Watching the Mountain

Chapter 226: Chapter 154: [Supplement] Jiang Ling’Er’s Transformation

[1]: Daily Life in the Sect

The Instructor Hall was so quiet, you could hear a breath.

Elder Xu pointed at a sigil on the Jade Scroll, his salt-and-pepper beard twitching with anger. ”Jiang Ling’Er, this Qi Introduction Spell... I have explained it three times. How are you still getting it mixed up?”

Jiang Ling’Er stood below, her shoulders hunched, unconsciously twisting the corner of her Daoist Robe. Her voice grew quieter and quieter. ”I... I did memorize it, but they all look so similar...”

The round-faced senior sister beside her couldn’t help but lean in and poke her cheek. ”Ling’Er, were you zoning out and thinking about roasted sweet potatoes again?”

Her tone held no malice; it was more like she was teasing her own little sister. A few of the other senior brothers and sisters started chuckling softly as well.

Jiang Ling’Er’s face flushed. ”No, I wasn’t!”

But the panic in her eyes only grew. She snuck a glance at Elder Xu, wishing so badly that he would be like Teacher Xu and just say, ”It’s okay. Try again.”

But Elder Xu just snorted coldly and waved his hand. ”Class dismissed. Go back and review this properly. I’ll quiz you again tomorrow.”

With that, he clasped his hands behind his back and walked away, his expression stern.

Jiang Ling’Er watched him leave, her lips trembling in a pout as her eyes began to well up with tears.

She walked out of the Instructor Hall with her head hung low. Jiang Xiaohui, who had been squatting by a corridor pillar, immediately ran up to greet her, tail wagging.

Jiang Xiaohui’s tongue was lolling out, his face showing a surprisingly human-like expression of concern. ”Ling’Er, did Elder Xu give you a talking-to again?”

”Mmm...” Jiang Ling’Er’s voice was muffled as she wrapped her arms around Jiang Xiaohui’s neck. ”Xiaohui, am I really that stupid?”

Jiang Xiaohui quickly nuzzled her with his head. ”Who says that? Our Ling’Er is the smartest! You just... you just learn a little slower, that’s all.”

Lately, Xu Ran had been making him learn about worldly wisdom, so his voice took on a consoling tone. ”Elder Xu just has a stern face. In reality, he secretly told Teacher Xu you’ve made progress.”

”Really?” Jiang Ling’Er’s eyes lit up for a moment, then dimmed again. ”But... he never praises me...”

She hugged Jiang Xiaohui and walked back to her quarters in low spirits. Suddenly, she changed direction. ”Come on, Xiaohui. Let’s go find Teacher.”

In a corner of the Scripture Pavilion, Xu Ran was reading with his head bowed.

Jiang Ling’Er scurried before him like a startled bunny, clutching the Jade Scroll tightly in her hand, followed by a heavy-footed Jiang Xiaohui.

”Teacher,” she said, her voice thick with unshed tears.

Xu Ran put down his book. Seeing her on the verge of tears, he felt a mixture of amusement and exasperation. ”Alright, tell me. What part don’t you understand?”

Jiang Ling’Er nodded emphatically and handed him the Jade Scroll, looking at him with pleading eyes. ”This sigil, and this circulation path... I-I forgot them again.”

Her voice grew smaller as she spoke, as if she wanted to bury herself in the ground from shame.

Xu Ran took the Jade Scroll, glanced at it, and gestured for her to sit. ”Don’t rush. Let’s go over it again. Look here, the flow of Spiritual Qi... it’s like a stream flowing over stones...”

He explained it slowly and meticulously, pausing from time to time to ask if she understood.

Jiang Ling’Er was still a bit lost at first, but looking at her teacher’s calm gaze and listening to his patient explanation, the panic in her heart slowly dissipated, and her wide eyes began to focus again.

”Oh, so that’s how it is! It makes a turn here,” she exclaimed, suddenly clapping her hands, her eyes sparkling like stars.

”Yes, exactly,” Xu Ran said, a smile in his eyes. He reached out and gently patted her on the head. ”See? Our Ling’Er is very smart. You get it right away. Great job.”

That single ”Great job” was like a warm current that washed away all of Jiang Ling’Er’s grievances.

She looked up, a huge smile blooming on her face. Her soft cheeks were etched with pure joy. ”Hee hee, thank you, Teacher! I get it now.”

Lying on the ground nearby, Jiang Xiaohui panted and muttered, ’Finally, she’s cheered up...’

He’d been driven half-mad by those books on social etiquette lately. ’Heavens knew what a torturous thing it was to make a dog learn about human social graces.’

But after seeing Ling’Er smile, he couldn’t stop his tail from giving a gentle wag.

’Teacher Xu was right,’ he thought. ’Making Ling’Er learn about social etiquette and all that would be too hard on her. It’s better if I bear this suffering myself.’

Jiang Xiaohui looked at his master’s innocent little face and sighed helplessly in his heart. ’Sigh... Why did I have to get stuck with such a dummy for a master?’

A few days later, Jiang Ling’Er finally mastered that spell. She excitedly ran over to the fellow disciples she often did missions with, wanting to demonstrate it for them.

”Senior Sister, Senior Brother, look! I learned it!” She formed the hand signs for the spell, and a faint thread of Spiritual Qi tremblingly coalesced. It was slow, but the path it followed was finally correct.

The round-faced senior sister smiled. ”Well now, our Ling’Er really put in the effort.”

The tall, thin senior brother nodded as well. ”That wasn’t easy. You deserve praise for that.”

Hearing this, Jiang Ling’Er’s heart swelled with delight.

But a blunt junior brother nearby casually added, ”But Ling’Er, your speed... it’s not much faster than a snail’s crawl, hahaha.”

The comment was meant as a joke, but the junior brother hadn’t gauged his words well. Jiang Ling’Er’s smile froze, and the light in her eyes instantly dimmed.

Just then, Jiang Xiaohui suddenly barked twice, stood up, and nuzzled the junior brother’s leg, secretly sending a mental message to him:

”Senior Brother, when you’re a person, sometimes it’s best not to be *too* honest. After all, you’re not a dog like me, right?”

The junior brother froze for a second. He looked at Jiang Xiaohui’s big, wet eyes, then at Jiang Ling’Er’s crestfallen expression, and it suddenly dawned on him. He quickly scratched his head.

”Ah, I’m so clumsy with my words! Ling’Er, don’t mind me! What I meant was, it’s amazing that you learned it so quickly! As for the speed, that’ll come with practice.”

The round-faced senior sister also shot the junior brother a glare before putting an arm around Jiang Ling’Er’s shoulders. ”Exactly. Our Ling’Er has made huge progress.”

Jiang Ling’Er looked at the junior brother who was so anxiously trying to explain himself, then at Jiang Xiaohui nuzzling against her. The knot of unhappiness in her heart quickly dissolved, and she started smiling again. ”Yeah, I’ll keep practicing to get faster.”