Chapter 36

"Now, young lady, did you have a peaceful night?"

Yuyeun quickly approached Lian, clasped his hands, and greeted her. Lian also clasped her hands and bowed her head slightly.

"I slept well thanks to you... but it seems you two didn't get much rest."

"Haha! I stayed up all night pondering your words. Or should I now call you Master?"

It's said that one cannot be a Taoist if they hesitate to call their teacher 'Master,' and Taixu joked about it.

"If you do, I'll get scolded by Grandfather."

"Who's scolding whom?"

Dantumu Qianji suddenly appeared behind them and said. If there was someone who wanted to scold Lian, he would have split them in two. His fierce gaze, combined with the scar on his face, would have made an ordinary person tremble.

"I said I would call Lian 'Master,' but Lian refused, Elder."

"Master? What are you talking about? She's just a little duckling, not even with a nickname yet."

"Duck? What kind of foul language are you using towards such a beautiful granddaughter?"

"Every time she pouts and squawks, she looks like a duck."

"Grandfather..."

Lian frowned and looked up at Dantumu Qianji. Dantumu Qianji, who had been enthusiastically gossiping in front of Lian, flinched and then cleared his throat, avoiding her gaze.

In the end, everyone there was restless, so Lian pulled Yuyeun away. She threatened that she needed to focus on training with him for the upcoming match with the Jinjia Hall, and the adults could only nod in agreement.

* * *

"Now there's nothing to worry about."

Taixu watched the two children practicing with their swords and said. His gaze was fixed on the tips of their swords.

"What do you mean?"

"The eldest son of Xiancheng has such an incredible talent and such a kind nature. What is there to fear in this world?"

"Talent...?"

"Remarkable. He's a once-in-a-millennium genius. Elder, I may have eaten fewer bowls of rice than you, but I've never seen such talent. When I first met Xiancheng, I was amazed..."

He thought of Dantumu Xiancheng, who had passed away.

If overwhelming martial talent were to be personified, it would take the form of Dantumu Xiancheng.

Among countless people, no one had ever shone brighter than Dantumu Xiancheng.

Even as a child, Dantumu Xiancheng knew exactly how to subdue his opponent when he held a sword.

When Dantumu Xiancheng was fifteen, just before the Blood Demon Valley incident, he defeated Nangong Jinghai, the second son of the Nangong family, who was five years older, in a single move.

"Dan... Dantumu Xiancheng! Win!"

The judge's voice echoed over the dust cloud on the sparring ground, still lingering in his memory.

When asked about it, Dantumu Xiancheng had simply said, "I just knew how to do it."

"I could see how Jinghai would move. Haha. I just tried to counter it."

With a cheerful and light voice.

At that moment, Taixu thought, "This is truly a talent bestowed by heaven." This man truly possessed talent...

"Truly, there's another sky above the sky. When this child builds up his inner strength, who could dare to challenge him?"

Taixu's words were a passionate praise, but Dantumu Qianji, after moving his lips, swallowed his words.

Though they had gone through hell together, he couldn't casually mention that his granddaughter couldn't build up inner strength, and the unspoken words stabbed at his heart.

He thought that such talent could compensate for the inability to build up inner strength, but every time he thought about Lian's inability to do so, his heart ached.

"Is that what you see?"

"I didn't sleep at all the first night. I spent the whole night reflecting on what Lian showed and told me. The sun was already up when I finished. Yuyeun was the same."

From that perspective, Dantumu Lian seemed to be a nearly perfect successor. The eldest grandson of the family, a heaven-bestowed talent, and a sensitive yet extraordinary character.

"But she's only eight years old... isn't her future terrifying?"

"How can anyone know what will happen in this world? Stop talking nonsense."

"Why are you so stingy with praise?"

Taixu, thinking that Dantumu Qianji was being stingy with praise out of concern that Lian might become arrogant, burst out laughing.

But the laughter quickly subsided. Lian's wooden sword moved gracefully and successfully deflected Yuyeun's sword.

While Taixu hurriedly ran between the two children, explaining the previous move, Dantumu Qianji silently watched, a faint smile on his lips.

* * *

Yuyeun was much more enthusiastic than expected.

'Wasn't I here to help with the match?'

It was almost overwhelming. How should this be thought of, how should that be thought of, what about this method, isn't it hard to practice martial arts...

'No, more than that, didn't he feel his pride was hurt by losing the match?'

When he looked at her with a slightly surprised expression, Yuyeun, realizing the meaning in his eyes, looked down in embarrassment and said,

"Actually, this is the first time I've made a friend who can communicate... Did I talk too much?"

"Ah... No, no. I haven't had a friend either."

Yuyeun's face lit up with joy at Lian's acknowledgment.

'Yuyeun, Yuyeun Taoist...'

With his outstanding talent and ambition, he would have become a renowned expert if he had continued, but as a Kunlun Sect member, he left no impression in her memory. They were literally thousands of miles apart, too far away.

Still, that shining talent is real. What if Lian pushed him a bit more?

'Taixu Zhenren came all the way here. He's a man of principle.'

So, Yuyeun, learning under him, wouldn't forget his kindness.

'Come to think of it, it is a bit strange. Why did he suddenly come?'

Although many things have changed, in her past life, Taixu Zhenren never came.

Why did he not appear in her past life but suddenly came this time because Dantumu Qianji thought of him?

What's different?

"Since we're friends now..."

Lian was about to continue the discussion from last night, but stopped when she heard a commotion outside.

Huailun, who was a bit further away, approached Lian after hearing the message from outside.

Huailun glanced at Yuyeun with a slightly sharp look and whispered to Lian,

"Sister, someone from the Mansong Caravan is looking for you urgently. They came on horseback without a carriage."

"What for..."

Lian, surprised, stopped speaking and looked at Yuyeun. Yuyeun, with a very regretful expression, stood up.

"I'm reviewing what Sister Lian told me yesterday. Don't worry, Elder Taixu said he would help."

"Yes, Taoist Yuyeun! I'll see you later."

As soon as Yuyeun left, two people approached quickly from outside the wall.

One was Jian Weiwen, dressed differently from last time, and the other was her servant.

The servant, who was jumping up and down with excitement, repeatedly took deep breaths to calm down behind Jian Weiwen.

"Aunt Weiwen?"

'What is it? Did something happen to the caravan? If she's here to talk, it can only be about the Qinglianshu. I have a match with the Jinjia Hall next week. What's the problem now...'

"Lian."

Jian Weiwen, who had almost run to her, called Lian softly. Her usually cold face was slightly flushed.

Jian Weiwen, with a voice that seemed to be choked, said softly,

"Qinglianshu..."

"Yes?"

"It's out."

"Yes?"

"It's a hit... a huge hit."

"..."

Jian Weiwen's voice trembled slightly. At the same time, the word 'Jinjia Hall' was completely erased from Lian's mind.

Jian Weiwen briefly explained what was happening in Hangzhou.

She had rushed here because Lian's Qinglianshu was selling like a storm, and it was sold out everywhere.

Even before this, the Qinglianshu had been selling well in Hangzhou, but the rumor that it helped Jian Weixue pass the imperial examination swept through Zhejiang Province.

Not only Zhejiang Province, but even Huizhou Prefecture in Nanzhili, where Jian Weixue studied, was hit by the popularity, and now it was a matter of supply and demand.

"There's... nothing left anywhere? The inventory?"

"All the pharmacies were cleaned out. Completely."

When Jian Weiwen said 'cleaned out' with a cold expression, it was a bit funny, but the smile disappeared when she saw her abacus.