resign myself to seeing this little girl nodding at my house. I'm too lazy to think about what she's imagining when seeing my house.'
Vheena could only resignedly watch her disciple. With the forest growing darker around them, she quickly led her disciple into the house without introducing her to the surroundings.
Feeling tired, Vheena showed her the bathroom and her room so she would know their locations and then urged her to rest. After settling her disciple in bed, Vheena went to the back door of the house and went out to the storage room to put away her merchandise.
After organizing her things, she returned to the house and went to her own room. She took off her robe, collapsed onto the bed, and sorted through her thoughts.
'What should I do for her tomorrow? Besides feeding her, I suppose I'll ask her to help tidy the house and clean the front and back yards.'
'As for training, I can start by teaching her to strengthen her body, but what kind of exercises should I use to teach her?'
Thinking about her disciple's physical training, she thought hard. In both her old world and now, she wasn't someone who liked exercising, so she knew very few physical exercises. After recalling all the exercises from real life, anime, manga, and novels, she chose the most well-known exercises from her previous world.
'Well, I hope the exercise I've carefully selected will be suitable for her seven-year-old body,' she thought.
Chapter 3
In a rather deep area of the northern Death Forest, there was a small, ordinary house. It was so well-hidden from view, obscured by the thick surrounding trees, as if nature itself was concealing it.
Despite its ordinary appearance, strangely, the area around the house was filled with pure and dense qi energy. The house itself emitted a mysterious aura that differed from its surroundings. If a cultivator saw it, they would feel as though they were looking at something hidden, something that could ease their understanding and enhance their cultivation level.
In the morning, the crowing of a rooster in the small house's backyard woke its owner. The owner appeared disoriented from just waking up. After a few seconds, they became aware and looked out of the bright window.
Surprised by the morning brightness, the owner hurried out of their room to prepare breakfast. Half an hour later, a little girl awoke from one of the other rooms in the house after hearing the commotion.
Emerging from her room, the little girl went toward the source of the noise and found her master preparing food at the table.
As the little girl approached her master to help with the meal, her master declined her assistance and told her to sit down. Once all the food was on the table, the master invited her student to eat with her.
"Thank you for the meal, master. I'm sorry I didn't help prepare the food."
"It's alright; you must be tired after the journey last night."
Seeing her student's sad expression and tone, Vheena didn't mind. To make her student feel better, she asked her to wash the dishes.
After her student washed the dishes, Vheena told her to bathe and clean herself.
A few minutes later, the student approached Vheena, who was relaxing and eating fruit.
Noticing that the student was still wearing shabby clothes, Vheena realized she had forgotten to provide her with new clothes. She took her student to her room to get some clothes and then thought.
'Since I live alone, I probably don't have clothes that fit her. If I go to the village again to ask for clothes, it would damage my reputation with the villagers. Besides, I feel quite embarrassed about asking for their help repeatedly without giving anything in return.'
'For now, it's better if RuanRuan just wears my clothes, and later I can make some clothes for her using the needle and thread I got from the villagers before.'
After thinking for a moment, Vheena chose clothes that were small enough for her student. Seeing her student change clothes in front of her, with clothes that were clearly bigger than her body, made Vheena feel a hidden urge within her.
'Ugh, this little girl is too innocent. She is not embarrassed to change clothes in front of me. Is it because I am a woman that makes her not suspicious? If this continues, I might become a lolicon in the future.'
After changing clothes, Vheena took Ruan Xiaoyue to the backyard of the house. On the way, she thought about the right words to craft a good explanation for the training she was about to give her student. Upon reaching the backyard, she turned her back to her student to compose her prepared speech and then explained the activities they would undertake.
"RuanRuan, since you've become my disciple, I will train you strictly. Your master does not know the meaning of surrender! Once you become my disciple, you must endure all the training I give you."
"Since you are just starting to cultivate, I will tell you that in cultivation there are levels and stages. The levels start from Martial Practicing, Foundation Building, and so on. While the stages are 4: Early, Mid, High, and Peak."
"The Martial Practicing realm is where your body is tempered so that your physical strength exceeds human limits."
Seeing her student nodding at what seemed like absurd explanations, Vheena immediately gave a serious expression and detailed the physical training her student needed to learn.
"This physical technique I am giving you is a high-level technique, and you must master it."
"The training consists of 100 Push-Ups, 100 Sit-Ups, 100 Squat-Jumps, and a 20 li (10 km) run. You must not stop until you complete the training!"
'This is really embarrassing! Giving such strange training like in anime to my student! This is so embarrassing!'
Unaware of her master's blushing face due to embarrassment, Ruan Xiaoyue was lost in thought about her master's explanation and confused by the terms. Seeing her student just standing still without starting the training, Vheena asked why she wasn't beginning.
"Why are you just standing there, RuanRuan? Is there something you don't understand?"
"Yes, master! Actually, I don't know what Push-Ups, Sit-Ups, and Squat-Jumps are?"
Hearing her student's question, Vheena realized she hadn't explained how to perform the exercises. She demonstrated the movements and asked her student to follow along.
'Uwaah... I'm really cruel, making a little child practice Caped Baldy techniques. Look! She can only manage to the fifth count with her skinny body. I guess I'll have to lighten the training load,' Vheena thought, inadvertently letting out a sigh.
Struggling to follow her master's techniques turned out to be harder than expected. Upon reaching the seventh count, hearing her master's sighs made Ruan Xiaoyue feel embarrassed about herself.
"RuanRuan, if you really can't do it, just tell your master. I'll surely lighten your training."
"It's okay, master! I won't embarrass you! I won't give up!"
"O-oh.."
Touched by her master's concern, Ruan Xiaoyue was determined to complete the training. Seeing her student's determination, Vheena could only helplessly watch as her student did Push-Ups with trembling arms. Taking a chair, she sat quietly and observed her student's training.
'It's better if I just watch over her today. If she gives up later, I can encourage her,' Vheena thought.
'What's going on! This is impossible! How can this be?'
Hours of watching her student train left Vheena confused. Seeing her student, nearly out of breath but still determined to finish, surprised her.
Although it took 3 hours to complete the training, it wasn't easy, especially for her skinny body. Panicking at Ruan Xiaoyue's apparent exhaustion, Vheena ran into the house to fetch a drink.
Approaching her student to praise her hard work, Vheena said, "My disciple, your determination is truly remarkable! I didn't expect you to complete training that even most people would give up on the first day. I'm truly happy to have you as my disciple."
"Th-thank... you... master.."
Responding with labored breaths, Vheena could only pat her back and give her some water to drink.
'Whether it's luck or misfortune to have someone like her as my disciple,' she thought, turning her attention to the clear, cloudless sky.
Chapter 4
"Huff... huff... ha... ha-ha..."
The heavy breathing of a little girl running around her master's backyard echoed through the air. Not only was she running, but she also carried heavy loads strapped to her back, arms, and legs. Any outsider would be astonished by the strength of this little girl.
'It's been a week since I started training her, and it's still strange to see how quickly her physical abilities are improving. In just seven days, this little girl has managed to complete all the exercises I've given her, even with the additional heavy weights.'
Sitting on a rickety wooden chair and watching her student train, she could only marvel at how quickly her physical prowess was advancing. Even on the third day, she was able to complete her training without breaking a sweat. Worried that she might realize that the training techniques she provided were a sham, she increased the weights on her small body daily to make her believe the techniques were advanced.
'Either that Caped Baldy's training technique is actually effective in this world, or this little girl's body is truly a monster. It seems it's time for me to add new exercises for her. Punching practice should suffice, considering there's a large rock not too far from here.'
Once her student finished her training, Vheena stood up from his chair and approached her to praise her progress. After some pleasantries, she informed her about the new training regimen.
"RuanRuan, I've seen how quickly you've progressed this week. Therefore, I'm going to give you a new exercise. Since your physique is already quite strong, I will add punching drills to further enhance your attack power. Come, follow me to see where you will be training."
"Alright, Master!"
Leaving the backyard with his student trailing behind, Vheena headed away from his home, past the footpath, and up a hill. They arrived at a location with a large rock, about the size of a luxurious five-story house.
Approaching the large rock while pulling her awestruck student, Vheena immediately instructed her to practice punching the rock. Seeing that the rock showed no signs of damage from her punches made him smile.
'With this, it should take her a long time to improve her monster-like body. This way, I can focus on being lazy without worrying about her training.'
Frustrated by the lack of any visible damage to the rock, Vheena could only encourage her student.
"Come on, RuanRuan! You can do it! I see a small crack there, keep going! Keep going!"
"Really, Master? I don't see any cracks."
"Because you're still an ordinary person, you can't see them. Don't worry, once you're able to break the rock, it means you've reached the Peak level in Martial Practicing. After that, I'll help you breakthrough to Foundation Building and provide you with new techniques."
Hearing her master's encouraging but misleading words, which were supposedly not suitable for a child, Ruan Xiaoyue, unaware of the deception, eagerly wanted to break the rock quickly.
"Alright, Master will leave you now. Keep training, but don't push yourself too hard. If you get hungry, just go home, and I'll prepare food for you."
After leaving her student, who nodded and refocused on the rock, Vheena went back home. Yawning in his house, she went to the backyard to collect eggs from the chicken coop.
After gathering some eggs, Vheena went to the kitchen to prepare lunch. After cooking a simple meal, she ate at the dining table and left the leftovers for her student. Satisfied with his full stomach, she decided to go to his room for an afternoon nap.
"Yawn… ahh, I've been cooped up in the house all week without doing anything. Tomorrow, I need to try selling in the city again. Maybe my goods will sell well; I'm bored of just eating fruits, vegetables, and wild chicken that I raise. I must make some money tomorrow," Vheena thought aloud with a sleepy face before falling asleep.
______
The next day, following his plan from last night, Vheena washed his clothes and prepared breakfast, which she had with his student. She then decided to go to the city alone. She bid farewell to her student, reminding her to maintain her training while she was away. Putting on his cloak to cover her face, she took her merchandise and left her house.
After a two-hour walk, occasionally accompanied by passing horse carriages, and seeing the Border City ahead, she joined the queue at the gate. After being checked by the gate guards, Vheena proceeded to the market. She knew that the prime spots in the market would already be occupied.
Placing her goods where she used to sell, she waited in silence for customers.
_______
"Wait, princess! Don't go so fast, I can't keep up with you!"
A woman in ordinary clothes, jostled by the crowd in the market, called out to a very beautiful young woman in simple attire.
"Are you foolish! Why are you calling me princess! Can't you see all these people here?"
Hearing the call from her maid, the princess stopped and criticized her maid's carelessness.
"Sorry! Sorry, princes— I mean, miss."
Trying to apologize, the maid received a sharp look from her mistress and quickly corrected her speech, almost calling her "princess" again. The princess could only resign herself to the maid who had been with her for a long time.
"Let's go back to the inn, miss. I can't let you wander around alone."
"I don't want to," the princess replied.
"At least take a bodyguard! I'm afraid something might happen to you."
"What are you afraid of? It's just a border city, nothing here can harm me. Besides, no cultivator would come to a border city dominated by ordinary people."
"I just want to explore the city. It's boring sitting around in the inn all the time," the princess said.
"But miss, there's nothing interesting in this poor city. It would be better if we returned to the inn and waited for the Marquis to come back from the Death Forest."
"Be quiet! Go back there by yourself! I'm going."
The maid could only resign herself to her mistress's stubbornness and followed her to keep an eye on her. As they explored the market, the young miss quickly grew bored with the junk being sold. Reaching the quieter part of the market, her eyes inadvertently fell upon a merchant in tattered robes sitting lazily on a stool.
The sight of the merchant triggered her sharp intuition that there was something intriguing about him. Approaching the merchant, she saw that her goods consisted only of unusual fruits and vegetables. Intrigued by the exotic fruits, she asked about their price.
"Sir, how much are the fruits you're selling?"
"I'm a lady, miss. The fruits are 50 bronze. Since the day is getting late, I'll sell them for 25 bronze."
"Alright, give me 10 pieces," the princess replied, slightly embarrassed for mistaking the merchant's gender.
Nodding at the princess request, the merchant wrapped up the fruits and handed them to her. After packing up and receiving the payment, the merchant gathered all her goods. Seeing this, the princess asked the merchant.
"Why are you packing up your goods? Are you done selling?"
"Yes, it's getting late, and I don't live in this city. It's time for me to go home. Thank you for buying my fruits."
The merchant nodded and thanked her. The princess nodded back and watched as the merchant left. As she watched him go, she felt a sense of having lost something significant. She shrugged off the feeling and left with her maid.
Bored with everything in the city, the princess decided to return to the inn.
Chapter 5
Thud… thud… thud…
The sound of a small girl hitting a stone, despite her bleeding hands, seemed not to stop her from continuing to strike the rock.
Hours passed, and the little girl kept practicing with no intention of stopping. If someone passed by and saw her, they would surely be terrified by the amount of blood on the ground and the stone.
However, the practice was not in vain. There were quite deep marks on the stone when she raised her trembling hands. Yet, she was not satisfied with these marks; she wished the stone would shatter completely with her blows so that her master would praise her for her hard work.
Due to overexertion, her hands became immobile. The little girl then picked up a red fruit (similar to an apple but larger) lying on the ground, placed on leaves she had brought from home. As she ate the fruit, a miracle occurred—her tired body and injured hands slowly recovered to their original state within seconds.
The rapid improvement in her physical strength, which she had only trained for a week, was certainly due to the effects of the fruit, vegetables, and food prepared by her master. Realizing this, the little girl wanted to ask her master about the effects of the fruit. However, seeing her master remain as silent as usual, she could only bury her questions. Ruan Xiaoyue believed that the fruit must come from the immortal realm, brought to the mortal world by her master.
If her master, Vheena, could hear her disciple's thoughts, she would probably say, "It's just some wild fruit and vegetables I found in this forest! I planted them in the backyard because I was too lazy to look for them. If it really has such effects, why didn't you say anything?!"
But, that would only be if Vheena knew of the misunderstanding. In reality, this misunderstanding would continue to grow without Vheena's knowledge.
Indeed, Ruan Xiaoyue was very grateful for the change in fate she had received. She feared that one day all these changes might turn out to be a dream. Even after several days, everything still felt unreal to her.
Once a street urchin, she did not want to return to that pitiful life. She was truly happy to be a disciple of an immortal. Although her master's training was very tough, it was far better than her previous life.
As the day grew brighter and her stomach rumbled, she could only go home to eat. The house of her master remained a mystery to her. Perhaps due to her low cultivation level, she could not discern its secrets. However, Ruan Xiaoyue knew that her master's house was very different from an ordinary person's home. She always felt her body growing stronger and purer while staying in that house.
After eating the food left by her master and washing the dishes, she spent an hour cleaning the house, backyard, storage room, and chicken coop.
"With everything clean, I can return to practice. Okay! Time to continue smashing that big rock!" she exclaimed enthusiastically while clenching her fists.
Carrying some of the red fruit picked from the tree, she went back to the hill with the big stone and resumed her training. By evening, Ruan Xiaoyue went home to bathe.
While living with her master, she was always reminded to clean herself. Seeing the empty bath container, she went to a sufficiently large river not far from her home, carrying a wooden bucket to fill the bath container. After several trips back and forth to fill the water, she returned home and waited for her master to come back.
As the evening darkened, she heard footsteps and the door opening, which she assumed was her master. When her master came in, she approached to help carry the goods to the storage room.
"Welcome back, master! Let Ruan take the goods to the storage room!"
"Wow, wow, as usual, you are always so enthusiastic. When I am away, you didn't slack off in your training, did you?" her master replied with a smile, seeing her enthusiasm.
"Of course not, master! Ruan did not slack off even once! Even after finishing push-ups, sit-ups, squat jumps, and running, Ruan continued to hit the big stone until the evening!"
"O-ou… sorry, sorry, I was just joking." Her master responded with embarrassment upon seeing her flushed face from shouting.
Seeing her master's shy smile made her face flush. She had never seen anyone as beautiful as her master. Although she had never left the border town before, she was sure her master was the most beautiful person in the world.
After placing her master's goods in the storage room, she immediately helped her master cook dinner. As she set the plates on the table, her master, who was sitting, spoke to her.
"RuanRuan, do you want to sleep with master later? Of course—"
"Yes! Yes! I want to, master!"
"O-ou…"
There was no way for Ruan Xiaoyue to pass up the opportunity given to her by her master. Enjoying sleeping with her beloved master made her mind wander far away.
'No way! I'm going to sleep with master? But why did master invite me? Hawawa… then I can smell master's scent, right?!' she thought with a blushing face.
She was so happy to hear her master's words, she just kept daydreaming. Even her master was forced to drag her body to the room to sleep together.
The next morning, after breakfast, as she continued her training as usual, Ruan Xiaoyue felt something strange in her body. She didn't know what had changed, but when she started her punching practice, she realized what had happened.
Seeing the 5-meter deep dent from her punch left her bewildered. She was sure her training routine had always been the same. After pondering for a while, she realized the cause of her explosive growth.
"Strange, my training has always been the same, but why has my strength increased so much? Could it be because I slept with master? Did master do something while I was sleeping? If not, why did master suddenly invite me to sleep together?"
"I'm sure that must be it! Master, why did you increase my strength? I could have destroyed this big stone in a month. Sniff… your concern is truly great, master! Yosh!! With this, I can definitely destroy the stone in three days!"
Ruan Xiaoyue was deeply touched and happy for her master's attention. If Vheena, her master, were there, she would certainly deny it. Unfortunately, the person in question was not with her disciple at that moment.
Another major misunderstanding was added that would cause trouble for Vheena in the future.
Chapter 6
Upon arriving at the inn, both of them saw quite a number of armored soldiers waiting there. One of the soldiers noticed them and immediately bowed, followed by the others.
As they approached, one of the soldiers began speaking with a worried tone:
"Princess, it is a relief to see you are well. Please do not go out alone again, Princess. The Marquis was very anxious when he arrived here and found you missing."
"Oh, never mind. Where is the Marquis now? Did he manage to bring the rare Unique-grade medicinal herb from the Death Forest?"
"The Marquis is waiting in one of the inn's rooms, Princess. You may inquire about the herb's details directly from him."
After hearing the soldier's words, the Princess entered the inn, followed by a soldier who would show her to the Marquis' room.
Upon reaching one of the rooms, a soldier who followed them knocked on the door, followed by a voice from inside, "Who is it?"
"Marquis, the Princess is outside. Please allow us to enter."
"Of course. Please come in."
As they entered the room, the Princess saw the Marquis bowing before her and immediately spoke with a concerned tone.
"Princess, I am relieved to see you are safe. I was worried when I arrived at the inn and found you missing."
"Enough! You are all too overprotective! I was just strolling around the city. Besides, I had a servant with me. With your level of cultivation, you should have known where I was!"
"But, Princess, you are Princess Luo Xianxiu, the only daughter of the Fallen Rainbow Kingdom. I am worried because your recklessness could lead to you being killed or kidnapped by the kingdom's enemies."
Hearing the Marquis's excessive concern, Luo Xianxiu merely rolled her eyes and did not bother listening further. Remembering the fruit she had bought earlier, she quickly took one from her servant and ate it while listening to the Marquis's complaints.
"Princess! Where did you get this fruit? You should not eat it without having it checked by your servants! You are being reckless!"
The Marquis was frustrated to see her careless eating without considering the decorum.
"Oh, be quiet. You are lecturing me for too long. Besides, there's nothing wrong with this fruit I bought—eh!"
"What! What is it, Princess? Is the fruit poisonous? I told you—eh?"
Seeing the Princess suddenly trembling, the Marquis approached her and was astonished by the sound of thumping within her body. Unlike the Marquis, Luo Xianxiu was very amazed by the change in her body after eating the fruit.
Luo Xianxiu felt her cultivation rise by one level, from Middle Building Foundation directly to Middle Golden Core. Moreover, her Golden Core was perfectly round and flawless.
Unable to believe the miracle, she ate another red fruit, but the effect was different from before. She only felt a physical enhancement, all hidden injuries from training healed, and her Qi became smoother and denser.
Seeing all this, the Marquis thought seriously. He wanted to know where the Princess had obtained such a fruit.
"Princess, where did you get this treasure? I saw you had ten of them. Can you tell me where it came from?"
"I bought it from a mysterious trader. Seeing how serious you are, tell me, Marquis, how valuable is this treasure I have?"
Approaching the Princess's servant, the Marquis took one of the fruits and examined it carefully, then said to Luo Xianxiu,
"I don't know its value. Besides increasing your cultivation by one level, can I know what other effects it has, Princess?"
"Yes, as you can see, besides raising my cultivation level, the other effects are enhancing my physique, healing all hidden injuries in my body, and purifying my Qi to be smoother and denser."
"With so many amazing effects you mentioned, I am quite sure this fruit is a Divine treasure."
"Impossible! Isn't a Divine treasure just a myth?" she exclaimed.
Luo Xianxiu wanted to refute the Marquis's words, but seeing the remarkable effects of the fruit, she could only be certain that it was indeed a Divine treasure. She remembered that the Legendary-grade treasures from her own kingdom had only ordinary effects and nothing as extensive.
"That's the truth, Princess. The fruit you have is truly a Divine treasure. Even the medicinal herb I managed to obtain is just trash compared to this treasure. Tell me, Princess, can you give me one fruit? In return, I will give you all the treasures I have."
"Impossible! Why should I share it with you? Even if we trade, what treasure do you have that is worth this? I won't be deceived!"
Seeing the Marquis wanting to trick her into getting the fruit she brought, Luo Xianxiu felt it was impossible to fall for such a deception. Feeling she would get nothing from the Princess, the Marquis could only ask where the trader who sold the treasure was.
"Then, Princess, can you tell me where the trader is? I also want to buy the fruit. Also, can you tell me what you exchanged to get the treasure?"
"Y-yeah... It's pointless to keep it for myself. Since you can send soldiers to find out, the fruit was bought for 25 bronze coins."
"25 bronze pieces? What is 25 bronze coins, Princess? Is it one of the kingdom's treasures?"
"N-no, it's really just 25 bronze coins," Luo Xianxiu replied quietly.
Seeing the Marquis's brain halt upon hearing the price, Luo Xianxiu could only wait for the Marquis to come to his senses. Even she herself could not believe how cheap the fruit was.
"How can a Divine-level treasure be sold for the price of cheap street food? It's impossible that the trader didn't know the value of the treasure. Could there be a hidden intention behind the trader selling this treasure? Princess, can you recount all the details of your encounter with the trader?"
Once the Marquis came back to his senses, he, of course, did not believe the price of the treasure. He was quite sure there must be a hidden intention from the trader that he did not know. To find out the trader's intention, the Marquis could only ask the Princess to recount all the events of her meeting with the trader.
Hearing the full story only confused him. There was truly no hidden intention from the mysterious trader. It seemed that the valuable treasure was just an ordinary item.
'If there is no hidden intention in selling this treasure, who is this mysterious trader? It is impossible for a cultivator to sell a Divine treasure so cheaply unless they are an immortal—wait, an immortal!' thought the Marquis as he suddenly had a revelation.
"Princess! Quickly tell me where the trader is now! We are truly lucky, haha! An immortal, we are indeed fortunate to have found one!"
"An immortal, you say? Impossible! Hasn't it been 5,000 years since an immortal appeared in this world? Moreover, the trader I met, though she covered her face, I am sure she was an ordinary human, given the lack of aura emanating from her!"
"That's your mistake, Princess. It's impossible for an immortal to reveal themselves as such. They would surely pretend to hide their identity," the Marquis replied as Luo Xianxiu rejected his words.
Luo Xianxiu still refused to believe the Marquis. She was certain that the trader was an ordinary human, and the treasure was likely acquired by the trader merely due to luck. She was convinced that the trader was not an immortal, considering her father, the King, had said that all immortals were very arrogant.
Since the Marquis wouldn't believe it, Luo Xianxiu could only resign to telling him about the trader's words.
"It's pointless to return to the market; the mysterious trader has already left. She said she doesn't stay in this city. If you really want to know, why don't you just send the soldiers to find out where the trader lives?"
"Princess, the trader is truly an immortal, believe me! Since you said she has left, it would be impolite to send soldiers to find out where the immortal lives. It's better for us to stay in this city for a while, waiting for the immortal to appear so she doesn't take offense."
"Do as you wish; besides, I am also curious if the trader is truly an immortal. Since you say so, I will follow your words."
Thus, the Marquis and the Princess changed their plans from returning directly to the kingdom after obtaining the legendary medicinal herb to staying in the border city, waiting for the trader to appear.
Another misunderstanding added, unbeknownst to Vheena herself.
Chapter 7
"Damn it! I was so happy because the ten fruits I brought sold out. I even earned 2 silver and 50 bronze coins from that sale. I planned to use this money to buy clothes for RuanRuan. But what the heck! Even the cheapest clothes cost 5 silver coins. It was truly embarrassing when I proudly walked into the store, only to be stunned by the prices."
"Were the items I sold too cheap? I overheard the fruit vendors in this city selling for at least 50 bronze coins. Forgive me, RuanRuan, for being such a useless master. I can't buy you decent clothes."
As Vheena walked along the path in the Death Forest, she lamented about her inability to buy clothes for her disciple. It was humiliating to enter the clothing store and find nothing she could afford. Even though she had made clothes for her disciple, they turned out very poorly since she had never made clothes in his previous world.
'Huuuh… I should have learned more useful things in my old world instead of just being lazy. I'm so embarrassed to come to this world with no skills,' she thought.
'The woman who bought my fruit earlier, could she be a cultivator? I suspected it because her aura was different from ordinary people, and she was very beautiful. But why did she buy the fruit I was selling? Cultivators usually don't need ordinary food as it often turns into waste in their bodies. It's so strange to think about.'
As she walked home through the dense forest, Vheena's mind was filled with random thoughts about the day's events.
---
'Finally home. Luckily, I'm not late. If I were, I might have trouble getting back because it's already dark. Seeing the front yard of my house always clean, it seems RuanRuan is really diligent with the tasks I gave. Well, even though she's a bit troublesome as my disciple, at least she follows my instructions diligently.'
Seeing the always clean front yard made Vheena happy about her disciple. Despite the negatives, she had to always pretend in front of her. At least the positive side was that she had a disciple who obeyed her words.
As she opened the door and hung her cloak behind it, she saw her disciple approaching and speaking,
"Welcome back, master! Let RuanRuan take the goods to the storage!"
"Wow, wow, as usual, you're always so enthusiastic. When I'm away, you haven't slacked off in your training, have you?" Vheena replied with a smile, looking at her disciple.
"Of course not, master! Not once has RuanRuan slacked off! Even after finishing push-ups, sit-ups, squat jumps, and running, RuanRuan kept hitting that big stone until the afternoon!" She exclaimed, blushing and denying her master's words.
"O-ou… Sorry, sorry, I was just joking." Vheena replied, a bit embarrassed to see her disciple not appreciating the joke.
'She's not angry, right? Did my words just now offend my disciple? Seeing her face still red, it seems she might still be mad. What should I do to make her not angry anymore?'
Seeing her disciple's flushed face and her long stare, and then rushing off to take the goods to the storage, Vheena was confused about what to do to make her disciple not mad at him anymore.
'Well, she's just a child. Besides, she'll probably not be mad anymore later. I'd better make dinner first, as I'm hungry from only eating fruit at the market earlier.'
Ignoring her disciple's anger that she misunderstood, Vheena went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
A few minutes later, her disciple came to help him cook. They finished the meal in an awkward atmosphere, and Vheena became anxious that her disciple might still be upset.
'S-she really is mad. What should I do? I already apologized, but how can I make her cheerful again?'
Watching her disciple bring dishes from the kitchen, Vheena could only sit and think about how to make her disciple not mad at her anymore. She recalled something she had read online in the past about "how to make children not mad at their parents." She wanted to try that approach with her disciple.
'As far as I can remember in my past life, if children were angry with their parents, they would buy them toys or something that the child liked so that they wouldn't be angry. Since I don't have any toys, that means I have to give her something that she likes. If I'm not mistaken, my student likes me, right? So in order for her to stop being angry, I have to give myself to her?'
'I don't know why I feel like I'm thinking of something criminal. Forget that, in order for my student to stop being angry, I can ask her to sleep with me. Who knows, maybe she still needs a mother figure. Okay, it's time for me to ask her.'
When she saw her student putting down the plates and cutlery in front of her, Vheena immediately asked,
"RuanRuan, do you want to sleep with master later? Of course-"
"Yes! Yes! I want to, master!"
"O-ou…"
'Wow, it turns out what I thought worked. My student really likes me. Seeing her daydreaming while smiling, it seems like her anger has disappeared.'
Since there was nothing else to do after dinner, Vheena could only invite her disciple to sleep with him. Seeing that her disciple did not respond to her words, she could only gently pull on her clothes to guide her to her room.
That night, they both fell asleep quickly. It was impossible for Vheena to do anything inappropriate with her own disciple.
---
The next morning, after going about her usual activities and seeing her disciple finish her training with added weight and heading towards the big stone, she just lounged in the backyard without following her.
After lounging for hours, suddenly she felt a chill down her spine from something she couldn't identify. She felt something troubling was going to cause her problems in the future.
'Damn it! What was that chilling feeling? What is actually happening? Did I miss something? Ugh! It feels like something's wrong.'
Shivering while thinking about the cause, she suddenly heard a loud noise that disturbed her thoughts.
Thump…
"What's that sound? It's quite far but sounds like a falling tree. Could it be a monster? It shouldn't be. Besides, if it were a monster, I wouldn't dare to go there. I might get eaten by it."
"But if it really is a monster, what about RuanRuan? Couldn't she get hurt if there's a monster there? It shouldn't be possible, right? Well, better think positively. It's probably just the sound of a falling tree."
Hearing the unclear origin of the sound, she was too scared to check. She could only think positively that it was just a tree falling. For her disciple's safety, it was impossible for them to help her if she was in danger, considering she was even stronger than her.
Pacing anxiously, she didn't realize it was already noon. Hearing footsteps in the front yard, Vheena hurried there and felt relieved to see her disciple was fine. Approaching her, she immediately asked about her condition,
"RuanRuan, are you okay?"
"Huh? Of course, I'm fine, master!"
'Well, seeing her answer happily, it seems there were no dangerous incidents. So, the noise I heard must have been a tree falling. What's important is that my disciple is safe, and that's enough.'
Thinking about the conclusion she reached without asking her disciple about the loud noise, she didn't know that the sound actually came from his disciple's strikes. Meanwhile, her disciple was just confident that her master already knew about her own strength.
Chapter 8
Author note:
This chapter is quite difficult for me to write. I also don't know whether this cultivation method makes sense to you or not.
________
Three days later.
Thuuuump... Bruk... Brak...
'Haha...'
While Vheena was relaxing and eating fruit in the backyard during the afternoon, her disciple suddenly approached her to show something. Curious, Vheena followed, and the destination turned out to be the hill with the large stone where her disciple usually practiced.
Upon reaching the large stone, Vheena was astonished to see that the once-solid stone was now riddled with large holes, as if it were about to collapse. Stunned by the stone's transformation, she watched as her disciple stepped forward without ceremony, took a combat stance, and struck the stone with all their might.
Vheena could only laugh hollowly as the large stone turned into a pile of rubble. Pleased with the result, her disciple immediately approached her for praise.
"Look, Master! RuanRuan has completed the task you gave. If this is the case, it must be time for RuanRuan to advance to the next level of cultivation, right?"
Recovering from her surprise at her disciple's words, Vheena quickly tried to think of the right response. Turning her back to her disciple and looking up at the sky to buy some time, she eventually came up with a suitable reply. Turning back to her disciple, she said with the air of an expert,
"Ahem... as expected of my disciple, I had anticipated that you would be able to destroy the stone within five days. With the completion of this task, your physical strength has reached the standard I desired. Do you wish to advance to the next level now?"
"Of course, Master! RuanRuan is ready now! Hehehe..."
"...Okay."
'How do I help her advance in cultivation? I don't even know a single cultivation technique. When I arrived here, I tried cultivating myself, but I gave up because I didn't feel anything. What do I do?! Also, why didn't my disciple inform me beforehand if she wanted to advance? I haven't even thought of a way to deceive her! At least I should teach her how to feel and absorb qi first.'
Approaching her disciple while patting her head and ignoring the strange sound of happiness from her disciple when touched, Vheena pondered how to make her disciple feel and absorb qi to advance her cultivation level. After a considerable amount of time patting her disciple's head, she finally came up with a method to help her disciple feel qi.
"RuanRuan, before you become a Building Foundation cultivator, you must first feel what qi is and how to absorb it. If you are a genius, you can feel the qi within three days. If you are not a genius, the average cultivator takes about a month to sense it." Vheena said while continuing with the nonsensical explanation to her disciple.
"Let's sit down first. Now, sit cross-legged like me and place your hands on your knees. I will sit behind you and place my hands on your back to channel qi. Try to feel the qi flowing from my hands into your back. It should feel warm and gentle when you sense it."
"Once you remember that feeling, try to draw qi from nature into your dantian. If you don't know, the dantian is located just below the navel. Once your dantian is full, channel the qi throughout your body and let your body absorb it. When you are done, your body will change and your empty dantian will expand, indicating that you have become a Building Foundation cultivator."
"Also, if you are a genius, the qi should flow very quickly and easily fill your dantian. For geniuses, it usually takes only a month to fill their dantian and circulate qi throughout their body. Also, do not try to forcibly absorb qi from nature to fill your body, as it could injure your dantian. Do you understand?"
"Understood, Master!" replied Ruan Xiaoyue, listening to her master's lengthy explanation.
'The technique for sensing qi and absorbing qi from nature that I got from a Xianxia novel should help her, right? I don't know of any better method than this. If it doesn't work, as usual, I'll just say she lacks talent. Somehow, I feel like an unreliable master.'
After instructing her disciple to sit cross-legged for meditation, Vheena sat behind her disciple and also crossed her legs, extending her hands to her disciple's back. Then, she pretended to channel qi into her disciple's body to deceive her.
"Do you feel it, my disciple?"
"No, Master! Sorry for taking up your time just to help RuanRuan sense qi." replied Ruan Xiaoyue sadly.
"Haha... it's fine. After all, it's only been two hours. Since I'm also bored, it's better for me to help you feel the qi. After all, you are my first disciple."
"Master... hic... thank you! RuanRuan won't disappoint you!"
'My hands are so sore! Why did I come up with this ridiculous technique! I'm glad my disciple is fooled by this Xianxia novel technique. But the problem is, do I have to extend my hands to her back every day for a month to help her feel qi?! Also, it's impossible for me to ask my disciple for a break when she sees me as an immortal! I hope my hands won't become paralyzed from this nonsense!'
Unaware of her master's pained expression from holding back the soreness, Ruan Xiaoyue was deeply focused on sensing the qi within her body. As a disciple of an immortal, she definitely didn't want to embarrass her master. She wanted her master to praise her for being able to sense qi much faster than a genius.
Desperate after hours of closing her eyes without feeling any qi, Ruan Xiaoyue was afraid her master would be disappointed in her. After closing her eyes for an unknown amount of time, she suddenly felt a vibration in her back.
Focusing all her senses on the vibration, she finally felt a gentle sensation flowing from the vibration into her dantian. Sensing it as qi, Ruan Xiaoyue continued to focus on the feeling. After getting accustomed to sensing the qi from her dantian, she carefully tried to absorb the qi from nature into her dantian.
As she attempted to absorb the qi from nature slowly, strangely, the qi flowed into her dantian very quickly, as if it had a mind of its own. Once her dantian was full, Ruan Xiaoyue spread the absorbed qi throughout her body.
After her entire body absorbed the qi from her dantian until it was empty, she realized what her master meant by how her body changed. Ruan Xiaoyue felt her bones reconstructing to be stronger and more perfect, all her internal organs strengthening and becoming cleaner, her muscles and tendons becoming much more flexible and stronger, and her senses becoming much sharper.
Her skin became very fair, her facial features more perfect, her eyes and hair darker and more attractive, and her previously somewhat thin body became more shapely in the right places. Making Ruan Xiaoyue, who was once quite cute, turn into a cute doll-like girl with beautiful features.
'Damn! It's been ten hours! Ten hours of extending my hands and sitting, helping her sense qi which was just a ruse! I can't feel my legs! And my hands are continuously trembling! Ugh...ugh, how long is this going to last! Huh? Something's odd about my disciple's body, why is it suddenly changing!'
Desperate and slightly crying from the soreness in her body, Vheena was confused as she saw her disciple's body vibrating and becoming more attractive. After noticing her disciple's transformation, her disciple suddenly stood up and turned to her, saying,
"Master! RuanRuan has finally become a true cultivator! Following your instructions, RuanRuan has finally managed to sense and absorb qi from nature into her body and break through to the Building Foundation level! With this, RuanRuan hasn't disappointed you, right?" she said happily.
"Eh? What? Y-yes, as your master, of course, you will succeed. You don't need to feel inferior. I'm truly proud of you. Just keep up the good work, okay?"
'Quickly! I need to hide my trembling hands! Move! Damn! After holding my hands out for so long, it's hard to hide them. She shouldn't notice my trembling hands, right?'
Calming her disciple, who was touched and happy with the words, Vheena slowly hid her trembling hands so her disciple wouldn't become suspicious. After successfully hiding her hands, she was puzzled about how to stand up with her legs no longer feeling anything. To avoid her disciple noticing, she could only tell her disciple to go home first.
Once her disciple left, she finally dropped the pretense and let out a muffled scream, covering her mouth to avoid making noise from the soreness in her legs and hands.
'Phew... I can finally feel my legs again. That was insane, sitting and extending my hands for ten hours. It's already midnight after finishing this exercise. Damn, I didn't even have dinner!' Vheena thought, slightly annoyed by her bad luck that day.
Chapter 9
"M-Master, it seems RuanRuan's cultivation has advanced to the next level. It looks like there's a perfect golden ball in RuanRuan's dantian. W-what exactly is that, master?"
"Huh? …Yes, that's right, your cultivation has leveled up. And that spherical object, …it's called the Golden Core. W-wow, you're impressive, moving straight to the Golden Core. As expected from my disciple."
'It was just yesterday! W-why did this little girl advance again? She only sat eating the dishes I made! Why!'
After returning home the previous day with trembling legs, Vheena went to bed without dinner due to exhaustion. In the morning, still sleepy, she went to prepare breakfast with the help of her newly-awakened disciple.
During breakfast, a loud thud suddenly came from her disciple's body, leaving Vheena confused. After the thud, her disciple told her that their cultivation had advanced. Of course, Vheena immediately racked her brain to come up with a plausible lie to trick her disciple. Seeing her disciple nodding without suspicion, Vheena felt relieved that her seemingly reasonable words managed to deceive her disciple once again.
'C-could she advance again tomorrow? N-no, I mustn't raise the flag! She might actually advance tomorrow! This can't be allowed. I can't give her any more cultivation techniques; I must deceive her again. Y-yes, I can give her an attack technique. With my extensive experience from novels, manga, anime, and games, it should be easy for me to come up with an attack technique for her.'
After breakfast, Vheena sat in the backyard, thinking of instructions for her disciple while waiting for her to finish washing the dishes. Once her disciple came to the backyard to start her training as usual, Vheena approached her to begin the plan she had carefully thought out.
"RuanRuan, you no longer need to practice like that, as you are now at the Golden Core level. That practice is no longer suitable for you, i will give you a new technique. But it's not a cultivation technique, it's an attack technique."
"It's impossible for a master to let you have high cultivation without an attack technique. Now listen, the first technique is, of course, the punching technique. Unlike ordinary punching, this technique involves using the qi stored in your dantian by coating your entire hand with qi. The difference is that when you are close to your elbow, forcefully push the qi back to increase the speed and power of your punch. This technique is also suitable for your kicks by forcefully pushing the qi back from your heel when kicking. Since this explanation might be confusing, it's better if you just try it out."
As the explanation was not very effective, Vheena approached her disciple and taught her the correct martial arts stance and how to coat her hand with qi, explaining it in a haphazard manner.
"Since I've taught you, you can try it now. If it works, it should sound like a strong wind accompanied by a loud noise. B-basically, your punch will feel different if the technique is successful."
After teaching the technique, Vheena went to the shaded area in the backyard and sat while watching her disciple practice the newly taught technique. For hours, she observed her disciple to see if any miracle would occur and became confident because the technique she taught was quite vague. If her disciple wanted to succeed, the sound should match what she described.
'Seeing my disciple continuously practicing the punch with the same sound, I'm quite sure she won't master this technique quickly. I believe that if she truly can learn it, it would take at least a month. Besides, what did I even mean by a strong wind with a loud noise? Hahaha, I almost laughed when I said that to her. Yeah! With this, I can be lazy without worrying about techniques for her.'
'W-why did she suddenly stop? Is she tired? I-it's not possible she gained enlightenment, right? I-I'm sure she's just tired!'
Sensing a bad premonition seeing her disciple lost in thought, Vheena could only resign herself to waiting to see if her disciple's silence was due to exhaustion or enlightenment regarding the technique she provided.
She didn't have to wait long, as after a while, her disciple took up a martial arts stance with her hands up like in boxing and spread her legs wide. Then she pulled back her right hand coated with golden qi, both inside and outside her hand, took a slow breath, and struck forward with all her strength, forcibly channeling the golden qi in her hand backward, accompanied by a loud and fast noise.
FIUuu….. PUHSss...
'M-m-my backyard is gone… t-this is impossible…'
Seeing the impact of her disciple's punch, which created a 15-meter wide and approximately 500-meter (1 li) long mark that seemed capable of destroying a small mountain, Vheena could only stand frozen, staring at the damage to her backyard.
After delivering a punch that she believed matched her master's description and seeing the remains of the backyard and surrounding trees vanish, Ruan Xiaoyue felt extremely proud of mastering her master's technique so quickly. However, the pride quickly faded as she realized the extent of the damage she had caused.
Panicked by the destruction, Ruan Xiaoyue hurriedly approached her master and apologized while crying.
"I-I'm sorry, master! Sob… sob, RuanRuan didn't know that technique could cause such damage… sorry for destroying the fruits, vegetables, and trees you planted, sob…"
"It's okay, RuanRuan. After all, it's my fault for not being wise enough to instruct you to practice that technique here. As for the plants, you don't need to feel guilty. I got them from the forest during my exploration. So it's fine; I'm actually proud of you for mastering the technique in just a few hours."
'Seeing the damage from your punch, I wouldn't dare scold you. It's a shame the plants I had grown for so long are gone. Well, although some fruits and vegetables are still stored and can be replanted, the rest will have to be found again in this forest. They're not rare.'
Vheena could only hug and pat her disciple's head to comfort her while feeling a bit regretful for having to find plants to replant in her backyard. Seeing her disciple still crying out of guilt, she could only impose a punishment to alleviate the guilt a little.
"RuanRuan, since you still feel guilty and want to take responsibility for your actions, I can only give you one punishment. The punishment is that you must cover up the large hole from your punch and reinstall the missing fence in the backyard, and you must complete it within a day. Understood?"
"Th-thank you, master… sob… for forgiving RuanRuan with your great kindness. Sniff… RuanRuan will definitely complete the punishment quickly!"
'At least she's calmer now that I've given her a punishment. But seeing the damage from her punch, it seems I can't have her practice nearby. Maybe I can send her to the Death Forest to train and kill monsters. With her current strength, she should be able to survive, right?'
'Also, I could have her bring back animals for me to rear. I'm quite bored with only eating chicken. She could also bring fruits and vegetables for me to replant in the backyard. Even when she's gone, I'll have plenty of time to think of techniques for her and can enjoy some leisure while she's away. Hahaha… yeah, this plan is perfect; it's like hitting three birds with one stone.' Vheena thought proudly, feeling she had come up with a brilliant plan.
Chapter 10
"RuanRuan, even though you have been my student for less than a month, seeing your cultivation level already reach the Golden Core is quite surprising. However, there is a downside to this rapid progress; fast cultivation often lacks a solid foundation. What I mean is that you don't have the experience like most cultivators who have to hunt monsters or search for treasures to advance their cultivation stages. Essentially, you are still very green. It is somewhat unreasonable for you, being a seven-year-old child, to go on an adventure alone."
"But that's what I want. I want you to gain experience dealing with monsters, finding treasures, and seeing the true nature of cultivators. So, I want you to venture around the Death Forest to gain all the experiences I've mentioned."
After helping her student practice yesterday, the next day in the backyard, which had been repaired by her student, Vheena directly expressed the statement she had prepared to convince her student to go on the planned adventure.
"Although the Death Forest is dangerous, with your cultivation level and strength, you should be able to survive and escape if you encounter very dangerous situations. If you are afraid, don't worry. Since you are my student, I certainly won't let you die just like that. Is there anything you want to ask?"
"No, Master! Don't worry, RuanRuan will make sure not to make you worry. If there is danger that RuanRuan cannot handle, RuanRuan will definitely run away. If RuanRuan finds a treasure, RuanRuan will bring it back to you!"
"O-okay, Master doesn't care about the treasures you find there. U-uhum, if possible, Master would prefer if you bring back rare plants you can find there, or animals that can be eaten and raised after you return."
After hearing Vheena's words, the student nodded and went to the front porch of the house after Vheena instructed her to wait there. Vheena then went to prepare all the necessary items for the student's adventure.
'Oh my! Seeing RuanRuan leave with the shabby clothes I made is quite saddening. She's going to the Death Forest looking like this. If she meets another cultivator, I'm worried they might mock me for not taking care of my student, which could make them angry. Well, I really don't have other clothes for her. A-at least I'll give her this worn-out cloak I often wear to cover her shabby clothes.'
While packing the items for the student, Vheena realized she had not provided proper clothing. With no other options, Vheena could only give her the one cloak she had.
After packing all the necessary items, Vheena went to the porch to meet her student. She handed over the packed items and the cloak she had removed.
"RuanRuan, these are all the useful items I've packed for your adventure. Since I'm quite embarrassed for not giving you better clothes, please wear this cloak that I often use."
"R-really, Master! C-can I wear this cloak?"
"Just wear it. After all, it's just a worn-out cloak. It's a bit embarrassing for me to see you in shabby clothes when meeting another cultivator. At least with this cloak, you can cover up your clothes."
"Thank you, Master! I'll wear and keep this cloak even if I have to risk my life! Sniff… Hehehe… it smells like Master~."
"O-okay, no need to be excessive."
'Did I just hear something strange from my student's words? Her voice suddenly became soft. Well, never mind, at least she didn't complain about the worn-out cloak I lent her,' Vheena thought with a relieved expression.
"Oh, right RuanRuan, you still remember what your grandmother said when you first met me, right?"
"Is it the 'avoid suspicious people even if they are kind at first' part, Master?"
"Yes, that's the one. Additionally, be careful with the cultivators you meet. Most of them have malicious intentions. If you want to do good, first assess the person you are helping. Do they really need it, or is there a reason behind it? So be cautious, okay?"
"Okay, Master!"
After her student nodded to the advice and left after putting on the cloak, Vheena could only wave her hand as she watched her student leave until he was out of sight.
"Huh… finally, my student is gone… Fuhahahaha… yeah! Finally, I don't have to pretend to be an expert! I'm free! I can finally laze around without feeling anxious!"
That day, the cheerful laughter of a beautiful girl continued until midnight.
------
Cock-a-doodle-doo
"Uhm..ah.. yawn.. is it morning already? Damn! …Oh right, my student is now on an adventure. No need to rush to prepare breakfast. I can still sleep some more."
Trying to go back to sleep, but the drowsiness had disappeared. Vheena could only get up early and prepare breakfast as usual when living with her student.
After cleaning up and hanging the laundry, Vheena simply sat back and relaxed in the backyard, enjoying life. As she was sitting, she suddenly felt an anxiety she couldn't understand.
"Strange, I feel an anxiety that I can't grasp the origin of. Could it be because I haven't prepared a statement for my student? N-no, enough of that! I'm lazing around, why should I think about such things while my student is on an adventure! Ahh… my brain is getting messed up from preparing plans to deceive a child too often!"
"Huh… It's better to garden and replant the plants in this backyard that's been fixed than to think about this anxiety."
With nothing useful to do besides lounging, Vheena eventually went gardening to distract herself from the anxiety she was feeling.
Vheena took seeds from the compost made from leftover fruits and vegetables she had eaten and brought them to the backyard. That day, Vheena spent her time gardening until noon.
"Even though I've often seen these plants grow when I plant them, it's still strange to me that it takes only 2 hours for these seeds to grow into seedlings, and only three days for these plants to mature and be harvested."
"I wonder if it's because this world has qi that makes these plants grow faster compared to Earth, or if I'm lucky to live on blessed land? Or could it be because of my power? Well, that's unlikely, since I truly don't have any power. I've tried it, and indeed I have no power at all."
Looking at the soil where she had planted the seeds that had grown into seedlings, Vheena was curious about the cause. She had once tried to observe plants in the Death Forest and wanted to see if they grew as quickly as those in her backyard, but there was no difference in growth speed except for slightly different fruits. Vheena had been suspicious of the plants in her backyard because they were different from those she found in the forest. After trying the fruits and vegetables she grew and not experiencing any poison or negative feelings, she was simply pleased without thinking too much about why the plants grew so quickly.
"Well, no need to think too much about it. After all, I've tested it with plants in the forest. Maybe I'm overthinking something that is actually common in this world. Since I've planted everything, I'd better go take a shower to clean off the dirt from my skin and clothes."
After finishing gardening, Vheena went to the bathroom to clean herself and ignored her curiosity about the rapidly growing plants in a world with qi.
What Vheena did not know was that even in a world with qi, ordinary plants require two months to grow until they can be harvested, and rare plants useful for cultivators require hundreds to thousands of years to grow in ordinary soil. These plants wouldn't even grow in a few days in blessed soil, let alone become something so rare that would transform as they did in Vheena's backyard.
Chapter 10.5
"Village Chief Li! Miss Immortal is here again!"
"W-what did you say? Miss Immortal is here again? Where is she?!"
"She's at the village entrance."
After hearing from one of his villagers that Miss Immortal, the person who had transformed the village, had come, Village Chief Li immediately went to the village entrance to meet her.
When he arrived, he saw many villagers crowding around Miss Immortal. Village Chief Li approached the crowd and saw Miss Immortal, who had not visited the village for a long time. Both he and the villagers noticed that Miss Immortal had not changed much, except for her tattered cloak, even though it had been a year and a half. Approaching Miss Immortal, Village Chief Li wanted to know the purpose of her visit.
"Your Excellency Miss Immortal, m-may I know the reason for your visit?"
"You don't need to give me such an exaggerated title. You're the village chief here, right?"
"Yes, I am indeed the Village Chief of this Stone village, Miss Immortal. May I know the purpose of your visit?"
"There's no special reason. I just wanted to give you all the fruits and vegetables I brought from home. I apologize if what I brought isn't enough for everyone, and I also apologize if my gift doesn't meet your expectations. I also want to thank you for helping me build my house and providing household items back then."
"Thank you very much for this gift, Miss Immortal! The villagers and I will never regard your gift as worthless. We will accept it with our whole hearts! Helping build your house was indeed our own wish, so you needn't feel bad."
'This must be pleasantries, Miss Immortal, right? After all, if she wanted to, she could have built the house with a mere wave of her hand. Seeing the fruits and vegetables Miss Immortal brought, as Village Chief, I never knew such produce existed in the Death Forest. Could these fruits come from the immortal realm often mentioned in fairy tales among the people?' thought Village Chief Li as he looked at the fruits and vegetables Miss Immortal had brought.
Taking the basket Miss Immortal brought, Village Chief Li instructed nearby villagers to store the fruits and vegetables.
"Well then, I will be going."
"W-wait, Miss Immortal! If it's not too much trouble, would you care to dine here? We can't just accept this gift without showing our gratitude." Village Chief Li responded quickly when he saw Miss Immortal preparing to leave.
'Miss Immortal won't be upset if I stop her, right? As the Village Chief of Stone, I really don't have any ulterior motives in inviting her. As a representative of this village, I truly want to thank Miss Immortal because after her visit, all the plants and animals raised in the village have become healthier and fatter. The Death Forest near the village has also become safer, and even the children in this village have become stronger after Miss Immortal arrival.'
'After knowing all this because of Miss Immortal, we all visited her home to thank her. However, strangely, the location of the house we knew did not show Miss Immortal house. Since Miss Immortal is here, of course, as the village representative, I want to thank her.'
Village Chief Li was quite nervous about his bravery in stopping Miss Immortal. He pondered his reasons and saw Miss Immortal looking at him from behind her cloak. After a moment, Miss Immortal nodded, as if she already understood his reasons from his thoughts.
"Well, alright, I'll accept. After all, I've only visited this village twice, so I'm a bit curious to see what's here."
"Thank you very much, Miss Immortal, for accepting this impolite invitation from someone as lowly as me."
Seeing Miss Immortal give a slight nod in response to his thanks, Village Chief Li immediately began showing her around the village.
"Miss Immortal! You're so beautiful! Please hug me!"
"H-hey! Kids, go away! Don't disturb Miss Immortal!"
"Eh? You want me to hug you? Well, that's fine. Kids, come here."
Panicked by the rudeness of the village children approaching Miss Immortal in their dirty clothes, Village Chief Li quickly moved to shoo them away. However, Miss Immortal seemed to ignore Village Chief Li's irritation and instead played with the village children. Village Chief Li could only breathe a sigh of relief at Miss Immortal kindness.
"Village Chief, who is that lonely little child? Why does he seem isolated? Do the villagers dislike him?"
"Of course not, Miss Immortal! That little child is named Liang San, the blacksmith's son in this village. I'm not sure why he's alone. Maybe it's because he nearly drowned near the village river. After surviving, he became a bit quiet and rarely socializes."
"Oh..."
While playing with the children, Miss Immortal noticed a lonely child staring at her from a distance. Curious, she asked Village Chief Li. After hearing Village Chief Li's explanation, Miss Immortal merely nodded indifferently upon learning the reason.
Not far from there, the child being talked about approached Miss Immortal, as if he knew he was being discussed. Approaching Miss Immortal, the child spoke to her directly.
"Miss Immortal, please make me your disciple! You surely won't regret making me your disciple. If you make me your disciple, once I become strong, I will conquer this world and give everything to you."
"Eh?"
"Y-you! How dare you ask Miss Immortal, to be your master! You've gone too far! Call his father, the blacksmith! His child has overstepped!"
The child remained silent, staring at Miss Immortal without flinching at Village Chief Li's anger.
After hearing the child's words, Miss Immortal merely frowned as if displeased by his boastful words and quickly concealed her expression from everyone except the child himself.
After a while, Miss Immortal responded to the child's words with a friendly expression.
"Child—ah, Liang San, right? Hearing your serious attitude in wanting me as your teacher, I'm quite pleased. However, I'm sorry, but I'm not looking to accept a disciple."
After saying this, Miss Immortal left, followed by Village Chief Li, without looking back at the child's expression.
Hearing Miss Immortal response and being left alone, the child's innocent expression immediately turned into one of anger unusual for a child.
"How dare you reject me, a person of high status! I, who was reborn from another realm, cannot accept your words! Just wait, after I become immortal with the Mystic-level hidden technique from the Liang Sect, I will make sure your arrogance is crushed when I turn you into my slave!" he exclaimed angrily.
Miss Immortal, of course, was unaware of the child's anger. She easily forgot about it as she did not want the trouble of taking on a disciple. Miss Immortal completely forgot about it after dining at the Village Chief's house and returning home happily with the needles, fish, vegetables, and household items she had requested from the Village Chief.
Chapter 11
Walking away from her master's house until it was out of sight, Ruan Xiaoyue felt sad about parting from her beloved master.
As she walked, Ruan Xiaoyue looked back at her master's now invisible home and spoke as if her master could hear her.
"Master, just wait. RuanRuan will definitely return. RuanRuan cannot leave and let you do all the work alone. RuanRuan will be back soon!"
After that, she ran quickly towards what she believed was the core location of the Death Forest.
"As expected of Master, even though I've run quite far, I haven't seen a single dangerous monster to hunt. It seems Master's aura makes dangerous creatures uncomfortable and makes them stay away from Master's residence.
"But why did Master tell me to bring consumable beasts? I've often seen edible animals while walking in this forest. Could it be that Master meant rare animals? I don't even know what rare animals look like. I guess I'll have to ask passing cultivators."
As she ran and looked around without finding any monsters, Ruan Xiaoyue could only admire her Master for making the notoriously dangerous Death Forest not dangerous, even though she was only a few li from Master's home.
ROOooAaaRRRrrss…
While running and thinking about her Master, Ruan Xiaoyue heard the roar of a ferocious beast. Curious, she approached the source of the sound and saw a giant tiger-like monster, about five meters tall, fighting three cultivators.
"Junior! Distract the monster! Senior will perform a technique that takes time!"
"Got it! Senior Sister!"
Seeing that the five cultivators were not in danger and could balance the giant tiger, Ruan Xiaoyue did not help them and only observed the battle from atop a lush tree.
_______
When Xue Lanting and her junior were on their way to the alternative realm conference in the Death Forest, they were suddenly ambushed by a hungry Wind Gale tiger monster. Facing this monster, Xue Lanting and her junior could not escape the monster known for its speed and strength.
Although Xue Lanting's cultivation was on par with the tiger monster, there was a significant difference between the strength of human cultivators and monsters.
'Damn! We've been fighting for a long time, I can't let this drag on. All my juniors are injured and exhausted. It's time for me to use my ultimate technique if we want to survive!'
"Junior! Distract the monster! Senior will use a technique that takes time!"
"Got it! Senior Sister!"
With her junior distracting the monster, Xue Lanting prepared to channel all her qi into her sword according to the ultimate technique she had learned.
After all the qi was absorbed by the sword, Xue Lanting swing the sword at the tiger monster after signaling her junior to move away from the attack.
"Junior! Everyone, dodge, the technique is about to be unleashed! Aerial Flying Slash!"
Roar…
When the tiger monster realized it was trapped, it was too late. Xue Lanting's technique struck, slicing its body in two.
Seeing the tiger monster no longer moving, Xue Lanting breathed a sigh of relief, having saved her members without casualties. She instructed all her juniors to rest and heal, while she went to the monster's corpse to collect valuable materials and its core.
'If I'm not mistaken, the Wind Gale tiger is a rare monster with Golden Core cultivation. We're lucky to encounter a young one. If we bring its materials and core back to the sect, we should get a lot of sect points, right? …Huh?'
"Who's there! Show yourself!"
'It seems someone has been spying on us. Could they be hostile? They shouldn't be. If so, they would have attacked us while we were fighting the monster.'
Hearing Xue Lanting's voice, the spy jumped down from the tree to be seen.
"You! A… child? Your aura… eh? Umm, tell me, little miss-girl, can I know why you were spying on us?"
'This person, even though they are a child, has a cultivation level far higher than mine. Could they be at the Peak Building Foundation stage or already a Golden Core?'
"Sorry if I made you all wary. I had no other intention. I just wanted to help if you couldn't fight the monster. Since you succeeded, I actually intended to leave. But since I've been discovered, I had to show myself."
"No need to apologize, little girl. I feel you mean no harm, and that's enough."
"Alright then, I'll be going."
"Wait, little girl! Can I know where you're headed?"
"…No particular destination, I just want to wander the forest and hunt monsters."
"If it's not too much trouble, would you like to join us? We're actually heading to the alternative realm conference."
"Alternative realm? What's that?"
"You don't know? An alternative realm is a dimensional space created by a powerful cultivator after their death. It is said to contain many treasures left by the cultivator. If we manage to open it, we can inherit all those treasures."
"I'm not interested."
After hearing Xue Lanting's explanation, the little girl showed her disinterest and was about to leave. However, after a few steps, she stopped, turned around, and asked,
"Aside from treasures, are there any rare plants or edible rare animals?"
"Eh? Rare plants are certainly in the alternative realm. Edible rare animals? Although this is my first time there, I'm sure there are rare animals guarding the realm."
'What does she mean by edible rare animals? Could she mean rare monsters? This girl is quite strange. She seems more interested in plants and animals than in the valuable treasures from the powerful cultivator.'
"Okay, then I'll join you."
After hearing Xue Lanting's answer, the little girl agreed to join them on their way to the alternative realm conference in the Death Forest.
Xue Lanting was pleased with the girl's decision. She was curious how a child who seemed under eight years old could have reached a higher cultivation level than her. Maybe this little girl could give her tips on improving her cultivation level.
After resting enough and healing their wounds, the group continued their journey towards the alternative realm conference in the western area of the Death Forest with the little girl.
Chapter 12
"Miss Ruan, which sect are you from?"
"... I don't belong to any sect. What about you all?"
"We are all from the same sect, as you can see from our matching attire. Miss Ruan, Miss Ruan, why are you alone? Where is your master?"
"... My master did not come with me. Why do you ask? Where is your master?"
"Actually, our sect is quite small, so the elders and our master are very busy and cannot escort us to the conference."
"Miss Ruan, Miss Ruan, why-"
"…"
'This person is so noisy! Is it wrong for me to be with them? After we all introduced ourselves, they kept asking questions!'
Hearing her companions' constant questions made Ruan Xiaoyue very annoyed. She even regretted the decision she had made earlier.
"That's enough, you're asking too many questions. Look, Miss Ruan is getting upset because of your questions."
"But, Senior Xue, we weren't asking personal questions. We were just curious and wanted to know more about her. …Sorry, Miss Ruan, if we made you upset!"
Seeing Senior Xue glaring at her juniors, they finally bowed to apologize for their excessive questioning that had upset Miss Ruan.
Ruan Xiaoyue nodded at their apology. She didn't mind too much because, from her past experiences, she knew they were good people; they were just curious, which made them ask a lot of questions.
Feeling awkward with the silence as they walked, Senior Xue tried to lighten the mood by asking Ruan Xiaoyue.
"Sorry if I ask again, Miss Ruan. Before you met us, was it alright for you to come alone to this Death Forest? Although I see your cultivation is quite high, isn't it risky to go alone without a supervisor or a companion, especially since you are still young?"
"It's fine. After all, my master told me to explore the Death Forest alone. My master also believes that I am strong enough to survive exploring this forest."
"O-okay, b-but isn't it still risky? I see you are only wearing a worn robe and carrying things for daily activities. You didn't even bring any weapons or protective talismans. M-maybe? …Hik, Miss Ruan, don't worry. Even though you are stronger than me, I will make sure to protect you while you are in the Death Forest!"
"O-oi, stop! Why are you suddenly hugging me and crying? Let me go, oi!"
Confused by Senior Xue's sudden change while talking to her, Ruan Xiaoyue could only passively accept the hug as Senior Xue said, "It's okay, I, Sister Xue, will definitely protect you." She was truly bewildered by Senior Xue's sudden tears and sympathetic gaze. Even when her juniors asked Senior Xue why she was crying while hugging Ruan Xiaoyue, Senior Xue simply answered, "It's a secret" to cover up her reasons.
Due to the misunderstanding she was unaware of, Ruan Xiaoyue's journey became quite frustrating because of Senior Xue's desperate attempts to get close to her.
---
"It seems we have arrived."
"Wow, so this is the venue for the alternate realm conference. Wow, so many cultivators gathered here. Senior Xue, now that we're here, what should we do? Should we wait for the alternate realm to open?"
"Yes, we have to wait. It seems we are quite fortunate to have arrived here before the alternate realm opens."
Hearing Senior Xue speak to her juniors, Ruan Xiaoyue just listened without joining the conversation. She was more focused on the cultivators at the alternate realm conference. It felt like a dream to see so many cultivators gathered, especially since she was one of them.
'I am truly grateful for following my master, who has changed my life. My master has made me into a cultivator that many ordinary people desire.'
As Ruan Xiaoyue was reminiscing about her past, suddenly a group of cultivators approached them, led by a man who seemed arrogant to her, and spoke to them.
"Xue Lanting, I expected you would come here too. Seeing that you are only three with your junior, why didn't you join my group? I would certainly take good care of you and your junior."
"Sorry, Fellow Daoist Xiao Li, my juniors and I cannot join you. We are enough with just the three of us and believe we can take care of ourselves."
"Still trying to be aloof, huh! By the way, I heard from one of the cultivators here that a group of female cultivators was attacked by Wind Gale tigers while coming here. Do you still want to stubbornly refuse my offer?"
"You… once again, sorry Fellow Daoist Xiao Li, we are fine with just the three of us. Thank you for your concern."
"Hmph! You'll regret this."
Seeing the leader of the cultivator group named Xiao Li leave angrily, followed by his subordinates who looked at Senior Xue's group with longing, Ruan Xiaoyue, who was ignored by them, felt somewhat curious about what was actually happening. Her curiosity was soon addressed when Senior Xue spoke to her juniors.
"It's quite obvious, we were attacked by the tigers because he provoked the monsters to where we were."
"So, Senior Xue, is it okay for us to refuse his invitation?"
"I don't know. That person holds a grudge against me. I don't know what he will do if we agree to follow him. At least, since I have refused him, he might seek revenge in the alternate realm. We should be extra cautious when entering the alternate realm."
"I'm sorry, Miss Ruan, for involving you in a conflict that doesn't concern you."
"It's okay. Also, I want to ask, who exactly is that very arrogant man?"
"As you heard when I spoke to him, that man's name is Xiao Li. He is one of the main disciples of the Great Thunder sect, and his father is also one of the elders in the sect, which makes him very arrogant and do whatever he wants without consequences if he commits crimes."
"Why is there no retaliation if he does something wrong? What kind of sect is the Great Thunder?"
"Don't you know the Great Thunder sect, Miss Ruan? This sect is one of the strongest among the three major sects on the Grim Dawn continent. Since this sect has developed faster than the other two major sects, they have become very arrogant. Their disciples also like to bully disciples from weaker sects. Because of this, if we are not from the other two major sects, it's better to stay away from the Great Thunder sect," Senior Xue explained in detail as she saw Ruan Xiaoyue shaking her head in ignorance about the sect.
"Oh, then why is that person targeting you?"
"Yeah, it's because when my master and I went to the Great Thunder sect to pay tribute. If Miss Ruan doesn't know, every major sect will protect smaller sects if there are issues with paying low-level crystals as tribute every month. While I was waiting outside for my master to pay the tribute, Fellow Daoist Xiao Li approached and tried to flirt with me. Since I rejected him in front of quite a few people in that sect, it probably bruised his ego, leading him to hold a grudge against me."
As Senior Xue was conversing with her juniors and Ruan Xiaoyue, they suddenly fell silent as they heard all the cultivators shouting at the sight of a middle-aged cultivator floating in the sky.
Curious, Ruan Xiaoyue also turned her gaze to the floating cultivator. Upon seeing him, she knew that the cultivator must be extremely powerful from the overwhelming aura he emitted.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone