Chapter 6: Next Time You Want to Hit Me, Could You Use a Different Excuse?

Chapter 6: Next Time You Want to Hit Me, Could You Come Up with a New Excuse?

In the blink of an eye, three years had passed.

During these three years, Zheng Jian had shot up in height; at the very least, he no longer looked like a half-grown child, but rather carried the bearing of a young man of the martial world.

Within the Huashan Sect, everyone harbored mixed feelings towards Zheng Jian—part love, part exasperation!

Take Master Yue, for instance. At first, he hadn’t placed much hope in his eldest disciple, Zheng Jian. Instead, his aspirations rested on his second disciple, Linghu Chong. After all, compared to Zheng Jian’s unruliness, Linghu Chong was clever, gifted, and diligent in his practice—a pillar for the future of the Huashan Sect in every sense.

Yet, to his surprise, Zheng Jian, in these three years, surged ahead, his strength increasing steadily until he swiftly distinguished himself. Along with his astonishment, Master Yue found his expectations for Zheng Jian rising as well.

But then, he realized that as Zheng Jian’s martial skills advanced, so too did his sharp tongue. Even Master Yue himself often found himself at a loss for words, let alone the rest of Huashan.

Now, Zheng Jian’s strength had already secured him the third seat in Huashan—steady and unshakable. If Master Yue wasn’t careful, this rascal would find a way to exploit any oversight…

Annoying, wasn’t he?

Yet, as much as he vexed Master Yue, the old man couldn’t help but admire Zheng Jian’s luck—and the streak of good fortune he had brought to the Huashan Sect!

Indeed, it was Zheng Jian who, in a seemingly casual moment, “discovered” the secret of the Reflection Cliff and shared it with Master Yue.

The master and disciple sneaked up to Reflection Cliff under the cover of darkness, spending the night together in the cave—a grizzled man and a young fellow, side by side until dawn. When they descended the mountain, Master Yue seemed to have been given a second youth. His entire demeanor lightened, and he no longer took their verbal sparring so seriously.

From then on, Master Yue would occasionally call on Zheng Jian to accompany him to Reflection Cliff at night, so much so that Madam Ning Zhongze almost suspected her husband of having an affair, given how often he stayed out…

Of course, Master Yue soon confessed everything to Madam Ning, though he withheld the truth from the other disciples. After all, he knew Lao Denuo was a spy from Songshan, and as Master Yue was determined to revitalize Huashan, he had no intention of letting Zuo Lengchan learn the cave’s secret.

That day, as always, Zheng Jian ascended Reflection Cliff.

Year after year, he’d long since given up hope on the Sword Saint of the Winds—a secluded elder who had lived on Huashan for decades, undetected even by Master Yue and his wife. Even knowing the old master was hidden somewhere on the mountain, Zheng Jian had no way to find him if the man didn’t choose to reveal himself.

Still, Zheng Jian’s own skills were not to be underestimated.

Three years of quietly taking advantage of everyone in Huashan had allowed him to exchange for several Inner Power Fruits; his internal energy rivaled even Ning Zhongze’s, and he was well-versed in the Five Peaks Sword Technique.

He sat on the great stone at the edge of Reflection Cliff, his gaze vacant, pupils unfocused as he stared into the distant sea of clouds.

He often sat there, so much so that the stone beneath him had become polished and smooth by his constant presence.

He had thought about descending the mountain, but in his heart, the martial world still inspired a certain dread. Though his skills were strong enough for self-defense, Zheng Jian simply didn’t want to go down.

What if he ran into Zuo Lengchan out shopping in town?

What if Monk Bujie tried to drag him off to be a live-in son-in-law?

What if he encountered those six lunatics?

Especially the latter—everyone said madmen had a wide range of thinking, but the Six Swords of Peach Valley were on another level entirely. To make matters worse, their martial skills were high and they specialized in joint attacks. Together, they could give even the top experts of the martial world a run for their money.

By Zheng Jian’s own estimation, his sharp tongue might be classified as “Gold-tier” at best—nowhere near Platinum. If he ran into those six maniacs, he’d likely be in real trouble…

Lost in these wild thoughts, he suddenly heard Master Yue’s voice from behind him.

“Jian’er, how’s your training in the Zixia Art lately?”

Indeed, Master Yue had already taught Zheng Jian the first two levels of the Zixia Art’s core method—some time in the past three years.

Without turning, Zheng Jian replied, “Master, the next time you want to hit me, could you at least come up with a new excuse?”

Master Yue had grown accustomed to Zheng Jian’s unconventional thinking, and was even starting to adapt himself. He replied coolly, “Didn’t I just have a quarrel with your Mistress? I wanted to hit you—erm, I mean, I wanted to spar with you.”

“You mean you want to take your anger out on me, right?” Zheng Jian mercilessly exposed Master Yue’s lie. He was starting to regret ever taking advantage of his master…

Tormenting your master is enjoyable in the moment, but the aftermath is a living hell!

At first, he could still get something out of Master Yue, but later on, the old man adapted and turned the tables—so not only could Zheng Jian no longer profit, he’d end up on the receiving end instead.

Sometimes, a disagreement was all it took for Master Yue to start a fight!

Sure enough, Master Yue gave a light shout: “Take this!”

“Damn, you always start hitting as soon as you say it!” Zheng Jian exclaimed, leaping from the stone just as a sword flash swept past him.

“Ha! Jian’er, your master just wants to see how much you’ve improved,” Master Yue said with pride, standing sword in hand, completely untroubled about whether Zheng Jian could dodge that strike.

This was standard procedure, after all.

“Master, wait—don’t be so quick to hit me.” Seeing Master Yue about to raise his sword again, Zheng Jian hurriedly interjected, “Didn’t you just argue with Mistress? I have a wonderful plan—guaranteed to make her forgive you.”

Now interested, Master Yue lowered his sword. “A wonderful plan? Let’s hear it.”

“A few days ago, when I was studying sword moves in the cave, I happened to find a short sword. Look!” Zheng Jian produced a dagger from behind him. As soon as he drew it, a chill seemed to fill the air. The blade was as dark as ink, without a trace of luster—clearly no ordinary weapon.

Master Yue’s expression changed. As a sword expert, he could instantly see the dagger’s quality. He took it from Zheng Jian and, touching it lightly against his own fine steel sword, saw a tiny nick appear on the blade.

“What a fine dagger!”

Master Yue was amazed. His own sword, though not famed, was a top-tier weapon forged by the best smith in the region—yet the dagger had nicked it with a mere touch!

“Master, give this dagger to Mistress for self-defense, and tell her she is your most precious person. She’ll definitely stop being angry.” Zheng Jian smiled on the surface, but his heart bled—for this was no lucky find, but something he had exchanged from the system. Anything from the system was guaranteed to be first-class.

Master Yue returned the dagger, saying solemnly, “It’s a fine blade, but your master cannot accept gifts from his disciple. This is my last shred of dignity!”

In that instant, Zheng Jian seemed to see a beam of light shining behind Master Yue, making his figure appear especially grand.

The next day, same place—Reflection Cliff.

Zheng Jian sat upright atop the great stone, and beside him sat Master Yue.

Compared to the day before, Master Yue was in high spirits. “Jian’er, that dagger is truly wonderful! Your Mistress really isn’t angry anymore!”

How quickly things change!

New book period, already signed—please give a recommendation if you can, and stay tuned for more chapters tonight.

(End of chapter)