For someone who loved to slack off, waking up early to practice swords was the most painful thing.
Unfortunately, Ning Ying couldn’t slack off—her master and senior brother were both watching her.
Originally, Gu Qi was supposed to practice swords too, but with his injured arm, he had nothing better to do than squat nearby watching her practice, munching on a slice of watermelon like those upperclassmen in military training who love to provoke envy.
“Aying, don’t get distracted while practicing.”
Just as Ning Ying’s resentment toward Gu Qi was skyrocketing, her master’s cool voice reached her ears.
“That’s right, Junior Sister. Today you need to swing your sword a thousand times,” Gu Qi said cheerfully. “I’ll count for you—no slacking off, or I’ll notice.”
Ning Ying: …
Senior Brother, could you at least finish eating that watermelon before talking?
“376, 377…”
Forced to keep swinging her sword, Ning Ying heard Senior Brother Gu’s counting voice continuously in her ears.
“Hard work, Junior Sister! Hang in there!” Senior Brother Gu cheered her on.
Ning Ying: It’s not hard work, it’s a hard life.jpg
Nearly half the morning passed before she finally completed the task of swinging her sword a thousand times. Seeing her master’s approving gaze and her senior brother’s mischievous grin, Ning Ying couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge them. She decided to visit Bixu Peak to see Uncle-Master Ye and deliver the storybooks she’d promised him.
Duiying Peak, where the Immortal Lord resided, wasn’t far from Bixu Peak. Ning Ying flew on her sword and arrived quickly.
As soon as she reached Bixu Peak, she spotted Junior Brother Chu, her fellow sufferer—
The young man was practicing swordsmanship on the sun-scorched training ground, sweat beading on his handsome forehead, his thin robes nearly soaked through. Yet his sword movements were meticulous, serious and focused.
As for Uncle-Master Ye, he was utterly relaxed, displaying considerable elegance. He lounged on a recliner under banana leaves to keep cool, holding iced spiritual wine in one hand and flipping through a storybook with the other. He truly knew how to enjoy himself.
Seeing her, Ye Juan raised a hand in greeting: “Little Ning, you’re here! There’s another recliner over here—want to join me?”
Such a good opportunity?
Ning Ying quickly sat down. She had to admit, Uncle-Master Ye had chosen an excellent spot—a cool, shady area with gentle breezes and swirling spiritual energy. The swaying wicker chair was extremely comfortable. Sitting here, she could also clearly see Junior Disciple Chu practicing swords in the distance under the blazing sun.
Ye Juan poured Ning Ying a glass of wine and lazily handed it to her.
Although Ning Ying didn’t drink much, spiritual wine had low alcohol content and contained considerable spiritual power—drinking it benefited cultivation. Having just finished sword practice and feeling thirsty, she thanked her uncle-master, took the glass, and downed it in one gulp.
Seeing her drink so heartily, Ye Juan’s eyes lit up with the camaraderie of a fellow drinking enthusiast. He promptly took her glass and poured her another.
Ning Ying: …
Th-this isn’t necessary, Uncle-Master Ye is really too enthusiastic!
After she drank another glass, Ye Juan finally hinted subtly: “Those storybooks you gave me yesterday were quite interesting, but the quantity was too small—completely insufficient…”
Ning Ying immediately caught her uncle-master’s meaning and promptly pulled out another stack of storybooks: “Uncle-Master, I just happened to stock up again. I wonder if you’d be interested…”
“Interested, interested!” Ye Juan excitedly took the books from her hand and asked, “Does Teacher ‘Demon Lord’s Little Fangirl’ have any new works lately?”
Uncle-Master Ye mentioning “Demon Lord’s Little Fangirl” immediately reminded Ning Ying of what the Demon Lord had told her.
— Whatever you do, don’t let Uncle-Master Ye see After Being Abandoned by the Sword Master, I Won Over the Demon Lord!
Ning Ying: !
Oh no, morning sword practice had made her so dizzy she’d forgotten all about it QAQ.
She silently prayed that her uncle-master wouldn’t discover that particular storybook. Who knew that Ye Juan, as a loyal reader of “Demon Lord’s Little Fangirl,” would directly flip through each book, searching for works by that author?
Ning Ying couldn’t help but sweat for her senior brother.
Sure enough, Ye Juan immediately found After Being Abandoned by the Sword Master, I Won Over the Demon Lord. The Sword Master casually clicked his tongue: “Not bad, not bad—this really gives me something to relate to.”
Ning Ying: …
Don’t relate to the crematorium scumbag, Uncle-Master!
Uncle-Master Ye soon immersed himself in the storybook world. At first, he looked pleased: “The female lead must be playing hard-to-get with the Sword Master.”
After a while, the Sword Master grew somewhat indignant: “Why did she run off to the demon realm?”
“Heh, she runs, he pursues,” Ye Juan said, getting into character. “She’s got wings but can’t fly.”
“???” Upon reaching the ending, the Sword Master’s expression cracked: “How did she end up with the Demon Lord? I object!!”
“Haha,” Ning Ying laughed. “This story is purely fictional—please don’t over-identify with it, Uncle-Master Ye.”
Ye Juan looked world-weary: “This was written entirely according to my character!! Damn it…”
“I’m never reading ‘Demon Lord’s Little Fangirl’s’ stories again.” The Sword Master looked utterly devastated.
“Mm-hmm.” Ning Ying nodded in agreement.
After all, since the Demon Lord wrote storybooks to tarnish the righteous path’s image, it was better not to take them too seriously—
Just then, Chu Shuo finished his sword practice. The young man walked over to Ning Ying, smiling shyly: “Hello, Senior Sister Ning.”
Ning Ying nodded at Chu Shuo and was about to take her leave when Ye Juan said: “Since you’re here, stay for lunch before you go.”
Ning Ying asked curiously: “Uncle-Master Ye, don’t you never cook for yourself?”
Cooking was definitely not something a slacker like Uncle-Master Ye would do. Besides, he’d already achieved fasting—eating was more about satisfying cravings than survival needs.
Ye Juan laughed heartily, shifting his gaze to Chu Shuo: “Finally got myself a disciple, of course I’m going to make good use of him. This kid’s pretty good at cooking.”
Ning Ying looked at Junior Brother Chu with pity. He had spent the entire morning training, probably swinging his sword two or three thousand times, and now that he finally had a chance to rest, he still had to slave away in the kitchen to cook for his Master.
Chu Shuo, however, didn’t feel pitiful at all. Instead, he seemed deeply honored: “Don’t worry, Master. I’ll take good care of Senior Sister Ning.”
Ning Ying blinked: “I’ll go help Junior Brother Chu…”
Although she couldn’t cook either, she could probably use her sword to cut vegetables… right?
Chu Shuo and Ye Juan simultaneously stopped her.
“Senior Sister is a guest—just rest. I’m not tired.”
“Little Ning, I’ve got some gossip here. Want to hear it?”
Curiosity about gossip overcame Ning Ying’s sympathy for Chu Shuo. She nodded eagerly: “Yes, tell me!”
“Hehe,” Ye Juan grinned slyly, motioning her closer. He lowered his voice: “Lately, the Buddhist Son from Lianhua Sect has been wandering around outside our sect. According to disciples on guard duty, his eyes are bloodshot, his gaze obsessive—seems like he’s been corrupted by karma…”
Ning Ying immediately perked up, joining in the gossip: “I’ve heard the Buddhist Son is supposed to be holy and pure, untouched by worldly dust. How could this happen? Did those Hehuan Sect female cultivators get involved again?”
Ye Juan shook his head profoundly: “Seems like it’s your senior sister who attracted this romantic entanglement.”
“No wonder Senior Sister went into seclusion right after returning from her training expedition,” Ning Ying said thoughtfully. “She must be avoiding romantic entanglements.”
“Here’s something even more interesting,” Ye Juan continued. “Besides the Buddhist Son, there’s also the Dao Son from Shaoyue Sect. Those two ran into each other—rivals in love meeting made their eyes blaze with hatred, and they even had a fight.”
“And then what? Then what?” Ning Ying pressed.