“Young Master Yu, you do not understand propriety, righteousness, modesty, and a sense of shame. Is it because your parents never taught you?” Mo Chenxiao’s gaze was icy. “Although I have been without parents to raise or teach me since childhood, I would never dare to utter such shameless words!”
The moment he heard the word parents, the smile on Yu Zhengyang’s face was barely able to hang on.
When he heard that Mo Chenxiao was also an orphan without parents, he let out a light chuckle. “Young Master Mo, I was merely being honest with Ji Lan. Someone like you, who cannot take a joke and lacks any romance, will only cause your future cultivation partner to suffer grievances.”
“Pardon me, I am still standing right here.” Ji Lan, watching these two actually strike up a conversation on their own accord, had his face turn completely black. He stepped forward, yanked the innocent quilt down onto the floor, and conjured a wisp of flame in his palm. Within a few breaths, the entire quilt was reduced to a pile of ashes.
Even if this quilt hadn’t been burned, Ji Lan wouldn’t have dared to keep it. Even if he wanted to throw it out, he would have to worry about which pervert might pick it up.
“What a pity.” Yu Zhengyang looked at the ashes with a face full of reluctance. “Ji Lan, what will you do if you are cold tonight? If you are willing, I can warm your bed for you tonight.”
Yu Zhengyang blinked his shimmering peach-blossom eyes. “I wouldn’t mind if someone treated me as your cauldron.”
Mo Chenxiao was filled with furious rage. How dare Yu Zhengyang speak such words to Master?!
“Shut your mouth!” Ji Lan felt that Yu Zhengyang wasn’t really trying to do anything to him, but rather seemed to be deliberately provoking Mo Chenxiao.
Didn’t he see that his disciple looked like he was about to drop dead from anger?
However, upon seeing Ji Lan’s speechless expression, half of Mo Chenxiao’s blazing anger was extinguished.
Master hadn’t taken Yu Zhengyang’s words seriously at all, yet he treated him with special care.
Mo Chenxiao put away his long sword and said quite calmly, “Master, let this disciple sweep up these ashes for you.”
At critical moments, a disciple really was the most useful.
Looking at those two useless but cute little kids, as well as the constant troublemaker Yu Zhengyang, Ji Lan said, “Let’s all go outside first and let Chenxiao clean this place up.”
Master really was completely unceremonious, and didn’t even plan to let the maid help out.
Mo Chenxiao nodded in pleasant satisfaction. “This disciple will not disappoint Master’s expectations.”
How could anyone have expectations about sweeping a floor?
With his disciple’s thoughts twisting and turning in a hundred different ways, Ji Lan grew utterly bewildered and simply chose not to think about it anymore, directly turning to leave.
He had better hurry up and forget about that wicked, charismatic disciple from his dream.
It was just too aggravating.
When Xiao Yuwei came looking for Ji Lan, she felt a momentary sense of disorientation. The Lotus Rain Pavilion was usually desolate and quiet, with no one except Ji Lan and a maid named Zhen’er.
Sometimes, the only additional person walking around was Mo Chenxiao.
But right now, not only was Mo Chenxiao living inside the Lotus Rain Pavilion, there were three extra people!
“You are the honored guest whom the Pavilion Master specifically came to host?” Xiao Yuwei looked at this unfamiliar young lad in surprise.
She had assumed that someone capable of making the Pavilion Master drop everything to receive him would be some mighty powerhouse.
Never had she expected it to be such a gentle and refined youth. To possess such a demeanor at such a tender age, once he grew up, heaven only knew what kind of peerless elegance he would display.
“This elder sister, who might you be?” Yu Zhengyang, acting as though he hadn’t noticed the sharpness in Xiao Yuwei’s words, smiled brightly and praised, “For elder sister to be blessed with such striking features, you truly resemble a peony in full bloom.”
One does not strike a smiling person; Xiao Yuwei was praised until her face flushed red.
“You, Young Master, I was somewhat presumptuous just now,” Xiao Yuwei stammered. “My surname is Xiao, and my given name is Yuwei. May I ask what your esteemed name is, Young Master?”
“Xiao Yuwei?” Yu Zhengyang raised an eyebrow. “Xiao Yuwei, this name suits you very well. It reminds me of Mo Chenxiao. Could it be that you and he are a match made in heaven?”
Mo Chenxiao, who had just finished cleaning his master’s room and hurried over, happened to hear these exact words, and his complexion completely changed.
“Young Master Yu, what kind of nonsense are you spouting!” Ji Lan accidentally caught sight of Mo Chenxiao’s figure and quickly chimed in, “Yuwei is my fiancée!”
When on earth had Yu Zhengyang managed to see through the clues? How did he know that Mo Chenxiao had feelings for Xiao Yuwei?
But his disciple clearly didn’t want to admit it yet. What should he do if Yu Zhengyang exposed him like this in public and drove Mo Chenxiao into a rage from embarrassment?
Fortunately, his mouth was fast enough!
“Fiancée?” Yu Zhengyang also noticed Mo Chenxiao, who had just entered, and said regretfully, “Young Master Mo, I actually thought such a fine-looking young maiden would belong to you.”
“Young Master Yu, watch your tongue.” Mo Chenxiao barely managed to suppress his temper against this Yu Zhengyang who kept provoking him at will. “If you have too much idle time on your hands, why don’t you go to the outer courtyard and chop the firewood outside?”
Xiao Yuwei looked in shock at this gentle-as-jade young master, utterly failing to understand why this person’s personality clashed so severely with his appearance.
She had originally thought she was arrogant and domineering enough, but truly, there was always someone better, and a heaven beyond the skies.
“Xiao Yuwei,” Mo Chenxiao thought for a moment, ultimately deciding not to tell her that this Young Master Yu was the very person trying to take her master away in marriage. Instead, he asked, “You wouldn’t come to the Lotus Rain Pavilion for no reason. Is there some urgent matter today?”
“It’s like this,” Xiao Yuwei said, looking at Ji Lan with a serious expression. “The Pavilion Master asked me to tell you that among this year’s disciples in the Disciples’ Pavilion, several possess quite decent aptitudes. He hopes you will pick a few, rather than keeping things as desolate as they are now.”
Actually, this wasn’t a minor matter. Zhenxi hadn’t given personal instructions not because he didn’t care, but because he understood the strategy of hitting a snake at its seven-inch mark. Xiao Yuwei was Ji Lan’s fiancée, so naturally, her words carried a certain weight.
Sure enough, upon hearing Xiao Yuwei’s words, Ji Lan’s brows furrowed involuntarily.
Ah Zhen, if you aren’t going to show up now, I’m never cooperating with you again! If we die, let’s all die together!
Why would someone think of courting death like this out of nowhere?
Zhen’er urgently came online. Dear, the Zhen’er system is online to serve you. What question would you like to ask?
Ji Lan realized that Ah Zhen was also thoroughly shameless. Whenever he wanted to chat with it nicely during ordinary days, this piece of junk was never around, and it would only show up once he resorted to threats.
What is the probability that Mo Chenxiao won’t kill me?
Zhen’er’s data flickered for a moment. It’s still quite high, dear, but the timeline has been extended, you see.
In other words, he was bound to die sooner or later.
Although Ji Lan frequently threatened Ah Zhen with dying together, if it really came down to him actually dying, he still wasn’t willing.
Since I am destined to die anyway, why should I break my back doing these missions?
Zhen’er hadn’t expected the host to ask such a question just to trap it!
Actually, you can save yourself, too, Zhen’er offered advice while stumbling over its words. Perhaps, more or less, you could take on a few more disciples and make them all completely loyal to you. When the time comes that you truly cannot avoid death, you can have them step up and block for you. Who knows, you might just survive!
Ji Lan fell into deep contemplation. When he originally thought about raising a few more disciples, it was just to reduce the amount of time spent alone with the male lead.
He never expected there was such a secondary application!
Disciples, he was definitely going to take them!
“Ji Lan?” Xiao Yuwei talked until her throat was dry, only to find that this person still wore the same indifferent expression, and anger inevitably welled up within her. “Were you even listening to me speak at all!”
“Since it is something Yuwei asks for, of course I agree,” Ji Lan had no idea what Xiao Yuwei had just said, but it didn’t prevent him from putting on a deep and affectionate facade. “Whichever children you want, I can get you however many you like.”
Xiao Yuwei: “Why does that phrasing sound so strange? Ji Lan, are you agreeing to take on disciples?”
“Yes,” Ji Lan sighed sentimentally. “My recent period of seclusion made me realize many things. Yuwei, this time I am going to take in eight or ten suitable disciples, so you needn’t worry.”
Eight or ten?
Xiao Yuwei had never expected Ji Lan to agree so readily; she had already prepared herself to pressure him into it.
Yet before she even had to deploy any tactics, Ji Lan not only agreed, but wanted to take in eight or ten of them?
The Pavilion Master had only wanted Ji Lan to take on one more disciple.
“Master, what do you mean by this?” Mo Chenxiao felt a surge of turbulent blood and violent spiritual energy within him, nearly spinning out of his control. With a faint crack sound, a fracture appeared on the ground beneath Mo Chenxiao’s feet.
However, no one paid any attention to this tiny commotion.
“Ji Lan, have you finally figured it out?” Yu Zhengyang directly talked over Mo Chenxiao. “I want to be your disciple!”
Looking at Young Master Yu acting like a shrew, Xiao Yuwei’s face turned iron-blue. Why couldn’t a person with such a gentle and refined exterior simply be born mute?
“This has nothing to do with you,” Xiao Yuwei said coldly. “Young Master Yu, taking a master is not a game. To be a master for a day is to be a father for life. You probably don’t even know what that means, do you?”
“Naturally I know,” Yu Zhengyang walked up to Ji Lan’s side, picked up a strand of his hair, and twirled it. “To be a master for a day means to be a lifelong spouse. Xiao Yuwei, isn’t that the logic?”
“Absurd!” Xiao Yuwei quickly threw the fact that this person was the Pavilion Master’s honored guest to the back of her mind as she drew a long saber. “The Sword Pavilion does not tolerate such despicable scumbags! Ji Lan, I am going to kill him right now, and then go confess my crime to the Pavilion Master!”
“Xiao Yuwei,” Yu Zhengyang easily dodged the sharp edge, “I was merely making a joke. Why are you flying into such a rage? You and Young Master Mo really are cut from the same cloth.”
It wasn’t as though Xiao Yuwei had never met someone with a foul mouth, but to be as utterly detestable as Yu Zhengyang, while simultaneously looking this good, was a first for her!
Heaven knows where the Pavilion Master managed to dig up this honored guest!
Ji Lan felt completely exhausted and wanted to roll Yu Zhengyang up into a ball and toss him out.
“Ji Lan, I was just joking. You knew that, right?” Yu Zhengyang smiled ingratiatingly. “I genuinely want to be your disciple, and I even came all this way specifically to find you. Such sincerity, won’t you look at me?”
Xiao Yuwei listened until goosebumps broke out all over her body. Although this guy’s talent was undoubtedly top-tier, she would rather Ji Lan take in trash like Wansong or that terrifying Ah Yue instead!
Mo Chenxiao looked on coldly as Yu Zhengyang bantered and flirted right beside Ji Lan. He could tell that Yu Zhengyang didn’t actually hold any deep affection for Ji Lan; he was simply treating it as a fun game.
“Chenxiao, did you say something just now?” Ji Lan, whose head was spinning from Yu Zhengyang’s antics, suddenly recalled that his disciple seemed to have spoken a sentence earlier.
There was no discernible expression on Mo Chenxiao’s face as he replied, “It is nothing. This disciple only meant that since it is Master’s wish, this disciple will naturally do his utmost to help.”
Take disciples? Ah, simply put, before the apprenticeship ceremony, he would kill the disciples his master selected one by one, and then he wouldn’t have any junior martial brothers or sisters left.