Watching the Mountain

Chapter 36: Chapter 31: News

”Are you lying to me?” Little Xiyue asked, staring at Ye Shan with a blank expression.

Ye Shan’s eyebrow twitched. He replied, displeased, ”I, Ye Shan, never lie.”

”But I can’t learn the swordsmanship you’re teaching me at all. And this doesn’t even feel like I’m practicing swordsmanship.”

”That’s because you’re too stupid to learn my swordsmanship. It’s not my fault, it’s your own problem.”

Little Xiyue frowned.

Seeing her reaction, Ye Shan continued, ”If you don’t believe me, you can go back and ask your master. I thought about teaching him my swordsmanship once, but he was just as stupid as you and couldn’t learn it at all. However, he...”

Before he could finish, Little Xiyue glared at him and said fiercely, ”You can call me stupid, but you can’t say that about him! He’s amazing, much more amazing than you know.”

Ye Shan laughed loudly and waved his hand, about to explain that he knew that as well.

But Little Xiyue didn’t give him a chance. Seeing Ye Shan’s expression, she assumed he was about to say something bad about Xu Ran again and said angrily, ”I said you can’t call him stupid.”

Hearing this, Ye Shan was momentarily speechless, then chuckled. He waved his hand and said, ”Alright, alright. I won’t call him stupid. But you really are stupid.”

Little Xiyue frowned again. She didn’t want to hear Ye Shan call her stupid either, but she had just told him it was okay to say it about her, so she thought for a moment and didn’t retort.

”You don’t believe me?” Ye Shan looked at her with a grin. He then lifted his head proudly. ”Just think about it. If my, Ye Shan’s, swordsmanship was so easy to learn, how could I have dominated my entire generation with my blade?”

Hearing this, Little Xiyue felt it did seem to make some sense. She suppressed her doubts and continued to practice.

Another three months passed. This time, she couldn’t take it anymore.

”You are lying to me.”

”I told you, I, Ye Shan, never lie. You’re just too stupid.”

”I’m not stupid.”

”Then how come you still can’t learn my swordsmanship? It must be because you’re too stupid.”

”It’s clearly because you haven’t taught me.”

”I have taught you. You’re just too stupid to learn.”

Little Xiyue glared, saying angrily, ”My master says I’m very smart.”

”That’s because he’s even more... He’s not as powerful as I am, so his opinion doesn’t count.” Ye Shan looked at Little Xiyue’s tightly knitted brow. He had originally wanted to say Xu Ran was even stupider, but after seeing her angry face, he changed his tune.

He then looked at the fuming Little Xiyue and sighed. ”Do you want to know why you can’t learn it?”

Little Xiyue snapped her head up, staring intently at him.

”Because you’re too weak.”

Little Xiyue’s eyes widened. Then, with a deadpan expression, she turned and walked away. ’I’ve figured it out,’ she thought. ’This Ye Shan is a complete and utter liar. First he said I was stupid, and now he’s changed his story.’

’I’m not stupid at all. Master Xu Ran always praises me for being smart. Compared to Ye Shan, I’d much rather believe my master.’

Seeing her leave, Ye Shan hurried to block her path. ”Hey, don’t run off! What I’m saying is true.”

Little Xiyue turned her head and stared at Ye Shan, her expression still blank. She wanted to see what he would come up with this time.

Ye Shan chuckled at her reaction, unfazed. Then he said with a serious expression:

”I’m not lying to you. To be honest, the swordsmanship I’m teaching you is very, very powerful.”

He glanced at Little Xiyue and said, ”You are too weak. I’m not talking about your level of power, but that your physical body is too weak. It can’t withstand my swordsmanship, so of course you can’t learn it.”

He raised his head proudly, his gaze fixed on the heavens. ”This single sword technique of mine... only this world itself can withstand it.”

When Little Xiyue heard this, she thought it made sense at first, but she quickly caught on. She glared at Ye Shan and pointed out the flaw in his words.

”You’re a liar! If it’s true that only the world itself can withstand it, then how can you perform it?”

Ye Shan lowered his head slightly. ”I’ve never used it either.”

He stared at Little Xiyue, his expression uncharacteristically serious. ”In any case, what I’m saying is true. If you want to learn the swordsmanship I’m teaching you, you first need to make your body as strong as this world itself. Otherwise, you’ll never learn it.”

Hearing his words, a ripple of uncertainty passed through Little Xiyue’s eyes. ’Part of her didn’t want to believe Ye Shan’s words, but then she thought, what if he’s telling the truth?’

*

*

*

Xu Ran was aware that Little Xiyue had been visiting Ye Shan every day. He’d seen her come back one day, cook a huge, sumptuous dinner, and run out with it.

He was instantly furious. ’Well now, what little rascal is this? Trying to pull a fast one on me, are we? Not meeting at the dining hall because you guessed I might follow you to take a look.’

’And then you turn around and have Little Xiyue cook and bring food to you.’

’This misdirection is played quite slickly. A truly fine strategy.’

’To be so scheming and manipulative at such a young age, he’s definitely no good. Little Xiyue absolutely cannot get involved with someone like that. She’s too innocent and kind. If she stays with someone like him, he’ll eat her alive, leaving not even the bones behind.’

At this thought, Xu Ran didn’t hesitate. He picked up his longsword and secretly followed her.

But when he saw the person was Ye Shan, the anger that had been building the whole way was instantly doused, like fire meeting water.

And after seeing what Little Xiyue was doing, he instantly saw through her intentions.

If he put himself in Little Xiyue’s shoes, after seeing Ye Shan in his current state, he was one hundred percent certain he would do the exact same thing.

He nodded in satisfaction at this. ’As expected of the disciple I raised myself,’ he thought. ’She has truly inherited my ways.’

After realizing Little Xiyue was with Ye Shan, Xu Ran stopped worrying about it.

He wasn’t sure if Little Xiyue would be able to learn Ye Shan’s swordsmanship, but he didn’t dwell on it. This was her own opportunity, and she had to rely on her own efforts. The final outcome was up to her. He wouldn’t interfere too much.

In any case, her being with Ye Shan was much more reassuring than her being with some unknown young rascal.

Compared to Little Xiyue’s affairs, what had been troubling Xu Ran more recently was the situation at the Instructor Hall.

The disciples of Spirit Stream Peak felt like they had been tricked. When Flowing Clouds Master first arrived, he acted very amicably, and everyone thought he was a kind person. As a result, they were extremely enthusiastic, and countless people came to ask him for guidance every time the Instructor Hall held a class.

But it wasn’t long before Flowing Clouds Master felt he had gotten familiar with everyone and completely dropped the act, reverting to his true nature.

Faced with the many questions from the disciples, he would glare, fly into a rage, and start cursing.

”You don’t even know the answer to such a basic question? Are you brainless? How do you normally cultivate?

Who taught you before? Where’s your master? Who is it? Bring him to me this instant! What kind of disciple has he taught!

What? No master? That makes sense. Who would be foolish enough to take someone as stupid as you as their disciple...”

And so, the disciples of Spirit Stream Peak complained endlessly. By now, it was too late for regrets, because for anyone who had ever asked Flowing Clouds Master a question, he would check up on their cultivation progress the following month.

Want to hide?

Not a chance. Even if you said you were entering seclusion, he would leave a token with the corresponding Elder or Steward, instructing them to have you report to him and demonstrate your results the moment you came out.

There was no escaping. Left with no choice, everyone could only brace themselves and go to the Instructor Hall to show Flowing Clouds Master their cultivation results.

And then, the result was naturally another tongue-lashing.

Whenever the Instructor Hall opened its doors, Flowing Clouds Master’s coarse scolding could be heard from a great distance.

So, many people went to find Xu Ran.

Firstly, because Xu Ran was the longest-attending student in the Instructor Hall. He had been there for decades.

Normally, you wouldn’t find such a long-term student in the Instructor Hall. After all, it was only open to Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivators. In such a long time, a normal person would have either reached Foundation Establishment or be in the process of preparing for it. In short, they wouldn’t be here.

The reason so many people had come this time was also due to everyone’s curiosity about Flowing Clouds Master.

Secondly, he was the teaching assistant appointed by Qing Xuan Master. When Qing Xuan Master was around, he was responsible for many things.

Moreover, he was the only person there who hadn’t been cursed out by Flowing Clouds Master. It wasn’t that he hadn’t asked questions or that his performance had satisfied Flowing Clouds Master.

Rather, just as Flowing Clouds Master was about to yell at him, he had said calmly:

”Elder Flowing Clouds, seeing as I’m this old and still here, you should be able to imagine my situation. Isn’t it perfectly normal for me to ask such a question?”

Hearing Xu Ran’s words, Flowing Clouds Master’s expression froze. He then let out a long sigh, waved his hand, and said:

”Forget it, forget it. Do as you please. If there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask.”

Flowing Clouds Master rubbed his head guiltily. ’He couldn’t believe he’d actually held expectations for Xu Ran’s cultivation progress just now. It was truly inappropriate.’

And so, Xu Ran became the one person in the Instructor Hall who could ask Flowing Clouds Master questions at will without invoking his wrath.

And every time after answering Xu Ran’s question, Flowing Clouds Master would even ask with concern, ”Did you understand? If not, I can explain it again.”

This left the many disciples of Spirit Stream Peak dumbfounded. What was a double standard? This was the most classic example. However, they weren’t the least bit envious of this treatment.

After all, Senior Brother Xu’s situation... well, never mind.

Faced with the requests from the many Spirit Stream Peak disciples for him to speak with Flowing Clouds Master and ask him to restrain his temper, Xu Ran refused without a second thought.

’A joke,’ he thought. ’Haven’t you all seen Flowing Clouds Master’s temper? Does that old man seem like the kind of person who listens to advice?’

’I have no desire to get an earful.’

’Just have to endure for a while. Once Qing Xuan Master returns, everything will be fine.’

And then, while the disciples of Spirit Stream Peak were suffering and yet also benefiting, news finally came from Qing Xuan Master.

But it wasn’t the eagerly awaited news of his return.

Qing Xuan Master said that he might never be able to come to the Instructor Hall again.