Spectating the Angsty Romance of the Master and Disciple from the Sect Next Door Chapter 11

Li Jin’an’s words sounded like sarcasm, and indeed they were. After uttering that single remark, she fell silent.
The ‘little third,’ who had just entered, timidly looked up at the speaking Li Jin’an, then gazed dependently at her future master, like a fledgling bird longing for its nest. It was a sight that moved one’s heart.
Unfortunately, Xie Huaixue remained as calm as an ancient well, not even sparing a glance for her future third disciple.
Although the Dao Sect members felt that Sword Sovereign Jǐ Jìn was deliberately causing trouble, the Immortal Venerable, who was conducting the disciple-acceptance, remained indifferent and did not fault the Sword Sovereign. They, too, found it difficult to say anything. Moreover, with Jingting Dao Lord presiding, it wasn’t their place to intervene, so they could only grudgingly accept it.
The Immortal Venerable definitely has her reasons for doing things; perhaps this is a test of her disciple’s character!
Li Jin’an looked at the ‘little third’s’ pale face. So, she’s putting on an act for me now.
This demon is truly audacious.
Not only am I not angry, I even want to laugh.
Regardless of Xie Huaixue’s gaze, she absolutely doesn’t fall for this kind of act. How to put it? She appears consistent inside and out, seemingly bright and clear like the moon, cold and pure like a high-altitude snow mountain. In truth, she is just as she seems on the inside; it’s not that she looks down on people, but simply that she doesn’t truly see others. Very few people can enter her sight, not even her personal disciples.
Cool and detached, pure as piled snow, with still waters running deep.
She neither favors the new nor clings to the old; no one can get close to her.
In a way, she isn’t a fake person, but she’s certainly an ice block.
Anyway, Li Jin’an couldn’t imagine Xie Huaixue having an emotional outburst; it would definitely be terrifying!
If anyone could enter her heart, it would probably only be her parents and master. Other than that, even the very confident Li Jin’an didn’t think she’d leave a mark in Xie Huaixue’s heart. And if she did, it would likely be the image of someone needing regular beatings, like a ‘punchable ghost.’
Just thinking about it, Li Jin’an’s face fell, but before anyone could see her expression change, she immediately perked up, crossing her arms as she watched the future Demon Lord.
Only Xie Huaixue’s gaze seemed to settle, glancing at her.
Li Jin’an immediately glared back vigilantly.
What are you looking at?
Can’t you see I’m watching your Qingxiao lineage make a fool of yourselves?
Xie Huaixue, you’ll have your day!
Her gaze was unfriendly, but the Immortal Venerable was clearly accustomed to it; her eyes merely shifted, and she no longer looked at Li Jin’an.
Li Jin’an gritted her teeth. This was why she had never once thought of stopping Xie Huaixue from accepting the ‘little third’ as a disciple.
Putting aside whether Xie Huaixue and the Dao Sect would appreciate it, they would absolutely, ten times out of ten, think Sword Sovereign Jǐ Jìn was using a scheme for the sake of the Qingxiao lineage. Most importantly, I simply want to watch Xie Huaixue make a fool of herself and see if she will still be so annoying later!
I don’t want to get involved in the karma of the Qingxiao lineage. It would be much better to simply spectate the drama forcefully and incidentally defeat Xie Huaixue.
Li Jin’an’s phoenix eyes slanted upwards as she leaned back in her chair, propping her face in her hand, her posture frivolous as she watched Ning Zhufeng perform the kowtow ritual before Xie Huaixue.
Everyone was accustomed to it, acting as if they hadn’t seen her dreadful appearance.
At such a time, ignoring Sword Sovereign Jǐ Jìn was the most correct approach. If anyone dared to question her, today’s disciple-acceptance ceremony would not be able to continue.
Looking at the ‘little third’ and then at the ‘big second’ behind Xie Huaixue, even I, Li Jin’an, who was waiting to watch the Qingxiao lineage’s drama, couldn’t help but marvel at the strangeness of Xie Huaixue’s judgment.
I have three disciples, and Xie Huaixue also accepted three disciples, but what kind of people did she take in? These three ‘little beasts’ are completely beyond the human realm. The freaks that can’t be found anywhere on the entire Lancang Continent have all ended up in Xie Huaixue’s hands. In a way, Xie Huaixue is also an eccentric.
Such vile creatures are rare even in a thousand years, yet Xie Huaixue accepted three of them at once!
A bunch of little brats, not even a fraction of my or Xie Huaixue’s age, yet so troublesome!
Everyone else accepts disciples to inherit their Dao traditions, but Xie Huaixue is completely different. Her Qingxiao Peak is practically a pigsty for keeping beasts.
Li Jin’an couldn’t help but glance at Xie Huaixue many times. Based on my understanding of my arch-nemesis, Xie Huaixue couldn’t possibly be this blind… right?
Everyone’s attention in the hall was focused on Xie Huaixue and Ning Zhufeng, yet only Li Jin’an brazenly let her mind wander, showing no respect.
Even without adding her animosity towards the Qingxiao lineage, Li Jin’an simply didn’t like Xie Huaixue’s three disciples.
Take this ‘little third,’ for instance.
Her name is Li Jin’an, and the ‘little third’ is Ning Zhufeng. Both their names contain characters with the ‘fire’ radical. Clearly, she copied my name!
And she even deludes herself into thinking she can break Xie Huaixue’s path of Emotionless cultivation, shamelessly lusting after her body, attempting to imprison her… Someone who resorts to such wicked ways, intending to ruin my sparring partner, deserves ten thousand deaths.
And there’s no need to mention the ‘big first,’ Lan Ci. She appears upright, trying hard to emulate Xie Huaixue’s style, but in attempting to ‘draw a tiger, she only drew a dog.’ She’s a mere imitator and a hypocrite.
The ‘second one,’ Zhong Fei, has a bright and striking appearance. On the surface, she’s cheerful, generous, and loves making friends, but in reality, she’s full of petty schemes and tricks. Subtly suppressing fellow disciples is her forte.
And in the early stages, they acted like proper humans in front of Xie Huaixue, but their true thoughts were vile and utterly disgusting.
In the mortal realm, it’s Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Parents, Teacher. In the cultivation world, the master’s status ranks only after Heaven and Earth. These three ‘little beasts’ actually dared to be so rebellious and betray their master and ancestors!
They truly deserve to die.
No one paid attention to Li Jin’an; she could get angry all by herself, feeling utterly displeased, and let out a heavy tsk.
At this moment, the ‘little third’… Ning Zhufeng, was kneeling on the ground, holding a teacup high above her head with both hands, offering it to Xie Huaixue.
Ning Zhufeng’s body was thin and weak. Even though she was already ten, she looked like a six or seven-year-old child. A new set of clothes couldn’t hide the old scars, and even as she desperately tried to control it, her spine still trembled uncontrollably.
In contrast, Ning Zhufeng’s expression was stubborn and resilient. What she held in her hands seemed not to be a plain cup of tea, but her life, her faith, her everything.
This was the last item of the disciple-acceptance ceremony—the veneration tea ritual.
Setting aside Lan Ci and Zhong Fei’s increasingly unfriendly gazes, the entire Dao Sect looked upon Ning Zhufeng with friendliness. The elders from other sects attending the ceremony all happily congratulated Immortal Venerable Qingxiao on gaining another excellent disciple.
Just as the atmosphere was perfect, Li Jin’an’s tsk resonated clearly in everyone’s ears, like a meteorite crashing to the ground.
“…”
The three from Jǐ Jìn Peak’s vision went dark; they felt as if struck by five bolts of lightning.
Master! Before you ‘tsk,’ can you please look at where we are?!
Is this a place where you can ‘tsk’ anywhere you please?!
Immortal Venerable Qingxiao, who had only spoken twice since entering, first cast a fleeting glance at Li Jin’an. Then, she indifferently rose, finally letting her gaze fall upon Ning Zhufeng, and said, “You have already become my disciple. There is no need for a tea offering. Simply follow your senior sister back to the peak.”
Having said that, she moved, instantly teleporting away without any lingering attachment.
Regardless of whether it was her previously accepted eldest and second disciples, or this newly initiated third disciple, all were treated equally and left behind.
One of the main figures of the disciple-acceptance ceremony just left?
It was no exaggeration to say that the atmosphere in the entire hall froze. Those with lower cultivation dared not even breathe, and the air was as stifling as could be.
Li Jin’an was still dazed; her eyes shifted, and she suddenly realized that everyone was staring at her blankly.
By the Heavenly Dao, where did this troublemaker come from?!
She suddenly sat upright. “What does this have to do with this Venerable? Qingxiao never had a tea offering when she accepted disciples in the past. Clearly, your arrangements didn’t suit her. If she doesn’t want to, no one can force her away.”
Don’t even think about pinning the blame on me!
Could this be Xie Huaixue’s intention?
Jingting Dao Lord was speechless, and the elder from the Rites Hall responsible for the disciple-acceptance ceremony was utterly dumbfounded.
Sword Sovereign Jǐ Jìn, the Dao Sect’s nemesis!
Is there a possibility that precisely because the first two disciples didn’t go through the normal disciple-acceptance procedures, the Dao Sect arranged the tea offering ritual for Ning Zhufeng this time?
The ‘big first’ and ‘big second’ were both picked up casually by Xie Huaixue outside. Only the ‘little third’ formally entered the Dao Sect through its gates. Because of her exceptional talent and fortuitous ice spiritual root, Jingting Dao Lord made the final decision, and the Rites Hall recommended the ‘little third’ to Xie Huaixue.
Xie Huaixue was neither opposed nor enthusiastic; she agreed to accept the disciple.
Whenever both were present in the past, the Immortal Venerable would be indifferent, and the Sword Sovereign would fume, but it wouldn’t cause too much disruption. Who would have thought that today, the Sword Sovereign’s ‘power’ was so great that the Immortal Venerable refused to endure her sarcastic remarks any longer, turning the situation into such an awkward and difficult-to-resolve mess!
Even though they had opposed the Qingxiao lineage for so long, Qi Lingzi, Tan Yanyi, and Ling Qiu couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Ning Zhufeng, who was still kneeling on the ground.
Ning Zhufeng’s fair little face was filled with despondency and disbelief. Her straightened back slumped, and her eyes instantly reddened, looking on the verge of tears, drawing more condemning gazes towards Li Jin’an.
Lan Ci and Zhong Fei, however, were so delighted their smiles were almost impossible to suppress.
Seeing the child on the ground about to cry, Jingting Dao Lord sighed inwardly and said gently to Ning Zhufeng, “Qingxiao doesn’t care for such mundane rituals; it is not your fault, so do not take it to heart. Give the tea to this Dao Lord; it will still be a proper conclusion.”
Ning Zhufeng quieted for a moment, then respectfully handed the tea to Jingting Dao Lord. “…Yes, this disciple obeys.”
Even if her master disliked her, she had to grit her teeth and persevere, no matter how sad she was.
She did not make a scene but, considering Immortal Venerable Qingxiao’s reputation, offered the tea to Jingting Dao Lord instead, implicitly sacrificing her own feelings. This made many people feel that she respected her master and the Dao, possessing excellent character.
And the ‘troublemaker’ was met with more disapproving, subtle glances.
Even the three from Jǐ Jìn Peak stared at their master’s back, realizing that their master’s actions were indeed inappropriate in this matter.
Once Ning Zhufeng’s cultivation catches up, they can fight fairly. Why suppress her like this?
At worst, just put a sack over her head and beat her up in private. Bringing the conflict into the open would be detrimental to Master’s already tattered reputation.
Of course, bad deeds should be done in secret!
Just wait. After this is over, they’ll go ‘sack’ Ning Zhufeng.
Li Jin’an: …So I’m the villain now, am I?
If that little beast isn’t doing this on purpose, I’ll take Xie Huaixue’s surname!
And besides, it’s not that Xie Huaixue wouldn’t drink the veneration tea; she clearly had a flare-up of cold poison and needed to go immerse herself in the cold pool to suppress it. What does that have to do with me? It’s as if I angered Xie Huaixue into leaving.
Oh, right. I also need to confirm if Xie Huaixue’s spiritual root has cold poison to verify the reliability of the Heavenly Book.
However, Sword Sovereign Jǐ Jìn was not one to explain herself to outsiders. She casually picked up the three from Jǐ Jìn Peak, left a single sentence, and departed.
“This Venerable is going to check on Qingxiao.”
“…”
The hall, already silent, became even more deathly quiet.
Well, this is just great.
Now, instead of worrying about Ning Zhufeng’s psychological state, they needed to worry about whether the Sword Sovereign and Immortal Venerable would fight until the heavens and earth turned dark.
Jingting Dao Lord said nothing; her expression clearly indicated tacit approval. The Dao Sect members naturally dared not act on their own initiative and could only watch as Li Jin’an swaggered away.
Leaving the grand hall, Li Jin’an flew directly towards Qingxiao Peak. She left Qi Lingzi and the other two at the foot of the mountain and proceeded alone to the back mountains.
Xie Huaixue.
Li Jin’an silently savored those three words in her mouth, her eyes extremely bright, her smile even wider.
You’ll have your day!