Chapter 48

As Lu Zheng became more familiar with the characters, he noticed that the four large bookshelves in the classroom each had a wooden sign hanging on them, inscribed with the words: Daoist Sect, Buddhist Sect, Human World, and Heaven and Earth. Could it be that the books on these shelves were all about the Daoist and Buddhist sects? He wondered if there might be any that taught how to cultivate supernatural powers. Could it be that the teacher had him learn to read and write so he could study these classics? This thought made his heart race.

So, Lu Zheng first approached the bookshelf marked with the words 'Buddhist Sect.' He always remembered the supernatural powers of the ascetic monk, so his first reaction was to check out the Buddhist classics. However, as soon as he reached out, the teacher's戒方 (ruler) appeared out of nowhere and struck his hand hard, causing him to quickly pull back in pain.

The appearance of the戒方 meant that the teacher did not want Lu Zheng to browse the books on the shelves. Lu Zheng had no idea how the teacher made a piece of wood "come alive" and monitor them, but it explained why the teacher was so relaxed and rarely showed up!

What was even more peculiar was that the pain from the戒方 was almost bone-deep, but it quickly subsided, leaving no trace on his body. Even if his head swelled from being hit, the swelling would disappear once the pain was gone. He really had no idea how Li Yi managed to do it!

Xin'er had once said that both the teacher and Mr. Le were famous cultivators in the cultivation world. Lu Zheng didn't know which aspect of the teacher was considered the most skilled, but judging by the戒方, it was probably unique!

After being hit a few times, he secretly resolved not to be struck by the戒方 again, as the teacher might be watching from some corner, enjoying the show.

Of course, this wish of Lu Zheng's was very beautiful!

In fact, during these three months, the戒方 had completely captured his attention! According to the famous saying of Teacher Li Yi, "Every move should be done with propriety." The戒方 punished not only improper words and actions but also any behavior that violated etiquette. The intensity of the strikes would adjust based on the severity of the offense. Small mistakes would receive lighter strikes, while major ones would be punished more severely.

For someone like Lu Zheng, who had grown up on the streets and was raised in a beggar's den, everything from his posture while walking, the rules of eating, his demeanor in dealing with people, his clothing and appearance, to even his sleeping posture, needed to be retrained.

Lu Zheng had a habit of walking with a hunched back, so the戒方 would appear on his back. When he unconsciously used his hands while eating, the戒方 would strike his hand. His clothes were often wrinkled, so the戒方 would appear all over his body. When he curled up in a ball while sleeping, the戒方 would lash at his buttocks.

He was often struck by the戒方 in front of Xin'er, who would turn away, unable to bear the sight of his cries.

One day, Li Yi, who rarely appeared in the classroom, sat in a chair and looked at the戒方 for a while, then muttered to himself, "You've been working hard recently!" This comment left Lu Zheng feeling depressed for the whole day.

However, under such harsh education, Lu Zheng's bad habits improved quickly. He was very aware that if he didn't correct his beggar-like habits soon, even though the戒方 wouldn't kill him, he might develop a 'ruler phobia.' For a few days, he felt as if there was a ghostly shadow behind him, always ready to strike!

Despite the harsh teacher and the even harsher戒方, life in the Sun and Moon Cottage was much better than his days as a beggar. It was like one was in heaven and the other in hell. Here, he ate well, dressed well, and saw Xin'er every day, which made him feel incredibly happy. Of course, it would be even better if his brother Jiu could be there too. A few times at midnight, he woke up from a dream, fearing that all of this was just a dream.

Although Teacher Li Yi seemed too strict, both teachers were actually very kind to him, and Lu Zheng knew this very well.

Compared to the teacher, Mr. Le was more outgoing, with his facial expressions reflecting his mood. Sometimes, Lu Zheng thought he was even more like a child.

Mr. Le often said, "Where in life is there no ease?" He enjoyed reading poems collected from the human world. The books on the shelf marked 'Human World' were all collected from the human world, mostly poems and songs, which were Mr. Le's favorite.

Besides reading poems, Mr. Le loved drinking tea, playing the zither, or sitting in the pavilion with his knees drawn up, lost in thought. It was said that since Xin'er arrived, he would often read poems, drink tea, play the zither, or sit in silence with her. Now, with Lu Zheng, he would do these things with all three of them.

Although Lu Zheng had a talent for reading, he was very clumsy at making tea. He either couldn't control the water temperature, or he would put in the wrong amount of tea leaves, or he would miss the right timing for brewing. The tea he made was either too strong or too weak, never just right. Mr. Le would shake his head in disappointment, and after trying Lu Zheng's tea twice, he banned him from making it again. So, making tea was always Xin'er's job, though she didn't learn the zither as quickly as Lu Zheng.

Mr. Le loved both tea and wine. During meals, his table would have an extra wine jug compared to the others. Every time he saw the wine, he would smile broadly and, when half-drunk, raise his cup to Lu Zheng or Xin'er, squinting his eyes and exclaiming, "Wine is a divine creation!" His expression was so intoxicated that the two children couldn't help but want to taste the wine in his cup!

At such times, Li Yi would cough to remind Mr. Le not to lose himself, and Mr. Le would laugh and stop teasing the children, continuing to drink to his heart's content, sometimes even reciting a poem!

Teacher Li Yi, however, did not drink. Lu Zheng had never seen him drink, as if he abstained from alcohol. When Mr. Le drank, he would tease Lu Zheng and Xin'er with his wine glass but never offer it to the teacher, and Li Yi's table would never have a wine jug. But one time, when Mr. Le was drunk, he said, "Zhonggui, the wine you brew is truly the best in the human world!" It turned out that the wine Mr. Le drank was actually brewed by the teacher, which was quite surprising!

Lu Zheng wondered if the teacher was always absent because he was brewing wine for Mr. Le.

Mr. Le had many hobbies, but if there was one thing he loved the most, it wasn't drinking tea, wine, or playing the zither—it was changing clothes!

The happiest thing for Mr. Le was to have new clothes to wear, and the saddest thing was not having new clothes to change into. Sometimes he would change in the morning, then again at noon, and maybe again in the afternoon, and occasionally even in the evening. The most extreme time was when he changed clothes seven or eight times in a single day. This was completely incomprehensible to Lu Zheng, who couldn't understand Mr. Le's intentions!

For Mr. Le, anything could be a reason to change clothes, such as accidentally spilling soup on his clothes, seeing the beautiful moonlight, or being moved by the aroma of the tea he made. Sometimes, after a meal, Lu Zheng would turn around and find that Mr. Le had already changed his clothes without him noticing.

According to Mr. Le, "Everything has its own appearance, and I must change my appearance to match my mood!"

This left Lu Zheng speechless, thinking that such great supernatural powers were being wasted!

Naturally, the happiest thing for Mr. Le was when Xin'er and Lu Zheng complimented his clothes. His favorite thing to do was to make various alterations to his clothes, then walk around the Sun and Moon Cottage in them, or hang them up and frown in deep thought about how to change them!

To be honest, with Lu Zheng's beggar upbringing, he couldn't understand the purpose of Mr. Le's alterations, such as moving a button or adding a line. But Xin'er was in perfect sync with Mr. Le in this regard.

Xin'er was the best appreciator of Mr. Le's aesthetic, his best confidant, and the most enthusiastic about discussing clothes with him day and night. Lu Zheng found this incomprehensible but saw how dedicated and passionate Xin'er was. He once tried to join their conversations but was gently told by Xin'er, "Little brother, why don't you go practice the zither?"

So, Lu Zheng had to hold his zither and stand aside, watching the two continue their passionate debate about the length of the sleeves!

Of course, Lu Zheng wasn't the only one who found this incomprehensible. The other teacher in the cottage, who was also the children's teacher, felt the same way. In this regard, Lu Zheng and the teacher were in complete agreement. Li Yi found Mr. Le's hobby utterly ridiculous, and there was a natural disharmony between them regarding clothing.

Li Yi's clothing was simple and strict, with specific requirements to match the seasons. In spring, he wore green or blue, loose and comfortable, preferring cotton. In summer, he wore red, cool and breathable, using ramie or hemp. In autumn, he wore yellow, with a flowing and restrained cut, using silk. In winter, he wore black, simple and warm, using a mix of cotton and silk.

When Lu Zheng entered the Sun and Moon Cottage, it was the tail end of winter, so Li Yi wore black all day. For the next three months, whenever Lu Zheng saw Li Yi, he saw a sea of green and blue! It was truly the essence of spring!

Wearing clothes to reflect the changes in nature was, of course, a matter of propriety, which perhaps reflected Li Yi's strict adherence to etiquette. One day after lunch, as everyone was putting down their chopsticks, Xin'er suddenly had an idea to have Mr. Le make clothes for the three of them. Mr. Le's eyes lit up, and he patted Xin'er's head, ignoring the stunned looks of Li Yi and Lu Zheng.

After the clothes were made, Lu Zheng witnessed the first fight between Mr. Le and the teacher. Mr. Le, holding the new clothes, flew in the air, chasing Li Yi around. Li Yi, while scolding, continuously moved and teleported, even drawing a long sword to protect himself with a silver light. He was determined not to let Mr. Le catch him, and in the end, threatened to destroy the round pavilion, which made Mr. Le give up reluctantly.

Lu Zheng and Xin'er stood on the ground, wearing the new clothes, dumbfounded by the scene. Lu Zheng saw the supernatural powers of the two teachers, who could fly in the sky like birds, no, better than birds, as they moved freely and effortlessly. This made him even more eager to learn supernatural techniques!

As for the appearance of the four new clothes, well, it's best not to mention it! Xin'er deeply regretted suggesting it.

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