Chapter 2: From Today Onwards, I Am Your Master
In a dead-end alley.
The steamed bun shop owner, panting and leaning on his knees, looked at the little beggar in front of him: "Run! Weren't you good at running? Keep running!"
The little beggar knew she couldn't run anymore. She opened the dirty cloth and ravenously ate the steamed bun.
Every bite counted.
"You're still eating, huh? I'll break your legs."
The steamed bun shop owner took large strides forward.
The closer he got, the faster the little beggar ate.
Gripping a rolling pin, the steamed bun shop owner swung it down forcefully towards the little beggar's head.
The little beggar tightly closed her eyes and curled up her body.
But to the little beggar's surprise, the pain never came.
The little beggar opened her eyes and saw a well-dressed older brother grabbing the steamed bun shop owner's big hand.
Xiao Mo looked at the trembling, scrawny little beggar in front of him and asked, "What's wrong with her?"
"Who are you? Why are you meddling in my business? She stole my steamed buns! And she's done it several times! I'm going to teach her a lesson!" the steamed bun shop owner said angrily.
Xiao Mo released the owner's hand and dropped a few pieces of broken silver into his arms: "Is this enough?"
The steamed bun shop owner was stunned for a moment, then quickly nodded: "Enough, more than enough."
"Little brat, consider yourself lucky!" The steamed bun shop owner cursed a few times and left the alley.
The little beggar looked at the young man standing in front of her, swallowed, and hugged her small hands tightly to her chest.
Xiao Mo squatted down and asked with a smile, "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you. What's your name?"
"Jiang... Jiang Qingyi..." The girl timidly replied.
"Hmm, that's a good name. Do you want to come with me?"
"Come with you?"
"That's right. I want to take on a Disciple, and I think you're good. If you come with me, you can eat your fill every day. How about it? Want to consider it?"
The girl looked at the remaining half of the steamed bun in her hand, as if deep in thought.
Finally, the girl looked up, earnestly at Xiao Mo: "I... I'll go with you!"
"Good." Xiao Mo smiled and nodded, "My name is Xiao Mo. From now on, I am your Master. Say it and let me hear."
"Master."
"Hmm."
After bringing Jiang Qingyi up the mountain, Xiao Motook her to collect a Disciple token and the Dragon Spring Sword Sect's female attire.
Back at his own Lingqian Peak, Xiao Mo told Jiang Qingyi to take a bath and change into clean clothes.
When Jiang Qingyi stood before Xiao Mo again, a light flashed in Xiao Mo's eyes.
Before, Jiang Qingyi looked like a tomboy, with short hair and covered in mud and dust.
But after Jiang Qingyi cleaned up and put on a dress, she truly looked quite presentable.
Xiao Mo tossed a wooden sword to Jiang Qingyi: "Starting today, you will learn swordsmanship with me. The sword technique I will teach you is called Caocijian Jue. This sword technique requires both the sword chant and the sword moves to be cultivated together. You will practice the sword moves during the day, and at night, I will teach you to read and recite the sword chant. You must not be negligent, understood?"
Caocijian Jue was the sword technique cultivated by the Clone Xiao Mo, and every move and form had been imprinted into Xiao Mo's mind.
Xiao Mo even wondered if he could cultivate Caocijian Jue in the real world after he left.
Jiang Qingyi tightly hugged the wooden sword: "Yes, Master."
"Follow me, first form."
Over the next half a month, Xiao Mo taught Jiang Qingyi swordsmanship every morning at dawn.
Jiang Qingyi studied very seriously and diligently.
However, due to the lack of an Innate Sword Bone, Jiang Qingyi learned very slowly, so slowly that her Aptitude could be described as 'poor'.
Another half a month passed, and Jiang Qingyi still hadn't learned the first form of Caocijian Jue.
"Master... Am I very stupid?"
One day, Jiang Qingyi said dejectedly, hugging the wooden sword.
"Who said you were stupid?" Xiao Mo sat in the courtyard drinking tea.
Jiang Qingyi quickly shook her head: "No... no one told Disciple that."
Xiao Mo gazed at Jiang Qingyi and said faintly, "Come here."
Jiang Qingyi swallowed and slowly walked to her Master's front.
"Qingyi, you're not stupid at all," Xiao Mo gently patted Jiang Qingyi's head, "There's a saying that goes, 'everything is difficult at the beginning.' We're not in a hurry, take your time. You don't need to overthink anything, just do your best, understood?"
"Mm-hmm!" Jiang Qingyi nodded.
With her Master's encouragement, the girl regained a little confidence.
After that, Xiao Mo often bought some Spirit Beastflesh and blood for Jiang Qingyi to eat.
Jiang Qingyi's progress remained slow.
A total of one and a half months had passed, and Jiang Qingyi hadn't even reached the threshold of cultivation, Qi Condensation First Layer!
One day, Xiao Mo went down the mountain to buy wine and overheard a few Outer Sect Disciples discussing:
"The Disciple Elder Xiao took on has no root bones at all. I don't know why Elder Xiao wanted to take her as a Disciple."
"It's been a month and a half, and she still hasn't entered Qi Condensation First Layer."
"Damn it, isn't my talent higher than that Jiang Qingyi's? I didn't even become an Elder's Disciple!"
"Hahaha, Xiao Mo usually looks down on people. I want to see how that girl gets beaten badly in the Dragon Spring Sword Sect's New Blood Tournamentin a year!"
Just as a few people were drinking and talking, Xiao Mo walked in front of them.
"Fellow Daoist, what's wrong? Is there something?" A burly man saw Xiao Mo and turned to ask.
"Nothing, it's just that you're talking about my Disciplelike that, and I'm not comfortable."
As he spoke, Xiao Mo kicked them in the stomach.
The burly man flew ten meters away.
After teaching these people a lesson, Xiao Moreturned to his Lingqian Peak as if nothing had happened.
By the time Xiao Mo returned to the mountaintop, it was already late at night.
Under the moonlight, a girl was still practicing her sword.
Her movements were so clumsy, yet she was so diligent.
"Qingyi." Xiao Mo softly called the girl's name.
"Master." Jiang Qingyi put away her wooden sword and trotted towards her Master.
"You're not asleep yet?" Xiao Mo patted her head.
"Master, Qingyi can't sleep, she wants to practice more." Jiang Qingyi said softly.
Xiao Mo smiled: "Diligence is good, but you also need to pay attention to balancing work and rest."
Jiang Qingyi shook her head vigorously: "It's fine, Master, I'm not tired."
Looking at the girl, Xiao Mo's eyes held a hint of complexity, but he didn't stop her: "Alright, just one more stick of incense, then go to sleep, understood?"
"Understood, Master. Master should also rest well." Jiang Qingyi nodded.
Xiao Mo turned and walked back to his wooden house.
Looking at her Master's back, Jiang Qingyi pursed her small lips, her small hands tightly clutching the long sword in her hand.
Just as her Master was about to enter the door, Jiang Qingyi softly called out: "Master."
"Hmm?" Xiao Mo turned around.
Under the moonlight, the girl's eyes were like ripples in a clear spring, pure and gentle: "I will definitely not disappoint Master in the Sect's New Blood Tournament!"
Xiao Mo was stunned for a moment, then the corners of his mouth curved upwards, he nodded, and smiled:
"Good."