Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

Chapter 165: Chapter 139: Taking a Master?

’The siblings from the Lin family estate... Lin Cheng and Lin Zhen are here to see me?’

’Did they run into some kind of trouble? Could it be that those uncles and elders are up to their old tricks again?’

A cold glint flashed in Xie Yuan’s eyes, and he let out a soft snort.

Last time, out of respect for Landlord Lin, he had been too lenient with those vultures preying on the orphaned. Now that his own reputation had soared, he could pay them another visit and see if they dared to show him any disrespect.

Xie Yuan held the memory of Landlord Lin’s gift of the saber dear to his heart. He’d only later learned that this Treasure Saber was worth half the Lin family estate—priceless and incredibly sharp.

Besides, since he had promised to protect the orphaned siblings, he would never go back on his word.

In a deep voice, Xie Yuan told the attendant:

"Have them wait a moment. I’ll be right there."

He turned and went back inside, deliberately taking down the long saber and hanging it from his waist. He then glanced discreetly at Mu Chaoyun. She was still in the flower garden, watering the plants, and showed no reaction.

Xie Yuan said in a low voice:

"I’m stepping out for a bit."

"Mm."

Mu Chaoyun replied coolly.

Xie Yuan left the courtyard and strode quickly toward the Escort Agency’s reception room.

Inside a tearoom.

A young man and woman sat at a table, their posture tense and slightly awkward.

The man was dressed in a silk robe. He was slightly plump with a youthful face and a scholarly air.

The woman next to him wore a plain, long dress. She was a demure beauty with a lovely face, and her eyes kept darting toward the door.

The siblings were none other than Landlord Lin’s children, Lin Cheng and Lin Zhen.

They sat there, teacups steaming with fragrant tea on the table before them, but neither of them moved. They sat with their backs straight, simply watching the door and waiting, their expressions filled with a mix of apprehension and unease.

The sound of firm footsteps approached from outside, followed by a CREAK as the door was pushed open.

The two of them shot to their feet. Seeing the newcomer, their spirits lifted, and they called out:

"Master Xie!"

Xie Yuan watched as the refined Lin Cheng bowed with clasped hands and the lovely Lin Zhen gave a slight curtsy. He reached out a hand in a gesture to stop them.

"Please, there’s no need for such formalities. Have a seat."

After the greetings and a bit of polite small talk, Xie Yuan got straight to the point.

"You both came to the Escort Agency to find me. Have you run into trouble? Please, speak freely. I’m not scheduled for any escorts recently, so if you need my help, I can leave right now."

Lin Cheng’s face filled with gratitude, and he stood to bow once more.

"Master Xie, your righteous heart and noble character leave me in complete admiration. The day you helped us deal with the rapacious wolves in our clan, you then went on to crush the Vajra Sect and shake all of Yunzhao County. Now, everyone in the county praises you as a peerless hero and a prodigious talent. My detestable uncles naturally wouldn’t dare to defy your will and haven’t crossed the line in the slightest."

Xie Yuan was a little surprised to hear this. He had been ready to make a trip out there, but it seemed that wasn’t the issue.

’Then why are they here?’

Xie Yuan raised an eyebrow and asked:

"Then the reason for your visit is..."

Lin Cheng and Lin Zhen exchanged a look, then stood up in unison and prepared to kneel.

"We admire your exceptional bearing and supreme martial skill, Master Xie. We wish to ask you to be our master so that we may learn martial arts and avenge our parents and our clan!"

...?

’Become my apprentices?’

Watching their movement, Xie Yuan’s mouth fell open, his jaw nearly hitting the floor. Thankfully, he reacted quickly, catching them both and preventing them from kneeling.

"Don’t, please don’t... Brother Lin, Miss Lin, this is absolutely out of the question. I’m two years younger than you, Brother Lin. How could I possibly be your master?"

This body of Xie Yuan’s was only eighteen by traditional counting. He was still a kid himself and hadn’t reached the age of taking on apprentices. He’d never even considered such a thing.

’How long have I been practicing martial arts? Not even a year, and people are already treating me like some kind of expert...’

But Lin Cheng was insistent.

"As the sages say, ’He who is learned is the master.’ Though you are young, Master Xie, your achievements at such a young age make you worthy of being our master."

Xie Yuan shook his head, firmly guiding them back to their seats. He sighed.

"Perhaps you think my cultivation is passable, especially after I destroyed the Vajra Sect. Many people are trying to blow me up into the number one martial artist in Yunzhao.

"But your family’s mortal enemy, the great bandit from the West Desert, Lu the Third, is a Grandmaster of the Heaven and Earth Bridge Realm. His cultivation is leagues beyond mine. To be honest, I have a life-and-death feud with him as well, and I will settle the score with him one day. But if he were to appear before me right now, I’d be counting my lucky stars just to escape with my life. If you’ve come to me to learn martial arts for revenge, then you’ve come to the wrong person."

Hearing this, Lin Cheng was stunned for a moment, then sighed.

"We know our enemy is powerful, but a blood feud of this magnitude must be avenged. I have studied the classics since I was a child. After more than ten years, I finally became a Scholar. Just as I was hoping to advance further and display my literary talents, my family suffered this tragedy. Only then did I realize that three thousand essays in my head could not protect what my late father left behind, and ten thousand poems on my lips could not curse away the greed of petty villains, let alone curse my father’s murderer to death. ’A scholar is useless, truly useless...’

"That day, when I saw you display your might, Master Xie, scattering a room full of greedy guests like sparrows with a single, astonishing strike of your saber, an idea took root in my heart. These past few days, when I try to read the classics and scriptures, I still find the wisdom of the ancients marvelous and their words profound, but my mind always wanders. It’s no longer the pleasure it once was. I keep thinking that no matter how many books I read, I can’t avenge my parents. To continue living in this world without doing so brings me shame as a son."

"To avenge this blood feud, learning martial arts is the only way! If I cannot avenge my parents, I will have failed to repay them for raising me! Even my younger sister, who has been coddled like a precious pearl her whole life, has sworn to take revenge. My sister and I have made up our minds. We wish to embark on the Martial Dao. We hope Master Xie will grant our wish!"

As Lin Cheng finished speaking, he pulled Lin Zhen to kneel again, but Xie Yuan simply sighed and helped them up once more.

"I understand your feelings. But taking you as apprentices is truly out of the question. I hope you will both reconsider. How about this? For now, come to the Escort Agency. I’ll have someone teach you the basics of the Martial Dao. As for becoming apprentices... I will think of something for you."

His mind spun, and an idea began to form.

Avenging one’s parents was a matter of course. What’s more, given his connection to them, Xie Yuan was willing to help them find a way. But he wouldn’t consider taking them as apprentices.

Seeing Xie Yuan’s firm attitude, Lin Cheng had no choice but to drop the talk of apprenticeship and agree to his proposal for the time being.

Xie Yuan saw the two of them out of the Escort Agency, telling them to return the next day when he would arrange for someone to instruct them. Then, they parted ways.

On the carriage, Lin Cheng sighed.

"It’s a pity Master Xie won’t take us... but at least we’ve taken the first step toward learning martial arts."

Lin Zhen had barely spoken the entire time, letting her brother do all the talking. Her eyes, however, had been fixed on Xie Yuan.

Now, her small, palm-sized face showed no sign of regret.

"It’s good that we’re not becoming his apprentices. It’s enough that we get to learn martial arts."

Although they had agreed beforehand to ask him to be their master, she felt an inexplicable sense of relief when she heard Xie Yuan refuse. And hearing that he would let them train at the Escort Agency felt even better. A faint sense of anticipation grew within her.

"You silly girl, you don’t understand anything. Master Xie is so young and accomplished. His strength may not be at its peak yet, but give him time, and his potential will be limitless. If we could have become his apprentices, it would have been a huge advantage for us. What a pity, what a pity."

Lin Cheng, after all, was an educated man who had passed the imperial examinations. He did have a certain degree of foresight.

Lin Zhen pouted.

’Who’s the one who doesn’t understand?’

Lin Zhen might not understand the calculations of the Martial Dao, but Lin Cheng certainly didn’t understand a young woman’s heart.

Xie Yuan returned to his small courtyard to find Mu Chaoyun reading by the window, a cup of hot tea on the table.

She hadn’t brought any books with her, of course. The one she was holding was a copy of the Escort Agency’s "Record of Escort Journeys," and she seemed to be reading it with great interest.

Xie Yuan didn’t understand how a Grandmaster cultivated or recuperated, so he just shook his head and said:

"I’m back."

"Mm."

Mu Chaoyun replied coolly without even raising her eyes.

’All she’s missing is "dinner’s in the pot," and she’d be just like the lady of the house...’

Xie Yuan grumbled to himself as he walked into the room and asked:

"Miss Mu, may I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

Mu Chaoyun closed the book, sat at the table, and looked up at Xie Yuan.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating Mu Chaoyun’s profile. Her fair cheeks were so translucent you could almost see the veins beneath, and her perfect features seemed to glow.

Even though Xie Yuan had seen her many times over the past few days, the sight still made him pause for a moment before he asked:

"Do you know much about the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect? Could you tell me about it?"

Mu Chaoyun’s brow twitched slightly. She nodded, her tone becoming a bit more solemn.

"The Cloud Mountain Sword Sect is one of the top two sword-wielding Sects in the Great Li. In terms of pure Sword Dao, only the Sword Storage Pavilion from the ’Four Factions’ can be considered superior."

Xie Yuan was taken aback. He only knew that the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect was the undisputed number one Sect in Yunzhou, with a more stable position than the Longteng Escort Agency had in Yunzhao, completely unchallenged. He never imagined they were so powerful that their level of Swordsmanship was among the top two in the entire Great Li, surpassed only by the top-tier Sword Storage Pavilion from the "One Cult, Two Sects, Four Factions, and Eight Families."

"Their Swordsmanship is profound and unfathomable, and its power is astonishing. My family once had dealings with them; they are indeed extraordinary. Beyond their Martial Dao, the Sect itself is also quite decent. It has a righteous and pure atmosphere, a Sect of true Sword Cultivators."

Mu Chaoyun commented, then looked at him.

"Are you aspiring to join the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect? That’s a decent choice."

Xie Yuan gave a noncommittal response.

"I’ll think about it. But as for the Lin family siblings... you know, they want to learn martial arts, and I was thinking of having them try for the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect."

Mu Chaoyun’s expression was placid.

"What do I know?"

"I just mean you know them..."

"I don’t."

Xie Yuan’s brow furrowed slightly.

"But you were the one who led Lu the Third to the Lin family estate..."

"What? Are you trying to seek justice for them from me?"

Mu Chaoyun interrupted coolly.

Xie Yuan’s frown deepened.

"That’s not what I mean. It can’t be considered your fault either..."

"It wasn’t. If I hadn’t entered the Lin family estate that day, I would have had no way to escape Lu the Third’s pursuit in the wild. It was the only path to survival I could calculate."

Mu Chaoyun lifted her chin slightly, her face cold as she said:

"Their lack of strength is their problem, what does it have to do with me? I didn’t know what would happen afterward. But even if I had, if I had to do it again, hmph, I would make the same choice."

Xie Yuan hadn’t had much of an opinion as he listened, but when he heard her last words, his brow shot up, and he said in a low, heavy voice:

"You..."

"What about it? If you intend to hold me accountable for them, that is my answer."

The corners of Mu Chaoyun’s lips curled into a cold smirk.

This was the first time she had ever smiled in front of Xie Yuan. Her stunning, oval face looked icily beautiful, but Xie Yuan felt as if he didn’t know her at all.

Perhaps he had never truly understood her.

"Get out."

Noticing the change in Xie Yuan’s eyes, Mu Chaoyun lowered her gaze back to the book in front of her and said flatly.

Xie Yuan clenched his jaw, snorted coldly, and stormed out, flicking his sleeves.

The courtyard gate slammed shut with a BANG. Mu Chaoyun remained motionless, staring at the book before her. She didn’t turn a single page, even as her tea grew cold, sitting like a statue.

Xie Yuan paced restlessly through the Escort Agency, ignoring the greetings from others and causing many Darts Masters to exchange bewildered glances.

’She can’t be such a heartless, cold-blooded, and selfish person. Then again, we’ve only known each other for a short time; you can know a person’s face but not their heart. Our meeting was just a coincidence. It doesn’t matter what kind of person she is. Once I return this huge problem, the Black Celestial Book, we’ll have nothing more to do with each other. It’s none of my business.’

After stewing in frustration for half the day, Xie Yuan himself didn’t know why he was having so many thoughts. He could only shake his head, call over an attendant, and have him deliver a message to the Chunjiang Building.

Before long, Boss Wu’s reply arrived—

In two days, the esteemed guests from the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect had a banquet reservation at the Chunjiang Building.

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