Chapter 2: From This Day Forward, I Am Your Master

In a dead-end alley.

The bun shop owner panted, bracing his hands on his knees as he glared at the little beggar before him: "Run! Didn't you love to run? Keep running then!"

The little beggar knew she couldn't escape anymore. She unwrapped a dirty cloth and began devouring the bun ravenously.

Every bite she could get was one more.

"You're still eating, are you? See if I don't break your legs, you brat."

The bun shop owner strode forward.

The closer he got, the faster the little beggar ate.

Gripping his rolling pin, the bun shop owner swung it down hard toward the little beggar's head.

The little beggar squeezed her eyes shut and curled her body into a ball.

But to her surprise, the pain did not come.

The little beggar opened her eyes and saw a handsome young man in fine clothes holding the bun shop owner’s large hand.

Xiao Mo looked at the shivering, scrawny beggar before him and asked, "What is the matter with her?"

"Who are you? Why are you meddling in other people's business? She stole my buns! And it’s happened several times! I’m going to teach her a lesson!" the bun shop owner said indignantly.

Xiao Mo released the owner's hand and tossed a few pieces of silver into his arms: "Is this enough?"

The bun shop owner froze for a moment, then nodded repeatedly: "Enough, it's enough, more than enough."

"You little brat, consider yourself lucky!" The bun shop owner cursed a few times and left the alley.

The little beggar looked at the young man standing before her, swallowed hard, and clutched her small hands tightly against her chest.

Xiao Mo crouched down and asked with a smile, "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you. What is your name?"

"Jiang... Jiang Qingyi," the girl replied timidly.

"Hmm, that’s a good name. Would you like to come with me?"

"Go with you?"

"That's right. I want to take on a disciple, and I think you're quite good. If you come with me, you'll be able to eat your fill every day. How about it? Would you like to consider it?"

The girl looked at the half-eaten bun in her hand, as if contemplating.

Finally, the girl looked up and gazed at Xiao Mo earnestly: "I... I will go with you!"

"Good." Xiao Mo nodded with a smile. "My name is Xiao Mo. From now on, I am your Master. Say it and let me hear."

"Master."

"Hmm."

After bringing Jiang Qingyi up the mountain, Xiao Mo took her to collect a disciple token and the female attire of the Longquan Sword Sect.

Returning to his own peak, Xiao Mo told Jiang Qingyi to take a bath and put on clean clothes.

When Jiang Qingyi stood before Xiao Mo again, his eyes couldn't help but light up.

The previous Jiang Qingyi had looked like a tomboy, with short hair and covered in mud and dust.

But after washing up and changing into a dress, she truly looked the part.

Xiao Mo tossed a wooden sword to Jiang Qingyi: "Starting today, you will learn swordsmanship from me. The sword technique I am teaching you is called the 'Grass Sword Manual.' This technique requires practicing both the sword manual and the sword forms together. You will practice the forms during the day, and at night I will teach you to read and memorize the manual. You must not slack off. Do you hear me?"

The "Grass Sword Manual" was the sword technique practiced by "Avatar Xiao Mo," and every move and stance was imprinted in Xiao Mo's mind.

Xiao Mo even wondered if he could practice the "Grass Sword Manual" in the real world after he left.

Jiang Qingyi clutched the wooden sword tightly: "Yes, Master."

"Follow my lead. The first form."

Over the next half month, Xiao Mo taught Jiang Qingyi swordsmanship every morning as soon as the sky turned light.

Jiang Qingyi learned very earnestly and worked very hard.

However, due to her lack of innate sword bones, Jiang Qingyi learned very, very slowly. Her aptitude could only be described as "poor."

Another half month passed, and Jiang Qingyi still hadn't mastered the first form of the Grass Sword Manual.

"Master... am I very stupid?"

One day, Jiang Qingyi said dejectedly while clutching her wooden sword.

"Who said you were stupid?" Xiao Mo sat in the courtyard, sipping tea.

Jiang Qingyi shook her head quickly: "No... no one told me that."

Xiao Mo stared at Jiang Qingyi and said calmly, "Come here."

Jiang Qingyi swallowed and walked slowly to her Master's side.

"Qingyi, you are not stupid at all." Xiao Mo patted Jiang Qingyi's head gently. "There is a saying: all beginnings are hard. We are in no rush; take it slow. You don't need to overthink anything, just do your part. Do you understand?"

"Mm-hmm!" Jiang Qingyi nodded.

Encouraged by her Master, the girl regained a bit of confidence.

In the time that followed, Xiao Mo often bought the meat and blood of spirit beasts for Jiang Qingyi to consume.

Jiang Qingyi's progress remained very slow.

A total of a month and a half had passed, and Jiang Qingyi hadn't even reached the threshold of the first level of Qi Refining!

One day, when Xiao Mo went down the mountain to buy wine, he couldn't help but overhear a few outer sect disciples talking

"The disciple Elder Xiao took in has no foundation at all. I don't know why Elder Xiao would take her as a disciple."

"It's been a month and a half, and she doesn't even seem to have entered the first level of Qi Refining."

"Damn, isn't my talent higher than that Jiang Qingyi's? And I didn't even become an Elder's disciple!"

"Hahaha, Xiao Mo usually looks down on everyone. I can't wait to see how that girl gets beaten to a pulp at the Longquan Sword Sect's New Blood Tournament in a year!"

Just as the group was drinking and talking, Xiao Mo walked up to them.

"Fellow Daoist, what's wrong? Is there something you need?" a burly man asked, turning around when he saw Xiao Mo.

"Nothing, it's just that I don't feel comfortable hearing you talk about my disciple like that."

As he spoke, Xiao Mo kicked them in the stomach.

The burly man flew ten meters away.

After teaching these people a lesson, Xiao Mo returned to his Lingqian Peak as if nothing had happened.

It was already late at night when Xiao Mo returned to the peak.

Under the moonlight, the girl was still practicing her sword.

Her movements were clumsy, yet she was so diligent.

"Qingyi," Xiao Mo called out the girl's name softly.

"Master." Jiang Qingyi put away her wooden sword and trotted toward her Master.

"You haven't slept yet?" Xiao Mo patted her head.

"Master, Qingyi couldn't sleep, so I wanted to practice a bit more," Jiang Qingyi said softly.

Xiao Mo smiled: "Hard work is a good thing, but you must also balance work and rest."

Jiang Qingyi shook her head vigorously: "It's okay, Master, I'm not tired."

Looking at the girl, Xiao Mo's eyes held a hint of complexity, but he didn't stop her: "Fine, practice for at most one more stick of incense, then go to sleep. Do you hear me?"

"I understand, Master. Master should get some rest too." Jiang Qingyi nodded.

Xiao Mo turned and walked back to his wooden hut.

Watching her Master's back, Jiang Qingyi pursed her lips, her small hands gripping the long sword tightly.

Just as her Master was about to enter the door, Jiang Qingyi called out softly: "Master."

"Hmm?" Xiao Mo turned around.

Under the moonlight, the girl's eyes were like ripples in a clear spring, limpid and gentle: "I will definitely not let you down at the sect's New Blood Tournament, Master!"

Xiao Mo froze for a moment, then the corners of his mouth curled up, and he nodded with a smile

"Good."

(End of chapter)