"Wait for me! What's going on, Junior Brother? You can't have a scene like this without me."
Lucian Qing rolled his eyes at Du Bishu, his expression deadpan. "Why don't you get lost? You're the one who started that nickname, and after I was kind enough to teach you those new recipes, too."
Du Bishu merely shrugged, though he looked a bit apprehensive—likely worried Lucian might let something slip about the "forbidden book" from earlier. He didn't dare press his luck further. Instead, he hurried to Song Daren's side with exaggerated diligence, bobbing his head and playing the dutiful assistant as they carried the various dishes to the table.
Lucian saw right through him. Senior Brother must have something on him, he thought.
Ever since Lucian had arrived on Big Bamboo Peak and tasted Du Bishu's cooking, he had taken it upon himself to teach the other senior brothers how to prepare decent, home-cooked meals. Du Bishu, whose culinary skills were abysmal, had essentially been forced into early retirement. Now, the cooking duties rotated between the other brothers and Lucian.
Du Bishu hadn't set foot in the kitchen for weeks, using a rather grandiose excuse to save face: "I've been cooking for decades; surely I've earned the right to rest and enjoy the fruits of someone else's labor."
His sudden eagerness to help today was a massive red flag.
Before long, Tian Buyi, Su Ru, and Tian Ling'er appeared at the doorway. Led by Song Daren, the disciples stood in unison to greet their masters.
As Tian Ling'er followed behind Su Ru, she caught Lucian's eye and gave him a knowing smile, patting her chest as if to say, Don't worry, I've got this.
Once the elders were seated, Tian Buyi gestured for them to begin. "Eat first. We have things to discuss afterward."
The disciples sat. Du Bishu leaned toward Lucian and whispered, "Do you know what this is about?"
"Why ask me?"
"I'm not blind. I saw the look the Little Junior Sister gave you."
"I know," Lucian whispered back, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "It's something that will make you very happy."
"What? Don't play riddles with me, it's annoying! Just tell me!"
Ignoring Du Bishu's persistent badgering, Lucian waited for Tian Buyi and Su Ru to pick up their chopsticks before tucking into his own meal.
Let Du Bishu smile while he can, Lucian thought. Soon, it'll be my turn. As the saying goes: Smiles never truly vanish; they just transfer to someone else's face.
A short while later, the communal meal ended. The disciples cleared the table and gathered outside the kitchen.
Tian Buyi and Su Ru stood facing their seven disciples, with Tian Ling'er standing off to the side near Lucian.
Tian Buyi scanned his students. When his gaze fell on Lucian—the disciple whose talent far outstripped his seniors—he let out a quiet, internal sigh.
"Your Shiniang and I have been discussing matters," Tian Buyi began. "Since the Seven Peaks Tournament is only six years away, she will be taking over your direct instruction starting immediately. This is to ensure you don't grow complacent and embarrass me at the tournament with your lack of discipline."
As he finished, Tian Buyi's eyes lingered pointedly on Du Bishu and Lucian.
Song Daren and the others were struck with visible shock. Following their Master's gaze, they looked at the two "culprits" with utter exasperation.
Six years of early preparation? And supervised by Shiniang? This was unheard of. No one started prepping for the tournament this early.
Under the weight of the group's stare, the two reacted quite differently. Du Bishu ducked his head, his eyes darting around to avoid eye contact. Lucian, however, remained perfectly composed, nodding along as if he found the Master's speech deeply moving and insightful.
In a year, Zhang Xiaofan will join the peak and eventually take fourth place in the tournament, boosting our prestige anyway, Lucian thought calmly, unfazed by the Master's concern.
Beside him, Du Bishu noticed Lucian's unshakeable poise and gave him a discreet thumbs-up. He mouthed the words without making a sound: You've got guts. I'll give you this round!
Seeing this out of the corner of his eye, Lucian instinctively straightened his back even further.
Su Ru, who had been watching the two closely, couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. Tian Buyi, however, turned a shade of livid. Seeing his disciples exchanging signals right under his nose, he barked:
"Look at you! No discipline at all. It seems I've been far too lenient with the two of you lately."
Hearing those words—vividly reminiscent of a high school teacher's scolding—Lucian instantly wiped the smile off his face and stood at rigid attention. Du Bishu didn't dare breathe.
Song Daren and the others watched the spectacle with amusement. It was clear the Master's ire was aimed specifically at those two. Tian Ling'er covered her mouth, her eyes crinkling with laughter.
Su Ru, seeking to soften the atmosphere, asked about their progress. "Xiao An, Sixth, how has your cultivation been lately? Any breakthroughs?"
Du Bishu stammered, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Shiniang... to be honest, I'm still struggling to find the key to reaching the fourth level of the Jade Essence Realm."
Song Daren interjected, "Shiniang, I've been supervising him strictly, but a breakthrough of that magnitude still requires time."
Lucian stepped in then, feigning a defense for Du Bishu. "Shiniang, I think Senior Brother is right. If Sixth Brother just stopped napping so much and reading those 'idle books,' I'm sure he'd break through in no time."
"Junior Brother! You're one to talk!" Du Bishu snapped, forgetting his fear of Tian Buyi for a moment to retort.
The group erupted in laughter again; they were well-acquainted with the duo's constant bickering.
At the head of the group, Tian Buyi felt his patience wearing thin. He huffed and swept his sleeves back. "You are truly pieces of rotten wood! No ambition at all. Why even seek the Dao if you won't put in the effort? Are you just waiting for the demonic sects to kill you and disgrace my name?"
The disciples fell silent immediately. When Tian Buyi truly lost his temper, few dared to speak.
"Master, Shiniang... I reached the second level of the Jade Essence Realm a few days ago."
Lucian's calm voice shattered the silence.
The moment the words left his mouth, Tian Buyi and Su Ru were a blur. They crossed the distance in an instant, flanking Lucian to inspect his cultivation level.
Song Daren and the others stared at Lucian in pure disbelief. It usually took two or three years to reach the second level. Their youngest brother had done it in one.
No—less than one, considering how often they had seen him napping. While they were constantly frustrated that their meridians couldn't handle more training, this boy seemed to do nothing and progress regardless.
Du Bishu looked up, his face a mask of betrayal. Betrayal! This is a total backstab!We agreed to rot together!
"Heaven and Earth, have you no mercy?" Du Bishu cried out in his heart, his eyes welling with mock tears of frustration. He had been counting on Lucian to act as his lightning rod for the Master's anger.
With their high cultivation, it took Tian Buyi and Su Ru only a moment to verify Lucian's claim. They exchanged a look, and the anger on Tian Buyi's face was replaced by a look of stunned delight.
Normally, reaching the first level took a year, and the second level took another three to five years. Lucian hitting the first level in six months was already impressive—not quite on the level of Lu Xueqi from Small Bamboo Peak, but exceptional nonetheless.
But hitting the second level in another six months? His cultivation speed was actually accelerating.
What baffled Tian Buyi most was the timing. He knew for a fact Lucian hadn't practiced at all these past few months. Though he preferred a hands-off approach to teaching, he had checked on Lucian's progress frequently out of hope, and back then, the boy's cultivation hadn't moved an inch.
Now, he had somehow leaped forward. It defied the logic of the Taiji Pure Essence Path, which was supposed to get harder as one progressed.
Seeing Tian Buyi's expression, Lucian knew he was in the clear. And seeing Du Bishu's devastated face made it all the sweeter.
"Well done," Su Ru said, stepping in for her husband, who was currently too embarrassed to speak after just calling Lucian "rotten wood."
"Your Master and I were worried you were neglecting your path, but it seems we were mistaken. However, you must not grow arrogant. You started later than the others; keep practicing so you can catch up to your brothers."
"I understand," Lucian replied, nodding obediently.
He couldn't exactly tell them he was a "cheater" whose power required him to be lazy.
"Your Shiniang is right," Tian Buyi added, regaining his composure. "Cultivation is like rowing upstream; to stop is to fall back."
"I will keep that in mind, Master."
Despite his submissive reply, Lucian was already worried. He needed to keep "slacking" to fuel his system. If he didn't change their perspective now, his future naps would be under constant threat.
To prevent future "talks," Lucian decided to lay the groundwork now.
"Master, Shiniang, I've found that if I force myself to train constantly, my progress actually slows down. But if I rest for a period and then return to it, I achieve twice the result with half the effort."
"I know!" Tian Ling'er piped up, giving Lucian a mock-glare. "Lucian told me about this. He calls it 'Work-Rest Balance'!"