Chapter 102: World Three [16]

When she heard that her master intended to pass on fifteen years of inner strength as a birthday gift, Luo Yuezhu froze for a long moment. Snapping out of it, she immediately shook her head in refusal.

“Master, I’ve already received your gift. The hairpin you bought for me this morning, for my coming-of-age ceremony—I love it,” Luo Yuezhu said.

The past three-plus years had seen Luo Yuezhu mature considerably. With each passing battle against other opponents, she slowly came to understand just how much painstaking effort her master had poured into her over the years.

Setting aside the other top-tier cultivation methods, the weapons gifted to her alone would be enough to spark internal strife among minor sects if they were ever introduced to the Jianghu.

The fifteen years of inner strength her master mentioned—it surely wasn’t the same as fifteen years of cultivation by an ordinary person. It had to be the amount of inner strength she herself could cultivate in fifteen years’ time.

Most importantly, she still hadn’t managed to successfully pry out her master’s own birthday. She could only give her master gifts during the New Year.

“Today is your hairpin ceremony. A few trinkets don’t count as a proper gift. Whatever I choose to give you, just accept it. It’s not as if it’s something terribly precious,” Jing Ke said, waving a dismissive hand.

Merely fifteen years of inner strength was nothing to Jing Ke—like sprinkling a little water on the ground. At worst, she could just use a technique that absorbed the internal energy cultivation of others, hunt down a few wanted fugitives, convert their inner strength into her own, and replenish whatever she’d given away.

Under Jing Ke’s insistence, Luo Yuezhu couldn’t refuse her master’s kindness. She could only obediently sit cross-legged and silently feel the familiar inner strength flowing into her body.

The Heavenly Derivation Heart Method already yielded twice the result for half the effort in cultivation. Moreover, Jing Ke had used medicine and her own inner strength in the early stages to enhance her little disciple’s physique, and later even fed her pills that could boost her cultivation base.

Thus, although her little disciple was only fifteen, in terms of internal energy cultivation, she possessed roughly thirty years’ worth of inner strength.

Adding this gifted inner strength, Luo Yuezhu’s total would be around sixty years—already far surpassing the internal energy cultivation Yin Honglian and Ye Wenxin once had.

As for actual combat, Jing Ke usually only taught her little disciple sufficiently exquisite techniques, supplemented by some sparring sessions that posed no real danger. The bulk of her little disciple’s practical experience came from battling river pirates and wanted fugitives.

In the first few encounters, the little disciple could only manage to defeat her opponents; she couldn’t steel her heart to kill.

Witnessing this, Jing Ke didn’t pressure her. She simply handled the executions herself.

But Jing Ke didn’t leave the matter there. Afterwards, she led her little disciple to visit the victims’ families, allowing her little disciple to grasp more profoundly the heinous crimes those men had committed.

This method proved very effective. By the third and fourth time, the sword in the little disciple’s hand moved much faster.

She still couldn’t bring herself to torture her enemies to death the way those villains did to their victims. But she could now slit their throats without the slightest hesitation, sending them straight to hell.

It was a remarkable improvement, though the little disciple couldn’t sleep well for several days after taking a life with her own hands. But once that step was taken, it was a personal breakthrough.

In this day and age, murder and arson were commonplace. If one feared killing, then no amount of martial prowess would be of any use.

In the end, such a person would always fall prey to every manner of scheme and scoundrel, meeting a miserable and untimely end.

—

Returning to the main point, after feeling the abundant inner strength within her body, Luo Yuezhu felt her mastery over certain martial techniques had also become a bit more refined.

When the peach blossoms bloomed on the mountain, Luo Yuezhu watched her master seal the sect grounds once more with layer upon layer of formations before leaving the place where she had lived for so many years.

“News reached me a few days ago. Yangzhou is hosting a Martial Arts Tournament in May. Anyone under forty can participate. The Champion will become an Honorary Elder of the Martial Arts Alliance, enjoying all the powers befitting an Elder.”

As they rode their horses down the mountain together, Jing Ke informed her little disciple of this. “The Martial Arts Alliance hasn’t explicitly forbidden the Devil Sect from appearing. The Devil Sect will likely come. Knowing the Right Protector’s style, the chances of him showing up are very high.”

“Because Lin Yuxiu is still with the Martial Arts Alliance?” Luo Yuezhu was no longer the clueless Jianghu rookie she once was. By now, she had a fairly clear grasp of the grievances between the Devil Sect and the Martial Arts Alliance.

However, Jing Ke still hadn’t told her little disciple that Lin Yuxiu was actually Lin Su. The little disciple only knew that Lin Yuxiu was a member of the Martial Arts Alliance with a major grudge against the Devil Sect, and that he had attempted to assassinate the Devil Sect Leader.

That didn’t really matter. After all, ever since Jing Ke had declared her position, Lin Yuxiu’s existence within the Martial Arts Alliance was a living death—constantly teetering on a single breath, a state where he couldn’t die but had no will to live.

“Yes. Lin Yuxiu managed to escape due to the Devil Sect Right Protector’s negligence. If the Right Protector can seize the Champion title, he’ll not only humiliate the Martial Arts Alliance but also wield the authority of an Elder to force the Alliance to hand Lin Yuxiu over to him,” Jing Ke explained concisely.

“I understand, Master. Is our next step to head to Yangzhou, find the Right Protector, and make him pay for what he did four years ago?” Luo Yuezhu asked.

Time might dilute hatred, but that so-called time can only exist after vengeance is achieved.

As her strength grew bit by bit, Luo Yuezhu’s desire to avenge her family burned ever fiercer.

“Mm. Your cultivation base is already quite impressive now. Those under forty are basically no match for you. As for those over forty, they’re all seasoned Seniors in the Jianghu. They probably won’t lose face by making a move against a child like you,” Jing Ke said, glancing sideways at her little disciple.

“Master, I’m already fifteen. I’m not a child anymore,” Luo Yuezhu emphasized.

She was already stronger than most people under forty. The word “child” should have absolutely nothing to do with her anymore.

“Fifteen truly isn’t young. But I, your Master, will forever be ten years older than you. In my eyes, you’re still my little disciple who needs my care,” Jing Ke said.

Fifteen years old—that was around the age of someone just starting high school in the modern era. If not exactly a child, then perhaps a half-grown child. At least three more years away from being a true adult.

She’d continue to raise her. By the time she was eighteen, her little disciple’s martial arts should be enough to make her Number One in the World.

—

After leisurely traveling from the sect grounds to Yangzhou, time had slipped from the third month to the end of the fourth. The Martial Arts Tournament was now less than half a month away.

There was no threshold to register for the Martial Arts Tournament. You could sign up whether you possessed inner strength or not.

However, at registration, you had to pay a fee of one tael of silver and also sign a Life-and-Death Contract. Once on the dueling platform, life and death were your own responsibility.

Of course, stepping onto the platform wasn’t mandatory. If your turn to compete arrived and you saw your opponent was too powerful and felt fearful or cowardly, you could forfeit outright. Forfeiting carried no penalty whatsoever.

Furthermore, if you called out the word “I concede” in time while on the platform, but your opponent still tried to continue attacking you, the Referees on the platform, as well as the Elders and Sect Masters of the major sects, would not stand idly by. They would do their utmost to stop the opponent’s attack and spare your life.

As the chosen headquarters of the Martial Arts Alliance, Yangzhou City was very prosperous, rivaling or even surpassing even the Capital City.

The Capital City, being under the Emperor’s watch, was naturally bustling. But security for the Imperial Family and high-ranking officials was paramount, making the protective measures extremely strict. Ordinary people entering and exiting the City Gates were subject to inspection. As for Jianghu figures, the guards practically wished they could detain you indefinitely.

Having a guarantor with connections inside could work; you could obtain what they called a transit Token. But without a guarantor and with an absolute need to enter the Capital, you’d have every single move monitored by the Four Seas Pavilion, practically at all times.

Luo Yuezhu had visited the Capital City once with her master when she was thirteen. That feeling of being spied on was deeply unpleasant and made her extremely uncomfortable.

Yangzhou was different. The Martial Arts Alliance’s headquarters were located here. The crowds coming and going were mostly martial artists, carrying their customary Weapons openly. There was simply no possibility of being under constant surveillance.

In Yangzhou, the presence of the government Yamen was overwhelmingly diminished. The Yamen personnel generally only acted somewhat forcefully when collecting taxes. The rest of the time, they were little more than decoration.

Comparing the two in her mind, Luo Yuezhu felt Yangzhou’s atmosphere was far more relaxing.

Of course, if she were just a weak, helpless civilian, she’d think neither the Capital City nor Yangzhou was a good place. A relatively quiet, less bustling County Town would be a more suitable home.

With the Martial Arts Tournament imminent, inns in Yangzhou became a hot commodity. The master and disciple, arriving only fifteen days early, found three inns fully booked in a row.

It wasn’t until the fourth, somewhat more remote inn that they didn’t receive the “rooms full” announcement upon arrival.

“Two Guests, our humble establishment only has one superior room and one communal room left. As you can see…” The Shopkeeper revealed a slightly troubled expression.

Jing Ke’s brow arched. A communal room, aside from being cramped, meant squeezing in a large room with other people. How could that possibly be her choice?

“Master, how about… how about we share a room?” Luo Yuezhu tugged on her master’s sleeve. “It seems all the inns around here are full.”

“Then one superior room it is,” Jing Ke didn’t refuse.

Normally, master and disciple slept separately, of course. But every year on Chinese New Year’s Eve, Jing Ke would make an exception and accompany her little disciple through the night. If the bed was large enough, sleeping together wasn’t a big issue—her little disciple was still just a half-grown child, after all.

“Right away! I’ll arrange a superior room for you two honored Guests. Upstairs, turn right, third door on the…” The Shopkeeper’s words were not yet finished when a vigorous-sounding voice came from behind Jing Ke.

“Hold on! Ladies, would you be willing to discuss a compromise? Let us have the superior room, and we’re willing to pay triple the price.” A man in a black robe, clearly a martial artist, walked over. He presented himself with a very honest-looking face and a muscular build as he asked the question.

“No. We’re not short of money,” Jing Ke politely replied. To prove her words, she directly produced a silver note and handed it to the Shopkeeper.

“We’ll likely be staying for over half a month. Make sure you look after our two horses properly, and prepare hot water every evening,” Jing Ke instructed.

“Certainly! Rest assured, esteemed Guests, our humble shop’s service is absolutely top-notch.” Seeing the hundred-tael Silver Note handed over, the Shopkeeper’s grin became impossible to suppress.

The Shopkeeper also had a strong sense of contract spirit; he understood the principle of first come, first served.

“Ladies, we could even afford five times the price. We hope you Heroines will understand—our junior sister sorely needs a superior room,” the burly man continued.

Jing Ke ignored him this time. Turning to confirm the room’s location with the Shopkeeper, she then grasped her little disciple’s wrist and led her upstairs.

“Hey, do you know who my Senior Brother—” A certain Junior Brother following the burly man couldn’t stand being ignored. It seemed he was about to invoke the name of some powerful Backer to intimidate Jing Ke and Luo Yuezhu.

“Come back here! Watch your mouth!” Fortunately, the burly man had some discretion. Before his Junior Brother could finish speaking, he yanked him back, forcefully silencing him.

“Senior Brother, we were offering five times the price! We weren’t trying to forcibly snatch the room from them,” the pulled-back Junior Brother grumbled discontentedly.

“Have you forgotten where we are? This is Yangzhou! Experts are as common as clouds. Don’t think too highly of yourself,” the burly man said.

Perhaps their own sect could be considered a considerable power in the county town where their grounds were located, but in Yangzhou, a place teeming with great sects, it was utterly insignificant.

Their own strength was similar—nearly thirty years old, they possessed only about thirty years’ worth of inner strength cultivation. It was hard to say if they’d even make the top ten of the Martial Arts Tournament.

Thinking of this, the burly man couldn’t help but regret it inwardly. Why had he brought this spoiled little Junior Brother along in the first place?

He should have been more ruthless and come alone. That way, even sleeping in a communal room would have been fine!

The Junior Brother seemed still dissatisfied. He muttered several complaints under his breath before reluctantly heading off to another inn to inquire about vacancies.

—

“Master, that man looked so strong. Does he practice fist and foot techniques?” Once they had safely arrived in their own room, Luo Yuezhu couldn’t help but ask.

“From what you observed, what do you think he practices?” Jing Ke turned the question back onto her own disciple.

“Judging by his physique—stable lower body, great strength—it’s very likely palm techniques, combined with some Hard Qigong,” Luo Yuezhu judged based on her own experience.

“But that Junior Brother following him looked somewhat thin and weak. If they’re from the same sect, shouldn’t the cultivation methods they practice be the same?” Luo Yuezhu asked.

“Martial cultivation between fellow male and female disciples of the same master isn’t entirely identical. Some have high talent, some low. Their specialties also differ,” Jing Ke explained briefly.

“It’s just like I told you—there are many types of Swords: heavy and light, stiff and soft. Palm techniques are the same; some require a powerful physique, while others focus on agility and grace.”

Jing Ke continued, “The more profound a sect’s heritage, the more cultivation methods and secret manuals it possesses. Even under the same Master, disciples can be taught to specialize in completely different weapons.”

Luo Yuezhu nodded thoughtfully. Some of her own views seemed to have been overly simplistic. It appeared her accumulated Jianghu experience was still lacking.

“Alright, no need to dwell on those two people. What you need to do now is pack your luggage, then go out and gather information related to the Devil Sect Right Protector,” Jing Ke said.

“Also, you can start preparing for the Martial Arts Tournament in advance. Pay special attention to the Senior Disciples of the major sects. At the very least, find out what their customary weapons are and what their combat style is like.”

Jing Ke paused for a moment, then patted her Little Disciple’s shoulder. “You keep saying on the road that you’re already a grown-up. Then I won’t interfere in your registration and competition processes. I’ll let you handle everything yourself.”

“Alright! Master, don’t worry, your Disciple will take care of it,” Luo Yuezhu’s eyes lit up. Her gaze towards Jing Ke held a new, unique emotion compared to before.

Luo Yuezhu had actually wanted to prove herself in front of her master for a long time, just never having had a suitable opportunity before.

Now that her master had said this, she would definitely seek revenge smoothly and then seize the title of Champion at the Martial Arts Tournament.

She wanted her Master to know that she was no longer the child who needed her Master’s protection to drive away bad people. She was already capable of standing on her own!